In reply to Vorsh (msg # 43):

Celene ponders the answers of Vorsh for a while.

Sense motive: again not sure how the rules are/work
- I suppose you would check secretly if he succesfully bluffs me about what he is intending to use the sword for - and I wouldn't know if he succeeded? Or should I ask to be allowed to 'call his bluff' with sense motive?
- Other than that, can I use the skill to determine if Vorsh is trustworthy?
- Should I supply dialogue with the skill check, or can I just use it, then answer afterwards?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:10, Sun 14 Dec 2014.

He needs to make a bluff skill check to tell a lie to you. e.g depending on the size of the lie it would be a DC of 5, 10, 15, 20 etc. If you are ALSO using sense motive then he needs to pass BOTH the bluff skill check and your sense motive with the same roll i.e. he needs to beat the highest number to get away with it. You need to say if you are using sense motive, although I guess that knowing you I should assume that you are ALWAYS using it!



Sort of, as per the rules you can use 'sense motive' to do the following:

1) Detect if someone is trying to 'bluff you'/lie to you. As explained above.

2) Make a 'hunch' check. I think this is what you are asking for.

Hunch: This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another's behavior that something is wrong, such as when you're talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.

Note, that 'hunch' isn't ESP or some sort of empathy check. It isn't 'detect evil'. The 'hunch check' lets you detect if someone is acting strangely, e.g. does the merchant not seem to know his way around his own shop? Does the tavern keeper not know how to pour a cup of ale without getting too much froth on it? Does the noble have poor table manners and the wrong accent?

So if Celene used it now she would be asking 'is Vorsh behaving like some sort of homicidal maniac obsessed with destroying an evil sword?'. Well, the answer is yes. Does that help?!

3) Sense Enchantment: You can tell that someone's behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect even if that person isn't aware of it.

4) Discern Secret Message: You may use Sense Motive to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Bluff skill.




No, not in this case because I need to roll for you and Vorsh secretly - not that I am saying there is anything to detect though!

Celene pauses and considers what Vorsh has said. He certainly seems to mean that he will destroy the sword once it is brought to him.

OK, Celene is now officially in a RP holding pattern until Logan catches up. He is only at day 1 1400, and Celene is at day 2 0900. Feel free to ask as many or as few questions as you want to, then she will get a chance to do a bit of shopping and get some adventuring equipment.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 46):

Aaaach, no, you can't do that to me!!! :-)

Ok, you sound like i'm not completely pacified :-) - can I still talk a bit with Vorsh?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:05, Mon 15 Dec 2014.

Sure! I don't mean we have to move on, quite the opposite. We have plenty of time here.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 48):

Great!

So my sense motive tells me that he seems to be telling the truth about wanting to destroy the sword, and that he's in fact as he appears to be - right?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:57, Mon 15 Dec 2014.

Yes, correct.

In reply to Dungeon Master (msg # 50):


Was his face all that Celene gathered from looking at him? If any additional significant things are seen, it may of course alter the following...




"Although I personally will gladly help in the stemming of evil, what I want to do is irrelevant. What Wee Jas desires is not. But maybe you are not a man of faith, mister Vorsh?

Good and evil will always do battle, and are only relevant to the Ruby Sorceress if one or the other threatens the order and law of this world. The temple of Wee Jas would normally not be concerned by an item of magic, evil or good, as long as it does not voilate the laws of magic. Can you tell me how this particular evil is of importance to the upholding of the lawful order of Sasserine? Also, who is in fact the rightful owner of this sword?"


Basically Celene is more than willing to help in finding and destroying an evil magical sword, but to try and goad more information out of Vorsh she is attempting to >Bluff< (make a roll?) Vorsh into believing Celene is a cleric of Wee Jas (she's assuming Eseriel has not been able to, nor desired to, tell Vorsh about Celene beforehand), and that she is therefore more concered about upholding order and law than coming after a minor evil item, as that is what one would expect Wee Jas to prioritise (even though Celene is very aware that the Witch Goddess has asked her to aid in this endeavor - Vorsh is not).

Yes, I'm playing a bit around with skill use here, as it's the intro, and my chance to hopefully try it out a bit.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Mon 15 Dec 2014.

He has a dark jacket on with a hood up and it is dark in the private box. I think he is keeping what you can see of him to a minimum.




Vorsh grunts. "No, not any more. Not in the sense that you mean. What I care about now is destroying this evil, not following a bunch of nonsense rules made up by some distant god or goddess."



"This sword seeks to overturn our control of the city. And when I say 'our', I mean control by humans. Think how that would affect your precious 'lawful order'! It seeks to make the city its slave, nothing less. I suppose that it is not violating the laws of magic - but then not much does - but when it has control it will no doubt root out your little temple and all those in it. It does not want competition after all."


Cool. I wouldn't normal request a roll on this, but lets test if Celene can pass her self of as a confident and capable cleric of Wee Jas rather than just being a novice. We will roll in the open since Vorsh is going to show his feelings after the result. You role a 'bluff', Vorsh rules a 'sense motive'.

quote:

19:51, Tue 16 Dec 2014: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Vorsh, rolled 29 using 1d20+9 ((20)).

Hmm, I think he is going to see right through you!!

Whew, is that the kind of rolls we're up against, then i better keep skill rolls at a minimum :-). Except of course if my impressive dialogue grants a hefty bonus. :-D

ok, my roll wasn't too bad, but...


This message was last edited by the player at 20:47, Tue 16 Dec 2014.

Vorsh looks at Celene as though he can see straight through her, making the young women feel very uncomfortable. Fortunately, he is soon distracted by the orchestra below starting a new piece of music at an increased volume. Girls dressed up in pink leotards soon appear on stage with linked arms dancing backwards and forwards.

"Get those damn girls of the damn stage!" explodes Vorsh, his hand moving to the sword that Celene has just realised he is wearing at his side. Down in the orchestra pit the music stops with one abrupt screech from a violin hanging in the air, and the dancers freeze and stare up at the private box.

"I said I wanted a safe and private place to meet," growls Vorsh. "Get them all out of here."

Nylaria shoots out the door from their balcony and Celene hears her a second later. "Thank you girls! That is enough for today! We have some repair work to carry out so please return to the school." No doubt she is referring to the prestigious Telvanta Dance Academy in the merchant district. The novice returns her attention to Vorsh. The man still has his hand on his sword hilt and his face was flushed. She realised that she didn't have a single weapon if he did become violent, not even a kitchen knife, not that anything would help her if he pulled out his long sword. But surely Eseriel would protect them? Celene looked across at her mentor and saw that her face was pale.

"Let us finish this then," said the old women.

Vorsh grunted and loosened his hand slightly. "I asked for assistance and you send me this girl. Very well. We will see what she can do and how long she can survive." He turned back to Celene. "Go to 'The Skinned Man' tavern in Shadowshore and find a young half-elf named Logan. He will be there at noon today. He knows the details of what must be done. Help him as you can and keep and eye on him as well. Make sure he doesn't touch the sword! Or do something even more stupid like try and sell it. It is a mithral rapier with a jewelled pummel and a single large ruby set in the hilt, so I guess it must be worth a few coins. Obviously if he were to steal the weapon and then not return it I would have to come after both of you. The rapier is currently in the house of Hans Aubreck who lives in the noble district - again, Logan will have worked out exactly where and how to get in by now. He should also have figured out where in the house the sword is being kept. Follow his lead and you might be able to survive the night. Understood?"

Celene swallows nervously before answering in a low voice.

"Yes, I understand.

I have a few more questions to improve our chances of success - and survival.

Do you have further information on the item? Does it come with a scabbard, and can we safely touch this, or should we bring one to avoid contact?

Can this sword also try and dominate us by thought without contact, and if so, can this be blocked somehow?

Did you discuss any particular skills or talents required for the 'assistant' in this mission, that would aid in this break-in?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:55, Thu 18 Dec 2014.

Unfortunately we are missing that exact phrase, which is a shame because it is such a great one. The closest we have is 'she swallowed hard' or 'she swallowed nervously'. If it is done in quoted speech then it is just 'gulp!', but that has always seemed so cartoonish to me.



"I honestly don't know if it has a scabbard. I don't think you should count on there being one and you should go prepared with some way of wrapping it up yourselves."


"No, it must touch your skin to try and control you. There is no other way for it to influence you."


"Hans Aubreck has fallen on hard times and has started to dabble in necromancy. You are there to take care of any undead he may have created and also to heal if necessary." Vorsh gets to his feet. "I must be off. I need to be out of the city within an hour if I am to avoid detection." He sets Celene in his piercing glare. "Remember, meet Logan at noon, do the job tonight, then I will see you both at noon tomorrow. Do not fail me!" The man swirls out of the balcony without another word leaving the novice alone with her patron.

Celene turns slowly towards her mentor.

With a calm face she quietly states "Well, if you've promised an assistant to do this job, I think it would be wise to equip her for these tasks. I may handle undead my own way, even though it might get messy. If you have something that will help against such creatures, but not ignite the city around us at the same time, it might be worth your investment, unless the temple prefers to pay repaired damage and burn healing spells. But healing is certainly out of my area of expertice - I sure hope you have something to remedy this?"

"It was not my idea to send you Celene, not by any means. But it appears our goddess knows something more than I do. But yes, you need something to help you." Eseriel dips her hand into her magus robes and pulls out two items, a ceramic via and a pouch. "This is a potion of healing, it can help you or your soon to be colleague."

Potion of Cure Light Wounds (1d8+1)

"And this is 10 platinum pieces. Take it down to one of the markets and spend it on whatever you think will help you tonight. But before you go, make sure that Nylaria supplies you with a change of clothes. I do not think that it is proper for a novice of Wee Jas to be skulking round in the night."

"But even though I was not your idea, before our goddess sent me, you had an agreement with this man. Why? What did he promise in return?"

Are novives dressed recognisably (in a particular dress/gown etc), since she should change? I thought Celene was simply dressed as a servant?

"Vorsh is, or rather was, an old friend. He means well, but he needs to keep a low profile, so he asked me for help. He didn't promise anything in return."



I've upgraded(?) Celene to novice, and yes, they do dress recognisably. They wear a simpler version of the black and grey robes that the magus wear. Celene would really stand out if she wore those clothes in certain parts of the city, especially Shadowshore.

Nylaria returned to the private box. "Is he gone?" she asked nervously.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:30, Thu 18 Dec 2014.

Eseriel sighs. "Yes Nylaria, he is gone. Your head is safe on its shoulders for another day. Now would you take Celene down to your costuming room and find her something more appropriate to wear. She has to go shopping in a market, find a tavern in Shadowshore and then go... rob a house. Please find something suitable for those tasks." The magus rises. "And now, if you will excuse me, I need to get back to the temple."

Celene urgently gets up.

"Magus - our misstress said that 'taking back that which is stolen is not an unlawful act', but Vorsh said nothing on my question about who was the rightful owner. How do I know that this sword is stolen, making all this acceptable to our misstress?

And who should we then be taking it back to?"

After a hopefully reassuring answer, Celene adds "And why does he need to keep a low profile? Who IS this man?"

This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Thu 18 Dec 2014.

N.b. Does Celene know about holy water, and can she get it at the temple?

"You can take my word on it. This sword was not purchased. It would never allow itself to be purchased by one as weak as Hans Aubreck. The only explanation for him having it is that some sort of dirty trick was used."


"As long as it is destroyed I don't think it matters. We are not giving it back to Vorsh to use, we are giving it to him to be destroyed. I will make sure he does that."

"Why, I told you before. He is a killer. But he also seeks to destroy this evil, so we will help him in this one thing. That is all I want to say - for the protection of both of us."

Yes, she most definitely does! And as a member of the clergy of Wee Jas, even a novice, she can get as much free holy water as she wants! Just be aware that each dose weighs 1 lb (450 g), and with your strength you can only carry a total of 26 lbs (12 kg!) before becoming having reduced speed and dexterity effects.

Ahh, but Celene is sure she can charm some lucky scoundrel to do a bit of heavy lifting :-)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:38, Fri 19 Dec 2014.

"Thank you Magus for your assurances, I will gladly take your word as my comfort.

The only confusion left to me is why the temple of our misstres will still have dealings with a man so obviously on the wrong side of law and order. I do not understand that from what i have been taught during my initiation to the lower circle of the order. The Stern Lady IS the law. Is that because i still do not know all of her holy principles? Or is it due to the human part of the order?"


After too short a time for Eseriel to answer her rhetoric question, she lets it go. Celene decides that a human slip up on her mentors part is only natural - but worth pointing out a potential significance of, for a later time when Eseriel is not keen enough to support Celene...

"Thank you Magus Eseriel, for your patience with me. I will not delay you further from your business at the temple. I will be going to get equipped. I will be back at the temple for some vials of holy water later, as it sounds like to be of use. Depending on the report I get at noon, may I consult with you if something is amiss, endangering the mission?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:05, Fri 19 Dec 2014.