Frak! Frakking son of a misbegotten Frakker! Kassius thinks to himself at the name Otus. Of course there was a chance of running into one of those louts in this house. Kassius thinks fast. If Otus recognizes him, Keltar Islaran's incorrect suspicion is likely to be transferred to the rest of them. Thinking quickly, he glances out a nearby window and exclaims "Would you like at the time. Sorry, ladies, I'm late for my morning prayers. Go on without me, I'll catch right up!"
And then turns into a corner, swaying murmuring in what he hopes sounds like a suitably ancient and holy language, but is actually nonsense. Or at least, that's what he tries to do. Sadly, as he turns, he manages to stumble right into Otus, staring the man straight in the face.

11:26, Today: Kassius rolled 0 using 1d20-1. diplomacy/bluff?
Sigh. Don't suppose I could have a misfortune reroll?

In reply to Kassius (msg # 68):

Sure, you decide when you take your daily MF.

**OOC** Have at it Kassius I doubt you can do worse :)

Fortune fell on Kassius, for his bumping into the man seemed to knock the man senseless for half a second. Hardly believing his luck, Kassius quickly turned to the corner, obscuring his face from any further sight.


14:48, Today: Kassius rolled 14 using 1d20-1. misfortune reroll.
Hah!

Angati climbed the stairs cringing when she noticed the guy recognise Kassius, pointing at him as he took his knife out of his belt... almost instinctively, she blinked, the kind of blinking she did that made things happen... and it was as if it had been a déjà vu. The man bumped somewhere just as he was going to notice Kassius and the only bad outcome of all this was her heart that had almost jumped inside her chest.

She tried to bring herself back to the matter at hand, and so, she rummaged her head trying to keep off any subject that might fall back down to getting them to ask questions. Finally she decided to go for the one thing she thought everyone likes.... talking about themselves. "So, you have a big family here... I wish I did... I mean I do some, but they all keep to themselves, we hardly see each other... it must be good to have your family around you to support you and protect you, like you do".

It didn't come out as casual as she had intended but it would have to do... at any rate, it only had to last until he took them to Brissa right ?.

07:51, Today: Angati rolled 14 using 1d20+9. Diplomacy Check DC10.

OOC: Well that is no fun! How are we going to handle MF from now one? I always imagined it as though the original event never happened, not that the original event gets something added to the end.


<MINI SKILLS CHALLENGE UPDATE>
 Diplomacy DC10
 Passed: 3/4
 Failed: 0 (Boon used)

 Kassius MF Used

OOC: aren't we at 4/4 now?

<MINI SKILLS CHALLENGE UPDATE>

SKILLS CHALLENGE PASSED!

 Passed: 4/4
 Failed: 0 (Boon used)

 Kassius MF Used


"Oh yes!" says the young man. "Us Santos folk stick together. Ma & Pa Santos have thirteen children and it looks like the next generation will be having just as many. If it happens in the Azure district or down at the docks then we know about it."

The party arrives at a door midway down the hall on the second floor. "HEY BRISSA!" yells their guide. "YA GOT SOME VISITORS. ARTY TYPE FOLK."

"Heh heh, she'll be right out. So, do you think Brissa will be needing an agent?"

The door is opened by a beautiful young red-headed woman wearing a fine white silk bathrobe and nothing else. It is only loosly tied up at the front and a large gap shows some impressive cleavage. "What? You lot are after some art?" she says, looking a little surprised. Angati certainly looks the part as a mature lady dressed in decent clothes, and maybe Celene could be explained despite her novice robes - the church of Wee Jas did buy a lot of art. But Kassius' rough clothes more suitable for the jungle were out of place.

The young lady has paint brushes in her hand and a few spots of paint smeared across her face.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:45, Tue 11 Aug 2015.

Yep, was writing while you posted!

OOC It never happened. I just like explaining it based on her Time Mystery... so... as if it had just happened in her head. No one else sees it or has a recollection of it. I think that fits better than a lucky roll given the character, and effect wise its the same.

Angati smiled broadly "Oh wow, you also have the looks dear... thats something no one mentioned" 'though it was to be expected if she was going out with Vanthus... the guy had a taste that was clear... a slutty taste if anything...  damn concentrate on the matter old lady !!!!' she berated herself.

"Anyway, I have been sent to evaluate your work first, and if deemed good enough to make an appointment for you to meet my master and show him in person. He would pay you for this visit if it comes to that, and for any work of art that he buys from you or that he commissions you to do, of course. So... " she said still by the door.

"... would you care to show us your work ? Its been quite a walk and I'd hate to leave without having seen it, I have been told it feels like one can almost touch and feel your paintings. I am sorry though for not having sent a kid or someone before to let you know in advance that we were coming. It is embarrasing but alas, I hope you will forgive this slant of politeness."

OOC: Bah, Angati is just jealous!

The young red-head smiles at the compliment. As usual Angati finds a way straight into her victim's heart.



"Well... why, yes!" says the girl enthusiastically, opening the door wide so the three of them can come in. “Who did you say your master was again? And are you all from the same place? Why is there a cleric of Wee Jas here?” she asks innocently enough. “No-one is getting married… At least not today!” she giggles.

Brissa’s room is surprisingly large – it looks like the wall with the adjoining room has been knocked down to double the area – and is filled from top to bottom with painting equipment. Up around the walls are hung a host of unfinished sketches and paintings, and also some completed watercolors – all of them landscapes. No-one in the party is an expert, but the paintings do look good – they mostly show recognizable views of the cityscape of Sasserine and the surrounding coastline. The temple of Wee Jas, Castle Teraknian, the broken giant bridge across the harbor mouth, the arena in the champion district. There are also some more exotic landscapes including many tropical islands and a very peculiar island that appears to be made out of a tangle of sea weed.

“So what do you need? As you can see I can draw or paint any building or landscape in the city - or further away if required.” She seems to notice Kassius staring in the direction of her chest and self consciously tightens the silk robe around her. “Please excuse the mess,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Nodding a polite greeting at the young woman, Celene touches her clerical robe and symbol and smiles. "No, no wedding today, I haven't been to a wedding since the Vanderboren Toregson marriage some days ago - but I was really just a spectator, I don't perform the rituals - although I could of course. I am here to evaluate any magical aspects woven into pieces of art, they are so popular these days. It is just a favour to Clarissa here. My name is Tarylee, by the way. But you ask like a wedding may be forthcoming - are you perhaps engaged to be married soon?" Celenes takes her time talking along the lines of marrige and boyfriends a bit, in case an opening should present itself.

Else, moving further in, Celene takes in the room. "Oh, impressive. You certainly are productive. And very talented. Hmm, I recognize a lot from the city, but these are not from around here. Waht is that strange island? Intriguing motive!" Celene points out the weed island.

"Giggle. Well, I ain't meant to say anything."

OOC: Diplomacy check to push for info. DC15 for partial, DC20 for full.


"Oh, that. That was just a bit of fun. Papa Santos used to be a pir... err, a sailor, and he tells us stories about the sea. That place is called 'Journey's End' and it is a giant island made out of seaweed or something like it. My father said that he saw it once when he was sailing in the middle of the Sea of Dread with his crew - but that must be rubbish because he said another time that all who encountered it were becalmed in the gyre and starved to death or worse, the seaweed would actually eat them!" She laughs. "Silly tales to keep the children amused, and terrified. I'm far too old for that now."

But Angati doesn't feel it is an amusing story. As she looks at the greenish undulating mat of sea weed that forms the island and the thick mist that seems to roll in off the centre she gets a feeling that makes her skin crawl - she can almost smell the stink of the salty weed and it is not just rotting vegetation she smells. It is death. A noxious sensation of dread builds in her stomach. She knows that her timeline will take her to this place one day and she will die.

OOC: FRAK! Although glad it was Angati getting THAT feeling!

20:39, Tue 11 Aug 2015: Celene rolled 14 using 1d20+8 ((6)).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:40, Tue 11 Aug 2015.

OOC: yeah, sucks to be her. Celene's efforts to get additional info prove fruitless. Want to MF it?

OOC: no, let one of the other's try their luck or rp.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Tue 11 Aug 2015.

Kassius stands motionless, trying to avoid having his eyes drift to Brissa's impressive and quite well displayed assets. The way they moved when she... Frak it, stop it! He thinks, returning his eyes firmly to the woman's face and blushing slightly when he realizes she had caught him looking.



"Surely a p-pretty girl like you has loads of suiters." Kassius says, trying to be suave and prodding Brissa to stay more, but stumbling over his own words hesitantly ruins the attempt.

Angati's thoughts about following on the conversation about the wedding were completely shattered by the vision she had while looking at the picture.

A chill ran down her spine and she visibly shuddered, her face changing from a heartfelt smile to to a look of despair... she couldnt pull her eyes from the picture, but it wasn't the picture that she was seeing, it was the island, the waves moving, the sticky heavy breeze on her sweaty cheeks.

She could feel her sister there with her, her presence was even more real and material than it normally was, and ... she was holding her hand... afraid of the island too.

"NO !!" she almost yelled taking a step backward and breaking from the vision closing her eyes. Her sister Anansi was equally shaken and she did what she always did... dropping some stools to the floor with the materials they held on top.. Whether Brisa had spotted something strange happening or had thought it had been Angatis movement was yet to be seen.

"Oh God ! ... that island does exist indeed... I... I just saw myself dying there !!... Oh I am sorry... I am sorry.... your ... your paintings... they don't hold any magic to them ?"

"Hey hey! Don't mess the place up!" yells Brissa. "Err.. Madam," she adds, realising that she's still trying to make a sale.



"What? Dying on the island?" She looks at the painting of  'Journey's End'. "Yeah, it is a creepy looking spot, but no <chuckle> I don't think any of my paintings are magical." She looks serious. "Unless that would put the price up, in which case yes. Definately."

Brissa just stares at him. "Are you their bodyguard?" she asks in a confused tone of voice.

OOC: No, 10 does not do it. Care to roll Angati?

"I am sorry dear I am sorry... please allow me to sit... I am feeling a bit shaken... but... your work is very good... and I think we should extend you an invitation to meet with my master" she said trying to find an empty stool or anything to sit down and calm her dizziness a bit.


10:05, Today: Angati rolled 11 using 1d20+9. Diplomacy check vs ??
Leaving it there... I would like to leave her some gold for the time to do the visit. (please let me know how much would be ok)
And I would organice the meeting somewhere public where she would not suspect... say the Shrine or maybe some other place that might be good for that. Alohan might be a good buyer :) *lol* with all his eccentricity and all. (please let me know where)
Also would like to know what might be a good price for one of her pieces... that island in particular....

Now... I am doubting wether to through a bone here or not... the idea would be something like:

"I have still not recovered from the other day's mess what with Vanthus taking that wedding dress from the bride and all... too much for my old bones" as if she was talking to Celene or Kassius of something unrelated so that they would not worry for her sudden frailty..."

What do you think... it might be risky... but if she is a girl about to get married, she would worry more about her husband having anything to do with other peoples wedding dress than about wether we are here about Vanthus... and we are not asking her directly... if it were my wife, she would bite the hook...  it's risky though so I don't want to take the decission without passing it through you guys.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:16, Wed 12 Aug 2015.

"Hm, let me investigate it a bit..." Celene casts her detect magic to do her role, looking intently at both that particular image, but also others around the studio.

OOC: sure, sounds fun for a hook, go ahead. Regarding a 'meeting with our master' i'd say it's taking it a bit far, but... Maybe just buy that picture and be done with that?

"Oh, sure. You poor thing. Gee, your master? That sounds swell, who is he?"




OOC: What? So you actually want the painting of Journey's End? To remind yourself of your mortallity every day by looking at the exact spot where you know you will die? Sort of gruesome. A painting from an unknown artist like Brissa might featch 10 gp if she were lucky.



OOC: So is that the plan? Why don't you MF your diplomacy roll?

OOC:
@DM I don't know what was I rolling... you told me to roll but did not tell me what... although looking at it, maybe that was for Kassius?

As for the painting... no, its not to be reminded of that... its to see if further looking can give a hint as to how to avoid it. (Don't stress over it, no need to do anything from your side :) just what I think she would do... no further need to work on the rp over that painting :)

By the way Kassius excuse the little puppeting I did here... I think it would have been natural anyway on someone with reflexes to stretch to help someone from falling

As Angati had Kassius and Celene's attention having just let her ass fall on the stool, and holding her slightly swaying head in her hands she said to Kassius as she patted the half orc's hand that had stretched to keep her from falling "Do not worry dear, no need for you to do anything... its just age, I have still not recovered from that silly incident of that poor girls wedding dress and... what was his name,... Vanthus ?... anyway... thats no matter, but one gets too old for such emotions...."

Turning to Brissa as she had just brought her back to the present with her question she said "Excuse me Dear", she said still holding her head with her hands... "one comes to an age when suddenly... little things make such an impression but... I'd like to buy you that one picture for myself if I may... "

OOC: Hopefully those two things are more than enough to pull her out of her questions, and bring new ones to play