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Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2013 0:49:46 GMT
Leath climbs up with relative ease, peeking through the wooden fence around the base.
[Climb check=20+6=26]
There is a gap he could easily fit through if he choose, and he sees what is beyond. There is a hedge maze, with the mansion beyond it. He does not see any guards, although there are footprints in pairs in the nearby ground.
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Post by jon on Oct 9, 2013 5:23:43 GMT
Hans motions to Elgeon that he is going behind a bush, and once concealed quickly changes into the bandit garb he retrieved earlier, and lightly foundations his face and arms with dirt. He then returns to Elgeon's side. His stomach lets out a gurgle of nervous tension.
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Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2013 8:08:42 GMT
"Ah, Hans, clever," Wu complements. "You make a convincing bandit. Now, my druidic friend, perhaps you could tell us what you see, and help Hans up?"
The cleric pulls a length of rope from his pack and tosses it to the druid. "I believe he could scout ahead for us or find some other way," he looks disparagingly at the coastal cave. "As this dark tunnel is the perfect place for enemy ambush or traps."
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Post by henwen88 on Oct 9, 2013 17:59:35 GMT
"There's a way through here," Leath says quietly, looking back down to the group. "You can see the mansion from here. It looks like there may be guards around, though there are none in sight." He clenches his hands around the rope and begins pulling Hans up. "Good idea," he says, admiring his costume. "You should make a good scout."
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Post by jon on Oct 9, 2013 18:32:11 GMT
Hans struggles a smile. This disguise was in case you all were captured and I needed to escape he thinks... "That's exactly what this disguise is for," Hans proclaims to the group with a stuttered laugh before making his way toward Leath, preparing the last spell he probably will ever cast just in case... [message]
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Post by tengen on Oct 9, 2013 23:57:55 GMT
She gives him a small smile and a nod, "It is quite brave of you to volunteer for such a task Hans" She says giving him a pat that turns into a gentle push forward as he leaves.
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Post by teodoro on Oct 10, 2013 0:08:43 GMT
Teo gets confused. He suddenly admits, "Wait! I paying attention during the planning session! Weren't we going to signal someone? Did I miss my signal to signal someone? What are Leath and Hans going to do up there? And what about the tunnel? Are we going down there?"
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Post by Admin on Oct 10, 2013 1:56:18 GMT
"Before we signal the militia, Hans is going to scout ahead to see if there's an alternative route to the tunnels," Jiao Wu points to the hole in the fence. "Elgeon, mind watching our rear in case any guests wander by? I'll watch the tunnel entrance."
The elven ranger nods, turning his attention towards the woods behind them and an arrow ready. The cleric levels his blunderbuss at the coastal cave, ready to blast anything emerging from within.
---
Alicia thinks she hears the strange voice in her head whispering to her. "The radius of the Sphere is the same on all planes," the syllables are all stressed and accented the wrong ways, as if someone unused to speaking was mumbling a phrase without knowing what it meant. Azreal turns its head looking for the unseen speaker, as he seems to hear it too.
---
Hans emerges at the edge of a hedge maze behind the mansion. If he recalls the layout, the enemy barracks were a large structure to the northeast, the barn was to the east, and the mansion was directly in front of him. Fluttering on a nearby flagpole is a strange symbol, a red one on a black background. It is a circle with an arrow sticking out of it, the symbol of Mars, the old Roman god of war. Why Vizzini is flying that above his mansion, Hans has no idea. From behind the hedge maze, he hears two voices.
"Narrowly got away back there, I did," a familiar voice says. "A monstrous half orc bursts out of the woods, and then a storm of arrows flies out. We drove the horses faster, and left the skeletons behind to finish 'em off."
"But they didn't, did they?" a voice says. "The boss says the townsfolk took the hill. No word about Lia or that Cathayan prisoner."
"Lia's head'll be on a Scalo Est pike in no time, just like Demitri's head was," the other chuckles slightly. "But they'll be coming here next, less they're completely brainless."
"The boss ordered Malfatto to raise more skeletons, case they try that," the second voice says. "Sure gotta lot of 'em buried here."
"Malfatto says this place was a swamp full of hydras, until some ancient Greek king cleared 'em out," the first says. "Phyrus, or Pyrros or somethin' like that. Anyway, he lost a whole lotta men doing it."
Hans realizes they are referring to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who won victories at great cost. He shudders thinking of how many men could be buried here. The two bandits walk around the corner, noticing him. They continue their conversation, ignoring him.
[Disguise roll=19+8=27]
Hans likewise ignores them, peaking into the maze. There is an earthen smell in the center of the hedge gardens, with ceramic pots and grapes growing along the hedges. There are flowers and additional grapes grown along some kind of statue or scaffolding in roughly human shape. He notices an opening to the center of the hedge row and looks inside. There is a babbling water fountain, with a cherub statue spitting water into a small pond beneath. A young man, with soft blue eyes and a hawkish nose, clad in a velvet and silk robe sits in a chair on the pond's edge. The young man sips a glass of wine before setting it back on a silver-lined tray. Hans notices that a short skeleton, no larger than a child, refills the wine glass almost perfectly.
"You!" the young man points. "Fetch me another wine bottle!"
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Post by tengen on Oct 10, 2013 2:26:58 GMT
She visibly stiffens in surprise at the sudden words, quickly looking around for an obvious source other than what it seemed. When none is found she looks to Azreal.
"Sphere?" she mouths out of habit but speaks it through her mental connection to confirm her guess to Azreal. The question hanging in the air between the two to Azreal but also to more clearly process the abrupt intrusion into her connection. She continues looking to Azreal a look of confusion apparent on her face.
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Post by jon on Oct 10, 2013 3:23:50 GMT
Hans is mesmerized by the scene of luxury in front of him, but the small skeleton is a sobering reminder that he is far from safe in this place. Just play the part. "Where from?" Hans says in a harsh gravelly voice, "Oi ain't seen none of that lying around 'ere."
[removed second reply, will wait for mans response]
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Post by Admin on Oct 10, 2013 9:37:51 GMT
"The wine cellar, you illiterate yokel," the young man mutters. "Oh, leave it to my uncle to hire the cheapest sellswords on the Adriatic... Give me more wine, as I need to unwind in between gardening and my work!"
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Post by orgoth on Oct 10, 2013 15:48:56 GMT
Orgoth grows impatient with the group's subterfuge but sees no one to attack so he just sits down at the edge of the cave.
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Post by teodoro on Oct 10, 2013 15:58:26 GMT
Teo calms down after hearing an explanation from Jiao.
He goes to work practicing summoning the arcane energy required to cast the new spell he intends to use against the undead. Feeling the increase of magical pressure within him rise before ultimately letting it sink back into his core somewhere. He does this a few times in pace with his own breathing. It's very relaxing.
He does this for what feels like an eternity (in reality just short of 30 seconds) before losing focus and wondering what to do next. He starts pacing with nervous excitement, hoping Hans and Leath are safe up there.
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Post by jon on Oct 10, 2013 18:51:17 GMT
"Oi'll be back as quick as Oi can m'lord." Hans hurriedly turns back towards the group.
If bandits are nearby patrolling Hans intercepts them, "Any chance Oi can get you to patrol elsewhere for an hour? Oi'm expecting a wench over the fence." Hans wink and grins at the bandits [Bluff, sort of]. "It could be worth your while" Hans offers them 2 gold each.
Otherwise Hans heads directly back to the fence ensuring that the way is clear and once arriving says to the group, "You won't bloody guess who Oi just stumbled into..." Hans quickly realises he's still in character and starts talking normally. "I think I've found that Damien Vizzini. Just sitting in the hedge maze like nothing is happening. We should get moving quickly if we're going to do this. We capture him and we can get rid of the bandits before this begins. I don't see any bandits on patrol at the moment but it could change any second."
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Post by Admin on Oct 10, 2013 21:33:12 GMT
Hans makes it back through the fence, as Leath helps him descend back to the others. He tells the party what he saw.
"Perhaps the younger Vizzini is avoiding his responsibilities," Wu suggests. "But either way, he still may have tricks up his sleeve. If you try to capture him alive, my weapon and Hans' can be loaded with rock salt to wound him, although he may be too dangerous a foe."
The philosopher turns to Teo, Orgoth, Leath, Alicia, and Elgeon. "What do you think?" he says. "The necromancer may leave at any moment, but I do not like the idea of charging in without a plan." Elgeon looks at Orgoth for a split second before focusing on the cleric.
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