The Morning After

Luna wrote:

Well, if we have been warned about them - then QED - they are a danger to the princess - as anything that endagers us- thus endangers her...
or is there some fault in my logic there?

Yes, and I mean more then with regards to this

Luna wrote:

AND - as I have said repeately - I am fine with us not going.

Then we agree - lets snub the lady.

Luna wrote:

But I thought the general concenus was that it should be investigated.

Korm hasn't chimed in. I am not for it. Six is, barely. Luna doesn't care. Nameless is OK with it, but I am willing to bet he doesn't care either.

Luna wrote:

AND - i said i would go. I'm just going as a bird. For "safety" reasons.
NOT TO TALK!!

We agree again

Luna wrote:

Which I thought is what you are always trying for anyway!?
What gives???

I just wanna see, when you meet the lady, if you run out of feet.

Luna wrote:

If I have a pearl of power of that magnitude - (SHIL???) it's all yours.

I was thinking Nameless might have it - it's kinda pricey so I doubt it.

Luna wrote:

As far as I'm concerned - everyone is always trying to kill us.

Are you including members of your own party in that? I would

Luna wrote:

A person cant step out side the house for 10 seconds without a raincoat of high lvl prot spells! It's ridiculous! Everyone here would probably kill us in a Sharn Minute if they thought they could. So - I quess one could argue that it doesnt warrent any investigation because it's all Business As Usual. Kill em all and let the gods sort em out! But - as we have specific warnings on this one....I am putting it out there.

They would try. I don't think this lady wants to kill us, but I am sure she wants to use us for her own purposes - which could be as little as "The Angels ditched the princess to visit me, look how cool I am"

Luna wrote:

But all this talk is getting on MY LAST SHIFTER NERVE.
If we have to go around one more time about this - I assure you, I WILL FLAME STRIKE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, and no one wants that ... do they???

Can we put Luna in a very large cylindrical item and launc her out like an RPG?

Luna wrote:

Luna goes to swim in the Royal Pool - and/or fountain - in Huge Dire Bear form. I am done discussing. You all decide what you are doing and let me know. I can't take anothe rminute of this crap.
Call me when someone needs to killed!

Can anyone cast hold monster?

Looking at Gareth the guileless and Luna-tic, Six's decides, "I'm not going."
To Nameless,"With your divinations, you could ask if the mental message was psionic. Additionally did it come from inside the House, that is was some one on the security detail responsible. Don't worry to much about motivations, are they friend or enemy. With the perceptions and believes to put it in context, such information is not helpfull to our group."

Dave W wrote:

Looking at Gareth the guileless and Luna-tic, Six's decides, "I'm not going."
To Nameless,"With your divinations, you could ask if the mental message was psionic. Additionally did it come from inside the House, that is was some one on the security detail responsible. Don't worry to much about motivations, are they friend or enemy. With the perceptions and believes to put it in context, such information is not helpfull to our group."

"Lots of assumptions and generalizations. I care not for subtle intrigue - if a person cannot state -plainly- what they think then they are no better then a cowardly rogue trying to stab someone in the back - and they should be trusted as much. We also know the mental message we got was from one of the "guards" - as for psionics, I am not sure, but maybe Nameless can find out. It also does help to know if the people who we work with are trying to help or hurt us - unfortunately this is not always easy to tell"

Dave W wrote:

Looking at Gareth the guileless and Luna-tic, Six's decides, "I'm not going."

Nobody is going until we've gotten some answers and since Magic is our only reliable source for them, it's Magic we will have to turn to.

Dave W wrote:

To Nameless,"With your divinations, you could ask if the mental message was psionic. Additionally did it come from inside the House, that is was some one on the security detail responsible. Don't worry to much about motivations, are they friend or enemy. With the perceptions and believes to put it in context, such information is not helpfull to our group."

We'll include the psionics in my CoP questions, that is a good question. However, the person who contacted us was almost certainly not one of the guards. They were either controlling or impersonating one of them.

As far as the Divination goes we need to decide what it is we want to know. We might want to cast several over the course of a couple of days, since there is more than one question facing us.

1) Is this mysterious person a friend or foe?
2) Is their advice in our interest or in their interest?
3) To what end are they seeking to use us?
4) Is it to our benefit to consult with Countess?
5) To what end is she seeking to use us?

OOC: Shil Psionics are "different" in this campaign right? They or their effects won't show up under Detect Magic and related spells correct?

Gareth wrote:

Dave W wrote:

Looking at Gareth the guileless and Luna-tic, Six's decides, "I'm not going."
To Nameless,"With your divinations, you could ask if the mental message was psionic. Additionally did it come from inside the House, that is was some one on the security detail responsible. Don't worry to much about motivations, are they friend or enemy. With the perceptions and believes to put it in context, such information is not helpfull to our group."

"Lots of assumptions and generalizations. I care not for subtle intrigue

But Gareth that is the essence of diplomacy and interpersonal interactions.

Gareth wrote:

- if a person cannot state -plainly- what they think then they are no better then a cowardly rogue trying to stab someone in the back - and they should be trusted as much.

Panning the palace we are in,"This place ressembles that remark."

Gareth wrote:

We also know the mental message we got was from one of the "guards"- as for psionics, I am not sure, but maybe Nameless can find out.

Actually we got a mental message that we thought came from the direction of where some guard was standing. The message could have been implanted on a delay on the guard, us or the hors d'oeuvre. Since we don't know the mechanism, all deductions about this barely rises to idle specutations.

People may not know themselves if they are trying to help or hurt us, such is the nature of scheming, not to metion magic.

Looking at Luna-Bear splash in the fountain surrounded by guards and a exaspirated courier, Six will go hide in a near by natural setting and see who comes by. To the group, "I'll be back at dinner. Just going to check out some of the palace grounds."

Nameless wrote:

As far as the Divination goes we need to decide what it is we want to know. We might want to cast several over the course of a couple of days, since there is more than one question facing us.

1) Is this mysterious person a friend or foe?
2) Is their advice in our interest or in their interest?
3) To what end are they seeking to use us?
4) Is it to our benefit to consult with Countess?
5) To what end is she seeking to use us?

You guys are leaving Fairhaven on the evening of this day (which is the morning after the party), and - since we've jumped ahead in the actual game - get attacked at night on the next, so you could get two Divinations off, I'll say. Also, Divination gives you info about a specific goal, event or activity, so you'll need to phrase it as such. Since we've got a few geniuses in the group, give me the general idea and I'll assume you phrase things ina way that fits what you want.

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OOC: Shil Psionics are "different" in this campaign right? They or their effects won't show up under Detect Magic and related spells correct?

Actually, I do psionics as similar but different to magic, to be (im)precise. You can detect psionics with magic and vice versa, and most psionic powers and magical spells do interact effectively with each other. There are a few psionic abilities that will interact only with psionics and not magic, and presumably the same for some magic spells, but they're quite rare.

And no, Nameless did not detect a magical aura on the guard who (you presume) sent the group the message.

Dave W wrote:

Actually we got a mental message that we thought came from the direction of where some guard was standing.

Very good point. I wasn't going to mention it, but was wondering if someone would notice.

Admin wrote:

And no, Nameless did not detect a magical aura on the guard who (you presume) sent the group the message.

Er what was this then?

Story Hour wrote:

"One of the departing contingent, a guard among many others, turns and nods slightly at them. Nameless’ arcane sight picks up a faint transmutation aura on him, and then it is gone."

Admin wrote:

You guys are leaving Fairhaven on the evening of this day (which is the morning after the party), and - since we've jumped ahead in the actual game - get attacked at night on the next, so you could get two Divinations off, I'll say. Also, Divination gives you info about a specific goal, event or activity, so you'll need to phrase it as such. Since we've got a few geniuses in the group, give me the general idea and I'll assume you phrase things in a way that fits what you want.

1) If we do what the mysterious figure wants us to, what is the goal that they are hoping to accomplish.

Ditto for the countess.

Dave W wrote:

But Gareth that is the essence of diplomacy and interpersonal interactions.

"Six, I disagree. Subtlety is a part of it, but diplomacy and interpersonal relations do not require subterfuge. Open dialogue - communication - is a much more effective medium. For sure secrets are needed, but lies and trickery is not."

Dave W wrote:

Actually we got a mental message that we thought came from the direction of where some guard was standing. The message could have been implanted on a delay on the guard, us or the hors d'oeuvre. Since we don't know the mechanism, all deductions about this barely rises to idle specutations.

"Yes, but we know the message came from the gaurd"

Dave W wrote:

People may not know themselves if they are trying to help or hurt us, such is the nature of scheming, not to metion magic.

"You are correct people, who are pawns, may not know the consequences of their actions - but that is also the rare."

Gareth wrote:

"Yes, but we know the message came from the gaurd"

"No we don't. We got the message, then noticed the guard nodding at us and I saw a brief flash of a transmutation aura. While the two are likely connected, we have no proof that they are and it could well have been either a misdirection or a trick of some sort, intended to get us to focus on that guard to the exclusion of the real culprit."

Nameless wrote:

Er what was this then?

That would be my memory taking a walk. I stand corrected.

Quote :

1) If we do what the mysterious figure wants us to, what is the goal that they are hoping to accomplish.

Ditto for the countess.

The mysterious figure refers to the guard, right?

Admin wrote:

The mysterious figure refers to the guard, right?

No, the person who sent the message. We don't know for certain that it has anything to do with the guard.

Nameless wrote:

Admin wrote:

The mysterious figure refers to the guard, right?

No, the person who sent the message. We don't know for certain that it has anything to do with the guard.

Okay. Good choice.

I'm off to bed now (11:45 pm here), so I'll have the response to the two Divinations up tomorrow. The second Divination is being done the next day, I presume, which means it'll be done on the airship after leaving Fairhaven.

I'm sorry, I may be a little obtuse... but I just don't "get" what this message means????
Gareth: I just wanna see, when you meet the lady, if you run out of feet.


Also - in regards to Namless' question list... it could be to her advantage AND our advantage - so I'm not sure what that question gets us. Perhaps it could further refined.

ie... maybe we could skip asking if it advantageous to her part... and just ask if it's genuinely advantagous to us.

What do you think Nameless????
The planes speak to you.


Also- if we decide it is THAT GUARD - maybe we should pop back over there unexpectedly and have a lil "chat" with him. This time - I personally volunteer to go! :-)

Luna wrote:

I'm sorry, I may be a little obtuse... but I just don't "get" what this message means????
Gareth: I just wanna see, when you meet the lady, if you run out of feet.


Also - in regards to Namless' question list... it could be to her advantage AND our advantage - so I'm not sure what that question gets us. Perhaps it could further refined.

ie... maybe we could skip asking if it advantageous to her part... and just ask if it's genuinely advantagous to us.

What do you think Nameless????
The planes speak to you.


Also- if we decide it is THAT GUARD - maybe we should pop back over there unexpectedly and have a lil "chat" with him. This time - I personally volunteer to go! :-)

It would be helpful if you read all the posts. Most of your questions are already addressed in them.

Except for Gareth's post about feet. It doesn't make any sense.

I was reading all the posts - but it gets confusing with all the argueing and reposting. I'm sorry I don't have a brain the size of a planet - but I read your Q's and didn't see that was addressed. Just didnt want to waste a question - but hey - you guys NEVER need any help... gee... sorry i must have forgotten that! I'm sure someone will be happy to exerpt it and send me where I missed it. Yes - I did see below that we ask if it's a good thing or whatever for us... I figured it was in some way subltley different. Boy - ya know - you people are grumpy!! :-)
Where's my freaking posting cookie????
I'm hungry!


SIX with his extra eye in the middle or
SIX, if instead of a pharoh - we view it as a Sphinks!
(SPELLING? :-) , which is what I am think SIX is trying to evolve into!
All I know is it had better not be a monk!!

Nameless
Nameless in his borrowed HAT OF DISQUISE

LUNA (It was the largest emoticon creature avail)
LUNA in regular Druid Form

Sorta looks like Gareth w/ helmet in all his armour

SHIL (AKA ADMIN) Who plays with us as if we were his toys!
or since he is above all this looking down amused on we poor creatures in his tortured maze of horrors.

I couldn't find the perfect one for Korm... but this looks nice
sorta hairy and unkempt like...

HAIL, HAIL, THE GANGS ALL HERE!

Luna wrote:

I was reading all the posts - but it gets confusing with all the argueing and reposting. I'm sorry I don't have a brain the size of a planet - but I read your Q's and didn't see that was addressed. Just didnt want to waste a question - but hey - you guys NEVER need any help... gee... sorry i must have forgotten that! I'm sure someone will be happy to exerpt it and send me where I missed it. Yes - I did see below that we ask if it's a good thing or whatever for us... I figured it was in some way subltley different. Boy - ya know - you people are grumpy!! :-)

Page 4, Fourth post from the bottom.

Nameless wrote:

1) If we do what the mysterious figure wants us to, what is the goal that they are hoping to accomplish.

Luna wrote:

Where's my freaking posting cookie????
I'm hungry!

No cookie for you!

The feet comment makes a lot of sense. Luna tends to say things that get us in hot water...she runs out of feet...she puts her foot in her mouth.

Luna wrote:

What do you think Nameless????
The planes speak to you.

Maybe, but all they say to him is - "Ooooh, it's puurrple!", remember?

Quote :

Also- if we decide it is THAT GUARD - maybe we should pop back over there unexpectedly and have a lil "chat" with him. This time - I personally volunteer to go! :-)

Consider me completely and totally shocked at this volunteering. Or maybe not.

Quote :

Where's my freaking posting cookie????
I'm hungry!

What the hell - take two!

*attaches a cookie each to Gareth's and Nameless' asses and steps away*

Enjoy!

Quote :

HAIL, HAIL, THE GANGS ALL HERE!

Nice! Very nice!

Gareth wrote:

The feet comment makes a lot of sense. Luna tends to say things that get us in hot water...she runs out of feet...she puts her foot in her mouth.

You know, I can't recall Luna putting a foot in her mouth much. Maybe because someone has to say something and regret it to count as "foot in mouth" and Luna very rarely regrets something she says or does. A lot of other people may regret them, of course.

I was refering to #2 ... that it could very well be both.
People rarely do things that arent in their own interest... so my point was that perhaps we could somehow tweak it.

And number four I supppsed was somehow meant to be subtely different... but I don't know if the planes are much on subtley. In our interest and to our benefit seems an awfully fine line for for the prime material or etheral plane to conjecture... just a thought...

1) Is this mysterious person a friend or foe?
2) Is their advice in our interest or in their interest?
3) To what end are they seeking to use us?
4) Is it to our benefit to consult with Countess?
5) To what end is she seeking to use us?

Though after I was so excited - and then very disallusioned to find out last time - the answer will probaly be 42 , with the caveat that it's a mauvish shade of pink russet.

Do we not want to ask if it was the guard after all?
Or if perhaps it was the horderves - or however thoses elves spell that! - will a delay spell set off to comunicate the warning. And if so - who was in charge of that???

Oh.... I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT .... WE ARENT BEING PAID ANYTHING FOR THIS????? NOTHING???? WHO NEGOTIATED THIS DEAL???
AGAIN -- WE ARE BEING PAID NOTHING!!???? I'M JUST HAVING TROUBLE TAKING THAT IN. I THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING A FREE SHIP OR SOMETHING????

DIDN'T SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THE TREASURE WE FIND?
CAUSE THERE IS LOTS OF TREASURE AROUND THESE CASTLES! JEWELRY EVERYWHERE! MUST BE SOME NICE TAPESTRIES TOO. SOMETHING FOR BACK AT THE HOUSE. OR TO HOCK! I COULD START HORDING IT - AND THEN NAMELESS COULD TELEPORT IT BACK HOME EVERY NOW AND THEN WHEN THE STOCK PILE GETS TOO BIG FOR THE SACKS OF HOLDING.

Luna wrote:

Oh.... I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT .... WE ARENT BEING PAID ANYTHING FOR THIS????? NOTHING???? WHO NEGOTIATED THIS DEAL???
AGAIN -- WE ARE BEING PAID NOTHING!!???? I'M JUST HAVING TROUBLE TAKING THAT IN. I THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING A FREE SHIP OR SOMETHING????

Success !

More seriously, no - you're not getting paid and you're not getting a free ship. You want a free ship, which is another matter. But if you want to take over the Serenity and be pirates or something, I will in no way try to stop you.

Quote :

DIDN'T SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THE TREASURE WE FIND?

I don't believe any details were gone into about this, but these people have dealt with adventurers. The assumption is that you get to keep a lot of the loot that gets recovered from any fights that happen on the way, short of any items that are needed for reasons of Karrnathi national security.

Quote :

CAUSE THERE IS LOTS OF TREASURE AROUND THESE CASTLES! JEWELRY EVERYWHERE! MUST BE SOME NICE TAPESTRIES TOO. SOMETHING FOR BACK AT THE HOUSE. OR TO HOCK! I COULD START HORDING IT - AND THEN NAMELESS COULD TELEPORT IT BACK HOME EVERY NOW AND THEN WHEN THE STOCK PILE GETS TOO BIG FOR THE SACKS OF HOLDING.

And again, if Luna wants to try stealing stuff from the Royal Palace of Aundair, let me just say that ... well, I can't encourage you, because Avi will complain if I do ... but feel free to do what you want.

Back to IC stuff:

Finally heading to bed, the Angels have a restful sleep. Awaking early next morning, so as to make their magical investigations before required to attend to Haydith, they prepare their various spells. Then Gareth casts a divination, asking, “If we do what the sender of the telepathic message wants us to, what is the goal he – or they – wishes to accomplish?”

The answer is, “They wish your friendship, and to help and protect your heart. Remember, even the vilest villain can be a friend in need or have similar goals. For a time.”

OOC: I presume the back and forth of messages to Lady Belissa happens after this. Do you send a response back to her reply or just not respond and not go?

Luna wrote:

Oh.... I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT .... WE ARENT BEING PAID ANYTHING FOR THIS????? NOTHING???? WHO NEGOTIATED THIS DEAL???
AGAIN -- WE ARE BEING PAID NOTHING!!???? I'M JUST HAVING TROUBLE TAKING THAT IN. I THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING A FREE SHIP OR SOMETHING????

Airships are very expensive and most are owned by governments. Governments that now owe us a big favor, seeing as we stopped the heir to one of them from being assasinated or kidnapped. An attempt that almost certainly would have succeeded had we not been there.

Admin wrote:

The answer is, “They wish your friendship, and to help and protect your heart. Remember, even the vilest villain can be a friend in need or have similar goals. For a time.”

Oh good. We can probably trust them then, since it sounds like they're evil.

Note we should follow up on this "heart" bit with the Contact Other Planes. In particular if it refers to the "nuke".

Admin wrote:

OOC: I presume the back and forth of messages to Lady Belissa happens after this. Do you send a response back to her reply or just not respond and not go?

Nameless is going to concoct a cryptic and confusing answer that will seem to imply a number of things, yet eventually turn out to be utterly meaningless and non-committal, to further complicate things he'll use his decipher script skills to partially encrypt it in ways that would suggest various things to a skilled mage, yet be utterly meaningless.

Time to spread the pain around....

Luna wrote:

Oh.... I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT .... WE ARENT BEING PAID A

We are getting paid, just not in tangeable assets. If we do a good job, then if we need a favor from the King (and princess) we will probably get it. That, in and of itself, is worth more then a LOT of money.

the HECK it is!

Snort of sheer disguest.
Whatever.... !!!
Its No Wonder all these people think we're some kind of free babysitting and errand service!!

Never mind - ask your planer questions - and then I'll go over there right now and get this over with.

Nameless wrote:

Oh good. We can probably trust them then, since it sounds like they're evil.

Precisely!

Quote :

Note we should follow up on this "heart" bit with the Contact Other Planes. In particular if it refers to the "nuke".

So what are the Contact Other Plane questions?

Quote :

Nameless is going to concoct a cryptic and confusing answer that will seem to imply a number of things, yet eventually turn out to be utterly meaningless and non-committal, to further complicate things he'll use his decipher script skills to partially encrypt it in ways that would suggest various things to a skilled mage, yet be utterly meaningless.

Time to spread the pain around....

Hah! I like it!

Gareth wrote:

We are getting paid, just not in tangeable assets. If we do a good job, then if we need a favor from the King (and princess) we will probably get it. That, in and of itself, is worth more then a LOT of money.

Luna wrote:

the HECK it is!

Quote :

Never mind - ask your planer questions - and then I'll go over there right now and get this over with.

Go over where right now? I think the latest decision is that nobody is going to go to Lady Belissa's, since Six asked her to come to the palace for a 'sculpture' and she politely refused and asked you to go to her place instead.

But if Luna wants to go over and talk to her alone, I won't stop her