The Unfinished Duet, part 15
Log Info
- Title: The Unfinished Duet, part 15
- Emitter: Delilah
- Characters: Ashes, Elyanna, Donna, Boshter
- Place: A03: Explorer's Club - Meeting Room
- Time: Monday, February 08, 2021, 8:02 PM
- Summary: Planning to rescue Delilah continues at the Explorer's club.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face Elyanna 5'11" 153 Lb Half-Orc Female A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. Donna 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A black-haired human girl in black robes. Boshter 6'0" 240 Lb Hobgoblin Male An arvek nar in robes. Oh no! -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Several hours go by.
It took Ashlee a while to write out her thoughts instead of voice them. She detailed the map, the options, identified locations where things might happen. She had a preliminary plan, which involved a visit to Delilah's cell to get Chippen on her, with the assistance of the friendly guards, while everyone waited under the sewer hatch.
She listed off her available spells, which she'll have to ask Vardama for imminently, and possible uses for them. Status and Message being priorities, as well as fog cloud, and a couple other area concealments.
There isn't much plan beyond getting Donna to Delilah with Boshter's teleport cloak. There's a backup plan, to get on a conjured horse, assuming that is possible and get a little away and try using the cloak again. Nothing, for the other participants in this plot to escape.
Elyanna is more... limited in her mystical offerings, unable to make a spectacle that will override interest in conflict. She broaches the possibility of an onslaught of flashpowder and thunderstones, in numbers admittedly beyond her means, though her enthusiasm was flagging on that score. As whatever rotgut she's been swilling has done little to mitigate her sense of frustration, she leaves it aside after a while. She watches Ashes ammend her lists, trying to see what she understands of her friend's means and applying it within the parameters Donna's set forward. That the requirement of a zero body count, not a lot of injuries, so stymies her thinking, the Hobkin wonders if she's perhaps a monster too fundamentally broken to redeem herself, after all.
Boshter, on the other hand, has exactly one offering: a fist. And he is willing to use it!
"Well, also I cann teleport short distances due to a limited amount of training!"
Sure, Boshter.
Karlin, naturally, is here; ready to relay messages with instructions to any of the other guards who're on Delilah's side in this brewing, short-notice rescue plan. But planning clearly isn't his forte; that's going to be up to the heroes, naturally, as these things so often are.
Getting Chippen to Delilah proves to be... difficult at best, given that visiting hours at the jail are well and truely over, compounded by the fact that Delilah has already had her final visit with Donna and that's the last visit she gets before meeting up with a guy with a big axe.
"Look," Karlin states, more to break the silence than anything else. "Getting in through the sewers is good. I *know* that for a fact. As long as nobody goes and blabs about it, Norrington hasn't thought about it, he doesn't know that Guard Arons is with us and has him guaring it. Just... worry about getting out, yeah? And we can do things, seriously. We can get horses if you want us to."
"Horses'd be good," Donna muses, nodding. "I got a route planned out to Northgate, horses there'd get us well outta town." This close to the appointed hour, the brawler is still a mess of nerves, but at least her restless plotting and fretting has given her something to do. Sleep can wait until it doesn't need to be beaten back anymore.
"Chippen could get there on his own." Ashlee says, and her familiar could. Late at night a determined insect could probably get anywhere if it stuck to the shadows; a familiar would have an even better chance. Still, she'd prefer he's carried there, and not left exposed to a random swat. She'd also rather not risk his life, but with Delilah's on the line, her familiar is willing to be a little more heroic. There's also the question of the last spell of Ash's he'll be holding. "Did you like the Reduce Person idea?"
The ashen Arvec faces Karlin, "A guard holding the North Gate open is good. Also, real horses aren't as easily dispelled as my magic ones. Get some."
With great reluctance, Ashes adds, "We can sneak there through the sewers."
"I am very good at sneaking," agrees Boshter, warmly.
Yes, sure Boshter. Your giant orange self *is very good at being unseen*.
Elyanna hrmm's softly, "What do we know about the executioner?" she inquires, her eyes contemplative, rubbing her chin. She glances to the Guardsman, arching an eyebrow, "Could one of you cohorts not pass near the cell door?" There's another look to the orange Arvek, studious, then, "If that can be done, Chippen just needs to slip through the gaps."
Ashlee nods. She brushes some of the chalk dust from her fingers. It absorbs well into her grey clothes. She looks at Karlin, "Any idea regarding the shackles, will they be magical?"
"Next to nothing," admits Boshter to Elyanna, "Chances are the executioner may not even know themselves they are slated for it until such time as they are picked! In Blar, the executioner is drawn from the barracks by lots and finds out they are going to chop someone's head off only a short time before they get to do it! Then the skull is flayed and..."
Someone stop him. Please.
"Alright, horses it is," Karlin agrees, sitting up and looking a bit more energized. "I'll get the guard's horses. Well... as many as we can bring, anyway, you might have to double up one or two people, but we'll do our best... and I'll make sure someone is at the North Gate to keep the portcullis open."
The young guardsman pauses, tapping his lips. "I... dunno about the shackles. They've been--WHAT?!" He rounds his gaze on Boshter, suddenly aghast. "They do what now? Pardon me? What the hell man? I don't need to know that! I'm gonna lose my dinner just thinking about that!"
The poor boy takes a moment to compose himself, part of which involves covering his mouth as if to urge his stomach to behave. "...Anyway, they've been... magical shackles up until now, can't see why they'd change. And Delilah's cell is guarded tonight by Godswin and three men he picked, there's no access to anyone else. Might seem like overkill until you remember the person being executed is a magic user and known to be a good fighter. Who's admitted to being able to cast invisibility."
Ashlee does not stop him. Boshter's narration allows her to slip back to a simpler time, in Blar, where she was told what to do all the time. Not that she enjoyed it. However the hobgoblin desire to know one's place and be in it, and more importantly, to know someone else's place and make sure they were in it, was fulfilled. Order after instruction after suggestion, regarding what she should be up to at any given moment.
It was less than ideal. However, better than asking her to come up with solutions. She's worn down a chalk-stick and done a number on a second one and The Plan feels unrefined. And her Plan? Did she have a plan, or was it a bunch of random suggestions? It's getting late and she's struggling for solutions. One big spell to rule them all, and in the... something... something them.
"Well, make sure to steal the shackles too. They're worth a lot, and magical ones will stop the cloak."
Elyanna cants her head and arches an eyebrow, "Really? Seems inefficient, you may end up with some clumsy weakling on the job. In Bludgun-" She pauses, considers the rabbit hole she's about to crawl into and waves it off, "There goes replacing him, then. Will there be some sort of speech, then? How much pageantry is the custom, here? How much time do we have to work if we need to do this at the block?" She briefly considers the gold in her personal treasury against assassins, but dismisses it out of hand. Bad, Elyanna, bad!
At Boshter's fond reminiscing, a light dies in Donna's eyes, and her head sinks to the table. "...Okay," she says after a moment, lifting her head and rising from her chair. "I better get ready; plannin' on sleeping under that drain so's folk settin' up'll wake me up. Y'all figure out what you gonna do, an' thanks for wantin' to do anything at all, but... I can't be here right now. I'm sorry. Just..."
And trailing off, the brawler just takes herself away from talk of flayed severed heads, perhaps hoping that such visions don't find her dreams before dawn.
And then, just the monsters remain, struggling for a plan to save Delilah. All the good humans have left. The guard Karlin, well... perhaps he's good. And human. So the bench is not entirely cleared.
Ashlee says, "You or Elyanna, both have distinctive vibrant flesh tones. The hat should would help you, a little. Mages with true-sight will be around. I'll use makeup." The Mourner's plan is corpse makeup, to help her look alive, and an Alter Self spell, to look like how she looks with the makeup on. Hopefully it will waste someone's time wondering why she's disguised as herself. Perhaps introduce some doubt that they penetrated all the layers of disguise. She's relatively sure makeup isn't seen through.
That would be a horrible tragedy for all gnomes out there, and some women.
Elyanna, for the graces of her breeding, is yet only so human. She watches Donna with some confusion, at first, then glances to her countrymen, upbringing aside, that much is true, all three are of Blar, originally. The Hobkin trails after the brawler with some concern in her eye, but she doesn't have any critiques. She stops as Donna closes the door behind her. Takes a moment, shakes her head, and returns to the discussion, "I will find some less distinctive clothing."
"I will endeavour to make myself stand out less. I am good at beingn hidden, but not so good at digusies! It can not hurt." Boshter nods thoughtfully.
"If you come out of the sewers, it's not going to matter what you're wearing," Karlin points out. "They won't see you until you come out, and then they'll be on to you no matter how well you're disguised." He pauses, "I'll be down there too," he nods to Donna, "I'll catch up later and fill you in."
The guard settles back in his seat, "you asked about the executioner, and I got distracted. ...Look, her name's Karla Darrghen, she's a gnoll and she's very, very good with an axe." He pauses, "And if you deal with her, Norrington will kill Delilah herself if given the chance. As for the rest... Godswin or Graves might take the opportunity if given, but the rest of the guards are definitely not executioners, none of us want to kill anyone and aren't likely to."
"A gnoll, as executioner?" Ashlee asks, her voice rising at the end of the sentence. Actual inflection. She blinks. How very cosmopolitan. Well, no worries of any moral hesitation getting in the way. She is mildly amused at the characterization of Norrington as somehow having less ethical construction than gnoll; it might be possible to talk Killer Karla out of the execution, but not Sorry Norry.
Or perhaps Karlin meant killing her. No casualties was the plan. Good target for hideous laughter though. Anyone watching might believe uncontrollable giggling was how most gnolls approached executing someone. It aligns with encounters in the wild. "I see."
The ashen Arvec stares at Boshter, Elyanna, Karlin, "So would enlarging or shrinking Delilah be better?"
"Is there someplace we can find the gnoll?" asks Boshter curiously, apparently havign an idea. His eyes are on Karlin now. Hmmm...
"I have stopped a raging Oruch with my laughter spell... I am less convinced it will work on a Gnoll, though I find her inclusion in the guard to be... interesting." Elyanna muses, starting anew at Ashes's list. "I could try fear, but it will not touch a soul with sufficient battle experience."
Then, Boshter is making idea sounds, and the halfbreed turns her inquisitive eyes his way. "I have Charm Person," Ashlee says, her monotone diction returning, "I suppose we'd find out if she's a monster or a person, using that."
She gazes at Bosther, "What was your idea?"
"I am going to locate the gnoll and invite her out drinking and get her *incredibly* drunk!"
Boshter beams.
Karlin uhhhs softly. "I... don't know where she lives," he admits. "She's... not an adventurer, but she's a mercenary, so she could be staying at literally any of the inns in town. ...Look, executions are nasty work, it's pretty normal to get someone who's... y'know, willing to kill someone purely for money to do it, y'know? Generally speaking, members of the guard aren't up for that, even with murderers. ...Norrington's usually the same, I just think he hates Delilah enough to take a swing at her himself. It's just not the way we do things."
"That has not been my experience." Elyanna notes to the guard, "I have had to kill mercenaries hired by a Lieutenant, well outside the city. I was even called a kobold lover." Horrors.
Her arms fold across her midriff and she continues to regard the human, "I want to believe the Guards at large are... virtuous souls... but the officers have salted that field."
Then, Boshter makes his recommendation and she weighs it, "It has a possibility, but then we end up with Norrington with his hands around the axe, instead. Unless there is a provision, otherwise?"
Ashlee stares at Elyanna, "How..." She stops asking. The Ashen Arvec has had fewer experiences with the guards. There was the nice one with the crossbows, very cheerful. Happy to walk barefoot through a swamp. Most weren't. Ash certainly wasn't; not a swamp witch. That guard wasn't an officer though, so perhaps her partner's experiences ring true.
"I'd enjoy using spells on Norrington more than a random mercenary." She looks at Boshter, "Are you sure you can drink a gnoll under the table?"
She exhales carefully. The plan still sounds like they're mostly winging it on the scene. "Horses. Gate. The Manure Cart. Drunken Gnoll. What else?"
"Oh, yes. I can absolutely drink a whole gnoll under the table. I can drink *anyone* under the table. I could drink you undner teh table right now and then drink the gnoll under the table a little while later. I am quite difficult to intoxicate! I will be able to do that and then see to the rest of it later." Contemplative, "But," he points out, "it was a thought earlier to replace the executioner with oine of our own. I could perhaps do that, pose as the gnoll?"
"Well... I mean, if you find her, good luck drinking her under the table, just... bear in mind that it'll be Norrington swinging the axe tomorrow if you do. Doesn't really make much difference from Delilah's point of view; she'll still lose her head either way." Karlin stands up slowly, and straightens his uniform. "I need to go, I'm due back on shift," he mumbles. "I'll be on the Festival Grounds until midnight. If you need anything from me or the others, just let me know, yeah?"
Elyanna blinks and mutters a befuddled, "I've gotta see this fucking hat." Apparantly it's abilities to alter one's appearance are quite more than Ser Pedaryn's demonstration suggested. <gobin-talk>
The Hobkin noble looks to Ashes, suspecting the rest of her question and she replies, "I will explain later." Hmmm, "Will the hat thwart mage counter measures?" Back to Ashes, "A final destination. Perhaps rations for ourselves and the horses."
She looks then to Karlin and gently advises him, "Be alert." she holds the moment for a moment, looks to her fellows, then back to the human, "Be well."
"Yes, I'm aware, I was thinking it might buy us some time if they have to make that transition, is all. A few minutes either way can be critical. It is not the end all, be all of plans unless I replace her and stall it myself."
Boshter taps his chin. "The rest of the plan seems reasonable to me but I am not an expert planner."
"Blar is nice," Ashlee suggests, looking at Elyanna, then Boshter, "If you can eliminate and disguise yourself as Karla with the hat, that would help."
Who doesn't like a little bit of cross-dressing, and cross-species-ing? She isn't sure how they would tell, exactly, if Boshter managed it. An extra moment of escape, presumably. If the mages didn't suss it out first.
Still, there was a compliment in there, "Thanks." Only a long and somewhat specific request of the Feiu of the Tears remains, for just the right spells.
"I doubt I can get it past the anti-magics, and besides, letting Norrington show his eagerness may suit us in the long term." Wait, when did Boshter talk about the *long term*?
"Pretend you got along well and decided to take her place when she was too drunk to work. Maybe they won't arrest you." Ashlee suggests calmly. She looks at her piece of chalk, looks at the boards, looks around the table. She's out of ideas and the ones she had all seemed very... unlikely.
She's used to no plan surviving contact with the enemy. It's a very military way of thinking. However, her roll this time will be more than riding the last horse and calling for healing. Instead, she's supposed to get creative on the fly when most of the constraints are 'don't kill anyone' and 'that probably won't work'.
"I need to pray."
The red woman would probably have more questions if she could hear her friend's inner monologues. As it is, she regards Boshter and nods, "That'd certainly help." she replies, feeling no need to continue in Tradespeak with the human's derparture, she speaks much more at ease, "I've been meaning to go there, anyway."
With Boshter broaching long term gains, she turns a curious eye his way, "There's the possibility this plot has strings in Charn. Charn's not an ally of Alexanrdia, right? Would a guard conspiring with Charn's nobility not constitute treason?"
Pausing, Boshter lays a finger against his chin. "Isn't there some high Charn muckity muck visiting right now? Is that a coincidence? Maybe they know something? We could ask!"
Ashlee stands, adjusts her clothing and the strap of her satchel. "You could ask. If she's there for the execution."
She's getting a little better. Normally after annoucing a reason to go, she would simply leave. Goodbyes are... well there's only really one goodbye that matters. Best to save that one for as long as possible. If she's going to avoid saying it to Delilah, she needs to get her new spells.
Which means praying, and perhaps lying around in a coffin no one is using. Solely to get the right attitude. Death comes and solves it all.
The plan is in her handwriting on the wall. Hopefully it's enough. She raises a hand, "Bye."
The Writing on the Wall
================================| View Job 23 |================================
Bucket: QUERY Due On: Tue Feb 09 09:15:07 2021
Title: Saving Delilah Assigned To: Whirlpool
Opened On: Tue Feb 02 09:15:07 2021 Status: Yellow
Opened By: Delilah, Ashes, Donna, Merek, Boshter, and Elyanna
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Whirlpool added on Tue Feb 02 09:15:07 2021: Queried Delilah, Ashes, Donna, Merek, and Boshter:
This is a job about saving Delilah.
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Ashes added on Thu Feb 04 06:11:33 2021: Questions
A few questions to start with
Documents
Can we get a real stay of execution/pardon from a friendly magistrate
Can we forge a stay of execution/pardon from the king
Use Charm Person, or Command, to get whomever to look at it to accept it
Friendly Guards
Is one of them escorting or in contact with Delilah at some point?
This would allow Ash's familiar, Chippen to sneak onto Delilah
Ash can cast one touch spell on Delilah this way
Route
Is it possible for Ashes to examine the route in the dark, sneaking around, looking for likely positions of rooftop guards / casters and good hiding spots that aren't the sewers?
Spells
Ash will write out categories for the spells she can cast, and a few potential uses for them. She'll prefer this to explaining them.
Coordination
Message and Status can be used to keep track of each other
Hidden Speech, would allow the guards to talk to us without alerting other guards
Escape
Glide - Personal, Levitate - Single, but with Reduce Person, could carry
Liberating Command, Shatter, - break manicles
Summon Monster I&II - Pony or Horse
Remove Paralysis, Forced Quiet
Ant Haul - Carry A LOT
Shield of Faith
Manipulate Area
Several 20' radius, a couple 10' radius area concealment spells
Silence, Darkness, Calm Emotions, Obscuring Mist, Fog Cloud, Glitterdust, Enthrall, Web, Hypnotism,
Mess with Unfriendly Guard
Charm Person, Hold Person, Command, Cause Fear, Steal Voice, Ill Omen, Peacebond, Sanctuary
Confusion
Vocal Alteration, Alter Self, Ghostly Disguise
Other
See Invisible, Find Traps
The Plan
Mostly, there isn't much of one now, and there are a variety of things we could do or plan for.
So, locations where things might be done and how they will go are in blue. Delilah's Cell where Guards, possibly some friendlies will pick her up and escort her through the guard occupied Jail. Then will go Outside the Jail, then walk Along the road, turn a corner and walk down the road to the Scaffolding and take her up. Donna will be waiting in the Sewer Grate beneath the scaffolding. PCs, guards and casters will be in unknown positions on the street locations and on rooftops and balconies. There will also be crowd to deal with, which is both sort of a location and a target.
I am guessing, we should decide where the best place, best use of the friendly guards are, and what we might be doing at locations, or watching them. As well, if we have any specific things we might want to do with Unfriendly guards, like, hold person on the executioner or somesuch. So far our plan seems to be Donna pops out of the sewer and uses Boshter's cloak to teleport Delilah, and... I guess we need more? Elyanna could use some of her bardic abilities to control crowds. We could also get disguise kits, to back up any magical disguises, and so on.
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Boshter added on Thu Feb 04 06:15:46 2021: A good start! Delilah, can we get a run down of things we need to know here? :)
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Elyanna added on Thu Feb 04 07:04:06 2021: Elyanna's spell repetoir consists of Daze, Ghost Sound, Know direction, Prestidigitation, Summon Instrument for cantrips, Cause Fear Ear-piercing Scream, and Hideous Laughter for first level, and she can only use 3 1st levels a day.
As far as bardic crowd control, she can fascinate one person as long as there's no excitement on par with combat. The only actual crowd affecting thing she has right now is 'give everyone another chance to save vs illusions and the like'. She can probably scare of hideous laughter the executioner. She doesn'thave any disguises to work with, but she can probably make arrangements with donna's pig farmer to run a herd through the street perhaps a ghost sound signal from someplace on high
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Delilah added on Thu Feb 04 11:30:24 2021: Well! That is quite the battery of questions. I'll do my best to address stuff, if I miss anything (I'm sure I will) just point out what I've missed.
Getting a stay of execution will probably be extremely difficult, at this point, if not impossible, I would imagine. You only have a short amount of time before the execution is supposed to take place, and the relevant people don't have much motivation to grant one. On a similar vein, Norrington is seeing to Delilah's detail with his own people, and the friendly guards aren't part of that group.
You could totally examine the route if you would like. It is *short*, but if there's anything particular you're looking for there, let me know.
The friendly guard (Karlin) that you've met is suggesting rather strongly that you use the sewers to access the scaffold, since it's going to be surrounded by guards and getting there in time to stop the axe coming down otherwise will be difficult (in his opinion, anyway!) Just, you need a different way out afterwards. He has also stated that there will be magical defense, but he has no idea what form that will take. Donna has indeed spent time fomenting a lot of displeasure about the execution amongst the more common folk, and they do intend to stir up a ruckus, so that might help with the escape. (There's no pig farmer involved, but there is an elven farmer who intends to show up with a lot of compost fodder.)
Of course, Delilah is being executed for the murder of a noble, so one might expect a lot of nobles and their entourages to be there, too!
Karlin would strongly reccomend that getting Delilah out of the city might be the best move, afterwards.
If you have more questions or if I haven't been clear enough on anything, please let me know!
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Ashes added on Thu Feb 04 18:31:11 2021: So a few more details on Ash's spells and what she was thinking might be done with them. All durations and ranges are based on Ash's level.
Setup Spells
Message A Cantrip with a 40 minute duration that allows communication at whispers up to 140' from Ashes. She could multi-cast this on the group if they were planning to be spread out.
Status Four hours, 2 creatures, allows Ashes to keep track of them on this plane. Could put on Donna and Chippen so she's aware of where they are. If Karlin can visit Delilah a few hours before the execution, deliver her last meal, Chippen could be with him / on the meal "I even got you a bug", and get on Delilah for tracking. Ash generally knows where her familiar is anyhow, but this would help more.
Ant Haul 8 Hours, target carrying capacity tripples. Could put on Donna, so she can pick up Delilah and run away with her.
Reduce Person Shrink Delilah so she's easier carry. Alternatively, there's Enlarge Person, she could punch out the executioner. It's a touch spell, but it could be put on Chippen, and he can wait until the time to 'touch' attack Delilah. problem, this will have to be the last spell Ashes casts, any other casting removes the touch spell charge off Chippen.
Magic Stone 3 stones, 30 minutes duration. Hurts. Plan was to spread around the crowd so anyone looking for magic will spot these. Problem is, can't hand out if in the hole with Donna, and they would hurt someone if thrown.
Hidden Speech 40 minutes, Ash plus five creatures, allows us to Bluff secret messages to each other loudly, so could still yell things that misdirect the guards.
It doesn't seem like there is much point or possiblity if interrupting the route from the Delilah's Cell to the Scaffold. I am not sure if everyone waits in the Sewer grate or only Donna is. I'd rather avoid the 'everyone roll initiative to go through the door, oh the biggest guy has the lowest, you take 5 rounds to enter' experience of us climbing out of the hole.
I'm very curious if the Manacles are regular, and Liberating Command, Shatter would be useful breaking them, or if they're Dimensional Shackles, magical, and therefore unbreakable and probably Liberating Command won't work. Perhaps Karlin can answer if he knows. In any case, if they are the Dim. Shackles, steal that! Fulfill my dream of having a 28,000 gp magic item. Also expect Iron Bands of Binding to be on a guard to throw, now that I've mentioned them, as a re-capture possibility.
If the whole scaffold is made of nethercite or there's someone about with an Anti-Magic-Shield, well this means melee and you really shouldn't have asked so many casters along. Ashes and Elyanna have trip attacks they can use on the guards.
For the friendly guards, tell them not to resist any spells. Ash will use Peacebond or Command, or Hypnotism, and that will give them some cover, "I was compelled."
Charm Person could be used on the executioner, then Entrall on the crowd, although it requires 1 minute of speaking and Ash doesn't want to. Assuming AMF, then it's regular speaking and Intimidate the hell out of the Executioner.
So far, Delilah is transported to the scaffolding, at which point Ashes can cast Fog Cloud, or Obscuring Mist to cover it; or not if AMF, and in one round hopefully everyone piles out of the grate and gets up top to the scaffolding. Donna grabs Delilah and runs. If AMF, Ash & Elyanna go up to help trip, if not AMF Ash can do cast for next round. I'm expecting if there isn't an AMF, there are enough mages with Dispell Magic that nothing Ash casts will last more than one round. Ash could cast xhSummon Monster 2 to get a horse at D&D's location for them to hop on, assuming she and the others are out of the AMF. Follow up with Entropic Shield to give them missile fire protection, or a second Summon Monster 2, so they have a new horse when the first one is dispelled.
Hopefully the crowd lets them through and not the guards. Elyanna could tell them to do that. And lets have a bunch of tomatoes or potatoes on hand so the crowd has something to throw at Norrington and the Nobles. If D&D can get around a corner, they could hide in the manure cart. If Ash didn't start in the sewer grate, but was casting from the corner. She could follow up with a Disguise Self and a Mount spell to throw them off. Basically, do a swap. Real Delilah comes up to Ashes, they meet out of sight under an overhang or walkway or something, Fake-Delilah-Ash leads off while D&D go through a side door, hide in the manure, try the cloak again.
Also, she could use Vocal Alteration to make herself sound like Norringtone, and when he shouts some order, she could duplicate his voice and say, "No! They're using spells to confuse us. They're copying my voice. She's in disguise running north!" Someone willing to move north, perhaps Commanded to, would help with that ruse.
The horse and tripping stuff is predicated on the idea that Boshter's magical cloak isn't going to teleport Delilah out, because of a Dimensional Anchor spell on her, the shackles or some other reason we'll discover when we try it. Still no reason not to try it. If they can bamf from the Scaffold, great.
I also suggest disguise kits for Ash and Elyanna so they can at least look less like themselves and not become criminal. If they went heavy with the foundation, Ash could look like a regular Arvek Nar and Elyanna not a Noble, half-human one. Glue some proper sized ears on her. Or I hear Blar is nice this time of year.
Not sure what Merek or Boshter might do. I'm sure they've got options, and whatever spells Merek has available would be stronger than Ash's. He's got teleport and could be full up on Dispell Magic to counter the counterers, I don't know.
I have a few of the other spells that blot out a 40' area, Glitter Dust blinds people in a 20' for a while, and reveals invisible.There's a Darkness, Levitate, Glide idea to give the guards/mages an unknown 40' dark sphere floating up as a distraction to waste arrows/spells on. Although, they'll be shooting at Ash.
Or just hang out in the sewer grate and try to wing it if Karlin thinks there will be way too many casters and AMF to even try a single spell. Elyanna can shout at the crowd and try to start a revolution I guess. Ash is trained to ride at the back of a cavalry unit and heal people, or wash the dead, this is about the best plan you'll get from her.
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Elyanna added on Thu Feb 04 19:06:25 2021: we may want someone to watch for someone running off to go kill Alvin, if there's anyone equipped for that.
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Elyanna added on Sat Feb 06 11:43:23 2021: How much flash powder and thunderstones can we get our hands on in 12 hrs?
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Delilah added on Sat Feb 06 11:50:17 2021: Flash Powder and Thunderstones... through the usual means, probably none. If you have good street connections and you know where to find the sort of guy who hangs out in the back alleys selling the Thunderstones, maybe a small number.
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Elyanna added on Sat Feb 06 12:07:40 2021: Nope
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Ashes added on Mon Feb 08 05:55:36 2021: Ashes should be able to get some makeup from the Vardama temple. She has craft/painting, for making corpses look more alive.
Watching Ella's house to see if someone is watching it was raised, if this is still possible she or Elyanna could sneak around looking for someone.
Also, wasn't sure if we're supposed to have an escape plan too, or the primary concern is getting to Delilah while under cover/fire, and distracting the crowd. As before, moving a cart full of something: Tomatoes/Potatoes/Fish in the area for the crowd to throw would be helpful.
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Gadget pages: Right now, I have an elven witch crafter lady (the best I've made at crafting), an attempt at Glasha, and an orc barbarian. I figure, if I hate combat, she's going to hate it, too, and murderize everything. Long distance to Gadget: Ashes nods, "Makes sense, murderizing." Gadget pages: I mean...she's definitely going to hit level 20 first, for sure. She can go out and just kill everything that moves...and since you can't stop raging voluntarily, she's not going to stop once the enemies are dead. I am going to make every GM regret every combat they put me in. You paged Gadget with 'I thought you could stop voluntarily?' Gadget pages: Nope. Not in 2e. You cannot stop raging voluntarily. You paged Gadget with 'Ah' Gadget pages: So, basically, once the enemies are dead, I'm either caving in other PC's skulls or causing as much property damage as I can, which with my character is a lot. Long distance to Gadget: Ashes nods, "Will be neat to see." Gadget pages: We'll see, I guess. It all depends on what's available to me upon reset. Long distance to Gadget: Ashes nods You paged Gadget with 'I won't guarantee that I'll be here.' From afar, Gadget hugs. Gadget pages: If not, I'll miss you. Gadget pages: Gadget will miss you for sure. You paged Gadget with 'Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I don't want to punish friends for someone else's decision. I am looking at this as 'they are leaving me behind' rather than 'I'm quitting'. When I joined there was no indication a reset was immenent. I might not have, had I known.' Gadget pages: I'm sticking with it. I don't like a lot of the changes, but this is the best player environment I've been in on a MUSH in a long time. You paged Gadget with 'I... RL... have suffered a lot of random GM fiats and sudden campaign ends, and it's kind of triggery for me. I go into the uncontrollable unstoppable rage because someone decided to trash my stuff for, as far as I can see, no reason and no consultation. So, if I don't get a character that feels like Ash, if it turns into, 'might as well be signing up for WoW, rolling a new char, new game' This place goes into the bin of all the other options and I pick the one best for me - no loyalty was earned.' From afar, Gadget hugs again. You paged Gadget with 'Thanks.' Gadget pages: The staff here have been nice to me. This isn't the first rules change they've done. They've gone from D&D 3.0 to 3.5 to Pathfinder. Gadget's whole reason for being was ripped out from under me by staff trying to be nice (Gadget currently as 'these mean nothing' prosthetics). It really killed my muse for playing her. Been trying to find it ever since. Glasha is an actual loss. Glasha will never get permanent summons for being a conjurer wizard. There are better options for being a crafter. She's not got the goals I was working towards. In fact, there are no really amazing end-game goals to work toward for me, anymore. Still, I remain. I remain because the people have been cool to me, and I want to RP more than I'm tied to any given character. I've RP'd on chat rooms and MUSHes and Discord, and at the drop of a hat, an RP can end with no warning. I guess I'm looking at this like those many times that's happened to me. You paged Gadget with 'my characters outlive the places and games they come from. This can be another place.' Gadget pages: I understand. Gadget pages: Gadget and Glasha will live on, too. You paged Gadget with 'if they give me reasons to stay, I'll stay. If it's 'you're being too attached, just roll something new' I'll go roll something new someplace else. Time investment means something to me; it better mean something to them or I'm gone. That's the bottom line.' You paged Gadget with 'i can be treated no better than a new player, as a NEW PLAYER, somewhere ELSE' From afar, to (Boshter, Merek, Elyanna, Ashes, Donna): Delilah checks to see who's here! Gadget pages: I will do everything I can to help you refresh Ashes as Ashes. Long distance to Gadget: Ashes hugs, "Thanks, I appreciate that." Gadget pages: You mean a lot to me and to Gadget. You paged Gadget with 'Thanks. RP with you has been fun.' Gadget pages: Likewise. I miss our times together. You paged Gadget with 'It's been fun, I'm glad you've enjoyed so far' You paged Gadget with 'sorry the staff fix for the prosthetics killed the char concept' Gadget pages: It's not your fault. Gadget's still around. She's just hard to play, now. You paged Gadget with 'hopefully I'll be out of this time-lock plot soon' Gadget pages: Hopefully!
<OOC> Boshter says, "So hold on." <OOC> Boshter says, "delilah is going to be executed by some grassy gnoll?" <OOC> Boshter says, "<.<" <OOC> Boshter says, ">.>" <OOC> Ashes says, "ow." <OOC> Elyanna says, "Does she smoke?" Huh? (Type "help" for help.) <OOC> Ashes says, "perhaps 'gassy'" <OOC> Elyanna fistbump. <OOC> Delilah hates you people. :P <OOC> Boshter says, "ALL I AM SAYING IS GRASSY GNOLLS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF ASSASSINATION"
<OOC> Boshter says, "Okay." <OOC> Boshter says, "I wanna clarify a few things OOC." <OOC> Boshter says, "What *is* the full plan Katlin has on the table, as simple as I can get it? My brain is shot." <OOC> Boshter says, "Karlin, whatrever! XD" <OOC> Elyanna pets Katlin. :3 <OOC> Boshter says, "Ahah" <OOC> Boshter amused. <OOC> Ashes says, "I think we're months in the past and this is before Akoniril showed up? i have no idea" <OOC> Boshter says, "Plots tend to happen 'in the now', Ashes." <OOC> Boshter says, "We are definitely not months in the past." <OOC> Boshter says, "I mean, the execution is set for Thursday :)" <OOC> Ashes says, "except this has been very specifically a week" <OOC> Boshter says, "Right, but the week is between last thursday and nex.t" <OOC> Elyanna hrm <OOC> Boshter says, "Unless Delilah says otherwise?" <OOC> Delilah says, "Time can bend when you're RPing on a mush." <OOC> Boshter nods. <OOC> Boshter says, "It's bent time, things take as long as they take, and whgen they're done, 'they happen'." <OOC> Ashes says, "No it's been several consequtive days" <OOC> Boshter says, "Right, Ashes. Those days are compressed into the time before the evennt finishes. :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "Does that make sense?" <OOC> Ashes says, "Not really because I'm sure there were sets with this being in the summer. The starting time was pegged, so the ending time couldn't be free." <OOC> Ashes says, "we had interactions with other people months ago about it being 'current'" <OOC> Ashes says, "we were investiating this months before Akoniril showed up. If she's now a factor in it..." <OOC> Ashes says, "like" <OOC> Boshter says, "AShes, you're going to need to reconcile that with the execution being on Thursday." <OOC> Boshter says, "It's an IC event. People will be going who haven't been part of things before now." <OOC> Ashes says, "Thursday, sevearl months in the past" <OOC> Boshter says, "It's not." <OOC> Boshter says, "It's on Thursday." <OOC> Boshter says, "Plots are always happening 'now'." <OOC> Delilah says, "It's literally on Thursday. (Next week, not this week.)" <OOC> Boshter nods. <OOC> Boshter says, "One has to be flexible with timelines." <OOC> Boshter says, "Trying to hold a tight one on a MUSH is just a recipe for frustration." <OOC> Boshter says, "The good news is that Ares will probably help timeline issues a *lot*." <OOC> Ashes says, "HOw?" <OOC> Boshter says, "But as it is, we've always encouraged people to have things be assumed to play out when they're complete." <OOC> Boshter says, "To avoid the exact issue of events being 'months in the past', that you're talking about. :)" <OOC> Ashes says, "And this one seemed to not be following that rule" <OOC> Ashes says, "I'm very used to handwavy time, I use it all the time. I avoid 'and this happens 12 hours after the last thing that happened' which was happening a lot in this plot" <OOC> Ashes says, "I'm unclear how Ares solves this. If it limits being in 2 plots at a time, people wil only join one-shots to avoid being locked out." <OOC> Ashes says, "I certainly would" <OOC> Boshter says, "I'd like it if you gave me a moment to answer that question instead of presuming. :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "And immediately gravitating towards a worst-possible-outcome." <OOC> Boshter says, "Ares has an automatically curated timeline of logs. Things can be sorted to happen in such an order as to 1) prevent lock outs and 2) keep a clear track of how, when, and where something happened." <OOC> Boshter says, "Obviously, we don't want people to be in too many places at once. That's unrealistic, and actively squeezes out players who might otherwise participate. Sharing the wealth between characters is good." <OOC> Boshter says, "But it will also have that curated list, so people can more easily track where they've been, and what's going on over the course of an event, and how long an event took place over IC." <OOC> Boshter says, "Some handwavium will still be applied for the sake of fun." <OOC> Boshter says, "We're nnot assholes." <OOC> Boshter says, "But you don't want one guy doing more than can be reasonably performed either. Making sure the wealth is spread better will be easier. :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "In any event, the execution is next Thursday (thanks, for some reason I thought it was this!)" <OOC> Boshter says, "The events that have played out so far play out in the run up to that time." <OOC> Boshter says, "Otherwise, we'd have had months to plan and make magical items to help us out, and I don't think DElilah wants to go quite that far. ;)" <OOC> Boshter says, "Nor do I think she's going to try to get eveyone to play along with 'this actually happened months ago!'. It's just that the real world will finally catch up with the plot :)" <OOC> Delilah says, "Boshter is accurate." <OOC> Ashes says, "Well I was very much under the impression Ash was stuck in the past, waiting for this to resolve, to see how it would affect her character, and she hasn't been in an adventure or on grid, largely because of that except for a cameo" <OOC> Ashes says, "and that there would be a 'and for the last 8 months after the trial I was doing X'" <OOC> Boshter says, "Well, that's not what was intended. We have ALWAYS encouraged people to go out on the grid, play, and do things until a plot is resolved. :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "That is the *exact* circumstance we encourage people to avoid. I had no idea you were doing that." <OOC> Boshter says, "We don't want people to feel 'trapped' in a plot." <OOC> Boshter hugs Ashes. I'm sorry. :/ <OOC> Boshter says, "Honestly?" <OOC> Boshter says, "I haven't been in this plot much, I had assumed it was moving in real time aside from bits like the court scenes." <OOC> Boshter says, "Which obviously happened over a period of time, like Delilah had been in jail this whole time awaiting trial xD" <OOC> Boshter says, "I only joined late to help out. :)" <OOC> Ashes says, "To me it had a definite 'starting date' and it was very carefully counting out from that day, number of days left, with no 'wiggle room' that I'm used to" <OOC> Boshter nods. I can see how you'd get that, it wasn't intended. :) <OOC> Elyanna says, "Elyanna's involvement in Deva is partially in the aftermath of this plot, and the tipping the scales storyline" <OOC> Boshter says, "Delilah is new at plot running!" <OOC> Boshter says, "She is doing *amazing* for having such a difficult thread she's set up." <OOC> Ashes says, "we were both under the impression it left Ash & Elyanna somewhat darker in tone." <OOC> Boshter says, "I am, honestly, regularly in awe of the challenge she took on. :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "And that is fine!" <OOC> Boshter says, "There's literally nbothing wrong with that :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "'Sometime after X' is a perfectly legit tway to approach things." <OOC> Boshter says, "MU* is hard sometimes. xD" <OOC> Elyanna says, "It was a very significant risk and it's, as said, getting player investment and putting these IC personas to tests that aren't 'Fireball' 'Roll to hit'." <OOC> Elyanna says, "I'm not throwing stones with that. Moral choices, personal struggles, poignant contact between these people." <OOC> Boshter nods! <OOC> Elyanna says, "rather than mechanical conflict resolution betwen two/three collections of allocated number values" <OOC> Boshter says, "It's been wonderful :)" <OOC> Delilah blush! <OOC> Boshter says, "ANyway!" <OOC> Boshter says, "Point is, Akorinil has been around for a couple months anyway and so this shouldn't really be too big a hang up :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "I only suggested it because I thought it would be a fun hook for some of you to RP with :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "(And checked with Delilah first, of course!)" <OOC> Ashes says, "The last big plot with names everyone with multiple PCs that were involved had to choose one Alt to get the resolution, if they were able to show up at all, and in the interest of avoiding that I'm trying to have only one char dealing with Akoniril and the Animus shards because otherwise the others will be left hanging." <OOC> Ashes says, "I've already had Ash run into her enough I have trouble keeping separate what she knows vs what Cryo knows." <OOC> Boshter says, "Totally fair :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "It's only meant as a fun suggestion :)" <OOC> Ashes nods, "Thanks. Fun suggestions are appreciated." <OOC> Boshter says, "That said I wouldn't worry too much about having muiltiple alts involved in the meta unless you're struggling like you are to keep knowledge bases seperate :)" <OOC> Boshter says, "ANYWY!" <OOC> Ashes says, "ALready had Cryo about to ask AKoniril about Griva, then oh yeah, that's something Ashe knows from the colosseum" <OOC> Ashes says, "that they have some kind of deeper relationship that just apparently being rivals" <OOC> Boshter says, "They're aware of each other, at least. :)" <OOC> Ashes says, "They were having a meaningful glare conversation, as far as Ashes could telld" <OOC> Boshter says, "Well I mean she IS a pritestess of Taara. xD" <OOC> Boshter says, "But yes :)" <OOC> Ashes says, "It's late and I need to sleep and that's my endpose. I'll pick up any more from the logger. I have plans to get a loaner computer from a GM friend and she's 2 hours away so I likely won't be around much tomorrow as I expect it will turn into a visit and a day thing." <OOC> Ashes hugs, waves, "Thanks for the RP." GAME: You nominated Elyanna for good roleplay. GAME: You nominated Delilah for good roleplay. GAME: You nominated Donna for good roleplay. GAME: You nominated Boshter for good roleplay. <OOC> Boshter says, "Oof!" <OOC> Boshter hugs. :) <OOC> Boshter says, "Good luck wit hthe compy." <OOC> Ashes says, "It went without warning. took 14 hours to get running, could go without warning again. Trying to get my files off it and something more reliable. Could last another 6 months." <OOC> Boshter has to work on a new one myself, multiple dead USB ports and a power supply goping. <OOC> Boshter says, "..going." <OOC> Ashes has several identical models of the same laptop and plays mix-in-match to see what works. <OOC> Ashes says, "not yet at the point where I de-solder chips off the mobo, but close." <OOC> Ashes says, "Night!"