Drindall's Keep: Battle for the Sky

[bookworm]

I give my XP to Skid for getting us past the poison gas.

[Skid]

I give 1 XP to Arkan for questioning my fire-happy sanity.

[bookworm]

Smoke and Mirrors, Part 2

Continued from Part 1, Continued by Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
The party gains entrance to the hideout, but discovers the guards are not the only obstacles within.

19:02 <Arkan>: I am trying to think of a way to convince Greystone to use stealth, rather than bursting in the door.
19:03 <Skid>: There's obviously another entryway somewhere.
19:03 <bookworm>: Have him recall that we were explicitly told to?
19:03 <Woody>: Did one of us develop stealth?
19:03 <Woody>: Because if not, I think it would be a wise use of XP
19:03 <Skid>: We could always just try lying to the guards.
19:03 <Woody>: I considered that
19:03 <Woody>: My guess is they know the regulars
19:03 <bookworm>: Greystone is already trained in stealth
19:03 <bookworm>: According to my notes
19:04 <Arkan>: Yes he is.
19:04 <Arkan>: Victor clarified for us that we could barge in.
19:04 <bookworm>: No
19:04 <bookworm>: We can be discovered once *in* there
19:05 <bookworm>: But they shouldn't find us barging in the door
19:05 <Skid>: Yeah, any activity at the front door should be a red herring to draw off the guards.
19:05 <Woody>: One of us could fire a gun from a safe distance
19:06 <Woody>: Draw them to investigate
19:06 <Skid>: Or just go up and talk to them.
19:06 <Arkan>: If Greystone was around, he would have asked that they be merged with the elite forces and assault. He is perfectly confident in his abilities to take out kismet thieves with or without his kismet.
19:06 <Woody>: We could also send the monkey up to the roof to check for entrances there
19:06 <Skid>: There's four guards at the door.
19:07 <Skid>: Probably more inside.
19:07 Tikvah is now known as Tikvah_GMing
19:07 bookworm is now known as Victor
19:07 Skid is now known as Gromit
19:07 Woody is now known as Alan
19:07 Arkan is now known as Greystone
19:07 Moontide is now known as Ookook
19:07 <Gromit>: "Greystone would be wise to note that we are not the elite forces, and the elite forces are afraid to go in there until we've broken their toys."
19:08 <Gromit>: "We're one step above common thugs. Don't get cocky."
19:09 <Greystone>: "I am many steps above that."
19:10 <Gromit>: "I propose we leave diverting the front door guards to Greystone."
19:12 <Gromit>: "Other than that, let's fan out and search the back walls and roof for other entries."
19:13 <Greystone>: "These thugs are supposedly very formidable. I think you will need a warrior who can maneuver."
19:14 Gromit walks the long way around the building to the back to look for other entrances without drawing the attention of the guards.
19:16 <Tikvah_GMing>: Perception check.
19:17 <Gromit>: !roll d20
19:17 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 10
19:17 <Alan>: Hold up, a detective not trained in perception? =P
19:18 <Victor>: He's not really a detective
19:18 <Victor>: Just fancies himself one
19:18 <Gromit>: I'm a little more hands-on, typically.
19:19 <Greystone>: [I think I can stretch a point with character convictions for the sake of adventure flow. Supposedly these criminals are numerous and dangerous enough that stealth is necessary to prevent death. And death would be failure in carrying out a commitment, something Greystone would not stand for. Thus I am declaring Greystone now open to stealth engagements.]
19:19 <Greystone>: After standing silent for a time, eyes closed and arms crossed, Greystone sighs, and opens his eyes. "Stealth it is."
19:19 <Ookook>: Can I use my silent debuff to debuff the gaurds preceptions
19:20 <Tikvah_GMing>: The building doesn't have any openings besides the door. You can see a large domed section in the centre of the roof, with an antennae coming out the top. There are some crates on the South side that would give you access to the roof.
19:20 <Alan>: Send the monkey up to the roof
19:20 <Tikvah_GMing>: No you can't, Moontide. There is a Kismet depressor covering all the surrounding area. You can't use any kismets until it is broken.
19:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: You can go on the roof though.
19:21 <Ookook>: What would I do on the roof?
19:21 <Alan>: The roof may have an entrance that is less heavily guarded
19:21 <Gromit>: Small size is still an asset to stealth though.
19:21 <Ookook>: Monkey powers.
19:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: I told you not to call it that.
19:23 <Ookook>: Then I could drop a rope, for you to climb up after me?
19:23 <Greystone>: An antennae? That seems suspect. Could that be how the suppressor works? Seems too easy though.
19:23 <Ookook>: Lighting rod maybe?
19:24 <Gromit>: "Making Frankensteins, probably."
19:24 <Victor>: "My specialty."
19:24 <Gromit>: "No way to know until we scout it. Go."
19:25 Ookook climbs to the roof.
19:25 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, roll a perception check.
19:25 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:25 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 17
19:27 <Tikvah_GMing>: The roof has a shallow angle, but you can stand on it without any problem. It's covered in loose shingles. The dome is to the East of you, and you can see something that looks like an air vent on the West side of the roof.
19:29 <Alan>: OOC: Ooooh, air vent. Sounds like a way in
19:29 Victor waits for a sign from Ookook whether the roof is worth going to
19:29 Ookook looks to see if the air vent is passable for humans
19:30 <Gromit>: How high is the roof again?
19:32 <Tikvah_GMing>: 10 feet
19:33 <Greystone>: Hm. What say we all climb quietly onto the roof, and then the four humans each drop on top of a guard, and quickly dispatch them?
19:33 <Victor>: Would a rope from Ookook aid the climb at all? Compared to just going up the crates ourselves
19:33 Ookook drops a rope for the other humans to climb up.
19:33 <Tikvah_GMing>: It would be easier to climb the crates.
19:34 Victor goes up with aid of the rope
19:34 <Alan>: I climb the crates
19:34 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll a stealth check, everyone.
19:34 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:34 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 16
19:34 <Gromit>: Hmm.
19:35 <Victor>: !roll d20 effort
19:35 <Dicebot>: Victor, effort: 20
19:36 <Alan>: !roll d20 effort
19:36 <Dicebot>: Alan, effort: 9
19:36 <Greystone>: !roll d20
19:36 <Dicebot>: Greystone: 14
19:36 Gromit waits until last, and then sets fire to the crates before he climbs.
19:36 <Tikvah_GMing>: You climb the crates without difficulty.
19:37 Greystone grabs Gromit. "What are you trying to do?!"
19:37 <Gromit>: Diversion. Vandal is just vandalism, but requires some attention. We'll go off the other side.
19:37 <Gromit>: And it won't be big enough to notice until we're well inside.
19:37 Victor examines the vent
19:38 <Ookook>: Is the building flammable?
19:38 <Gromit>: It's stone.
19:38 <Ookook>: What about the roof?
19:38 <Tikvah_GMing>: It's covered in heavy shingles, but if you rip it up you might find some wood.
19:38 <Greystone>: "We don't need a diversion yet! Or a ruckus!"
19:38 <Gromit>: "But we will in five minutes, which is how long it'll take anyone to notice the fire."
19:39 Greystone pulls up the monkey's rope before it can catch on fire too.
19:39 <Gromit>: !roll d20
19:39 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 8
19:39 <Gromit>: "Plus we don't need anyone else climbing up here."
19:40 <Tikvah_GMing>: The vent is about 3' square, and goes down about 2' before continuing to the East.
19:40 <Victor>: It's open?
19:40 <Tikvah_GMing>: There is a grate, but it looks removable.
19:40 <Greystone>: "What plan did we settle on which times the diversion at five minutes from now?"
19:41 <Gromit>: "The one where we're inside and need people thinking about something else."
19:41 <Ookook>: I'm sure we can patch together some plan that requires a diversion in 5 min
19:41 Victor tries to remove the grate, gently
19:41 <Alan>: I attempt to remove the grate
19:42 <Tikvah_GMing>: Victor, roll a strength check.
19:42 <Victor>: !roll d20
19:42 <Dicebot>: Victor: 3
19:42 <Greystone>: "We don't need people thinking AT ALL preferably! Have you ever done this before?"
19:43 <Gromit>: "Twice. Once was admittedly a dream, but I learned things from it."
19:43 Greystone runs his hand down his face.
19:43 <Tikvah_GMing>: You manage to remove the grate without alerting the guards below.
19:43 <Victor>: Is this human size?
19:44 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes it is human sized.
19:44 <Victor>: "Is this what we're doing gentlemen?" *motions to the opening*
19:44 <Ookook>: If we burnt down the building, would that destroy the device you think?
19:44 <Gromit>: "It's stone, it's not going to burn."
19:44 <Greystone>: If we can burn stone somehow, than I should think so.
19:44 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, do a knowledge check.
19:44 <Alan>: We also want to kill the crooks
19:44 <Victor>: No we don't
19:44 <Victor>: We're supposed to leave the crooks to the team
19:44 <Victor>: We blow the whatsit and run
19:44 <Ookook>: "I have gun powder!"
19:44 <Alan>: What Victor said
19:44 <Alan>: Though I would love some combat
19:44 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:44 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 13
19:44 <Ookook>: *I* would love to see something go boom!
19:44 <Alan>: I go in
19:44 <Gromit>: "Ladies first."
19:45 <Alan>: Feet first if I need to choose
19:45 Greystone grabs Alan by the collar. "Woah there."
19:46 <Alan>: "We're wasting time," I whisper
19:46 <Alan>: "That fire is burning, we need to time the distraction, which means going in ASAP"
19:46 <Gromit>: "Don't waste the element of surprise, gentlemen."
19:47 <Greystone>: "We weren't on a time constraint until the "detective's little antic."
19:47 <Ookook>: I'm sure we can create even more exciting distractions if we need.
19:47 Greystone grunts angrily
19:48 <Greystone>: "Fine. Do you want to go first monkey, or shall I?"
19:48 <Greystone>: [Ookook isn't wearing shoes is he?]
19:49 <Gromit>: Okay. pick an order, and we follow that unless someone says otherwise.
19:49 <Ookook>: I don't wear shoes
19:49 <Tikvah_GMing>: You hear one of the guards ask if anyone smells smoke.
19:49 <Greystone>: [Cause soft monkey feet, plus a monkey's agility, I mean, Ookook should able to sneak very well.]
19:49 <Ookook>: Good point
19:49 <Gromit>: Ookook, Greystone, Alan, Victor, Gromit. Let's go.
19:50 <Greystone>: "Alright."
19:50 Ookook climbs down the vent silently
19:50 <Alan>: "I think I should be near the front, as a strong fighter and a decent sneak"
19:50 <Alan>: "With armor as well
19:50 <Greystone>: "Last in line be alert."
19:50 <Ookook>: Doesn't armour decrease stealth?
19:50 <Ookook>: Clinking metal and all that?
19:51 <Gromit>: Only if it exceed their armor training.
19:51 Victor leaves a marked bolt on the roof before going in
19:51 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, roll perception.
19:51 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:51 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 6
19:51 <Alan>: Oh, plus perception =P
19:52 <Greystone>: "Well I have capabilities in this area, and I will put my durability over yours any day. Strong in the front, strong in the back."
19:52 <Gromit>: "Scouts in the front, able to fall back to the strong."
19:52 <Alan>: "I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with the former part of that statement, Greystone"
19:53 <Ookook>: Is stealth a speed based power?
19:53 <Victor>: Yes
19:53 <Greystone>: Isn't it just a skill?
19:53 <Victor>: It is yes
19:54 <Victor>: A skill for a speed roll
19:54 <Victor>: To get extra assets
19:54 <Greystone>: The mechanics of this game still confuse me a bit.
19:54 <Greystone>: "That is the situation, if Alan and Victor switch places. An alert on either end and a durable after that."
19:55 <Gromit>: Okay. Go.
19:56 <Greystone>: We /are/ currently proceeding through the vent aren't we?
19:56 <Victor>: Yes, Ookook was looking at something
19:56 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, the vent goes East about 5'. There is a vent leading down and one turning to the North.
19:56 Gromit drops through the vent on his turn.
19:57 Gromit pulls the vent closed behind the team.
19:57 Ookook looks down the vent leading down.
19:58 Greystone makes a positive mental note toward Gromit.
19:58 <Tikvah_GMing>: You see a large warehouse room filled with crates. There is a big set of doors on the West side, and a small door to the South.
19:58 <Tikvah_GMing>: The big doors are the ones to the outside.
19:59 <Ookook>: I suggest we go down the west vent
19:59 <Ookook>: Because the kismet suppressor wouldn't be in the storage room.
19:59 <Alan>: That's a loot room for later, I bet
20:00 <Gromit>: Or it's full of gunpowder like the crates outside.
20:00 <Greystone>: Are the crates outside full of gunpowder?
20:01 <Gromit>: Not definitely. I should have checked.
20:01 <Tikvah_GMing>: Not that you know of, but they did burn pretty well.
20:01 <Greystone>: Oh terrific. I assumed that they were empty crates.
20:01 <Gromit>: "Pick a direction. It's getting warm back here."
20:01 <Ookook>: Maybe I should drop down into the crate room, and light it on fire as well as a distraction?
20:02 <Gromit>: No.
20:02 <Ookook>: "Aww."
20:02 <Greystone>: "No."
20:02 Ookook goes down the west vent
20:02 <Gromit>: "Not until we're on the way out."
20:03 <Tikvah_GMing>: You find a corner, turning to the right.
20:03 <Greystone>: Muffled "Sonuva..." from Greystone.
20:04 Ookook continues down the vent
20:04 <Ookook>: "I sure hope this doesn't lead into the boiler or something"
20:04 Victor stifles a chuckle
20:04 <Tikvah_GMing>: You find another downwards vent. This one looks like it opens into an office.
20:05 <Tikvah_GMing>: Another vent continues to the West.
20:05 <Alan>: (Another possible loot location)
20:05 <Alan>: (Could be where they stash their cash)
20:05 <Greystone>: An office... doesn't sound promising.
20:06 <Victor>: Office = important paperwork
20:06 <Alan>: "Not for our primary mission, but for loot"
20:06 <Ookook>: "Isn't our primary mission loot?"
20:06 <Gromit>: "Might have keys."
20:06 <Alan>: A modern office, yes. In the times that this RPG is set in, and this particular setting, I'm expecting it to be more of a 'head merc' room
20:06 <Alan>: (Which would have all the best weapons and coin)
20:06 <Gromit>: Are there any interesting smells down here?
20:06 Gromit licks the dust in the vent.
20:06 <Tikvah_GMing>: You don't smell anything unusual. Roll a taste check, Gromit.
20:07 <Gromit>: !roll d20 specialized forensics
20:07 <Dicebot>: Gromit, specialized forensics: 2
20:07 <Victor>: Good thing the whatsit is on
20:07 <Tikvah_GMing>: Be glad there is a kismet depressor.
20:07 <Greystone>: So much for specialized forensics.
20:08 <Tikvah_GMing>: You taste something vaguely... metallic?
20:08 <Victor>: Did Greystone hit you in the mouth while you were bickering back there?
20:08 <Victor>: (because blood)
20:08 <Gromit>: "Odd."
20:09 <Ookook>: Clearly this vent has been inhabited by metal trolls.
20:09 Ookook continues down the vent
20:09 <Gromit>: "How about someone clear that room while the rest of the party proceeds?"
20:10 <Alan>: I volunteer
20:10 <Greystone>: "But any spitting up will drastically reduce our ability to rapidly vacate as a body."
20:10 <Gromit>: "Not really. Both exits are back our way."
20:10 <Greystone>: "But if we set some gunpowder or something, I don't want to be stopping to pick up stray party members."
20:10 <Ookook>: They can climb out a window when they here the fire panic.
20:10 <Ookook>: I assume that this building follows proper fire code
20:10 <Greystone>: That is doubtful.
20:10 <Tikvah_GMing>: You didn't see any windows from the outside.
20:10 <Gromit>: "We'll hear you coming, I expect. This will only take a moment."
20:10 Gromit opens the grate.
20:10 <Victor>: "I thought you were keen on leading the group"
20:12 <Greystone>: "He's keener on wealth than success."
20:12 <Alan>: "I just want combat. Clearing a room sounds like the quickest way to get it"
20:13 <Gromit>: "That rules you out. No drawing attention."
20:13 <Greystone>: "I second that."
20:13 <Alan>: "Who said I was going to purposely draw attention? I'm just saying, if somebody is going to go down there and find an adversary, I wanna be the guy"
20:14 Victor quit
20:14 Gromit drops down to do a proper search of the room, looking for traps, important looking papers, contracts, and damage caused by kismet misfires.
20:14 <Greystone>: The person would either have to climb up into the grate, or fight their way outside.
20:14 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll a perception check.
20:14 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:14 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort: 1
20:14 <Gromit>: XP reroll.
20:15 <Tikvah_GMing>: OK.
20:15 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:15 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort: 20
20:15 <Alan>: I secure a rope for Gromit to climb back up
20:16 Victor joined #Gowers
20:16 <Gromit>: I lick every surface as I scan.
20:17 Alan sighs and wonders how long it'll be until Gromit poisons himself
20:17 Greystone to self. "I just know we're going to want him later."
20:17 <Tikvah_GMing>: Everything tastes slightly of metallic and gunpowder. You see a desk covered in papers with a comfy chair behind it, and a door to the South. The papers seem to be shipments records and payments for employees, but in a drawer in the desk you find a small metal key.
20:18 <Gromit>: What kinds of prices and goods for the shipments?
20:19 <Tikvah_GMing>: Mostly guns and ammunition, some mechanical parts. They seem to be listed at approximately market value.
20:19 <Tikvah_GMing>: Some provisions and dried food.
20:20 <Tikvah_GMing>: Grain for horses.
20:20 <Gromit>: Does the door point towards or away from where we know the main door is?
20:20 Gromit listens at the door.
20:20 <Tikvah_GMing>: The main door is to the West. The office door is to the South.
20:20 Victor sits in the chair
20:20 <Greystone>: Now when did he drop down there?
20:20 <Victor>: We're all down here aren't we? There's no more vent
20:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: There is more vent.
20:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: To the East.
20:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: I think I said the wrong direction when I told you first.
20:21 <Gromit>: You didn't have to be /on/ the vent when I opened it.
20:21 <Greystone>: The only person who posted dropping down that I saw was Gromit.
20:21 <Victor>: I was disconnected
20:22 <Victor>: Last thing I saw was let's go search the room
20:23 <Gromit>: In any case, we got a key. And I may have set fire to an ammo dump. We should get moving.
20:23 <Gromit>: "Scout the rest of the vent, would you? We'll make decisions from there."
20:24 Victor did not leave the vent then
20:25 <Gromit>: "Wait, take this key with you."
20:25 Ookook continues down the vent
20:25 Gromit continues listening at the door.
20:26 Greystone goes with Ookook.
20:26 <Tikvah_GMing>: Gromit, you hear a few muffled noises, but they sound several rooms away.
20:26 Gromit is staking out the door until something happens.
20:26 <Tikvah_GMing>: Who is continuing down the vent?
20:26 <Victor>: Me
20:26 <Ookook>: I am
20:27 <Alan>: I continue
20:27 <Greystone>: Just the three intelligent ones I think.
20:27 <Greystone>: Nope, Victor is coming too.
20:27 <Victor>:
20:27 <Tikvah_GMing>: OK, the four of you make perception checks.
20:27 <Greystone>: So we're just leaving Gromit as a vague sort of guard.
20:27 <Gromit>: Yes.
20:27 <Greystone>: !roll d20
20:27 <Dicebot>: Greystone: 14
20:27 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:28 <Dicebot>: Victor: 15
20:28 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:28 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 2
20:28 <Tikvah_GMing>: Be glad, Ookook.
20:28 <Greystone>: Be glad.
20:29 <Tikvah_GMing>: Alan, make a perception check.
20:29 <Alan>: !roll d20 specialized
20:29 <Dicebot>: Alan, specialized: 2
20:29 <Alan>: Lovely
20:29 <Tikvah_GMing>: You also be glad.
20:29 <Greystone>: Wait, did I say Victor instead of Alan?
20:30 <Victor>: LOL
20:30 <Greystone>: Good lord.
20:30 Alan glares at Greystone
20:30 <Alan>: As much as one can glare in a dark vent
20:31 <Gromit>: Does my door open inwards or outwards? Does it have a lock?
20:31 <Tikvah_GMing>: Your door opens inwards. There is no lock.
20:31 <Greystone>: Hey, anything not in quotes is not said to a character.
20:31 <Alan>: "I'll have you know that I'm know I'm regarded as a brilliant strategist where I come from"
20:31 <Greystone>: "And where is that?"
20:31 <Alan>: "I am the presumptive heir of the house of Murdoch, which is among the most regarded of the warrior clans of Celtica"
20:31 <Tikvah_GMing>: You reach a dead end.
20:31 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, Victor, Greystone and Alan, make a poison defence roll.
20:31 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:31 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:31 <Dicebot>: Victor: 12
20:31 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 6
20:31 <Gromit>: That's a might roll?
20:31 <Victor>: Yes
20:31 <Greystone>: Poison?
20:32 <Victor>: It usually is
20:32 <Tikvah_GMing>: You smell some foul gas that burns your lungs.
20:32 <Alan>: Does dodge count as an asset? Or speed effort?
20:32 <Alan>: !roll d20
20:32 <Dicebot>: Alan: 4
20:32 <Ookook>: "Maybe, this is a poison vent."
20:32 <Ookook>: "To vent the poisonous gasses from making frankensteins."
20:32 <Greystone>: !roll d20
20:32 <Dicebot>: Greystone: 11
20:32 <Tikvah_GMing>: Everyone, take 3 damage.
20:32 Victor curses and retreats
20:33 <Tikvah_GMing>: You guys may want to leave before you take more damage.
20:34 Alan does the same
20:34 <Ookook>: Is that damage to might?
20:34 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
20:34 <Ookook>: Now I have 3 might left.
20:34 <Greystone>: The ONE guy with poison defense stays behind.
20:34 <Gromit>: I don't have it. No Kismet.
20:34 <Greystone>: Oh yeah.
20:34 <Greystone>: Still ironic though.
20:34 <Ookook>: I flee back down the tunnel
20:34 <Greystone>: Because you took no damage.
20:35 <Gromit>: I do have more might reserves than most of you though.
20:35 <Greystone>: You are in front of me Ookook.
20:35 <Greystone>: But I also backtrack, so back we go. Ouch.
20:36 <Alan>: (I imagine Ookook is small enough to slip past you)
20:36 <Greystone>: In a vent? Not likely.
20:36 <Ookook>: This is a 3ft sqaure vent
20:37 <Greystone>: Maybe so, but Greystone is pretty big.
20:37 <Gromit>: So you guys are back at my vent?
20:37 <Victor>: I guess that's all that's left
20:37 <Alan>: Sounds good to me, Gromit
20:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: There's also the warehouse.
20:38 <Gromit>: "Anyone have poison knowledge?"
20:38 <Ookook>: Do you think the evil gas is flammable?
20:38 <Gromit>: "I believe that's called a fuel-air bomb."
20:40 <Greystone>: "And why are we running into a fuel-air bomb?"
20:40 <Ookook>: A fuel-air bomb would likely destroy the suppressor
20:40 <Ookook>: A fuel-air bomb would be what we would make from lighting the evil vapours on *fire*!
20:41 <Victor>: "Do you think it's in one of the crates?"
20:41 <Gromit>: "It better not be."
20:41 <Victor>: "The not on fire ones."
20:41 <Victor>: "A good place to hide it. Among other crates of regular supplies."
20:41 <Victor>: "If not this is where we have to start the stealth." *motions to the door*
20:42 <Gromit>: "I doubt it? I got shipping manifests, it's all gun parts and food and... war supplies."
20:43 Gromit hands Victor a stack of papers.
20:43 <Gromit>: "Knock yourself out."
20:43 <Victor>: "I doubt 'kismet canceller' would be written in their manifest. But that doesn't preclude them from keeping it in the warehouse."
20:44 <Gromit>: "Anyone got a rag and some bottled water? I'm gonna go check out your posion fog."
20:45 Greystone produces such from his blackpack.
20:45 Victor listens at the door
20:45 Gromit soaks the rag and ties it around his face.
20:45 Gromit goes down the vent towards the poison fog, trying to not breathe much.
20:46 <Greystone>: "I hope the blood in the rag won't be a problem?"
20:46 <Tikvah_GMing>: Gromit, make a perception check.
20:47 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:47 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 3
20:47 <Ookook>: "Whose blood is it?"
20:47 <Greystone>: "Anything and everything I have killed."
20:47 <Tikvah_GMing>: You reach a dead end. Roll a poison defence.
20:47 Gromit tries to kick out the end of the dead end.
20:47 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:47 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort: 4
20:48 <Gromit>: That's for the poison defense, I guess.
20:48 <Tikvah_GMing>: Gromit, take 3 damage.
20:48 <Gromit>: Taken.
20:48 <Greystone>: Four effort? Isn't that 9 health?
20:49 <Greystone>: We only lost three.
20:49 <Victor>: Effort adds 3 to his roll
20:49 <Greystone>: Oh wait, that was dicebot.
20:49 <Gromit>: And I have might edge. So my might effort comes cheap.
20:49 <Tikvah_GMing>: And roll a strength check.
20:49 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:49 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort: 18
20:51 <Tikvah_GMing>: You break the wall in front of you, opening into a room thick with the same poison gas. It seems to be a workshop.
20:51 <Gromit>: I jump down into it. Doors?
20:53 <Tikvah_GMing>: There is a door to the South, and one to the East. There is also a rack of face masks hanging by the door.
20:54 Gromit grabs a face mask and put is it on, then gathers up the others and goes back to the vent.
20:54 Greystone is sitting on the desk while Gromit is off without explanation.
20:55 Victor is now sitting in the chair
20:55 <Victor>:
20:55 <Ookook>: Does the chair spin?
20:55 <Tikvah_GMing>: No.
20:55 <Victor>: But it is comfy
20:55 <Victor>: "I need to get one of these"
20:55 Greystone looks over at the others waiting. "So, about that Silver we found in Ogre's Mouth."
20:56 <Victor>: "What about it?"
20:56 <Ookook>: Do we still have the magical mini-sword or did we give that up?
20:56 <Victor>: {Didn't everyone take their share already? I did}
20:56 <Victor>: {On my sheet}
20:56 <Tikvah_GMing>: The face mask seems to neutralise the effects of the gas.
20:56 <Gromit>: Perfect. I go to hand out masks to my allies.
20:56 <Greystone>: "Fifteen silver I believe we found in a chest. I don't recall sorting out shares."
20:57 <Victor>: 16: 4 each
20:57 <Greystone>: Well, if you count the one Alan found in the side room. Did he mention that one to us?
20:57 <Alan>: I assume I did
20:57 <Greystone>: I guess even split works.
20:57 Victor puts on a mask
20:57 Gromit also takes his 1-action recovery roll.
20:57 <Gromit>: !roll d6+1
20:57 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 3:2+1
20:57 <Victor>: Was about to say it's overkill for 3 damage
20:58 <Victor>: But perfect
20:58 <Gromit>: I've been burning my other pools on other rolls.
20:58 <Victor>: Ah right
20:58 <Victor>: "Onward?"
20:59 Ookook puts on my gas mask
20:59 <Gromit>: "Okay, you squishy lungfish, let's clear this place. That fire must be well on its way to being put out by now"
20:59 <Alan>: Are we all headed to the poison room?
21:00 <Greystone>: When did Gromit get back in the room...? Oh well.
21:00 <Greystone>: Did you bring masks for the rest of us?
21:00 <Gromit>: ...maybe read the log, dear.
21:00 <Alan>: He did @Greystone
21:00 <Greystone>: Ah, up there.
21:01 <Greystone>: I try to read everything, I seem to have missed that one sentence.
21:01 Greystone glowers at the new-fangled contraption, but puts it on without remark.
21:01 <Victor>: Good breaking point
21:01 <Victor>: If we're going to want one soon. I don't know, just noting
21:01 <Gromit>: Yeah, maybe a good place to break for the night.
21:02 <Gromit>: Give the GM a bit of time to figure out enemy movements.
21:02 <Greystone>: I guess we could.
21:03 <Victor>: I envision it ending on Gromit's remark there
21:03 <Victor>: Then "To be continued!"
21:03 <Victor>: It's great
21:04 <Greystone>: lol
21:04 <Alan>: Awww, I wanted to continue =P
21:04 <Greystone>: Me too.
21:05 <Victor>: But we'd only go for another 20ish minutes
21:05 <Victor>: I doubt that ends the mission
21:05 <Victor>: So best to take advantage of a natural breaking point then have to stop in the middle of whatever is happening then
21:05 <Tikvah_GMing>: Well, if you don't dawdle next time, you'll probably get to the boss fight.
21:05 <Gromit>: Because I just broke a wall. That miiiight draw attention.
21:06 <Greystone>: There's a boss fight? In a stealth mission?
21:06 <Tikvah_GMing>: Maaaybe.
21:06 <Gromit>: In what we were /told/ was a stealth mission.
21:06 <Victor>: There shouldn't be
21:06 <Victor>: Unless the GM wrote the mission to be unwinnable (enemy encounter no matter what we do)
21:06 <Tikvah_GMing>: You never know what the elite team is up to.
21:06 <Greystone>: But, yeah, natural breaks are to be taken advantage of.
21:12 <Tikvah_GMing>: Everyone gets 1 XP, plus 1 to give away.
21:13 Greystone is now known as Arkan
21:13 Gromit is now known as Skid
21:14 Skid gives his XP to Arkan for questioning the wisdom of setting fires.
21:14 <Arkan>: !
21:18 <Skid>: Also, I think I've determined why the elites weren't eager to deal with a poison-fogging kismet.
21:24 <Arkan>: I can't quite figure out if Greystone is grouchy with most of the party, or reserved.
21:25 <Victor>: Everyone in the party seems grouchy
21:25 <Skid>: Our party is just one rolling hive of snark.
21:25 <Arkan>: I know he has a love-hate with Victor.
21:26 <Victor>: I don't even know you dude
21:26 <Victor>:
21:26 <Victor>: Victor is starting to really like the monkey; he has no opinion on anyone else
21:26 <Victor>: Not in a negative way, it just doesn't matter to him at this point
21:26 <Arkan>: He (somewhat secretly) likes the monkey.
21:27 <Arkan>: I think he's still forming an opinion on the others.

[Arkán Dreamwalker]

I give my XP to Skid for daring to ignore his party and getting **** done at his own risk like I have never seen in this RPG.

[Moontide]

I give my XP to Skid for his detective work.

[Woody]

Wow. I was going to give mine to Skid, but now I'll say I give my XP to Moontide for his roof-scouting. Can't have monopolies

[Arkán Dreamwalker]

Wow. I was going to give mine to Skid, but now I'll say I give my XP to Moontide for his roof-scouting. Can't have monopolies

Well, he's missed some adventuring, so it's good t buff him up some.
Serving Mass today, and sorta running sound, so expect me about 6:30 to 7:00 tonight.

[Tikvah]

If it works for everyone we can have the session on Monday at 6 this week. That way we can get our full play time.

__________________________

This mission went.. well. The players have broken the kismet depressor, and encountered an unknown foe. Skid, bookworm, Moontide and Arkan each get 1 XP

[bookworm]

Smoke and Mirrors, Part 3

Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Continued by Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
The party seems to accomplish their mission, but events take an unexpected turn.

18:46 <bookworm>: Oh guys, I wanted us to decide who should get the first canceller thing if we only find one at a time
18:46 <bookworm>: Whose kismet is most useful right now?
18:47 <bookworm>: Not mine
18:48 <Arkan>: Well, I am the main source of heals right now.
18:49 <Moontide>: We could pass it around to who would be currently most powerful.
18:49 <Moontide>: For example if we need a heal, we could pass it to Arkan
18:49 <Moontide>: Or if we are in combat, it could be passed to me.
18:51 <bookworm>: I didn't think of that
18:51 <Arkan>: Aha.
18:51 <Arkan>: Good thinking.
18:52 Tikvah is now known as Tikvah_GMing
18:52 Skid is now known as Gromit
18:52 bookworm is now known as Victor
18:53 Moontide is now known as Ookook
18:53 Arkan is now known as Greystone
18:54 <Tikvah_GMing>: Alright. You were in the office, wearing gas masks.
18:54 Ookook makes excited monkey sounds
18:55 <Tikvah_GMing>: Trying to be quiet so the guards don't hear you.
18:55 <Gromit>: Onward, into the poisoned workshops.
18:58 <Ookook>: Which order should we go in?
18:59 <Ookook>: {Also remember that some of us took damage last game, for when you are calculating your might.}
19:00 <Gromit>: We're immune to the gas now, whichever works.
19:00 <Gromit>: It might not be a bad idea for someone to sneak back to the exit grate to see what activity outside is like.
19:00 <Ookook>: I think I shouldn't go first because I am half way to incapacitated already.
19:01 <Gromit>: I'll go first. Meat in front.
19:02 <Greystone>: How about the monkey scampers off to check on the outside activity and listen in on the guards for a minute.
19:02 <Greystone>: I'll guard the rear.
19:03 <Gromit>: Okay. middles don't matter that much. Let's go.
19:04 Ookook climbs up into the pipe and make his way back toward the grate.
19:05 <Tikvah_GMing>: You reach the end of the vent. Roll a perception check.
19:06 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:06 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 20
19:08 <Tikvah_GMing>: From the smoke, you can tell that the fire has been almost entirely put out. From the noise there seem to be two guard putting out the fire under the directions of a captain. You hear some grumbles about "rascally vandals."
19:08 <Tikvah_GMing>: It's also starting to rain.
19:09 Ookook returns down the pipe to relay information to the rest of the group.
19:10 <Tikvah_GMing>: You are back with the group.
19:10 <Greystone>: So a distraction without any thoughts induced about infiltration. Perfect.
19:12 <Victor>: "Let's hurry before they come back in then."
19:12 <Gromit>: Okay, I make my way back into the room where we found the masks.
19:12 Ookook follows Gromit
19:13 <Tikvah_GMing>: It's the same as when you left it. A large iron door to the East, a normal door to the South, and various tools laying around on tables. The gas seems to be coming from vents in the East wall.
19:14 <Gromit>: Do these vents appear any more solid that the ones we've been dislodging?
19:15 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes. They are small and near the ground.
19:15 <Tikvah_GMing>: About 4" across.
19:15 Greystone examines the large iron door. Is it locked?
19:15 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
19:15 Gromit tries the little key.
19:16 <Tikvah_GMing>: It unlocks the door.
19:16 Victor notches his crossbow
19:16 Gromit stands back as it opens.
19:17 Greystone examines the normal door. Is it locked?
19:17 <Tikvah_GMing>: No.
19:18 <Ookook>: I suggest we open the normal door.
19:18 <Victor>: It goes into the hallway
19:18 <Victor>: We just bypassed all that
19:19 <Gromit>: "Yeah, we actually should probably block it."
19:19 <Greystone>: I said examine. Details pretty please? Is there a window in it, or a peephole or anything?
19:19 <Tikvah_GMing>: It is a door with no special features. It has a handle, and seems to be made of wood.
19:20 <Greystone>: And the big iron door. Details. How large, how iron? Any indication of it's purpose?
19:21 <Greystone>: Big metal doors can mean any number of worrying things.
19:21 <Victor>: To keep people away from the kismet canceller I would think
19:21 <Tikvah_GMing>: 6' large. Very iron. Made to walk through.
19:21 <Ookook>: Do you think the kismet cancellers run produce poison gas?
19:22 <Victor>: We'll find out in a second
19:24 <Greystone>: Alright. Shall we open the door? Not very stealthy, but this is probably the only way in. We'll just have to kill anyone on the other side as quickly and quietly as possible.
19:25 <Ookook>: We also have the advantage that we will let poison gas into what ever room we open the door too.
19:25 <Tikvah_GMing>: The vents are in the same wall as the big door.
19:26 <Greystone>: Does the vent position matter?
19:27 <Tikvah_GMing>: In what way?
19:30 <Greystone>: At all.
19:30 <Greystone>: Why would you mention that.
19:30 <Tikvah_GMing>: Because they are in the room and I try to describe rooms that you enter.
19:31 <Greystone>: Although I guess that means it could be coming from the room on the other side of this door.
19:31 <Tikvah_GMing>: If you are talking about what I just said, I was replying to Ookook.
19:32 <Victor>: She was saying gas is already coming in here, through the vents
19:32 <Victor>: Opening the door wouldn't be the first introduction of it to this room
19:32 <Greystone>: Anyway, moving on.
19:33 <Gromit>: Okay, most of you hide around the room we're in. I'll open the door and retreat from anyone inside.
19:36 <Greystone>: I think I'm down with that plan.
19:37 <Greystone>: Be careful of guns.
19:37 <Gromit>: Actually, is there a table in here?
19:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
19:37 <Gromit>: Can I prop it up as cover so I can stand behind it immediately after opening the door?
19:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: It has a variety of wrenches and hammers laying on it, and is made of heavy oak.
19:38 <Gromit>: "Okay, if anyone in there has gas masks, peel them off."
19:39 <Greystone>: "What?"
19:41 <Gromit>: "If they can't breath, it'll keep them busy."
19:41 <Gromit>: "Everyone do ambush prep, and let's go."
19:41 <Greystone>: "Oh. You said 'THERE'. It's hard to hear you through that mask."
19:42 Gromit takes position at the big metal door.
19:42 Greystone assumes a position at the left of the large iron door, sword out.
19:44 Ookook hide and readies himself to play the cymbals.
19:45 Victor is still standing here with bow ready
19:47 <Gromit>: "Breach!"
19:47 Gromit throws the door open.
19:47 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll a perception check.
19:47 <Gromit>: !roll d20
19:47 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 3
19:47 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:47 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 12
19:47 Gromit falls back behind his table.
19:47 <Victor>: !roll d20
19:47 <Dicebot>: Victor: 15
19:50 <Greystone>: !roll d20
19:50 <Dicebot>: Greystone: 9
19:50 <Victor>: Aren't you beside the door?
19:50 <Greystone>: Sure.
19:50 <Victor>: How can you see through it then?
19:50 <Greystone>: I just like to roll dice.
19:51 <Tikvah_GMing>: You see a large, circular room about 100' across. There is some sort of machine in the center, with a large antenna sticking up from it, extending up through the domed roof. There are strange runes on the floor extending out from the machine in a spiral. There doesn't seem to be anyone inside.
19:52 <Greystone>: [Dangit, I knew we should have cut the antenna.]
19:52 <Greystone>: Wait, which side are the hinges on? Did Gromit just slam a door in my face? Or does it open into the other room for that matter?
19:52 <Tikvah_GMing>: The door opens outward, with the hinges on the left side.
19:52 <Ookook>: I thought it was a double door, with hinges opening both directions.
19:52 <Greystone>: Outward from where we are?
19:52 <Tikvah_GMing>: Outward from the room you are entering.
19:52 <Gromit>: How's the atmosphere look in there?
19:53 <Tikvah_GMing>: It looks very clear. You don't see any traces of gas.
19:55 <Gromit>: So the vents lead somewhere else.
19:55 <Greystone>: Now, the question is, is there any sort of alarm system on or around this device. We must find out.
19:55 <Ookook>: Does the machine look flammable?
19:55 <Tikvah_GMing>: No.
19:55 <Gromit>: Is it brightly lit in there?
19:55 <Tikvah_GMing>: The machine is emitting some light, but not enough to fully illuminate the room.
19:55 <Greystone>: It is a safe assumption to Greystone that this is the machine we are looking for.
19:56 <Ookook>: There goes the gas generating kimet blocker theory.
19:56 <Victor>: No... This pumps gas out the vents
19:56 <Victor>: It's not going to gas up the room
19:56 <Victor>: That's why it has vents
19:56 <Ookook>: Good point
19:57 <Tikvah_GMing>: This room is a circle, so there will be some empty space between the wall of this room and the one you left.
19:57 <Ookook>: I do wonder why they kept gas masks inside the gas vents though.
19:57 <Ookook>: Seems like a poor place to keep them.
19:57 <Ookook>: For their perspective.
19:58 <Victor>: I thought that too
19:58 <Tikvah_GMing>: They kept them in the workshop that was full of gas.
19:58 <Gromit>: You mean exactly where you want to avoid being poisoned?
19:58 <Victor>: You have to go in and get poisoned to put one on
19:58 <Greystone>: Well, if you breath.
19:58 <Gromit>: I supect something went horribly wrong between normal operation and our breaking in.
19:59 <Gromit>: So, who wants to go in and poke the gigantic chamber of doom?
20:00 <Ookook>: ME ME ME!
20:00 <Gromit>: "Be my guest."
20:00 Ookook pokes the chamber of doom.
20:00 <Victor>: "Do you think it's safe to light a torch?"
20:00 <Gromit>: How have these areas so far been lit?
20:03 <Tikvah_GMing>: There are some of the same glowing stones that you guys saw in the Ogre's Mouth. They are set into holders on the wall. A common source of light, but not very bright.
20:03 <Victor>: Can I detach one?
20:03 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
20:04 <Victor>: Oh great
20:04 Victor takes a light
20:04 <Victor>: Does it help anything if I bring it closer to what we want to look at?
20:04 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
20:06 <Victor>: "Do we go in?..."
20:06 <Gromit>: "Yes."
20:06 Ookook enters the room
20:06 Victor examines the floor for traps
20:06 <Greystone>: Have the monkey look for traps etc. first.
20:07 Gromit enters the room pushing his table before him.
20:07 Ookook looks to see where the gas is coming from
20:07 <Tikvah_GMing>: Nothing happens when you enter.
20:07 <Tikvah_GMing>: You don't see any gas inside the round room.
20:07 <Tikvah_GMing>: Still.
20:08 <Gromit>: Are there anything like pipes around the interior?
20:08 <Victor>: Is the machine humming or vibrating or otherwise show signs of running?
20:08 <Tikvah_GMing>: There aren't any pipes that you can see. The machine is glowing, and if you listen closely you can hear a faint humming sound.
20:09 <Gromit>: "Welp. Let's break it and get out of here."
20:10 <Ookook>: "Do we get to use GUNPOWDER to BLOW it up??"
20:10 <Ookook>: or just smash it with a crowbar or something
20:10 <Greystone>: "Slightly nosier than smashing it to bits."
20:10 Victor looks for an off switch
20:10 <Tikvah_GMing>: There doesn't seem to be an off switch here.
20:11 Greystone examines the machine for any security devices.
20:11 <Tikvah_GMing>: You can't see any obvious alarms, but it's hard to tell.
20:11 <Ookook>: Once the machine is dead, the cavalry will arrive and save us
20:11 <Victor>: Yes
20:12 <Victor>: But we need to be sure what we do will bust it
20:12 <Victor>: If we're just standing here banging away without doing anything *we're* busted
20:14 <Gromit>: "Ookook, that is a dangerous assumption."
20:14 <Greystone>: Well, I'm going to try a blow from my blade.
20:14 <Greystone>: To Gromit: "Can you close and lock the door to minimize sound and sudden intrusions?"
20:14 <Ookook>: I should ready the gunpowder in case the banging fails.
20:14 <Victor>: "Do we know this will just 'break' and not explode?"
20:15 <Victor>: "I don't want locked in with it if it doesn't fail gracefully."
20:15 <Ookook>: "I hope it does explode!"
20:16 <Gromit>: "We can set a timed charge, can't we?"
20:17 Gromit leaves the table and walks the circumference of the room, looking for other openings.
20:17 <Greystone>: "Well, if you are slow at unlocking doors, then probably not."
20:18 <Tikvah_GMing>: You see some skylights in the roof, but due to the weather and the night time not much light is coming through.
20:19 <Gromit>: Anything in the workshop that could work as a crowbar?
20:19 <Tikvah_GMing>: There's a sledge hammer.
20:21 <Gromit>: Good enough.
20:21 Gromit takes it and looks for vulnerable looking panels in the big machine.
20:22 <Tikvah_GMing>: The machine looks fairly sturdy, but the antenna looks breakable.
20:22 <Ookook>: Would the rope that we were supplied with work as a fuse?
20:23 <Tikvah_GMing>: No.
20:23 <Tikvah_GMing>: Well, maybe if you coat it in some gunpowder.
20:24 <Greystone>: How tall is the device?
20:25 <Tikvah_GMing>: The machine part of it is about 4', but the antenna goes through the roof.
20:26 <Gromit>: "Everyone maybe stand by the exit while I do some remodelling?"
20:26 Victor already is
20:26 <Ookook>: Are there any openings?
20:26 <Tikvah_GMing>: In the machine? you might be able to find one if you were a mechanic.
20:28 Greystone has lost patience.
20:28 <Greystone>: I swing my sword at the antennae.
20:28 <Victor>: ...
20:28 <Victor>: And you got upset at Gromit for being reckless
20:28 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll a strength check.
20:29 <Greystone>: !roll d20
20:29 <Dicebot>: Greystone: 15
20:29 Ookook flees towards the exit.
20:30 <Greystone>: ITS A MACHINE. GREYSTONE HATES THOSE.
20:30 <Greystone>: I AM SMASHING THIS CONTRAPTION.
20:31 <Greystone>: There's reckless, and then there's a wimpy little antennae just sitting there.
20:31 <Victor>: That will make noise when hit
20:31 <Greystone>: I have found no traps, antennas make no sound worth mentioning when breaking, now let's embrace our destiny.
20:31 <Tikvah_GMing>: You swing your sword into the antenna, shattering it on the ground. Immediately, you can feel the block on your kismet disappear. Also immediatly, the door swings shut with a bang and you can hear a bell clanging somewhere outside the room.
20:32 <Victor>: ^ sound
20:32 <Tikvah_GMing>: ...Yeah.
20:32 <Tikvah_GMing>: Victor, are you inside or outside the room?
20:33 <Victor>: I was going to be outside
20:33 <Tikvah_GMing>: Anyone else outside?
20:33 <Victor>: But he did that before I could say, so I'm not
20:33 <Tikvah_GMing>: OK.
20:33 <Greystone>: I wish I had noticed any door-closing gears/electronics when I carefully examined that door earlier.
20:34 <Tikvah_GMing>: Unfortunately, they aren't visible from the outside.
20:34 <Tikvah_GMing>: And it would take quite the skill in mechanics to detect.
20:34 <Ookook>: I silently activate my kismet to debuff the understand alarms skill of anyone with in range who is not my ally.
20:34 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:34 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 15
20:35 <Ookook>: My kismet works through walls I thought.
20:35 <Tikvah_GMing>: It does.
20:35 <Victor>: "Well, bye guys."
20:35 Victor acts like he's teleporting out
20:35 <Victor>: "Just kidding."
20:35 <Victor>: "For now."
20:36 <Victor>: "What's the plan?"
20:36 <Greystone>: Alright, kismets back up, Victor, teleport to the roof and go alert the elite forces to move in.
20:36 <Victor>: "The Count said they'd move in on their own."
20:36 <Victor>: "We just need to get out and get gone."
20:36 <Gromit>: "I don't actually want to be here when they get here."
20:36 <Greystone>: "Victor and I will hold this room."
20:37 <Greystone>: I mean Alan. Dash it.
20:37 <Victor>: The skylight is glass?
20:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yes.
20:37 Victor shoots it with a pistol
20:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: You can hear a lot of shouting outside the door.
20:37 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll for it.
20:38 <Victor>: "Is there something to block the door with?"
20:38 <Ookook>: If we can keep the guards outside, they will be trapped in the poisoned room.
20:38 <Ookook>: And we have the gas masks.
20:38 <Greystone>: We have Gromit's table in here.
20:38 <Victor>: !roll d20 effort
20:38 <Dicebot>: Victor, effort: 2
20:38 <Tikvah_GMing>: Oooh.
20:38 <Victor>: Oh btw
20:38 <Tikvah_GMing>: Too bad the kismets are back on.
20:38 <Victor>: I promise I was going to say this before that, I just forgot
20:38 <Victor>: I dropped a new arrow in here
20:39 <Victor>: When I felt the depressor drop
20:39 <Tikvah_GMing>: OK.
20:39 <Tikvah_GMing>: Didn't you drop a marked arrow on the roof?
20:39 <Victor>: I put one by the roof vent we entered
20:40 <Tikvah_GMing>: Yeah. Well, you're there now.
20:40 <Victor>: It's in range still?
20:40 <Tikvah_GMing>: Just barely.
20:40 <Victor>: Good to know
20:41 <Victor>: I look over the edge of the roof for guards
20:41 <Tikvah_GMing>: You are climbing out of the vent?
20:41 <Victor>: It put me in the vent?
20:42 <Greystone>: BY the roof vent we entered.
20:42 <Tikvah_GMing>: OK, I marked it wrong.
20:42 <Victor>: Ah
20:42 <Tikvah_GMing>: BY the vent, roll a perception check.
20:42 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:42 <Dicebot>: Victor: 3
20:42 <Tikvah_GMing>: Sorry, I lost my map that I had all this stuff written on.
20:43 <Victor>: This is above the door right?
20:43 <Tikvah_GMing>: There are six guards in front of the door, along with a captain.
20:44 <Tikvah_GMing>: You hear some shouting coming down a street towards the building.
20:45 <Victor>: The crates are gone now?
20:45 <Tikvah_GMing>: There's some charred wood still, but yes.
20:46 <Greystone>: I think the monkey's rope is still there, already tied and curled up on the roof.
20:46 Victor goes back by the vent, snaps a flare and tosses it over the door side of the roof
20:46 <Victor>: "THEY'RE UP HERE!!! THE ROOF!! COME QUICK!"
20:47 <Greystone>: !
20:47 Victor bamfs back to the others
20:47 Greystone looks at Victor. "Does that happen often to you?"
20:47 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ahem.
20:47 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:47 <Dicebot>: Victor: 5
20:48 <Tikvah_GMing>: You make it back, barely. Definitely not a smooth teleport.
20:48 <Victor>: "Not often. Just sometimes."
20:48 <Greystone>: "Do anything while you were out?"
20:49 <Tikvah_GMing>: Also, Victor, roll a deception check.
20:49 <Victor>: "Yelled at the guards. They're still outside."
20:49 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:49 <Dicebot>: Victor: 5
20:50 <Tikvah_GMing>: They definitely heard you, but you don't know if they were deceived.
20:50 <Greystone>: "Well, as long as the roof is still empty."
20:50 Victor shoots at the glass now
20:51 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll for it.
20:51 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:51 <Dicebot>: Victor: 1
20:51 <Victor>: Duck!
20:51 <Greystone>: ---
20:51 <Tikvah_GMing>: That was your crossbow?
20:51 <Victor>: Pistol
20:52 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ah.
20:52 <Greystone>: Greystone's eye twitches at the sound.
20:52 <Ookook>: We should try to exit out the door, if the guards are going to the roof.
20:52 <Ookook>: Though I am not sure how they will get to there
20:52 <Tikvah_GMing>: Well, it explodes in your hand. Take one damage, and that pistol is a goner.
20:53 Victor shoots with his crossbow
20:53 <Tikvah_GMing>: Roll for it.
20:53 <Greystone>: Haha, but he has two.
20:54 <Victor>: I want to save one
20:54 <Victor>: In case I need it later
20:54 <Victor>: !roll d20 trained, effort to hit
20:54 <Dicebot>: Victor, trained, effort to hit: 4
20:54 <Greystone>: "Naturally. Modern contraption."
20:55 <Tikvah_GMing>: You manage to shatter the glass.
20:55 <Victor>: "Anyone able to get up there??"
20:55 <Greystone>: "Monkey, think you can reach that skylight and throw a rope down?"
20:56 Ookook climbs up the skylight
20:56 <Victor>: "And Greystone, can we do a quick heal?"
20:56 <Tikvah_GMing>: Suddenly, you hear a loud boom and the building shakes.
20:56 <Tikvah_GMing>: It seems to be coming from the east wall, about 30 feet up.
20:56 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, roll for it.
20:56 <Ookook>: !roll d20 1 effort
20:56 <Dicebot>: Ookook, 1 effort: 5
20:56 <Greystone>: "For an injury like that?"
20:57 <Tikvah_GMing>: Well, not like it costs you anything.
20:57 <Victor>: No, that plus the poison from earlier
20:57 <Greystone>: Well, I can run out.
20:57 <Victor>: I'm 4 down
20:58 <Greystone>: Still over half.
20:58 <Victor>: Yes, but can get back to full for free
20:58 <Victor>: If you don't want to it's fine, it's up to you
20:58 <Victor>: I just didn't see a reason not to get me more than one hit from dead going into the boss fight
20:58 <Victor>: That is to say, if you did it now, fast, you could just do it and we'd be good to go
20:58 <Victor>: Once in combat it would take two turns, one to give me the health and another to recharge yours
20:58 <Tikvah_GMing>: Ookook, the shaking of the building makes it hard to climb the rope. You make it about 10' off the ground.
20:58 Ookook climb the rest of the way
20:59 <Ookook>: !roll d20 small animal asset
20:59 <Dicebot>: Ookook, small animal asset: 15
21:00 <Tikvah_GMing>: Before you can do anything there is another crash, and the ceiling busts open, sending debris raining down over the room. Everyone, roll a dodge.
21:01 <Victor>: !roll d20 specialized, effort
21:01 <Dicebot>: Victor, specialized, effort: 17
21:01 <Gromit>: !roll d20
21:01 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 8
21:01 <Greystone>: !roll d20 +Shield
21:01 <Dicebot>: Greystone, +Shield: 11
21:02 <Ookook>: !roll d20
21:02 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 15
21:02 <Tikvah_GMing>: You all clear the debris.
21:03 <Tikvah_GMing>: In the opening, you can see two figures. One is a large, bulking figure, standing on the edge of the hole. The other is smaller and is floating directly in the center of the hole.
21:04 <Tikvah_GMing>: "Well, what do we have here?" The floating figure calls down to you in a strong foreign accent. "Surrender now and we might let you live." It seems to be a women's voice.
21:04 <Victor>: I need to go pretty soon
21:05 <Tikvah_GMing>: Well, this would be a good place to break.
21:05 <Victor>: Oh great
21:05 <Victor>: Thanks
21:05 <Ookook>: Good cliff hanger
21:05 <Ookook>: I am literally hanging (in game)
21:05 <Victor>: Ha
21:06 <Tikvah_GMing>: Everyone gets 1 XP.
21:06 <Greystone>: Anything that can be exhausted is not free. But. I can take more hits. Tikvah, Greystone sidles over to Victor and places his hand on Victor's chest, giving him 4 of his Might. Greystone will heal himself later if he feels like it.
21:06 <Victor>: Too late now
21:07 <Victor>: I think
21:07 <Tikvah_GMing>: I'll give you a chance to do that next session.
21:07 <Ookook>: Can I buy a higher effort cap with 11 XP?
21:07 <Victor>: Yes, it costs 6
21:08 <Victor>: But if you buy it now you can't use it next session already
21:08 <Victor>: Generally need an in-game break to in-story get the training
21:08 <Victor>: Get upgrades between missions so they can be used in the next outing

[Tikvah]

This session was off to a slow start, but once we got going we had a pretty good fight against two unknown warriors.
Skid, Woody, bookworm, and Moontide each get 1 XP and 1 to give away.

[bookworm]

I give my XP to Skid for incapacitating the baddie.

[Skid]

I owe my XP to bookworm for getting me out of a bad grapple at the cost of an XP of his own.

[Moontide]

I give my XP to Skid for Tactical Thinking of getting us under cover.

[Arkán Dreamwalker]

I recon' it's to late too say I won't be there. And I have been so busy with Christmas and new year, I just forgot on the first.
Darn.

[bookworm]

Smoke and Mirrors, Part 4

Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Continued by Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
What was supposed to be a stealth mission derails into a frantic melee.

17:58 Woody reads log from last time
17:58 <Tikvah>: Oh, yeah, you want to do that.
17:58 <Tikvah>: Exciting stuff happened.
17:58 <Woody>: How exciting
17:58 <Woody>: Also, how awful I missed it
18:01 <Moontide>: I'm half way to incapacitated (in game).
18:02 <Tikvah>: Maybe you should tell Arkan when he arrives.
18:02 <Tikvah>: Or take a recovery roll if you haven't used it yet.
18:03 <Moontide>: I haven't used any recover rolls.
18:03 <Tikvah>: OK, you could do that then.
18:03 <Moontide>: Would that use up a turn?
18:03 <Tikvah>: Yes.
19:07 Tikvah is now known as Tikvah_GMing
19:08 Woody is now known as Alan
19:08 bookworm is now known as Victor
19:08 Moontide is now known as Ookook
19:09 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alright, you were in the kismet depressor room.
19:10 <Ookook>: The room that makes all kismets sad.
19:10 <Ookook>:
19:10 <Tikvah_Gming>: Two possibly dangerous people just busted in the ceiling, and Ookook is hanging from a rope.
19:11 <Victor>: Did Greystone heal me?
19:11 <Ookook>: I use my recover roll.
19:11 <Ookook>: I mean
19:11 Ookook uses my one turn recover roll
19:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, I suppose since Arkan said his intention was to give you 4 might at the beginning of the next session, I can assume that he will do that. You get 4 might points.
19:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, roll for it.
19:14 <Ookook>: !roll d6+1
19:14 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 4:3+1
19:18 <Tikvah_Gming>: "Well, what do we have here?" The floating figure calls down to you in a strong foreign accent. "Surrender now and we might let you live."
19:19 <Alan>: "Surrender? Sorry, I'm quite bad at doing that."
19:19 <Alan>: I brandish my ax
19:19 <Alan>: (I'm attempting to intimidate them, if that's not clear)
19:20 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll an intimidation check.
19:21 <Alan>: That's intellect?
19:21 <Tikvah_Gming>: yes.
19:21 <Alan>: !roll d20 1 effort
19:21 <Dicebot>: Alan, 1 effort: 1
19:22 <Tikvah_Gming>: Hmmm....
19:22 Ookook negotiates for better terms of surrender pointing to our military skill and general ability to cause destruction as bargaining chips.
19:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: "Well it might turn out that you're worse at living than you are at surrendering."
19:24 <Ookook>: "If we ran around trying to cause as much financial damage as we could before you incapacitated us, that would lead to a hefty repair bill."
19:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, roll a negotiation check.
19:25 <Ookook>: !roll d20 + 1 effort Specialized in persuasion, Trained in diplomacy (no sure which is covered)
19:25 <Dicebot>: Ookook, + 1 effort Specialized in persuasion, Trained in diplomacy (no sure which is covered): 16
19:27 <Tikvah_Gming>: The women seems confused. "Are you asking us to kill you quickly?"
19:29 <Ookook>: "Not exactly. You should let us escape or else we will vandalize your property before you can stop us."
19:30 <Ookook>: "Or perhaps we could negotiate a payment to cover the costs of the damage we have done."
19:30 <Tikvah_Gming>: "Well, you've made a slight miscalculation there. This isn't my property. Why should I care if it all goes up in flames?"
19:30 <Ookook>: "Oooh ooh. Maybe I'm on your side then."
19:30 <Tikvah_Gming>: "But since you're so nice, I suppose if you give up now we'll bring you in with no rough-handling."
19:30 <Victor>: Insight check
19:31 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
19:31 <Ookook>: "Do we get to burn this place to the GROUND?"
19:31 <Victor>: !roll d20
19:31 <Dicebot>: Victor: 10
19:32 <Ookook>: "Perhaps the stone is actually coal, and thus can burn."
19:33 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, as far as you can tell, she just wants a chance to fight you, but does seem open to your surrender.
19:34 <Alan>: Anyone care if I shoot her?
19:34 <Ookook>: "YES!"
19:35 <Ookook>: "That would decrease the chances that we can get out of here alive."
19:35 <Ookook>: "Also, that we gain an ally in burning thing to the GROUND!"
19:38 <Alan>: I doubt she's keen on burning down her headquarters...
19:38 <Ookook>: "How do you know that it is her headquarters?"
19:39 <Ookook>: "She can fly. Why would she be based in a place that disables kismets?"
19:39 <Ookook>: "That wouldn't be where her greatest potential would be."
19:39 <Victor>: She has a bypass device
19:40 <Ookook>: "Good point."
19:40 <Ookook>: "But still she said she didn't care if this place burns to the ground."
19:41 <Ookook>: "Which means that she wants to burn it to the ground because people tend to basis their statements away from pyromania because of social stigma."
19:41 <Alan>: ...
19:41 <Alan>: I can't tell if you're being serious or hyperbolic
19:42 <Ookook>: "Also, she came from the sky. The people who live in this building would come from the doors."
19:43 <Ookook>: "Sometimes hyperbolicness is the truth (Or at least has a verisimilitude to a valid argument.)"
19:44 <Alan>: Can we just get on with the boss fight? We've wasted 45 minutes
19:44 <Ookook>: "How do we know it is a boss fight?"
19:44 <Victor>: It's a boss encounter. Shouldn't necessarily have to be a fight
19:45 <Victor>: Is Skid here anyway?
19:45 <Tikvah_Gming>: I don't think so.
19:45 <Victor>: That's not good
19:46 <Victor>: We skipped last week to avoid 3 vs Boss
19:48 <Ookook>: [We could let the people who showed up control the characters who didn't, but the other people might not like that.]
19:48 <Tikvah_Gming>: I don't think I can let you do that.
19:49 <Victor>: So Greystone is just watching us die from a corner?
19:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: ..Yes.
19:50 <Victor>: Generally the GM acts for the missing player
19:50 <Ookook>: [If Sky Lady is not a combat boss, perhaps we escape with our lives, or die is a fun and exciting way.]
19:50 <Victor>: I'm not dying
19:50 <Tikvah_Gming>: How this plays out is all up to you.
19:50 <Victor>: If things go south I blink to the roof.
19:50 <Victor>: You can do what you want
19:52 <Ookook>: Also the cavalry should arrive some time if we stall.
19:52 <Victor>: That was my thought
19:52 <Ookook>: Or maybe the sky lady is the who the duke was sending in.
19:52 <Victor>: Hmm
19:53 <Ookook>: After he didn't pay us, maybe he didn't indent on us living either.
19:53 <Ookook>: Oh right, he did pay us
19:53 <Tikvah_Gming>: He DID pay you.
19:53 <Alan>: Didn't we travel here with the elites?
19:53 <Alan>: Wouldn't we recognize them?
19:53 <Victor>: Great point
19:54 <Ookook>: Unless they are using illusions on us, but that seems unnecessary.
19:55 <Ookook>: though that would explain why the Sky Lady doesn't care about burning the place down.
19:56 <Alan>: I think she's saying the thieves don't own the building
19:56 <Ookook>: Also, notice how she showed up right after we turned off the depressor.
19:56 <Ookook>: That suggests she doesn't have a depressor suppressor.
19:56 <Tikvah_Gming>: There was a bit of time there, but remember that she can fly.
19:56 <Ookook>: Alan, you suggesting that the thieves are renting the building?
19:56 <Ookook>: It seems like they would have to own the building because they had to customize it. No landlord is going to stand having gas pumped through his guard room.
19:56 <Ookook>: Though the awkward set up of the guardroom and the gas would suggest that they renovated this building instead of building it custom.
19:56 <Victor>: What were we told ETA of the assault is?
19:56 <Victor>: After we turned the thing off
19:56 <Tikvah_Gming>: You mean your re-enforcements?
19:57 <Ookook>: Yes
19:57 <Victor>: Not reinforcements, since we're supposed to be gone before they arrive, but yeah
19:57 <Tikvah_Gming>: Well, as soon as the kismet depressor went down, they would attack.
19:58 <Victor>: Are they right outside?
19:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: They are near enough to be within the depressor's range.
19:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: Within a few blocks.
19:58 <Victor>: Okay
19:59 <Victor>: Then as soon as Gromit or Greystone shows up we can do something
19:59 <Victor>: Two options as I see it:
19:59 <Victor>: 1) Start fighting, hope to either win or at least last until backup gets in
20:00 <Victor>: 2) Surrender and let them take us out of here, hopefully into the arms of the backup coming in
20:00 <Ookook>: I vote for option two.
20:00 <Victor>: I would too, if we were sure that's where we would be going
20:00 <Victor>: We're not though
20:01 <Victor>: We could be taken to additional thugs in a place not being assaulted by allies
20:01 <Victor>: Thereby only increasing our enemies
20:01 <Ookook>: Maybe 3) delay with talk until backup arrives
20:01 <Tikvah_Gming>: You guys don't hear any shouting outside the door anymore.
20:02 <Ookook>: "They must have been killed with gas."
20:02 <Ookook>: "Because we have all the gas masks."
20:03 <Ookook>: [The gas masks should give us a bonus to our intimidation rolls maybe.]
20:03 <Tikvah_Gming>: Since there are some players missing, I will also point out the option of fleeing, like was in the plan.
20:03 <Victor>: I thought that part of the plan was out now
20:03 <Victor>: Since we've been confronted
20:04 <Ookook>: We could bribe the flying lady to carry us to safety.
20:04 <Ookook>: Thieves are motivated by money and we have some money
20:05 <Ookook>: "You're not capturing us; we're hiring you. "
20:08 <Victor>: Only one of them is flying right?
20:08 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes.
20:08 <Tikvah_Gming>: The other one is standing on the edge of the hole in the roof.
20:09 <Victor>: I want to fight, or at least try starting to, but not without the others here.
20:10 <Ookook>: Ookook would be hesitant to fight, but would back you over the flying lady in a fight.
20:10 <Tikvah_Gming>: Well, you can suggest actions to make and I may allow them for the absent characters.
20:11 <Victor>: "I think there's been a misunderstanding here, can we just all go our ways? We didn't mean to cause a scene."
20:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: The woman laughs. "You can't leave yet, we haven't even started!" She begins hovering towards you.
20:14 <Victor>: "We just fell through your skylight."
20:15 <Ookook>: "It was a good thing I was hanging onto this rope when we fell through."
20:15 <Tikvah_Gming>: "And why would a bunch of heavily armed thugs sneaking around on the roof make me any less suspicious?"
20:15 <Ookook>: "I'm not exactly heavily armed."
20:15 <Victor>: "You said sneaking, not I."
20:16 <Tikvah_Gming>: "What else would you be doing on the roof?"
20:16 <Ookook>: Partying
20:16 <Ookook>: "Look, I have have musical instruments."
20:17 <Victor>: It's nighttime was it?
20:17 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes.
20:18 <Ookook>: "We were on the roof because they didn't trust that I wasn't just using my kismet to make them think I was a good musician."
20:18 <Ookook>: "This roof being the only place were you can be sure that you have your full powers of musical taste."
20:19 <Victor>: "We were at a party nearby and wanted to check out the view of the city from the roof. Got a bit zealous and tried traversing a few. Probably drank a bit too much."
20:19 <Tikvah_Gming>: She lands about 50' away and pulls out a crossbow. "Very funny. Now tell me why you came in here and broke this machine before one of you becomes a pincushion."
20:19 <Victor>: "It broke in our fall."
20:20 <Ookook>: Is the other person still atop the roof?
20:20 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes.
20:21 <Tikvah_Gming>: "This building didn't even have any skylights. Try thinking up another excuse. This is your last chance."
20:21 Victor points to the broken glass ceiling
20:21 <Alan>: Why didn't you let me shoot her before she pulled a crossbow? >_>
20:22 <Victor>: We're stalling for time.
20:22 <Victor>: What's the difference if she pulled it now or pulls it after? It wouldn't affect action rounds either way.
20:22 <Alan>: "You want the truth?"
20:22 <Alan>: "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH"
20:23 <Tikvah_Gming>: "There's no way you climbed that dome. Now tell me the truth!" She swings around and fires a warning shot at Alan's feet.
20:23 Victor watches Alan
20:24 <Ookook>: "I heard that we would get paid if we were on the roof."
20:24 <Alan>: "Ookook, better quit with the jokes and lies. This is getting serious."
20:24 <Ookook>: "I thought that was the truth."
20:25 <Ookook>: "We were paid to be on the roof."
20:25 <Ookook>: I mean we were going to be paid.
20:27 Victor watches Alan's hand, specifically
20:27 <Tikvah_Gming>: "Forget it. Finbar!" She calls up to the hulking figure on the roof, and he leaps down towards you.
20:28 <Alan>: Wait
20:28 <Alan>: I'm typing something
20:28 <Tikvah_Gming>: No kidding.
20:29 <Ookook>: How tall is the building?
20:29 <Alan>: "Look, lady. Calm down. There's a simple explanation here. We're hired thugs, okay? This was our test to gain membership in a mercenary band. Our recruiter told us to sneak in here, grab some proof we'd been here, and get out. We were trying to chop off a piece of the machine as our proof, when we heard a commotion outside. So smart guy here *gestures to Victor* decides to fire his gun. Coulda killed one of us, but luckily the shot ricocheted off the machine into the ceiling."
20:30 Ookook looks confused
20:31 <Alan>: "Anyway, if it's all the same to you, we'd be just as happy working for you lot as for the other mercenaries. Care for some extra foot soldiers?"
20:31 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll a negotiation check.
20:32 Victor keeps focus on Alan's hand
20:32 <Alan>: !roll d20
20:32 <Dicebot>: Alan: 12
20:32 Alan wonders what is in his hand
20:33 <Victor>: Watching for if you're pulling a weapon or not
20:33 Ookook quietly climbs up the rope to the roof
20:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: She lifts one hand and clenches it, somehow stopping Finbar mid descent.
20:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: Everyone, roll initiative.
20:34 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:34 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 16
20:34 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:34 <Dicebot>: Victor: 5
20:36 <Alan>: !roll d20
20:36 <Dicebot>: Alan: 2
20:37 Skid is now known as Gromit
20:37 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:37 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 14
20:38 <Victor>: Yay Skid!
20:38 Ookook bangs his cymbals together for against dodge.
20:38 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:38 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 9
20:39 <Tikvah_Gming>: Turn order is: Flying Lady, Finbar, Ookook, Gromit, Victor, Alan.
20:40 <Victor>: Greystone
20:40 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes.
20:41 <Alan>: ...Guessing my story didn't work?
20:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: You could say that.
20:41 <Ookook>: "Maybe we should try agreeing on a story before hand."
20:41 <Alan>: (Mine was actually a decent story =P)
20:41 <Ookook>: (Illegal music testing/partying is totally a good story. )
20:41 <Victor>: It was, until the glass wasn't a skylight
20:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: The woman flings Finbar towards the group and he lands with a crash, launching a fist at Alan.
20:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, roll a dodge.
20:42 <Alan>: !roll d20 trained
20:42 <Dicebot>: Alan, trained: 13
20:42 <Victor>: Is she flying with a kismet or a device?
20:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: It seems to be a kismet.
20:43 <Victor>: She rolls for failure right?
20:44 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, you barely manage to scramble out of reach.
20:44 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, your turn.
20:44 <Ookook>: Am I on the roof?
20:45 <Tikvah_Gming>: No, you're hanging from a rope.
20:45 <Tikvah_Gming>: You tried to climb to the roof just as the fight started.
20:45 <Ookook>: Ah
20:45 Ookook bangs his cymbals together for against dodge.
20:45 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
20:46 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:46 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 5
20:47 <Tikvah_Gming>: You create a shaky debuff.
20:48 <Tikvah_Gming>: Gromit, your turn.
20:48 <Gromit>: I fire my pistol up at the flying lady.
20:48 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:48 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 14
20:48 <Victor>: She isn't currently flying
20:48 <Gromit>: Well, wherever she is.
20:49 <Victor>: I meant for if you have a melee weapon that would be more effective
20:49 <Victor>: I don't actually know what you fight with
20:50 <Gromit>: I'm not really in shape for melee right now.
20:50 <Tikvah_Gming>: You clip her on the shoulder, but don't seem to do a lot of damage.
20:50 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, your turn.
20:50 Victor shoots at her
20:51 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
20:51 <Victor>: Crossbow
20:51 <Victor>: !roll d20 trained, effort to hit
20:51 <Dicebot>: Victor, trained, effort to hit: 17
20:52 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hit her. She looks furious.
20:52 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, your turn.
20:53 <Ookook>: "I apologize in advance if it turns out that you are actually pro-fire, and thus on the side of good."
20:53 <Alan>: I attack with my ax.
20:53 <Tikvah_Gming>: Attack Finbar?
20:54 <Alan>: !roll d20 trained 1 effort to hit
20:54 <Dicebot>: Alan, trained 1 effort to hit: 18
20:54 <Alan>: Sure
20:54 <Alan>: Though I had intended it for the flying lady
20:54 <Tikvah_Gming>: She's out of axe range.
20:54 <Alan>: Then Finbar
20:55 <Tikvah_Gming>: You deliver a solid blow with your axe.
20:57 <Tikvah_Gming>: The Flying Lady shoots up about 50' into the air and fires her crossbow at Gromit. Roll a dodge.
20:57 <Victor>: Greystone
20:57 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:57 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 5
20:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: You are hit. Take 2 damage.
20:58 <Ookook>: How high are I from the ground?
20:58 <Gromit>: Counting armor?
20:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: No, not counting armour.
20:59 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, about 10'
20:59 <Gromit>: Oh.
20:59 <Gromit>: Okay.
20:59 <Tikvah_Gming>: Finbar takes another swing at Alan. Roll a dodge.
21:00 <Victor>: GREYSTONE
21:00 <Alan>: !roll d20 trained
21:00 <Dicebot>: Alan, trained: 6
21:00 <Alan>: Oh, and one effort
21:00 <Tikvah_Gming>: Is there something you want Greystone to do?
21:00 <Victor>: Uh.. Fight
21:01 <Gromit>: We're being stalled.
21:01 <Victor>: He would probably go after the male first. Chivalry and all that
21:02 <Tikvah_Gming>: I'll get to him after.
21:03 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, take 5 damage.
21:04 <Tikvah_Gming>: Remember to subtract your armour.
21:05 <Gromit>: Who's on the roof vs still in here right now?
21:05 <Tikvah_Gming>: Greystone attempts to open the door.
21:06 <Tikvah_Gming>: !roll d20
21:06 <Dicebot>: Tikvah_Gming: 6
21:06 <Tikvah_Gming>: ..and fails.
21:06 <Victor>: That's not what he would do...
21:06 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, your turn.
21:06 <Victor>: He was itching to fight
21:06 <Gromit>: Well, that's the right idea.
21:06 <Victor>: Not if it's not in character
21:06 Ookook bangs his cymbals together for against flying.
21:07 <Gromit>: This arena is all in their favor. We need a roof over our heads.
21:07 <Victor>: How's that?
21:08 <Gromit>: Fliers. Plus the atmosphere in there is far better for us than them
21:08 <Victor>: Is there still gas? The machine is off now
21:08 <Tikvah_Gming>: I'm also not particularly wanting Greystone to get killed while his player isn't here.
21:08 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, roll for it.
21:08 <Ookook>: !roll d20 1 effort
21:08 <Dicebot>: Ookook, 1 effort: 11
21:09 <Tikvah_Gming>: You cast a debuff. The woman seems to have a bit more trouble staying in the air.
21:09 <Tikvah_Gming>: Gromit, your turn.
21:10 <Gromit>: I bull-rush the door.
21:10 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:10 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort
21:10 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort: 17
21:11 <Tikvah_Gming>: You bust the door open. There still seems to be gas, and you don't see any guards.
21:12 <Gromit>: "GET TO COVER"
21:12 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, your turn.
21:12 Victor shoots at Finbar
21:12 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:12 <Victor>: !roll d20 trained, effort to damage
21:12 <Dicebot>: Victor, trained, effort to damage: 18
21:12 <Gromit>: Niiiice.
21:13 <Victor>: Gamble paid off
21:13 <Victor>: Amazingly
21:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hit him.
21:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: He's still going strong though.
21:14 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, your turn.
21:16 <Alan>: I follow Gromit into the gas room
21:16 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ok. You are in the workshop filled with gas.
21:16 <Tikvah_Gming>: The gas doesn't seem as thick anymore.
21:17 <Gromit>: So probably 1 or 2 damage per round.
21:19 <Tikvah_Gming>: Greystone enters the gas room.
21:19 <Tikvah_Gming>: The flying lady takes a shot at Victor. Roll a dodge.
21:20 <Victor>: !roll d20 specialized, effort
21:20 <Dicebot>: Victor, specialized, effort: 11
21:20 <Tikvah_Gming>: You dodge the arrow.
21:21 <Tikvah_Gming>: Finbar starts running towards Ookook.
21:21 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, your turn.
21:21 <Victor>: Can you debuff dodge further?
21:21 <Victor>: Does it stack?
21:21 <Ookook>: No.
21:21 <Ookook>: How fast can I climb the rope?
21:23 <Tikvah_Gming>: You could probably make it 50' in the air in one turn.
21:23 <Tikvah_Gming>: That's half way up.
21:23 <Victor>: How do we have a rope up there again?
21:24 <Ookook>: I think we shot an arrow with a rope on it.
21:25 <Ookook>: If I jump, can I jump past Finbar and get to the gas room?
21:26 <Tikvah_Gming>: Possibly.
21:26 <Gromit>: Use Finbar to break your fall?
21:26 <Tikvah_Gming>: He's only 10 feet up.
21:27 Ookook jumps past Finbar and runs towards the gas roon
21:27 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:27 <Ookook>: !roll d20 thing-formally-known-as-monkey-powers
21:27 <Dicebot>: Ookook, thing-formally-known-as-monkey-powers: 13
21:29 <Tikvah_Gming>: You successfully leap clear of Finbar and make it to about 10' from the door.
21:30 <Tikvah_Gming>: Gromit, your turn.
21:31 <Gromit>: I step inside one side of the doorway and prepare to tackle Finbar as soon as he enters.
21:31 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK.
21:32 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, your turn.
21:32 <Victor>: Can I pull Ookook as part of my movement to the door?
21:32 <Victor>: As a speed action
21:32 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes.
21:33 Victor does that
21:33 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:33 <Victor>: !roll d20 effort
21:33 <Dicebot>: Victor, effort: 19
21:33 <Gromit>: Good rolling.
21:33 <Tikvah_Gming>: You and Ookook make it well inside the door.
21:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, your turn.
21:34 <Alan>: Is there anything to chop at?
21:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: Not within range.
21:34 <Victor>: Hold it for when they come in
21:34 <Gromit>: Furniture?
21:35 <Tikvah_Gming>: The same furniture as when you were last here. Some tables with tools on them, clutter, a door and an open vent.
21:35 <Tikvah_Gming>: A couple chairs.
21:35 <Gromit>: Yeah, hold your action and we'll ambush as he enters.
21:36 <Alan>: I guess I'll do a 1 action heal
21:36 <Alan>: !roll d6+1
21:36 <Dicebot>: Alan: 5:4+1
21:36 <Victor>: Or that if you need it yeah
21:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: Greystone reserves his action.
21:37 <Ookook>: Any evidence of what the banging in here was?
21:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: You see some stuff has been knocked over, like people came in here since you were last here.
21:38 <Alan>: What, you can reserve actions?
21:38 <Victor>: You can wait to use it later in the round
21:38 <Victor>: You can't like stockpile them
21:38 <Gromit>: The general rule is that you can, as long as you declare what you're using it for on your turn.
21:39 <Tikvah_Gming>: The flying lady rises out of your line of sight, but Finbar barrels through the door after you.
21:39 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, your turn.
21:40 <Victor>: So it's Gromit's tackle time then
21:40 <Tikvah_Gming>: Right.
21:41 <Gromit>: !roll d20 1 effort trying to knock him over
21:41 <Dicebot>: Gromit, 1 effort trying to knock him over: 18
21:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: Are you tackling him, or just giving him a shove?
21:42 <Gromit>: More of a shove, I guess. It's fine if I go down with him.
21:42 <Tikvah_Gming>: Well, you send him to the floor while remaining on your feet.
21:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, your turn.
21:43 <Gromit>: Effort to damage, kids.
21:43 <Victor>: I know
21:43 Ookook bangs his cymbals together for against dodge.
21:43 <Victor>: Nice
21:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it
21:44 <Ookook>: !roll d20
21:44 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 8
21:44 <Tikvah_Gming>: You succeed on casting your debuff.
21:46 <Gromit>: Anyone know roughly how many turns it's been since we turned off the machine?
21:46 <Victor>: Three?
21:46 <Alan>: I think this is the third round
21:46 <Victor>: Plus how long the talking passed
21:46 <Alan>: Though the talking must have passed some time
21:47 <Ookook>: I thought talking always takes no time at all, because talking is a free action.
21:47 <Victor>: In combat, shouting quick statements during the round is just a few seconds
21:47 <Victor>: Out of combat, full conversation passes time
21:47 <Tikvah_Gming>: Gromit, your turn.
21:48 <Gromit>: I kick Finbar while he's down.
21:48 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:48 <Gromit>: !roll d20 effort to damage
21:48 <Dicebot>: Gromit, effort to damage: 1
21:48 <Gromit>: Crud.
21:50 <Tikvah_Gming>: You stick your foot into Finbar's open hand, and he willingly grabs it.
21:50 <Victor>: Ha
21:50 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, your turn.
21:50 Victor shoots the grounded brute
21:51 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
21:52 <Victor>: !roll d20 trained, effort to damage
21:52 <Dicebot>: Victor, trained, effort to damage: 1
21:52 <Victor>: Yeah
21:53 <Gromit>: I would spend an XP there.
21:53 <Victor>: I don't believe in buying rerolls
21:53 <Victor>: Could just fail again, wasting valuable XP
21:53 <Victor>: Long term purchases are more vital
21:54 <Gromit>: Unless we party wipe and you lose everything.
21:54 <Victor>: If one roll is going to decide that it's not worth it anyway
21:54 <Gromit>: I'll give you my next XP if you spend one here.
21:55 <Victor>: Ah, that's an interesting proposal
21:55 <Gromit>: Because you're main DPS and we really need the Damage and the Seconds.
21:56 <Victor>: Alright, if your rp-experienced self feels that strongly about it
21:56 <Victor>: It *better* hit though
21:56 <Victor>: 1 XP for reroll
21:56 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll again.
21:57 <Victor>: And then I need to get going
21:57 <Alan>: Can we finish out the turn order?
21:57 <Victor>: Yeah
21:57 <Victor>: !roll d20 trained, effort to damage
21:57 <Dicebot>: Victor, trained, effort to damage: 11
21:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hit him.
21:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alan, your turn.
21:58 <Alan>: I take an axe swing at him
21:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: He is looking considerably worse for wear.
21:58 <Alan>: !roll d20 trained effort to damage
21:58 <Dicebot>: Alan, trained effort to damage: 15
21:58 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hit.
21:59 <Tikvah_Gming>: He is very much damaged. Probably couldn't move if he wanted to.
21:59 <Tikvah_Gming>: Shall we end it there?
21:59 <Victor>: Sure
22:00 <Alan>: Sounds alright to me
22:00 <Tikvah_Gming>: Everyone gets 1 XP and 1 to give away.
22:00 Tikvah_Gming is now known as Tikvah
22:00 <Alan>: What happened to our backup?
22:00 <Tikvah>: Who knows.
22:00 <Gromit>: I'm afraid it'll get here soon.
22:00 <Alan>: Is that bad?
22:01 <Gromit>: No, but maybe.
22:01 <Ookook>: Unless the people we are fighting are the back up.
22:02 <Alan>: Like I said, we would know them
22:02 <Alan>: We traveled here with them
22:03 <Ookook>: Not if they used a disguise, but they would be lacking a motive to do so.
22:04 <Alan>: And likely would have told us about it
22:04 <Alan>: Not to mention, they would recognize us back
22:04 <Alan>: Whether we recognized them or not
22:04 <Alan>: This would have to be a completely new hero that didn't arrive with us
22:05 <Ookook>: And the people we are fighting didn't seem that evil.
22:05 <Gromit>: Still, the mission set-up seemed incredibly sketchy.
22:06 <Gromit>: So while we solved the small problem, I don't want to be around for whatever the elites are showing up to do.
22:06 <Gromit>: Besides the whole weapons dealing thing...

[Woody]

I give my XP to Moontide for his underdemisiated debuffing

[bookworm]

Excerpt from the journal of Victor Van Helsing

Upon settling in to residence at the Count's estate our party was given as an additional member a swordsman of very few words. We were tasked with our first proper mission, retrieval of an ancient artifact from the ruins at Ogre's Mouth. We took a portal to a nearby outpost and journeyed the rest of the way on foot, reaching the fortress as dusk approached. After gaining entrance to the courtyard we found stairs that led down into the ruin. Wary of abandoned castles since the encounter in Crowdan I kept an eye to the ceiling as we ventured through the darkness.

We came upon a set of doors clearly trapped if one should choose poorly. Alan cleverly bypassed the obstacle and we continued onward. Finding a ladder leading further down we halted at a warning from Alan we may have been being followed. Investigation found nothing, but I knew this area was inhabited by a species of ogre which could turn invisible so we advanced with caution. The ladder led to a massive chamber, but before we could explore we were indeed attacked by an unseen assailant. Despite the advantage it could have had the encounter was resolved quite quickly and we then examined our surroundings. Through a grate in a large door I located the chest that likely contained our artifact, but more significant at the moment I saw a three headed lion guarding it. It appeared to be a rare Dragon-swallower, which was fitting as we were searching for a cyclops artifact, but I couldn't believe there could really be one here, living, now. Still. It would have been down here for centuries.

To effort all angles of engagement I planned to attempt communication first, but should that prove futile I made preparations to down the creature from the safety of our side of the barricade so we could enter the room unaccosted when the time came to search for our quarry. Our newest companion was noticeably put off by the prospect, for reasons I was thoroughly at a loss to comprehend. As best I could ascertain his preference was to open the door for the beast and meet it head on. I assumed it must be due to a perceived code of honor, but I was incredulous that he extended the same rationale to animals as to human opponents. Does he hunt wild game by rules of noble combat? One would not allow a bear to charge into their room when they could dispatch it while contained in its own. That was how I viewed our situation at the present, a confrontation with a feral beast. Immediately upon realization this was a sentient creature of course that original approach lost its appeal. But whether the man understood my reasoning mattered not, I was there to complete a task.

Knowing now that it spoke I resigned to speaking and we gathered that it was charged by its master with guarding the artifact we sought to prevent it falling into human hands and destroying the empire. We gathered also, then, that it was unaware of how incredibly long it had resided down in this chamber and that the cyclops empire was now merely a subject of ancient history. After several fruitless attempts at persuasion we concluded the beast's will was too stubborn to be moved and had no choice, barring combat, but to make it realize the world it knew was no more. Showing it the modern technology of my pistol convinced it and we were permitted to remove the artifact. I had to obtain some proof I had encountered such a mythical creature, with killing it undoubtedly out of the question, so I gathered some stray fur from its quarters and we began our return journey in triumph. However the cheer of our first successful mission soon gave way to the somber news that emissaries from Mitor were at our border demanding the immediate surrender of the king.

[Tikvah]

Tonight's session went well. Our heroes escaped the warehouse minutes before it explodes, and book rooms in an inn. To be continued.

Skid, bookworm, Woody, and Moontide each earn 2 XP

bookworm and Arkan each earn 1 XP for a journal entry.

[Woody]

Just a note, there's a 50% chance I'll be missing next Monday's session. Sherlock is playing in theaters... *hides*

[bookworm]

Smoke and Mirrors, Part 5

Continued from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Continued by Part 6, Part 7
The party escapes, but begins to suspect there was more to this mission than they were made aware.

19:12 Woody is now known as Alan
19:14 Moontide is now known as Ookook
19:14 bookworm is now known as Victor
19:24 Skid is now known as Gromit
19:25 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK, you guys remember where you left off?
19:25 <Victor>: About to beat the boss
19:26 <Ookook>: We just incapacitated the mussel man.
19:26 <Gromit>: We were in the poison room, whats-his-hulk went down, and we've got to get out while avoiding the flying overwatch.
19:27 <Tikvah_Gming>: Exactly.
19:27 <Gromit>: Also, we have "backup" of ambiguous intent arriving soon.
19:27 <Victor>: Right
19:27 <Victor>: Whose turn is it?
19:29 <Tikvah_Gming>: Turn order is: Flying Lady, Finbar, Ookook, Gromit, Victor, Alan, Greystone
19:30 <Victor>: Greystone then
19:31 <Tikvah_Gming>: "Wait! Do you want to kill me?" Finbar makes a weak effort to get up.
19:32 <Alan>: "Only if it proves necessary"
19:32 <Victor>: "You wanted to kill us."
19:34 <Gromit>: "We want to leave. Now isn't the time for chatting."
19:35 <Tikvah_Gming>: "We are only attempting to bring you in. Despite what my partner says, we were not trying to spill any blood." He speaks with the same heavy accent the woman has.
19:35 <Alan>: "Bring us in?"
19:36 <Ookook>: "To where? and will we get paid?"
19:36 <Victor>: "What do you want to do now then?"
19:36 <Gromit>: "First rule of urban ops: there's aggro forever. The longer we wait, the more bad guys arrive."
19:37 <Gromit>: Also, rolling to detect deception on this guy?
19:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: Finbar doesn't answer, but you hear a giant crashing, ripping noise from the depressor room.
19:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
19:37 <Gromit>: !roll d20
19:37 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 14
19:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: If anyone else wants to roll they can.
19:38 <Victor>: Is he wearing a suppressor bypasser?
19:38 <Victor>: !roll d20
19:38 <Dicebot>: Victor: 6
19:38 <Tikvah_Gming>: No.
19:38 <Tikvah_Gming>: You didn't notice one on either Finbar or the lady.
19:38 <Gromit>: Do we know what one looks like?
19:40 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yes. One of the elite team described it to you on the way over. They look like a clunky bracelet, covered in strange etching.
19:40 <Ookook>: !roll d20 (for lie detection)
19:40 <Dicebot>: Ookook, (for lie detection): 4
19:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: He seems to be telling the truth.
19:41 <Victor>: Do we have to go out the vent from here?
19:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook's turn.
19:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: There is also a door.
19:41 <Gromit>: "Anyway. NOT REALLY THE TIME TO CHIT CHAT."
19:41 <Tikvah_Gming>: An unlocked door to the South.
19:42 Ookook debuffes finbars dodge just in case
19:42 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
19:42 <Ookook>: !roll d20
19:42 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 13
19:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: You debuff his dodge successfully.
19:43 Gromit decides to abandon negotiating with the defeated guy and heads for the vents.
19:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK.
19:44 <Tikvah_Gming>: You clamber into the vents.
19:44 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, your turn.
19:45 <Tikvah_Gming>: Actually, turn order ended.
19:45 Ookook follows Gromit
19:45 Victor briefly frisks Finbar
19:46 <Alan>: Is Finbar sufficiently incapacitated as to take him along as a prisoner?
19:46 <Ookook>: We don't need to care an extra load
19:46 <Tikvah_Gming>: If you want to drag a heavy man through the air vents.
19:46 <Alan>: I want to know what he knows
19:47 <Gromit>: "Really not that kind of strike mission!"
19:47 <Gromit>: "Find a skinnier prisoner!"
19:47 <Ookook>: "They aren't even the enemy"
19:47 <Ookook>: "Just some sort of unaligned faction that wants to grab us."
19:47 <Victor>: "You and Greystone want to fight over his armor?"
19:47 <Alan>: Greystone ain't here =P
19:47 <Alan>: How is his armor?
19:48 Victor goes to the vent after the frisking
19:48 <Victor>: But not in yet
19:48 <Tikvah_Gming>: Victor, you find half a sandwich and a paper with writing that you can't read. He is wearing some fine leather armour. (2 defence)
19:48 <Victor>: What kind of sandwich?
19:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: It looks like beef.
19:49 Victor takes the paper and stands by the vent waiting to see what Alan and Greystone do
19:49 <Ookook>: [Are we speaking English?]
19:49 <Alan>: *takes the armor*
19:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: It will take a little while to peel the armour off him. Do you want to take that time while the flying lady is ripping apart the other room?
19:51 <Alan>: I'll just drag him along for now, I suppose
19:51 <Ookook>: "I think that might take even more time"
19:51 <Alan>: "I think Greystone and I can handle it"
19:52 <Ookook>: "Kidnapping wasn't in our job description."
19:53 <Gromit>: "Really wasn't."
19:54 Gromit continues down the vent, to the big room if there's no resistance.
19:54 Victor gives Ookook a marked bolt
19:54 <Victor>: "Hang onto this for a while would you?"
19:54 Ookook takes the marked bolt
19:54 <Victor>: "Just in case."
19:54 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hear a boom, and see the wall that's against the depressor shake.
19:54 <Tikvah_Gming>: Some tools fall off the walls.
19:54 <Ookook>: "Lets go"
19:54 <Alan>: Couldn't Victor poof him out?
19:54 <Victor>: No
19:55 <Ookook>: Victor can't poof other people.
19:55 <Alan>: I just feel like there's a plot point we'll miss if we just run away
19:55 <Victor>: We weren't supposed to engage anyone in the first place, so I doubt it
19:56 <Gromit>: A. Stop metagaming. B. The game ends if we all die. No more plot points.
19:56 <Ookook>: [This game is being run by a human so we can't miss a plot point]
19:56 <Ookook>: [Unlike a video game, this game won't become unwinnable.]
19:57 <Tikvah_Gming>: [Unless you die.]
19:57 <Ookook>: [Very true]
19:57 <Alan>: Fine, we run
19:57 Victor goes last
19:59 Ookook continues down the pipe
19:59 <Victor>: Do we just go?
19:59 <Ookook>: Turns are over.
20:00 <Victor>: I meant is something going to happen or do we just leave now
20:00 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hear another crash.
20:00 <Gromit>: I need to know what's ahead.
20:02 <Tikvah_Gming>: Something will happen if you leave or not, the question is if you want to be here when it happens.
20:02 <Gromit>: I want to go home and eat candy and recharge HP in a hot tub.
20:02 <Victor>: I want to exit via the storeroom
20:02 <Gromit>: Yeah, headed that way.
20:02 <Alan>: Just FYI, I wanna be there
20:03 <Alan>: But not alone =P
20:03 <Gromit>: Okay, stay behind if you want. None of us have the HP to tank for you.
20:03 <Ookook>: We are in the pipe now aren't we?
20:04 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook and Gromit are in the pipe. I think Victor is standing by the entrance?
20:04 <Tikvah_Gming>: You are all either in the pipe or the storeroom.
20:05 <Victor>: I'm in the back of the group, in the vent
20:05 <Victor>: We all started moving
20:05 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK, you move along the vent.
20:05 <Gromit>: So the storeroom isn't overrun with guards?
20:05 <Tikvah_Gming>: You don't see any guards.
20:05 Victor opens a crate
20:06 Gromit listens at the front door.
20:07 <Ookook>: Are we inside the storehouse now?
20:07 <Tikvah_Gming>: Are you guys going in the the store room that you passed in the pipe?
20:08 <Victor>: Yes
20:08 <Tikvah_Gming>: There is a door to the South of you, and the main entrance to the West.
20:08 Gromit points Victor to use the shipping douments to look for anything valuable.
20:09 Victor complies
20:09 <Tikvah_Gming>: The crate you opened is full of molasses kegs.
20:09 <Alan>: I look at Finbar's paper
20:10 <Victor>: That's in my pocket
20:10 <Tikvah_Gming>: Everyone, roll a perception check.
20:10 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:10 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 14
20:10 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:10 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 1
20:11 <Ookook>: "I think I see something."
20:11 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:11 <Dicebot>: Victor: 3
20:11 <Alan>: !roll d20 specialized
20:11 <Dicebot>: Alan, specialized: 7
20:14 <Tikvah_Gming>: You see some stuff scattered around, like it had been dropped or put down in a hurry, but you don't see or hear any guards anywhere. You do hear some crashes coming from the direction you came from, and they seem to be getting louder.
20:14 Ookook picks up one molasses keg
20:14 Victor uses the manifest to identify good crates
20:15 <Alan>: "Remind me why we stopped here?"
20:15 <Victor>: "I hate to leave empty handed."
20:15 <Tikvah_Gming>: What are you looking for when you say a "good crate"
20:16 <Victor>: Things that are valuable and grabbable
20:16 <Alan>: Like the armor that we just left behind? >_>
20:16 <Victor>: Yes
20:17 <Victor>: Looking for compensation
20:17 <Ookook>: Molasses tastes good
20:17 <Tikvah_Gming>: There are some big crates that contain muskets, but it would take some time to open. The smaller ones have various dried food, mostly. Some ammunition, gloves, canvas tents.
20:18 <Ookook>: Looks like there were planning to arm an army
20:18 <Victor>: So actual supply supplies
20:18 <Ookook>: So only low value weapons in here.
20:19 <Victor>: Okay I open an ammo crate and throw some boxes in my bag
20:19 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK.
20:19 <Victor>: "Are we ready to go?"
20:19 <Tikvah_Gming>: The East wall starts shaking and making ripping sounds.
20:20 <Victor>: "Yeah, we're ready"
20:20 <Ookook>: "Lets go"
20:20 Ookook readies himself to follow the first person out the door.
20:20 <Tikvah_Gming>: Are you exiting through the West door, South door, or the vent?
20:20 <Gromit>: The door to the outside, I hope.
20:21 <Tikvah_Gming>: That would be the West door.
20:22 <Gromit>: Well, time to get outside and get ourselves as lost as possible in the town.
20:22 Gromit kicks open the door.
20:23 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll a strength check.
20:23 <Gromit>: ..even if I unlatch it first?
20:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: Not if you unlatch it first.
20:24 <Gromit>: Okay, unlatch the door, then kick it wide open.
20:24 Ookook silently debuff peoples ability to track us
20:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: Ookook, roll for it.
20:24 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:24 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 2
20:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: Hmmm.
20:24 <Gromit>: Woop.
20:24 <Ookook>: That did not go as planned
20:24 <Tikvah_Gming>: Yeah, your debuff 'totally' worked.
20:25 <Tikvah_Gming>: Gromit, you kick the door open. Everyone, roll a perception check.
20:25 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:25 <Dicebot>: Victor: 1
20:25 <Victor>: "I think I see what you saw."
20:25 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:25 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 4
20:25 <Alan>: !roll d20 specialized
20:25 <Dicebot>: Alan, specialized: 11
20:26 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:26 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 7
20:28 <Tikvah_Gming>: You open the door and now you know where all the guards went. They are standing in a cluster about 20 feet away, behind a tall man in a foreign uniform. There's about 19 of them.
20:28 Gromit closes the door again.
20:28 <Victor>: Mitor?
20:29 <Tikvah_Gming>: The Eastern wall is looking pretty shaky. You hear the Flying lady angrily shouting on the other side.
20:29 <Ookook>: Maybe the tall man is our reinforcements.
20:30 <Victor>: "Other door or to the roof?"
20:30 <Gromit>: Roof.
20:30 Victor goes last again
20:30 <Ookook>: Can we jump from roof to roof?
20:30 <Tikvah_Gming>: The alley to the North is only about 5 feet wide.
20:31 <Alan>: "If the walls come down, so does the roof..."
20:33 Ookook follows Gromit
20:33 <Tikvah_Gming>: You want to go to the roof vent?
20:33 <Ookook>: [If I do another debuff will that cancel the enemy buff?]
20:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: If you succeed.
20:34 Ookook silently debuff peoples ability to track us
20:34 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll for it.
20:35 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:35 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 6
20:35 <Gromit>: Really, speed buff us. Stealth is gone forever.
20:35 <Gromit>: We need to move.
20:35 <Ookook>: I can't buff though. only debuff.
20:35 <Gromit>: Well, make them slower, I guess.
20:35 Gromit goes for the vent to the roof.
20:35 <Tikvah_Gming>: You don't see anyone up here.
20:36 <Gromit>: In the vent, or on the roof?
20:36 Alan follows the crazed detective that somehow has great tactical sense
20:36 <Tikvah_Gming>: The roof is like you left it. Besides the hole in the East side of the dome.
20:36 <Gromit>: Right. Which side are the guards off of?
20:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: The West side.
20:37 Gromit goes off the other side, into the nearest alleyway.
20:37 <Tikvah_Gming>: The East side?
20:37 Ookook follows Gromit clutching my keg
20:37 <Ookook>: of molasses
20:38 Alan pictures a drunk monkey xD
20:38 <Tikvah_Gming>: There is no one in that alleyway.
20:38 Gromit flees down random alleyways away from the warehouse until something prevents it.
20:38 Ookook follows Gromit
20:39 Victor follows Ookook
20:39 <Tikvah_Gming>: Roll a fleeing check.
20:40 <Victor>: !roll d20 effort
20:40 <Dicebot>: Victor, effort: 19
20:40 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:40 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 3
20:40 <Gromit>: Woo.
20:40 <Ookook>: !roll d20 small animal skills
20:40 <Dicebot>: Ookook, small animal skills: 5
20:41 <Ookook>: Are we fleeing past food shops?
20:42 <Tikvah_Gming>: Right now it's just warehouses and shady alleyways. There is a main road coming up in front of you.
20:43 <Gromit>: Time to split up?
20:43 <Tikvah_Gming>: Everyone, roll a perception check.
20:44 <Victor>: !roll d20
20:44 <Dicebot>: Victor: 3
20:44 <Ookook>: !roll d20
20:44 <Dicebot>: Ookook: 9
20:45 <Gromit>: !roll d20
20:45 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 11
20:45 <Alan>: !roll d20 specialized
20:46 <Dicebot>: Alan, specialized: 7
20:46 <Tikvah_Gming>: You seem to have lost your pursuers.
20:46 <Tikvah_Gming>: You're about 10 blocks from the warehouse.
20:47 <Ookook>: Can we check again to make sure?
20:47 <Tikvah_Gming>: But you just looked and you didn't see anything.
20:47 <Gromit>: "Time to split up then. Meet you guys back at... some recognizable place outside town."
20:48 <Ookook>: Does this town have a strangely spacious sewer?
20:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: No.
20:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: Suddenly, a giant plume of flame shoots up from where the warehouse used to be. The blast shatters some windows nearby.
20:49 <Tikvah_Gming>: You hear some screaming.
20:49 <Victor>: Saw that coming
20:50 <Ookook>: "Maybe it was a good thing you restrained me from lighting the building on fire."
20:51 <Ookook>: "Then again, such cool explosion. We would had been closer had we caused it."
20:52 <Tikvah_Gming>: Against the glare, you see three figures shoot up into the sky and hover for a moment, before flying towards the wealthy end of town.
20:53 <Ookook>: Was the building supposed to explode in the plan we were given?
20:53 <Tikvah_Gming>: No.
20:53 <Victor>: Not that we were *given*
20:53 <Victor>: But I read it between the lines
20:54 <Victor>: Assuming this was the backup's doing
20:54 <Victor>: Are you thinking the gangsters torched their own place?
20:55 <Ookook>: I was thinking that the flying lady was a third party who torched it with her two flying friends.
20:55 <Ookook>: Or maybe the flying lady was the backup.
20:55 <Ookook>: But she would have said so if she was.
20:56 <Victor>: Well we'll find out when we get back
20:57 <Ookook>: Should we head back?
20:57 <Ookook>: Do we trust the Count?
20:57 <Victor>: I do
20:57 <Alan>: Anyone interested in searching the wreckage?
20:57 <Victor>: Kind of
20:57 <Victor>: But now I'm questioning which side set the charge
20:58 <Victor>: If it was an ultimatum intruder alarm that's not good
20:58 <Ookook>: Like if the building was set to blow as a fail-unsafe
20:58 <Victor>: Exactly
20:59 <Gromit>: "I don't think people will be asking questions before shooting around the wreckage."
21:00 <Gromit>: "How about we go get a room at an inn, then trawl the taverns for news tomorrow?"
21:00 <Ookook>: "I second that plan."
21:01 <Victor>: Can we charge it to the Count?
21:01 <Victor>: Heh, the Count's account
21:01 <Victor>: Do we have an expense account?
21:02 <Ookook>: I think we aren't high enough level for that.
21:02 <Tikvah_Gming>: For necessary travel expenses, yes.
21:02 <Victor>: Yeah not to go crazy
21:03 <Victor>: But for reasonable charges
21:03 <Ookook>: What time is it?
21:04 <Tikvah_Gming>: It's about 12:30 am
21:04 <Victor>: Midnight?
21:05 <Tikvah_Gming>: Something strange about that?
21:05 <Victor>: No I'm just verifying
21:05 <Victor>: I get it confused with Noon
21:05 <Ookook>: We were sneaking in at night.
21:05 <Ookook>: [Though I was imaging that this was all happening on a sunny after noon.]
21:06 <Gromit>: It's an infiltration. Of course it's at night.
21:06 <Victor>: We started through the vent around nightfall
21:06 <Tikvah_Gming>: You arrived at the warehouse just after sunset.
21:08 <Victor>: Okay we get some rooms
21:08 <Ookook>: Preferable not in the rich end of town.
21:08 <Ookook>: Because that is where the fliers went
21:09 <Tikvah_Gming>: Alright, you find a respectable looking tavern that has rooms for rent. The owner doesn't ask any questions and shows you to some reasonably priced rooms.
21:09 <Alan>: I *want* to encounter the fliers...
21:09 <Gromit>: "We can get friendly with the hoverers when we've got some rest."
21:10 <Ookook>: [We jump time to morning now?]
21:10 <Ookook>: Or quit for the night?
21:10 <Gromit>: Both?
21:11 <Tikvah_Gming>: Well, what do you guys want?
21:11 <Gromit>: This seems like a good place to break.
21:12 <Ookook>: Okay
21:12 <Victor>: That's okay with me
21:12 <Tikvah_Gming>: OK, everyone gets 1 XP.
21:12 <Victor>: No boss XP?
21:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: Well...
21:13 <Tikvah_Gming>: Fine. 2 XP.
21:13 <Victor>:
21:15 <Gromit>: Might as well roll your recoveries now.
21:15 <Victor>: Sleeping recovers I thought
21:16 <Victor>: Without rolling
21:16 <Victor>: Replenishes the rolls actually
21:16 <Gromit>: No, you get the same for your 10 hour as everything else.
21:16 <Gromit>: And yeah, it resets your rolls.
21:17 <Gromit>: But you don't just fill all pools.
21:17 <Victor>: You use all your rolls and get them back though?
21:17 <Victor>: So heals a lot, but maybe not all
21:17 <Alan>: !roll d6+1
21:17 <Dicebot>: Alan: 6:5+1
21:17 <Alan>: Well, that fills me
21:18 <Gromit>: You can use all your remaining ones from today, yeah, and then the slow ones from tomorrow too, unless we want to start tavern hopping in the early morning.
21:19 <Victor>: I see
21:20 <Gromit>: !roll d6+1
21:20 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 7:6+1
21:20 <Gromit>: !roll d6+1
21:20 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 5:4+1
21:20 <Gromit>: !roll d6+1
21:20 <Dicebot>: Gromit: 2:1+1
21:21 <Gromit>: Okay, your tank is back.