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[Mike M]

Val comes trotting down the avenue, his rapier beating a steady tattoo against his thigh. He wasn't quite sure how he would fare finding Avalyra or Muun, but fortunately the remainder of the party seems to have accumulated in plain sight not far from the inn.

He slows to a walk as he approaches, his arms outstretched at his sides. "I see our frightened lass is smiling, I trust crisis has been averted? It pleases me to wrap things up so quickly, perhaps now we can get some sleep for the rest of the night."

Val glances between the half of the party that no longer requires a full night's rest or regular sustenance. "Well, some of us can sleep. And I wouldn't fret about Vecna's creepy crawly appendage, it is after all but a gauntlet. An animated one to be sure, but still no match for a half-orc in his prime. I'm reasonably sure Tarkus was about to offer to stand guard for the night, weren't you, Tarkus?"

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun is probably the only one not completely relieved, but moves on when Val does, "Me and Tarkus, or even Jack are going to have to start taking watch of Quintis now that the gauntlet is willing to attack us without notice."

 

[Jackben]

Tarkus grunts in agreement with Muun's words. He nods confidently in Val's direction as the no doubt tired, silver-tongued rogue ushers them back to their quarters for the night. "Between three, not difficult watch." As they walk back he mentions the short spar he had with the warforged in attempt to make light talk.

"Jack skilled warrior. Before fighting, I think lacking emotion make for bad fighter. But for Jack...seem to be advantage." As he stops to call Jack from their practice spot to return with them, he pauses to glance sidelong at Avalyra, nodding at her before following the others inside

 

[ThLunarian]

((The rest of the night passes uneventfully; if you all have anything else you want to do before leaving Southport, do it, because my next plot-driving post will be a description of what you find when you teleport to Ruby Keep))

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun says to Tarkus, "The only emotion worth having in battle is the one that drives you. There are emotions that only get you killed."

As Avalrya passes by him to leave, he puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her briefly, "What emotion will you have when that time comes?"

Spoiler

((Meanwhile, I continue to choke frequently in Street Fighter.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus ignores the silly discussion on emotions and just goes back to sleep. You don't look this good without at least 8 hours of sleep... He also can't prepare spells. Being a transmutation wizard, those two may or may not be related.

 

[Zynx]

"Thanks everyone." Avalyra is grateful as the others work out a way to isolate her from Vecna's gauntlet. "I appreciate it." There's a pause before she continues, . "Um," she speaks apprehensively, unsure how the others will react, "I was talking to Luna and she suggested that I carry the Rod of Pelor...would that be okay?"

As Muun confronts her with his question, she finds herself uncomfortable with his manner, and his touch. Slipping out of his grasp, and taking a step back, she pauses to answer his inquiry. "Battle?" She shivers involuntarily. "I've...I've only been in mortal combat once, when some thugs broke into Master Thorne's shop when we were working on a special gold sculpture. It was very scary, I don't even remember what happened. But Master Thorne said afterwards that I formed some kind of shimmering monster out of nowhere which tore the burglars to pieces..."

 

[Mike M]

Val shrugs noncommittally at Luna's suggestion by way or Avalyra, drawing the Rod of Pelor forth from the handy haversack. "I've certainly no objections if you want to take custody of it. It's not exactly serving much purpose hanging out in that sack now, is it? If it buys you peace of mind --real or imagined-- I can hardly think of any reason why you shouldn't be the one to carry it."

Passing the rod off to Avalyra, he starts to head back to the inn. "Well, I shall see you lot in the morning. Try to keep the commotion down to a small riot in the meantime, all this running about in the small hours wreaks havoc on my circadian rhythm." Alone in his room, the smile vanishes from his face as he ponders the possibility whether his possession of the Rod in the haversack he's been carrying has been affording some sort of protection unbeknownst to him. Protection he might have just surrendered.

Val passes the remainder of the night sleeping upright in his room's armchair, facing the bed he's moved to barricade the door, unsheathed rapier laying across his lap.

Spoiler

((Meanwhile, I continue to choke frequently in Street Fighter.))

Spoiler

((You can't possibly be worse than my garbage tier Balrog. I love the shit out of SF, but suck so bad : ( ))

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun lets go of her shoulder now that he is hearing her story and leaves the others to decide the fate of Pelor's Rod. Despite her testimony of her power, Muun expresses that might not be enough, sighing a bit at her story of being terrified and showing a lot of concern for the future, "This is bad... very bad." His gaze starts to drift off as he thinks aloud, "You clearly haven't had enough exposure to danger to be used to it, and I've learned that we face dangers that can easily match the powers that you have. Even with great power if you can't bring yourself to use it..."

He's sure Tarkus will have a motivational speech, but he knows that this is something that takes time and risks.

 

[Jackben]

Though he is not physically tired, Tarkus feels himself begin to grow weary. So many questions and dramas so late at night cause him to furrow his brow. "Too much talk and worry for unknown futures." He looks to his ranger comrade with sympathy. "Good to plan, but do not let doubt consume thought."

"We see when time comes how her power manifest."

 

[ThLunarian]

After sleeping in a little longer than originally planned in order to make up for time lost the previous night, the party checks out of the nondescript Southport inn. Quintus, after verifying that the Hand of Vecna is securely in place and taking care to camouflage his signature red hair, leads everyone to a quiet corner of town and casts the Teleport spell, to which by everyone except for Avalyra is accustomed by now.

They reappear in the streets of Ruby Keep, and find themselves to be in the middle of a celebration. However, unlike in Emerald Bay during the tournament, this is a family-friendly festival.

Entertainers of all kinds line the streets - in fact, a nearby band of minstrels is playing this song -, as well as various vendors of frivolity. Arts and craft stands are in disproportionate supply, and souvenir shops seem to be capitalizing on the commemoration of some upcoming event.

Of course, just by glancing around it doesn't take long to figure out what's going on. Flyers are plastered all over the sides of buildings, heralding the upcoming wedding of Princess Lucille. To be held on the steps of the Cathedral of Heironeous, the entire kingdom seems to be invited to attend, and the date of the event is five days out.

In the days leading up to the wedding, there are all sorts of celebratory events scheduled. One that may be of particular interest to at least some of the party is a contest. Whoever gives the Princess the best gift, has the opportunity to be one of her bridesmaids.

The deadline for submitting the gift is three days before the wedding (or, two days from now), to allow for enough time to judge, select, and prepare the winner for the ceremony.

While most of the flyers posted are about the wedding, there is another one that turns up more than once: an ad, requesting the help of mercenaries to eliminate a band of rebels, about two days' ride south of the capital.

 

[Mike M]

A native of the city all his life, Val's well acquainted with the schedule of annual holidays and events of Ruby Keep. If he's at all thrown by the unscheduled festivities and commotion that envelops the party upon their arrival, he doesn't show it. Instead, he purchases a bag of the roasted nuts from a passing vendor hawking their wares. "They must sell thousands of these bags every day," he says between salted mouthfuls of the snack. "I've always wondered where they store it all. There must be some vast repository somewhere, right? Some silo or warehouse just brimming over with nuts imported from overseas by the barge full. Back when my family was at full strength, we'd have probably robbed the place by now if we didn't think it was worth the convenience of having vendors on every street corner when we felt the need for a snack."

Val moves through the crowd more slowly than he had on their previous visitation, owing to the throngs of revelers enjoying themselves. "Hm, much as I love to be home, I'd have to say that Emerald Bay better knew how to have a good time. There's probably not a drop alcohol to be had around here," he observes. In short order, he finds himself before a sign board bristling with handbills and other postings. Plucking a few off, he shuffles through them catching up on recent events. "Well, it would seem that the dear princess is getting married. Interesting. Can't help but wonder if the Arm is orchestrating something there to consolidate power. This contest is interesting, I'd have liked to have made a gift of one of the articles from the museum in the Keep just to see their reactions. More likely to land me in prison than in the bridal party though."

His face grows more serious as he holds up the bill looking to recruit mercenaries. "What are we to make of this? If the throne has truly been coopted by the Arm, these 'rebels' are probably our greatest allies. Probably worth seeking out, the question is whether we do so in the company of the other mercenaries or try and find them on our own..."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Shouldn't our first order of business be locating, and possibly acquiring, the artifact here? Much as I love a good rebel cause and a royal wedding, the two of us have people in this city looking for us, so we should be using this festival as cover to get our job done. Depending on where the artifact is, some rebels could be useful, assuming they are friendly, but I'd like to locate it first."

 

[Mike M]

"It absolutely should be! Only I have no idea what it is or where to even start looking. Also, I would remind you that we are in the seat of the Arm's power, and that they possess the Monocle that allows them to know the position all the relics. What are the odds that they haven't already secured whatever was hidden here?"

Val's eyes open wide with sudden realization. "Well fuck me, I think I do know what it is and where to start looking." Holding aloft the flyer announcing the princess' wedding, he stabs the etching of the Cathedral of Heironeous with his index finger. "What was on that list of possible relics? There was some sort of cup or grail of Heironeous, wasn't there?"

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun almost ends up asking what a Princess is, before they start making plans already. After looking at the flyer demanding mercenaries to stop a rebellion, he takes a moment to speculate which allows Val and Quintis to dialogue a moment, before suggesting, "This mercenary business has 'trap' written all over it. Think about it, they know we're coming here, they know we're freelancers, so there is this convenient job for us to take that fits our skillset perfectly."

"Besides.." he already adds, "If anything the rebels are likely on our side somehow if they weren't a possible fabrication."

 

[ThLunarian]

((For reference, here's the post that Mike M is referring to: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=45329607&postcount=1940 ))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Well fuck you, you are right! How tight is the security in the Cathedral? If they have even a small idea of what that Cup really is, it is probably under tight lock and key and I imagine the wedding will be our best chance at it... That leaves me with two question. What do you give the girl who has everything and how do you think Avalyra will look as a bridesmaid?"

Quintus then replies to Muun, "Personally I think we can ignore these rebels right now, but if we decided to wait for the wedding, I suppose that gives us enough time to look into that. Once we figure out a gift for the Princess anyways. Just... I don't think we should go after the rebels just assuming they are gonna be allies, for all we know they are just fools who think they can usurp the throne or even part of the Arm, trying to gain power in a way we can't quite see right now."

 

[ThLunarian]

It's not hard to reach the cathedral; it's second only to the castle in size.

Security is unusually tight here, as the venue is being prepared for the Royal Wedding. There are signs posted, explaining to worshipers that regular services have been redirected to this building or that, until the festivities are over; vigilant guards in their signature ruby-red adornments are keeping watch at every entrance on every side.

 

[KittenMaster]

"Right, I only mean if they manage to not be a fabrication, which they probably are."

"Whatever the case may be, I wish we could avoid the wedding altogether.. I would rather not be around anything that makes me think about love."

 

[Mike M]

Val snickers at Muun's concern. "I wouldn't worry too much, royal weddings are about cementing alliances and brokering power. Love doesn't even enter the equation. Expect a lot of pomp and circumstance and spectacle, but not much in the way of romance."

 

[Jackben]

As the sun shines gently on the many peoples bustling to and fro, the half-orc watches as a steady breeze whips a series of bright and colorful pennants along their walk. Each pennant and banner brightly boasts of food and festivity atop the masts of the many tents and stands that line the pavement. Carried along the wind are the mouthwatering smells of baked goods and roasting meat, as Tarkus spots several stands carrying exotic fowl, slabs of meat dripping with grease and homemade pies of varying size and flavor.

The warrior cannot help but crack a wide smile amidst such an environment. The laughs and gossip of the citizens of Ruby Keep show a state of joy and celebration the likes of which he has not seen since the group's visit to Emerald Bay many moons ago. "Good to see peoples happy. Welcome change from cold and fearful future" the half-orc notes to the others as they head into the crowd.

Tarkus attempts to follow behind Val, still not completely used to the way the man adeptly weaves in and out of the packed crowds with such ease. As he stops to purchase something, Tarkus watches with wry amusement as a jester juggles several painted spheres while hopping around to the minstrel's jaunty tune.

Listening to the rogue go on about imagined schemes while praising his snack, Tarkus speaks through a mouthful of chicken. "Why roo rike...vos roast nuts zo mush?" he swallows, wiping his mouth on his sleeve a drumstick in displayed prominently in his left hand.

"Small animal food unsatisfying. Meat better."

- - -

As they approach the Cathedral and Muun & Val begin to talk about how this may be a loveless wedding, Tarkus nearly chokes on the last bit of his chicken. Coughing, he spits out a bone as he belatedly realizes what might be going on. "Princess...Lu-seal? Who will she marry?" He relates to the group his previous encounter with a strange young woman attempting to elude the guards, who appeared to be royalty. The shame as she cursed his name while being ushered back to the palace still burns in his throat.

"Mayhaps she run 'cus forced to marry? Wish could help in some way...but I not likely be welcome around formal wedding area."

"And agree mercenary call may be only for distraction, like what Sarm said of kobald in Alydar. Maybe still be worth check with person requesting it? Not be surprise if both thing relate somehow."

 

[ThLunarian]

The flyer about the rebel camp does indeed contain an address within the city where interested parties can inquire. Val knows the street, which is neither particularly seedy nor particularly affluent, but he is unfamiliar with the numeric address.

 

[Zynx]

As the party is transported to the Ruby Keep, Avalyra finds herself doubly disoriented, first by the magical transport, and then by the busy environment the appears around her. The sights and sounds, the masses of people and things, the bustling activity all over are quite overwhelming. But with some effort, she forces herself to adjust to the new environment. She makes a face as Val starts off with some inane commentary about the local cuisine, but thankfully, everyone soon gets down to discussing the task at hand.

At first, she simply listens, not knowing the area or the situation very well, but quickly, she has a few ideas. "I agree that the artifact should be our first priority. The first order of business should be to narrow down its possible locations. It would probably be a bit too much to ask the guards about it," she suggests blithely, "but if a guard overheard a tourist or two chattering about a holy cup, that guard might think of some useful information that I can then read."

"Hmm," she continues. "I don't really like the idea of giving a gift for the so-called prize of being a bridesmaid, but if our objective is inside the cathedral, I can do it. All we need to do is to find out what the princess, or whoever's judging the contest likes, and obtain some raw material. I can quickly handle the rest, as long as it isn't arms or armor. I think we should split up and explore all the leads we've got. There's not much time until some of these opportunities expire."

She makes a show of looking around, but it's already obvious who she should ask. "Val," she asks, holding out a hand, "do you mind being a curious tourist with me? We're very impressed, seeing the majestic cathedral in person and will idly chat about what may be contained inside."

 

[KittenMaster]

Val's explanation, while logical to him, almost seems ineffective, "That's not reassuring. Just... never mind. I shouldn't have brought it up." It seems odd that such a subject might bother him for whatever reason, so he turns his attention towards Tarkus and his review of the snack that had been given away, and fixates his gaze on the piece of chicken that he has, "And that stick you call meat isn't small animal food? Chickens are prey for stray cats, it's much more satisfying to have meat of a large beast that a dire wolf would claim as victory.."

After it is settled how they plan on infiltrating the cathedral and making audience, Muun asks, "And what of the rest of us? I can see Jack & Quintis helping you two out, but me and Tarkus.. not so much."

 

[Mike M]

Val upends the grease-stained paper bag to dump the last few pieces of nuts into his waiting maw, only to don an expression of disappointment when the bag proves empty. Shrugging his shoulders, he crumples the bag as he answers Tarkus' question about his love of nuts, heedless of anyone else's disinterest. "I like them for the same reason I like most things. They are exotic, and not always easy to come by. Chicken, in contrast, is utterly mundane. I could eat a chicken at every meal of the day --hells, I could throw in a few extra meals-- and never even make a noticeable difference in their population in the kingdom. The nuts though, they are an import from lands far over seas. They're easy enough to come by within city limits, but step outside these walls and there are scant few who have ever had the pleasure."

Val chucks the bag at a nearby refuse container and misses by a mile. "Confound it," he grumbles to himself as he strides over to pick the litter from the cobblestones and deposit it in the barrel.

---

At the Cathedral, Val attempts to sketch out some course of action they could take. "Well if Tarkus' past encounter is any indication, I would say the odds are quite good indeed that this is an arranged marriage that the princess wants no part of. Serves as a reminder to the rest of us that wearing the crown has its price. Avalyra's idea of scoping out the cathedral is a good one, but wouldn't require the whole lot of us. Though I think our chances of crafting a winning gift might be augmented if we could manage to perform an encore that trick she pulled on the fellow on the dock in Southport for the judge of the competition.

"As far as the rebels are concerned... I don't know, I guess it could be a trap, but it's an awfully esoteric and convoluted one. How long have these fliers been up? They must have gotten quite a large response from legitimate inquiries. I can give directions on how to get there, maybe you fine gentlemen can make discrete inquiries while Avalyra and I case the cathedral?"

 

[Jackben]

As Muun discusses meatier animals, Tarkus laughs at the mental imagery of a stalking cat. He responds by shaking his head solemnly, eyes closed. "That sound tasty, but sadly not see any such stand."Drumstick meat what I see first." He shrugs at Val's reply about the nuts being a rare treat. "Not know you such con-issuer of snacks."

Returning to the plan ahead, he agrees with the rogue's take. "Best Quin disguise himself no matter who he go with, to avoid banker." He begins to ask for directions to take the accompanying members of the party to investigate the mercenary claim while Alvayra & Val work on information gathering with the royal guard.

 

[Zynx]

It's a testament to Avalyra's growing comfort wither her current companions that she joins the conversation about food, instead of staying silent. "The pleasure of food is so...temporary." Of course, not needing to eat likely colors her perspective, but she doesn't bring that up. "I'd much rather admire a work of art, read an interesting book, or even play a game."

As she waits for the others to come to their own conclusions as to what to do, she decides to take a moment to get a mental feel for the cathedral.

Detect Psionics

 

[KittenMaster]

Trying to clarify and elaborate, Muun goes on, "It's not just about the food, but the hunt. Food might be a temporary pleasure, but the experience and stories to tell are forever." He turns back to Tarkus and points to him, "I need to make you hunt with me someday, it seems like."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

"Personally I am okay with not know how my food got to my table, and I care even less to take part in the process. Anyways, as we have 5 days till this wedding, perhaps we should try to deal with this rebels now, so we know what effect, if any, they may have on our plans later."

 

[ThLunarian]

After the party splits up, Val and Avalyra begin the process of casing the joint. Avalyra doesn't detect any psionics anywhere near here - she seems to be realizing that the gift is exceedingly rare around here -, but she does get a sense that there is some weak magic in effect around, and possibly inside, the cathedral. It's nothing too out of the ordinary, and probably Divine in origin. She also notices that some of the guards may have a magical item or two, but none of them are standardized.

Val's casing is much different, as he sizes up the guards to try and discern which are buffoons and which are competent. He estimates that, based purely on a visual evaluation, it's about a fifty-fifty split.

-----

Meanwhile, Tarkus and Quintus (and possibly Jack and/or Muun) follow Val's directions to the address posted on the flyer. They are led to a small office, tended by a well-dressed man in glasses; in fact he looks remarkably similar to Val's alter ego, "Kaff Reyneel". So similar, in fact, that it's reasonable to wonder whether this man might be where Val got the idea, subconsciously or otherwise.

The man looks up from his desk as his door opens. "Hello," he says softly, "You must be here for the job. The reward is one hundred thousand gold pieces. We can't offer any money upfront; this is a highly dangerous job that multiple groups have already failed to complete.

"We have very little information about these rebels because everyone we've sent to investigate them has not returned. They're located about two days' ride to the south, by wagon. Faster if you travel lighter. They are occupying a fort that used to be abandoned, and is surrounded by tall wooden fences. I'm told that they have scouts at the top of their walls at all times, so a covert approach will be exceedingly difficult.

"Of course, some form of evidence that the job has been completed will be required. Unfortunately, I can't specify exactly what would be required because we don't know what is inside. Use your own discretion.

"Do you have any more questions?"

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun does indeed go with Tarkus and Quintis, since he knows the only way to find out the truth about the rebels is to go in.

The story given to them seems odd, as to be expected. "I am curious, how do you know that they are rebels to begin with?"

 

[ThLunarian]

The man behind the desk just shrugs. "I'm simply relaying the information that my client - who prefers to remain anonymous - has seen fit to provide. But, an unsanctioned military force so close to the capital of the kingdom seems to fit the 'rebel' label to me. If it suits you to call them something else, so be it."

 

[Zynx]

Avalyra looks at Val to see if he will take the first move, but suddenly feels a bit impulsive. She looks up at the cathedral, as if admiring it. "Nathaniel," she addresses Val, just loudly enough to be overheard by the nearest guard, "Isn't this cathedral just magnificent? I wonder if the holy cup I've heard about is just as marvelous?" She glances as the guard, hoping to have sparked a mental reaction with her words.

Read Thoughts Will DC 20

A quick half-turn later, her left hand reaches towards a pocket. Now in quiet whisper, she asks Val a little nervously. "Any other ideas on what to do here? Do you think it's worth the risk to take a peek inside?"

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus walks forward and puts a hand on Muun's shoulder, "Very well good sir, is there nothing else you can tell us about these rebel's? I'd like to be prepared as best we can."

 

[ThLunarian]

Val and Avalyra repeat that same tactic a few times on different guards around the building. Avalyra picks up a wide range of thoughts from them.

One or two are in their own little world and didn't even pick up on the cup discussion. Multiple guardsmen begin to think about a tall, frosty tankard of ale. Some begin to think about bra sizes.

The Chalice of Heironeous doesn't come up even once.

-------

The man behind the desk nods at Quintus. "Well, they seem to be very well-organized. Scouting parties on patrol happened upon the rebel base about two months ago. Several agents were sent there to obtain further intelligence, and none returned. A substantial force was sent to apprehend the rebels some weeks ago, and never returned - not a single man. Since then, we've had a few different adventuring parties take up the job, and so far none have met with any success. That's why I'm warning you right now that this job is HIGHLY dangerous."

 

[KittenMaster]

"I see. We may have to think about the job then. From what it sounds like you want an army, not a small pack." He's convinced that the supposed "rebel force" isn't exactly as small as he was expecting, and definitely not possible allies. And that they exist.

 

[Mike M]

Val follows Avalyra's lead without hesitation, more than a little pleased at the party having picked up a member more in keeping with his own various preferences than for stomping through the woods looking for prey or battering down doors. "My word, Julia," he says in reverence as he casts his gaze about the exterior of the building, "Magnificent seems to be quite the under statement."

As they circle the perimeter, playing the part of awed tourists, Val sizes up situation security as best he can. "They look to have a few weak links in their chain here," he whispers back, "but there's no telling what things look like on the inside from out here."

He nods in the direction of the nearest man in red standing sentry. "Also, these are royal guards. Not being part of the clergy, they probably don't know spit about any relics associated with the religion."

Val stares up at the great stained glass windows and flying buttresses. If there was entry to be had up there, it would be perilous to reach. The sigil of a hand clutching a lightning bolt rendered in panes of colored glass did give him an idea, though.

"I wonder how much resistance these guards would put up for a couple clerics of Heironeous calling on official church business... We wouldn't be able to attempt it until the changing of the shift, and should probably spend that time doing a crash course cramming on the subject..."

 

[Jackben]

Tarkus is somewhat taken aback at this man's resemblance to Val's alter ego. His brow raised in suspicion, the half-orc's eyes narrow as the nondescript man's explanations seem to bring about more questions than answers. He closes his eyes and crosses his arms as he thinks. After the rest have said their piece the warrior clears his throat.

He looks at Muun and nods at the look in the ranger's eyes. "Multiple party disappear. Sound difficult task. Will need recruit more before embark."

Once they have left the premises, Tarkus grits his teeth. "Something suspicious there. If truly rebel we can make ally, and not trap, can wait until after wedding."

 

[KittenMaster]

Muun shakes his head in response to Tarkus once they have a moment to plan in private, "No, it might actually be why Southport disappeared in the future, because of those guys."

 

[Zynx]

Avalyra is visibly nervous as Val suggests impersonating clerics to gain entry. "Wouldn't it be better if just you..." she starts to say, before her voice trails off into silence. "Alright," she declares instead, her voice tinged with resignation. "Let's do it. But you need to do all the talking."

She finds a quiet corner out of sight and earshot of any strangers, and prepares to absorb what Val is about to tell her. "Okay. Give me that crash course. Oh, and you might as well describe to me what outfits to assemble."

Minor Creation, Psionic, Craft(Weaving) check => 1D20+21 => 33

While she listens intently to Val's discourse, she suddenly interrupts him. "I've got an idea. It'll probably make me behave a bit differently, so if you need my assistance, or it's over, tell me to 'Wake up'. Just treat me like a trainee or whatever a junior cleric should be." She then closes her eyes, and it seems as if she's trying to tell herself something.

Suggestion, Implanted, choose to fail save - "I really am a junior cleric of Heironeous. Until Val says to me 'Wake up', or 8 hours are over."

When she opens her eyes again, she begins to act a lot differently.

 

[ThLunarian]

Neither Val nor Avalyra know the first thing about how a Junior Cleric of Heironeous would behave.

As luck would have it, though, Tarkus, Quintus, Muun, and Jack manage to find them just as Val begins to explain to Avalyra that he's as clueless as she is. Quintus is able to give them a quick-and-dirty rundown of how they should behave.

Once they've been briefed by the wizard, Avalyra uses her Implanted Suggestion trick to suddenly become a lot more believable, and they are ready to move in at their leisure.

((Rolling Quintus's Knowledge Religion for him, to speed things along: ....And he got a Natural 20, so apparently Quintus is an expert on Heironeous. You guys will not take any penalties to your Bluff, Craft, and/or Diplomacy checks for this. It also means that Val will have no trouble convincing a guard to let them in, so I'm going to skip to the actual infiltration in the interest of moving things along, though you can feel free to address the conversation with the guard at the beginning of your post))

The inside of Heironeous's Cathedral can best be described as "decadent". The main worship area is somewhat cavernous, but it's far from empty; religious artifacts worth untold amounts of gold decorate the walls, ceilings, and floor. Paintings depict famous battles from the tales of Heironeous's triumphs, and various holy weapons and armor are shown in display cases. There doesn't seem to be any sort of chalice in sight, though.

On this particular day, the church is filled with people who seem to be preparing for the upcoming wedding. In one corner, a small orchestra practices; in another, a dove-tamer struggles to keep his fowl under control. Stray children in formal wear are being chased by procession directors, and logistics are being worked out around a table placed on the stage at the back of the room.

In short, the place is a madhouse.

A middle-aged, high-energy woman spots Val and Avalyra and marches straight up to them. "You two! Quit lollygagging around and get where you're supposed to be! We're already a half day behind schedule! There's no time for idling around!"

Immediately after finishing her sentence, she turns and marches away quickly, without bothering to make sure that they followed her instructions.

 

[Mike M]

Val digs through the handy haversack and pulls out his cleric's vestments that have totally been in there the whole time but he has never had cause to use until now. He could use the Mask of Lies, but he figures that while more mundane, there's no chance that his outfit will evaporate after a set amount of time or if he were to run across some sort of dispelling magic effect for some reason.

While he changes out his outfit, he tries to absorb as much information from the surprisingly knowledgeable Quintus as he can. Val has never been the church-going type, since most gods who would fall on the side of good probably don't much care for the sorts of things that he gets up to. Yet Val doesn't really consider himself a bad person, so it's not as though he would find himself in welcome company with the denizens of the other end of the pantheon.

Once the costume change is complete and he's confident that he can recite the major points of faith expected of a follower of Heironeous, Val walks up the steps of the cathedral at a serious, contemplative pace. At the top of the stairs, he nods his head slowly in turn to each of the two guards standing at the door, one of which sighs heavily and rolls his eyes. Val makes a mental note that clearly not all those stationed here are men of faith, despite the militaristic leanings of the followers of Heironeous. Not immediately useful knowledge, but it could come in handy at a later point.

Opening the door, Val ushers Avalyra into the vast interior of cathedral. As imposing as the building had seemed from the outside, the inside was somehow moreso. Such an accumulation of wealth in one place, Val has not seen in a dog's age. Old habits die hard, and he immediately begins trying to sketch out the logistics of cleaning out the place and fencing the results, but quickly dismisses the notion. These artifacts are probably only of value to the followers of Heironeous, who probably do not harbor the desire to posses them personally for their own private collection, so there wouldn't be much profit to be had. Plus he would incur the wrath of an entire religion for his actions, and he has enough on his plate trying to deal with Vecna's followers as it is, thank you very much.

His thoughts on the matter are interrupted by the brief haranguing by whom Val takes to be in charge of the place. As she rushes off, Val gestures toward the table on the stage. "I'll see if I can't help with their logistical planning. They're bound to have maps, diagrams, schedules, all those helpful things. Why don't you go help those poor souls chasing those children around? It might provide opportunity to get a feel for the layout of this place that you can't get from just studying a schematic."

 

[Zynx]

Avalyra gives Val a strange look as he emphasizes getting to know the layout of the cathedral, but nods in response. Why would that be a priority in our service to Heironeous? Still, she moves towards the rowdy children, as it is her duty to obey her superiors in the church. "Little ones," she calls out to them, "Please, calm down." She feels a strange sensation in her mind, as if she knew she could easily get these errant children under control, but the method eludes her.

 

[ThLunarian]

Val gets up on the stage and wriggles his way into the group standing around the table. On said table are various diagrams, some of the giant room he's standing in, others of the enormous staircase outside where the wedding will take place. Off in the corner, half-buried beneath the rest is what appears to be a map of the upper floors, including room assignments for the days leading up to the wedding.

"...So as I was saying, I think we ought to release the doves halfway through the third song of the children's choir," one of the younger men is saying when Val gets within earshot.

"Nonsense. Near the beginning of the fifth song are the lyrics "Fly away home." That would be the PERFECT spot to release them!" a middle-aged man protests.

"But the timing is all wrong," says another younger man. "There are only six songs in that set. It's too far away from the middle, but not far enough ahead to be a grand finale."

"We STILL haven't addressed the Procession of the Handmaidens!" a shrill older woman screeches.

"Piss off with the handmaidens, you old bag," says the first man. "That's one tradition we ought to do away with. It's too bloody expoitative. These are modern times we're living in, and there's no place for that nonsense here."

This continues rather unproductively for as long as Val cares to listen.

Avalyra, having been left to her own devices and under the influence of her own hypnotic powers, is having a difficult time figuring out what exactly she's supposed to do. She does find some solace in rounding up any wayward children who manage to get away from their choir director.

Out of the corner of her eye, she happens to notice one of the craftier ones sneaking up a staircase, which is quite clearly out of bounds. Before she has a chance to call after him, he's already disappeared onto the second floor.

 

[Zynx]

Avalyra follows the escaping child up the staircase. "Come back!" she entreats to the child. Then she remembers her superior's curious instruction and takes a quick look around.

((Roll for me please if necessary.))

 

[ThLunarian]

Avalyra follows the precocious youth up the stairs and sees him dart around a corner up ahead. An adult male voice can be heard from that direction: "You there! Stop, you're not allowed to be up here!"

Footsteps can be heard moving away from Avalyra's location. She continues forward and peeks around the corner, and spots a Ruby Keep guardsman attempting to chase after the child.

She hurries forward in an attempt to join the chase, and is startled when a door opens abruptly in front of her. A teenaged girl emerges, and Avalyra narrowly avoids crashing into her.

The girl has long, blond, styled hair and has wide, alert eyes; she is breathing heavily, like she's nervous about something. She is wearing a very expensive casual dress, and she looks eagerly at Avalyra. "Is this it?" she says in a quiet tone. "Are you the one who's going to get me out of here?"

 

[Mike M]

Val strolls up to the table every bit as though he belongs there, and begins leafing through the various sheets of paper, commiting as much as he can to memory. Names. Positions. Assignments. Anything that might prove useful now or later.

"The solution," he says after a moment of this unabashed snooping, raising his voice to be heard above the squabbling, "ought to be obvious if you could stop squawking long enough to recognize it. Move the fifth song to the end of the set, and release the birds as part of the finale. Or perhaps better yet, cut the sixth song from the set altogether and end it with the birds on the fifth, lord knows this whole affair could use some editing. There's no sense in having a royal wedding if the couple is going to be beyond the their childbearing years when the ceremony is concluded.

"Now," Val says, clutching sheafs of paper and shaking them for emphasis, "has anyone seen the draft itenerary? There's much work to be done if we're to realign with the schedule."

 

[Zynx]

Avalyra steps back in surprise as a girl suddenly appears in front of her. She senses the girl's distress, plain as day, and feels compelled to help her. After all, it is her duty as a cleric of Herioneous to protect the weak. But something about the situation makes her uncomfortable. Why would someone be distressed within the cathedral's walls, among Herioneous' servants? But right now, that concern is secondary.

"Who are you?" she asks the girl, her voice soft and gentle. "Why do you need to get out of here?"

 

[DeadPhoenix]

While all this fun stuff is going on, Quintus decides to pick up a few scrolls from the local magic shop. And by a few I mean 12 scrolls of phantom steed(this guys move at 240 speed now... if we do the rebel thing we'll be there in an hour or so.) and I was gonna get a scroll of permanency(i was thinking for telepathic bond, not everyone may be into that idea though), but those things cost 10k... Oh well, maybe after the next payday.

 

[ThLunarian]

The teenaged girl appears dismayed at Avalyra's obvious confusion. "Oh, for the love of..." She rolls her eyes and grunts in frustration, then grabs Avalyra by her vestments and yanks her into the room, shutting the door quietly.

"Look, I'm sorry you got dragged into this," she begins, "But if that guard had come back and seen you with me, you might have gotten in a lot of trouble. And I'm not surprised you don't know who I am; I've been locked up in that castle my whole bloody life. I'm Lucille, and I'm the princess. Believe me, it's not as fun as it sounds. I need to get out of here because they're trying to make me get married against my will."

-------

As Val shuffles through the papers, he gets weirded out when he realizes that the entire table is silent, as all eyes are on him. He can feel the weight of their glares.

After five seconds of uncomfortable silence, Val gets verbally assailed from all angles.

"Cut the sixth song?! Are you mad? That song has been a mainstay of royal weddings for centuries!"

"You're a cleric. What makes you think you know the first thing about planning such an event?"

"I certainly don't recall you being appointed to the planning committee. I demand to see your credentials!"

"We're the ones planning the first draft of the itinerary, you dolt. You're holding it right in front of you!"

As the verbal assault continues, Val notices that he is in fact holding the itinerary. So far, there's only one item listed: the recital of the children's choir.

He also happens to be holding a variety of other documents, some of which may be useful in planning his next move. If he would like to try and pocket a few of them, he may wish to make a Dexterity-based Thievery check in order to do so discreetly.

--------

After Quintus, Takus, Muun, and Jack finish up their business at the scroll shop, they are startled when someone manages to get directly behind them without them noticing.

"Hello, fellas," says the diminutive human. "I've got some information for you. I hear you're interested in the rebel job, and you ought to know that the situation is more complicated than the bookworm first let on.

"See, the rebels WERE a small force that wasn't a threat to no one. The military caught wind, and sent a patrol down there to clean up the place. Only problem was, the commander of that patrol ended up goin' rogue himself. Killed the leader and assumed command of the base, takin' all of his troops with 'em. The army's embarrassed about the whole thing and is tryin' to handle it all quiet-like. That's why there's all the secrecy.

"'Course, the question is... what made the commander go nuts like that? Rumor has it there's some kinda magic artifact there, makes people lose their minds. Get all bloodthirsty and whatnot. Sounds like somethin' you all might be interested in, right?" He smiles knowingly and winks at the party.