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[Axelhortsemchi]

"If he's got a snake god's relic on him, he's done a mighty good job of keeping it concealed on our travels," Ludwig says to the mysterious but oddly familiar half-Orc.

"I don't see anything moving around in your bag, but I also can't see past the first layer of stuff. It's probably not what you want to hear, but we're going to have to start emptying your bag if we want to get to the bottom of this."

 

[KittenMaster]

Could be a snake.. or worse, a snake with legs like a kobold. Please don't be a kobold

He tips the bag over and begins to 'scrape' out its contents with his sword sheath.

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi watches as the elf starts picking around the things carefully. His curiosity piqued he grows impatient at the slow process. "Oh come on, this is not how you search for something." He leans over the contents and begins rummaging through them with a fearless determination, casting aside various tools. "Man, you have a lot of stuff..."

 

[KittenMaster]

Suddenly Fhiess panics, "W-wait! Some of my things are fragile!" He leaps down hoping to get the valuable paint brush in the gift box before it can be thrown across the room.

 

[Mike M]

Fhiess:

Spoiler

As you wrap your fingers around the varnished wooden box, you find that it weighs approximately what you’d expect if a kobold was hidden within it distinctly shudders within your grasp before lying still once more.

 

[KittenMaster]

Once Fhiess reaches into the bag to grasp the varnished gift box before Sagishi can get to it, he freezes. Sweat begins to form about him while being watched.

He trembles while drawing the box closer.




<Moments later, real life me jumps out of his seat after seeing a large spider>

 

[ThLunarian]

"Right. It's in the box, then," says Keranos. He turns to the half-orc. "Not likely to be a giant snake, but sometimes dangerous things come in small packages." He looks at Fhiess. "Friend, are you sure you don't want someone else to handle this? You seem easily startled, and I would hate for your heart to stop when whatever is inside that box decides to reveal itself. I'll take it if you'd like. I promise to make every effort not to damage anything." He holds out his hand.

 

[KittenMaster]

Fhiess quickly shakes his head, and turns the box away from Keranos, "No. No... This is my responsibility." He takes a deep breath, "I have to bring this back to Hogan once it has brought me luck and it wouldn't be right to cower from that. Besides, I might just be thinking things are alive that aren't, eh heh!"

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos rolls his eyes and mutters quietly to himself.

Mike M

Spoiler

I'll try to cast Thaumaturgy in a non-obvious way to make the box open on its own

 

[Mike M]

All the fumbling of the pack and manhandling of the box must have loosened the latch on the small object, because as Fhiess turns away with it the lid springs open revealing a nest of venomous snakes...

The brush.

It's seated at a weird angle--presumably from all the jostling around--in the velvet-lined interior, but otherwise there's nothing of interest within.

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi looks at the brush. "Hm, that doesn't look too special." He prods it with a finger. "A good luck charm, you say? Maybe it is trying to tell you that you'll need it soon."
He leans back again, slightly disappointed by the outcome. A snake or even a rat would have been so much more fun.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Pulled into the escalating tension surrounding the box, Ludwig is ready to shout as it opens. Having a good perspective to shout, the J'raffa yells "Holy shit! It's a..." The excitement is gone in an instant, leaving only disappointment. "...Paint brush? Eh, at least it's a break from everything being snakes."

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos narrows his eyes with some skepticism and looks at the brush suspiciously for a moment.

Mike M

Spoiler

Using Awakened Mind to try and whisper telepathically to the brush I know. menacingly

After a second, though, he loses interest and looks to the bar. "Barkeep!" he says, slamming a gold coin down, "A round of drinks for my traveling companions and me!" Privately, he hopes there are no age restrictions on drinking in this city.

 

[KittenMaster]

Fhiess quickly shuts the case as Sagishi tries to prod it. He whispers, "It's a brush that belonged to the old master, Nolzur! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if it were damaged."

 

[Mike M]

Sagishi:

Spoiler

Maybe it's just been riding around in a stuffy, velvet-lined box all day, but the brush is unusually warm to the touch.

Keranos:

Spoiler

If there's an intellect behind the brush, it's playing dumb and not responding.

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi looks a little bit miffed when Fhiess snaps the lid shut. "Hm, well if that brush is so valuable you better be careful lest it melts or something. Seems like it is getting pretty warm in that stuffy box. In fact had it been a bit warmer it might have burned my finger."

 

[KittenMaster]

He blinks, "Huh? I know it's sitting in a layer of velvet fabric but it shouldn't melt even in the warm weather.." He opens the box again, just to make sure.

 

[Mike M]

((Are you just looking at it, or are you handling it?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Just... gently feeling around for the heat I guess, Fhiess wants to avoid touching the brush if he can avoid it, especially since he recently just painted>

 

[Mike M]

The box and velvet lining feel about room temperature.

 

[KittenMaster]

"Doesn't seem scorching hot to me.." He kneels down to his pack and retrieves a clean cloth from it, then uses it to adjust the brush slightly in the container before closing it finally, "I'm sorry about all of this, everyone. Maybe I'm becoming paranoid for no reason.."

Did the aftermath of the hobgoblin battle get to him more than he thought?

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi shrugs, maybe it had been his imagination after all.

 

[ThLunarian]

"Anyway," says Keranos, returning to the group with a fist full of mug handles. He distributes ale to each of his companions, leaving Ludwig's mug near enough to the edge of the table that he ought to be able to.... well, he'll figure out some way to drink it, anyway. He ought to be used to this.

He plunks himself down in an empty chair and leans forward, elbows on the table. "So! What do we all have on our plates for the 'morrow? Ludwig, do you plan to visit the local constabulary for clues as to the location of your mentor's murderer? Or perhaps the local Rogues' Guild will be more useful for such information?

"And Sagishi! What of this love you speak of in Remdormo? What on Nyx could possess you to leave the loving touch of your paramour in favor of such mundane festivities?"

He takes a large swig of his ale and listens intently.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

The weirdness of the event making Ludwig think something's off, he glares intently at the brush as it's put up.

Mike M:

Spoiler

using detect evil to see if it's some kind of demon possessed brush

Ludwig laughs and says "These things happen! I get called paranoid all the time for expecting the state currency to collapse at any time. No harm, no foul." The J'raffa laps up some of his mug, it's placement allowing him to do so as opposed to inhaling the whole glass at once.

Replying to Ludwig, he says "A fie upon the constabulary! Though consulting the local rogue's guild does sound like a good idea, and maybe someone at the main party will know something. Thanks for the suggestion!"

 

[Mike M]

Ludwig:

Spoiler

Man, this spell is poorly written. More like "Detect fantasy racial stereotypes."

You don't get anything off the brush, but Sagishi pings a result again. There are also four guys in foreign-looking armor with some sort of wolf or dog motif to their helmets at a table on the far side of the room from the hearth, just at the edge of your 30ft radius. They certainly don't look like an aberration, fiend, or undead, and are just minding their own business.

 

[KittenMaster]

<I assume touching the brush with a clean cloth instead of fingers did nothing, so I'll go ahead and have Fhiess converse>

Fhiess wraps the box in some canvas fabric that he had just purchased to better protect it slightly better. Once he's finally able to return to the dinner of bread and goat stew*, he takes the mug given to him with both hands and looks for a spot to put it. He answers Keranos, "Well, I was allowed to bring some paintings to demonstrate the king the output of the shop, and now that I think of it I suppose this brush is proof of the enterprise's trust in me as well." He then grins proudly, "That and Sagishi can attest to my helping the king's city feel a little more happy in their lives making some portraits for them."





<*I'm not sorry>

 

[Mike M]

<I assume touching the brush with a clean cloth instead of fingers did nothing, so I'll go ahead and have Fhiess converse>

((Yup, brush feels perfectly normal with the cloth.))

<*I'm not sorry>

((Took me a sec. God damn, dude. &#128516)

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

As he thought, nothing was up with the brush. Ludwig relaxes and takes in the sights of the bar, noticing a perfectly ordinary group of gentlemen in foreign looking armor with helmets that have some kind of wolf or dog motif going on. Ludwig doesn't linger his gaze on them for long, as staring at normal people having drinks would be rude. It is doubtful that glancing by saw anything out of the ordinary.

[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=132279]Perception: 1D20 + 3 = [3]+3 = 6
[/url]

"Huh, those guys have snazzy helmets," Ludwig remarks.

 

[Mike M]

Sagishi:

Spoiler

Ludwig has just called attention to what you would recognize as a squad of Nihaan's elite hunters tasked with the extrajudicial silencing of all who might potentially reveal the nation's secrets: The Foxhounds

 

[ThLunarian]

Perception: [2] + 4 = 6
History : [13] + 2 = 15 (in case the wolf/dog motif has some historical significance. If Religion would apply better, I guess use that instead? It's the same bonus)

 

[KittenMaster]

<I only got 11 on History, but if we're all rolling perception

Perception: 1D20+2+2 => (17 + 2 + 2) = 21>

Fhiess apparently can tell if they were a wolf or a dog design, to the benefit of any mercenary groups that pick up canine puppies in the wild.

 

[Mike M]

There's nothing of historical or religious importance about their appearance that anyone can recall.

The design of the helmet is stylized enough that it's not a particularly accurate representation of either dog or wolf. But it certainly looks ferocious in either case.

 

[Nezumi]

Keranos question makes Sagishi pause for a moment as he looks into his drink. After two more swigs from his cup he fially answers. "This sweet lover's embrace has two daggers atttached, intended for me. You see, I didn't come to Remdormo in search of love, I was running away from it. My lover she..." he stops as he sees Ludwigs attention shift and when he points out the four men at the other end of the tavern he becomes even paler than he normally is.

He shrinks in his seat and a blind person could spot that he suddenly is in great distress. His eyes are darting from place to place, looking for a way to get out or hide.

Mike M:

Spoiler

Have they already spotted Sagishi? And I'm also figuring that the distress he is in combined with the alcohol might cause the control on his apperance to slip a bit. Maybe not as much as to grow a tail or furry ears but maybe some fox like pupils or elongated canines? I leave it to you to decide what the perception check for that would be.

 

[Mike M]

Sagishi:

Spoiler

There's no indication that they've spotted you. Your disguise is an all-or-nothing kind of deal by a strict reading of Wild Shape, but if you want to have slip ups for flavor sake, that's fine and your decision.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=132347]Perception: 1D20 + 3 = [3]+3 = 6
[/url]

[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=132349]Insight: 1D20 + 3 = [14]+3 = 17
[/url]

((Not sure if perception or insight is better here, so will go off discretion. Ludwig will jump in a bit aggressively if he knows what's going on))

 

[Mike M]

((Man, you guys are not having any luck with Perception checks today. Insight doesn't reveal anything beyond what Nezumi already said: Sagishi got nervous when he saw the guys Ludwig pointed out.))

 

[Nezumi]

Mike M

Spoiler

There was a bit about the disguise being flaky at times in the kitsune race document you send me.

Sagishi shrinks in his seat in an effort to make himself invisable from the four men. His mind is racing.

Mike M:

Spoiler

Is there a way to just leave the tavern without getting spotted? Because if the DC is too high I'm actually considering hiding in Ludwig's bag in fox form
Edit: Well, since he already offered his help. I just rolled with it.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ludwig, ever assuming that every bad thing in the world is the fault of a government actor, continues to chat casually with his companions while subtlely leaning in to the table to talk softly to Sagishi.

"You seem uneasy all of the sudden. Is it those guys over there? If they're," Ludwig stops, scans the room five times, and looks back to Sagishi, "government agents, I'll stand with you to deal with them."

 

[Nezumi]

Ludwig, ever assuming that every bad thing in the world is the fault of a government actor, continues to chat casually with his companions while subtlely leaning in to the table to talk softly to Sagishi.

"You seem uneasy all of the sudden. Is it those guys over there? If they're," Ludwig stops, scans the room five times, and looks back to Sagishi, "government agents, I'll stand with you to deal with them."

Sagishi smiles, still uneasy. "I appreciate the offer, but if I'm honest I'd rather avoid a stand of any kind. But..." he looks through the window to the rather spacious bag the other is carrying around. "If you would might bringing that bag in here and under the table you might already help me out a great deal."

 

[KittenMaster]

((Man, you guys are not having any luck with Perception checks today.

<But... I rolled 21.. ;_;>

 

[Mike M]

((Leaving by getting up and walking would be a DC 12 Stealth check. They're not paying you any mind.))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ludwig winks at Sagishi, figuring there's an insinuation there, and pulls out from the window for a second. He then comes back in with his satchel, opening it for the party to see.

"Guys, the precious metals market is insane here! I converted my gold to a more stable source, but it's only a fraction of what It could have been a week or month ago."

He pushes his neck in further to wrap his neck around the table, the large bag in the middle and hanging underneath the table. This is great! See? It means that more and more people are seeing the perks of free markets! The populace is learning that fiat currencies will fail! If we can keep Tha spreading it, most people will avoid the hideous and inevitable economic collapse due to controlled coinage!

 

[KittenMaster]

"Are you two, okay..?" Fhiess starts to get worried, first it was him and now the others seem to be on edge, though Ludwig's gambit seems to be lost on the artist as are the implications of what is going on.

 

[Nezumi]

((Well, let's just say that due to his panic he doesn't think about the most obvious and easiest way to get out. ))

Once the bag is in place Sagishi slinks under the table but not before addressing Ludwig one more time. "Count to ten and then you can put it back out again."

Mike M:

Spoiler

Once he is under the table Sagishi will transform and jump into the bag. Guess that would still mean I need to make a stealth check so...

Stealth using my Inspiration point: 1D20+7 = [9]+7 = 16

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ludwig opts to disregard the concept of anyone noticing the bag gambit and just ignores his sack dangling beneath the table.

"Everything is fine! I guess I just got a little carried away about fiat coinage and government force there. I do that sometimes." Once the 10 seconds have passed, he withdraws the sack, now containing Sagishi, from the bar.

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos observes the spectacle happening at the table passively until Sagishi is safely concealed within the bag and on his way out the window.

Once his shaken companion is clear of the building, Keranos gets up and returns to the bar, slamming down another gold. "Bartender!" He calls out. "A round of drinks for the fellows in the fine-looking helmets!"

He strolls over to where they are parked and inserts himself into their group. "Good evening, gentlemen!" He says boisterously. "What brings you to town, if you don't mind me asking? I couldn't help but notice your rather unique headgear, and decided that I'd like to learn more about men who would make such a bold fashion choice. Perhaps you might have a spare helmet I could purchase from you? Or at least direct me to a smith capable of crafting such a fine piece of protection. And please, drink up - there's more where this came from!"

 

[Mike M]

The four men are of varying heights and builds, but all four of them have varying shades of green eyes and pale skin and the lining at the shoulders of their armor appear to be made from the pelts of some animal with rust-colored fur. Their mouths are visible through the agape jaws of their helmets, but other than that it's near impossible to tell what their faces might look like. In uncanny synchronous movement, they all turn to face Keranos as he makes his brazen introduction and questions.

"Our helmets are the Visage of the Hunter, wokou kauni." one of them says. His voice is calm and level, but carries a power to be heard over even the white noise of the diners at the tavern's long tables. "I am afraid they are not for sale, and no oitarondo smith can hope to replicate them."

The serving girl delivers the tankards of ale that Keranos has bought on their behalf, but they remain untouched before them as they stare at Keranos, unblinking.

 

[Nezumi]

Sitting in the bag Sagishi carefully peeks out but then decides that it is best to stay inside as the streets are still pretty crowded and he is afraid to run into more hunters. Si for now he curls up and tries to get as comfortable as is possible in a bag that seems to be filled with nothing but metal.

 

[ThLunarian]

"Visage of the Hunter," repeats Keranos, adjusting his tone of voice to better match theirs. "I have a great deal of respect for hunters. They are more willing than most to listen to the Call of the Storm."

He pauses for a few beats to study the men, rolling his holy symbol back and forth between his thumb and pointer finger. "I do not recognize some of your words, so I assume you come here from very far away. I know the difficulties of traveling long distances, for I myself am a nomad of sorts. I would like to help you if at all possible. You seem not to be interested in ale, so perhaps there is some other hospitality I might offer you, or favor I might grant? From one foreigner to another. I ask for nothing in return." He meets the gaze of the man who spoke (or as near as possible, considering the helmet).

 

[KittenMaster]

<I'm actually not sure what Fhiess should do, since I feel like I missed a lot somehow>