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Thread: Sherwoodshire roleplaying

  1. #551
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    Outside the Keep, Denzil tells Eluned (in bear) that there are plenty of horse smells - but they are not very recent.
    If there was a horse here just now, it did not leave any smell.

    (Eluned realises that spotting tracks is a job for Walker, who is trained to do it.)

    Looking back at the Keep, Eluned sees that the Ballista crew are beckoning her to return.

  2. #552
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    Aislinn tells Sir Littlejohn about the Unseen Servant in the stable, uncertain if it is capable of being questioned. She'll say, privately to the Steward and with the tiniest nod in Druid Kitty's direction, that if any further questions or accusations are to be made, it would be better not to allow anyone to do so aloud, in public.

    "With the greatest respect, sir, if this Violet had more confederates, they're now aware just how much we know. I don't mean to presume... it's just... well, I've been in situations where I--where I understand thieves were able to create alibis using information spread about unwisely."

    But that advice is, as the Count said, closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. Nothing to be done about it now. She turns back to Violet, then the Keep gates, and shakes her head. Even though she pretty much guessed the plan between Violet and the gnome, along with Argent Blaze still being in the stable, she's still confused.

    The plan as Violet described it seems absurd--Violet and/or the Gnome thought they'd be able to simply walk the real Argent Blaze (disguised or not) out of the stable and the Keep, after everyone was already alerted to their being a horse thief around?

    "I don't understand where the second horse went," she says quietly to Walker. "I understand how it was taken--there's an invisible servant in the stable, so he must have ridden it--or another similar servant, since I'm not sure how he'd have returned so quickly to hide here. But how did the horse disappear? Unless the gnome has the ability to turn things invisible himself."

    She shrugs. "We must capture him to find out, I suppose. Surely the bear would be able enough to subdue him? Once Mistress Eluned returns, perhaps you might suggest that?"

    Presumably no one other than Eluned knows yet that Denzil only scented the Gnome's horse, so Aislinn can't use that calculation in her mind yet.

  3. #553
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    Eluned, walking with Denzil and trying to piece together what his scent-tracking means, sees the gestures from the guards on the Keep walls but looks over her shoulder again to check on how the gnome is doing.

    "Denzil, did you sniff anything off with him? I know he's probably just injured and a bit shaken. Anyway. We should head back to the Keep and tell them about the scents."

    She heads back to the Keep with Denzil alongside, forgetting to ask him to wait outside, they both approach together and see the others inside.

    "Hail! Count! Mistress Kitty! I have tended to the gnome. He is now well. He told of an invisible being that pulled him from his stallion but Denzil here [who, by the way, is VERY MUCH here] however cannot sense any smells of horse, other than the one pulling the cart. There are no recent tracks. If Argent Blaze rode out of here, he did not leave a trace. Have you found anything?"

  4. #554
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    Eluned's message about the mysterious horse leaving no traces is duly received.
    The Count suggests that Eluned join the party inside.
    Kitty prompts the Count saying "The bear Denzil could wait in the stream to the NE of the Keep - there's some fish there for him to catch!"

  5. #555
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    Count Percival nods at Aislinn. "You are right - we need to check for other conspirators - and be discreet too. Fortunately, since Violet has confessed, I can now allow spells to be cast on her to find out the whole truth."
    He turns to Kitty "What Potions have you got for veracity?"
    Kitty replies "I have an ESP Potion - you drink it, ask Kitty up to three questions and read her mind for complete accuracy - even if she doesn't reply."
    "Excellent" says the Count. He drinks the Potion.

    "Violet, name everyone involved in the plot to kidnap Argent Blaze." (The Count announces that only Violet and the gnome were involved. Violet didn't ask anyone else in the Keep to help as she believes they are all loyal to me!)
    "Violet, how were you going to smuggle Argent Blaze out?" (The Count announces that Violet and Maria exercise horses daily, so taking out a 'plain brown stallion' to the gnome would happen tomorrow.)
    "Violet, where did the horse that left no tracks go?" (The Count announces that Violet was told by the gnome that the horse was a spell - similar to the Invisible Stalker - and the gnome simply ended the spell. The spell leaves no trace - either of tracks or smells.)

  6. #556
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    Count Percival says " Violet, you are guilty, but you did confess. I sentence you to cleaning the Keep Privies for a week."
    He turns to the party. "Very good! You have saved my precious Argent Blaze. Now we know the gnome is expecting Violet to ride out tomorrow on a brown stallion. I would like you to think up a plan to capture the gnome. Bear in mind he has used spells - and may have hidden reinfocements. Any ideas?"

    Gradually the Keep returns to normal...

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    Ill-pleased by the use of magic to forcefully rip information out of someone's unconsenting mind--there's something unseemly and violative in it--Aislinn doesn't watch the interrogation and moves between Walker and Lydia Day.

    "Mistress Day," she says quietly. "Have you fought against gnomes before?" She glances over her shoulder to see Eluned. "Between you and the bear, we've enough strength to capture him. Mistress Eluned and Master Walker provide canniness and skill too. I... I don't know what I can do. I can be a lookout, I suppose."

    Aislinn scoffs to herself. It'd be amusing to use Invisibility herself to create a fake "Ghost Rider" and teach the Gnome a lesson.

  8. #558
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    Walker also looks slightly uncomfortable at the use of magic to probe someone's thoughts without consent, but turns and nods at Aislinn's plan.

    "It seems that Eluned and the bear... Denzil?... have met the gnome and from what she said he should be quite grateful to us, hah! And of course he doesn't know yet that WE know of the plot, so if Lydia - Ms Day - and Eluned and Denzil were to approach him I would think he wouldn't be spooked, and then I have no doubt that they'd be able to grapple him and bring him back here to the Keep. Miss Eluned, I assume you would need to be there to instruct Denzil? I can communicate over distance with Eye but I've noticed that you talk verbally with your bear companion... so unless you plan on shouting at him across the distance to the horse box, hah, you should probably accompany him? Or could you just give him instructions and let him trust his instincts in the moment?"

    To the Count he coughs slightly for his attention and then says, "Sir, I think we have enough people here to deal with Violet, and we have a plan to bring in the gnome accomplice. Do you need any other help in here? I am fairly competent at washing horses, if you would like that Argent Blaze back, hah!"

  9. #559
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    Lydia still kept her weapons out standing guard near Violet. One wrong move and it would be the last thing she did as Lydia awaited further instructions. "Even though already punished Violet might play dumber then she is, or I am overthinking it. No it can't be, I would never overthink. Violet is hiding something, she knows more then she says she does. This is all part of a global masterplan to bring them down. And I am not gonna let that happen, soon Violet will confess. If she wants to or not!" Lydia thought never stopping to think how most unlikely this is.

  10. #560
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    Aislinn chews on her lower lip and listens to Walker's comments. Lydia doesn't seem to respond to her--maybe Aislinn is too insignificant to an Ocean Barbarian? But Walker's ideas about whom the Gnome trusts give Aislinn a little shock of an idea.

    "If we want to catch the Gnome unprepared," she says slowly, her gaze examining the prized horse, "We know the Gnome trusts Violet. You all could sneak up after Violet goes to meet with him, riding Argent Blaze as expected. Well, any brown horse could be disguised as him."

    Aislinn absently raises her fingers to tuck some wind-tossed locks of hair behind her ears, touching the temporarily unmarked skin with the same wonder she's had all day. "And of course.... I'd be disguised as Violet."

  11. #561
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    Walker gasps slightly, not yet fully comprehending the breadth of magical ability Aislinn has. A magical wolf? An illusion of an unscarred face? A Saradoc? He's managed to fit these things into his world-view and somehow never thought that this could be used to make Aislinn look like an entirely different person.

    "So, uhmhm, well, do we think the gnome out there assumes it's all going to plan? I see Eluned tended to the gnome and clearly she had no idea of what we've just found out. Eluned, the gnome is part of the plot, a scheme to steal Argent Blaze! Does he suspect you at all? Did he seem suspicious? Violet here was going to head out to meet with him, and Aislinn is thinking of ... um... being Violet, hah!" He looks a little discomforted still as he says this out loud.

  12. #562
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    Aislinn catches the slight hesitation from Walker, and a quick glance shows that he's gallantly but not entirely successfully concealing the fact that he's unnerved by something she said. She tugs at her sleeves so they stretch over her hands, a habit from traveling during colder days.

    "Maybe I was too confident about that. The disguise," she adds, in a low tone hopefully not audible to Violet or the others. "I've no experience at it. Nimue told me how last night, and I already used one type of spell for... you know." She tucks her hair behind her ear near where her tattoo would be. "I don't really know how exact I'll be. I might need practice, but I can't waste the spell on tests. I suppose it should be good enough from a distance. Nimue wouldn't steer me wrong, would she?"

    Aislinn sneaks another look to assess Violet. "We seem to have similar coloring. She's much more..." The girl makes a vague gesture toward her face that somehow successfully gets across her meaning of 'pretty', "--And maybe a little taller. Can I even get taller?" The sudden prospect of being taller, stronger--not so easily loomed over or physically intimidated--makes this seem like the most wondrous of all Nimue's gifts.

    Not wanting to get ahead of herself, Aislinn sighs and shakes her head. "I suppose I'll find out. I'll make sure to wear a cap or cloak or something. Maybe it's in a shady area, too." What about voice? Oh! I can use ventriloquism perhaps? Or maybe not. I'll have to tally the number of spells and in what combinations I must use.

    "What a lot to remember," she says, unthinkingly adding, "Keeping track of which card or die is in what sleeve, belt or bodice... that's easy in comparison." She looks up, realizing she's been nattering on like a magpie, and hurriedly asks, "Do you have any experience with gnomes? Or you, Mistress Eluned?" Aislinn raises her voice in hopes that this time the Ocean Barbarian will hear her. "Lydia Day? Have you fought gnomes before?"

  13. #563
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    Eluned reaches the party and overhears the end of this conversation, quickly picking up on the details of what has happened.

    "Ok. So. I healed the gnome. I think he trusts us. Well, me at least. He doesn't know that you know the plan. We could go back out there. He met Denzil and wasn't too sure about him at first but I think it's fine now. I don't know how your illusion works, Miss Aislinn, but I would think we might not need it to be perfect. I have met this gnome already. He is expecting Violet. We just need the others to be unthreatening and further back so as not to spook him. You, I, and Denzil could approach. Between us and the others... " [Eluned's eyes flick over the barbarian and the ranger] "... we can probably subdue a gnome. We just need to keep him from running. So, what you do you say? You probably don't even need to talk. Just be there as a face he isn't going to be running away from."

  14. #564
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    Aislinn concentrates while looking at the ground, mulling over how she would react in the gnome's position. Hypothetically.

    "But he'll be expecting Violet to hand off a horse they're both stealing. Anyone with her would be joining in the theft too. I'm not sure he'll accept new cohorts. A sudden swap almost always means the jig is up and someone's twigged our scheme. You don't singlehandedly change plans on your fellows or you'll be marked a--"

    When her gaze moves up to meet Eluned's, then to the others, she awkwardly switches to a less experienced tone. "I just think--maybe it might need more stealth, is all," she murmurs.

  15. #565
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    Walker looks between the two, unsure.

    "Well, at the moment, from what Miss Eluned says, it seems that the gnome is unsuspecting of her and her bear, and had no idea that we know of the plan. Surely if you were ... umm... disguised? ... as Violet, then you would be able to ride Argent Blaze as planned, but with Eluned alongside as she is a friend to him... get close and maybe make some story to explain... maybe... I don't know... perhaps Eluned came back to the Keep to let us know that he was ok, and told Violet to bring his horse back? So he will think that it's all still going to plan and it's just Violet and the person who just healed him, but in reality it's you, Eluned, and a bear. And the rest of us behind...? Far behind. Or in the trees."

  16. #566
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    Aislinn doesn't want to go too far into explaining her doubts--and after all, that's all they are; thieves and tricksters may play the same tune, but most change the melody to suit the situation. And it isn't my horse, besides, she thinks pragmatically.

    She has little fear that a single Gnome poses a great threat, as the others seem confident--perhaps due to their experience. Well, their possible experience. Her party members clearly wish to keep whatever knowledge they have about Gnomes' fighting capabilities to themselves. They all must have their reasons for avoiding Aislinn's repeated questions, and if Aislinn respects anything it's the preciousness of a secret.

    "Yes, of course, sir; mistress," she says with hasty, dutiful nods to Walker and Eluned. "I'll follow through however you think best."

  17. #567
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    "Well, hah! You are the star of this show I suppose!" Walker says, still clearly a little off-kilter with the idea of Aislinn becoming an entirely different person. "Umm. Will... will Violet here see you change? Does you being her affect her at all? I don't know how this works, hah! It's not like you are taking anything from her, no? Umm.

    "So, plan. You .... do your thing... and then, umm... well, I guess you and Eluned ... and the bear... head out with the horse. You get to the gnome, pretend everything is going as planned, and then when he is accepting the horse we can all attack and subdue him. I suppose Lydia and I could be further back just pretending to be normal people. - Sorry Lydia, not saying you're not normal, hah! - and we can rush in if you are having problems. I'll have Eye in the sky (hah!) to be watching to see if it's going badly. From what Eluned says it seems like the gnome is here to pick up the goods, so to speak, not to fight, so I don't think you'd have a problem bringing him in, but it would be best to have Lydia and I, and Eye in the sky (hah!) to be ready in case he's ... feisty.


    "... Oh. Can you ride? Or are you good with horses?"

    Walker looks to Aislinn realising that there might be a flaw in the plan.

  18. #568
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    Aislinn stares stupidly at Walker, realizing she's not sure of the answer. She doesn't think she would have volunteered so quickly, so instinctively, if she's never been on a horse. True, she wanted to so very much when she first saw Argent Blaze. Maybe that was the simple source of her choice to offer to ride whichever horse gets disguised as the steed.

    The truth is, if she has ridden, it's not in her conscious memory. Except a vague impression of looking up at a horse seemingly the size of the Lake Ness monster. Aislinn must have been very small indeed.

    "I'm sure I can do well enough," she says without any true sureness at all. "I've little way to go, anyway. Or... or I could always just walk and lead the horse on the path, if that's not... suspicious. Argent Blaze is likely known to be barely ridable by anyone other than the King."

  19. #569
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    Count Percival nods happily and says he will leave the party to deal with the gnome horse thief tomorrow.
    He promises that the Keep will act as normal - i.e. as if Violet's plan had actually succeeded. That should allay any suspicion the villain may have.
    Sir Littlejohn adds that the Ballista team will stay alert - if things go really badly, the party are welcome to run back to the Keep and the Ballista crew will fire upon any pursuers.

    Violet is gently led away and Keep folk return to their duties.

  20. #570
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    Whenever they return to the castle and Aislinn can find any available reflective surface, she will make a worried inspection of her face, hoping the spell hiding her tattoo is still intact. Assuming it is, she'll follow the party through the evening in whatever they do.

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