Mattiverse Next - Session 27

Office Hours

• A max-level sleep gets the Boys into the room. Bobwhite finds the book while Four chugs a bunch of wine.
• They mend the broken trap on the way back to the barrels. They also use mending to put back together the broken barrel as the last step in re-enclosing themselves.
• Some time passes, the barrels are picked up and carted away.
• They are eventually set down again. They sit for a bit, then 'Possum is popped out to take a look.
  • The Boys are back at the restaurant. The halfling sits at a table with five settings.
  • The group extricates themselves, and sit at the table.

The date is , 32nd Sunforge (Summer), 1515 FI The time is 12:45 PM Some Halfling: Ah, Bobwhite. What a surpise! Some Halfling drinks some wine. Some Halfling: Please, you boys come have a seat. Bobwhite eagerly leaves the barrel behind Beldon: that sure was a lot of drama yall thespians? Four hops out. Some Halfling: One must play a great many roles in this life, don't you think? Some Halfling: Doesn't that make us all actors of a sort? Beldon: thats exactly what a thespian would say Some Halfling: Another thing I am is a professional. We begrude working with amateurs. Beldon: I hope there's more wine! Four: Is your wine better than what you give your guards? Some Halfling laughs. Some Halfling: It's good, not the best. That room was a test, and it was one of the ones you passed. Four: We passed everything-- we got the book! And didn't kill anyone this time Beldon: you know what they say bro drink your drink as fast as you can Four: We passed everything-- we got the book! And didn't kill anyone this time Beldon: well i understand you gotta feel out the talent but yall always make a show of it Some Halfling laughs. Some Halfling: Well, killing anyone would - suffice to say - be the end of the interview. Some Halfling: You did well. I have notes. Four: Tell us how we can improve, sure Bobwhite: Just get to the parts we can do better Beldon: yeah you should have someone look at that shock trap Beldon: its seen better days I noticed some flaws during the test Some Halfling: Indeed, that was one of your failures. Four: I'm not used to raft captains that pat me on the back Beldon: winks Beldon: oh yeah I dont read report cards thanks Some Halfling: Very well. One -- you were as loud as three dogs fighting getting out of that barrel. No matter what you must be silent. Some Halfling: Likewise, your.... clever... disarming of the trap would have brought a host of guards down upon you. Some Halfling: Fixing it was a good thought, and would at least have not aborted the mission. But it does mean -- eventually -- it would be discovered and lead to questions. Beldon: minimal wreckless chances Some Halfling: Additionally, you triggered a hidden alarm. You must move with haste and care both. Four: I didn't hear any alarm Beldon: nope definitely no alarms Some Halfling: Nor will you in the Cathedral. But you're a fool to think there won't be Alarm spell triggers. Bobwhite: The spell can trigger silently Four: I saw some rats though maybe they set it off Beldon: well not much of an alarm in that case Beldon: wow you guys do this alot I didnt give you enough credit Beldon: my speacilty is breaking into caravans and such you know Some Halfling: We're just thorough. Four: Eh, luck will work out fo us in the end, always does Some Halfling: finally, you were a litle loud opening that craft door. A needless risk. Some Halfling: You must go against the instinct of our blood to sniff every corner. Four: We didn't explore much though Some Halfling: It was very unlikely you would find a bedstand in a factory. Four: I didn't think we'd find STINKING GAS CLOUDS in a bedroom Beldon: oh i disagree on that, we needed the craft door to figure out the game Some Halfling: That said, I believe you succeded more than you failed. Four: And no one got hurt Beldon: trust me bro im an expert Four: Which I'm told is something I should avoid on heists Beldon: ya we got the book boo yah! Bobwhite: Just be chill guys, we passed. Let's talk next steps Some Halfling: You did not mess with the statues. There are sure to be any manner of construct guards in the vaults. Triggering one... well, you might triumph in the battle but at the cost of the entire operation. Four: Construct guards? Four: You made us do that for nuffn? Four: At least I got some wine out of it Beldon: ok good yall also know a lot more about what's going on inside than you let on! Some Halfling: Would you rather have fucked up today or next weeks? Beldon: id rather be fucked up right now Bobwhite: They're not big picture goes, don't worry about it Some Halfling: The sleep spell was a good, if obvious, solution. Upcasting it was key, however. Battle teaches us to hoard our resources, but in a robbery -- well, a pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure. Beldon: oh yeah that's what im always telling these boys. yall hear that listen up! Four: You wanna go with us on this job? You seem pretty capable Some Halfling: Addirtionally, not stealing anything -- especially for ya'll -- is an accomplishment. You will be in literal vaults. The temptation will be a thousand times greater. Some Halfling: You must not give in. Four: Whoah, guys-- I didn't think about that Four: Lots of awesome stuff down there Some Halfling: Setting your cat as a sentry and the use of your familiar was, indeed, inspired. Straight props there. Four: "Not this dog's first race" as Ma used to say Some Halfling: Fixing the broken trap was a "good enough" work around. It would have prevented immediate detection, which is good enough in the moment. Some Halfling: It would -- eventually -- be noticed and generate heat. Late enough that it would not cast suspicion? Only the roll of the dice would know. Some Halfling: Which is to say, luck is fickle and we want to leave as little to Sari's will. Beldon cheers! Beldon: to Sari! Four: I do well at dice Beldon: she got my back though bro that's why I'm on fire on the racetrack yip yip! Some Halfling: relocking and other ways of covering your tracks was also a good, if obvious, solution. Carelessness can't be tolerated. The margins are very thin. Some Halfling: And, while you should not have even bothered with the craft room, turning around and going no further was at least the right decision, if arrived at a little late. Beldon: im telling you bro if we didn't open it youd be giving us grief for going in the first bedroom we found Beldon: i can hear you now carring on about it in my minds eye Some Halfling: Indeed. you have shown yourself competent enough that we are willing to work with you. Hopefully the fuck ups that tripped you up in the practice run you can now work to mitigate on the day of. Four: The fake book? Beldon: well i'm glad youre going to have some info on what Beldon: s down there to send us in with Bobwhite: Fair enough assessment. And luckily we have access to some real expertise to put a good hone on it before we do the job Some Halfling: Let us eat and discuss next steps. Some Halfling raises a glass. Some Halfling: "To Sari's Fortune -- and ours!" Beldon: hey to sari! Banner cheers Beldon: I thought yall were blowhards but yall are allright, im glad they have the sense to work with halflings Four cheers and drinks, a little less than normal. It's been a lot of drinking today. Beldon: four remember what you learned from the gubbites always drink fast! Four feels great fom all the wine. Some Halfling: Four: What about Bethnalay, has she been acting different? Like maybe she has a new boyfriend or going on dates all the time or anything? Insertion Team must: Fight, Unlock, Disarm, Dispel, Facetalk Some Halfling: Bethanalay is a austire and focused woman. Her family has long been associated with the Reclamation. Some Halfling: Her dedication to the church and the city I do not question at all. Some Halfling: Our people have a long, if poorly appreciated, role in the establishment both of this city and of the civic organization which I represent. This spell can’t locate an object if any thickness of lead, even a thin sheet, blocks a direct path between you and the object. Some Halfling: It is useful both for the city and our people that we remain involved with the organization. Four: Just a hypothetical, if an item disappeared from the vault, would Bethanalay get in trouble? I mean, surely she couldn't be blamed Some Halfling: She would most likely be blamed one way or another, yes. Bobwhite: That's why it's so important we do this dance with the book, Four Bobwhite: To keep her safe Four: Oh, well, that would be fine I guess... Four: Just was curious Some Halfling: She might not be accused outright of the theft, but at the very least she is responsible for the vaults and the one who most regularly enters them. It would be a colossal fuckup that she would wear. Four: Well, hopefully no one notices... ummm, for our sake Beldon: yeah she was in bad enough sorts that night bobwhite finally learned to lock the fucking doors behind him remember that bobwhite? Some Halfling: You have a few days before we put the plan into action. You probably suggest I'm going to keep a low profile, but just the opposite. Some Halfling: there are several groups in town that could -- unknowingly -- provide you aid or assistance. You don't have to take my advice, of course, but I would suggest helping out some of them. Not only might they provide you with useful assistance, it could defer heat in their direction and away from us should some inperfections in the plan come to light down the road. Beldon: scrolls for heist: detect magic, silence, locate object, invisibility Beldon: oh yeah tell me more? boss hands guys seem disinterested in the city and the hillbillies we usually roll with is just drunk Some Halfling: Well, I'm happy to offer suggestions. Getting involved with one of the factions of the Guild might be of use to you. They are constantly jockying for position, and you could probably align with one over the other to earn some money and perhaps even information about the cathedral we do not have. Some Halfling: That might require some very fast talking as you have no real association with them and they are a very insular group. Beldon: more scolls: knock Some Halfling: Any of the halfling factions would happily fuck over the Hadriarch. And, you are already in well with most of them. Any of them could help with your exit from the city, and most can probably provide other aid. I would prefer not to cast heat in the direction of our own people, however. Some Halfling: The Collegia, likewise, has various groups that could provide assistance in one way or another, including the most advanced magics you are likely to find. Along with The Guild, they seem a reasonable recepticle for Heat. Some Halfling: And, of course, the Longshanks. We have some associations among them, as well, and many are unhappy with the Hadriarch. This theoretically violates our prohibition against politics, so is risky on another level. Some Halfling: If you are going to be doing this on the fourth or fifth day of the Festival, then you have two or three days to prepare. Bobwhite absently fiddles with an V-etched coin in his pocket. Bobwhite: Hey, are you guys... Geese? Some Halfling smirks. Four: He's a halfling. Banner: a while back we met someone who mentioned "the geese hidden among men" which didn't make a lot of sense, but that guy didn't make a lot of sense in general Banner: swamp folks are odd Beldon: oh yeah that guy was a hot mess Some Halfling: Oh? Interesting. Some Halfling: Who was this? Beldon: i think we should tell him Bobwhite: Ok here's the deal. We have conflicting arrangements, but one of them is a dying wish and that's going to win Beldon: that's my vote Bobwhite: Russ is dead Beldon: bobwhites best to tell the story he reads Some Halfling: A dying man's wishes are sacred, so the Canon of Dadtim tells us. Some Halfling: Who is *Russ*? Bobwhite: The... um, I guess leader? of the lizardfolk Beldon: if it was a good story id tell it but its not good just weird Some Halfling: Oh, the weird old mummy. That's a shame. He said he had friends among us? I'll pray on this and see what visions Alexandria sends. Bobwhite: He's not just dead of old age Beldon: im glad we got that off out chest Beldon: lets drink to that guys head! Some Halfling: Well, thank you. I'll see what guidance She brings. I'd be happy to hear anything else -- we are an organzation interested in information. Four is not sure we should be talking about this and feels a bit nervous. Bobwhite: The lizardfolk are under siege. The threat is overwhelming, and what I guess they traditionally use for protection are of no use Some Halfling shows some sign of alarms. Some Halfling: Are you talking about the Turtle Gods? Bobwhite: The corpse was definitely describable as a Turtle God Beldon: yeah look we may need to use this info to buy allies so keep it under wraps but if you care about wydmoor you need to know all this Some Halfling shows greater concern. Banner: Not to brag more about our capabilities when we seem to have already convinced you, but we had to sneak through a giant army of orcs to meet the lizards Beldon: bro you should have seen us Some Halfling: Those beasts were more ancient than Alexandria Herself. To hear of one slain -- what could do such a thing? Beldon: yeah also the hydra bro Some Halfling: If the orcs were capable of killing the Turtle Gods, they would have Some Halfling: Oh -- what of the hyrdra? Beldon: also dead Some Halfling shows alarm. Four: Guys, are we supposed to be talking about the hydra with all the blood drained out of it? Beldon: yeah yall got a real mess on your hands Some Halfling: Are these events connected? Even taken separately, they are of great concern. Some Halfling: Please -- tell me what else you can, and quickly. I fear I have another meeting soon that I am already late for. Banner: and the temple sunk into the swamp Bobwhite: The lizard guy could probably tell you more. You'll have to pull it out of Redhand though Beldon: nah get outaa hear youll hear about it eventually Bobwhite: They're united by someone who didn't look like he's from here Bobwhite: Lizardly but... I dunno different Some Halfling: An Odessan? Ubrekti? Banner uses minor illusion to show an example. The boys also pass over the creature's helm. Some Halfling: Don't forget the Hakart at the Tumbling Dog on the 3rd of Supplication. It's been fermenting since last year's celebration. Some Halfling: Come early, the place fills up quickly. Ask for Phyllis.

Some Light Market Manipulation

• The gang has three days to rustle up funds.
• They hatch a plan to take advantage of the news of the dead Cryohydra
• Finding a seedy alchemy vendor, they tell him the news and note that the best way to keep them from telling anybody else might be to find something for them to do.
• He concurs, and gives them 1000gp to buy up hydra blood, saying he will give them another 1000gp when they return with the blood, in addition to the 150 he just gave for the information itself.
• The Boys get into action. Between their various disguise kits and propensities, it is very easy effort. They come out relatively flush with cash.
• Session ends