2. Ratcave...

May 16, 2024 3:17 pm

🕰️ 3:00pm

Bluelake District

The Rats, They've been hidden in the nicest district in the whole city, perhaps that's why nobody ever found them, everyone would turn either to the Chasm or the tower district first as what seemed like more obvious locations maybe search the docks but never the apartment complexes by the lake.

They're nice apartments too, not just some simple tiny place with it's only benefit being it's by the lake.

In fact it doesn't take long to be certain that there are more people going in and out of the Apartment than there are Inhabitants, but that doesn't tell you where they're going or if the Inhabitants of the apartments are Rats or if they're unknowingly paying the rats.

Either way, the truth of the matter is simple somewhere in there is the Rats base and Amethyst.

OOC:

Long Rest

Gearspark

May 16, 2024 11:13 pm

Henson stands infront of the apartment complex. He digs into his coat and pulls out a wildheart cigar.

"Paige. What do we know about this place?"

The notepad flips to a sketch of the building covered in far too many sparkles.

"It's super fancy!"

He raises a brow at her, turning away to eye the building as he lights the stick and takes a deep pull.

"Not that fancy. Got a rat problem."

She flips to a sidewards glance paired with a smirk.

"Are we the rat catchers boss?"

He chuckles, smoke puffing out as he exhales and turns back to the hussle of people in the area.

"Something like that. Come on. I need to read the room."

He digs out a copper piece from his pouch as Paige pulls up the needed notes. Somebody would give away the hideout's entrance, even if they didn't realize it.

[ +- ] 2. Detect Thoughts

Level	2nd
Casting Time	1 Action
Range/Area	Self
Components	V, S, M *
Duration	Concentration 1 Minute
School	Divination
Attack/Save	WIS Save
Damage/Effect	Detection (...)

For the duration, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures. When you cast the spell and as your action on each turn until the spell ends, you can focus your mind on any one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the creature you choose has an Intelligence of 3 or lower or doesn’t speak any language, the creature is unaffected.
You initially learn the surface thoughts of the creature—what is most on its mind in that moment. As an action, you can either shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts or attempt to probe deeper into the same creature’s mind. If you probe deeper, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind (such as something it worries over, loves, or hates). If it succeeds, the spell ends. Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind, and unless you shift your attention to another creature’s thoughts, the creature can use its action on its turn to make an Intelligence check contested by your Intelligence check; if it succeeds, the spell ends.
Questions verbally directed at the target creature naturally shape the course of its thoughts, so this spell is particularly effective as part of an interrogation.
You can also use this spell to detect the presence of thinking creatures you can’t see. When you cast the spell or as your action during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks you. You can’t detect a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or lower or one that doesn’t speak any language.
Once you detect the presence of a creature in this way, you can read its thoughts for the rest of the duration as described above, even if you can’t see it, but it must still be within range.

* - (a copper piece)

OOC:

Gonna read surface thoughts of people as I walk around. Trying to get suspicious activity to narrow down where to find the hideout.

Last edited May 17, 2024 3:04 am

May 16, 2024 11:14 pm

I will saunter over to the vicinity of the apartment building, and slip inside without being noticed. Once inside, I will try to determine which apartment(s) the Rats are using. If necessary, I'll use my Goblin hiding skill.

May 17, 2024 4:23 am

Gratitudes:
• Murdered bad guy!
• Look above
• Learned new trick with crossbow

Disappointments:
• Not feed Authority to pets
• Not kick Bully
• Not mate after murder

Goals:
• Murder bad guy with new trick
• Talk to females

Gworgi looked at the apartments skeptically. Surely the NSA had made a mistake.

But think of females in apartment! Rich mamas need lovin too...

"Um, Gworgi go solo. No-snout Authority no follow!" Gworgi glared at the goblin. With a confident grin, Gworgi walked into the apartments, heading in the opposite direction as Warin.

Kif Stockniv

MaJunior

May 17, 2024 3:16 pm

Kif will watch the others head off, and then do the same. He begins walking around outside the apartments, looking for any sort of commons area. It isn't an inn, but some of these ritzier apartments have a lounge or something.

If he can't find one, he'll at least get a better feel for the layout... all while watching the people.

May 17, 2024 4:12 pm

Henson The air is abuzz with thoughts, or rather there are tons of people and not a single one of them isn't thinking, people heading into the apartment are thinking about how they are ready to go home, people heading out are excited for the day. People in their apartments are, thinking of all sorts of things, some are cooking some are relaxing, other are sleeping.
Suddenly a group of minds on the top floor disappear from your sight, you weren't focused on them unfortunately so you don't know what they were thinking but it's hard to Imagine they're headed anywhere but the rats hideout.

Warrin you sit in the lounge for some time One apartment seems to get frequented by multiple different people, there's no evidence that it's occupied by rats specifically, the same people that go in are coming out, so it seems unlikely there's a ton of people in there but maybe it's an easy access rat contact.

Gworgi enters the apartment through the side door. To his left is a bit of a kitchen area with some tables outside on a dock, where a group is sitting together eating. A kenku woman sits in the corner of the room eating what appears to be a quality steak. The stairs are directly to your right with a fancy stained glass window at the landing where they turn.

Kif Each of the apartments seem to have a dock around the back of some sort from the most expensive having sailboats Moored to the side of the docks to the cheapest having only a small canoe or nothing but tables, generally there is a common area indoors directly off the docks.

May 17, 2024 5:03 pm

I will try to get a better look inside the apartment by changing my angle to the door. Can I see any of the contents? Furniture, people who don't come and go?

If I can get close enough, I'll also listen for passwords or other signs that the Rats are based there.

Krim

AnonGL

May 17, 2024 5:50 pm

Well since most of the team is trying to sneak in there and look around, Mazdu is going to stay outside try and provide a distraction by doing a small performance with his lute and some minor illusions.

Rolls

Mazdu: Performance - (1d20+6)

(8) + 6 = 14

May 17, 2024 9:38 pm

A female kenku! Gworgi's snout crinkled. Feathers make mating messy, but Gworgi despe—what is Gworgi doing? Gworgi on job! Gworgi is professional. Stop this!

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearing away his base desires. Finally, he looked around.

OOC:

Does the group of people sitting together look... suspicious? If not, he'll take the stairs to continue scouting the area, just looking for anything suspicious.

Gearspark

May 18, 2024 2:12 am

Bright embers consume the edges of the cigar as Henson finishes it off and tosses the still smouldering end to the ground.

"Well, that was an absolutely massive crowd of dullness."

Paige stares at the smoking litter, flipping to a concerned expression.

"Uh, boss? You aren't gonna leave that there right?"

He releases the massive cloud and eyes his assistant. The weave was a mysterious thing indeed, but what twist of threads stuck him with this bleeding heart for a spellbook?

"Why would I pick it up?"

Paige remembered Gworgi's advice. She needed to stick up for herself. Boss was boss, but she couldn't let this go.

"Because, i-it's against the law! Aren't we the good guys now?"

Henson chuckles, shaking his head.

"No Paige, we are paid goons, no different than these Rats."

Paige flips to an empty sheet and doodles a defiant expression.

"But we helped that dying guy! Surely the Rats wouldn't stop to help somebody like that."

He strokes his short beard, eyeing the cooling cigar.

"Yeah, I suppose we might be a bit better, but I'll not be worshipping some broad like those bastards in Elturel. That Zariel lady sounded nuts!"

The pad flips to the sheet of question marks.

"Who?"

He waves away the question.

"Nevermind. Point is we are getting paid to do a job. We are just more professional about it. Now hush up, I gotta tell the others what I learned. That top floor must hide the entrance. A good enough start I'd say."

The defiant face flips back.

"Boss!"

"What? Oh, yeah, if it'll shut you up. "

He kneels over and reclaims the spent cigar. Paige flips to her pleased beaming face as Henson rolls his eye and begins casting the spell to message those he could spot among the masses and inform them of what he learned.

[ +- ] 0. Message

Last edited May 18, 2024 2:19 am

Disappearing Minds

May 18, 2024 10:42 am

🕰️ 3:07

Disappearing Minds

Warrin manage to get a good view into the room, which looks to him like an ordinary apartment if... Yeah that's definitely an unusually large ring of keys on the wall.

Gworgi continues up the stairs, not sure where he's going exactly past the stained glass window and into a hallway with apartment doors on either side, many of the doors look the same though a few have a little nameplate in place on the door.

Mazdu's performance quickly draws a crowd perhaps the easiest crowd he's ever drawn, the people seem interested in something new and well for the most part bored, and bored people he finds make a very good crowd, soon he's completely surrounded.

OOC:

Everyone but Gworgi would probably get the message, it's possible Kif would happen to be too far off at the time but either way is fine.

May 18, 2024 11:54 am

Gworgi slowed his walk, though he wasn’t certain why, just that it felt like he should, the way that a quiet room makes one want to whisper instead of talking aloud.

Gworgi should go back.

No no, Gworgi explore. Nothing wrong with this. Gworgi just taking stroll.

Creepy stroll. Gworgi go back to group.

Females don’t like cowards. Gworgi stay.

Okay good point. Gworgi stay.

He continued his walk down the hall, reading the name plates displayed, seeing if anything unusual caught his eyes.

May 18, 2024 2:44 pm

Taking note of the unusual number of keys (could just be the building superintendent), I head up a floor, find an inconspicuous place to hang out for a bit, and watch for unusual activity.

Krim

AnonGL

May 18, 2024 4:51 pm

Mazdu is going to look for a chance to wind down his performance, and then join back up with Henson.

Last edited May 18, 2024 4:52 pm

May 19, 2024 5:38 pm

🕰️ 3:12
Warrin and Gworgi meet in the centre of the hall, their really isn't a common space on the upper story, well rather there's probably six of them but each are behind locked doors, Jemo's common room, Iliavia's Common room, The Barsen's Common room and whoever else lives up here.

OOC:

Not sure what exactly you consider an unusual nameplate.

Mazdu joins with Henson after his last song winds down people disappear as quickly as they'd come, as if nothing had been going on.

Gearspark

May 20, 2024 12:20 am

Henson paces around the area, where the heck was the rest of the team? Did the idiots really just take off without backup? Snake Eyes was the first to show, and Henson thanked him by flicking a cigar bud at his face.

"Welcome back Superstar! Saw your performance. Was your goal to draw as much attention as possible? Guess there's no being subtle about this now. We gotta go to the top floor. Minds are disappearing up there, and that might be the entrance we're looking for."

Paige ahems quite loudly next to Henson who grumbles as he retrieves the bud and stuffs it in his coat.

"Unless you want to put on another concert, let's get going."

Last edited May 20, 2024 12:22 am

May 20, 2024 2:14 am

I find a potted palm or whatever is available and use my Goblin hiding to get an unnoticed observation post.

Krim

AnonGL

May 20, 2024 2:31 am

"I was creating a distraction in order to make the rest of the teams sneakiness easier, although admittedly I have no if it helped or not. Irregardless, let's get going indeed." replies Mazdu, and then he follows Henson

May 20, 2024 2:51 am

"Aaay, Authority." Gworgi flashed his teeth at the goblin, and then immediately ducked his head and looked back and forth, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Did Authority see something? Gworgi go hide too."

May 20, 2024 2:54 am