May 6, 2025 4:35 pm
OOC:
tibbius says:
... I'm gonna go with Presence as the relevant thing. ...Rolls
Presence - (d6)
(4) = 4
CALIMPORT GAME
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May 6, 2025 5:07 pm
OOC:
I think of Presence as being kind of the ability to intentionally control one's presentation to the world, plus some kind of divine/spiritual investment … so if you're trying to be inconspicuous, Presence feels rightAbruptly, the chili pepper looks around — although seemingly oblivious to Ane — and walks rapidly away among the stalls. Ane loses sight of her.
May 6, 2025 5:26 pm
OOC:
tibbius says:
... if you're trying to be inconspicuous, Presence feels right...
"Do you think we should follow? I don't want to try change the Disguise on the fly, especially not if they saw through this thorough one."
Ane is worried this may be a trap, but, if it is, it is such an elaborate one: First, Breaking their Disguise; then, caring about them at all; then 'casually' leaving...? not exactly 'bait behaviour'. She ponders. She does not say anything about this doubt, yet.
Asha
May 7, 2025 4:23 pm
Asha
vagueGM says:
"We should use different names." Ane says, though she is not at all confident they will remember or be consistent with that. "What do you think? Call me... Mehmen... yeah, why not. What do you want to be called?"As the red robes suddenly leaves, Asha responds to Ane's concern about being spotted, "I don't think so, I think something else caught her attention."
"But I'm not sure we should rush to follow because even if it's not a trap, that could draw attention. We've learned that they are monitoring this market, so if we continue to browse, we'll likely find others. They seem to be interested in who is purchasing magical weapons, I wonder if we can deduce what else they are interested in based on their activities?"
After a few minutes, Asha and Ane wander in another direction, keeping their eyes alert for more red robes.
May 7, 2025 4:31 pm
There's a book-seller's stall, again this one is flanked by a pair of mage amlakkar who are both muscular and scary-faced. Wizard customers timidly present their license papers, which are closely inspected before they may enter the stall.
And near you, is a red-robed man, older, openly watching the amlakkar and the stall entrants. He sits lotus-fashion on a traditional brown grass carpet, small but expensive for the intricate patterns of its weave. His expression is intent. You watch him for a while and notice that on the carpet before him is laid a large piece of canvas. Each time someone enters the book-stall, the old man marks the canvas several times with a fine brush dipped in a pot of black ink by his knee. You watch him as he does this four times.
And near you, is a red-robed man, older, openly watching the amlakkar and the stall entrants. He sits lotus-fashion on a traditional brown grass carpet, small but expensive for the intricate patterns of its weave. His expression is intent. You watch him for a while and notice that on the carpet before him is laid a large piece of canvas. Each time someone enters the book-stall, the old man marks the canvas several times with a fine brush dipped in a pot of black ink by his knee. You watch him as he does this four times.
Rolls
lucky? - (1d6)
(3) = 3
May 7, 2025 4:33 pm
You're pretty sure the old man doesn't notice you watching him and the tent, as you are standing and pretending to browse a knick knack booth dozens of yards away and kind of to the back of his right elbow. Yet, after the fourth time you've seen him mark the canvas, he abruptly looks around — not necessarily at you before hastily stoppering the ink pot, standing, and rolling up his whole surveillance apparatus in the grass carpet. He stalks right toward you as he departs!
What do you do?
What do you do?
Asha
May 7, 2025 4:51 pm
Asha
May 8, 2025 8:46 am
"Cool." Ane says in response to the 'Tayhr' name, though she was barely listening and, like with most 'introductions', will probably forget what was said when it comes time to use the name.
She is gratified that her assessment fits with that of her, much more in tune with people, friend.
The way the other Red Robe reacted was strange. So, when Ane see this one make that same, sudden, 'reaction' as though receiving a message or something, she squints at him through the heat-haze, trying to see if there are signs of magic signalling around him. She continues to watch as they casually happen to drift in the same direction.
If they are trying to avoid notice by setting an alarm for when to change duty stations, Ane thinks, they are really should not use something that makes them startle like that. She is already planning how she would do such a spell.
She is gratified that her assessment fits with that of her, much more in tune with people, friend.
The way the other Red Robe reacted was strange. So, when Ane see this one make that same, sudden, 'reaction' as though receiving a message or something, she squints at him through the heat-haze, trying to see if there are signs of magic signalling around him. She continues to watch as they casually happen to drift in the same direction.
If they are trying to avoid notice by setting an alarm for when to change duty stations, Ane thinks, they are really should not use something that makes them startle like that. She is already planning how she would do such a spell.
May 8, 2025 1:01 pm
Now that she thinks to look, Ane's keen "eyes" pick up a dissipating haze of spell around the old man's head, and a more steady pulsing glow at his chest — some kind of enchanted pendant, maybe?
He is moving quickly away, inattentive in his haste. Do you follow?
He is moving quickly away, inattentive in his haste. Do you follow?
May 8, 2025 1:42 pm
By 'pure coincidence' we just happened to be heading to shops in the same direction the old Red Robe is headed, and were moving that way before he passed us.
May 8, 2025 2:14 pm
It's not far from the book-stall to a set of steps that lead up to the sunny walltop. Giving Old Red Robes adequate space that he might not notice you're following, you head up just as he's reaching the top.
When you get up in the full sun of mid-afternoon, you see your quarry headed southeast toward the junction of walls between Grand Ward (to the right of you) and Quill Ward (ahead). He'll pass two guard posts, if he goes all the way to the junction. So will you. Is there anything about your appearances that might draw interest from bored amlakkar?
When you get up in the full sun of mid-afternoon, you see your quarry headed southeast toward the junction of walls between Grand Ward (to the right of you) and Quill Ward (ahead). He'll pass two guard posts, if he goes all the way to the junction. So will you. Is there anything about your appearances that might draw interest from bored amlakkar?
May 8, 2025 2:42 pm
Ane is fairly confident their Disguise as 'a scribe and his assistant' should not attract attention, especially not heading in the direction of Quill Ward.
May 8, 2025 3:09 pm
You amble along the wall top in the warm sunlight and cool salt breeze, a pleasant time above the noisy somewhat smelly streets.
The amlakkar nod politely to you as you pass, just as they had greeted Old Red Robes before you.
At the junction, O.R.R. turns left to move along the wall between Khanduq and Quill Wards.
You've been following him for about five minutes and so far he's oblivious.
The amlakkar nod politely to you as you pass, just as they had greeted Old Red Robes before you.
At the junction, O.R.R. turns left to move along the wall between Khanduq and Quill Wards.
You've been following him for about five minutes and so far he's oblivious.
Rolls
luck? - (1d6)
Asha
May 9, 2025 6:02 am
Asha
May 9, 2025 12:35 pm
"No." Ane agrees, trying to keep a lookout all around for anyone else noticing them as they stroll along.
• Does it look like he is going somewhere particular, or is he mainly concerned with 'leaving'?
Ane wishes they still had enough people to both trail this Red Robe and leave someone behind to see if anything changed at the market. She makes a mental note to speak to Big Zhad about employing some street urchins to keep an eye on things, but is also thinking about how one might do this with magic.
"They seemed really interested in who all was buying from those specific shops." Ane says, trying to both keep her voice low enough to avoid being overheard, but mainly trying to look like she and her assistant are having a casual discussion. "That might be a hint as to what they are planning. They seem mainly interested in who is shopping for dangerous items." Ane lumps both magic weapons and magic books in the same category of 'dangerous', she knows the power of the right words. "And less so in what they were buying? Strange, don't you think?"
• Does it look like he is going somewhere particular, or is he mainly concerned with 'leaving'?
Ane wishes they still had enough people to both trail this Red Robe and leave someone behind to see if anything changed at the market. She makes a mental note to speak to Big Zhad about employing some street urchins to keep an eye on things, but is also thinking about how one might do this with magic.
"They seemed really interested in who all was buying from those specific shops." Ane says, trying to both keep her voice low enough to avoid being overheard, but mainly trying to look like she and her assistant are having a casual discussion. "That might be a hint as to what they are planning. They seem mainly interested in who is shopping for dangerous items." Ane lumps both magic weapons and magic books in the same category of 'dangerous', she knows the power of the right words. "And less so in what they were buying? Strange, don't you think?"
May 9, 2025 3:37 pm
Old Red Robes appears to be having a nice stroll in the sunlight. You're proceeding along the wall top between Quill and Hammer toward … Crypt? Odd. Probably another ten or fifteen minutes walking to get there. Depending whether your followee turns right between Quill and Crypt, or continues straight along between Hammer and Crypt, he is less or more likely to realize that you're tailing him. Or he might descend into Hammer or Quill before you reach that next junction.
May 11, 2025 6:40 pm
Ane directs Asha —her his 'assistant'— to a street vendor selling meat-in-a-bun, allowing their quarry to gain a little distance on them, and giving them both something do with their hands. People tend to overlook people who are obviously doing something, like eating or carrying a parcel while strolling along.
Even if the food is not good it is fast, so they can still, just, see the red robes of the old man ahead of them when they resume walking.
Even if the food is not good it is fast, so they can still, just, see the red robes of the old man ahead of them when they resume walking.
Asha
May 11, 2025 8:51 pm
Asha
vagueGM says:
"They seemed really interested in who all was buying from those specific shops." Ane says, trying to both keep her voice low enough to avoid being overheard, but mainly trying to look like she and her assistant are having a casual discussion. "That might be a hint as to what they are planning. They seem mainly interested in who is shopping for dangerous items." Ane lumps both magic weapons and magic books in the same category of 'dangerous', she knows the power of the right words. "And less so in what they were buying? Strange, don't you think?"As they quickly buy a snack to eat Asha wonders aloud, "What if he does notice us and pursues us? Do we have a plan? Do we run down the first set of steps into a ward? How quickly can you change our disguises, even if it is just back to our regular selves? That would help lose him if necessary."
Seeing the red robes almost out of sight, she continues to follow along side "the scribe" as she takes a bite from the bun.