Episode 2

Sizhen Insight Check, v. DC 12.
With mental break down check. Result of 1 delivers a -10 to the check roll.

Result: SUCCESS!

Ability Check Tracker
For Palace EXFIL

1) STR Athletics DC 11
2) INT Investigation DC 13
3) DEX Stealth DC 21
4) WIS Insight DC 12: SUCCESS by Sizhen


Required Action: Send in Skill Check rolls. Players can roll for Sizhen/Maeriks with stats and procedures provided above, or DM can roll if requested.

Ability Check Tracker
For Palace EXFIL

1) STR Athletics DC 11
2) INT Investigation DC 13
3) DEX Stealth DC 21: SUCCESS (30!) by Ryhim
4) WIS Insight DC 12: SUCCESS by Sizhen


Required Action: Send in remaining Skill Check rolls.
Players can roll for Sizhen/Maeriks with stats and procedures provided above, or DM can roll if requested.

OOC:

Looking good, Players' Club. If you guys get to 4 out of 4 Success here, it's a good effect on the upcoming Skills Challenge Machine. Half way there now.

Rolling for Sizhen Investigation. 1 in 10 Sizhen freaks is low risk and well worth the odds for his + 10.

Here goes. Keep your shit together Lord Lao.

Ability Check Tracker
For Palace EXFIL

1) STR Athletics DC 11
2) INT Investigation DC 13: SUCESS by Sizhen
3) DEX Stealth DC 21: SUCCESS (30!) by Ryhim
4) WIS Insight DC 12: SUCCESS by Sizhen


Required Action: Send in final Skill Check roll.

OOC:

Last one to go. On the brink of a sweep.

I saw the suggestion above that Thorn cover the Athletics. He's at Disadvantage, but that's the easiest of the DCs. Even taking the lowest of two rolls, he probably just has to guard against a 1 or 2 being in the mix (something like that).

X, send it if that is the final call. Or whoever.

After that's in, I'll try to get some time later to write the whole scene together based on results.

Nah, X... pack that shit on to where you can barely sprint. Thorn and Maeriks are straight up towers of muscle, some of the strongest in DT world. Like J said, interim will be affected by our heist, so let's get it.

Thorn, Maeriks and Sizhen are team 2 trailing Kray and Ryhim on recon. Any bad news will hopefully be picked up by recon team for adjustments to carrying as needed. As long as Thorn and Maeriks can still pull occasional sprint, let's move weight!

Maeriks looks at the packed backpacks in wonder. He inspects them thoroughly, checking the straps and buckles. "These bags are really strong. All leather with heavy three-stitch. Brass buckles and pins." He raises an eyebrow and nods as he continues.

Kray smiles to himself, familiar with how much most Danneins, especially Bat Hannocs, like bags and equipment.

Maeriks sifts through the treasure within next. "So all this is Elam's gold?", he asks Thorn in a tone of curiosity.

"He didn't seem like a goldpresser to me," the big oaf says nonchalantly as he eyes a shiny bauble. "I always thought he looked like a forester."

Skill Check Tracker
For Palace EXFIL (Final)

1) STR Athletics DC 11: SUCESS by Thorn
2) INT Investigation DC 13: SUCESS by Sizhen
3) DEX Stealth DC 21: SUCCESS (30!) by Ryhim
4) WIS Insight DC 12: SUCCESS by Sizhen

After quickly collecting any supplies needed, everyone takes the load that they can carry on treasure. The team of five moves through the halls with a heavy step, to the elevator.

Kray's key set quickly unlocks the covered panel. Sizhen uses the fulcrum within to release the latch on the wheel crank. Maeriks and Thorn begin turning the level control wheel. In short time the elevator, with everyone and their full load onboard, is rising through the ceiling to the ground level.

As suspected, this room has heavy sealed doors and windows shuddered with iron bars - no exit from the structure here. The next movement is the climb up the ladder to the next floor up, the second floor above ground. It is difficult with the bags, but everyone pushes slow and steady. The sweat and strain is real, but there is motivation too. The group is quiet and on-task, slowly starting to anticipate an actual departure from this Cursed place.

In the second story room, everyone moves to the north window. As Thorn had noticed during the original decent earlier in the night, the portal seemed to be boarded up with much weaker and older wood. As it turns out, his memory is correct.

Could this be a good site for a breach and exit?

"Hold," Sizhen says. He raises a hand and begins to inspects the wood-covered portal carefully.

The Alijanian squints and leans in close, tilting his head to the side as he lightly pulls back on a loose piece of wood slightly without breaking. His eyes zero in on something.

Sizhen nods to Kray, motioning him to move closer and see.

"Rigged with alarm. These bands are breakaways with counter weights hanging through the floor," the Inspector says, and then points inward towards the cavity behind the wood. "And also, iron reinforce bands on the interior threshold both high and low."

He backs up and says plainly. "This is a bait entry. Presenting more from the outside than here within, but it would still be effective." He explains more. "It invites an inspecting housebreaker to proceed through a seemingly weak entry point. When he begins breach, the alarms sound and no full opening is gained. The work of resourceful defenders. We certainly remember our former collaborators as such."

The group knows now that they must make another ascent, to the third floor, to seek the alternate exit point.

Success Investigation

The rest of the room is barred off, locked away from the other parts of the house with non-opening iron barrier straps on all door thresholds. The only thing one can do in this room is to move from the third floor to the first floor. The route downward is the ladder already used. A few feet away along the east wall is the route upward, a smooth iron pole that stretches from the floor through the ceiling, and apparently bolted securely to the ceiling of the third floor room above.

This is going to be a tougher climb than the ladder and everyone knows it. Thorn and Maeriks get to work with the ropes. The bags will have to be pulled up manually.

Sizhen moves cautiously to the west doorway, the one that is barred with the steel band cage barrier. From there the Alijanian inspector stands and studies, peering quietly through the bars, leaning in as if listening and concentrating.

As the others work on rigging, Ryhim quickly scampers up the pole. Kray uses a hanger stick to lift a lantern up to him after he is stabilized on the ledge above. The Sarceran scans the upper room and signals that it is clear.

Back on the second floor, Sizhen moves over quietly, with a look of concern. He raises a hand to his face, an understood call for quiet. He bends down close to speak softly with Kray.

"There is someone in the palace - patrolmen I believe. We must extinguish the light."

Kray does so, smothering a torch and pulling in the wick of a lantern. Everyone goes still with concern and look to Kray and Sizhen for direction. Sizhen goes on to explain to Kray in quiet voice.

"Halege tobacco," Sizhen says.

Kray squints, not following yet. "Go on."

"There is a smell of halege tobacco in the air. It stands out like a complete misfit. And it is fresh."

Kray asks Sizhen if he is sure, and whether this is really so odd. Perhaps the cursed smoked, or Suter-Set's group.

"No. The Cursed and their brethren both smoked only the finest herbs. They would not draw in a puff of halege on their most desperate day; I am sure of it. Halege tobacco has no affectants. It delivers no high. It is the weed of only two types of people in Gelshemish. One group is the followers of Marduk, mostly Hechesi, who use it in one religious ceremony. The other is a group that has it assigned as its only allowance while on duty."

Sizhen lets the last statement sit in the air. Kray begins to understand.

"Disciplined soldiers. They just got a dozen mule-loads of it and have been handing it out to their patrolmen." Sizhen continues, with impressive detail. The man is indeed an investigator.

"The Gilded Armsmen?" Kray asks.

Sizhen looks over his shoulder back towards the cage barrier. The room is near completely dark now.

"No," the Alijanian says as he puts his hand on Kray's shoulder and speaks clearly. "The Korvarans. They are in the Palace."

Success Insight.