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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on Jun 14, 2021 18:16:20 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign language Sorry for taking so long to respond.
(Kit)Shade held his hand out, responding with the standard pleasantry, about it being nice to meet us. The other man, Talon, turned to greet me. As he did so, his face went blank for a split second, after seeing Rory sign to me. I wondered why, but Rory had taught me long ago when I do notice things like that, to ignore it…it was none of my business. One thing I did notice, was that he turned to fully face me, so I could...read his lips? He thought I was deaf apparently. I would have to have Rory let them know I was perfectly capable of hearing. (Rory)
“Talon,” the black-haired man said, turning towards me. “I didn't get your name.” He held out his hand and shook mine. “Rory. Rory McCallum. Nice to meet you. Well, that’s introductions completed. Mind if I ask you two where your talents lie? Mine is in sword work, and Kit’s is…well, roof work, pickpocketing, whatever she thinks she can do.” The last was said with a smile towards Kit.
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 5, 2021 17:59:03 GMT
Seemed they had all come to an agreement, continuing to eat as they did. I simply listened to them for a while, making a mental note of Rory's list of skills that he and Kit possessed (as well as the fact that Kit seemed to communicate with hand gestures, which was something I was unfamiliar with- perhaps I would find a book about it in Garnot's vault). I also noted that the newcomer was named "Talon", which wasn't exactly a typical name, but I supposed it was a self-chosen name for the sake of his profession (as I had assumed with Shade), so I didn't think much on it. It looked like we were all more or less done with our food, so it was time to move out. I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention, "Well, since it seems like we're done eating, I suggest we prepare to head out. As I said last night, I will provide more details about the job once we have left the city. If you need to grab anything before we leave, now is the time." I stood and took my now-empty plate up to the counter, then returned to the table and grabbed my pack. "I will be waiting by the stables," I informed them, then headed out the door. Hopefully things would go smoothly- really didn't want to be forced to fight my way out based on what I'd fought out about the number of guards at Garnot's estate...
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 10, 2021 22:06:29 GMT
I woke with a thud on something hard, pain in the back of my head as I blinked my eyes open. I looked around and noticed I was on the floor, blanket tangled around me. Guess I rolled out of bed... ow.I sat up and rubbed the back of my head, looking around. I vaguely remembered coming back to this room, but I guess I had a bit much to drink the night before since I didn't remember anything specific. That's when I noticed a face looking back at me on the bed, opposite where I had likely been. "Are you alright?" she asked, brown hair draping over her seemingly substantial chest. I shook my head a moment, "Yeah- must've rolled out of bed." Memories started to trickle in from last night and I started to recall the details that led to my current situation. "Aelina, right?" She pouted. "I thought my name would be more memorable after last night..." "No, it's not that- I just... may have had a bit much to drink last night." I looked her over more thoroughly. "Although, I can't say I'm not pleased with the result." She smiled with a chuckle. "Yes, my name is Aelina. And... sorry if I kicked you out of the bed." I raised an eyebrow. "I tend to do that in my sleep..." "Oh, no, that's alright. No harm done- and besides, I couldn't possibly hold anything against someone as beautiful as you." I winked before untangling myself from the blanket and standing up. "Unfortunately, I have to get going- someone I need to meet." I went around and started picking up my clothes, placing what I assumed to be Aelina's clothes on the bed by her feet. "Oh...," the disappointment in her voice was clear. I looked over my shoulder at her. "Is something wrong?" She started drawing circles in the bed with her finger. "I thought that we were going to 'spend the entire day in bed'." I furrowed my brow for a moment before smiling at her. "Did I tell you that, or are you just trying to keep me here?" She let out a low 'Hmm', which sounded more like a purr- and I'd be lying if I said it didn't tempt me to go for another round. "Couldn't it be both?" Then she moved her hair behind her back. I bit my lip, standing there admiring her form. "I know that you're trying to manipulate me.... and I hate that it's working." She sat up in the bed, moving the blanket off her completely as she did. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" She shifted so that she sat cross-legged on the bed. I glanced outside to try and maintain my composure, but seeing the fog outside only seemed to encourage me to stay here. Fasta vass- I promised Jean I'd give him the gems first thing in the morning... I looked back at Aelina, and found myself craving her warmth. "Well... there does seem to be a chill outside, so I could use some extra... 'warmth' for the road." I dropped my clothes and climbed back into bed with her for another round... or several. Jean could wait a while longer. ------------------------------------------------- If I didn't know better, I could have sworn that Aelina was a demon of desire (or perhaps lust, though I wasn't sure if such a demon existed). I'd never admit it, but she played me like a fiddle to keep me from leaving. The woman knew what she liked and didn't like to let go, which, if I was honest, only made her more appealing. Luckily, a promise to return (and a bottle of Orlesian wine I'd been hoping to hold onto) had gotten her to loosen her grip. I wasn't sure how long we'd been entwined- time flies when you're having fun, after all-, but I assumed it had been a couple hours. As I headed downstairs, I slipped my coat on and buttoned it up completely to, hopefully, keep the apparent chill out. Out of habit, I looked over the work-board as I passed it, noticing a entry that seemed intriguing. I pulled it off the board and read it carefully: "Looking for assistance with a job. Pay will be determined upon completion, but rest assured, it will be generous.
Those with a predisposition towards stealth are preferred, as well as experience as an artificer, but skill in combat is a must. Details will be discussed upon accepting this job. Meet with me at the corner table- I will be watching the board."The term 'generous' in regards to pay had my attention, and based on the requirements, it seemed like it could be something that was right up my alley, so I looked around to see if anyone was watching the board. Unfortunately, no one seemed to be doing so, being more focused on their food, so I got the attention of the innkeeper and asked who put the note up. He shrugged, "Some elf wearing some real fancy blue robes. Put it up yesterday and last I saw, had a few people interested. Left a few minutes before you came down." Kaffas! I really wanted to know more about this job offer- if it was anything like I thought, I could probably retire... not that I would. "Did you hear anything about where they were going?" He scratched his head in thought. "Think I heard the elf say something about leaving the city. If you really want to talk to him, you could probably catch him if you hurry." "Thanks." I took a step to leave before feeling my stomach rumble. "Before I leave, what do you have that's ready?" "Ready? Hmm..." He took a step back towards what I assumed was the kitchen before returning with what looked like bread with some type of topping on it. "We do have this; a slice of bread toasted and covered with melted cheese seasoned with garlic. Fresh too." I looked over it, taking a quick whiff of it. It smelled surprisingly good. "How much?" "Fifteen silvers." " Fifteen silvers?? Rather steep, don't you think?" He crossed his arms. "Garlic and cheese aren't easy to come by, what with the war and the demons attacking. No haggling." My stomach growled and I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I dropped the coins on the counter and grabbed the bread before heading out the door. I took a bite before hearing the sound of someone clearing their throat pointedly. I rolled my head back with annoyance and groaned. "I was just on my way to you, Jean..." "Yeah? Seemed to me you were taking your sweet time doing it." I turned around to face him. "You got what I asked for?" I rolled my eyes and grabbed the pouch of gems out of my pocket. "Was there any doubt?" "Not bad, Liv. Hand 'em over." I crossed my arms. "First, no one calls me 'Liv'. Second, I need to see some payment first." Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..." He pulled a pouch out of his belt and opened it, showing me the contents, then tied it shut. "Now, let me see the gems." I opened the pouch and showed him the gems, then closed it. "It's all there- trade at the same time?" He nodded and tossed the coins, and I did the same with the gems. "Good doing business with you." As he turned, I thought to ask him about the elf the innkeeper talked about. "Jean, how long have you been waiting here?" He paused, and looked over his shoulder. "Long enough. Pretty sure I heard you enjoying yourself upstairs." He gave a dirty smirk, and I glared at him. "I swear, if you ask me if you can watch next time, I'll shove my boot so far up your ass you'll be picking the laces out of your teeth." He rolled his eyes again. "Learn to take a joke, Liv." I shook my head at him. "Did you see an elf wearing blue robes pass by?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah- had a group with 'im. Why?" "Think he's got a job- hoping to catch up to him before he leaves the city." "What's it worth to you?" I rolled my eyes. "Considering how I just did that little job for you, I'd figure I earned at least enough good will for you to answer the damn question." "Fine, fine." He crossed his arms. "From what I could figure, they were heading to the west gate. They were on horses, so I don't think you can catch them on foot." I smirked. "I'll figure something out." I put my bread in my mouth as I rushed towards the nearest building and began climbing. Once I got to the top I looked over the roofs and found the west gate. I bit down on the bread and looked back down at Jean, who seemed shocked. I gave him a mock salute with the bread in my hand, before making my way towards the gate via the roofs. Shouldn't be too hard to catch up to them now.
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 11, 2021 21:47:22 GMT
There hadn't been much talking since we'd left the tavern, though I guess Rory and Kit could be having a conversation behind me and I didn't realize. Not that I'd be able to make out whatever they were saying with their hand gestures. Whether or not we'd manage to get to Garnot's vault remained to be seen, since I didn't know as much as I would like. I had enough information to find the vault, but getting inside was another matter- not to mention that I wasn't entirely sure what sorts of traps there could be. But then, I had my charms, and hopefully Kit had experience as an artificer, so we may not have as much difficulty as I feared. I could have sworn I heard footsteps above me, but I shook it off since we were still surrounded by buildings and almost to the western gate, so I doubted it would be an issue if I wasn't just hearing things. We were almost out the gate and I noticed a couple of the guards watching me, likely with suspicion (with their helmets on, I couldn't see their faces), but I ignored it, and we continued to ride out of Jader. Once we were out of the gate, I heard someone say "Hey" behind us, so I looked over my shoulder, but didn't see anyone, so I tugged the reins and turned my horse sideways so I could look around. Oddly I didn't see anyone new, and the rest of the group seemed confused too. "Up here," the voice said, and I looked up. There was a woman up against the side of the outer wall of the gate, seemingly standing on a small ledge. She tossed what looked like a small piece of bread in her mouth nonchalantly, unconcerned with where she was. I furrowed my brow, wondering how she managed to get up there, especially without being noticed by the guards (who wouldn't be very happy). "Do you need something?" I asked, channeling some mana into my hand just in case. She swallowed and smirked. "Heard you're looking for some help with a job. Thought you wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands." I raised an eyebrow. "And where did you hear about that?" Without warning, she hopped off the ledge and landed on the ground with a roll and straightened up to walk towards me all in one fluid motion. As she approached, she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to me. "Found this- innkeeper pointed me in your direction." I looked over the paper and saw that it was the bid I had put up yesterday. Must have forgotten to take it down. "I see." I placed it in my pocket and looked back to her. "And who are you?" "Livia Pantera," I replied with an exaggerated bow. "And I specialize in getting into places I shouldn't be." The elf didn't seem convinced. "And what makes you think that what I have in mind requires someone with your.... skills?" I half-shrugged. "Call it a hunch. So, mind if I join up?" He glanced behind me and seemed to wave off someone, so I looked back and saw a pair of guards approaching us. Guess they thought something was suspicious, but I guess the elf waving them off convinced them everything was fine. That's when I noticed the only woman in the group. Rather short, but pretty cute. Perhaps I'd chat her up later if the elf decided to let me tag along. I looked back at the elf and he seemed to be mulling over letting me join, so I decided to help him with the decision, "Before you ask, I'm more than capable of holding my own in a fight, if I need to." He sighed. "Very well. Another pair of hands couldn't hurt, I suppose." He looked around a moment. "If you need a horse, there seems to be a stable over there." He pointed off to my left and I looked over, seeing the stable he was referring to. "Be quick about it- our destination is a good ride away and I'd prefer to arrive before the evening." "Yeah, yeah," I waved him off as I headed towards the stable. Hopefully I didn't have to put up much coin for a mount. But then, if the job paid as well as I hoped, it wouldn't matter.
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Post by Silver on Jul 20, 2021 16:16:16 GMT
The memory of Amelia's face lingered as did the feelings of guilt and sorrow; because of this it took a moment for Rory's words to sink in and by the time they did, the elf, Saris was moving us on. I resolved to continue the conversation on the road; no point in offending the fellow when we're going to be working together. I carried my plate and cup back to the bar, still lost in thought, then went to the stables. I led Butterscotch outside and mounted up. The sun warmed my skin, and a cool breeze tousled my hair. It was a beautiful morning, and I felt the haunting memories fading. I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. 'Are you all right, Talon?' Startled from my reverie, I jerked, and Butterscotch sidled a few steps before I halted her. To my surprise, I saw that the interruption had come from Shade. I raised a brow. 'Of course.' He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. 'Fair enough. It's just that you walked past me without making a sarcastic comment or grinning smugly. I thought you might be unwell after last night.' His observation threw me for a loop, as did his concern, and for a second or two I couldn't think of how to respond. Reflexively, or perhaps defensively, I retreated back to my humour. The smirk dropped easily in place. 'Ah, I see you already crave my attention. My friend, I will endeavour to grin smugly at you as often as possible and my snark will know no bounds.' An angry flush sliced across his cheekbones. 'Asshole. Keep them for someone who gives a shit!' I watched him ride away, his back rigid with indignation, and wanted to kick my own ass for being… well, an asshole. I spurred Butterscotch onward and soon found myself at the side of Rory. Recalling his question from the tavern, I decided now was a good time to reply, and hoped it would provide a brief distraction from my morose thoughts. 'I apologise for my failure to reply,' I said with a smile. 'I'm really not at my best in the morning. Also, I'm generally reluctant to answer that particular question as it tends to leave people feeling rather nervous.' I held out a hand palm up and let a slim shard of ice shimmer into existence. 'I may not be a rogue, but I do have my own way of breaking into places.' Seeing that the city gate was looming ahead, I closed my hand and dispersed the ice. Before I had a chance to learn of Rory's thoughts on my being a mage, a disembodied voice captured everyone's attention. 'Hey.' A moment later, the voice helpfully said, 'Up here.' I saw a tall buxom woman standing on a small ledge jutting out from the gate we'd just ridden under. Quite an impressive feat as it seemed rather a difficult structure to climb. She jumped down and after a brief conversation, she headed off to the stables to get a horse. A shame she didn't think of doing that beforehand, really.
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Post by Silver on Jul 20, 2021 16:20:21 GMT
At Saris' words, I stood, grabbed my bag and moved towards the door. As I hefted my pack on my shoulder, I accidentally clipped the mage. 'Sorry,' I grumbled, waiting for the inevitable comment – probably something along the lines of wanting to be close to him or getting his attention. However, he said nothing, not even acknowledging my reluctant apology. After leaving the stables, I mounted Starlight and spent a minute or two getting to know my ride. Thankful that she seemed to be of a good nature and a calm personality, I headed towards Talon to thank him for letting me know about the horse. Seeing his head back and his eyes closed, I almost rode on, but recalling his unpleasant evening in the cold rain, I thought it best to check on him. 'Are you all right, Talon?' My question clearly caught him off guard and I wondered just how lost in thought he'd been that he didn't hear my horse's hooves on the gravel. When he had Butterscotch well in hand, he raised an imperious brow, 'Of course.' The flat tone made it clear my question had been unwanted. Feeling awkward, I rubbed a hand across my neck and tried to explain myself. 'Fair enough. It's just that you walked past me without making a sarcastic comment or grinning smugly. I thought you might be unwell after last night.' Immediately, that shit-eating grin appeared. 'Ah, I see you already crave my attention. My friend, I will endeavour to grin smugly at you as often as possible and my snark will know no bounds.' My face heated with anger and embarrassment. 'Asshole. Keep them for someone who gives a shit!' I quickly rode away, furious at myself for even asking. No, I was pissed off because for a moment I'd been concerned about him… about a mage. A fucking mage! Well, that wouldn't bloody happen again. I pushed him from my mind and focused on my surroundings. After passing through the gate that led from Jader, I felt an itch at the back of my neck. A good rogue trusts that itch and so I turned around a moment before a voice spoke. 'Hey.' I looked up and saw a woman on a section above the gate. She seemed perfectly at ease as she directed the attention of everyone else. 'Up here.' She jumped down and began a conversation with Saris. I found it a little peculiar that she was so in need for a job that she followed the elf. Most people I know would have just found another job. I bit back an impatient growl when it became clear that she had to get a horse. Maker's balls, she might be good at getting in and on some odd places, but preparation clearly wasn't her forte. I rubbed a hand over my face, knowing my uncharitable thoughts were due to my poor humour. That fucking mage!
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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on Jul 21, 2021 0:14:11 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign language(Rory)Before Talon could answer me, Saris decided it was time to grab our packs and get moving. I, as usual, took the saddlebags, leaving kit to grab our backpacks. While on our ride out of town, I had been quietly talking to Kit, our hands flashing signs almost as fast as a person could speak. We spoke of inconsequential things, wondering about the upcoming job, and she told me of the brief blank look on the man Talon’s face when they were introduced. “Kit, keep your nose out of his business! Just as we keep our past private, I’m sure the others are the same.”She wrinkled her nose at me. “Okay, Rory, okay! I was just telling you about him. I think that Talon fellow thinks I’m deaf though…I noticed he turned to fully face me when we were introduced, and didn’t get a chance to tell him I wasn’t. Tell him for me, will you?” I nodded then heard “…for someone who gives a shit!” Suddenly Talon appeared on my left side, Kit being on my right. I nodded my head, and he answered the question I had posed earlier at the tavern with a smile. “I apologise for my failure to reply. I'm really not at my best in the morning. Also, I'm generally reluctant to answer that particular question as it tends to leave people feeling rather nervous.” He held his palm out towards me, and a slender shard of ice appeared. “I may not be a rogue, but I do have my own way of breaking into places.” Instantly the thought crossed my mind as it had thousands of times before. A mage. Maybe, if I could convince Kit…she had told me no before, but knew I would never give up. Before I could respond, a voice interrupted me. “Hey. Up here.” We all looked around, and I then saw the woman sitting on the ledge above us on the gate. Impressive, but I thought Kit could do better. After a short conversation between her and Saris, it was agreed she would join us. Okay, another rogue…I can deal with that, though I wondered about Kit. She turned to me, pointed to Talon, and began signing again. (Kit)Talon joined Rory and me, and told Rory what his contribution to the party would be. Oh great, a mage. I knew exactly what was going through Rory’s head. A mage, let’s talk to him, see if he can cure me. I had told him no a hundred, nay a thousand times before. I knew he wanted to be able to hear me speak again, but I couldn’t bring myself to be healed, or helped. Hell, I don’t know if it could even be done…and didn’t even know myself why I said no. Well, I will have to talk to him again about it, letting him know I knew what his thoughts were. Otherwise I was fine with Talon...nice on the eyes. The skin on my back began to crawl. I raised my arms, ready to throw knives, as I turned, and looked up. A woman perched there, on the gate, our party noticing her as she greeted us. She jumped from the gate, straight into a roll and rising to walk to our new boss. Actually rather impressive for a woman her height. She seemed to be a few inches taller than me. After she spoke to him about joining up, he sighed and said another pair of hands would probably help. After the new member of the party ran off to the stables to get a horse, I reminded Rory to tell Talon I was not deaf, that I could hear perfectly fine. I was sure they would ask why we signed, and would let Rory tell them…it was the only way for me to communicate with him, and it had become natural for us to sign to each other. Well, guess we had another rogue in the party.
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 21, 2021 18:56:43 GMT
I'd managed to get a horse for only a few sovereigns, but still more than I'd hoped to spend. Once I mounted it, the elf started off and I followed along with the rest of the group. It'd been a while before the elf spoke again, "Since you have all waited patiently for details, I'll explain what my goal is: I intend to break into the vault of an Orlesian noble by the name of Garnot Leroux, whose estate is located on the outskirts of Halamshiral. I don't have much information on how his vault is protected or secured, so assume anything. I have charms to detect and dispel any wards we may encounter, but I don't have the expertise for dealing with mechanical traps, so I hope one of you can make up for that." I tilted my head at him. "So, you don't know what we'll see but expect us to deal with it?" He looked back at me. "Garnot is a powerful and paranoid man- just learning where his estate is located was a significant investment on my part. I do know that he hoards rare artifacts of all types and is one of the richest men in Orlais, but other than that, I haven't been able to learn much." I rolled my eyes. "Well, what about guards? Or a map of the estate? Hard to break into a vault if you can't find it." He looked ahead, visibly sighing. "He has dozens of guards throughout the estate, though I have no idea of their patrol routes. As for the estate, I have a map that I... acquired, but it is rather crude." He shook his head. "As I said, Garnot is a paranoid man." I chuckled. "Well, you know what they say about paranoia..." I wondered what the rest of the group thought- I didn't know much about any of them, but I guess I wouldn't blame them if they backed out. As for me, it depended on just how bad it looked when we got to the estate. If it wasn't worth the risk, I'd turn around and try my luck within Halamshiral itself. Though, the words 'rare artifacts' meant it'd have to be damn near impossible for me to back out. But if the elf's information was bad, I'd shove his charms down his throat and toss him to Garnot myself.
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Post by Silver on Jul 24, 2021 13:30:44 GMT
With the inclusion of Livia into the party, Saris explained the job. I would have used the word plan, but there had clearly been no planning involved. It sounded mostly like guesswork; no idea of guard rotation, no idea of the number of guards, no idea of entrance or exits, no idea where the damn vault was except for a map which Saris himself described as crude and which I translated to mean unreliable. What a shit show. This had to be his first job. If any of us made it out of this alive it would be a damn miracle, and I didn't believe in those. I began to wonder if I could find a loophole in my conscience that would allow me to back out after giving my word to see the job through. Regrettably, nothing came to mind. What a shit show. 'Saris, I assume we'll be spending at least one night watching the guard's movements and casing out the estate?'
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Post by Silver on Jul 24, 2021 13:31:15 GMT
I ran a hand over my neatly trimmed beard as I listened to Saris outlining the details of the job. It didn't take him long as there weren't many details to discuss. Honestly, with the lack of information Saris had to hand I'm surprised he even knew about the vault. Still, I'd heard the name of the noble, Garnot Leroux, and the elf wasn't lying when he said the man was paranoid. If nothing else, this should certainly be an adventure. I maneuvered my horse a little closer to Livia. 'I'm curious, what do they say about paranoia?'
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 24, 2021 18:21:40 GMT
As we rode, Shade was the next to ask about the details of this job... or, lack thereof. "Saris, I assume we'll be spending at least one night watching the guard's movements and casing out the estate?" I thought I heard a small hint of annoyance in his voice, but I could simply be projecting my own frustration of not knowing everything I needed to about the estate on him. "That would be best. If I had the opportunity to acquire more information about the estate, I would have, but even the Red Jennys didn't know much." I looked back at him. "I know this far from ideal, but believe me when I say I exhausted nearly every resource I had just to learn what I already know about Garnot and his estate. I do not expect this to be easy in any way, so once we arrive, we will learn whatever else we can before making our move on the vault. I'm hoping to get in and out undetected, but I'm prepared to fight my way out if necessary. You all should be prepared to do the same." I tried to listen to what the brown-haired man asked the elf- who was apparently named Saris-, but another voice spoke next to me, "I'm curious, what do they say about paranoia?" I looked back at him, realizing it was the black-haired man and that he'd maneuvered his horse closer to mine. I raised an eyebrow at his proximity- hopefully he wasn't getting any ideas- but decided to humor him. "Oh, that it's not paranoia if someone is out to get you. I'm from Tevinter and magisters were always watching their backs while trying to stab others in theirs, so paranoia and caution are two sides of the same coin there." I tuned back into Saris' voice to hear him say, "I'm prepared to fight my way out if necessary. You all should be prepared to do the same." Great, he's expecting things to go sideways... I groaned inwardly.
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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on Jul 25, 2021 19:03:34 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign language (Rory)I got a look from Kit, telling me without words she knew what I was thinking. A mage, maybe cure her, same old story. I smiled and shrugged at her…we would talk about it later, I was sure. She had signed to have me tell Talon she was not deaf, but we were interrupted by Saris laying out his “plan”. He told us about breaking into the estate of one Garnot Leroux, that the man hoarded rare artifacts of all types, and was very rich. Other than that, he had no idea about anything else. Great, just the type of job we should not have taken. An amateur thief, who knew nothing about what stealing entailed. He may have charms to detect and dispel wards, but I had a feeling Shade, Kit and the new rogue (Livia, I think her name was?) would be earning their pay. Livia then made a good point then. "So, you don't know what we'll see but expect us to deal with it?" Saris answered her, specifying that Garnot was powerful, but also paranoid. He said he could not learn much more than that. Double great…why had he not done more research? Or let us know, and we could have done it for him?! Further discussion were held about guards, and patrol route, with Shade asking the question I had been about to. “Saris, I assume we'll be spending at least one night watching the guard's movements and casing out the estate?” I backed up Shade, trading glances with Talon. “Saris, we have to do as Shade recommends, and case the place before we even think about going in. He, Kit, and Livia could check it out, the number of guards, patrols, ways in and out, and whatever else they can. And I would prefer to spend a couple of nights, not just one.” Livia raised a second point. She asked him about a map of the estate, noting it was hard to break into somewhere if you didn’t know where it was. Saris then explained that he had gotten all the information he could track down about Garnot and the estate. He had not expected it to be easy, and effectively said we would be able to case the joint before we went in. “…I’m prepared to fight my way out if necessary. You all should be prepared to do the same.” Well, I hoped we all had the right skill sets in case we did have to fight our way out. “Gentlemen…and ladies," nodding to Livia. "We also need to discuss how we can work together, to best utilize each of our talents. For example, I fight well, but cannot lockpick worth shit. Kit is an expert with knives and archery, but couldn’t fight her way out of a gunny sack with the sharpest sword in the world.” I crossed my arms on the pommel, waiting, but was distracted by Kit touching my arm. When she started signing, I knew she was pissed. (Kit)I decided to just sit back and let everyone discuss the plan (or lack thereof) for the job. Rory then mentioned that we needed to discuss the best ways to work together, giving us as example. He was right there; I couldn’t use a sword to save my life. I got aggravated, though, when Saris revealed he knew little to nothing about Garnot, the estate, patrols, guards, or even to get to the end goal. I got Rory’s attention. “Rory, how does Saris expect us to steal whatever it is he wants us to, when he knows jack all about how to do it?! Or get in and out, or the guards… I hope he takes your and Shade’s suggestion to case the place, otherwise we will be out! How can someone be that *stupid* as to not check everything out *before* he hires people?!” He spoke quietly to me, hoping no one else heard. “Kit, please, just settle down. Honey, you were the one who said we needed more money, so we could settle for a bit. Hopefully with the pay from this job, we’ll be able to. You have the needed mechanical and lockpicking skills, and we both can fight. It’ll be fine.” He looked sternly at me, glancing at the others. “So behave yourself.” I looked at him…talk to me as if I were a child? I would…no, he was right. I would just stay quiet (ha, that was a laugh), and follow Rory’s lead, like I had for most of my life. But he also knew I would let my opinion be known if I didn't like something - and he would have to translate.
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Post by Silver on Jul 26, 2021 16:31:04 GMT
I was confused by the woman's raised brow. Was she not used to being asked questions? No, that couldn't be right as Saris asked her a few and she seemed fine. Maybe she'd taken me in dislike? I couldn't really understand why as this was the first time we'd spoken. I stopped pondering as she answered me, though I noticed she immediately returned her attention to Saris and Shade. Seemed rather rude when someone was trying to make conversation. Almost I didn't answer but decided I would provide an example of good manners. 'Ah, many thanks for clearing that up.' With an incline of my head, I slowed the horse so that I dropped back. It was then that another thought occurred to me; I'd moved my horse closer as I hadn't relished shouting over everyone's head, but perhaps she'd mistaken that for interest on my part. If so, the woman was as egotistical as she was rude. I wanted to tell her that she had too little down below and too much up top to be of any interest to me, but again, I decided to err on the side of good manners. I found myself once more by the side of Rory and agreed with his assessment, appreciating the glance that told me I'd been included in the conversation even if I hadn't been mentioned. I decided to wait and see what the estate looked like before offering my services. If truth be told, I was beginning to wonder if this job was worth the hassle.
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Post by BronzTrooper on Jul 26, 2021 19:00:22 GMT
Rory was the next to comment, "Gentlemen…and ladies, we also need to discuss how we can work together, to best utilize each of our talents. For example, I fight well, but cannot lockpick worth shit. Kit is an expert with knives and archery, but couldn’t fight her way out of a gunny sack with the sharpest sword in the world." I thought on that. He was right that we all needed to know more about each other's skills if we were going to be able to do this, especially if things went wrong. While I could make some guesses as to Talon and Shade's abilities (Shade had the weapons of your typical rogue and Talon had a strange sword with a blade on each end) and Rory had outright stated his and it's skills, I wasn't sure of Livia's capabilities. She clearly was good at climbing structures and was well-practiced at it if her 'entrance' said anything, but beyond that, what did I really know? I looked her over and noticed that, as far as I could tell, she had no visible weapons of any form, so that put doubt on her claim that she could 'hold her own'. Though, she could simply be a knife-thrower and hid her blades for the sake of surprising opponents. Or perhaps she fought with flasks of elemental effects- I'd seen one or two people who used them. But then, she could be like me, a mage who avoided carrying a staff to prevent the Templars being called. I wasn't sure of that, though- she didn't seem the type. I looked away before she got the wrong idea and glanced back towards Rory, who seemed to be talking to Kit. I waited until he finished before I spoke, "You're right, Rory, we do need to know more about each other's skills in order to be able to work together effectively." I channeled some mana and summoned a spike of ice off the side of the road, also summoning a vine to wrap around it, then floated it into my hand, holding it out so the party could see it. "I consider myself quite skilled at the less mundane aspects of combat, but I'm not much of a healer. Always been far better at inflicting injuries than I was at healing them." I dispelled the ice and let the vine drop to the ground as we trotted down the road. "I'm also adept at dispelling wards, so I will be dealing with any we come across." I looked at Talon, Shade, and Livia and waited to see their responses. It seemed that the brown-haired man was named Shade, with the older man and the woman being named Rory and Kit respectively. That just left the black-haired man for me to figure out the name of- though, he'd backed off after I'd responded to his question, so perhaps I misinterpreted his intent. Ah, well, if he mentioned it later I'd explain, but right now we needed to talk about this heist Saris had planned. Speaking of Saris, from his display, it was painfully obvious that he was a mage, and a pretty damn skilled one at that. The vine was new to me, though- was that some sort of new primal school spell that I didn't know about? Bah, didn't really matter to me- was never any good at elemental spells anyway. Besides, it looked more like he was just trying to show off as he didn't need to do that much just to show he was a mage. The ice alone would've been enough. At least he confirmed he would be able to deal with wards if we ran into any. Figured that I should go ahead and tell everyone what I could do next, "A bit showy, but at least we know you have good control. As for me, I'm very good at climbing buildings and whatever else I can scale. I'm decent at lock-picking, but I prefer to just get around traps and locks when I can." I looked over the group, but I guess that wasn't enough info for them. "I've broken into a few estates belonging to magisters, so I'm used to spotting wards and the like, and when it comes to fighting I prefer to fight in hand-to-hand. Less weight to deal with and a lot quieter, but I do have quite a few tricks up my sleeve to make up any difference. Really, though, I'd rather go unnoticed if I can." I wondered what Shade and the black-haired man could do. Rory seemed to be a fighter and Kit was supposedly a rogue, though Rory seemed to think Shade's skills were similar to Kit's. Guess I'll find out soon.
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Post by Eliana Ashcroft on Jul 28, 2021 0:45:08 GMT
Public sign language – Private sign languageTalon moved back to my side, returning the glance I had given him. I spoke softly to him after Kit gave me a look and nodded in his direction. I rolled my eyes at her. “Okay, okay. Could have waited Kit.” I turned to Talon. “Talon, if I don’t tell you this, Kit will be on my case until I do.” I laughed quietly. “She simply wanted me to tell you she is not deaf, just mute.” I looked at Kit and asked, “Happy now?” She nodded, smiling at me and Talon, giving him a small wave. Our attention returned to Saris, after he considered my suggestion. “You're right, Rory, we do need to know more about each other's skills in order to be able to work together effectively." He went on to address his abilities in fighting. "I consider myself quite skilled at the less mundane aspects of combat, but I'm not much of a healer. Always been far better at inflicting injuries than I was at healing them. I'm also adept at dispelling wards, so I will be dealing with any we come across.” Well, there was one companion down, letting us know what he could do. Livia followed him – I thought her skills would be a good match to Kit’s. Kit is excellent with lockpicking, and can climb, but had no experience in magical means. They also matched in fighting, although I preferred Kit using her bow at a distance. She was still very good at hand to hand. Well, two companions down. I looked at Kit. Looks like you and this Livia will be a good pair, since you know nothing about magic traps. Hopefully Talon and Shade will have the skills to match Saris, once we learn what they are.Her look agreed with me. (no Kit post – I’m tired )
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