A halfling walks to church (3)

[Coan]

The dinner proceeds as the guests ponder over the various concerns in their minds. Before they realise it they have finished their final servings and are left to retire to a drawing room.

Ivana and Nostalia accompany them and the Lady Borca thanks them again before leaving them to their plans and closing the double doors behind her. Nostalia stays at Kimuriel's request as he states that he wishes to discuss something with her.

Meanwhile Artemis spots the room's billard table and begins setting up. While chalking up his que he looks to the others assembled.

"Well chaps?"

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich raises a hand of apology.

"Not my game I'm afraid, cards are more my thing."

He then inspects the layout of the manor they are to break into, his features filled with concentration.

[VAN]

Kimuriel sits in a comfortable chair and starts speaking:

“Well, I think we have 2 possibilities. Or to follow my first plan, we teleport ourselves in, attack Peter and anyone who is around and then just teleport away, or we can do a sneaky plan. Go in the morning, learn who the guards are, get their places and go to the meeting with their form and attack at the right moment when no one expects it.”

Kimuriel gestures at Ixevim and continues:

“Both Dr Xevim and I, can do this part, we can easily learn what we want from a guard. We need only to be close with him and we can learn if he is one of the “meeting’s guards“ or not. I think with this way we can learn more details. As about my first plan, I think that is wiser if we go to check to room before the meeting. I want to know if I can use my teleportation power in there.”

Then Kimuriel turns to Nostalia and with a calm but sure voice says:

“I want to ask you a great favor my lady. I suppose that you hate Lord Pieter as much as Lady Ivana, so may you want to join us? I think that your touch will be very useful. I think that you can be near the door and stop any escape. You can also keep us safe from any other guard who may want to enter. Don’t worry, you will not be alone, I think that Heinrich will be glad to stay by your side and I will enforce your skin, it will be really hard to get hurt.”

Kimuriel looks all his allies and continues:

“We also know that something is wrong with Lord Pieter, you remember my vision right? He was talking to a puppet! So we don’t know if he has any powers that we don’t know. We must be very careful and ready to anything.”

Ixevim listens carefully Kimuriel’s plans and sends him his disagreement. He has his own plan.


OOC> My brother will post his post his plan soon.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich looks up from the plans of the manor.

"Whatever works, though I prefer whatever is as inconspicuous as possible."

[alhoon]

"I am against the supprise attack plan. There are many dangers along this path. Many innocents will be endangered either way, but I believe we have more chances for success and survival if we use subterfuge.
As Kimuriel said, we don't know the powers of Lord Pieter. In fact we know only that he was once a minor noble, reported as killed in the book Lord Rechio gave us and that he keeps strange company. Perhaps he is the puppet and the marionette he was talking to is the puppeteer. Any way, I belive that it is safe to believe that we will fight supernatural forces. I have been suprised once, in the Carnival, and I'll not do that mistake again."
As Ixevim replays in his mind the dreadful memories of the carnival, the slaughter and the demon, he pauses for a few moments. He felt that he was . . . missing Charonne. The initial shock of Charonne's death has been buried under the circumstances of the past few days, but Ixevim could feel an almost subconsious emptiness, a sadness, knowing that he will never again see Charonne. Clearing his thoughts he focused on the plan again.

"I agree with Kimuriel that in the morning we can blend with the other part of the manor, the part controlled by Lord Pieter, split up and learn everything we can. Kimuriel and Artemis could ask the right questions to the right people. I believe they are very well trained for this. Kimuriel and I also could read the minds of many, many people and learn whatever we need without provoking any suspicions. We will need the help of someone there however. Perhaps Kimuriel should go with Artemis and Heinrich with me and perhaps Lady Nostalia.
Also Kimuriel and I could use psionics to either plant subconsious thoughts to the people who will go to the party or directly enthrall them. The second choice has some risk that I believe all of you understand, but has more potentional. I believe we should do both; enthrall a few powerful guards or any wizard we can find and plant suggestions to the others. Artemis can also use magic to the same effects I believe."

[VAN]

Kimuriel shakes his head when Ixevim finishes.

“I can neither plant any suggestions, nor enthrall anyone. I haven’t these kind of powers. Maybe if all finish well, you can help me to get them Dr Xevim, they seem really powerful and useful. However, I agree. I and Artemis can pretty well mix with the guards and the others who work there and learn many things. So, it seems that we are going to use my second plan, a bit alternated. I agree with that too. But before we go to the manor in the morning, I want to go out and visit Lord’s Pieter tomb, it has to be somewhere and maybe I can find something useful there. I can find it with my power. Has any of you anything else to add?”

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

"I have been thinking."

Heinrich raises his hand to his mouth and clears his throat before continuing.

"We have no idea, as of yet to the least, of how many guards will be present. My idea is to get someone we can trust among the guards. Not one of Lady Boritsi's staff, but one of us, namely myself. I have years of military background and I am certain my desertion will not have been noted this far south as yet, if it is of any consequence at all. But if I am able to get among the guards, it may aid us if things turn for the worse. Of course, getting myself into the key position to be of assistance may prove problematic, but something to consider all the same."

He stands and turns the map to the others.

"From past experience, I would expect the larger number of guards to be situated near the chamber where the meeting is to be held, to keep those with no business in that area away from where they may stumble upon something they should not be privy to. I suspect that these locations here, here, here and possibly here are the most likely to place them."

He points to four locations on the interior of the building, none of them in the ballroom itself, though within reach of the meeting room if they were required.

"Other than these, the next group in descending size would be placed in an around the ballroom. Though not necessary, guests like to feel some level of reassurance and that there is no threat to them. These guards are likely to carry very light weapons and possibly little or no armour at all."

"After these ,there will be the guards on the entrances to the building and in the grounds itself, most likely spread considerably thin, as many guards will have been reserved for the guarding of the meeting itself and the show of protection within the masquerade."

He then places his hands on the table beside the blueprint.

"All that remains now is how I could enter service and gain a position as a guard for the evening."

[alhoon]

"That's not that difficult. Kimuriel, Artemis and I could learn about a guard that will be in the ballroom and isolate him. Then we could silence him with magic or mind abilities, carry him in a remote room or area and I could read his mind and implant anything and everything I learn in your mind. Of course this type of interogation will take some time but I believe that in about 10 to 20 minutes, you will get valuable informations, enough to impersonate him. As for appearance I believe that Artemis could disguise you with his illusions."

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

"Then if all of that works, we will have an additional surprise for those at the meeting to see one of their own turn against them."

[alhoon]

Ixevim sent his allies (except Nostalia) a telepathic message: "About that, I'll make sure that there will be more of their own that turn against them, Heinrich. As for me, I believe I could stay invisible and hidden outside of the ballroom watching through the glass and fence. If anyone in the room recognizes me for a mind flayer, there would be very dire consequences for all of us; and it is not that difficult or strange in a place like Borca in a ball like this a powerful lord like Lord Pieter to have a wizard or cleric powerful enough to see through Artemis' illusions or able to dispel it.
With my telepathic powers I could speak with the guards I have enthralled and implant suggestions everywhere in the room. I could teleport in the room within a moment in need. "

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Heinrich nods silently to the mind flayer.

[VAN]

“If it’s that simple, I think we can all get the appearance of the meeting- guards. So no one will expect our attack. We will pretend the guards who do their normal duties and at the most appropriate moment we attack. Remains only the part of our escape, I think that will be rather difficult to kill anyone in the room and go out as nothing happened. Maybe we can convince some other guards to cover our way out. And tomorrow morning I’ll go to visit the pretended killed lord’s Pieter grave. Don’t worry I’ll not do any damage to it. Then, I’ll return to go in and try to learn as more details as possible.”

As just remembered a detail, Kimuriel turns to Artemis and asks:

“Artemis, do you know if a wizard or a cleric can do something to prevent teleportation powers? I mean, can be casted a spell that negates this kind of powers in there?”

[Coan]

Artemis downs a ball in the right corner pocket while listening over the other's conversations.

"Oh there are plenty of ways to disrupt such things. Lead in the walls, magical items that disrupt the magic itself. If you did teleport in there they could later cast a spell to stop you leaving. Very tricky business teleporting. But not impossible. You would just have to get out of range... but what that range is is variable. I could probably tell if I got close enough due to my studies of such matters. But if you were going to take the time why not run outside or into the house until you already knew you were out of range.

Perplexing indeed."

[alhoon]

"Perhaps they also have means of blocking psionic powers in the ball room, Artemis. It is a difficult time, and nobles would like to be protected from mind flayers. Perhaps we should check the room, or ask Nostalia or Ivana Boritsi herself about the protections of that place."

[VAN]

Kimuriel listens carefully Artemis’ and Ixevim’s words.

“I don’t think that they can respond correctly. A spell or a power can be casted in any time. We can go and check it now and find it ok and tomorrow we will find that we cannot teleport. However, I think we have our plan. Remains only our escape, I’ll try to teleport us out if possible, but if it’s not, we will leave from the door and mix with other guests at the ball room. I think it will be easier in this way. Though, I think that will be difficult to be all together in this point, if we loose each other, we can meet here. Do you agree?”