Czlaplon Quest

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston: You find Kolbeinn in his cabin, lying on his bunk reading. He's quite happy to spend a candlemark or two working on his Throalic. This brings the two of you up to dinnertime.

At the dinner table, Mekhitar reminds Isaac and Garsevan that they have the nooning entertainment tomorrow, then announces it to the passengers. The captain will tie up at a small town in late morning, giving the two of them a chance to find a clear area on the dock for their demonstration. Shaliko has the afternoon storytelling. While Isaac and Garsevan are taking their bows and being applauded, Alston has a chance to ask his question. “Inappropriate remark,” he says. “Very naughty third level meaning, sort of thing only someone who grew up speaking Sperethiel would have understood. She reacted, but she didn't blush, neither did her eyes dilate. She's elven, no doubt, using an illusion ring.”

[arcomniflash]

After taking my bows with Garsevan I'll sit back down and proceed to eat my dinner quietly. Mekhitar's resourcefulness is rather surprising, and it's good to see he's taking this seriously in his own way. Before speaking I'll glance around and make sure the woman isn't physically present, it's dinner and a lot of the passengers are. Even once I'm sure she isn't there, I'll keep my voice low, almost a whisper. "The question though, is why? Why would an elf want to disguise herself that way? She could have easily been an elf and none of us would have known the difference. More and more it makes me think that Garsevan is right - she's the bait, allowing herself to make just enough mistakes to be noticeable."

[Kasbak]

Leave it to the Troubadour to figure the best way to solve a problem is with an innuendo. It is good to have further confirmation of our suspicions, though it does only raise further questions. Bait is still a possibility, but I haven't seen anything just yet that someone is watching their trap. Besides, that seems like an awful lot of effort just for bait.

I'll mimic the cone pattern that Kolbeinn made with his food earlier, and give him a raised eyebrow in a questioning look. Assuming he either already has it up or understands the request, I'll add, "Perhaps she's hiding because it is soneone who would be recognized on sight? Or maybe the bait is overly elaborate to try and force a reaction from us. I haven't spotted any watchers on her yet, and while it could just be that I haven't pierced their veil yet, perhaps they are watching from afar with plans to set something off when we do make a move?" We do know they are capable of illusion magic, after all, so magical monitoring is possible, and while you generally don't want to be too close to your traps, you stay farthest away when they will set off something big.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Alston: Kolbeinn closes his eyes and folds his hands as if saying a blessing over his food, mutters briefly in a whispery-sounding language, then nods to you. Shaliko nods agreement with your statement. “If you've spotted one person who's Horror-touched, you have to assume there's a dozen more that haven't been detected yet,” he says.

“What have you” - Garsevan indicates Isaac and Alston with a wave of his spoon - “found astrally? I've seen both of you wandering around with that thousand-yard stare going. Anybody else in disguise, or walking around with evil intent?”

[Kasbak]

"Well, I did spot a crew member with some sort of inactive magic on him. I couldn't tell much about it; I only have natural Astral Sight. He was working and wandered where I couldn't follow when I spotted him, so I didn't even get a good enough look to be sure of what I was seeing. Could just be a cloaksense brooch or something." There still hasn't been anything so far that has put him higher on my suspicions just yet, though there is that possibility.

"There is also that young boy that keeps following Isaac. I haven't seen anything to implicate him directly yet; he could just be a fan. Though that doesn't mean he's not being used as a distraction, intentional or otherwise. Perhaps someone more suited to Astral scoping than I should have a look from a distance at him and his mother." We have confirmed at least one illusion, no reason there wouldn't be more.

[arcomniflash]

"Just that, yes." I'll nod in agreement with Alston. "I spotted the crew member also, he seemed to be skipping out on work and relaxing, but was the only crew member who had inactive magic on him. It caught my attention as being a little unusual, though there could be an explanation for it. As for my 'fan'...his mother follows him around and pulls him away often whenever she finds him near me, and this is par for the course. At times, however, he seems a little...too interested. It's difficult to explain, and it could be nothing but childish curiosity, but at this moment in time I'm not willing to rule anything out."

[TarlimanJoppos]

Shaliko nods to Alston. “Isaac, why don't I hang back a little, and see what I can see the next time your admirer shows up?” Though he addressed this remark to Isaac, his body language says he's talking to Alston.

Kolbeinn offers Garsevan the bread plate. “I could send an elemental to keep watch also,” he says. Garsevan nods, says, “They don't blink,” and Kolbeinn passes him the butter.

“Stop by my cabin after dinner,” Mekhitar says, frowning at his plate and poking at a suspicious vegetable. He spears it with his knife and holds it up, displaying it to the table. “I've got a few packets of flash-bang made up for us.” He turns to a passing steward, and brandishes the vegetable. “You should tell the cook that these are better lightly steamed. Not everything is meant to be boiled.”

[arcomniflash]

I'll nod to Shaliko at his suggestion. "Thank you, both of you. We need all the eyes we can muster." Settling down, I'll finish off the remainder of my dinner and then patiently wait for some of the others to finish as well. After this we're probably going to Mekhitar's cabin to pick up some packets of flash-bang. I do wonder if he intends for these to purely be used to enhance the spectacle we make on the boat - probably not.

[Kasbak]

All this baiting and hunting is frustrating. Stealth is one thing, but weaving a web of deception and misdirection just makes more work for everyone involved. It's so much easier when everyone is direct and just hits right for the target. "Well, we don't want too much concentrated at once, so I will hang back from tracking Isaac while you are, Shaliko." Different perspectives are a good thing, as is rotating the watch shift. "There were a few positions I need to follow up on, nothing immediately suspicious, just places I couldn't check throroughly without making myself obvious." I'm not holding my breath on finding anything, but hopefully I'll get lucky. I just need one small piece of evidence to track with. "I also need to get in a karma ritual before the day ends." Been chewing through that fairly quick.

[TarlimanJoppos]

Isaac, you head down to Mekhitar's cabin after dinner. He gives you three small packets of folded parchment, sealed with a daub of wax. “Crack the seal and fling the contents,” he says. “It'll go off within a breath or two of hitting air. Makes a lovely big spray of sparks and smoke and noise. I'm sure you'll find it useful in your performance tomorrow, or somewhere else along the way.” He gives you a wink. Shaliko left the lounge right behind you, but lagged back, fiddling with the fastenings on his belt-knife. You've no idea where he went after that, but you can't shake this feeling that someone, whether Shaliko or someone else, is watching you.

Alston: You go off to the stern, to the fantail, where there's just barely enough room for you to set up a target and do your karma ritual.

By the time all this is done, it's well after sunset, and the passengers have mostly assembled in the main and first class lounges and the parlors, playing dice or cards, talking, and having a last drink before retiring. There's no dance or anything scheduled for tonight.