[sblock=Atriden]No prob. I'm going to assume Garry is okay with the marching order and lighting, just to move things along a bit. Let me know if otherwise and I'll retcon this post.[/sblock]
[sblock=renau1g]Thanks! Happy to have you aboard. Hey do you know a way to edit the thread title to indicate you as judge?[/sblock]
At the Customs Office
Your group continues northwards on Carenvale Blvd. You arrive at the address the barkeep told you of about half an hour past the bell of eventide (meaning that most public offices and stores are now closed). Though the visibility is decidedly poor as you approach the Customs Office, the light of a nearby streetlamp reveals a guard standing under an awning next the the small stairway leading up to the front door of the office. He does not appear to be one of the Daunton City Watch, but rather a hired security guard. He is also much younger than most in the private security profession.
You can also plainly see by the light of the nearby streetlamp that the guard is standing right next to a large, bell-like contraption mounted to the outer wall of the Customs Office.
[sblock="Arcana 14"] You recognize the device as a type of magical alarm system. The bell bears an enchantment that causes its ring to be heard in the ears of all law enforcement personnel in a 4 block radius. It must however be rung by hand, hence the guard.[/sblock]
You stop just out of the light cast by the closest streetlamp, right past an alleyway on the south side of the office. The guard hasn't noticed your party yet, but it is likely he will react to any unexpected noise coming from within the office, unless someone distracts him somehow...
[sblock="Perception 12"]As you passed by the alleyway you noticed a faint light pouring out of what must be a side window of the office at L4 (see attached map).
[sblock="Low-light vision"]You also notice another window into the office at G1, though it is much closer to the guard.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock="Skill Challenge - OOC to all"]Unless someone decides at some point to use force, this encounter will proceed for the time being as a skill challenge. I don't need initiative from anybody yet. However, please follow turn structure in your posts for now. I.e. you can only move your character's speed, and you can take one minor, one standard, and several free actions per post. Use the
attached map for reference.
The name of the game is getting into the Customs Office and finding the forms and the Customs Seal necessary to forge departure papers. Ideally, it is to do all of this without attracting the notice of the City Watch, or leaving evidence of the crime which could be traced back to your party or Berekis.
The guard hasn't noticed your party just yet, so you're free to explore the area outside the light of the streetlamps without attracting his attention. If you want to get closer to him/the front door without him noticing you'll need to start making stealth checks.
Those of you who don't have low-light vision can't see very well at all outside the radius of the streetlamps, you'll take a -2 to perception checks to examine any unlit areas, and -1 to movement until you're in a lighted area.[/sblock]