The Funeral (Stonegood judging) [finished]

[inky]

Niccolo - male human swashbuckler

"Suppose we try to force our way out once Orerreth picks up the crystal," Niccolo murmurs. "Ceshil and his men probably can't block the door for long without attracting too much attention, but anyway I suppose they'd rather just grab the crystal and run." He glances outside. "If some of us could get to that market we passed, maybe there'll be a guard or two hanging out."

Niccolo shrugs. "I'm willing to chance it."

 

[Someone]

"Suppose we try to force our way out once Orerreth picks up the crystal,"

"Oh no" whispers Orerreth. "What should be here is a message with the crystal's location, not he crystal itself, which must not even be in Sharn."

"Really, I appreciate your willingness to help, but it doesn't have any sense to risk your lives just for the message. I think I have an idea."

He moves in fron of the group and talks to Ceshil. "We are in a stalemate. We are inside and can't go out, and you're outside and can't go in. None of us want a fight, and if one gets the message the other have means to find out what it said or work around that. So, what if we make the gnome" he points at the house Orien employee "read the message aloud? We can just leave the place and compete for the true price as gentlemen"

Ceshil chews the thought for a while before answering: "Very well." nods.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Siobhan nods.*

"To keep it fair, I'll go hand him a message that tells him to wait for us to get by the door and then read the letter aloud, so we can all leave at once."

*Once there is agreement, Siobhan hands the gnome a silver and a message with the following:*

[SBLOCK=Siobhan's Message]'Please wait for us all to get by the door, and then read the following: The location of the crystal lies to the West in the island-nation of Aerenal, under the watchful and ever-vigilant eyes of the Undying Court. Search in a crypt that bears "The Mark". To find it, first solve the riddle--"To survive I eat all that I touch, but I will die if suffocated or drowned." .

Once everyone leaves, I will come back for the real message with another silver for you. Thank you for your discretion. Nod if you agree and then wait for us to get to the door.' [/SBLOCK]

 

[Someone]

ooc: Mmmmkay, make a Bluff heck (no modifiers) and a Diplomacy check (with a -5 modifier) for Siobhan.

 

[Bront]

OOC: We're screwed.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Blah, I wish I was playing with my Beguiler--who convinced me to run a Shifter anyway? Failed both )

 

[Manzanita]

Raven smiles at Orerreth's suggestion. "Very well."

Raven was not interested in fighting. She neither knew, nor trusted, anyone one either side, and wasn't interested in risking death for such weak justification.

She will take up a position next to Orerreth, with her shield up. He seemed to be the party more sucessible to treachery.

 

[Someone]

*Siobhan nods.*

"To keep it fair, I'll go hand him a message that tells him to wait for us to get by the door and then read the letter aloud, so we can all leave at once."

Ceshil isn't distracted enough to fall into Siobhan's ploy. "Why a message? The office's attendant heard everything. Is the message here already, or do we have to wait for it?"

"Is it directed to some Orerreth?" says the gnome, who obviously has seen enough in his work to not be nervous about the situation.

"Orerreth d'Cannith, yes"

"I'll need to see your identification papers. And the message is to be paid at destination, that makes twenty two silver and five coppers."

Orerreth complies with both requirements, and the gnome approves the papers. As Orerreth returns with you, the Orien employee returns with a small bit of parchment, the kind that is sent with carrier pigeons, and solemnly reads: "It's in his chest"

Both Canniths are startled and their jaws drop when they realize what does the brief message mean.

 

[Manzanita]

'his chest', thinks Raven. 'And probably not the thing between his head & his stomach.'
"Where is your chest," Raven asks quickly, nervous that Orerreth's enemies would know where it is.

 

[Rystil Arden]

'His chest, and almost certainly the thing between his head and his stomach,' Siobhan ponders, 'A docent...'

"Best not to answer that right now in case the opposition doesn't know yet. It should be obvious though."