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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3385620" data-attributes="member: 35788">Ophee motioned for the others to stay behind her.  “I am going to use a bit of magic, and I do not want you all to come under its effect.  Please stay behind me and do not interfere.”  Her commanding tone left little room for arguments.Rhema immediately shot Ischarus a concerned look.  In spite of the commanding tone, Charis was the first to speak.  “Magic?  If you need to use magic to get past the guards, perhaps we shouldn’t be here.”Semeion slowly shook his head in disapproval.  “No choice, Charis.  If we turn around and leave now, we only implicate ourselves as being guilty of something.”The whole of the party’s conversation was lost on Ophee.  In truth, she wasn’t even paying attention to her riding companions any longer.  Her mind focused in on the small number of horsemen coming toward her and she smiled.  The horsemen couldn’t see it, but both of her hands began to slowly gesture as they loosely held the reigns of her horse.  “Thizzle Umaam.”  The words glided out of her mouth without her lips moving any more than would be necessary to breathe.  The end result was that her voice slithered like that of a hiss from a serpent.The second spell that she cast was done even less noticeably.  Had the party been able to detect what was happening, they would have seen just how rehearsed the move actually was.  She released the reigns of her horse and used her knees to grip the strong beast underneath her.  Now that her hands were free, she brought her fingers up to her head and allowed them to run through the hair above her ears until they met in the back of her head.  She offered up a slight chant, which lasted no more than five seconds and transferred from the root note to its third and fifth before returning to the home pitch. “Parzuhs.”The net effect of the spell was to slightly change the appearance of Ophee’s face and the clothing under her riding cloak.  The changes to her face were so subtle that they were impossible to observe from where the party sat upon their mounts behind her.  Slight streaks of graying hair appeared at the top of her forehead, but the blending was so natural that by the time the streaks reached the back of her head the change was invisible to the party.  The clothing under her riding cloak changed so that when the wind ruffled the cloak open just enough to observe the cloth underneath it was possible to detect that her clothing matched that of the guard of Eberdeen.The horsemen were still a minute of riding away from Ophee when she spoke to the party.  She remained facing the coming horsemen and trusted that her voice would carry enough for the party to hear.  “The spell that I just cast will allow me to pick up on their initial impressions and intentions toward us.  I will not be able to read their minds, but I will know if they are suspicious of something in particular or if they are merely doing what they get paid to do.  It will give me an edge in dealing with them.”  There was no reply from the four riders behind her.  They could do nothing at this point except trust that Ophee knew what she was doing.  Deceiving the royal guard of Eberdeen was not their style, but they did not fully understand the work the Ophee performed for her master.  It was important that they followed with Ophee’s plan as much as possible until they could determine if Ophee’s master could help them or not.  They certainly couldn’t flee, and they dared not interrupt Ophee’s plan without knowing precisely what was going on.Ophee made no mention of the second spell that had been cast.  She returned her left hand to the reigns of her horse and relaxed her knees.  With her right hand, she unclasped the topmost hook that kept her cloak near to her body.  The cloak fluttered in the breeze more than before, but not enough to allow any of the party behind her to see the uniform of the city guard underneath it.  Ophee did not speak again until the riders completed their approach.The commander of the small group of city guard rode to within ten feet of Ophee’s position.  When the wind caught Ophee’s cloak and blew it open enough for the commander to see the uniform underneath, the guard reacted in surprise.  The rider lifted the front face of the helm that was protecting the rider’s face.  When the plate was removed, Ophee was surprised to see that the commander of the group was indeed a woman.  Furthermore, the shape of the woman’s eyes revealed that she had some amount of elven lineage within her.  The commander spoke first, initiating the conversation.  “Pardon me, madam.  We did not recognize you from our outpost.”  The commander’s voice betrayed her surprise enough that the party didn’t need the benefit of Ophee’s spell to know that something about Ophee had caught the commander off guard.  They passed unknowing looks between each other in search of any explanation for why that the commander had been caught off guard.  None of the four had any idea why the guard had initiated the conversation with such a strange proclamation.Ophee bowed slightly in her saddle as the rest of the group of guards settled into position behind their commander.  “There is no offense taken.  I assume that your patrol is performing the duties assigned of them today?”The commander nodded.  “Yes, madam.  We have been commanded that this day is about search and interrogation, but ...”Ophee smiled as her spell allowed her to sense the woman’s respect and fear.  The commanding woman was caught between duty and offending Ophee.  Ophee interrupted the woman’s speech in an attempt to alleviate the commander’s dilemma.  “Commander, do not allow my presence to interfere with your duties.  Ask your questions.  We should be treated like no others.  In today’s day, there are few that you should be willing to trust outright.”The woman relaxed, and Ophee could see the ease upon her face as well as feel the mental relief through the spell.  “Thank you, madam.  Since you have no cart, we can dispense with the search.  As to the interrogation, can you please state your destination?”Ophee smiled politely.  She would need to choose her words carefully.  It was necessary to give an appropriate response to the commander of the guard, but there was no need to say anything that might cause the party to question her comments or actions at a later date.  They did not realize that she had taken on the role of a city guard.  “I am escorting these travelers into the city.  They carry important information and abilities of which the overseer has great need.  This information may lead to significant progress for the people of Eberdeen and perhaps all of Tongra.”The woman wrinkled her eyebrows with respect to the pause that Ophee had given before speaking the word overseer.  The commander knew that the title of overseer was not a common title for anyone in a position of authority within the city guard of Eberdeen itself.  However, the word overseer was equally as innocent.  There were certainly no criminal mentions involving the title overseer.Ophee could sense the woman’s confusion as soon as she had spoken the word.  It had been a desperate attempt to weave together the concepts of wizard and master as well as lord and governor.  Through her word selection she had been able to speak a different meaning to each of the groups listening to her.  She had hoped that the city guard would interpret the word as defining a general within the national army while the adventurers behind her would interpret it as a synonym for a wizard or master.However, the commanding officer hadn’t made the mental leap as easily as Ophee had hoped.  Ophee spoke quickly, hoping to prevent the commanding officer from saying something out of place.  “Our guests are new to these proceedings of our capitol city, commander.  They are unaccustomed to the ways of our city and the necessity of search parties on account of our lack of walls and gates.  I speak for them, but I speak in a manner and vocabulary that will aid in their understanding.  Ultimately, they come from Lord Ironblood’s region and the land surrounding Fingerdale.”The woman eased as Ophee spoke, although Ophee could tell that she had not been completely convincing.  The commander looked at the foursome behind Ophee and smiled.  “Very well, then.  Send my regards to the governor.  If these four are so important to the governor’s work, would you object if I send two of my men to help you escort them?  Eberdeen is a large city and I would hate for you to not be able to protect them.  As good of a job as the city guard can do, we must agree that the guard is by no means perfect.  As much as it pains me to say it, crime continues to persist in Eberdeen.”Ophee smiled.  “But of course, if you deem it necessary your guards are welcome to come.  The abilities and information that my companions possess are to be tested at the wizard’s college before meeting with the overseer.  That is the destination to which I have been asked to deliver them.  Your men are welcome to make sure we make it that far safely.  From there, no doubt the wizards can provide for their safety within the city.”The commander smiled and pivoted in her saddle.  “Very well, then.  Shaira and Auxis, you are my best riders.  Go with them and make sure that they are delivered as expected to the wizard’s college as the governor has requested.”The commander waited for the two riders to present themselves and leave the watch.  Once the two city guards had left the small patrol, the commander turned and nodded out of respect to Ophee before turning her horse around.  The patrol departed without farewell.  Ophee, the adventurers, and the two city guards had been granted access to Eberdeen.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Ophee motioned for the others to stay behind her. “I am going to use a bit of magic, and I do not want you all to come under its effect. Please stay behind me and do not interfere.” Her commanding tone left little room for arguments.Rhema immediately shot Ischarus a concerned look. In spite of the commanding tone, Charis was the first to speak. “Magic? If you need to use magic to get past the guards, perhaps we shouldn’t be here.”Semeion slowly shook his head in disapproval. “No choice, Charis. If we turn around and leave now, we only implicate ourselves as being guilty of something.”The whole of the party’s conversation was lost on Ophee. In truth, she wasn’t even paying attention to her riding companions any longer. Her mind focused in on the small number of horsemen coming toward her and she smiled. The horsemen couldn’t see it, but both of her hands began to slowly gesture as they loosely held the reigns of her horse. “Thizzle Umaam.” The words glided out of her mouth without her lips moving any more than would be necessary to breathe. The end result was that her voice slithered like that of a hiss from a serpent.The second spell that she cast was done even less noticeably. Had the party been able to detect what was happening, they would have seen just how rehearsed the move actually was. She released the reigns of her horse and used her knees to grip the strong beast underneath her. Now that her hands were free, she brought her fingers up to her head and allowed them to run through the hair above her ears until they met in the back of her head. She offered up a slight chant, which lasted no more than five seconds and transferred from the root note to its third and fifth before returning to the home pitch. “Parzuhs.”The net effect of the spell was to slightly change the appearance of Ophee’s face and the clothing under her riding cloak. The changes to her face were so subtle that they were impossible to observe from where the party sat upon their mounts behind her. Slight streaks of graying hair appeared at the top of her forehead, but the blending was so natural that by the time the streaks reached the back of her head the change was invisible to the party. The clothing under her riding cloak changed so that when the wind ruffled the cloak open just enough to observe the cloth underneath it was possible to detect that her clothing matched that of the guard of Eberdeen.The horsemen were still a minute of riding away from Ophee when she spoke to the party. She remained facing the coming horsemen and trusted that her voice would carry enough for the party to hear. “The spell that I just cast will allow me to pick up on their initial impressions and intentions toward us. I will not be able to read their minds, but I will know if they are suspicious of something in particular or if they are merely doing what they get paid to do. It will give me an edge in dealing with them.” There was no reply from the four riders behind her. They could do nothing at this point except trust that Ophee knew what she was doing. Deceiving the royal guard of Eberdeen was not their style, but they did not fully understand the work the Ophee performed for her master. It was important that they followed with Ophee’s plan as much as possible until they could determine if Ophee’s master could help them or not. They certainly couldn’t flee, and they dared not interrupt Ophee’s plan without knowing precisely what was going on.Ophee made no mention of the second spell that had been cast. She returned her left hand to the reigns of her horse and relaxed her knees. With her right hand, she unclasped the topmost hook that kept her cloak near to her body. The cloak fluttered in the breeze more than before, but not enough to allow any of the party behind her to see the uniform of the city guard underneath it. Ophee did not speak again until the riders completed their approach.The commander of the small group of city guard rode to within ten feet of Ophee’s position. When the wind caught Ophee’s cloak and blew it open enough for the commander to see the uniform underneath, the guard reacted in surprise. The rider lifted the front face of the helm that was protecting the rider’s face. When the plate was removed, Ophee was surprised to see that the commander of the group was indeed a woman. Furthermore, the shape of the woman’s eyes revealed that she had some amount of elven lineage within her. The commander spoke first, initiating the conversation. “Pardon me, madam. We did not recognize you from our outpost.” The commander’s voice betrayed her surprise enough that the party didn’t need the benefit of Ophee’s spell to know that something about Ophee had caught the commander off guard. They passed unknowing looks between each other in search of any explanation for why that the commander had been caught off guard. None of the four had any idea why the guard had initiated the conversation with such a strange proclamation.Ophee bowed slightly in her saddle as the rest of the group of guards settled into position behind their commander. “There is no offense taken. I assume that your patrol is performing the duties assigned of them today?”The commander nodded. “Yes, madam. We have been commanded that this day is about search and interrogation, but ...”Ophee smiled as her spell allowed her to sense the woman’s respect and fear. The commanding woman was caught between duty and offending Ophee. Ophee interrupted the woman’s speech in an attempt to alleviate the commander’s dilemma. “Commander, do not allow my presence to interfere with your duties. Ask your questions. We should be treated like no others. In today’s day, there are few that you should be willing to trust outright.”The woman relaxed, and Ophee could see the ease upon her face as well as feel the mental relief through the spell. “Thank you, madam. Since you have no cart, we can dispense with the search. As to the interrogation, can you please state your destination?”Ophee smiled politely. She would need to choose her words carefully. It was necessary to give an appropriate response to the commander of the guard, but there was no need to say anything that might cause the party to question her comments or actions at a later date. They did not realize that she had taken on the role of a city guard. “I am escorting these travelers into the city. They carry important information and abilities of which the overseer has great need. This information may lead to significant progress for the people of Eberdeen and perhaps all of Tongra.”The woman wrinkled her eyebrows with respect to the pause that Ophee had given before speaking the word overseer. The commander knew that the title of overseer was not a common title for anyone in a position of authority within the city guard of Eberdeen itself. However, the word overseer was equally as innocent. There were certainly no criminal mentions involving the title overseer.Ophee could sense the woman’s confusion as soon as she had spoken the word. It had been a desperate attempt to weave together the concepts of wizard and master as well as lord and governor. Through her word selection she had been able to speak a different meaning to each of the groups listening to her. She had hoped that the city guard would interpret the word as defining a general within the national army while the adventurers behind her would interpret it as a synonym for a wizard or master.However, the commanding officer hadn’t made the mental leap as easily as Ophee had hoped. Ophee spoke quickly, hoping to prevent the commanding officer from saying something out of place. “Our guests are new to these proceedings of our capitol city, commander. They are unaccustomed to the ways of our city and the necessity of search parties on account of our lack of walls and gates. I speak for them, but I speak in a manner and vocabulary that will aid in their understanding. Ultimately, they come from Lord Ironblood’s region and the land surrounding Fingerdale.”The woman eased as Ophee spoke, although Ophee could tell that she had not been completely convincing. The commander looked at the foursome behind Ophee and smiled. “Very well, then. Send my regards to the governor. If these four are so important to the governor’s work, would you object if I send two of my men to help you escort them? Eberdeen is a large city and I would hate for you to not be able to protect them. As good of a job as the city guard can do, we must agree that the guard is by no means perfect. As much as it pains me to say it, crime continues to persist in Eberdeen.”Ophee smiled. “But of course, if you deem it necessary your guards are welcome to come. The abilities and information that my companions possess are to be tested at the wizard’s college before meeting with the overseer. That is the destination to which I have been asked to deliver them. Your men are welcome to make sure we make it that far safely. From there, no doubt the wizards can provide for their safety within the city.”The commander smiled and pivoted in her saddle. “Very well, then. Shaira and Auxis, you are my best riders. Go with them and make sure that they are delivered as expected to the wizard’s college as the governor has requested.”The commander waited for the two riders to present themselves and leave the watch. Once the two city guards had left the small patrol, the commander turned and nodded out of respect to Ophee before turning her horse around. The patrol departed without farewell. Ophee, the adventurers, and the two city guards had been granted access to Eberdeen.[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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