Corco's Villa (IC)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

The swarm quickly picks up talk about "statue duty": The statues are kept in the basement of the order, kept frozen in blocks of ice by a rotating roster of Ice-wielding knight-shamans.

That certainly saves any trouble wandering around the wastes looking for statues. I'll add another swarm to surveil the basement.

Maybe somebody managed to smuggle a statue out of the basement. Perhaps they have notes about what features stone-melder statues have that aren't well known to the general public? I imagine they have so many statues in the basement that it could go unnoticed for a short period of time.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does Vassarious have anything to do between the time of their meetup and the speech?

Depending on the time available, Vassarious would like to try and observe some of the Ice-wielding Knight-Shaman, having the form of a knight who is off duty later when we return could be most useful... Perhaps make conversation regarding selling stone melder-related artifacts as an inroad while probing for more information.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

That certainly saves any trouble wandering around the wastes looking for statues. I'll add another swarm to surveil the basement.

done.

Maybe somebody managed to smuggle a statue out of the basement. Perhaps they have notes about what features stone-melder statues have that aren't well known to the general public? I imagine they have so many statues in the basement that it could go unnoticed for a short period of time.

There are 15 statues... they count them regularly. Each has a name. The chapter house doesn't have pictures of them or descriptions publicly displayed or used... but the material downloaded in Corco's library does.



two of the ice blocks are clouded enough you can't see the faces of the statues.

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Depending on the time available, Vassarious would like to try and observe some of the Ice-wielding Knight-Shaman, having the form of a knight who is off duty later when we return could be most useful... Perhaps make conversation regarding selling stone melder-related artifacts as an inroad while probing for more information.

With some pointers from Halcyone's drone swarm, Vassarious finds an off-duty ice-knight of the grand order. They're headed home.



Make some sort of roll to start the conversation and get information about stone-melder artifacts...

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

There are 15 statues... they count them regularly. Each has a name. The chapter house doesn't have pictures of them or descriptions publicly displayed or used... but the material downloaded in Corco's library does.

two of the ice blocks are clouded enough you can't see the faces of the statues.

Hm... I should check to see if the statues are really in there or not. Do the knights of the grand order have anything resembling a uniform, or is it more general? How is the basement secured? Do they have guards posted inside or outside? Is there a lock of some kind? I'd like to have the drones surveil the entrance so I can determine if there's a blindspot to their security (i.e. Guards on patrol, shift changes for lunch, etc.)

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Make some sort of roll to start the conversation and get information about stone-melder artifacts...

I'd like to do it at the installation if possible... perhaps get a tour or added insights while we talk if I can pull it off.

Faceman!

3d6 <= 14
1 + 2 + 2 = 5 ... success

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Hm... I should check to see if the statues are really in there or not. Do the knights of the grand order have anything resembling a uniform, or is it more general? How is the basement secured? Do they have guards posted inside or outside? Is there a lock of some kind? I'd like to have the drones surveil the entrance so I can determine if there's a blindspot to their security (i.e. Guards on patrol, shift changes for lunch, etc.)

There are two knights in the basement, where they can see the statues, and a bell for them to ring the general alarm. The only locked doors lead to the tunnel that the statues where brought in through in the first place.


There is no uniform. The Knight-Shamans appear to recognize most of each other. They have a metal badge they wear with pride identifying them as knight-shamans.

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I'd like to do it at the installation if possible... perhaps get a tour or added insights while we talk if I can pull it off.

Nice roll. When you say "installation", I take it that you mean the lodge?


A merchant curious about stone melders and their marvelous devices is quite understandable, and Vassarious is able to convince his new friend Yorkig that he is very wealthy. Vassarious buys Yorkig an over-costed dinner, and Yorkig starts talking about the strange devices of the stone-melders.



They don't really understand the devices: the stone-melders themselves used most of them, or they were quite simple to use, like the light stones. They generally came from the caves of the dwarves, who the stone melders knew well and were obsessed with.



Yorkig is quite willing to show Vassarious the 15 statues in the basement... the merchant is so pleasant and curious, after all.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

The only locked doors lead to the tunnel that the statues where brought in through in the first place.

Does it look like anybody's been in the tunnel recently? Where's the other end of the tunnel? Maybe I could do a more intensive investigation on that end.

[the_matrix_walker]

Vassarious is most interested to learn all they can about the Stone Melders devices and accepts the tour, curious to discover all they can about these precursors, where they are kept and those that guard them.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Does it look like anybody's been in the tunnel recently? Where's the other end of the tunnel? Maybe I could do a more intensive investigation on that end.

Halcyone sends a swarm down through the locked doors and out the tunnel. The tunnel comes out after just a dozen yards or so, on a street behind a market.



Does Halcyone have skills to analyze recent movement through the tunnel?

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Vassarious is most interested to learn all they can about the Stone Melders devices and accepts the tour, curious to discover all they can about these precursors, where they are kept and those that guard them.

Vassarious is shown the stone melders. He notices some bugs in the room, and is pretty sure they belong to Halcyone.



The artifacts include

• lots of light stones
• Several instances of a device that blocks stone melders from melding into stone, when properly set up... which they don't know how to do
• Stone cubes the stone melders used to move heavy objects (the stones moved themselves)
• Stone scrying tables. No one here knows how to use them, nor exactly what they are for.
• Keys that are magically matched to locks

The guards are a specific subgroup of the grand order, and they're all Ice Orcs. Most of them are hunters on the side, or provide cooling services to keep meat fresh.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Halcyone sends a swarm down through the locked doors and out the tunnel. The tunnel comes out after just a dozen yards or so, on a street behind a market.

Does Halcyone have skills to analyze recent movement through the tunnel?

Nope! Here's a forensics roll at default:

[1058] 22-07-13 22:17:33 CEST
Forensics at Default (IQ-6)
3d6 <= 10
3 + 3 + 3 = 9 ... success

How's the lock on those doors? The gap on the door's only big enough for bugs to get through, right?