Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
There were a good number of reasons Melissa had defaulted to avoiding the stall right in front of them; not the least of which being that they would have time left over after the theft to spend, likely in the same place that they had made it, and they would then later have to use the same potion they stole in, again, much the same place as they had stolen it. Unfortunately, the process of thoughts that had reached that conclusion was entirely unconscious, and when asked all the thief could say was “I’ve got a bad feeling about it, but I’ll do it if you want.”
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Lumi pulls Melissa between two stalls where they couldn't be easily seen, and starts working by changing her features to appear like an unmemorable human with ordinary brown hair, taller and more muscular as her own form, though stronger only in appearance. She finishes the changes by pulling off her shirt and flipping it: though the side she normally has out is spotless white, the other side is plain brown with apparent stains carefully woven into the fabric. "I'llmakeadistraction,yougrabthestuff."
With everything else finished, she casts Invisibility on Melissa and steps back into the street, apparently wandering aimlessly towards the shop while discreetly creating an illusion of a short boy approaching from another direction. Still walking towards their target, her illusion appears to approach it just as casually though more slowly, as Lumi waits to make sure Melissa is in position.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Melissa only replied with a raised thumb, one that disappeared as the spell washed over her. Not being visible made things much easier; she didn’t have to worry too much about not being seen or not looking like she was trying to take something – she only had to be able to take the potion at the right time, not make any noise, and not be bumped into. Moving quietly was a matter of not being a fool – as long as she moved slowly, especially when putting her feet down, she would be perfectly silent. Even if her time playing at thievery hadn’t taught her that much, she would have known it just from experience sneaking out on her sisters. She didn’t want to particularly kill her opponents, just even the playing field… and she could recognise a hallucination potion. Moving as close as she dared to a good path to the item, she waited for the shopkeep to be distracted enough to snatch the item…
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
As the illusionary boy and Lumi both get closer to the stand, Lumi concentrates, casting Manipulate and moving the illusion at the same time, making the boy grab a bunch of potions and start running through the crowd. "Thief!" Lumi yells, making her voice lower to fit her new form and pointing at the illusion to make sure all attention is on it. As all attention is on the boy, Lumi herself starts chasing the illusion while making her best to make it avoid capture by anyone but herself.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem: HP = 90, PP = 55, EP = 55, Status = Fine
Melissa: HP = 59, PP = 65, EP = 44, Status = Fine, Invisible
Lumi: HP = 54, PP = 70, EP = 46/56, Status = Fine, Invisibility on Melissa, Illusion, Manipulate
Oormi: HP = 80, PP = 72, EP = 58/60, Status = Fine, +12 Perception (Lesser Strength)
(You autoretrieve the javelin in arena fights, and you can just sell the robes for half their listed price. Also, you're all in a building, not in a street.)
Rolls
Casting: All Successes.
4 EP for invisiblity, then 1 + 4 for Illusions, then 1 for Manipulate.
Perception (Oormi) : Failure to see Melissa.
Perception (Kherem) : Failure to see Melissa.
Resistance: 49 for Oormi, 27 for Kherem, 32 for Lumi. Oormi realizes that it's an illusion! The guards are not so lucky.
As the two would-be thieves plotted, Oormi and Kherem went up to the shop. At Kherem's question, the guard shrugged and replied; "They'll buy it at the shop just as soon as they'd fix it, if that's what you're looking for." The attendant was the same one that had served them earlier, and she was quite happy to get all of the things that Kherem asked for once he'd put down the money for it. Their stream of questions, requests for locations, were met with a grin at first, and then she began to answer them; "There's a library in the center of the city, the Royal Library, and also the old one near the Eastern edge of the city from back when the humans ran this place. If you want work, you could talk to an officer of the city guard. There's a couple of mercenary groups in the city that sometimes subcontract, but I wouldn't know any of them by name."
She then turned to Oormi, "There are plenty of tailors in the city, but I prefer Madame Rosmerta's myself! That woman can work wonders with cloth! If you're looking for flowers, Eve's Garden is the only place I know of off hand, but it's a fairly nice place. Most professional blacksmiths in Acheron will do commissions, but Haldstrat's Steel, the Royal Armory, and Erebor's are the ones that I know for sure could make something for you. The Royal Armory's just a shop mind, it doesn't have any connection to the Queen~"
It was as they were getting directions to any of the places mentioned that Lumi and Melissa, who was invisible, decided to strike. The disguised kitsune's conjured image of a young boy, something practically unheard of in the arena common room, was an odd choice, but it certainly drew attention. The attendant glanced away from Oormi and Kherem as the illusionary boy strode up and took an armful of bottles courtesy of Lumi's magical manipulation. It was only when the potions were pulled away that an alarm, clearly a magical effect, sounded, but it drew all eyes to it all the same. The attendant cried out loudly, drawing the attention of the guards even before Lumi cried out. Oormi, though she couldn't tell that Lumi was Lumi, realized almost immediately that the boy with the potions lacked any physical substance, and that the potions he carried were being held aloft by some manner other than muscle. Kherem realized none of this, merely seeing a thief and someone (in addition to the four guards) chasing after them.
Lumi was the closest to her illusion, but the guards were moving a good bit faster than she was. If she wanted to be the one to catch her illusion she'd have to go for it quickly. Melissa, in the meantime, crept up unnoticed and nabbed a single poison, one that would cause the one that drank it to hallucinate heavily.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
(I'm going to assume Perception: [blank] means perception failed. Not that Melissa would probably do anything differently, anyway.)
Through the combined effects of the pair not overly communicating the specifics of their plan, the kitsune only creating her illusion out of the human's sight, and this particular human being rather magically dense, Melissa came to be quite startled. Rather than something overtly magical, Lumi's idea of 'a distraction' apparently amounted to paying a kid to steal a couple of potions before-hand. The fact that she had avoided triggering the alarms, at least, was simultaneously relieving and chilling, the latter given that she would have walked right into the trap herself. Still, she was in position to take the potion, and immediately did so, spending but a moment of greedy indecision before deciding against taking anything else.
There was a much greater problem than simply taking the potion now, of course. Stopping the guards from catching their hired help before he could squeal on them, that was necessary. Though, if he successfully escaped, she supposed, that was several more potions in it for the thieves...
Running after the guards after the illusion of a thief, the daemonborn human knew she would have to use her current invisibility to stop or slow each of them without raising too much suspicion. As soon as the chase was out of vision of the location of the theft, and Melissa had managed to get ahead of the group, she attempted to use her halberd to discreetly trip at least one of the pursuers. In the heat of the chase, hopefully one wouldn't be too sure that what they had tripped over was something visible.
(I'm assuming invisible creatures will remain invisible even after making an attack? Because GO GO SWEEP SKILL!)
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
The spectacle of the thievery was much more a spectacle for Oormi. Her waves went directly through the thief, immediately cluing her into the truth of the illusion. Normally, those same waves would be stopped by the presence of a soul, a person's energy, an object, or even particularly powerful emotions. Without the presence of any of those, she quickly deduced that the intangible boy couldn't have been anything but a ruse, and knowing that there was a different magical force actually holding the potions aloft only cemented the reality of the matter in her head.
The blind kitsune's first reaction was to try to dispel the illusion, but she quickly waved that thought away. Removing the illusion wouldn't bring her any closer to the truth of who was responsible. She might try to dispel whatever magical force was holding the potions, but that would probably only see them crash to the ground and broken. In the end, she settled on counter-manipulating the potions, intent on at least returning them even if she couldn't catch the real thief. Besides, the short foxgirl wasn't entirely sure that she would have wanted to deliver a stranger to Acheron's justice system, especially having only just arrived in the city.
She took a few steps toward the chase and raised a free hand, before closing it in a grabbing motion, trying to wrest away control of the floating stolen goods and pull them back toward the counter they had begun on.
Eheh, sorry Lumi and Melissa. >.>
Oormi takes a single move action toward the chase and uses Ghostly Touch (Level 2 Aether) to try to counter-manipulate them potions back toward the shop!
Base Casting of 19, DC of 10. 2 EP cost. Manipulates items as if using telekinesis.
When being attacked by powers or spells, Oormi gains +10 dodge and has +10 resistance against their effects.
Oormi takes +4 PP and EP damage.
She takes *1.5 corruption from anything that would cause her to gain corruption.
Despite having kitsune heritage, Oormi does not drain EP or absorb people unless specifically noted as she doesn't yet realize she can.
She has fertile and becomes pregnant on a roll of 2 or higher.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem's ears perked up as the attendant began to provide information, a small smile on his lips all the while as she spoke, and as he counted up the coin. He had decided to just sell off his old robes, as they were obviously unfit for the rigors of combat he no doubt would end up in often. And as soon as he had made finished the transaction, selling off his battlerobe and buying other things, and having gotten his information, things burst into action all around him. A thief snatched up a few vials, a magical alarm began ringing, the attendant shouted, and guards swarmed over the place. Instinctively, Kherem reached for one of his javelins, but hesitated as he saw the resulting crowd of movement. With a small shrug, he let his half-pulled javelin slid back into it's quiver, and busied himself donning his freshly bought under-robe and set of chainmail, while turning to the attendant as he did. "Thanks for the goods, and doubly so for the information. I'd help with the thief, but I don't wan't to risk my aim failing me, and accidentally striking a guard or bystander. My apologies."
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Lumi's eyes widen in surprise as she feels something tugging at the floating potions, and she almost immediately lets go, dismissing the spell with a small gesture and almost stopping on her tracks as she continues focusing on her illusion, making the boy attempt to run out the door, tumbling around or between someone's legs, if necessary.
Meanwhile the kitsune herself continues the chase half-heartedly, hoping to keep up the appearances even if she doesn't have a chance of catching the illusion.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem: HP = 90, PP = 55, EP = 55, Status = Fine
Melissa: HP = 59, PP = 65, EP = 44, Status = Fine, Invisible
Lumi: HP = 54, PP = 70, EP = 45/56, Status = Fine, Invisibility on Melissa, Illusion, Manipulate
Oormi: HP = 80, PP = 72, EP = 56/60, Status = Fine, +12 Perception (Lesser Strength)
Rolls
Melissa sweeps a guard!
Attack: Hit.
Damage: Presumably neglected cuz she's not trying to hurt the guy.
Resistance: Melissa wins!
Casting (Oormi) : Success!
Lumi willingly releases the potions, and they fling at ye blind kitsune!
One of the guards chasing after Lumi and her illusion suddenly dropped flat on his face, the source of his fall unknown to all save the one that perpetrated it, Melissa. Her invisibility holding, the half-daemon was free to do as she liked with her ill-gotten gains. Oormi. meanwhile, felt whatever force held the potions aloft suddenly release, causing the bottles to come hurtling back... Right towards her. The attendant, meanwhile, merely shot Kherem a confused look before turning back to watch the chase unfold.
Lumi's illusion darted ahead of her and its other pursuers, darting between the legs of a limping man before vanishing out the open door in front of her. Out in the crowded streets of Acheron, it would be a perfect opportunity for her to simply dispel the illusion and make it seem as if the boy had simply vanished into the people of the city.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
The blind kitsune, upon realizing that she had overestimated the amount of force the unseen mage would use to keep the stolen goods, decided that it was time for damage control. She commanded her waves in order to bring up a wall of water in front of her, hoping that it would not only slow the potions but also keep them from being destroyed or hitting anyone else. But if that wasn't successful then she would do what any sensible person would do, she would duck.
Use wall of water (Level 2, Water, Creates a small barrier of water that blocks a creature from passage. Moving through the wall takes a turn unless the creature(s) making the attempt wins a Resistance check against the caster). Hope that it stops the potions in one way or another! Barring that, duck and wish anybody behind her the best of luck.
Totally didn't remove the 2 EP for her last cast. >.>
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem: HP = 90, PP = 55, EP = 55, Status = Fine
Melissa: HP = 59, PP = 65, EP = 44, Status = Fine, Invisible
Lumi: HP = 54, PP = 70, EP = 45/56, Status = Fine, Invisibility on Melissa, Illusion, Manipulate
Oormi: HP = 80, PP = 72, EP = 54/60, Status = Fine, +12 Perception (Lesser Strength)
Rolls
My bad.
Casting (Oormi) : Success!
The potions are caught without breaking them!
For their assorted excellence, Oormi, Lumi, and Melissa all gain 2 exp. Kherem doesn't get any cuz he just sat around like a derp. Oormi also gets to choose between a Healing potion, an Energy potion, a Morning After potion, or a Fertility potion.
Oormi's spell caused a curtain of water to rise protectively in front of her, blocking the path of the spinning bottles without causing any of them to break. She could easily pluck them from the water or gently lower them to the ground, at her discretion, but either way the attendant beamed at her and said; "Thanks! You can take one of those for yourself, our treat, for your good deed!"
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Carefully ignoring Oormi, Lumi continues her chase towards the door, quickly dismissing the illusion as it gets out of her view. The kitsune only slows down as she reaches the door, turning back as if to examine the wares again.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem blinked a little as the wall of water was conjured up to stop a pair of soaring bottles, stiffling a hearty chuckle as he clapped his hands in applause. "My my, there is no end to the amazing things you can do, is there, Oormi? And such quick thinking at that!", a sheepish smile across his lips, Kherem was in an elated mood, and his words were nothing short of praise and amazement at her displays of magic. "If only Lady Lumi and Melissa was here to see such wonders...", he sighed a little, and looked around himself, wondering where those two had went off to, and there was some troubled concern in his eyes. Hopefully, they weren't doing something reckless...
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
"No thanks are necessary," the blind foxgirl replied as she plucked the potions from the watery wall and replaced them at their spot on the counter before allowing her spell to fade. It wasn't as if retrieving the stolen goods had been difficult, given how easily the unseen thief had given up control of the bottles. The complete lack of a magical struggle unsettled her almost as much as the illusionary nature of the boy and she wondered if anybody but her had noticed either.
Oormi ended up deciding that there was no point in fretting over it, her focus instead turning to Kherem as he addressed her. She proved easily flattered, with her lips curling into a bright smile at his compliments. "It was nothing," she replied, her proud smile belying her spoken humility. "Far better that Lady Lumi and Lady Melissa are given the chance to enjoy themselves before the match. Why don't you choose one of the potions in my stead, if you'd like," she suggested to Kherem regarding the store attendant's reward. "Otherwise I would simply decline to accept one." The kitsune felt it was a polite compromise between respecting the woman's generosity and adhering to her own desire not to profit off of an unfortunate circumstance. Besides, she couldn't exactly read the potions' labels anyway.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Seeing the boy drop the potions, which then went flying away – and more importantly who they went flying towards… Melissa’s heart sunk. They had lost the additional potions, potions that were flying towards one of their allies, potions that may well have very bad effects. There was nothing the human could do, however; she was too far, had no magic of her own, and would have probably had to reveal herself in order to have helped if she could. But then, turning the situation around, Oormi not only saved herself, but the potions as well – and scored a freebie.The kid… appeared to have gotten away, so there was no point tripping more people or going after him. Instead, Melissa simply made to leave the scene, potion in pocket. She was still invisible, and quiet enough that nobody had caught her yet, so she moved to the exit of the arena, intending to find the winning team and wait for an opportunity to slip the potion to one of them.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem smiled warmly at the sight of Oormi beaming up like that, but shook his head. "Oh no, Oormi, I was the one who did nothing, you did something amazing... And I suppose you are right. I just hope they don't get into trouble. I'd rather not have the battle delayed or worse...", he let out a quiet sigh. "I didn't expect it to be these many fights...", he scratched under his chin a little once told to pick out a potion, and after a bit of thinking he reached out for the Healing Potion, and offered it to Oormi. "A Healing Potion is always handy to keep around, if you don't want it yourself I'd like to hold onto it for when it might be needed... Hopefully it won't be, but one never knows what might happen, right?", Kherem figured a Healing Potion was the most all-round useful choice of the ones offered, and while he was willing to appreciate the gift, he wouldn't want to deny Oormi what was rightfully hers.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
"You keep it," she replied with a cheerful expression and a dismissive wave of her hand at the potion. She had never intended on accepting any reward for herself but didn't want to explain her reasons aloud lest she make Kherem feel guilty. "I hope that you'll never need it, but better to not need what you have than not have what you need." The short foxgirl maintained her proud smile.
The blind girl quickly discovered that being praised for something that she was truly proud about had left her feeling sprightly. Without anything readily available to expend that excess of energy on, she began to wonder about how the next match would play out, blissfully unaware of the heist masterminded by two of her teammates that was still in progress. That particular train of thought led her back to the possibility of seeking a rematch against Fiona, which caused her to seek the orc and her group out with her waves. She'd have to seek them out after the business with the shopkeeper was complete but before they left the arena or she might lose her shot at formally requesting a duel with the orcish warrior.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
Kherem: HP = 90, PP = 55, EP = 55, Status = Fine
Melissa: HP = 59, PP = 65, EP = 44, Status = Fine, Invisible
Lumi: HP = 54, PP = 70, EP = 44/56, Status = Fine, Invisibility on Melissa, Illusion, Manipulate
Oormi: HP = 80, PP = 72, EP = 54/60, Status = Fine, +12 Perception (Lesser Strength)
The guards rushed past Lumi after her illusion even though it had already vanished, dispelled by her as it entered the crowd. A few moments later they cam back inside, grumbling and cursing about thieves. They ignored her completely, and as the still invisible Melissa moved to the doorway into the arena their heist was complete, leaving Lumi to do as she liked while Melissa waited for their next opponent, the winner of the other semifinal, to come out into the waiting room. The half daemon heard the arena announcer and the crowd beyond, muted but intelligible, and it became apparent after a moment that the match was at its end. She heard footsteps heading in her direction, a soft footfall accompanied by a scrape resounding along the curved hallway as someone unseen walked in her direction. A moment later she saw the silhouette of a person, wings extending from their back and a number of snake-like tendrils slowly thrashing around them as they strode down the alley, shrouded in darkness. No alraune nurses came forth to tend to the wounded, nor did any come by carrying anyone.
The shopkeeper looked at Kherem somewhat hesitantly as Oormi made her offer, but then nodded encouragingly when he picked his potion. With the others returned, the woman beamed again and said; "Thanks again! Not many around here would try to help like that." With that Oormi was free to pursue her own ends, and quickly found Fiona and her comrades in their little cubby across the way. None had been seriously injured, and as such they had all been discharged while Oormi and Kherem stood by the shop. They had watched the commotion that had ensured when Lumi opted to steal from the shop, but were even now turning back to their own conversation. She was free to move to speak to them if she so chose, but she would probably have to be quick about it if she wanted to catch them before they departed from the loser's melee.
Re: This is a Great Plan (Smokefish, Host, Hentaispider, and Hafnium)
As the guards come back grumbling about the disappeared "thief," Lumi focuses on listening Oormi and Kherem for a while, and a secretive smile comes to her lips. A free healing potion? That's a nice bonus. The white-furred kitsune unhurriedly turns around and walks out of the door before going about to find a private spot to return to her normal appearance, now wondering where Melissa went, and looking around for Oormi and Kherem. I guess I should have asked what Melissa would do after we got the poison. Let's hope she doesn't get caught.
