Author Topic: Action thread: With Janis  (Read 99517 times)

Offline Sneaky_Sable

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #40 on: January 09, 2012, 10:02:37 AM »
The diminutive Sable makes his way to the edge of the table, and with a flourish, takes a bit of a leap off. Midair, the rapscallion weasel's form quickly inflates back to its 'proper' scale. He lands on his feet with all the casual stance of someone who is quite familiar with manipulating his own perspective and scale.

"Why Janis, that almost sounded like a challenge. You know damn well you can't look someone... especially someone like me... in the eye and say something's beyond their reach." he chuckled, then remained quiet so that Janis and the Wee Jas Paladin could have their little back and forth. Time for the rogue in him to get to work.

He slinked away from his part of the table, bringing his mug with him for a refill. He snagged himself a piece of that intoxicating meat pie, and filled his glass. After pouring, he turned to Ror, held out the pitcher, and made the universally recognized 'Want a Refill?' gesture.
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Offline ieatfood7

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #41 on: January 09, 2012, 11:56:21 AM »
Sheerak, a large Tiefling with black swan wings and four arms, goes to stand behind the carved, straight-backed chair of inlaid wood, not trusting her weight to it, but standing with her lower right hand placed lightly upon it.  She has brought a plate from the food station consisting of primarily cheeses and fruits, with small pieces of meat and the tiniest slice of the pie, not wanting to seem unapreciative of her host's proudest dish.  She watched the map in earnest as the different locations and uses are described.

Vir, a tiny Pixie in outlandish swashbuckling garb, skewers meats and cheeses on his right silver sword and, ever mindful or scurvey,  citris fruits on his left sword.  He land in the middle of the table, wating the map quietly while eating his food as if a roast off a stick. 

Sheerak nods at the suggestion at posing as buyers.
We must not arrive prior to sunset or sunrise if Vir is to help us.  Morning or late eavening would eb best, thoguh miday and midnight will suffice.  We must not simply break this location and free these slaves, we must hurt the slaving industry as much as possible.  That means taking down the buyers as well as the suppliers.  If we attend a sale, Vir can follow one or more of the buyers back to their masters or homes, or at the least can keep tabs on them until we can all kill the buyers.  If we are lucky, the buyers will come in person.  Motre likely, they will send errend boys to make the purchases.  If we kill enough buyers and underlings of buyers, word will spread that the slave markets are unsafe and fewer will risk buying slaves.  The bosses of the buyers would be high value targets, but we can take what we get on that second front.  I can pose as a purchaser in human form if you think it best, though as I am unknown here, I think my natural form would raise less suspicion.  A furtive stranger buyting would seema  spy.  A VERY conspicious but unknown newcomer will be watched carefully, but will not be expected to be inncognito.  For this reason, JAnis, you should hold off on our Su's board cutting opperation, or give it a non-Su teporary name, until after the slave sale.  I expect word of me will spread after this, but if my identity and reputation is a secret for this first job, we ought to take advantage of it.

I have been trained in the use of this, my ancestral weapon, 
she holds up a spiked chain, Against single opponents, groups, and magic users.  I have also been trained in the way of the Flying Cobra, the Deafening Bison, and other, more obscure monastric fighting styles.

Vir stands tall, well, as tall as a Tiny sized fae can, finishing the last of the meat off his sword, and wiping it down carefully on a napkin.
My abilities are many, proving that it is not the size that matters, but how you use what you've got.  Lucky for you all, I have the skill AND an the ideal size!  I can entertain as well as any in a bar or camp, but rest assured, I can be quite silent when needed before combat.  My size and invisibility can be maintained indefinitely, even during combat.  I prefer to fly above my opponent while striking from out of his reach.  Don't be fooled by my perfectly sized arms, I can striek at anyone within my light, and am skilled at attacking groups or individuals. He begins to glow, and seems to grow fuzzy as well, as if he is mostly in his origonal location, but that soem part of him is zipping around the glow surroudning him for 20 gfeet in every direction.  The light then winks out. 
I have some minor tricks, and am adept at disarming traps.  I am the sneaky killing sliver swords of justice!



As the new addition walks in, Vir notices his prolongued stare, and though he does not show it, it makes him especially uncomfortable.  Undead have always given him the chills, more so since he has dies himself a number of times, bringing his living status to question in his more philisophical of moments.  He does not let this show, as his social attitude has always been the same as his fighting attidude, a good offense is the best defense.

Welcome, welcome, and welcome again.  I am Captain Vir, the Merciful, Captain of the Resolute and King of the Unclaimed Sea.  You may have heard of me. He gives his best rakish grinMy tale is long and exciting, but I'm afraid the rest of the group has already heard it today, and we all know a story overtold is underappreciated.  I am currently between ships, and accompany yonder waif, pointing at Sheerak. You may notice that I turn to stone at sunup and sundown, but do not be alarmed, for I will always return!  T'is my second pirate curse, and I bear it nobley!  So, Horwac Tou Thavatou, known by some of your friends as Horwac, what is your story and interests here?
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The tall tiefling stands straighter at the entrance of a new person.  I am Sheerak, daughter to the late and much beloved Lord Su.  I am here to find my father's killers, and am helping Lady Janis and Lady Sable in the meantime.  Their cause is important, and seems the best use of our time in this city.

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #42 on: January 09, 2012, 12:07:42 PM »
...For this reason, Janis, you should hold off on our Su's board cutting operation, or give it a non-Su temporary name, until after the slave sale. 

Sable points directly to Sheerak, then to his own snout. "Or... we could use the lumber business as part of the cover. New business needs labor, and whoever is going to pose as buyers should have something of a legitimate need. Also, if we're looking for specifics, maybe they'll show us more of their stock. Not to sound rude or demeaning by calling the poor souls 'stock', but they may only be displaying the middle-tier. Either saving the best as a surprise, in reserve, or to make a better bargaining posture."

"Hell, just to keep Su's name off of it until it becomes something more of a reputable business venture, we can call it 'Master Sable's Lumbertarium and Brothel'." he waves his hand in the air in an arc. "The best place to bring your woo- what, you don't like the name?" he asks, mostly to Janis and Sheerak.
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Offline ieatfood7

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #43 on: January 09, 2012, 12:19:42 PM »
Sheerak's eye's darken briefly at the suggstion of a temporary name, but moves on with courtesy.

That is an excelent idea, though I think that a different name would be wise, and I again caution Lady Janis of the risk she may expose herself to by letting her amd my connection to Lord Su be wel known.  If she is not concerned with that, then we can propose it under the temporary name "Aperture Stoneworks and Lumbermill."  If Janis's name or business is associated with it, the slavers will not trust us, as they know she works against them.  If she is a silent partner for thsi first job's duration, we can use the annonimity as a good cover. 

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #44 on: January 09, 2012, 12:31:44 PM »
Sable starts with a hand raised in apology, "The only reason I suggested not putting Lord Su's name on it at this venture is because we'll be going into a slaver den, and posing as buyer's for the lumbering operation. I threw my own name out there for two reasons. One, my insatiable ego." he smirked, "And second, whatever name we use is going to potentially be circulated around who-knows-where as inquiring about slaves. I have to imagine that there are people scouting these types of get togethers to find out who is shopping for who. Whatever name we drop there, will be whispered in back alleys for years to come." he paused.

"Out of the two names we could drop, Lord Su's or mine, I'd rather mine. First, cause I'm the dashing weasel prince with a heart of gold and teeth like mithril." he flashed a toothy smile. Bone, not Mithril. "And secondly, well, my name's doesn't really mean much to anyone else at the moment, like his does to you, and I'd rather not have his name dragged through the mud of as a slave owner."

"And you're right, no offense to Janis, but whatever name we drop can't be already too well known, if known at all. We drop the name MetroMagic, and we might as well name ourselves 'Sigil's League of Slavepen Breakers'."
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Offline lgallindo

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #45 on: January 10, 2012, 08:16:55 AM »
{Janis}Hi, I'm Janis... Janis Fortune. It's nice of you to come here, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, did I pronounce that correctly? Not sure I got my tongue around that one. June is much better, I don't know how she gets names like yours exactly right after hearing them only once, I'd bet a platinum piece she didn't ask you to repeat it. No disrespect intended, but do you go by anything shorter?

Looking to Janis and Vir: I guess my paladin's name is a bit awkward for most tongues... Tanatou is going to do, Lady Fortune and milord... mmm... King of Unclaimed Seas.

I grab one of my potions, pour it on the mug Ror gave me and nod to Ror and anyone else who's drinking.
Metro:
(click to show/hide)
I try to peer at the map and any notes I might see, over whoever shoulder is covering them.

To everyone: Ahem... So the plan is to approach the slave traders as a buyer company. Unless someone wants to become a target to any surviving Illithid and slave trading ring, I don't think it will be safe to use a real name. And there's the risk that something goes wrong, and the name will be marked on the local leaders books.

Not that I expect many survivors on the slavers side. It is a unlawful and evil operation, and deserves to be striked hard, without mercy. And, in case someone is wondering, I heard too much to willfully stay out of this operation. I never been in the sneaky or info-gatherer side of a operation, but I think my small time as field soldier might be of some help.

I see you have a map of the place. How good is the intel on their numbers and weapons? Do we have a report on traps and ambush points from previous attack groups? Do we know who are the leaders of this compound?

Offline ieatfood7

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #46 on: January 10, 2012, 11:54:11 AM »
We don't have an army of assasins to kill them all without being seen.  We willt ry to take them all out and if we are very lucky, word of our identities might not make it back to the slavers, but in all likelyhood, we would be unmasked so to speak anyway by our association with this group.  I think keeping anonimity before we strike will be valuable, but will be nearly impossible afterwords.  I can fight in a nromal sized humanoid form, but not nearly as effectively. 

I am more concerned with getting in wihtout suspision.  If Metro Magic is watched, than my true form and human form, as well as Sable, are compromised.  I assume, Lord Paladin, that you were not seen coming in here?  I will enter in Dwarven form under a false name, accompanied by the Paladin and any others who have remained hidden from prying eyes.  Sable can be carried in our pockets, and Vir can either come invisibly or in his locket form, whichever you think safest.  Janis, are you able to get us accepted as purchasers wihtout raising undue suspision?

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #47 on: January 10, 2012, 12:24:20 PM »
"Well then maybe, if MetroMagic is being watched... then maybe when this is all said and done, maybe Janis should have us thrown out?" Sable offered. "Call the watch and have them escort us off the premises."

"Though, however we're going to enter the place, that's how we should look when we're .. *ahem* .. leaving here."
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Offline MetroMagic

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #48 on: January 10, 2012, 09:01:10 PM »
Janis looks relieved, and brings the map back out of the Ball and onto the conference room tabletop.

Janis chuckles.{Janis}That's just... Janis, you can call me that. I'm no lady.

Thanks, Tanatou, I was hoping you would see it that way. I was beginning to feel myself that you had heard so much you were stuck with us.

And... welcome, Paladin. Our side can always use that friendly helpful neighborhood guys like you radiate.

About weaknesses on the map, you have to figure that any weaknesses revealed from previous attacks were addressed by the Illithids. They have the smarts and the resources to take care of anything they know about.

I've heard a lot from all of you about a possible way to get in, but nothing yet about what to do once you get inside. You have to rescue the slaves, trash the operation, and get out alive, without destroying too much of the scenery. There are at minimum  a couple dozen Illithids and two to three times that number of Umber Hulks, plus whatever defenses they have put in place. Don't underestimate their ability to hit back.

You need good defenses against Psionics for sure, and against a massive counterassault by the Umber Hulks plus whatever else, and that's just the obvious stuff... if you just stand around and slug it out.

Or a continuation of some further sneaky plan to trash them. I don't know what you all can do, and what risks you're willing to take, so you'll have to work that out. But don't under-plan by just deciding how you're going to knock on the door.

At the very least  you need an exit plan too, and a plan to rescue the slaves so they don't die from whatever comes next.

Good start... maybe; I'm reserving judgment on that. Not that I get a say, it's your plan and your necks. But it's still just a start.

How about this? Let's say it was your place to defend. How would you do that? What would you worry about? What would you do about your worries? I like to try to think like my enemy, and then out-think them on their own ground, or find some way to change the gameboard so it isn't their ground.

Yeah, your point about being watched... we could have been watched here in Sigil, but the way I heard it from Star, she was talking about the Illithids watching the Trading Company compound on Bral. And her friends watching the Illithid Embassy on Bral. It's such a friendly place, isn't it, everyone cozy like that?

That's why she had the idea to plant some disinformation by inviting the Armada crew from Wings of Chartreuse to come through the Trading Company compound, on Bral, so the illithids might think that a military operation was going to hit them. Meanwhile we plan here in Sigil, far away from there, and hit them when we're ready.

« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 09:22:11 PM by MetroMagic »

Offline FireInTheSky

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #49 on: January 10, 2012, 11:59:25 PM »
Ror accepts Sable's offer of a refill with a nod of thanks.

Well, if I were the Illithids, I would need some way of vetting buyers I was unfamiliar with.  Some sort of divination magic perhaps?  Also, I would think my customers would want assurances of their privacy and/or anonymity.  Maybe I only have one customer (or group if they're all together) down to examine the stock at a time, and the auctions are all private, where everyone can only see what's being bid on, and not each other.
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Everyone arrives and departs separately and secretly.  So as well as needing to free the slaves and help them to safety, we would need to discover the identities of the other buyers.  Unless we didn't care about the identities of the others, only that they were unable to leave because they suddenly developed a being dead problem (assuming they were alive to begin with).  One problem with assuming the evilness of the other buyers is that there could be other freedom fighters among the buyers.  I mean, we can't be sure that we're the only ones who know about this operation and oppose it.

Ror pauses to take a drink and a large bite of meat pie, then continues.

I agree with the idea that killing the other buyers would be a deterrent for others who were originally planning on buying from the Illithids.  However, given that our primary objective is freeing the slaves, I think we might have to put aside the other buyers and focus on that.

Offline lgallindo

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #50 on: January 11, 2012, 07:37:57 AM »
I do not think we have the numbers to completely wipe their defenses, nor to pick fights with buyers. Master Ror made a good point on the buyer disguise, Illithid will be prepared for this kind of disguise.

Our priority should be freeing the slaves, and then striking at the compound leaders. Perhaps doing it the other way around, striking down their leaders, will be easier - they might take more time to react without their leadership.I strongly believe we will have losses on the slaves side if we stay around fighting whoever is allied with the Illithid.

What is our transport? We need to check the details of the map, and try to trace a path from entrance to exit, plus backup paths.


I focus on the map for some time, while other people do the talking.

Offline ieatfood7

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #51 on: January 11, 2012, 08:25:16 AM »
Sheerak looks towards Janis.  Oh no, ......Miss......Janus, I appologize, but as long as I am your guest and not family, some sort of title is appropriate.  It is demanded by Courtesy.  If there is a title more to your liking, please inform me.

Looking to the entire groupI agree with your concerns, but look at it this way.  How many people are enslaved per year in from this camp.  100? I'm sure it's more.  How many are enslaved by this group throught the planes?  How many are sold by all group throughout the planes?  I want to save these slaves, but unless one of them is a special someone, we must look at the bigger picture.  I do not advocate trying to challenge the entire enterprise of slaving, not yet at least, but we can do the most good if we undermine the opperation, the organization, and the industry.  If these slaves, how may are there again?, all die, but we fataly cripple this camp and undermine comfidence in the slaving trade by killing all the buyers, how many hundreds and thousands across the planes will never know the coller and the lash?  Let me know if there is a high value target here, otherwise, I think killing the buyers, killing everyone working at the camp, and getting as much information from them as possible before hand are our top priorities.

For this, Getting at least one of them to drink Sable's special brew is ideal.  The higher rankign the better.  This will keep him out of the fight, and we can question him later. 

As for an attack plan once we're in.  I have never fought these things before, and do nto knwo what an umber hulk is, but with out invisible or nearly invisible scouts, I'm sure we can take any number as long as we pick them off a few at a time.  Assuming we plan to kill everyone and disrupt their opperations, our highest priority spots are the slave pens and the barracks, They don't want the slaves dead, so they ar eunlikely to force a fight there unless they are desparate, so the final fight will likely be there and we should be prepared to negotiate there or else be ready for them to use human sheilds, as I assume as slavers they are cowards.  Our most dangerous spot is the warrens.  Even with a map we could get lost, an ambush or traps are likely at every turn, and they look narrow, which may keep me from using my...size. 

If we can get some of us in as buyers, we should proabbly assume at leatsone of the seller swill have true sight, so I might as well stay in natural form and Vir should proabbly stay in poendant form at first rather than relying on invisibility too heavily.  We will need to guard the river here at the buyer's docks, so that the slavers don't escape witht eh salves by the river while we try to get through the warrens. 

I see three plans. 

One, we play nice, "buy" some slaves, and see how many buyers and sellers we can get to drink with us.  The map makes the buyers area seem open, and if we are the only buyers there, then thats fien and simplifies things, if there are other buyers, thats even better.  We then kill/incapacitate any enemies remaining in the pen and take the river to attack the baracks from the back.  We can try to free the slaves on the way...maybe bring some extra weapons in case any want to fight with us...but we can free them after we kill the slavers, so that is not the priority.  We strike the barracks from behind.  Someone who can fly...btw, who here can't fly?....doubles back ont he river to watch the pen and stop, or at least take note of, any escape by the slavers. 

Option 2, we go as buyers, fight everyone at the buyers area, and try to fight our way through the warrens taking this, the most direct path.
  She points to the mostly striaght path closest to the storage usits. This may be exactly where they would expect an attack and it looks easily defensable, but then again, if they are expecting an army, they might expect a river route, as no army could fit inn the warrens easily.  Someone would have to stay at the buyers area to watch eveyrone's back and to guard against escape.

Option 3, we don't go as buys, and we sneak in as best we can from here
She points to a tiny bit of river going off the map to the South.  From here we sneak past into the baracks and try to take them unawares.  Thosegood at sneaking, Vir and Sable at least, would be the first wave, with myself and anyone nto sneaky staying a the shore as a reserve, witha  signal for the reserve group to come help. 

Vir looks thoughtful but agreeable to all this, he perks up at the mention of sailing down the river.

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #52 on: January 11, 2012, 10:35:48 AM »
"Were I an Illithid..." he started, then stopped, and put the back of his hand up against his chin, then waggled his fingers to produce the illusion of tentacles. He kept his hand there for the duration of his imagining.

"Were *I* an Illithid..." he started again, now changing his voice to sound more sinister and aberrant, "... I'd scan the minds of any buyers to find what they were looking for before they even opened their fool mouths, and I'd be extra wary of those who's feeble minds I couldn't browse. I'd act from a distance, never personally greeting the buyers for fear of catching whatever disease they carry, instead acting through puppets and proxies." he continued to act the part. "The slaves there would have long been broken of their free will, so any attempt to rouse a revolution or rebellion would be crushed before it even began."

"I'd seal up whatever tunnels I wasn't using with magics, or use my minions to physically block them, so that guests cannot access areas that I don't want them to and post guards near the waterway to watch for uninvited guests. I'd cloak areas of interest in darkness, only keeping lit the areas I want my clients to be in, for I can see in the dark as well as any denizen of the deep. My minions and puppets would be told that any source of light is a sign of invasion." he pointed mostly to the caverns, the river, and what was thought to be the pens.

He then removed his hand from his chin, indicating that he was no longer an Illithid. He gave Janis a wink afterwards.

"Now that that's settled, how to best them. Well, first off, why not sic the local prince on them? He frowns upon anything that would foul the local atmosphere or stagnate the water, so why not get them kicked out. Transport a few hundred or so long-dead bodies... with the use of those aforementioned shrinking wands... and put them at the bottom of the river, or gather them in the back part of the storage area here, mix in a few weeds and such that'll really start to ruin the asteroid's day, and then light it on fire." he paused, "Hell Janis, you could be 'happening' along to that asteroid on side business, happen to be there, and offer to purify the atmosphere or something. I'm sure the dead will excuse a moment of disrespect for the cause." he said with a smile.

"Now, if purifying the water or air is beyond your scope, then we obviously cannot do that. Say, how effective *are* those Shrink Wands? Think they could take an Umber Hulk down to size? Illithids aren't physically minded, but their Umber Hulks will be at a distinct disadvantage if they're crushable under boot, for instance."

After a pause, he turned to Sheerak, "And you know, you make a damn fine argument. Hundreds in exchange for thousands. Tens of hundreds in exchange for tens of thousands." he started, "It's what the sages would call a calculated risk, or what the merchants would call a good deal." He pointed to her, then turned to face the others, "Unless anyone has a better idea, I think our priority should be the obliteration of the slaver trade here, and the capture of any high value agents in the slaver organization. Once we neutralize the Illithid presence, either by blade or by bureaucrat, we can release the slaves there in safety, rather then trying to smuggle them out against the backdrop of a fight."

"And another thing: Reliance on magic. As stated, there may be someone there who can see through illusions and such. We can use magic to turn rich clothes into opulent clothes, to better look the part of any rich slave buyer. We can use it to improve our appearance but we should go in with the assumption that any disguise we make for ourselves magically will be seen through. Mundane methods are going to be the better option." he paused again, "Which brings me to another option. Janis, do you have an amulet or something that nullifies magics in a radius?" he asked. "See, I don't use magic. At all. I don't really trust what my own claws don't earn." he explained. "A small medallion to nullify magics, and even psionics if you could manage it to essentially make one of the main sneaks Illithid Proof... and then something to clasp around it to nullify the effect. Think of a medallion in a scroll tube, sealed tight. The effect doesn't pour out until the tube is open." he explained. "Or maybe I just keep the medallion in one of those 'bigger on the inside' bags and deal with it." he compromised.

"We'll call the medallion for a last ditch, since it's liable to cripple folks on this team as well." Sable continued, "Though, if we can get them thrown out on a legal technicality by staging the ruination of the local atmosphere or water, they'd have to pack up their entire operation and vacate. Into the waiting hands of the military force that's technically not even there to invade them." he pointed out, just remembering. "Yeah, I like that."
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Offline lgallindo

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #53 on: January 11, 2012, 11:47:12 AM »
"... Transport a few hundred or so long-dead bodies... with the use of those aforementioned shrinking wands... and put them at the bottom of the river, or gather them in the back part of the storage area here, mix in a few weeds and such that'll really start to ruin the asteroid's day, and then light it on fire." he paused, "Hell Janis, you could be 'happening' along to that asteroid on side business, happen to be there, and offer to purify the atmosphere or something. I'm sure the dead will excuse a moment of disrespect for the cause." he said with a smile.
Sigh.

"After a pause, he turned to Sheerak, "And you know, you make a damn fine argument. Hundreds in exchange for thousands. Tens of hundreds in exchange for tens of thousands."

So I gather you are willing to die to complete the obliteration of the Illithids, perhaps carrying a huge bomb to their living quarters? After all, it will be one life given to save thousands, right? No life should be spoiled without a very good reason. From what I heard from our contractors, they agree with this. Plus, miss Janis just said we shouldn't  go "destroying too much of the scenery".

You made excellent points in your Illithid thinking, no magical means are going to fool them. If we use disguises, they should be very calculated and rely little on magic.

During an auction, there should be only mentally broken slaves, umber hulks guarding them and some proxies for the Illithid masters. The leaders will be watching from the back. Lady Sheerak proposed two plans where we start on the auction, and in both cases I think the Illithid leaders will have something reserved for unruly buyers, and that will be used against us.

How about a group sneaks in, sabotage their defenses on the riverside and the passages from area CC to area BB. Immediately after the destruction of the defenses, the "heavier" group goes in with a boat big enough for the slaves. The map shows a single bridge from CC to BB, and we if destroy this bridge while the umber hulks are in their quarters we leave the Illithid without muscle. I think we have a good chance of reducing their numbers in a full attack from the back while someone loads the slaves on the boat.

And, since we are putting our resources on the table to know on what we can rely, I'm a foot soldier with some experience as pharmacist. I can't fly or turn invisible.

Offline Sneaky_Sable

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #54 on: January 11, 2012, 12:16:15 PM »
So I gather you are willing to die to complete the obliteration of the Illithids, perhaps carrying a huge bomb to their living quarters? After all, it will be one life given to save thousands, right? No life should be spoiled without a very good reason. From what I heard from our contractors, they agree with this. Plus, miss Janis just said we shouldn't  go "destroying too much of the scenery".


Sable just smiled, "And to be fair, then, you've never given your life for anything you believe in, either. Besides, I can't free them if I'm dead."

Quote
You made excellent points in your Illithid thinking, no magical means are going to fool them. If we use disguises, they should be very calculated and rely little on magic.

During an auction, there should be only mentally broken slaves, umber hulks guarding them and some proxies for the Illithid masters. The leaders will be watching from the back. Lady Sheerak proposed two plans where we start on the auction, and in both cases I think the Illithid leaders will have something reserved for unruly buyers, and that will be used against us.

How about a group sneaks in, sabotage their defenses on the riverside and the passages from area CC to area BB. Immediately after the destruction of the defenses, the "heavier" group goes in with a boat big enough for the slaves. The map shows a single bridge from CC to BB, and we if destroy this bridge while the umber hulks are in their quarters we leave the Illithid without muscle. I think we have a good chance of reducing their numbers in a full attack from the back while someone loads the slaves on the boat.

And, since we are putting our resources on the table to know on what we can rely, I'm a foot soldier with some experience as pharmacist. I can't fly or turn invisible.

"I hope you brought a *really* big boat, then. It's nice to want to save everyone, and only kill the minions of evil, and get the girl, but life doesn't work that way. People are going to die, innocent and otherwise. You're a soldier, so you should know that you can't save everyone. What we can do, is either save as many people as we can, or ensure that they didn't die for nothing."

"Best I can figure, if we're going to stage an assault, best to get all of our pieces together. At the bridge, at the river, and at the auction, then pretty much just cause as much chaos and doom as we can all in the shortest amount of time. Illithids are geniuses, but I have to believe that they can't focus on two or three things at the same time. A trio of catastrophes might cause them to blink... in the proverbial sense, and in that moment, we cut them down."

"We can start by doing something here in the Umber Hulk quarters that would demand the attention of their muscle. Say, a landslide or a partial cave in... something physical. Once a higher concentration of Umber Hulks are across the bridge, we destroy it, and then that could really help us out in the long run. Unless Umber Hulks can swim." he pointed out. "Then we'd need to make that river's current a little stronger, if possible, and sweep them out to ... wherever the hell that river sweeps out to."

He turned back, "Look, I'm not saying massacre everything that lives, be it slave or slaver, but I am saying that if you had the chance to free a slave and let their slaver live... or kill them both... you know, no. Don't. That's an unfair question." Sable retracted, though technically his point was made. "We have a lot of plans that all technically happen at the same time, so let's get a timeline."

"Sheerak and I attend as buyers. We see all that we can see, make a few selections. Team B then engineers a minor cave in at the Umber Hulk barracks, and with luck they'll send some Umber Hulks there to either clean out the mess or, thinking it may be an attack, subtly send a few to 'investigate'. By the time they get there, Sheerak and I are done, and then after the purchase, we all celebrate in a grand toast. That should hopefully incapacitate most of their front proxies, if not an actual Illithid who comes to join in the celebration. Then the bridge goes. Then it's Sheerak, Captain Vir, myself, and whoever else is in the Buyer team, against what they have brought to bear on one side, and the chaos caused by the other team working to free the slaves kept here." he points to {BB} on the map. "If we can flood the river just a little higher to sweep the island, it may help bring a big enough ship, though how we plan to sneak a ship past the auction point is beyond me. Unless you make it a ship in a bottle." he paused... "Which isn't crazy."
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 12:49:06 PM by Sneaky_Sable »
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Offline MetroMagic

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #55 on: January 11, 2012, 03:34:33 PM »
Janis says to Sheerak, {Janis} Well, if you have to put a title in front of my name, honey, you could call me what most other creatures in Sigil do... Miss Fortune, as in Misfortune. I kinda like it. When I was a boarding school girl I used to get teased with that name all the time, but then I started using it myself, introducing myself that way. The headmaster freaked, but there wasn't much he could do, it really was my name. And I made sure that the kids teasing me got some of it.

Janis untangles from the stool and helps herself to a plate of apple pie, dessert first, then goes over to the Paladin, clearly enjoying the warmth of his Protection. She stops just short of snuggling against him. Then she starts pointing out areas on the map, and takes several minutes to give him a full recap of her briefing and everything the party had discussed to that point, including people's capabilities and life stories, waiting while he makes his own comments to the group, and then picking up her recap again.

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When Sable remarks about the river's exit, Janis says, {Janis} The way I understand it, there's some more river on the surface, and a big lake. When the river flows off the bottom of the map it goes back up to feed the lake on the surface and then flows back down out of the lake and comes back in at the top of the map. It's endless. You could ask Star how it works, when she gets here. I know it has something to do with the gravity plane... flat gravity, remember.

Offline ieatfood7

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #56 on: January 11, 2012, 03:56:47 PM »
Well, if we are trying to hit them from multiple places, I have something that will help.  I can cast Gate at will.  I can send you to your various places in their base.   Heck, we could even Gate into the slave pens and Gate the slaves back out. 

Though, I expect the slavers would have alarms if not flat out antimagic in place against that....

I need a moment.  Please wait.[/color]

Sheerak goes to a corner and sits in her natural form with her wings draped over her shoulders, her legs crossed under her, and her four hands grasping her Spiked Chain.  She then Communes with her ancestors.  It takes ten minutes, but she is obviously busy with something important.  After chanting that seems to have meaning (largely thanks to the ansestors) she asks her questions.  The following questions are not stated verbally, so no one hears them.

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« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 04:12:17 PM by ieatfood7 »

Offline Sneaky_Sable

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #57 on: January 11, 2012, 04:04:11 PM »
The weaseloid adventurer watches Sheerak, then turns to Janis to give a nod. "Right, flows out to the surface." he indicated his understanding. "See, we have the easy part... getting in." he smirked, "Right now, the Weasel Brain is working on the next step, which isn't so easy. We don't really know what we're going to encounter once we get there, so it's pretty tough to plan for, literally, anything. I take it the easy stuff like Teleport and similars are going to be blocked. Though who knows, maybe they overlooked something..."

Then it hit him.

"Janis, what's the prince's official position on digging? If we know where the pens are, roughly... why not just dig under them and scoop everyone up? Shot in the dark, yeah, but just throwing this out there."
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Offline lgallindo

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #58 on: January 11, 2012, 06:55:16 PM »
"I hope you brought a *really* big boat, then. It's nice to want to save everyone, and only kill the minions of evil, and get the girl, but life doesn't work that way. People are going to die, innocent and otherwise. You're a soldier, so you should know that you can't save everyone. What we can do, is either save as many people as we can, or ensure that they didn't die for nothing."

War losses among soldiers is different of just letting people die around you, but let's move on to more definite plans.

Janis untangles from the stool and helps herself to a plate of apple pie, dessert first, then goes over to the Paladin, clearly enjoying the warmth of his Protection. She stops just short of snuggling against him. Then she starts pointing out areas on the map, and takes several minutes to give him a full recap of her briefing and everything the party had discussed to that point, including people's capabilities and life stories, waiting while he makes his own comments to the group, and then picking up her recap again.

Ok, we have at least 25 Illithids and 50 Umber Hulks to fight off, and a unknown number of slaves to rescue, from a hundred to thousands.

Thinking of defensive strategies, we should expect heavy defenses on the auction area to deal with buyers angry for loosing a bid, anti-magic and umber hulks in the slave pens, and lots of alarms in the points accessible by river.  I would put moderate defenses on the rest, with the least concern for the warrens. I think gate-ing to the slave pens isn't going to do, but they have no reasons to put up such wards on the Warrens, maybe we can gate in there and gate the slaves out from there.

Let me throw some more ideas. Lord Sable, since you are proposing we dig the slaves out, do you have any means of digging a huge area, like a spell to move earth? If you do, we can use it produce landslides. Also, what spells do we have to take out the bridge from CC to BB?

Offline FireInTheSky

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Re: Action thread: With Janis
« Reply #59 on: January 11, 2012, 07:16:06 PM »
... why not just dig under them and scoop everyone up? Shot in the dark, yeah, but just throwing this out there."

Digging in an ancient, abandoned Dwarven mine? Ror's eyes light up, and he rubs his hands together excitedly.  I'm in!  As a matter of fact, Dumathoin is (among other things) the Dwarven god of mining.  A "Commune" with Him would likely prove to be worth the effort.  Let's figure out what questions we would wish answered.
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As to the question of actually digging, and also of landslides, I don't have any magic that can dig, but I can give us all burrowing.  Although, since it's probably all rock (ROCK of Bral), I can turn all of us into creatures that can specifically burrow and/or phase through rock.  And I do have magic that can cause cave-ins.  I don't have anything that can specifically destroy the bridge from CC to BB though.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 07:42:12 PM by FireInTheSky »