Playing in the Sandbox

What you get from mind reading is "Like I know what's in the letter?"

Well, that wasn't good. Tordek knew those darn kids were trouble, and he didn't think much of his chances fighting in an alleyway against trained guards on both sides. He still held off from taking an axe to the childrens' head.

Alma reacts instantly, turning to water and snaking over to the screaming child. Coming out of her liquid state, she delivers a solid slap to the child's face. "Hold your tongue, little thief. I am Alma of the Lex-Iya Warrior house, and you dare steal from me and accuse my retainers of assault! I will have you thrown to the desert for your crime. Be silent!" Menace, authority, and rage all echo in her voice as she stares down each and every child in turn. She picks up her bag and goes to retrieve the shreds of the letter.

Bluff check: 18+3(CHA)=21

Since she stopped focusing on the tendrils they turned brittle and became unable to hold the kids. "Crap." said the kid she slapped and then they all ran.

Tordek held onto the faint hope that perhaps Alma would be able to talk the guards out of attacking them, but seeing as how he and Skaimos were both seen fleeing from the daiymo's cherry garden he didn't think much of their chances. Sure, he could stand and fight, but who knew how well the guards were trained? And besides, that would make him look even worse than he already did.

"We should go," said Tordek.

So that was it. Just a bunch of kids who had been waiting for them specifically to destroy a letter that was in Alma's bag. Probably just another gag run by f***** Mefas.

"...They know nothing. Let's go." Skaimos turned to leave.

He briefly considered asking Cyrta to set the vines on fire as they left. But Mother said that "revenge was bad", apparently.

Alma glares at the retreating children, not moving. Eventually she turns to follow, looking at the fragments of the letter. Silently, she goes along, again refusing to make eye contact with anyone else. She almost trips once, but manages to keep her balance, knowing that if she were to fall over, she probably wouldn't be able to pick herself back up.

Tordek went back to the tried and true plan of "run". This wasn't looking good for his career as a fighter, but he didn't really have much choice. Perhaps in another time he could be successful... and not have greatswords thrown at his head by a rampaging half-orc barbarian... But right now, he was busy being mocked by children and False Name. Such is life for a dwarf.

Cyrta's mind drifts to thinking about that elf kid she saw before... But she saw the mission they were dealing with NOW was more important to deal with and focus all of her attention on. So she just keeps to guiding the group to safety.

After several more hours you finally arrive where the caravaneer Alma knows of sets up shop for the day, without any incident thanks to Cyrta spotting guards and ruffians alike on multiple occasions and steering the group well clear of them. Of course it's late at night and nobody is there right now. The party finds itself at the northern edge of the city, in front of a decently sized building that houses wagons and traveling supplies. Currently the entrances are locked.

"They've gone for the day..." Alma felt like crying again. She wanted to get out of this city so badly. "I suppose we could try to find where they live, or find a place to stay the night." She walks up to one of the closed entrances and tries knocking. Maybe someone is still there that they could speak to.

No response.

"...We've got a few options until morning," said Skaimos. "Luckily, little Mykaila-sama doesn't need to sleep, so whatever happens we'll have some warning. But as I see it, our options are:

"1) Go to an inn. It's standard, but if they're really having a man-hunt for us, there's a chance the innkeeper or someone else will rat us out.
2) Find someplace in an alley, or some other abandoned area...not the most pleasant option, but there will be fewer eyes on us.
3) We go back to my place. My father will not rat us out, but if the guards are looking for me specifically, then it's going to be a place they keep their eyes on.
4) We break in to this place and spend the night inside. It's a roof over our heads, and not the first place the guards will look. Of course, we'll have some explaining to do when the caravaneer gets here, but we'd have some explaining to do anyway."

"So what do you guys suggest?"

"I may not need sleep the way your race does but, I am incredibly tired Terai-san. I don't particularly favor getting caught or resting outdoors." Mykaila said, trying not to be whiny about it.

---

This isn't me trying to direct you guys, it's just the logical thing for the NPC to say.

"Hmm. Then it would seem this place would be the best option. Nobody would think to look in the business section at this time of night." He looks at the locked door. "So, anybody have any knowledge of lockpicking? I mean, between Tordek-san's axe and Cyrta-san's fire, we can get past the lock by force, but I'd prefer to do this more stealthily if possible." He kneels down to see if he can determine how the door is locked, and if it was designed to be unlockable from the inside.

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Rolling for Perception...6+1(Wis)=7.

It's a pretty sturdy looking lock (on sturdy doors) and doesn't appear to be meant to open from the inside.

"I do know a little..." The Pixie comments sounding a little ashamed of that fact.

"I'm not very good at being stealthy with an axe," pointed out Tordek.

"Hmm. The lock seems pretty secure. I had hoped that if it was unlockable from the inside, then a little telekinesis would help. Oh well." He turned to Cyrta. "Cyrta-san, regardless of how you happened to learn it, your knowledge of lockpicking would be very useful to us right now. Do you think you can give it a try?" Skaimos steps back to let Cyrta get at the lock.

Cyrsta sighs and looked over the lock a bit, before she started lockpicking...

( 20(nat 20!) + 5(Thievery) + 3(dex?) = 28 )

Cryta manages to easily pick the big lock as well as noticing and disarming the alarm spell without it going off.

"Ok, we're good... Just be careful there might be more alarm spells inside." The Pixie warns.

Alma cautiously follows the others inside, keeping an eye out for any potential alarms, magic or otherwise.

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Perception: 13+4(WIS)= 17

Inside you find two largish covered wagons and shelves with shutters drawn down and locked which you would assume are where the supplies are kept. There are a few odds and ends left out somewhat haphazardly. On the far side you see that there are two sets of doors, one for each wagon, both of which are locked and you can sense magic on the doorways.

Tordek cautiously heads inside.

"I've got an eerie feeling about this place..." said Tordek.

Tordek looks at the odds and ends.

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Perception: 1d20 (7) + 5 + 3 = 15. At least it's not a Nat 1.