knightsoflegend | switzerland ♔ the words tightening around my throat

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switzerland ♔ the words tightening around my throat

WHO || Nyna, Cara, Felicity, Stiles
WHAT || The Knights are sent to hear about a prospective job from an art collector
WHERE || Bern, Switzerland
WHEN || April 13th, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

The streets of Bern swell with the myriad sights and scents of its industry: the wood and polish of carpenters' shops, tantalizing aromas wafting from dozens of bakeries, and the heavy oil scent of artists. Meanwhile, hundreds of rich colors give the district an appearance of a holiday festival. The townhouse of Asheron Coyl comes into view, perched on a small rise that overlooks the street. A low fence covered in vines abuts the street. A gate opens onto a flagstone path that wends past frozen flower beds, fountains, and sculpted shrubs to the front doors. A bell hangs next to the gate, reading "Please ring bell" in several languages. With an 11 disguise check, Nyna didn't really bother to dress all fancy, opting instead for her paladin armor, sorry guys. She can be the sexy bodyguard.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Gather info 8 action point says 16.]

[ armed with their description, it's no problem following the directions of vendors, street urchins, and other pedestrians to a place a couple streets over: a residence on Pfau Strasse. stiles gets someone to identify the home as belonging to yet another wealthy art critic in the ivy district - an aristocrat named Belfor Vittanis. the home is marked number 20, and it appears that its occupants are in the middle of some kind of high society party. numerous vehicles lines the circular drive leading up to the colonnaded entrance. some fo the drivers and their help stand together, sharing mugs and gossiping, while within the grand home music and laughter drifts out towards the streets on a soft breeze. a group of drivers and other servants are gathered near the vehicles out front, currently debating Lady Tillanda's taste in men. ]

[Good thing they're still dressed to party, hun? Stiles will just sliiiiide right up to those drivers and try to calmly slip into the conversation.]

Oh, totally. She can do so much better-- [??? He's just gonna fake it until he makes it.] So hey. You seen a guy with a pony tail with a fancy ivory walking stick around here?

[Gather info 26.]

[ one of them looks up, smoothing back her hair as she says: "Oh yes. He came through about an hour ago, with a servant." ]

Did he have anything with him? [ nyna glances at stiles, as the driver goes on: "A... wrapped painting or something, I think. He stayed for awhile, came back out to pay and dismiss his man, then got inside Lady Tillanda's limo with two more wrapped packages and left. I think they're about to unveil his painting or something now." ]

[And that has Felicity's attention. Her eyes widen as she pushes closer.]

Where are they unveiling it?

[They did not need a bloodbath on their hands today.]

[ "In the ballroom, I believe." ]

Thank you.

[And with that, she will turn and gesture to the rest of her team to head into the house.]

Quick, go!

[Stiles bolts. Which is probably not the smartest since he's still not armed... But he's got a weirdly good idea where he's going (navigate nat 20). It must be all that time he's spent in the castle. He just knows fancy place layouts now.]

[Cara is still along for the ride, despite her silence. Her gather info check was a whopping 5, so clearly she's more concerned with being there when things get insane.

She does the same as Felicity when they mention more paintings being unveiled and hopes the boy rushing ahead knows where he's going.]

[ silver double doors of polished dark oak bound in brass open into a wide, vaulted hallway. a grand staircase leads up to a carpeted balcony directly across from the entrance. closed double doors exit the hall to one side and open doors on the opposite side lead into a large, elegant chamber filled with men and women dressed in expensive outfits - the ballroom. others seem to be competing at how little they can wear, walking a fine line between indecency and fashion. music from a small orchestral group competes with the boisterous hum of merrymaking.

four drunken partygoers stumble down the grand staircase as they enter, slurring their words as they debate the merits of wood versus canvas. spotting the group running in, they sprint forward to greet them.

"You must be the entertainers Belfor ordered!" one of them crows in delight. ]

[It's a split second decision. Felicity comes to a stop in front of the drunken gaggle in front of them, looks at them for all of a moment before nodding (bluff 27).]

Yep. That's us. We were told to report to the ballroom?

[Wrong choice, Felicity. So wrong. Cara is not playing along. She doesn't do being the entertainment. She barely made a successful princess.]

[ "Wonderful! Wonderful!" one of them turns to paw at nyna's armor, much to her annoyance. "Ooo, are you re-enacting a battle??"

a listen check of 12+ is enough to hear a voice in the ballroom, raised to announce: "The time has come to unveil this mysterious painting, yes?" ] Yes, clearly. Now let us in, we're already late.

[Felicity picks up on that (listen 19), and she turns towards the ballroom and starts to try and move around them.]

I'm pretty sure that is our cue.

[Stiles didn't hear shit, but Felicity says it's their cue and someone asked if they were re-enacting a battle and... okay maybe he's seen A Knight's Tale too many times, but he's going to rock this shit out. Pushing into the ballroom, he throws his arms out wide and pitches his voice up to carry throughout the room.]

Gentleman! And such beautiful ladies... We have come to you tonight to show you a most glorious battle, a true test of strength and grace if ever there was one.

[He's just going to ham it up and hope that he can be a charming mother fucker and draw them in. Stalling the big unveiling hopefully??? What do I even roll for this? Charisma check 19?]

[ the long vaulted ballroom is exquisitely furnished with beautiful, polished oak tables, cabinets, tapestries, and tall, slender candelabra that provides a rich, warm glow. numerous windows, rising nearly fifteen feet high, line the walls. the upper halves - stained glass with scenes of cherubim, fey, and mighty warlords - contrast with the polished wooden louvers of the lower halves, currently flung open to allow cool air into the room. crimson drapes with golden tassels flank the windows.

the festivities seem concentrated there when stiles bursts in, the room crowded shoulder-to-shoulder with party guests sipping wine, whispering scandalous secrets, or boasting of accomplishments in their various social circles. the hot - a slender middle aged man with a long nose, arched brows, and a smirk as if remembering a secret joke - stands at the far end of the room on a small stage shared by the musicians near a large object wrapped in paper mounted on a heavy easel. belfor, the host, is making a grandiose, wine-induced speech with broad flourishes when they enter. unfortunately his charisma check is a 26, which means more people are inclined to stay tuned into him than to stiles, although he draws the attention of those at the back of the crowd. there are over a hundred guests between them and the stage, with bouncers mingling about the edges of the crowd and interspersed in the middle of it. ]

We have got to get these people out of here.

[Her eyes scan over the heads of the room, trying to see what options she has available to her (spot 28). The wheels are spinning but they don't have a lot of time for careful planning.]

Anybody see a fire alarm?

A what? [ there is one, on the north wall of the room, beyond many of the guests. ]

[Oh my god you guys are breaking his balls. HE'S TRYING TO WORK HERE. Okay fine. No one wants to watch Cara and Nyna fight? Their loss. Dropping his arms, he gives a weak shrug. He tried.

Not sure if a spot of 13 is enough to notice the fire alarm, but he'll at least move to Nyna and drop his tone for her to hear.]

Red box, white letters. Has a handle. You pull it when there's a fire, so if we pull it here...

[He just leaves that open ended for her to pick up the rest hopefully.]

There.

[She points to the alarm on the other side of the room from them, before glancing up to the stage.]

But we also don't want a panic. We should try and get the painting out of here quietly if we can.

[Her instinct is to con, that's what comes naturally to her, and she starts reaching up to smooth down her hair into something more professional, fixing it back in a tight bun. Then she glances to each of them before nodding to Cara. While she would normally want Stiles up there with her to help with the talking, she also knows that if they get separated she will probably need the muscle.]

Cara, come with me. You two get to the fire alarm - just like Stiles said, red box white letters - and if we can't convince him to take the painting out of here, it's our last resort.

[Cara is so relieved there isn't going to be a performance of some sort. She nods to Felicity.]

As long as I don't have to perform something -- I'm with you. [She is curious what a fire alarm is though... she'll have to find one later.]

[Stiles gives Felicity a thumbs up and reaches for Nyna's arm to coax her to follow him. He's going to try to slip through the crowd to get closer to the fire alarm. He'll deal with the issue of security if/when he comes across it.]

[ as nyna and stiles head for the fire alarm, they run afoul of a group of intoxicated people who uh, feeling a little amorous. they both get groped at as they walk by, but both manage to avoid the drunken attempts to pull them into kisses (melee touch attacks 8 & 9 lol no). ] Pardon us, excuse us. [ their next obstacle comes in the form of some guests who are so sloshed that they go stumbling into them. nyna miserably bombs her reflex save (DC 15), getting knocked down into a pile of tangled limbs on the ground. stiles gotta make his save too, yo.

as for felicity and cara, they find themselves cut off by some extremely talkative guests eager to rope them into conversation. they can make a diplomacy or intimidate check to move around said guests. ]

You don't say. That sounds fascinating. If you could just hold that thought for one moment we'll be right back.

[Friendly, personable, intending to keep moving as she just guides Cara past them and towards the stage (diplomacy 23).]

[Stiles jumps as someone at the party touches his butt.]

Whoa! Hey... hi. Thanks for coming. [He flashes a nervous smile, getting extremely distracted by the bad touch that he doesn't see the drunks coming at him. Watch as he crit fails and ends up probably awkwardly on top of Nyna...]

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