[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Selina Parcellus]

"I'm genuinely curious how she has been able to stay humanoid if she has been here for so long...however long that is.  We are already beginning to turn in small ways..." her heart quails a little as she says this and it shows in her voice, but she pushes it down "and have only been here for...two days?  Three?"  She has a look around, suspiciously.

Spot: [1d20+5]=16+5=21

[Betimi]

Spot [1d20+1]=4+1=5 Betimi idly watches the animate plough

[GM Marvel]

Tomeal Spot: [1d20+6]=19+6=25, Simon spot: [1d20+11]=6+11=17

While Betimi is distracted by a caterpillar with hummingbird wings, Selina keeps an eye out for anything threatening.  As a priest of Selune she can't help wonder about the so called Were-Snails and whether they were true lycanthropes.  Tomeal, who's determined not the fail like he did when the group fought the two-headed crocodile, happens to notice some movement out the corner of his eye.  He places a hand on Selina's shoulder and whispers to her, "We're being watched.  A pair of what appear to be humanoids peering at us near the 'treeline' where the birds escaped into."  He casually and briefly points his chin in their direction, some 50' away, while pretending to look past them at a strange plant.

Inside the hut, the old woman stashes the baked goods and jams into an old patchwork sack that looks like it has been darned with different colors of yarn dozens of times.  She then gathers a couple sets of clothes while says, "Whiskers, should mama leave you behind or take you with her?"  The rat continues to aggressively gnaw on the wires of the cage.  "Oh stop.. if I left you behind I wouldn't leave you in the cage.  But  if we're successful, I wouldn't be able to come back for you.  I'll miss you."

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar says, "If you want my opinion, it seems aggressive.  That could be just the thing needed to keep you safe until we get to the ziggurat and beyond."

[Selina Parcellus]

"Hmm?"  Selina gently turns and cranes her head up a little to give Tomeal her attention, even as she still has a look around.  She notices him gesturing with his chin and brushes it with her lips as her eyes glance over that way.  "Hmm...I see.  Suspicious people she failed to mention, perhaps?  Or something altogether new.  I wonder..."  She ponders it for a few moments before shrugging in a seemingly noncommittal manner.  "We can bide our time.  Now that we know they are there, we do not have to react immediately, and can be prepared for them."  She will, however, turn to Betimi (her closest other confidante besides Tomeal and a valued ally who has been with her the longest) and tilts her head, as if curious about what her friend is looking at and turn that way in order to lean a little bit closer and whisper out of the corner of her mouth "We are not alone and are being watched."

[GM Marvel]

Crozar says, "If you want my opinion, it seems aggressive.  That could be just the thing needed to keep you safe until we get to the ziggurat and beyond."

"You mean my pet rat could be just the thing to keep me safe?" She asks skeptically.

[GM Marvel]

"Hmm?"  Selina gently turns and cranes her head up a little to give Tomeal her attention, even as she still has a look around.  She notices him gesturing with his chin and brushes it with her lips as her eyes glance over that way.  "Hmm...I see.  Suspicious people she failed to mention, perhaps?  Or something altogether new.  I wonder..."  She ponders it for a few moments before shrugging in a seemingly noncommittal manner.  "We can bide our time.  Now that we know they are there, we do not have to react immediately, and can be prepared for them."  She will, however, turn to Betimi (her closest other confidante besides Tomeal and a valued ally who has been with her the longest) and tilts her head, as if curious about what her friend is looking at and turn that way in order to lean a little bit closer and whisper out of the corner of her mouth "We are not alone and are being watched."

[OoC: Everyone who it informed of the humanoids can make another spot check at +5 to see if their eyes can pinpoint where the humanoids are hiding and possibly gain additional information, if you roll high enough.]

Tomeal Spot: [1d20+11]=12+11=23, Simon spot: [1d20+16]=6+16=22; I will wait to reveal any additional information when at least 1 PC makes another spot check.

Tomeal suddenly remembers he's no mere warrior anymore.  He doesn't look directly toward the humanoid's position but keeps them within his 60' cone of evil detection.  [This round]  He concentrates on their aura and for the first time since becoming a Paladin he detects evil.  Part of him is elated that it actually worked!  But then [2nd Round]  he senses two aura's of evil emanating from the humanoids.  Which was what he detected with his Spot check.

"I sense two auras of evil," Tomeal whispers.  [He will know next round the strength of that evil.]

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar says, "If you want my opinion, it seems aggressive.  That could be just the thing needed to keep you safe until we get to the ziggurat and beyond."

"You mean my pet rat could be just the thing to keep me safe?" She asks skeptically.

Crozar nods and says, "When travelling through a Torque zone, anything that you can find that is normal to you is a useful thing to have to judge the weirdnesses you will encounter against.  And you never know when a sudden bite or scratch can be just the distraction needed to throw off an attacker's train of thought or action."  He watches the rat for a moment and adds, "Also, as you said, you wouldn't leave him caged, and it is my experience that loyal pets will follow their owners unless they have something that prevents them from doing so.  Most likely, he will follow you anyway, so you might as well keep him close for control and comfort."

[GM Marvel]

Crozar says, "If you want my opinion, it seems aggressive.  That could be just the thing needed to keep you safe until we get to the ziggurat and beyond."

"You mean my pet rat could be just the thing to keep me safe?" She asks skeptically.

Crozar nods and says, "When travelling through a Torque zone, anything that you can find that is normal to you is a useful thing to have to judge the weirdnesses you will encounter against.  And you never know when a sudden bite or scratch can be just the distraction needed to throw off an attacker's train of thought or action."  He watches the rat for a moment and adds, "Also, as you said, you wouldn't leave him caged, and it is my experience that loyal pets will follow their owners unless they have something that prevents them from doing so.  Most likely, he will follow you anyway, so you might as well keep him close for control and comfort."

"I'm afraid once we leave the vicinity of my home, Whiskers and I will be as susceptible to the Torque as the rest of you.  The only reason why we haven't dissolved into the chaos is because of the giant circle of protection I've placed on the property.  I've arranged the squash and vines in such a way that uses them as the outline of a protection circle.  The vines have been fortified again and again over the decades I've been trapped here.  That's not to say I haven't been affected by the Torque at all.  In fact, much of my trouble walking and climbing stairs is caused by the Torque.  So, while I suppose Whiskers might come in handy in a pinch, I'm not sure if it's even fair to bring her with me when she could just stay in the circle and be protected with lots of food."

[Selina Parcellus]

"Hmm?"  Selina gently turns and cranes her head up a little to give Tomeal her attention, even as she still has a look around.  She notices him gesturing with his chin and brushes it with her lips as her eyes glance over that way.  "Hmm...I see.  Suspicious people she failed to mention, perhaps?  Or something altogether new.  I wonder..."  She ponders it for a few moments before shrugging in a seemingly noncommittal manner.  "We can bide our time.  Now that we know they are there, we do not have to react immediately, and can be prepared for them."  She will, however, turn to Betimi (her closest other confidante besides Tomeal and a valued ally who has been with her the longest) and tilts her head, as if curious about what her friend is looking at and turn that way in order to lean a little bit closer and whisper out of the corner of her mouth "We are not alone and are being watched."

[OoC: Everyone who it informed of the humanoids can make another spot check at +5 to see if their eyes can pinpoint where the humanoids are hiding and possibly gain additional information, if you roll high enough.]

Tomeal Spot: [1d20+11]=12+11=23, Simon spot: [1d20+16]=6+16=22; I will wait to reveal any additional information when at least 1 PC makes another spot check.

Tomeal suddenly remembers he's no mere warrior anymore.  He doesn't look directly toward the humanoid's position but keeps them within his 60' cone of evil detection.  [This round]  He concentrates on their aura and for the first time since becoming a Paladin he detects evil.  Part of him is elated that it actually worked!  But then [2nd Round]  he senses two aura's of evil emanating from the humanoids.  Which was what he detected with his Spot check.

"I sense two auras of evil," Tomeal whispers.  [He will know next round the strength of that evil.]

Spot: [1d20+10]=19+10=29

Selina suddenly becomes considerably more tense, nodding and narrowing her eyes as her attention is drawn to the two Tomeal has pointed out.  Now that they know they are being watched, and by a pair of evil beings, she is on-guard.