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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 26, 2023 18:42:18 GMT -5
Fish was admittedly curious as to why Zarius of all people would be calling in their help for a job. Their relationship with the fellblood was....unique to put it kindly. Fish was mostly just an adversary to Ebony and part-time mischief maker for Zarius. The little bird had given up on ever getting away with something big on Zarius's home turf, but Fish might misplace mugs or saw off parts of chairs so they wobble from time to time. The chaos imparted on them from Aunt Izzy.
Still, this was a serious job so Fish would behave seriously. There were some items set to arrive on the Frozen Docks soon that might be better suited in someone else's hands. Who's hands specifically? Stop asking questions cop. Fish perched atop some crates and barrels in an alley while waiting on Zarius.
Weirdly, scouting was Fish's favorite part of the job. It let them plan, find variables and eliminate them, exploit soft spots. The crew of the ship they were monsters hunters of sorts it seemed. Maybe they wanted to join that new guild for some easy coin. Hard to say from this far away, also Fish didn't really care about *their* motivations, only their own.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jun 26, 2023 20:39:09 GMT -5
It is not long before a pair of cloaked individuals appear trudging through the snow that blows in from the mountains beyond the Pale City.
Zarius has a cloak with the hood pulled up over his head but other than that his outfit is not any different than his usual adventuring garb. It's a little surprising given the clothing he tends to wear is fairly light and does not offer much protection from the cold, yet he is unbothered by the chill carried on the wind.
Snow, the catfolk archer, is beyond in their own element. They're originally a native of Frost Gale so returning to the cooler climate is welcomed considering how hot the Ash Lands is these days. Though their thick pelt provides ample protection from the cold, they still wear some pretty decent layers appropriate to the weather.
Fish's tendencies towards mischief have not gone unnoticed by the residents of the Rookery. And while constantly having to search for glassware, silverware, and fix wobbly chairs was annoying to Eirynor specifically, most of the others found it hard to hold anything against the tiny birdfolk. The cuteness factor worked especially well on Eameia.
Zarius didn't mind too much, better to have to fix a few stools than worry about the aviankin sneaking into his room and stealing important documents again. And at the end of the day there was something to be said about Fish's skills when they were given a little direction.
Case in point, this venture to secure a few highly valuable items destined for Frost Gale and ensure they never make it to their originally intended recipients.
The other regions had been moving plenty of resources around during the chaos of the past few months, but it was not easy for a city run by criminal syndicates to reach out a hand asking for charity.
The fellblood had to take matters into his own hands at this point to ensure that there were enough resources to go around. Repairing the Rookery would be no small task, and he had already taken measures to support the repair of Cyran's orphanage, even if the man was unaware of said measures.
The pair approach Fish quietly after the little thief bird has had a chance to get a head start on scouting the area. Zarius crouches down next to Fish and signs.
How does it look?
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 26, 2023 21:11:42 GMT -5
Fish did not pay much attention to the why and where goods were being moved around often, they just knew the influx of trade was good for the criminal business. The more shipments merchants sent, the harder it was for them to keep track of everything.
Fish and Morrigan barely had to scam people with fake items anymore, they could just fence the real thing. Or Morrigan speak a few honeyed words and pretend its even higher quality. The Sol Stone business made a lot of people crazy for god-related items and that made for fertile scamming.
The bird kept motionless as they heard the others approaching. They had learned the gait of the fellblood well enough when he wasn’t bothering to cover his steps. Zarius did annoy Fish with just how quiet he could be, but Fish was also learning a lot.
“Not difficult, but...complicated. Adventurers are with the shipment, but they don’t seem to be acting as guards....Food and weapons...Fish is unsure if there is any magical equipment in there.”
Their eyes flick to the other person Zarius brought with before flicking back to the target at hand. "A straight swipe will be difficult...Fish is not sure how competent they are."
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jun 28, 2023 12:02:47 GMT -5
Snow blinks.
Wait.
Not sure how competent they are.
Was that comment for the guards...or was it for them?? The catfolk isn't sure but they feel a bit insulted. They were plenty competent!
Zarius doesn't seem to react in any particular way to the comment and just follows Fish's line of sight. The aviankin was not wrong, there certainly were a few folk hanging about that did not fit the bill as far as your stock standard guards were concerned. Some adventurers maybe out to make a few extra Solars or perhaps they were just on the same ship as the supplies.
This did complicate things. Guards were paid to do their job, but do-gooder adventurers may jump in at the sight of trouble regardless of if there's any payout in the end. Adventurers also tended to be unpredictable in their skills, it'd be hard to come up with a strategy if one happened to be a caster.
What's more is that they do not know exactly where the items they're looking for are. They could be in any number of those crates and digging around without raising suspicion would be challenging.
They needed a distraction.
Zarius looks at Snow.
The catfolk blinks again. What?
Go mingle. We will search the cargo.
Snow looks incredulous. Why me?
Because Fish does not speak and you are not stealthy.
The fellblood had a point. Snow was a good tracker and archer, but they couldn't turn invisible or mask their presence in any way, plus if they got caught in tight quarters they would have a hard time escaping or fighting back.
Okay.
The catfolk slinks off, circling around building before walking openly down the docks towards where the adventurers and the cargo were to strike up a friendly conversation.
Zarius watches before looking at Fish.
I will follow your lead.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 29, 2023 19:40:56 GMT -5
The jab was not meant towards either of them, but Fish did not have the social tact to care or correct themselves. This would have been Fish's next phase of the plan anyways, their inability to speak was no secret and Fish knew Zarius was sneaky so it made sense the third person would distract the group.
Fish waits patiently for the moment to give Snow a chance to approach. Another fellblood spots the catfolk as she looks up from the others. She faces the cat, showing off her spindly horns, one side broken along with some scarring through her undercut.
"Hey fuzzball, you supposed to be the last of the guards on this run?"
Perfect, this was a ragtag group of jobbers. So long as Snow was functional in a conversation, they should be able to buy Zarius and Fish enough time to get into the cargo and get back out.
Fish hops off the crate and hits the ground seeming to sink into the shadow.[1] They take a wide path around the dock house to stick into the shadows and stay out of eyesight in case any of the group have extra senses. The bird makes it to the edge of the docks and stops to look down at the water. There is a safe path to the boat and in through a porthole, but safe is relative. Large chunks of ice are broken and bumping against each other in the warming spring water, strong enough to hold someone light but still shifting and unpredictable.
Instead, Fish looks to the porthole and suddenly blinks from where they are to where they were looking.[2] Fish looks back to Zarius expectantly.
1. Pass Without Trace 2. Blink Cape
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 2, 2023 18:35:57 GMT -5
The catfolk approaches the group fairly casually. They were no stranger to gig jobs since that was basically what they were doing before they joined Zarius in Darkveil. Random rag tag groups of hunters or adventurers were the norm from that period of their life.
Snow rubs the back of their neck, feigning earnest embarrassment. "I'm not sure, but if I am then I guess I kept everyone waiting."
With the group distracted, Zarius follows Fish's lead after turning invisible and following silently.[1,2] It's impressive how the little birdfolk stealths through the docks and arrives completely unnoticed and untraceable at the edge of the dock. It's even more impressive how Fish blinks from the edge of the dock and through the nearest porthole, a feat that Zarius admittedly could not pull off himself.
One, even for someone as lithe as himself, the ice would not be able to support. Two, that porthole would not be an easy squeeze for him to get through. He didn't have any means of making the porthole bigger or making himself slimmer. Nor did he have a way to just teleport inside. This wasn't going to work as a point of entry for the fellblood.
He drops his invisibility and signs to Fish.
I will find a way around, look for locked chests for more valuable cargo.
With that, he turns invisible again and then searches for the gangplank up to the ship's main deck. It's easy enough for him to go unnoticed, but as he's walking up the gangplank, there is a deckhand that starts walking down off the deck while carrying a crate.
Zarius quickly drops down and swings down under the gangplank, planting the soles of his boots against the underside of the gangplank which stick enough for him to hang there without risking slipping into the frigid water directly below.[3]
He waits and listens to the deckhand as they walk down the gangplank. They pass the fellblood none the wiser, focused more on not dropping the heavy load they were carrying.
Once they are clear of the gangplank, Zarius gets to the side of the ship, walks along the outside of the hull until he gets close to one of the hatches on the main deck which would lead down into the ship's cargo hold. He checks for any other deck hands before getting over to the hatch and slipping down the ladder to the interior of the ship.
[1] Invisibility [2] Silent Step [3] Spider Silk Boots
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jul 2, 2023 19:25:17 GMT -5
Fish never cared about their size, but it was hard to deny that it came in handy more often than not. Other avianfolk with their massive wings and such just seemed like more trouble than its worth. Flight is terrible for stealth, not a whole lot of shadow to hide in up in the sky.
The small bird hops from their perch to start looking around. All of the unopened caches seem to be supplies for a pretty sizable camp. Lots of preserved foods, blankets, water, oil, the typical things you would need.
The very large metallic black chest with the silver lock seems important though. Fish stares deeply at the metal and is looking over the lock when Zarius would come downstairs.
A tiny taloned hand shoots up to stop the fellblood. "Trapped." They point to the lock, beady little eyes catching the flecks of magic embedded into the lock.
Up top, the group doesn't seem to be too off put by Snow for the moment. The berserker in the back does seem a little annoyed, but the man taking point just shrugs.
"Boss didn't really give us a time to head out anyways, so we are still kinda waiting on him. You sure you know how to sail? I heard cats don't like water." It is intended as a joke, but the man seems unaware that question is borderline offensive to treat a catfolk like a house cat.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 3, 2023 16:03:22 GMT -5
Sail?
Ah, crap.
Snow had been on ships before but had never really been responsible for helping with the actual sailing part. They had to answer, but they also weren't the best liar. Time for some deflection.
"Haha, yeah, most cats don't like water, but you know there are some big cats like tigers and jaguars that love water!"
They wouldn't bring up the fact that they, are in fact, neither of those kinds of cats.
Meanwhile, back in the ship's hold, Zarius manages to find his way over to the chest Fish had located. He looks at the chest and nods in response to the small aviankin's warning.
Mundane locks were one thing, but if something was so important to trap it with some sort of magic, it must be very valuable. The fellblood was able to end magical effects on himself, but magic on other creatures or items was different. They'd have to figure out some other way deal with the trap.
He considers what options they have. They might not have a way to break the lock, but perhaps they could instead melt the hinges.
Zarius rummages around in his belt pouch and pulls out a little vial with a gelatinous green substance within it.[1] He circles around and pours a few droplets of acid out onto the back hinges of the chest. It would take a while for the acid to weaken the metal or the wood around the hinges, but at least it was a start.
[1] Oozeling
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jul 4, 2023 8:14:02 GMT -5
"Fair, fair, I ain't know much about cat society....anyways, just waiting for the boss to finish up in the inn, what do ya need us to do so the ship is ready?"
The rest of the group starts to gather and wait expectantly for Snow's orders. None of them look particularly sea-worthy so a little bit of bullshitting can probably get Snow through it. They cross their arms over their chest or hands on hips and wait.
Down below Fish holds of Zarius a second, taking out a few of their alchemical supplies. A quick mixture like a thin paste is whipped up and then outlined around the hinge.[1]
"Keep the acid to the hinges, makes sure it doesn't fall into the chest. Contents can't be verified." They wait and watch the metal starts to sizzle and slowly melt away.
It is a slow process, but worth it to avoid whatever magic was on the lock. Eventually the metal groans and crumbles away. The bird looks back up to Zarius to do the heavy lifting since Fish can barely do any lifting. Whatever was inside was an immense curiosity to the bird. To put it behind such security would mean it has to be valuable.
1. Using up Crafting Reagent for this thread
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 8, 2023 9:59:30 GMT -5
This was going well. Their timing couldn't have been better with the leader not currently being present. Now it was just a matter of stalling for time as long as they can.
"Ah, well," Snow wracked their brain for ideas that seemed reasonable. "We should probably check in with the crew. They are the experts on the vessel. Before that though, it might be good for us to share what we're capable of seeing as this is our first time working together."
The suggestions seemed believable enough, and with any luck, Snow could keep the group away from the hold until Fish and Zarius were done.
Speaking of, Zarius watches the acid slowly eat through the hinges while keeping an ear out for the sounds of anyone approaching the hold's hatch. All was good so far.
The hinges were melted and he notices Fish giving him an expectant look.
Ah. Right.
He stands at one end of the chest and carefully eases the ends of his fingers between the lid and the base. It was a pretty solid lid reinforced with metal, so it did weigh a bit. Nothing he couldn't handle though. He slowly lifts, focusing on twisting the lid forward onto the lock with the hopes that they wouldn't set off the magical trap on it.
So far so good, Fish could see inside the chest to explore its contents. There were a few smaller cases inside of it as well as some other items wrapped in protective layers of cloth.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jul 8, 2023 10:45:42 GMT -5
Fish can sneak a hand inside with their thin arms to feel around a bit. It seems whatever enchantment was on the lock would stay so long as they didn't break it or force it open. Not many people relaly expect someone to go in through the back door of a chest, mostly because chests don't have back doors.
The bird pulls out a few random bags of gems and coin first, setting them on the ground between them and Zarius. No surprise there. Fish reaches in again to pull out more of the smaller things. Once Zarius fully opens the lid they hop onto the edge of the chest to look inside.
From their little perch, this looks like quite the haul. It explained the group of adventurers hired to protect it. The gold and gems were probably payment, but what else could be here? The bird reaches out to start pulling away at the cloths.
A magic item or two, but what caught Fish's eyes was the pile of these strange looking shards of stone. Having not dealt with Scern, Fish has little idea what these are, but the fellblood might.
Uptop, the adventurers just share a shrug and agree with Snow. They lead the catfolk onto the deck to start making their way through the crew, the heavy thud of footsteps above now a timer for the pair below.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 11, 2023 16:06:50 GMT -5
The fellblood keeps the lid held up while Fish removes the contents of the chest. The little pouches of coins and gems weren't of any interested to him, but he wouldn't stop the aviankin from helping themselves if they chose to. The few magic items weren't particularly exciting either, but then...
Zarius stares at the fragments of the Sol Stone. Memories from that intense combat against the god of time and space, Ziev himself, all comes flooding back. The terror, the pain, the panic. His heart rate starts to race and his hands tremble. Shit. He grits his teeth and closes his eyes to focus on calming down.
That isn't easy as the thudding noise of the footsteps overhead grow louder. Snow was doing the best they could to keep conversations going with the crewmates to stall for more time, but the crew wasn't too keen on talking and just want to focus on finishing getting the ship ready to set sail.
They were running out of time.
The fellblood takes a shaky breath. "Those rocks are dangerous, we need to get them out of here."
He adjusts his grip on the lid and supports it with one hand while he tosses Fish one of the pouches from his belt. The pouch was magical, and while small, had an infinite amount of space available on the inside.[1]
[1] Bag of the Infinite
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jul 11, 2023 19:00:17 GMT -5
Fish is all to quick to begin filling the bag, splitting it between Zarius' and their own similar bag. At the very least by splitting it up in the long shot one of the is caught, they won't get everything. A simple enough way to hamper their efforts.
Thankfully, their indifference to the shards makes it easy for Fish to complete the exchange before picking up the bags of coins and gems. Their head darts behind them to the sound of the thudding footsteps. Time for an escape plan.
Well, time to improvise. "Close your eyes, then make for the top."
As the latch opens Fish whips out two glass bottles towards the open. First there is a large and bright flash[1] then it is quickly followed up by a thick black smoke that chokes off vision down below.[2]
"WHUPSIEDAISY!" The sound of a fellow fellblood, though one much more chaotic than Zarius, rings out below.[3]
Fish has already begun sprinting back towards the porthole to make their way out and towards the docks again. They've trained enough with their own tricks to move through the smoke with ease. They hop down and start to skitter across the ice to scramble back towards the alley.
Up top the adventurers cough and hack as they try to clear the stinging from their eyes and throats being blinded in more than one way. "WHAT THE SHIT? WHAT'S GOING ON?" They flail wildly as they step away from the entrance.
1. Flash Flask 2. Smoke Flask 3. Sound Throwing
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jul 14, 2023 11:57:34 GMT -5
Once Fish is clear, Zarius lowers the lid back onto the base of the chest just as they run out of time. He barely catches sight of Fish's message before the small aviankin puts their improvised plan into play.
Instead of closing his eyes, he pulls some goggles hanging around his neck up over his eyes just in time to block out the blinding effect of the flash flask.[1]
Once the smoke flask goes off, Zarius turns invisible and hangs back as Fish makes their escape.[2] He's really thrown off by hearing Issala's voice randomly and out of nowhere, but he shakes his head and refocuses on what is happening in that moment.
Silently, Zarius starts up towards the hatch.[3] The flasks had spooked the adventurers back enough that the hatch was clear for Zarius to pass through, but he was having a bit of a time navigating through the Fish's smoke. It's only when he gets dangerously close to running into someone that his skin prickles and he is able to maneuver around them.[4]
Snow coughs and hacks and backs up to try and get clear of the smoke. Their efforts are stopped when Zarius reaches out and grabs onto their arm.
"We are leaving," the fellblood whispers before pulling the catfolk along back towards the gangplank.
There was a bit of wind that was blowing the smoke that way, but it was also dispersing the cloud. Not wanting to be exposed as they make their escape, Zarius flips the hood of his cloak up over his head and adds the billowing smoke that streams from it to Fish's cloud as they move.[5]
[1] Sun Sparked Goggles [2] Invisibility [3] Silent Step [4] Fighter's Senses [5] Smoldering Cape
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jul 14, 2023 12:22:10 GMT -5
Fish had scouted out a warehouse before the job to set as a rendevous point should they need one and heists often ended up needing one. The bird clambers up the side of the warehouse[1] and slips in through a window shutting it behind them.
When the fellblood and catfolk finally arrive, Fish sits on the floor counting out the gems and pilfered coins. The goods are split into the piles, though one of the piles looks slightly larger than the other two. They have also started to look through the bag with the sol stone shards.
They look at one of the pieces as it glints in the reflection of their little eyes. It is tossed back into the bag when Snow and Zarius enter.
"Fish is dividing the spoils. 50 percent for Fish, Fish did the scouting and carried the items out, 25 percent for Zarius and Snow." They act as if this was already a done and decided on thing.
1. Surface Scaling
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