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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Nov 30, 2023 23:15:03 GMT -5
Fish had only ever heard about anything relating to Scern through their underground connections. He never seemed to operate in the fields Fish was interested in. Overthrowing tyranny and changing the social fabric was boring and cliche to Fish. As far as the bird was concerned, Scern's plan only replaced one group of idiots with another. All power eventually leads to the same path.
What Scern had that did interest Fish was a way to fight gods...and information. Two things Fish valued highly. The bird had a penchant for disrespecting the gods and somewhere deep in their bird brain they relished at the idea of someone like them taking down the gods. Not for any higher purpose or quest for power, but just to prove a point that they are as useless and impotent as Fish believes them to be.
This morning Fish is perched on a roof across from the Sun Spire Keep, watching the movement of the guards. Apparently locked in the vaults was some interesting information that could be of use to them. For now, they patiently make a mental note of the timing of their movements.
The bird awaits someone else they were told could be able to help them. Fish liked having a distraction to pin things on if it went south, so hopefully this new person would fill that void.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Dec 2, 2023 13:51:14 GMT -5
She is no stranger to using her talents to her advantage; and today is no different. (1, 2)Mei bypasses the Sun Spire Keep, quietly walking the road outside of its more delicate internal route; at this point in time, she’s just a passerby making her morning rounds. As dawn rises on the horizon, the lights atop the Keep fight to maintain their glow. Drowsy overnight guards linger around the Sun Spire Keep, waiting for their trade-offs to show up for a day shift; and as they do, they keep making their paces. Admittedly, Mei would prefer the cover of night for a job like this; breaking in at the cusp of broad daylight is not something she would prefer— and not just because the scorching sun of the Zeinavian Desert will roast her alive if she’s not careful. A dawn break-in has its perks, though; perks like drowsy human guards. It’s those who do not necessarily need sleep that are the worrisome ones; elven guards, a few which she has seen, are bored but not necessarily feeling the same kind of overnight exhaustion as their human counterparts. Mei lowers her lashes, tugging her cowl further over her face as she disappears into the early morning crowds, and takes a different route to return to the Sun Spire Keep.
The arrival of the contact Fish has been waiting on is relatively without bells and whistles; a shadowed silhouette quietly approaches against the milky dawn sky and silently takes a seat behind the arch of the roof, keeping some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately, the perks of a changeling don’t extend into the animalistic, and a humanoid silhouette against the sky will just look strange. It’s fine. “The night shift ends soon,” she remarks, leaning her head against the steadily warming sandstone of a Zeinavian roof. She looks up into the sky, watching thin clouds with a faraway expression. “Whatever we’re going to do, we should do it quickly before the guards switch off and the Spire fills with noisy politicians again.”
1. Beads of They 2. Alter Appearance
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Dec 2, 2023 14:12:56 GMT -5
"The switch is what Fish is looking for...Fish has been watching for sometime...The switch from overnight to day has the biggest lapse in the watch. The night captain debriefs the day captain and then orders are given, in between that time there is no patrol."
Fish looked over their notes once more to ensure the timing before looking at the position of the sun. They were close. The notebook is flipped open again. Over the bird's shoulder, Mei could see a fairly detailed sketch of the face of the spire they were looking at along with some math equations.
"Entry point will be the south window approximately four point six degrees below the roof here...if you can accelerate to a speed of about 9 meters per second and get a launch angle of 12 degrees, the momentum should be enough to carry you through the window after Fish opens it."
They finally look back to Mei, snapping the notebook shut and tucking it away. "Is that manageable for you?" Fish seems to already have a plan set, they also don't seem to be too concerned if Mei has any sort of concerns. They were ready to go, she would have to catch up.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Dec 2, 2023 16:24:05 GMT -5
Her words are met with silence; or, so she might have originally thought. Mei tilts her head to face her apparent partner in crime, lacking in her usual enthusiasm or joy; and she realizes that they are not speaking. Not traditionally, anyways. It is lucky for her that she has learned sign language, because she catches them as they explain that the night captain debriefs the day captain, and that in-between, there are no patrols.
Smart.
“Mm.” She hums in an agreed response to their observations; and in the pause between their talon movements, she lets her gaze wander to the notebook that they flip open. The little Raven has a way with a pencil, it seems; how long have they been out here, watching the guards' patrols?
She takes a slow, languid breath, moving her crimson eyes to watch their talon movements as they continue. … Their plan is already described in words way too intricate for what she thinks it is, but Mei gets the gist of it.
“Yes, I am capable of jumping through a window.” Mei answers, her voice flat as she pulls herself into a more upright sitting position. She rubs the sides of her temples as she adjusts to soothe away a numbing headache; she’s not had a break in some time, but she’ll hardly let exhaustion tamper her out of this. “Lead on, then. I’ll be right behind you. Your silhouette is much less obvious than mine; and I’d rather not risk drawing any attention to us until you're in place.”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Dec 2, 2023 18:03:59 GMT -5
“Wait 4.57 seconds after Fish leaves, then move.”
The bird flips up their hood, seemingly disappearing into thin air as they do.[1] The sound of talons against tile quickly fades as Fish takes off. There is one last little clack as they vault off the edge of the building. Fish’s decent reaches its apex before the suddenly appear inside the building still cloaked.[2]
A thin tool slips off the latch of the window so as Mei drops it should freely open. Fish readies themselves below the windowsill. The second she is through the bird will be ready to close the window and begin phase 2 of their 36 phase plan to steal this information.
The interior of this room seems to be a fairly plain study. Simple bookshelves and a practical desk are the only real adornments. Clearly the room of someone important, but how important Fish hadn’t quite discovered. Invisibility or not, windows suddenly flying open will be suspicious. If Mei follows Fish’s plan, then the bird believes this will work out flawlessly. The bird hasn’t botched a job yet….some may have had to be reworked, but they were never botched and no lawyer can prove that.
1. Dark Form 2. Blink Cape
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Dec 2, 2023 22:03:13 GMT -5
“ I… sure, but why is it so specific—” The bird disappears and Mei purses her lips, expression shifting into mild exasperation. “ —alright, nevermind.” She mutters to no one in particular; even though she’s become adjusted to more elaborate plans since meeting Zarius; this is a little too intricate for her to understand the necessity of it. She rolls onto her knees, listening to the distant sound of Fish’s talons clacking as they vanish and then reappear inside the building. Interesting skill set. Mei, admittedly, does not count to a specific 4.57 seconds before she stands; Fish opens the window; and Mei vanishes from where she’s standing mid-movement, seemingly without ever actually jumping. (1, 2, 3) At the very least, it makes it a little confusing as to where she’s actually gone; but flickering shadows seem to blink in and out of existence between the roof and the window. And, to her defense, the little raven never actually asked for her own skillset.
Mei ducks through the window into the interior study— a flash of wind the only subtle hint of her arrival— before her cloak of shadow falls from her like ink. She blinks the same void from her eyes and shakes the shade from her fingertips as if it were water. “Clean entrance,” she compliments, letting Fish do what they need to do to shut the window.
She crosses her arms, glancing the bird’s way as she leans against the desk near the window. She glances around the room, eyeballing the nearby bookshelves, before looking at the desk she’s leaning against. “I’m guessing this isn’t your final destination.” She remarks, keeping her voice low as she flips the first page of a ledger on the desk, seeking a name attached to the room without disturbing too much within it.
1. Mass Shadow Control 2. Dark Form 3. Shadow Silk Slippers
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Dec 3, 2023 1:34:05 GMT -5
"Short stop." Unable to help themselves, Fish does pop open a drawer quickly[1] and pocket what looks like a journal. Blackmail and information is always helpful depending on the person.
"Out the door, stairs to the right, 3 flights down, stairs to the left, 2 flights down, entrance to the basement, that's where this information is supposed to be."
They slink up to the door to put an ear to it. Good this opens up into an open space as they expected.....three voices...middle distance...not an obstruction. Fish will signal this information to Mei in much shorter hand signs. Not an ideal situation, but not something the bird didn't anticipate for. They could both stay hidden while invisible it seemed, but the problem would be the door opening.
"Fish has a plan, wait for a commotion outside the doors." The bird's feathers seem to ruffle up a moment with an dim golden light before they seem to phase through the wall.[1]
Once at the top of the stairs they open their beak,[2] "MEN THIS MESS ROOM BETTER BE CLEANER THAN SOLARIA'S ASS OR SO HELP ME ZIEV."
The few people that were in the room are suddenly stumbling over themselves and muttering in a panic. No one told them the captain was doing an inspection today. They are all under the assumption they are about to die as they scuttle about.
1. Spirit Walk 2. Sound Throwing
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 14, 2024 20:36:19 GMT -5
“ Ah.” Mei remarks, watching the birdfolk go about their business. They pick a journal out of one of the drawers, and while they do so, Mei tilts back the cover of a planner on the desk. She scans the page, taking mental notes of the names there, but finding none of particular interest to her. Disappointing, but she didn’t expect to find anything interesting in their first room, either. She frowns subtly, but lets her finger slip from between the pages before looking back to the Birdfolk. She watches them make more hand gestures, interpreting them as another set of instructions; just as intricate as the last, but curt and to the point. “ You’ve got this place scoped out to the last detail, huh?” She murmurs. She pushes her hip off of the table and quietly steps towards the door after Fish. “ What in the world do… nevermind.” Mei’s expression falls slightly once Fish phases through the wall. What in the world do you need me here for?
Mei sighs and crouches down after Fish has left, tilting her head and closing her eyes to better hear what’s happening on the other side of the door. The distant heartbeats of those on the other side thrum gently, a sound she’s learned to tune out; and beyond it, there is the clicking of objects, the laughter of interaction, and the fading footsteps of someone walking across the lobby outside. No commotion. At least, no commotion until there is something unexpected. She winces, eyes opening and brows furrowed, when a significantly louder voice booms across the lobby outside. “MEN THIS MESS ROOM BETTER BE CLEANER THAN SOLARIA’S ASS OR SO HELP ME ZIEV.” Alright, so it’s not a lobby; noted; but it sure does sound like a commotion. With her presumed cue in hand, Mei flips her hood back over her head and grabs the knob; she pushes the door just enough to let herself slip out. While the staff scramble, Mei lets the door shut quietly and pinpoints her companion in crime to the best of her ability (1, 2), before following Fish’s previous directions. Stairs to the right.She swings to the right, giving a lazy salute to lieutenant Fish, but keeping her profile low; she allows the shadows to cloak her figure from wandering eyes, and they follow loyally after her steps (3, 4). A couple of frantic individuals blow past her on the staircase at the sound of the ‘lieutenant’s’ voice, to which she presses to the wall to allow them to pass without sound. She takes brief note of their appearances as they go, in the case that anything were to go awry farther down; if she can give Fish and herself some extra time to get out should they be found in restricted areas, that would be best. Two random individuals coming from the general direction of their target aren’t ideal, but it’s better than no back-up plan at all; and whomever they find along the way might provide an even better solution to any possible problems.
1. One with the Shadows 2. Shadow Sight 3. Pass Without a Trace 4. Mass Shadow Control
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 15, 2024 0:18:04 GMT -5
Fish is already in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs when Mei arrives. A quick scan of this room puts them on the ground floor. Sticking to the shadows, the bird crosses the foyer and to a set of stairs on the other side.
They start to hop down the stairs taking care to look at the stone. People were certainly move through this place, but it was not who Fish was after. At least not yet it seemed.[1] They look around curiously as they reach the bottom of the staircase.
All that was before them in this room as a simple wooden door. It was almost too plain which gave Fish pause. If this held the information they were after, then there should at least be a guard posted here or more formidable locks. These looked like the kinds Fish practiced on.
"Something is wrong...Fish memorized the blueprints of the building, but Fish could not find details on the interior.....The door seems too plain, but Fish is not familiar with the type of magic that can make wards. Aunt Kamille has not taught that to Fish yet."
They look back up to Mei for her input.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 23, 2024 12:33:52 GMT -5
What the hell? Alright, to be fair, she’s literally watched this little avian walk through walls; but somehow, that doesn’t stop Mei from narrowing her eyes at them when she sees they’ve reached the shadows at the bottom of the stairs before her. Is her lack of sleep or any semblance of proper rest taking its toll on her? She runs her fingers through her hair, pulling her bangs back, and tries to sigh a bone-deep exhaustion away before she follows Fish without further sound or conversation. It doesn’t take long for them to reach the bottom, where the most normal and unsuspicious door sits waiting for them; but Fish hesitates without a word— not that she’s heard a word from them past their mimicry— and Mei sets her hands on her hips and glances their way, waiting for their explanation on the pause. When the explanation does come, Mei furrows her brows, unable to keep herself from repeating, “ … Aunt Kamille?” There’s most certainly a nonzero number of other individuals named Kamille within Charon, but the Witch of the Moonglade is the first to the forefront of her mind: and she sits adjacent to a great number of memories that she cannot access without feeling her falsely gathered composure beginning to wither again. She takes a slow breath to maintain her composure, “ Right. Sure.” She agrees, hoping the brief falter at Kamille’s name goes unnoticed. She’s dealt with wards only a few times in practice; but with her father’s experience in researching the arcane paired with his experience breaking down different types of wards for hits and information seizures; she was, at least, taught the basics despite not having it put into practice nearly as much.
She can at least regurgitate his lessons, regardless.
“ Wards can be created from any domain; but unless you’ve hired a full-time archmage to maintain them; the arcane is usually compressed within runes to keep it up long term. Carvings, writing, runic images. Cheaper, and you can put in multiple; government and nobility usually likes both of those things. It takes a lot of arcane energy most don’t have to brute force your way through a ward, but if you disrupt the flow of magic from the source, you’ve got a broken ward. Problem usually is finding all of them— assuming they’re smart enough, or wealthy enough, to have multiple.” Mei glances down at them, “ How keen are your eyes? Good at finding hidden panels?”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 23, 2024 16:17:56 GMT -5
Nothing goes unnoticed from Fish's ever present gaze, but the saving grace for Mei was that Fish did not care. Any interpersonal conflicts or hangups were irrelevant to the mission at hand. Unless it somehow impaired Mei's ability to work, Fish was not going to bother asking any further.
They pull a pair of goggles from under their scarff and clip them on. Fish adjusts the lens as Mei talks. Counteracting magic traps was something Fish was going to have to focus on...as common as magic is in Charon, the ways to counteract it are less so. Seems like the first thing you would do when someone learns how to throw lightning and fire from their hands is develop ways to make them not do that.
The glasses light up with a pale glow as the start to highlight the magic in the area. Lots of wards...which given Mei's information isn't all that surprising. They are in the heart of the Zeinavian Capitol. Fish looks over the different glyphs and the door. How to do this then?
For a moment it looks like there isn't much of a solution other than chancing it, but Fish suddenly perks up and hops to the other end of the room. Only Fish can see it because of the Arcane Glasses, but there is another door. An illusory one. They seem to trace an imaginary line between both doors.
"Can you pick locks? Fish believes the doors are connected, they both have to be opened at the same time. That's what triggers the traps. Fish can unlock the magical door because Fish can see it."
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 23, 2024 18:21:10 GMT -5
By the time she glances in Fish’s direction, they are already equipped with goggles. She does not know where they pulled those out from, but that is what they are wearing now. “ — or you can use whatever that is.” She corrects herself, watching while Fish glances around with them on. She watches as they adjust the lenses— and while she doesn’t know what it is Fish is actually using, she can make a few educated guesses based on the topic. It’s impressive if it works, whatever it is; and she makes a note to ask Eameia about it. Mei crosses her arms, tilting a hip while she turns her gaze away from Fish to study the room around them just in case they should need a backup plan; but then, movement below catches her attention. She watches Fish hop over to the other side of the room— and while she could prompt them for an explanation— she does not, and waits for the them to tell her what they’ve noticed instead. “Can I pick locks? Of course I can.” Mei answers. Fish asking her if she can pick locks is like asking a fisherman if they can fish, or a tailor if they can sew; granted, she asked them a stupid question earlier, so perhaps this is her karma. She furrows her brows when they continue, “… Without dispelling anything else in here? You’re completely sure that they're connected? Because if the doors aren’t, and I pick this lock, we’re either going to explode or have to deal with a whole lot of guards.” She waves a hand in a gesture of the room. “Depending on what they’ve got strung up around here, anyways... but I presume you can see those as well with those on, right?”
She presumes that destructive spells would be less likely to guard this door considering the sensitive information that was supposed to be on the other side, but the point still stands. Should Fish double down on their stance, Mei ultimately will concede and take her place at the door, waiting for their cue given the perceived sensitive timing.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jan 23, 2024 20:36:57 GMT -5
"It is a theory, Fish did not design this room and they were smart enough to leave it out of the records meaning it is a well kept secret. Unless you want to find a guard, capture and interrogate them in the hopes they know how to get into this door or wait for potentially hours until someone with knowledge of how to access this door, this is the best option. The wards are not lethal, it is too close to their main work and they would likely prefer to interrogate anyone making it in this far and going after this room."
Fish pauses a moment before grabbing a silver coin out of a hidden pouch. They hop back over to where Mei is and look at the stones in front of the door. Fish pinches the coin between their talons and gives it a few spins watching it expand and spin out. The coin is then set on the ground where it seems to sink in, a bubble with a silver shimmer appearing.[1]
"You should have just enough space to reach out and unlock the door. When the fourth pin sets in, pull your hands back as a precaution. The barrier can deflect from attacks."
Feeling like they have sufficiently made their claim Fish goes about their work expecting Mei to follow after. It's certainly not an easy lock to pick even with the skill between the two of them. With each pin put into place, Fish mimics the same clicking noise to alert Mei. They neglected to tell Mei this was the sign of how far along Fish was getting, but little late to backout now.
1. Silver Savoir
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 8, 2024 22:37:32 GMT -5
Mei’s expression falls subtly as Fish begins to sign out an intricate retort longer than any they’ve given her thus far; she still doesn’t necessarily agree with the fuck around and find out tactics of triggering a door protected by archaic wards; but at the same time, she doesn’t have the energy to fight with them. They have a point, and although she has a particular set of skills that makes hunting information a bit easier, she’s not keen on putting herself in the spotlight. She doesn’t know who or what Fish may be affiliated with. Regardless, this is the faster method; so after a moment, she relents and puts her hands up in surrender. “ Alright, you have a point. We trigger the doors.” She agrees reluctantly, side stepping them as they pull out a coin. She furrows her brows, stepping back to give the bubble room to expand when it’s activated. She promptly looks at Fish for explanation of what it is. Well, at least they’re polite about potentially blowing her up. “ The wards aren’t lethal, but they might hurt. Got it. Thanks.” Mei remarks, sticking her hand first into the bubble to test that it does no harm itself before she steps into it as Fish walks away. She crouches down, pulling a thin throwing knife from her belt, and awaits Fish’s return to their… magic door, apparently (she still cannot see the damn thing) before she goes about business on her end. It’s quiet enough down here that Mei can hear Fish clicking, but does not necessarily register the sound as coming from the bird folk. One pin clicks on her end, echoed by a click to her side (1); and it’s this pattern that dictates the pace of her movements. Another click, and another click off to her side; then another, until Mei flashes a glance Fish’s way— waiting for their signal to complete the series of pins— before she will tuck the last pin into place and pull back behind the barrier.
1. Lockpick (Stealth)
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Feb 11, 2024 1:33:50 GMT -5
Some call it fucking around and finding out, Fish calls it a calculated risk. They have the date in front of them, but the only way to solve for a variable is to do the equation. This could all be for not, Fish could actually be the one in danger of exploding, who knows? Fish has accepted part of being a thief is risk, so Fih eliminates as much as possible.
When the final lock clicks into place there is a much heavier thud followed by stone against stone. Fish hops past Mei, swiping the coin off the ground as they passed. Anatomically, Fish cannot do this, but if they could there would be a very heavy sense of sass in their strut. An aura of "I told you so" if you will. The aviankin slides the door shut behind them after Mei enters.
It seems they have probably found what they are looking for, at least it is the best guess. Old books and scrolls are stuffed into shelves and boxes all over the room, an archive of information the Crown likely doesn't want getting out.
"Fish is looking for any information on the gods, Ziev specifically. Evidence of their uselessness would be prefered, but that is Fish's personal preference. The client just wants more details on Scern."
As seemingly reckless as they had been up until this point, Mei can see Fish takes great care to be gentle with the old papers. Anything they remove is very delicately unfurled and studied before being returned to the exact spot it was in.
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