Fortune's Favor — IC

[KupoTheMagus]

Athiras nods before walking ahead roughly twenty paces, keeping Narciso in eyesight; the city is big, best not to get split up.

[BartNL]

"That's why I don't keep books. The numbers are all in my, well uhm, in Skaldi's head. Smart people don't need evidence." Grocco says somewhat proudly.

[Fialova]

"It's too guady," Nyx responds, looking the place over with a mixture of awe and disgust. Even worse than the Academy. At least the Saluccis have some taste when it comes to their decorating. "But looks like there's a lot of staff working here, probably more than any one person can keep track of. Shouldn't be hard for us to weasel our way into on the day. I bet they have plenty of extra clothing around for all the people they've hired to take care of this place. We should see if we can spot where they are coming from, might lead us to that stash."

[Namelessjake]

"That’s just culture," Ciraco explains with a confidence his knowledge of the Brennissian arts is unable to support.

"Let’s find somewhere we can put your shadow to use," the mercenary says, looking around for any secluded looking alcoves or side rooms.

[ratwizard]

"Some of us have not so trustworthy of memories," Fioralba admits, considering the copious amounts of notes she's taken throughout her adult life.

"Shall we head back, see what the others found?"

[Scratcherclaw]

Ciraco & Nyx

Observing the room, you see that many come and go from the various doors on the rightmost wall. From quick glances, you begin to assume they all lead to the same long corridor running the length of the ballroom.

While the main floor of the ballroom is airy and expansive, you do find a quiet corner largely concealed by stacked furnishings and crates. Given where the attention of the staff lays, you assume this corner will suffice.

Fioralba & Grocco

Still arm-in-arm, you make your way back to the front of the building. You don't see any sign of Ciraco or Nyx, but you spy Narciso further in the plaza, engaging with a mousy woman holding a notepad. A few paces away, you see Athiras observing them from a distance.

As before, the estate's main entrance is abuzz with activity, though a tall, dark-haired woman in well-tailored attire leans against its flanking wall, a weary blackness easily visible beneath her eyes. She rubs at her eyes and you see her tense shoulders slump.

Narciso & Athiras

"Yes, yes, of course," the plucky reporter says with an eager smile. "We're the premier news source for the real Teiros, none of that sanitized tourist news. Just the gritty truth." Her eyes give a disconcerting flare as she speaks with an unbridled passion.

"Check out our weekly prints and you'll learn all about what the real people of Teiros are saying. Hence my request for an interview. That Doge is up to something, and our voices are all pieces to solving that puzzle!"

[Namelessjake]

"Here," Ciraco says, spotting the secluded corner and pulling Nyx into it, hoping no one will notice or at the very least care.

"Ok you're up," he says once they are safely obscured by the crates and furniture.

[ratwizard]

"There's our friends," Fioralba whispers, nodding toward Athiras and Narciso. Something else catches her eye, however, or a someone. "She looks unwell. Perhaps we should check on her?"

"Good day," Fioralba greets the woman as she draws near. "Are you alright, miss? Do you need help?" Her tone is soft, reassuring.

[FinalTemplar]

Narciso gives a nod, acting enthused; "The gritty truth- that's what the people need. A real insight into what's going on. I agree with you, honestly that's exactly the sort of thing I'd want to read." He paused for a moment; "I'm actually curious then as to what you've heard, do you know anything more about this party?"

[Fialova]

"Perfect, good eye," Nyx says, glad to find a break from the ornate room's many bright, glimmering surfaces in the dim corner. I suppose if anyone finds us, we can act the loving couple, she considers, grimacing at the thought of having to even feign attraction to Ciraco for such a ruse. But Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Taking a seat against the wall behind the crates, she once more takes control of her shadow to began their true task here.

Mechanics/OOC

Use Art: Shadow Spy, summoning shadow in Nyx's current space and moving it towards one of the doors heading into the aforementioned hallway. Goal will be for it to stick to natural shadows as much as possible to avoid detection. Given an opening it will proceed into the door to further search.

[BartNL]

Grocco lets Fioralba's arm go."Alright, I'll keep watch." Grocco replies before walking of a short distance making some smalltalk with people in the streets.

OOC

Grocco stays close to Fioralba, but will switch his watch between her and Narciso further in the street.

[Scratcherclaw]

Nyx

Your shadowy simulacrum moves through the ballroom, the busy servants and laborers paying no mind to that which they don't see. Soon, you find yourself in the corridor past the wall of double doors. Looking around through your shadow's phantasmal eyes, you see it's a gallery of some sort. Statues and paintings line both walls, with sunlight trickling into a large stained glass window at the far end.

The opposite wall also has a handful of doors, though workers only seem to trickle out of one to the right of the window. Approaching, you see the door propped open with laborers inside lifting and sorting various crates and furnishing items. Peering past, you see it's some kind of storage room, with an exit into the rear alley.

Opposite this room, left of the stained glass window, you see another room servants move in and out of. Managing a peek, you see a small stairwell, with a flight going to the second floor and another to a basement of sorts.

Fioralba

"Ah," the woman utters, seeming somewhat surprised by your concern. She clears her throat, wiping her hands on her trousers. "Yes, I am quite alright, but thank you for your concern nonetheless," she says, forcing a smile. She lets out a sigh, and you see the lie behind her eyes. "This party will just be the death of me, I'm afraid. But it is a burden I'm sworn to take on."

Narciso & Athiras

"Well, I know it's quite a high profile affair. Invite only," she begins as Narciso asks his question. "So much for the Doge being a man of the people, yet the only everyman inside will be his army of servants." She shakes her hand, clenching her fist with a scowl on her face. "And I suppose some journalists, with the Teiros Standard getting invites. But they're so clearly in the pockets of the elite!"

She shrugs. "I assume it's simply a chance for the Doge to stroke his own ego. The man loves himself, and the rich love how easily he can be swayed. I'd almost think you could sneak in dressed as a mirror." She pauses for a moment, as if seriously considering the feasibility. "Plenty being shipped in overseas for the party though. If rumors are to be believed, he's even had a tiger shipped in from Amkhara."

Grocco

Standing between your two colleagues, you keep watch between the two conversations. The woman Fioralba had approached seems to be engaging with her, seeming to try and keep an air of professional composure despite her worn appearance. The woman Narciso speaks with, however, appears boisterous and slightly unhinged in her movements.

This becomes abundantly clear as her volume occasionally grows loud enough for you to make out some words: "Invite only. Teiros Standard. His own ego. Overseas. Tiger."

[Namelessjake]

As Nyx turns her attention to controlling her shadow, Ciraco decides to make himself useful and keep watch. He tries to part a couple of the crates, opening up a crack just big enough to observe the room through.

[Fialova]

OOC

If it is possible, Nyx will have her shadow move unseen through the storage room and into the alleyway behind the opposite door, hoping to find which specific doorway outside is the correct one. After this (or instead of, if the above is not possible), she will have the shadow head towards the stairway leading into the basement.

[Scratcherclaw]

Nyx

Your shadow moves through the busy storage room and reemerges in the alleyway outside. Here, several carts rest against the opposing wall, being unloaded by laborers. From here, you can see the entrance to this storage room, or receiving room it seems, is a pair of double doors currently propped open with heavy stones. It appears to be at the northern end of the building like the rest of the Doge's estate.

You duck back in from the sunlight and warm breeze, and slink across the hall toward the stairwell. Descending downward in the dim light, you find yourself in what you assume to be the labyrinthine maze of the servants' quarters. After some wandering, you do find a set of bedrooms and a dining hall nearby.

[ratwizard]

"Duty and sworn service," Fioralba says, swatting the air dismissively as she empathizes with the younger woman. "Don't I know it well." She glances at the woman's well-tailored attire. She hardly looks like the servant-type. No, perhaps at worst a performer or entertainer, and at best, a representative of some Family.

"Shouldn't a young miss as yourself be more than excited for such an event? All those handsome men in fine suits, not to mention the food, the drink..." She smiles. "What burden might you be carrying to take your mind away from such delights?"

[Fialova]

OOC

Nyx will try to see if there are any rooms in the servant's area of the basement where there might be spare uniforms or other things that would allow the group to pass as members of the estate's staff. She would also be looking to see if any of the bedrooms appear vacant, and open to being used for hiding or changing for them. Notice/Wis: [2d6]=2 lol

[Scratcherclaw]

Fioralba

"Ha!" she scoffs before letting out another sigh. "I wish I could have such luxuries, but His Most Serene's party would flounder were it not for me keeping it together." You notice her rolling her eyes as she emphasizes the Doge's title. "His whole estate, really. It is the burden of being in the employment of the most powerful man in the city."

Nyx

With how busy and bustling the subterranean servant quarters is, you struggle to get a good look into the rooms while still maintaining the secrecy of your shadow form. However, you assume there's some level of spare clothing amongst the rooms, based upon them being living quarters.

[ratwizard]

Fioralba's eyebrows raise as the woman tosses the Doge's title about like a curse. "You are the one planning this event?" To be in service to a cause or power you cannot believe or trust in... What a terrible shame. I am grateful for Gina and her leadership.

"I... I see. That is indeed a burden most tremendous," she admits with a sympathetic sigh. "I'm Alba, by the way. And you?"

[Fialova]

OOC

Nyx will move her shadow back to the main level, then proceed up the other staircase heading upstairs to the second floor.

[BartNL]

Tiger? Fuck I hope I heard that right.

[Scratcherclaw]

Fioralba

"Indeed, I am," the woman responds to you. "In fact, I run the estate's day-to-day whether there is an event or not." Her body visibly tenses up again, but she quickly takes several deep, steady breaths to manage her stress. "It's a pleasure to meet someone so compassionate toward a stranger, Alba. If only this city had more like you." She shakes her head. "Ah, please excuse my manners. You may call me Marta." She gives you another slight smile, and despite being strained, you get the feeling with one is more genuine.

Nyx

Heading up the stairs, to exit a door and reemerge on the upper balcony of the ballroom. Plush sofas and lounge chairs are spread throughout the perimeter, with a small section toward the center dedicated as a bar. You notice some of the chairs and couches are tucked away in nooks, creating intimate seating partially concealed by velvet curtains.

Below, you see the laborers toiling away, and catch sight of Ciraco keeping watch in your makeshift hiding place.

 

[Fialova]

Nyx

Anywhere to go from here or is that the last place to explore from this spot? If there are any other doorways on the balcony, she will send her shadow to investigate. If not, she will return it and go back to focusing on herself.

[ratwizard]

Fioralba smiles, giving the woman a placating gesture by patting the air. "Marta," she greets her, committing the name to memory.

"Well, I should be going," she says with a sigh. "Duty calls, as you are too keenly aware of it seems. I wish you good fortune for the event-planning. And perhaps I will see you there!" The older woman gives her a warm smile as she waves and heads off to look for the others.

[Scratcherclaw]

Nyx

You see another closed and locked door a bit further from the staircase you'd entered from. Further down, you see an archway and short corridor similar to the first floor. Peering through, it seems to lead back into the foyer, albeit the second floor landing. You do see a guarded staircase leading to the third floor from the foyer, though the bright chandelier betrays your shadow's subtlety.

OOC

Feel free to head back to Ciraco since everyone else's split sections are wrapping up

[Fialova]

Satisfied with her findings, Nyx releases control of her shadow and opens her eyes once more, looking up to Ciraco standing guard over her. "I'm done," she says, as she returns to her feet, keeping her voice low to avoid drawing attention. "I've found us a way in, from an alleyway. There's a door there to one of the storage rooms, which also connect to a hallway with staircases leading both up and down. The servant's quarters are below, which will likely have spare uniforms we could 'borrow'. There are also good vantages from the balcony above, and another doorway further up, though I was not able to explore there unnoticed."

[Namelessjake]

"Perfect," Ciraco says with a smile. "That couldn't be much better for our purposes."

"I guess let's head out and meet back up with the others," he suggests, getting ready to slip out from their hiding place.

[Fialova]

"Yes, that would be good. Hopefully they've also found something useful," she continues, curious how the several newcomers to their group would've fared in their mission. Idrig may have been an overall unpleasant man, but we never had to worry about results with him. Hopefully they are just as capable.

[Scratcherclaw]

After going your separate ways to scout out the Doge's estate and search for intel, you eventually all reconvene back in the plaza. Activity in the plaza is abuzz by now, with the nearby clock tower showing the approaching lunching hour. Teirosians and tourists flow through the plaza, many passing through toward the larger Piazza Vittoria and its multitude of restaurants. You, however, recognize there is little time for a meal just yet. Now is the time to share one's findings, you realize.

[ratwizard]

Fioralba returns with a spring in her step. If the others set roots anything like the ones Grocco and I have, then we will have quite the pool of resources at play.

"Well, does anyone want to go first?" she asks with a giddy smile, her hands clutched in front of her with anxious excitement.

[BartNL]

"We swiped us a logbook. Haven't really looked at it yet. You want it Fio?" Grocco pulls the book from his pocket and offers it to his partner in crime.

[ratwizard]

"Certainly," Fioralba says, taking the logbook from the orc's huge hand and sliding it into a pocket of her coat. "A dull read, most certainly, but one that will allow us to understand their patterns — or gaps therein — of deliveries. If there is one thing I understand well, it is the day-to-day operations of a place of business or domicile. On that matter, I also met the woman who is lead organizer to the Doge's estate. We have a few faces and names."

[Namelessjake]

"Nice work," Ciraco says. "We could try to intercept some of those deliveries tomorrow, messing with them or delaying them indefinitely," he suggests.

"Nyx found us a good way inside, near servant's quarters too, so we'd have easy access to uniforms," the mercenary adds, telling of their own findings.