Lord of Monies

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 They were treading very precariously over the Sacred Hospitality with these accusations of treachery. Besmirching the honour of the Captain of the Guard, already grievously wounded and in a house under siege. It didn't make sense. The silence hung heavy in the room...heavier than he expected, taking note of Elektra calling out the quiet as well. Skold surveyed the room quickly, noting more hands were reaching for weapons. It was the worst time to step away as a defense, but if some spy or ambush was hiding in the silence then they couldn't afford to ignore it. He frowned in frustration at it all. While efforts were made to talk things down, Skold caught Varon's eye then looked to the windows and doors to suggest a problem outside. Frowning further to indicate his concern, he then slunk away from the conversation towards the hallway door. He'd wait a moment listening for anything, then gently open the door to get a visual of the area.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 The mood of the room was starting to change. The captain was here effectively as a friend, and now there was suspicion starting to brew. He sniffed the air as well to try and find what Sarai was talking about, but as he did he made a point of standing up and moving closer to the captain herself. With rising doubts could come mistakes, and an attack against Captain Anika felt like it was becoming more likely. Best he stay close to her and defend against any rash actions.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 There were a lot of questions that could be asked, but with how difficult it was for Captain Anika to even talk he was hesitant to ask them all at once. They had to be efficient, but patient. While Shade took the moment to help provide refreshments, Skold began muttering his thoughts aloud. He wouldn't normally do this, but if they were to have any hope of figuring out what the enemy's goal was, then he could only hope his thoughts might get him or his team thinking and find a new clue. "The quakes. 'Bout a week or so back, had all the visions and nightmares too. No way Morning Glory didn't have 'em; would have spooked them into action, but why here? Master of the house would have chased them off, surely there'd be easier targets that didn't need assassination? So if not the people, perhaps place. Something here...but only since the quakes?" His eyes widened as a new possibility came to mind. He turned to Varon, the man with a finger on the pulse of the whole city. "Varon, we're working out of the Yawning Pit tavern. Have you had reports of anywhere else like that?" The train of thought didn't stop for an answer as it carried his attention back to Captain Anika. "Beneath the house, do you have a pit, a hole, a-" He stopped himself, regaining focus to a more sensible speed. "An entrance to the Undermountain?"

I re-read my latest post and wanted to add a bit more to it. Letting everyone else know here in case my edit changes posts after mine or posts other people were drafting up.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 When Skold heard the captain was in Medical but could still be summoned, he assumed that perhaps she was making the rounds or assisting with something in passing. To see her in such a state was a shock that made him feel bad for calling her away from whatever aid she was receiving. Still, she was a trooper staying true to the Hospitality. He returned the full salute with a steely look he might have given his commanding officer. "Captain Stormborn, thank you for coming." He dropped the salute, immediately letting a shade of sympathy cover his features as he continued. "There's no need to stand on ceremony for us. Please, sit." He helped clear some room where additional seating might have been needed, allowing Anika and her support all the time they needed to get comfortable. He sat down himself with a stiff posture that was all business while giving the captain his full attention. "We want to help reclaim this Manor." He began, speaking matter-of-factly. "There's been an attack, that much is plain. The good lady on the door said to me the 'darkest of days' were upon you. Days. Today isn't the start, is it? How did this all begin?"

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 Within a brief moment of returning outside, a short scream barely made itself heard through the door. On instinct, Skold quickly moved back inside towards Racanna's visible distress, but slowed to a stop at the sight of Doallyn having this in hand. He had heard stories of trauma having a physical hold on a person like this, but had never seen it. Powerless to help in the moment, his fists clenched painfully in indignation. "No." Was his response to the idea of the sale. It came out angrier than he had intended, so he took a second to swallow some of it down. His fists still clenched, but less firmly now as he talked slowly through his thoughts. "I think that would be a mistake. If we finish our business, we'd be expected to leave, right?" He looked to Varon with that question, looking away from Racanna for the first time since re-entering the room. "If we're still s'posed to be here, 'Hospitality' says they can't kick us out. That sale is the last thing we do today."

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 "Most kind of you." He responds with a grateful smile. As she moves to send word ahead, Skold takes the same moment to step back to the door and leans in to politely interrupt the conversation. "I've just sent for the Captain of the Guard. They're in Medical right now, but hopefully we'll talk soon." He lingered in the doorway for a moment to hear any follow-up from the room, then stepped back outside to the elf guard. "Thank you for your assistance. My name's Skold, and dark days aside, it's a pleasure to meet you." Skold may not be as well versed in 'noble-speak' as some of the others, but there was a certain calmness in small talk he believed anyone could take comfort in. Best help settle her nerves what little he could, at least until further word of the Captain arrived.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 "Nothing for myself." Skold answered. He rarely adopted the 'righteous holy warrior' persona, but in times like this morale hung heavy upon the scales. He stood confidently, determined but compassionate. "I would see this darkness lifted and offer my services. Might we see your captain?"

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 Skold listened carefully to Doallyn's account. He didn't need to be told that Morning Glory's arrival was suspicious, but now more pieces were starting to come together; something Sarai would no doubt be better at solving. He had his own strengths, one as ever being his martial professionalism. Something you'd also expect to see in the guards of a Noble's abode, and as bad as Skold was at reading people socially, even he could tell these guards seemed rattled. He took a piece of Sacred Hospitality from the plate, just holding on to it for now, and walked towards the nearest guard carefully so as to not rattle them further. "You doing alright?" He spoke as if to a friend. Reassuring with no expectations, allowing them all the time they needed to speak their mind.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 It did bolster his heart to have the warm sentiments given, but Skold mostly felt better when they were able to move away from it all and get lost in the frantic ramblings of their escort, Jonathan. With focus, other distractions can melt away from the 'now', so he paid as much attention to the conversation as he could until gradually, shortly before they arrived, he was standing to attention once more according to his martial forms. He would think unbiddingly of the dwarves again later in quieter times, he had no doubt. If anything, the more Jonathan went on about how things weren't going to plan, the calmer and more in control Skold felt. Nothing truly ever goes to plan, and this was the sentiment he had tried to convey back in the office of draconic Shade so they could be more prepared for the unexpected. No use fussing now though; time to act and adapt accordingly, starting with this new couple coming to join them. The man's approach alone echoed a story like his own. Regimented, drilled, this was a trained militant man, no mistake. Something off though...a personal gait? No, he realised upon seeing the woman by his side in a more bruised state. They're a little worse for wear but still standing on ceremony. Skold could sympathise and respect how well he was hiding it, if his educated guess was correct. A noble as well it seemed, with all the names he was rattling off. He'd not met many nobles, but this Doallyn felt more approachable than most already. "You know more of the situation inside, I hear." Skold began. He stepped forward and held out a handshake offer for both Doallyn and Racanna in turn. "I'm Skold. Crusader of the Heironeous Order and bodyguard by trade. What's going on in there?"

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 It had been a while since he had been directly called out for what he was. He was no stranger to it, but experience didn't make it all any easier. Orc. It shouldn't matter, they didn't know him. He was more than that, so much more, but it was part of him all the same no matter how much he tried to deny it. Sarai pulled him behind her...even she knew to hide his large figure from view, that he needed to be hidden, and all confidence faded from him. He slouched, attempting in any way to hide behind the shorter crowd to avoid view, and followed any of his crew that would lead him forward. "Sorry" he muttered, only audible to those close to him.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 "Do we even need a token?" Skold asked, trying to stay steady and not ruffle up his new formal atire. It was a nice change, but the creature of habit in him that was used to his armour didn't immediately take to fine clothing, so it was taking some amount of willpower to - as Sarai put it - not fidget so much and get used to the movements. "What if it's a bluff? Quick security without the setup, so it's some kind of password."

I was also fairly tired and a little stressed from other stuff when I made the first post that seemed to throw you for a loop, so it's very possible that me not firing on full cylinders is the root cause of the confusion here. I was thinking ahead and didn't lead into that well enough. My bad, let's move on.

You've kinda got the right concept, but now apply social skills to it instead of weapons. If we're going to be asking Evening Glory any questions about the dead or what's going on here in general, then that approach can be anywhere on the spectrum from strong to subtle. Sneaking a small question in amongst a larger conversation or steering talk to get them to bring things up we want to know without directly asking them would be real subtle. Going in like a journalist asking hard-hitting questions demanding the truth would be real strong. There's a lot of middle ground between those, and while we know a fair bit about them thanks to Sarai, it'll still be difficult to know where the line is that tips them over from confident to cautious. Yes the plan is just for us to go in and get our sale done. We are also adventurers, a group Varon correctly points out are highly unpredictable and may decide to take action because we've found some bad shit going on that we may feel forced to handle ourselves in the moment. Maybe things go perfectly: we get in without complaint, we sell our loot, then we go home. Skold is assuming a bad-case example where we're walking into something more than we gambled for. Maybe Evening Glory have performed their own enchantments on this noble and have the conversation controlled that makes the sale complicated. Maybe the noble is so distraught that discussing business is too difficult right now and if we're determined to get our sale then we might need to do something about it. Maybe there are death-based ritual shenanigans happening while we're there and we're rolling initiative against the entire dead family line animated from their tombs. There's so many ways things can go wrong the moment we go through that door. Skold just wants to ensure we keep as much trouble and prying eyes off of us as possible so if something does go down then we have the best chance to do something about it, even if that thing is to simply escape and call for help...which is also unlikely as all the watch are busy at the bank. If we only ever plan for the ideal situation, then we're potentially ruined if things go far enough away from said plan. None of us may have plans to do anything more than sell this art, might be no plans to inquire about things religious or political. Things can always change in the moment, and that is what I'm trying to plan for.

Skold HP: 20/20 | Init: +0 | AC: 16 Touch: 10 FF: 16 | Fort: +5 Reflex: +0 Will: +1 | Stance: Martial Spirit- Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action - Range: Personal - Target: You - Duration: Stance - Effect - While you are in this stance, you or an ally within 30 feet heals 2 points of damage each time you make a successful melee attack. This healing represents the vigor, drive, and toughness you inspire in others. Your connection to the divine causes such inspiration to have a real, tangible effect on your allies’ health. Each time you hit an opponent in melee, you can choose a differen recipient within range to receive this healing. | ManeuversCharging Minotaur; Vanguard Strike; Douse the Flames | Steely ResolveYou have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage the blow deals is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing you receive can either increase your current hit point total as normal or reduce the total damage in your delayed damage pool. When you receive healing, you choose whether it affects your damage pool, your hit points, or both (you can split the amount of healing as you wish). 0/5 "I'm not saying no, I just-" he grumbled a little, not pleased that he hadn't been received the way he intended. He wrestled with the words in his head for a moment trying to find a way to re-phrase things less...militantly. "I'm not worried about the nobles, I have confidence enough in all of us to make this work, but if we go in as faith - and I'm happy to do so - I reckon it would be wise for Evening Glory to underestimate us. If we go in too strong, step all over their holy territory as it were, we risk putting them on the defensive. They've already got questionable intentions, so I'd not like to see what they do if they feel unduly pressured."