The Misadventures of the Missed Adventurers

[narf poit chez BOOM]

wizard "well. what do you know about weather magic?"

D "i aviod it, generally. and i know of no wizard working weather magic nearby."

narp stands in the corner, thinking.

ooc:[couldn't think what else to post. all set for a confrontation here. based on what krsqk posted, he knows someone is messing with the weather. krsqk, could you ooc the extant of your contact with the wizard?]

[ June 27, 2003, 07:16: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[Jack Simth]

Wizard "I see. What do you know of the bandits?"

D "Just a few rumors and what the Baron told me at dinner; that they are a problem."

The wizard, perhaps sensing some truth behind D's words, visibly relaxes a little.
Wizard "Well, you are unlikely to be able to do anything about it, so I would suggest rejecting the Baron's reward offer in the morning. He has made the same offer to a dozen other visitors, and none of them have returned."

With that, the Wizard takes his leave.

A short while later.
Jack "That's odd..."

D "What's odd?"

Jack "He started to mouth something about not a threat shortly before he left. Why would we be a threat?"

D "Hmm."

ooc:[Could it be that the wizard is secretly supporting the bandits, and in the process harvesting much of the tax money? Perhaps he could be making a bid for the barony, but needs to have the authority transfer come from a legitamate source to prevent the Empire from crushing him; it would explain his secrecy and tie the situation up nicely.]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

ooc:[well, except where krsqk comes in. we need a post from him, before we continue, i think. his Last post sounded villinious.]

[ June 28, 2003, 08:24: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[Jack Simth]

Jack "So, what offer do you think he was referring to?"

D "Considering the Barony's problems, I would surmise that the Baron is going to offer us a reward if we can eliminate the bandit problem. So, do you think we should accept when he offers?"

Jack "I'm game. What about you, Narp?"

[narf poit chez BOOM]

ooc:[what if, instead of being evil, the wizards under the mental influence of another wizard, but doesn't realize it? because he conversed quite readily with D about the supposed problems scrying at dinner. besides, i don't want this wizard evil.]

Narp "if you will shield this conversation from scrying?"

two spells later...

Narp "strange. at dinner, he was friendly, but it seemed to me he was talking in circles sometimes when describing the problems he was having. now, he appears agited and doesn't want the problems investigated. now, the principles in the short guide to relevancy suggest that only those with reason to object to something will object. although this is obvious, it is also a starting point. what we must determine is why. pride? if so, he hides it from the baron. he was pleasant before. or, to give him the benifit of the doubt, perhaps his fustration rendered him momentarily unpleasant. or, the option we must consider, treason. unfortunatly, it fits all the variables. pleasantness before the one one is hiding ones intentions from, unpleasantness before whoever you want to disuade, and of course, not accomplishing the stated goal of whoever you supposed to be loyal to. but there's something else..." he shakes his head "...i just can't think of it."

Narp sits on his cot and starts muttering the names of various tomes, scholars and hypothesis

ooc:[i'm not sure when our characters should start considering mind control, because the moment they do, Jack or D could probably detect it. Narp could go to sleep still not able to remember the reference he's looking for. sp check later.]

[Jack Simth]

ooc:[Works, and I think we can fix your dilemma on when to have the idea pop up, and even why D and Jack wouldn't notice immediately.]

D "He was very much a different person just now than he was at dinner - I don't think he was acting."

Jack "Mind control, perhaps?"

D "Wouldn't one of us have picked it up? Hang on - that would only work if he were being actively controlled when we checked. I didn't check him for magic just now when he walked in the room - did you, Jack?"

Jack "Yes, but he was clean. No mind control spells of any type. Then again, magic isn't the only way to control a person's thoughts. There is also telepathy, but the only way to check for that with magic would be to review his memory and look for mysterious blanks; it's too much of an invasion of privacy."

D "Telepathy?"

Jack "Yes, it allows communication without magic. An unethical person could, in theory, use it to control someone who didn't know enough about it to defend themselves. Fortunately, standard magic defenses against mind control also function as a defense against telepathic mind control, and vice-versa, so it hasn't been a problem on my home plane."

D "I'm safe then - but what about you, Narp?"

Jack "I could enchant something for you that would protect you when worn, if you like; it would only take a minute or so - it is a surprisingly simple spell."

ooc:[There - now we have considered it, and have a reason for D and Jack missing it; although, it does move it from being a wizard controlling him to a psionicist. Satisfactory?]

[ July 02, 2003, 07:54: Message edited by: Jack Simth ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

ooc:[yep. now, lets see...Narp was thinking of something, and now he'll come up with the reference...reference, reference, here reference...]

Narp "of course! jill's 'short study of telepathy '! strategically speaking...of course!"

he mutters to himself some more, then "if we block the telepath, the telepath will know we surmise his existance, and will take steps to eliminate us. what we need are amulets that will block our thoughts, but will throw of psuedo-thoughts. thoughts that show us going west again. and of course, little random thoughts about the terrain and the weather. then we need to sneak into the wizard's tower, break his link with the telepath, and make an amulet that will mimic his thoughts if the telepath checks. then, we should be able to track him back to wherever he is when he checks on the wizard. after that, we simply chase after him with the baron's soldier's. presuming we havn't made a mistake in our logic."

ooc:[naturaly, something needs to go wrong with the plan. maybe the telepath finding out to soon. i dunno.]

[ July 02, 2003, 08:29: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]