Kage
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 17:31:02 GMT -5
The Grissoms are a paranoid lot, which shows in how the estate is built: high walls, heavily guarded and patrolled, many many traps, and a few other nasty surprises. The outside is as much a fortress as any place inside Lorica Vite, though not as well equipped as the Vashina Estate. Nor does it have the kind of favorable location the Vashina Estate has.
Still, the place has the reputation for being one of the hardest places to get into without invitation from the Grissoms.
While the outside is a harsh fotress, the inside is well decorated with red and gold carpets and beautiful tapestries. There are patterns of mystical creatures here and there, but the most common one is the family crest: the Phoenix. It represented their fiery spirit and their ability to come back and truimph after horrible defeat. The Grissom's are a family of generals and warriors, you see...
The lord of the house was Didymus Grissom, a retired general and powerful warrior. He died recently in a sudden fire, and the estate passed out of Grissom hands. The estate was fixed up in a short amount of time.
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Kage
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 17:32:56 GMT -5
Josh, one of the many private guards of the Grissom Estate, yawned while watching the area outside the walls, as he always did. It was a terribly boring job, as nothing ever happened here. No one was stupid enough to try to get in without an invitation. It just couldn't be done... which had the side effect of making the job of guarding the place, along with all the others, boring as Hells. They could afford to be lazy, since there were so many other things inside the walls to get rid of intruders... like more guards, and traps, and patrols, and and and...
Josh sighed and stepped into the gatehouse that he was assigned to on the wall. He was going to try what Chad suggested, and that was read. He pulled out a novel and immediatly put it down. Bleh, it was on guards. He picked up another one he randomly picked up from the bookstore and started on it. Oh, here we go... this one was on a soldier who ended up stuck with his enemy. This one was interesting...
He pulled the lantern a bit closer and happily read on. He never noticed the katana that would neatly remove his head from his body.
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Kage
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Posts: 61
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 17:51:54 GMT -5
The blood was swiftly evaporated as the blade drew the life-energies through it and into Kage. Kage glanced at the book as he moved the body out of the way, hiding it under the little bed in the room. He knew that book... it was a good one. A pity he had to kill the guard before he could finish it.
He searched the room for awhile and found the keys right next to the book. He took these and walked down the stairwell of the gatehouse, using them on the door at the bottom. The door swung open after a built in noise sounded someone's approach, and the guard on the inside glanced up, confused and alarmed when he didn't see anyone. He started moving towards one of the alarms in the room. He never made it.
Kage moved deeper into the Estate.
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Kage
Junior Member
I'm not here
I am not a carrot.
Posts: 61
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 18:03:19 GMT -5
After getting into the halls, it wasn't very difficult. He followed behind one of the patrols for a good amount of time before breaking away from them and moving upwards, towards the master room. The traps were well made and would probably kill or incapacitate just about anyone. They were well hidden, too. Not well enough, and easily avoided, but still well hidden.
Unfortunately, none of them were set to trigger for people crawling on the ceiling.
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Kage
Junior Member
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I am not a carrot.
Posts: 61
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 18:24:35 GMT -5
Kage finally finds himself in front of the master room's doors. He steps off of the Plane and phases through the doors, stepping back onto the Plane on the other side.
Lord Grissom was not asleep, nor was he bent over official documents. He was busy praticing swordstrokes when Kage stepped back onto the Plane. Unfortunately, the old warrior somehow saw him, a surprised look on his face that lasted only a moment before he charged forward. Impressive... truly worthy to be the lord of a warrior family. Kage was very pleased.
The golden glow faded from Kage's eyes, and they flashed with a menacing dark purple light, completely changing the iris' color to dark purple before returning to their normal golden glow. He swiftly followed with an intricate series of hand gestures. Didymus, who found the flash strange and had felt... something from it, suddenly felt his eyes pulled to the hand gestures. He couldn't help but watch them...
Kage drew his blade and walked closer. He stood there, studying the man for awhile... and then he stopped gesturing. Didymus was still gazing at place where the hand was when the Katana and Wakezashi clear their sheathes and descend upon him.
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Kage
Junior Member
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I am not a carrot.
Posts: 61
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Post by Kage on Sept 6, 2004 18:42:42 GMT -5
Kage sheathed the two blades as swiftly as he drew them and kneeled down next to the corpse of Didymus. He quickly checked him for valuables and for what he was sent to get. He takes the sword and a few other things from the room before pulling out a small bottle of Alchemist's Fire and tossing it onto the body. The floor and body very suddenly burst into flames and Kage stepped off of the Plane again, stepping back on at the roof overhead. He silently ran across the roof as more of the building caught fire and guards started shouting to and fro. It wasn't long before the bucket chain was started.
Kage leaped off of the roof and onto the grounds below. From there, he made his way to the wall and climbed up, over, and out, disappearing into the night.
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Alexander
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Economic Mastermind
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Post by Alexander on Sept 7, 2004 13:03:17 GMT -5
Alexander's men walk up with the papers and evict the rest of the Grissoms, as someone else now holds the deed to the estate. The guards are kept on for now, told there is a chance they may retain their jobs. It depends on the next owner, really.
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Alexander
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Post by Alexander on Sept 7, 2004 17:50:27 GMT -5
Zane speaks with the guards after showing them around the estate, pointing out the many traps and other precautions as well as the many other features. They are led to the captain of the guards here, a proffessional in combat and a good leader besides who goes by the name of Fenris. He is an older man of about 52 years, but he is still stronger than any other guard in the building, with grey hair and standing at 5'11'', with equally grey eyes and features that remind one of a wolf somehow.
'Good to know you check with the guards before buying a place.'
Zane stands off to the side, silent for now.
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Thoringel
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 7, 2004 17:55:00 GMT -5
*The four of them study this estate with the same painstaking attention to detail they gave the other. This takes time in a place this size.*
*They question guards about daily routine, and the cooks about the supply bill.*
*The investigate all the doors and windows, even - especially - those which are supposed to be untrappedd, - and they stick their noses in everything.*
*Ormin questions Fenris about guard routines, deployment, turnover and training.
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Alexander
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Post by Alexander on Sept 7, 2004 18:06:31 GMT -5
The guards answer the questions accordingly, noting that there is always someone on watch at all key points and that the doors that are locked make a very audible warning noise when unlocked, due to mechanisms inside. Most doors are kept locked and the place is patrolled regularly. A person gets in only if they are invited. Supply bills are generally within the 800 to 900 gp range per month, not including unforeseen events.
No outer window is untrapped. They have been spelled to purify air and let it in, giving the place a very open scent, instead of the closed off fortress that it is.
Fenris replies to each question as they come. The routine is to make no place is left alone, and each guard checks in after a set amount of time in their own specific way. As for training, each guard is a proffesional soldier from the Lorica Vite section, trained with the higher expertise of the true fighters, instead of basic foot soldiers.
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Thoringel
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Scarlet Pimpernel
They seek him here, they seek him there
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 7, 2004 18:13:34 GMT -5
*Alethea turns to Zane.*
We will consider what we have learned, and reply tomorrow. We hope that this will be acceptable?
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Alexander
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Post by Alexander on Sept 7, 2004 18:18:39 GMT -5
Zane nods.
'Perfectly acceptable. Come by The Exchange tomorrow with your decision.'
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Thoringel
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Scarlet Pimpernel
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 7, 2004 18:22:50 GMT -5
*They take their leave and head to the Inn.*
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Alexander
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Post by Alexander on Sept 7, 2004 18:24:43 GMT -5
Zane heads back to The Exchange.
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Thoringel
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Post by Thoringel on Sept 21, 2004 20:15:50 GMT -5
The three of them arrive at the gtes of the estate, and Thoringel requires the man on the gate to summon the commander of the Guard.
When he arrives, Thoringel shows him the signed over deed, and asks him to inform all the men that he is now the legal owner of the estate.
The party are admitted, and escorted to the main hall where they meet the senior members of the Guard, and the chatelaine who runs the domestic side.
Having settled the minds of the commanders that there were plenty of funds to pay the men, they leave to inform the troops and domestic staff. Not long after that Alathea arrives from the Evensong, with their baggage, in a cart.
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