A certain wizard growing bothered about strangers assuming that he knows the identity of a certain bard. He knows many bards, it is one of his enjoyments to visit the bard district. The familiar is ever so pleased when he buys her the Everclear candy that is sold there. This is beside point! - The bard, vaguely described as dark, brooding and have a certain .. eclectic collection of acquaintances. Never seen any of such description perform at the district. Nor anywhere for that matter. Not that he can remember. He do have a suspect though. But that alone wont do.
Surely he could send his familiar out to spy, but her attention span leaves much to desire. Or he could fire up his Divining Pool and Scry the living light out of the case. But where is the fun in that? - A plan is taking shape.
The wizard as well a tinkerer starts to gather the components.
* A small box container. The case sold at Saduskies met the requirements. It needs a lock, no problem. A silver widget is re-purposed as a key less locking mechanism. The key will be an altered spell based on the knock transmutation spell.
* A tangle trap kit and a cloth padding re-purposed as a soft jack-in-the-box spring trap.
* A generous amount of purple dye in powder form.
* Bottles of Spirits wrapped neatly in cloth padding, as a condolence gift to the victim.
* Bees wax
The scheming wizard puts the re-purposed spring trap in the box and does some test runs. After some failed attempts where it fired of to soon or to late. Got loose and caused a crack in the ceiling. He finally got it working reliable. Easy done as expected by a master tinkerer who can create small automatons (which haven't gone on rampage yet).
He tucks in and secure the spirit bottles at the bottom of the case and arms the spring trap with some chalk testing powder. The test run had unexpected result. Instead of a powdered cloth in the face, it caused a cloud of powder. Coloring everything within 4 half orc feet from it. This was even better. Dye powder delivery accuracy was absolute this way. - The bottles rattled but was unharmed.
After cleaning up the chalk powder. The wizard continued the work. He carved runes within the case and had them enchanted with a modified "Greater Stoneskin" transmutation. -"When locked, tough as granite rock."
He finished the lock mechanism by adding the runes to govern it's enchantment. Along with a translation of it on top of the case lid. -"If requirement is met unlocking this is not hard. It is impossible if you are not a bard."
Spring mechanism armed with purple dye powder, case both closed and locked. The wizards finishes it with a bees wax sealing for good measure.
Step 1, the package is complete.
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How to find a dark bard
Re: How to find a dark bard
Step 2, the delivery.
If the wizard knew who the recipient were, this would be all be pointless. Funny, but pointless. However, there were these aforementioned entities that did.
One, a Rakshasa at the gateway tavern seemed to want the dark bard dead. Or that the bard was actually dead? The conversation were not quite straight forward. And besides, a Rakshasa is to sharp to fool into this.
Second, the frozen ogres north of Benzor seemed to fear the bard as they mentioned him. And they seem gullible enough to deliver the package for the scheming wizard. A few mass charm spells ought to get them cooperative. And a polymorph self:dragon to get them motivated.
The wizard and his familiar grabs the package and heads out.
-"Think it will wovk, Mastah?" the familiar asks. The wizard shrugs his shoulder and answers. -"It certainly is a gamble. But if it works it will be hilarious. That alone makes it worthwhile don't you think?"
The pixie familiar giggled.
If the wizard knew who the recipient were, this would be all be pointless. Funny, but pointless. However, there were these aforementioned entities that did.
One, a Rakshasa at the gateway tavern seemed to want the dark bard dead. Or that the bard was actually dead? The conversation were not quite straight forward. And besides, a Rakshasa is to sharp to fool into this.
Second, the frozen ogres north of Benzor seemed to fear the bard as they mentioned him. And they seem gullible enough to deliver the package for the scheming wizard. A few mass charm spells ought to get them cooperative. And a polymorph self:dragon to get them motivated.
The wizard and his familiar grabs the package and heads out.
-"Think it will wovk, Mastah?" the familiar asks. The wizard shrugs his shoulder and answers. -"It certainly is a gamble. But if it works it will be hilarious. That alone makes it worthwhile don't you think?"
The pixie familiar giggled.
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- DM
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Re: How to find a dark bard
Nice! This is the kind of stuff that makes DMing rewarding. That Rakshasa needs a name now, doesn't he? I really enjoy doing things around Frin. That gnome clearly has his own agenda and that's something the bard and his goons do not like! The only agenda that matters is the Revolutionary League one!
Re: How to find a dark bard
Step 2 continued
-"Fizzlesticks!"
The wizard had glamored himself close to an ogre patrol to unleash the spell of mass charming. But all the spell did was alert them of his presence. He quickly flinged a petrifying curse on the ogre mage that was in charge and unleashed a wave of burning projectile that chased of the rest. This was not what he wanted.
-"The spell did not fire of as advertised! We must have made an misinterpretation of the scroll." the wizard complained as he paced around the remaining ogre statue. -"This is going to haunt us later."
Looking at the statue, the wizard decides to take a risk and removes the curse. The ogre had not realized that time had passed and everything had changed. -"Smaa- ... huh? Bugger off, pup! Or we squish ya." The wizard had rapidly caught the ogre with a more tested charm spell.
-"Good day on you, mister!" the wizard tried to initiate a conversation.
-"Wut? Ya deaf cutter!? BUGGER OFF!" the ogre made clear. The spell isn't known to make foes into best of buddies after all.
Only a matter of time before the fleeing ogres brings reinforcements. The wizards raises the power to the ninth circle and dominates the ogre under his will. -"Amuse us ogre!"
-"How master!?" replied the ogre.
-"Do you know of the dark bard, ogre?" demanded the wizard to know.
-"Wot of 'im?" answered the ogre while picking his left ear.
-"You will amuse us and accept this curse of geas to make sure the delivery of his package to this dark bard!" pushed the wizard.
-"The wut? .. Gah!" another wave of compulsory weaves slams into the ogres mind as another ninth circle domination is applied on top of the other for good extra measure. -"Yuz!"
Runes starts to glow on the ogres skin as the wizards hands over the package.
Somewhat disgusted at what he had done the wizard added another command as he tossed the now ogre delivery boy a handful coins. -"Treat yourself to whatever you fellas like to drink this lovely evening. .. We would really prefer this whole thing transpire differently. So long, ogre!"
-"Ming! We are leaving." shouted the wizard as he left.
-"Did not go so well, mastah?" asked the pixie that came out from hiding.
-"No, not as well we would had hoped. We did hope this to be our first step to start building influence among the ogre and giant tribes. Instead we ended up oppressing them." answered the wizard gnome. -"This mass peace charm spell needs to be improved."
-"Fizzlesticks!"
The wizard had glamored himself close to an ogre patrol to unleash the spell of mass charming. But all the spell did was alert them of his presence. He quickly flinged a petrifying curse on the ogre mage that was in charge and unleashed a wave of burning projectile that chased of the rest. This was not what he wanted.
-"The spell did not fire of as advertised! We must have made an misinterpretation of the scroll." the wizard complained as he paced around the remaining ogre statue. -"This is going to haunt us later."
Looking at the statue, the wizard decides to take a risk and removes the curse. The ogre had not realized that time had passed and everything had changed. -"Smaa- ... huh? Bugger off, pup! Or we squish ya." The wizard had rapidly caught the ogre with a more tested charm spell.
-"Good day on you, mister!" the wizard tried to initiate a conversation.
-"Wut? Ya deaf cutter!? BUGGER OFF!" the ogre made clear. The spell isn't known to make foes into best of buddies after all.
Only a matter of time before the fleeing ogres brings reinforcements. The wizards raises the power to the ninth circle and dominates the ogre under his will. -"Amuse us ogre!"
-"How master!?" replied the ogre.
-"Do you know of the dark bard, ogre?" demanded the wizard to know.
-"Wot of 'im?" answered the ogre while picking his left ear.
-"You will amuse us and accept this curse of geas to make sure the delivery of his package to this dark bard!" pushed the wizard.
-"The wut? .. Gah!" another wave of compulsory weaves slams into the ogres mind as another ninth circle domination is applied on top of the other for good extra measure. -"Yuz!"
Runes starts to glow on the ogres skin as the wizards hands over the package.
Somewhat disgusted at what he had done the wizard added another command as he tossed the now ogre delivery boy a handful coins. -"Treat yourself to whatever you fellas like to drink this lovely evening. .. We would really prefer this whole thing transpire differently. So long, ogre!"
-"Ming! We are leaving." shouted the wizard as he left.
-"Did not go so well, mastah?" asked the pixie that came out from hiding.
-"No, not as well we would had hoped. We did hope this to be our first step to start building influence among the ogre and giant tribes. Instead we ended up oppressing them." answered the wizard gnome. -"This mass peace charm spell needs to be improved."