Tulbas' Vignette

[JadedDM]

The three wander into different shops, but none of them contain anyone that fits the woman's description, nor are there any magic shops. In fact, as far as Tulbas knows, his uncle's shop is the only magic shop in the city. There just isn't much of a demand for magic these days.

Tulbas uses two of his cantrips in various stores, but gets no detection whatsoever.

"So, three weeks. Have you met many followers? How long does the group exists anyway?"

"Yeah, there's lots of us now," Biggs says.

"We had over 800 before. And 300 more joined yesterday," Wedge states. "So that makes...uh...how many does that make, Biggs?"

"Um...over a thousand, I think," Biggs says.

"Right," Wedge says. "Our numbers are growing everyday. And Darewind only came to this city a month ago."

[BishGada]

'No magic shops around here... Well that's only improves the chance that what I sensed yesterday was actually the woman we seek.' Tulbas thinks to himself.

Hearing his companions Tulbas raises his brows, "Wow, over a thousand... impressive. And you say Darewind is not from here? I wish I had the chance to meet him. You did, didn't you? I bet he is impressive person, right? Do you know where did he come from?"

After the failure with the search in the shops, Tulbas suggests, "Well, let's move to the residential streets. High chance she has someone who does her errands for her." and leads the group to where he could detect magic yesterevening.

===========================
Tulbas will use his two remaining Cantrips and his Detect Magic spell in order to better locate the origin of the magic aura.
Should one Cantrip suffice, Tulbas won't use the second.
If some detection will arise, Tulbas will use Spells first, then Wand in order to farther pin-point the location, otherwise Tulbas won't use the Wand, avoiding senseless waste.

[JadedDM]

"Wow, over a thousand... impressive. And you say Darewind is not from here? I wish I had the chance to meet him. You did, didn't you? I bet he is impressive person, right? Do you know where did he come from?"

"We've met him, aye," Biggs says. "Everyone who joins gets to meet him. At least, until the Seekers locked him away, that is."

"We've seen his miracles firsthand, too. Magical healing!" Wedge adds. "'Tis a thing of beauty."

"Not really sure where he came from," Biggs admits. "Somewhere to the south, beyond the mountains, I think."

The three head for the residential area, to the exact spot that Tulbas tested before. He uses a cantrip, and once again receives confirmation there is magic somewhere nearby, although he doesn't know how strong, what kind, or in what direction.

[BishGada]

Tulbas, encouraged by detecting magic at the same location as yesterday, plans to cast Detect Magic spell and scan the area. But in order to disguise his findings, he continues to walk around few corners before stopping and saying "Guys, this spot is as good as any other to start the search." He stops for a minute, mumbles something and scans the area, trying to look casual as if he looks for markings to find his way.

He repeats this ritual several times, while double backing some streets in between the rituals, when arriving where he sensed the magic and feeling pretty confident his previous actions had removed all suspicion from the current spot, he repeats the ritual again, but now with actually casting Detect Magic and scanning the area for the magic source. Knowing the spell works for a limited time his main goal is to detect the source direction and then follow that direction to find which house is suspected. Even as he searches he is avoiding getting too close to the house in case there are some magical traps or alarms around it.

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(OOC: Tulbas casts Detect Magic. Percent roll to detect type of magic (1d100): 89 - fail)

[JadedDM]

Upon casting the spell for real, Tulbas slowly scans the area and starts to sense a nearby aura of magic. Although he cannot determine the specific school, it's clear the reading is coming from a nearby single-story residential building--12 River Way, to be precise.

It's a small, slightly dilapidated home; obviously not belonging to anyone of great wealth--not that anyone wealthy would live in the Harbor District to begin with, that is. The paint is peeling and the door is weather-beaten. The windows are all covered from inside with old curtains.

[BishGada]

Tulbas does his best to hide his excitement. He is really uncertain about what to do next. On one hand if he shakes his companions and try to approach the woman himself, she might slip from him and hide better and he will lose his chance to get into the lines of The Master followers. Even if he knew what was the reason she ran away from her father, who put him a judge to decide if it is a justified reason or not. On the other hand he can't be sure Nora didn't mislead him and had another reason to hunt that woman.
All these thoughts flashes through Tulbas mind in mere moments, and Tulbas comes to believe he must face Nora again, make sure she has no intention to harm the woman and then surrender her location. But then again, things might go wrong, and currently he has no offensive nor defensive spells. A Sleep spell could help him both take down the wizard unaware or the mercenaries if the need arises.
Tulbas considers deluding his companions for another day, and tomorrow come better prepared. He highly believes the woman will be there the following day as she has no reason to suspect she was discovered.
In any case, discussion with his companions shouldn't take place near the house where she is hiding. He leads them farther down the street to a distance enough location enabling him view of the house without being noticed or overheard. Tulbas stops, finding a small hidden niche for the three of them to stand.
"Our searches were not for naught." He says looking at them grievously, "I can sense the woman is in the area we searched, at some streets I sensed it stronger. There is a slight chance she sensed us too, so we need to discuss with Nora our next actions. What did Nora tell you to do once we find her? Can you call Nora here?"

[JadedDM]

"If you found her, we need to go get her," Biggs states. "There isn't time to go talk to Nora. She gave us our orders, what else is there to talk about?"

"Yeah," Wedge agrees. "Not only might she run off while we're away, but someone else might grab her, too. We better nab her now, before it's too late. Where is she?"

[BishGada]

Tulbas straighten his back, folds his arms and looks at the two of them through narrowed eyes. After thinking for a heartbeat he says, "You are wrong. We can't just barge in to the residential houses here, look for her and grab her. That will damage all of Darewind's work. The Master is compassionate, heals the wounded. The act you described is quiet the opposite. Hurting people at their own homes." Tulbas looks at the two mercenaries, waits to let the weight of his declaration sink in. "Besides, that will just makes things worse between us and the Seekers. Quickly enough the place will swarm with the Seeker guard, and prison cells will fill with our people." Again Tulbas takes a second to let them understand.

"Now, I had no intention to let the woman run away or someone else grab her, but she might be a powerful wizard and have friends with her, probably her place is full with traps, so the three of us might not be enough, and if we miss this chance, we might never find her again. That's why I wanted to speak with Nora, about strategy. Now Biggs will go and fetch Nora or someone high enough in command to give orders, and Wedge and I will stay around here to watch over the streets, make sure she doesn't run off. This shouldn't take more then a quarter of an hour. I want as much as you to see Darewind back with us, and this is the best way to do it. Understood?"

[JadedDM]

The two men share a look.

"Listen here, kid," Biggs begins. "Me and Wedge are high enough in command to give orders. You aren't, get it? Nora gives us commands, and we give those commands to you. If you think you can order either of us around, you are in for a real surprise."

Wedge intervenes. "Listen, kid, if you're scared, that's okay. You just point us in the right direction, and we'll handle the girl and whatever magicks and bodyguards she might have. Ain't nobody said you had to stick out your own neck, right? You just gotta show us where she is, that's all. But we need to go get her now, before she has a chance to escape again."

[BishGada]

"I didn't mean no disrespect. I will join you and try to help as much as I can, but I still believe it to be a mistake. Anyway, lets go back to where I sensed the presence stronger and I'll focus the search there and once I'll be positive regarding the house I'll tell you. Follow me."

Tulbas leads them again to the streets, slows down here and there as if regarding the surrounding better, and eventually arrives to the area of 12 River way where he acts as if searching again.

Taking some safe distance from the house Tulbas tells his companions. "OK, I'm almost sure she is in that shaky house there," he shows with a slight motion of his head, "Number twelve. Do you want to break in? Look first around the house for possible routes of escape she might take? Or what?"

[JadedDM]

"Alright," Biggs says. "Now we're getting somewhere. You and Wedge watch the entrance. I'll circle around and check for any other exits." He then starts to slowly circle the building.

[BishGada]

Tulbas says to Biggs, "Try not to look suspicious. And if she make run for it, try to knock her down without harming her. You too Wedge." Tulbas takes a position so he and Wedge can cover both sides of the building in case she runs the other way of Biggs direction.

[JadedDM]

After a few moments, Biggs returns. "No other exits, looks like it's just this one," he says. "Kind of an odd place to hide out. Not really defensible and no other way out."

Wedge shrugs. "Maybe she thought nobody would ever think to look for her here."

"Hmm, good point. Okay, I'll take care of the lock. You guys keep a look out." Biggs then kneels by the door and removes a rolled up cloth from his pack. He unfurls it, revealing a number of small and delicate lockpicking tools. "This shouldn't take long. Doesn't even look like a very good lock."

[BishGada]

"Wait, wait..." Tulbas tells Biggs with urgency in his voice, "You are right. This is a strange place to hide. It could be a trap." then he elaborates more slowly, "She could have put here a magical alarm, finding that someone is looking for her while she is somewhere else. Please let me make some little checks before continuing. I'll be quick about it."

Tulbas remembers from his past, how he had fashioned Cantrip to alert when he was about to do a mistake, after having few accidents with his magical practice. Now he plans to adjust it to detect a misdirection intent, hopefully that will help him understand if such alarm or trap as he told Biggs is affecting the house. Then we uses one charge of the wand and concentrate for one round to detect the school of magi of the magic radiation.

[JadedDM]

Using the wand, Tulbas senses an aura of magic inside the house, but not anywhere near the door itself.