[Audio/Visual] Dude where's our map? [Date TBD?]

[naturaltwohands]

[Drizzt's human hands are holding up some paper, his eyes focused on a note in neat Imperial Calligraphy:

I have your charts. If you want a chance of ever leaving this benighted island, bring me the Bando rebels’ box and give me safe passage back to the Empire.

K

Drizzt's gaze continues to linger on it as he speaks out loud, voice even but laced with anger. Yes, he's got a young teenager's voice. And yes, it doesn't do anger very well. Also yes, shut up.]

As the note says, our sea charts have been stolen. [You know, the ones Drizzt found after they didn't need them anymore?] I found this ransom note on the back of our charter.

Does anyone possess clues that might lead to the identity of the traitor? What course of action should we take? And where exactly would we meet this individual? They've neglected to mention a location with which to meet.

Comments

[naturaltwohands]

[Hold on, Drizzt is finding someplace to sit down. Not that you can see. But there's a delay in his reply as he drops into the chair.]

By the gods... And this individual wants the dragon.

[claudiometer]

Going by the 'and passage back to the Empire' business, they were sent to return it.

...Hey Thorne? That leader powwow you guys had, did Helena happen to say anything about the Bando Mystery Box?

[naturaltwohands]

And from what I have heard, the Empire is not a good one.

[Well there goes the idea that this person is innocent.]

[claudiometer]

Oh, definitely not. Last jaunt they were trying to provoke a civil war and strafed at least one village to do it.

That was before they sent in an army to wipe out the Sun Temple.

[naturaltwohands]

[A mental sigh as that knowledge brings him some measure of sadness and pain. Poor nameless people that he will never know. :( Why are people awful.]

Then we cannot allow this individual have the true box and its contents.

[claudiometer]

No. No, we can't.

Helena would probably be down for a bait-and-switch. Wouldn't put it past her to have come up with one, if... not as elaborate as what Malik's planning.

[naturaltwohands]

The bait-and-switch should be our tactic, obviously. ... And I am far more comfortable with Malik's plan now, knowing the truth of the matter.

[claudiometer]

Exploding runes would be kinder than anything the dragon would do to someone dumb enough to open it.

[naturaltwohands]

I vote for eating. Dragons are quite fond of eating people back home, or at least some of them, I have heard. Or burning people with their breath.

Well, if they're a fire dragon, at any rate. Others have acid or cold.

[claudiometer]

The one in the Sun Temple was a fire dragon, but I'm not sure if that's the one that's here or not.

Doesn't matter, in the end. They have about a hundred ways to fuck up mere mortals no matter what their element is.

[naturaltwohands]

Yes; no matter what type, dragons are always powerful and exceedingly dangerous. That is why no one in their right minds would ever wish to deal with one.

[Except for Jarlaxle. Who. Literally fucks dragons. Not that Drizzt knows about that bout of insanity from the drow mercenary yet.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Nope. Not a thing.

Hey Zed? If you can 'hear' this, did Kotei ever find out what was in it?

[claudiometer]

Balls. That makes it harder to know whether she knows what's in it.

If she does, I can't see her agreeing to take it anywhere, never mind back where it came from.

[whydoyoushine]

Nope. They wouldn't let me anywhere near it, and none of the times I tried stealing it ever worked.

[thornsofmalkav]

Have you seen the outside of it, though? Enough that if you showed it to me I could make a convincing fake box with liminal manip?

[whydoyoushine]

Oh, sure.

[There's an image of said box from several angles projected across the network.]

That work for you?

[thornsofmalkav]

Excellent. I'll go to liminal space to make it--unless someone else who's already there wants to do the job?

[whydoyoushine]

I would, but I can't.

[Takes too much imagination to use Liminal Manipulation--he'd never be able to swing it.]

[thornsofmalkav]

'Sokay. I can handle it. If someone who's seen a dragon scroll wants to show me, I can handle that too?

[loyalrebel]

Once you have made a scroll, I will be able to place the runes on it if that is still a plan.

[thornsofmalkav]

I think it's a good plan and one we should do.

[claudiometer]

I can do a scroll no problem.

[thornsofmalkav]

Okay. You want to go to liminal space together so we can come back as soon as we're done?

[claudiometer]

Sounds like a plan.

I'll probably ask Helena if she wants in on the bait-and-switch. She might have her own plan, but it can't hurt.

[loyalrebel]

If she wants to see the spellwork I can perform it under the effects of the doki-itus as a disguise.

[But not as a bird.]