<span style="font-weight: bold">OOC</span>... I’m not sure about the diplomacy thing either, I guess… maybe I should’ve rolled it and used the roll to inform the writing. On the other hand, I can’t always write tonally-appropriate dialog, so the diplomacy roll is more helping you understand how the text is meant to be interpreted. I.e. in some sense this has left you with good feelings about this person, even if you need to reject the specific offer. That aside… feel free to request more/less combat, RP encounters, for more time to RP inside the group… whatever is desired!<br/><br/>OOC: Linda’s roll doesn’t net her any knowledge of the Dragon’s Eye beyond speculation. Perhaps it looks like a Dragon’s Eye. Perhaps it’s a dragonshard. Perhaps the setting of them stone is in some way related to Dragons - and she does recall that both the Amulet Sansuki found, and the Scepter, had dragonshard with strange markings, and the sceptre was in the form of a dragon’s claw. Alizome and Synys, at least, will be aware of the form of the amulet and sceptre… I think the rest of you were distracted whilst they were picking them up… though as I understand it Alizome is carrying both(?) Let me know if that’s wrong though.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Xarces/Linda</span><br/><br/>Gently, Dura slips the bag from Xarces shoulder, passing it carefully to one of her guardswomen [boss-guard-one]. The guard takes a few steps away, and, on a reasonably clean patch of path, begins to spread out Xarces’s belongings.<br/><br/>“Why don’t you tell us more about this Eye?” Linda asks.<br/><br/>“Maybe later,” Dura replies, eyes glittering, as she begins the slow process of patting Xarces down, starting with his jacket, slowly petting every inch of the fabric, as her breath tickles Xarces flesh, and her body bumps frequently against his. Then, that garment searched, she begins to slid her hands beneath it, running them over the thin material of his under-armour, feeling the firm muscles of his chest and stomach as she does so… then stepping closer, pressing them tightly together, as her hands slip around his back and continue the search…<br/><br/>“I thought you’d disarmed,” she purrs, as something presses into her hipbone. “I’ll have to check this weapon<span style="font-style: italic">thoroughly</span>...”<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the guardswoman has almost finished with Xarces pack, and begins to reload the various essentials, gemstones and treasures - whilst Xarces is distracted, the eagle-eyes of the rest of you can clearly see she hasn’t pilfered or pocketed anything. “Nothing like the Eye here Milady,” she says. “Um,” she considers her thoroughly distracted liege. “Anyone want to volunteer to be next? The, ah,<span style="font-style: italic">personal</span>part of the search doesn’t have to be like, ah, that...” she trails.<br/><br/>“Unless you’re cute, and you<span style="font-style: italic">want</span>it to be,” her companion [boss-guard-two] offers, winking in the direction of the cute human whispering to his naga companion. The snakewoman was… imposing, definitely, the boy much more her usual type, but… well, any combination of them would doubtless be fun. If they were interested.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Laryn [Ambusher-one]</span>- NB, make an error before. It’s ambusher<span style="font-style: italic">one</span>who has the gauntlets and is flirting with Alizome.<br/><br/>“Laryn,” the gauntleted woman offers, reaching for the strap of said gauntlets, quite at her ease - as the panther lunges past Alizome and attacks!<br/><br/>“Arrgh!” Laryn screams, as she’s brutally bitten, Dusk raking her with his claws, his jaws fastening tight to her bare arm and<span style="font-style: italic">shaking</span>her.<br/><br/>The pretty, busty swordswoman with her mousy hair in pigtails [ambusher four] seems to have been caught off-guard - but her colleagues leap into battle, the scythe of the long-haired woman sinking into Dura’s flank even as her chain wraps about his neck. [Hit 23, 25… damage, 2, 2] The shorter, swordwielding girl ducks past them, slashing at Jules and Linda as she lunges towards them, positioned to attack opportunitically, should they try to spellcast or move away... [Vs Linda 17, does 5 damage; vs Jules 18, does 4 damage].<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Status</span><br/>Current Round: Surprise<br/>Acted: Dusk, ambusher two and three. Not able to act: Xarces, Alizome, Sylvira, Linda, Dura, boss-guards-one-and-two, ambusher-four.<br/>Still to act: Jules<br/>Laryn [ambusher-one]: 14 HP lost, grabbed by Dusk<br/>Dusk (assuming hit): 4 HP lost<br/>Jules (assuming hit on 18): 4 HP lost, vulnerable to attacks of opportunity from ambusher three<br/>Linda (assuming hit on 17): 5 HP lost, vulnerable to attacks of opportunity from ambusher three<br/><br/>By-the-by... it would've always been difficult to get out of this without a combat encounter... though, I suppose, you still might if the party tries really, really hard to make nice...