I'm going to try to read Durer's mind right away, but I want to try reading his recent memories instead of conscious thoughts.
If I fail at that I'll go back to trying to read his conscious thoughts.
You tap into the memories, and find that memories are a jumble of information, even when limited to recent ones. His include the path from the Duke's rooms to breakfast room, his annoyance at the squire who woke him, searching for the appropriate clothes, his musings on how much more comfortable his usual clothing was, the dream he had last night which he was trying to reconstruct while he was getting dressed, mental complaints about the food which, even at the Queen's table, is so primitive, so raw in the sense of not having been processed, reminding himself to get the poison from its hiding place--
The Queen enters, all rise. You continue rifling Durer's mind looking at memories. All sit.
He remembers his dislike particularly for Brom, his disdain for Sir Maris (whom he regards incompetent), his hatred of the Duke (born largely of the fact that he has to pretend to be an inferior adviser, given that the concept of noble houses is another thing he disdains)--
Food is served. As usual, Brom tastes everything before it is served to the queen. He seems to be doing so more carefully this morning than usual, perhaps sniffing more fully, taking double portions from each dish. Conversation begins, but you are wandering in Durer's recent memories--remembering to put his night clothes where the servants will not take them to the laundry, to check whether his laser pistol is still well hidden.
The queen has asked for more wine, and the server has taken her cup and is beginning to fill it. Durer leaps from his seat and comes around the table.
He remembers having put the poison in his right pocket.
He takes the wine cup from the server with his left hand, and turns toward the queen, his right hand passing over the cup as he does so. He says something quite respectful as he bows, holding the cup for her to take from his hand.
--M. J. Young
I'll step forward slightly and say:
"My queen, I wouldn't drink that, I just saw him slip poison into it. Whatever he was holding the poison in should still be in his hand or on or near his body."
Thoughts:
Can't take the chance Brom will intercept that cup without me saying something. This is the chance to catch him red handed, delivering the glass that's poisoned and with the poison on his person.
Just to clarify, these are the two possible expositions of what you've stated:
- You take a step forward to call attention to yourself and say to the room that you saw him poison the drink.
- You take several steps forward, attempt to interpose yourself between Durer and the Queen, and make your statement for her and perhaps Brom's ears only.
--M. J. Young
Yes, the first one.
There is an uproar. Loguire rises to his feet in outrage; the queen falls back into her high-backed chair. Others at the table are shouting, some at Loguire, some at Durer, in a cacophony that cannot be understood.
Durer drops the cup; but Brom catches it, spilling only about half of it.
His booming voice cuts through the crowd. "Silence!" The room quiets, although it takes a moment.
"Steward," he continues, "would you kindly empty my glass and pour some of the wine from that same pitcher into it? I must taste that wine and this."
The steward pours the contents of Brom's cup into a bowl on the table, and refills it from the pitcher. Brom speaks as he is doing so.
"My lords, I will ask you all to watch carefully, lest anyone claim there has been trickery. I cannot ask you to taste the wine yourselves, so you will have to trust my conclusion; but at least you will be able to observe that no one tampered with either cup save the steward, myself, and the accused."
He sips the wine in the cup from the pitcher.
"That wine," he declares, "is good..
He sips from the cup taken from Durer. He smacks his lips, and sips again.
"This wine," he says, "is not the same. Something has been added to it, and I would wager it is a poison, although it is rather subtle.
"With your majesty's permission, I will give the remainder of that which is in each cup each to one of the piglets, to confirm that the one is poisoned and the other is not. Guards, put this man in the dungeon."
Durer attempts to protest, trying to throw himself at the queen's feet, but two of the other guards in the room are quickly at the man's side, pulling him up and dragging him out of the room.
The queen rises, mutters something, and rushes from the room toward her chambers.
Sir Maris, standing, approaches the Duke.
"Your lordship, one of your servants stands accused of treason and attempted murder of our Queen. I must ask that you consider yourself in custody until the matter is resolved, and that you have no contact with him."
"Of course," he says, his normally strong voice softened. "I assure you I knew nothing of his plot, and indeed do not understand it; I trust your thorough examination will exonerate me.
"When I have finished by breakfast, I shall retire to my chambers."
Brom asks the steward to give him a hand, handing the man one of the cups. "I am giving you the wine in my own cup, which is the safe wine, and I am carrying the wine that is poisoned."
The two of them head for the door. One of the councilors of one of the other lords rises.
"Let me get that door for you," he says.
--M. J. Young
I'll attempt to read the mind of the councilor who just rose, I have a feeling he's going to try and bump into Brom and knock over the drink my "mistake".
I'll being moving towards the door to open it myself and say
"No need good councilor, I'll get the door. You should attend to your lord and have breakfast."
I'll open the door for Brom then and follow both of them through.
Thoughts:
Well I'm glad Brom was caught, but I have to figure out who the next in command of the councilors is now. Plus how do I explain to Brom and Maris that Durer is part of a time traveling group without seeming crazy. Oh well, one task at a time.
That councilor intends to attempt to spill the poisoned wine and make it appear to have been an accident--as you suspected.
You open the door for Brom. He says, "We should talk after breakfast," and then he's gone.
--M. J. Young
Summary of action at Ubercon:
Talked to Brom after breakfast as he mentioned, explained that Durer was a time traveler and the councilors are part of a group trying to gain political leverage by messing with the past. They're trying to exterminate the warlocks and witches to prevent democracy.
Explained democracy in a way to make it sound favorable for this planet to be in favor of it.
Botched at lunch when reading a second councilors mind. Botch ended up being a body swap, for which I developed a possession skill to possess my own body and then ejected the councilor from mine. Councilor had passed out for the time when both our minds were in my body, so he then excused himself as not feeling well.
GE roll of 2d10+1 got a 3, which got Molly 3@3 predict weather. Failed learning it from her on the first day.
Dinner was uneventful, as was the night. Breakfast the second councilor that I had botched on before had tried to get the queen to hear the peasants case first by arrogantly mentioning she absolutely could not hear their case first. I then talked to Brom and explained what I believed to be the case, he got me a minute with the queen before court that day. I told her what I believed, not sure if I passed or failed on persuading her to hear the nobles first so I developed calm emotions to calm the queen and then developed suggestion to have her hear Duke Loguire's case first.
Durer was given into Loguire's custody to be punished. Peasants case on marriage was then heard. Queen sided with nobles on case. She then continued alternating Noble-Peasant throughout court.
I then learn predict weather from Molly, after which Brom calls me to talk to the Queen and himself.
I'm tasked with infiltrating Loguire's castle without being noticed by Durer or Loguire. I'm to protect Loguire from Durer.
I then went to learn teleport from Molly so I could come back when need be. Next I wanted to learn to morph into an animal so I asked Molly if she knew anyone who could, as I wanted to be disguised as an animal when spying in the castle. Gwendyln did, but no one knew where she was. I asked Molly to contact her by mind, which she did and botched on. She ended up sharing full memory history with Gwendyln (one sided mind meld). Gwen then teleported in out of shock. I explained what was going on and asked her to teach me how to turn into an animal. I learned how to turn into an eagle, and then how to fly as an eagle.
I hugged Molly then, and she clung on tightly, said she was going to miss me and to be careful. I promised to visit often and to be careful, plus we had the party tonight yet.
Said goodbye to gwen who told me to be careful and also mentioned a few comments to Molly about finding a fine boy.
I went to dinner, no councilors at dinner and no conversation so nothing eventful.
The next morning I was trying to beat Loguire and Durer back to their castle.
I failed:
First flight roll
Second flight roll (half an hour later)
Turning into an eagle
Then I succeeded in developing a clairvoyance that got me to see the field I landed in originally but not yet found Loguire's.
I then searched my memory for when I mind melded with Durer trying to remember any locations near the castle to teleport to. I got an image of a waterfall which I felt was connected to the castle in some way.
I teleported in, rolled 97, botched, teleported into a solid. Splat.
Character sheet changes that occurred at Ubercon:
Attributes:
1@8 Charisma
1@5 Stamina
2@1 Resistance
1@10 Flexibility (bumped up after I put my foot in my mouth, something I didn't know I could do.)
1@9 Agility
Bias Levels:
14@7 Psi
8@4 Bod
BRA:
1@9 Bod
Skills:
Bod
1@1 Winged Flight 8@4
Psi
1@3 Eject P 2@9 (mark from ejecting councilor using possession of my own body.)
1@2 Posession (capture target body) P 1@10
1@3 Calm emotions other P 1@4
1@1 Suggestion P 1@4
1@1 Precog weather predict +10 SM P 12@4
1@1 Teleport to known place P 13@8
1@1 Turn into animals P 14@7
(turned into a hawk so far)
1@1 Clairvoyance P 3@6
Stage 3
World list:
Tropical Island
Nagaworld
Warlock in spite of himself
TerraNova(In now)
Moving onto next world: TerraNova
http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/michael-from-planet-dirt?replies=1#post-30483