[Genteven - Solo (Job)] Risk & Rewards: Stealing from a wealthy merchant - A mysterious patron in writing

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Gloomcrest
Posts: 271
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:52 am
Location: Genteven, The Northern Marches, Daravin
Character Sheet: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=2017
Character Secrets: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2022

Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:00 am

60th of Searing, 4622
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Standing in front of a brass-bound, wooden door that fits perfectly with the arch that tapers to a fine tip, the petty thief could help but ponder if it was a mistake to pursue further for information was worth it. However, it was too late to retreat as the temptation to find more information and possibly something to steal quelled his anxious thoughts.

With a keyhole present, the thief takes a moment to peek through the keyhole, seeking if there was anything of note. From Jared’s perspective, a faint light from what he could assume was either a fireplace or bundles of pillar candles were lit, no humanoid shadows seemed to loom on the walls, and there appeared to be another door opposite where the thief was standing at the moment.

“Seems like the coast is clear….”

Taking a moment to raise his hand over the door lever, the thief was hoping that it was left unlocked as it would make his life much more accessible, but sadly, luck was not on his side for this occasion as Jared met resistance against the lever.

“Of course, had to be locked but can’t blame them for doing so….”

Taking a moment to pull his tools out of his leather wristbands, the apprentice thief takes a moment to examine the lock. Tilting his head side to side as changing perspectives tends to assist in determining what design the lock is & possible faults that the rogue could leverage to crack the lock without causing a large amount of trace to be detected.

Inserting his torsion wretch and the Bogota rake, Jared begins to fiddle around with the lock, which produces a faint, raddling sound as he jiggles his rake pick back and forward. Then, multiple pins start nudging themselves into the open position & set in place by applying fair amounts of pressure to his torsion wretch.

After his brief work on picking the lock, the amber-eyed thief takes a moment to turn his wretch only to find that there is still resistance despite quickly picking the lock.

“Huh… A security pin; annoying but nothing I can’t handle….”

A locksmith would incorporate a series of alternative pins for specific lock designs when assembling the lock itself. In this case, a security pin is essentially a modified driver or essential plug that makes manipulating a lock more difficult, specifically to deter lockpicking attempts & other compromising tricks. Depending on the security pin design, the mechanism that prevents the pin-tumbler from smoothly moving the shear line can vary.

“Let’s get to it then….”

Jared hated security pins because it was a way to waste an intruder’s time, quickly switching his Bogota rake pick to a trusty short hook pick. Next, Jared began investigating which pin was causing resistance and troubleshooting whether it was caught in a place or the pin saw itself within the shear line.

"Huh, there seems to be a serrated pin… annoying to deal with, but careful manipulation will resolve the issue."

Taking a moment to lessen his pressure on his torsion wrench, the amber-eyed Nightfallen begins his work by leveraging the serrated pin by slowly nudging the hook up and listening for an audible click to indicate that a level has successfully nudged the pin.

It is typical for a serrated security pin to have three grooves, but the amount can vary. Each groove would be filed in such a way to interact with the shear line to get caught without the proper key, position & pressure applied to the torsion wrench and sets of the other pins within the pin-tumbler as well.

While working on bypassing the lock, minutes passed as other pins would reset and dislodge themselves from the chamber while troubleshooting the serrated pin. Even veteran lockpickers would have some issues as additional security methods such as warded locks & security pins are meant to increase the difficulty of attempting acts of theft in subtle ways.

"Come on, almost there…."

The thief could not help but stick his tongue out, briefly tasting his slightly damp face cloth from all the sweat it collected so far from tonight's illicit expedition.

With the last faint click being heard, Jared couldn't help but grim despite the additional time wasted on bypassing the lock. Quickly swapping back to his Bogota Rake, the apprentice thief begins to rapidly set the pins while maintaining the torsion, as dislodging the serrated pin would mean that all of his hard work would vanish blink of an eye.

Doing a quick check to see if all the pins have been set, the Nightfallen Thief twists his wrench in a clockwise motion; very little resistance is felt through the thief's hand. Left satisfied by his work, Jared makes his unwelcomed entrance to the second floor.

"Still got it, pain in the arse, though…."

Jared mutters lightly as his bright, honey-coloured gaze sifts through the room he just entered. Mostly, it seems like a residential quarter of sorts with a few couches with some drapes over the head, a large dining table & four chairs made of varnished maple. This kitchen is stocked with various items and a few bookcases with different leather-bound books and ornaments ranging from glass figurines to stacks of paper wrapped in a blazing red ribbon. A few windows are present, mainly rectangular, that could look out into one of the central streets in the upper district of Genteven.

Creeping around the room, Jared takes a moment to assess what is valuable information. His first order of business was to go through the bookshelf and stacks of papers; the first few books were mainly novels, but after going through one shelf. The next row of books mostly contained additional ledgers, contract details & operations for maintaining the business.

Jared had to take a few books since he couldn't carry an entire shelf's worth of books to report on, but something caught his eye. A ribbon binds the surface of the pile of papers that Jared saw. A name that is mentioned seems to be addressed to something or someone. Pulling the ribbon apart, the apprentice thief begins to read the letter's contents.

Dear Mr Salamon,

I hope that your business is running well. A lot of growth has occurred within the season of Searing from what the little sparrows have told me.

I expect to see my shipment of goods arrive in pristine conditions, for it is urgent for an event for a gala in the mid-season of Ash. The reagents are necessary for a stunning performance & your reputation as a supplier of various goods and wares has so far been elegant to meet my standards.

It is rare for me to contact someone when it comes to obtaining these ingredients, and I expect no less from a reputable merchant of your calibre to acquire these materials. If all is well, you will be paid handsomely & your reputation will soar beyond any other reputable merchants.

I will have a courier continue our letters of exchange for the time being; Do not disappoint me, for your status is on the line, and you would not like any of your strings to be snipped now…

Matron of Owls


The petty thief couldn’t help but tilt his head to the side for a moment before scratching the base of his chin in confusion & curiosity.

“Seems like someone is planning something… And who is this Matron of Owls, possibly someone in charge of an institution or criminal organisation here… Either way, digging deeper could have its benefits & consequences.”

The Nightfallen Mage continues rummaging through the large room and scours through every inch of the space. The last remaining section was the door opposite the staircase that reached back to the ground floor.

Creeping towards the door, Jared takes a moment to place his ear against the wooden surface. Then, hearing light snoring, the thief takes a moment to repurpose some of his umbralplasm that he recently used to open the false floorboards via density to spread over to the hinges of the door, acting as a sort lubricate in an attempt to silence the sounds as the potential creaking could wait for this so-called Mr Salamon.

Looking around the bedroom comprised mainly of a large bed currently being occupied by the owner of the establishment, a desk with various papers scattered about, a nightstand with a few pillar candles sitting on a brass dish and an ornate chest resting at the base of the bed.

Jared’s immediate attention was to snuff out the ambient light to maintain his Obscura’s integrity. Tip-toeing over to the nightstand, the thief quickly waves his hand over the flickering flame. The brief gust of wind generated from his hand motion quickly extinguishes the flame and what is left behind is some burnt candle wicks which emit a light trail of smoke that floats up to the ceiling.

With the only light in the room quashed, the thief turns his attention to the desk with various sheets of parchments scattered about, with little time left & in a high-risk situation of waking the store owner. Jared wasted no time in peering through every piece of parchment available & with every bit of additional information he could attain, the better his rewards would be; no matter how fortunate a person can be, luck sways, and so too does the thief’s fate quivers as his rummaging sets off the subsequent chain of events in the night.


word count: 1625
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Salen
Posts: 452
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:18 am
Location: Daravin
Character Sheet: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=1657
Plot Notes: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=1709&p=7409#p7409
Character Secrets: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1686

Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:20 pm

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Jared

Lores
Stealth: Extinguishing candlelights with subtle hand movements;
Stealth: Subtle Lockpicking;
Investigation: Listening to activities behind closed doors;
Investigation: Troubleshooting with difficult locks;
Larceny: Picking locks that have serrated security pins;
Larceny: Using short hook picks;

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points: 5

Comments:
Oh god, are they supplying drugs secretly? What are the ingredients! Oh god... Great thread, you're becoming a man of mystery!

word count: 76
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