DMRaven's The Long Vigil (Inactive)

Game Master DMRaven

The warriors of Vigil have been a beacon for good since the Shining Crusade. Standing against the orc hordes of Belkzen, undead swarms from Gallowspire and the demonic armies of the Worldwound, they are never short of threats to face and always in need of bodies for the fray. The elite Knights of Ozem look for only the most promising of Lastwall's recruits to take into their halls. Do you have what it takes?


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Finding Josica:

Finding the urchin won't be easy. It will require downtime actions and searching through the city using various skills--talking to different individuals and tracking him down.

Grimold

The man scowls a bit, shaking his head. "There is much written that is not spoken..and much spoken that is not written. Lastwall may have tales from Mendev, Taldor and Ustalav. But what of far away Cheliax? What of adventures among the Shackles or of venturing into the heart of the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse? These are things few sailors of Lake Encarthan would know."

He takes the list and then looks up surprised. "A scrub? Hmn..Yes, I keep extra stores of theses books." He turns, pulling out book copies from various stacks. One from underneath what looks like the remnants of last night's meal.

"That'll be one gold and five silver for the lot." He frowns, brushing a smudge of grease off of one book. "One gold and four silver."


Eilidh & The Courtyard

The woman turns and her intense look of concentration melts away, leaving a cheerfully smiling face. She doesn't take Allie's hand, but performs a short bow instead. "Eilidh Tilernos, Cohort One. Daughter of the famed Manon..yes, I know who you are, girl."

She steps to the side and offers the bow to Allie. "Crossbows are great in ranks of the unskilled. They can inflict amazing damage on an armored charge, being much easier to shove a bolt into the vitals of a charging horseman or infantry. But they reload slowly and lack the finesse of a longbow."

If Allie takes the bow, she pushes a foot against the girl's, moving them so her left side is facing the targets. She then takes off the single leather glove she's wearing and hands it over as well. The glove is peculiar, having only three fingers covered and a bit of horn covering the thumb. The bottom two fingers of the hand being free and uncovered. She guides Allie's hand to the string, gripping it in an awkward three-finger manner with the string resting against the inside of the thumb.

"But a bow...with its many variations, provides longer range and faster firing."


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Eilidh takes the bow awkwardly, finding herself pushed and prodded into an unfamiliar firing stance by the elven woman. Pulling the glove on, she flexes her hand to see what range of motion it provides and wriggles her free fingers questioningly. "I...I know, b-but at the c-castle Mother w-was always trying t-to t-teach me to be a knight. I n-never got the ch-chance to use a p-proper bow, b-but I started getting b-better at reloading my c-crossbow." Her stance is somewhat awkward, and it's clear she's never really used a longbow, but she's willing to give it a try.


Eilidh & the Courtyard

"A proper knight, tch."

The woman grins, throwing her pony tail over one shoulder and pointing to the nearest target. "Let me see what you can do. Manon never appreciated the finer things in the Knights. All swords and horses and military tactics. No calligraphy or archery or the arts of negotiation."

"And yes, we do teach a class on archery. Among other things. I don't disparage any weapon that comes into my hand that keeps me away from an opponent for as long as possible."


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Comell must be very worried about losing his research to have acted so out of character for him. Either that or he uncovered something bad in his research. Most likely, both were true. "Yes, a treatise on Bloodstones or something like that. I hate to admit that anything beyond the basic premise was beyond the few seconds I looked at the title page. I was going to ask you about it in the future, but there was work to do and I was focused on preparing for the challenges this coming Fireday."

He waved his hand in front of his face like he smelled something bad. "But that's not terribly important. When did it go missing?"


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Poor Eilidh. Already invested feats into crossbowing. Do you allow for retraining? If not, this'll be difficult.

Pulling the bow back to her ear, Eilidh allows the elf to reposition her until she's in roughly the right stance to loose. She waits a moment, struggling to aim down the shaft, and mutters to herself. "Much easier with a crossbow...Arrow's in the wrong place for this and everything." After a few more seconds, she lets the arrow fly.

Bow Attack (nonproficient): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 4 = 19


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

I'm not the GM, but Raven's told me that retraining is cool. Also, did you choose to be nonproficient because of fluff reasons? You get longbow proficiency as an inquisitor. Either way, you've totally got beginner's luck. Must be the Tilernos Touch :D

Grimold gulps, slightly taken aback at the price of the books. There was a reason his parents never had many around the house. Still, he needed them, and that's probably what the money had been for.

Grimold retrieves his money pouch from the inside of his shirt and fishes out two gold pieces. While the man makes change, he leans against the counter nonchalantly and asks, "So what other kinds of stories have you got then?" He was still skeptical, but the prospect of completely new stories was too enticing to ignore completely.


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Huh, wow. Eilidh is my third inquisitor, and I just assumed they didn't have longbow/shortbow because my mental image was of crossbow users. Whoops...


Day 15
Characters: Daen

He blanches a little at the title, glancing around, then nods. ”So it was here when you left..I discovered it missing shortly thereafter, thus the assumption you may have taken it. My apologies, dear boy. But this is something integral to the Bonewatch and a serious breach in security.”

He wipes a hand over his face and waves to the office, which looks to have been ransacked—likely in Comell's search for the object. ”Today, if you will simply help me put the room back together, it will count toward your pay.”

The room is a mess with books moves aside, papers spilled over the floors and drawers hanging open. By the time the dinner bell tolls, it has some semblance of order returned. Comell apologizes again before Daen leaves, shaking his head

Int check DC 10:

It may be possible to find more information on the item in the Bonewatch's library, if Daen was interested.

Characters: Eilidh

Yes, the re-training rules are in full effect. If you wanted to use crossbows, you can stick to it, it's up to you.

The Knight nods as the arrow flies forth and strikes the target within the yellow. ”Wrong place, ano?” She lets out a small snicker. ”That is the draw used in Jinin, taught by Minkai. There are others, and I would be happy to teach them to you.”

She holds a hand out for the glove and bow, smiling. Her accent is peculiar and difficult to place. ”I teach archery, as you suspected. Archery...crossbows too. Occasionally I bring in something unique—bolas or atatl..it is good to be ready for nearly anything. Once, I was stuck in The Mwangi Expanse and had nothing but local weaponry available to use.”

Characters: Grimold

The elderly scribe looks surprised, then pleased at the request. He practically bounces on his heels at the prospect of more sales. ”We have m any! Many many. Earthly Knights and Chivalrous Tales is a popular one, written by Venerio lo Grato of Brevoy, famed for his talent with singing and writing alike. He served the fifth king of the nation as a personal bard. Or how about The Cloud Castle of the Storm King? By Osoro Jimena of Cheliax?”


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Int Check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Being that his employer was terribly interested in just cleaning up to suit his own tastes and was pretty distraught over the loss of his book, Daen decided to stick around a little longer and make things a bit more organized. He also told him he could go a bit earlier than normal, so he had a little bit of time on his hands before the meeting tonight. It seemed that maybe he could figure out a bit more about the item if he checked the library, both Comell's personal library and the one in the bonewatch. The trouble was whether or not he could get the requisite information together to do anything about it.

Forgetting dinner, he really considered bringing some other people into the information he'd gotten, but he realized he really didn't have much. He begun asking about to see who else might have been in the area after he'd last seen the research.

Diplomacy, Info Gather: 1d20 ⇒ 16

After that, he spent his remaining time before nine bells looking through the library for any additional information concerning the topic. If he knew what these things were, it really couldn't hurt. Besides, if the cream of Cohort one were made aware, it's possible that someone might know something, and he didn't want to appear ignorant.


Everyone other than Grimold :P:

Bonewatch Training

You've already experienced the typical schedule of Bonewatch training. Each week has lessons on religion, magic, history and combat while ending the week with combat challenges. You also know that each cohort earns points for classwork and other mysterious things.

There are rumours about what these points mean. Many say that one cohort will get dropped--that with the lowest number of points. Others say that a great prize awaits the winning cohort--money and honor both. The scrubs are not a hundred percent certain and the Knights, their parents and the squires (older trainees) will not say.

Each month, two scrubs are dropped from each cohort--the bottom two ranked. However, you also know there is a last chance to gain ranking at the end of the month. A unique Trial separate from the Challenges.

Trials vary by cohort, by month and by year. No two trials are ever the same. It is known that occasionally, rarely, scrubs die during a trial. They are brutal and require using all of your skills. Combat. Survival. Athleticism. Knowledge. You are currently on week three and your first Trial will be at the end of the month...


Day 15
Characters: Daen

Daen's instincts to ask around about who was in the area were spot on. It was the Crusader War College and most of the names he hears are unfamiliar to him. Crusaders learning their trade to work with Lastwall or Mendev, a few servants cleaning or carrying messages and..oddly enough, one other scrub--Theodric Prentice. No one is sure who he was meeting, although he didn't seem to like being recognized by one of the crusaders there.

The time Daen has to spend at the library doesn't seem to be sufficient enough to find much information. There are hundreds--thousands of books located within. Queries to the librarians who organize it about the Bloodstones either yield white faces and quick shakes of the head or puzzled glances. No one seems to want to discuss them. It will likely require several hours of perusal to find more information. A downtime action coupled with a Knowledge (Religion or Arcane) check with a +4 bonus for using the library.


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Knowledge (geography, untrained): 1d20 ⇒ 2

"The Mgwani...isn't...isn't that halfway around the w-world? W-what was a kn-knight doing th-there? Wh-when are the c-classes, and w-what was your n-name?" Eilidh looks at the bow in her hands uncertainly. Something about shooting it seemed right, but so much of the stance went against her crossbow training.

Ready for the secret meeting! Hope you've got something fun-ish for Grimold to do while we're there.


Day 15
Characters: Eilidh

"Yes, far far to the south in Garund. We followed a Nightwing there from Ustalav...it was starting a cult down there that had to be shut down. Anyway! As a Knight of Ozem be expected to go wherever we are needed. Most of us stay here in Lastwall, dealing with protecting the nation but we branch out as well."

Taking the bow from Eilidh's hand, the woman bows again. It's an odd, formal bow unlike those given to the nobility in nearby Brevoy or the formal military signs given before the Watcher-Lord in Lastwall. "Ser Sato Kurosawa of Jirin, at your service, Trainee Tilernos. You may find me here from time to time practicing or, if you wish to learn more about archery, I teach a lesson every Wealday. Come prepared." With that, she spins, twirling her bow in her hand and lashing it to her back.

However, the woman pauses at the entrance to the Bonewatch, looking over her shoulder. "I also teach a class on the finer arts--calligraphy and painting and such on Oathday..if you're interested, that is. I do not know how alike your mother you are."

Will get up a post about Jalen's meeting tomorrow.


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

Grimold wrinkles his nose in disgust at the mention of knight's tales, but his interest is piqued a little more by the second title. "The Cloud Castle of the Storm King, eh? How much for that?" He'd heard a lot of things about Cheliax, most of them bad, but it sounded like a place that would have interesting stories to tell.


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Come prepared? What could that mean? Eilidh spends a few minutes poking around the archery range, examining the bows in their boxed beneath the covered arch. I'll need a glove like that, a similar bow to what Ser Kurosawa used, and... She starts tallying the likely cost and quickly becomes upset, as it's more than she's got and much more than she's likely to make working at the Cathedral. Scowling, she waits a few minutes and walks through the Bonewatch's halls, heading toward dinner, and then the library.


Day 15
Characters: Grimold
Will continue scene at the Scriptorium in a few, but limited on time ATM.

At some point after dinner, Elyssa passes Grimold a slip of paper. It reads, in a masculine handwriting, Meet with me, Library tonight when the bells strike nine.

Day 15
Charact ers: Kassara, Eilidh, Daen, (Grimold?)

This late at night, the library has few people within--a pair of librarians shelving books and two members of cohort three studying in a corner.

The first to enter has to step over a rat that scurries out, a scrap of paper in its mouth while one of the librarians follows after it with a broom, cursing quietly.

Jalen lounges in a chair by the door, smiling at each person who enters. He shakes his head if asked any questions, refusing to speak. "Wait," is all he says when Austyn presses him.

Elyssa and Vorin enter quietly. The duelist seems to know what is going on, with a sly smile and a slow nod to Jalen. Elyssa just looks confused, but intrigued. She winks at Daen and playfully punches Kassara in the shoulder.

Rans is scowling, standing near Jalen's chair and staying near him when the other boy stands up. "This better be important. I have better things to do than skulk in libraries."

Likewise, Austyn doesn't seem pleased, growling something under his breath at Jalen.

Grimold:

If Rolando arrives, a single arched eyebrow is his welcome. Jalen actually looks surprised. However, he's a smart boy. His glance immediately goes to Eilidh then to Elyssa. He shrugs slightly and nods his head toward you, still quiet.

Eckart, surprisingly, does not show himself.

After most of the group has assembled, Jalen leads them up a winding staircase. The library is peculiar--it is definitely very, very large. In fact, it seems much larger than it should be. Outside, it only takes up two stories. But the staircase goes up at least three flights. Jalen takes a glow-orb from a wall hanging and leads them through rows of books to a room resembling a gazebo. A table lays within, with a small stack of books and parchment laid out before each seat. Pillars ring the area but when you step within, a quiet calm fills you.

Spellcraft DC 12:

The gazebo has a spell upon it that blocks sound from entering or leaving it.

He sits before the books and pulls out a quill and ink, nodding to the other seats. "I..was hoping the rest of you would talk with me for a bit. Somewhere private. We have a problem and I'd like to try ans solve it."


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Having been in the library for some time while starting to regret skipping dinner, Daen notices the rat running around with a scrap of paper in his mouth. Knowing the vermin were a fairly major problem around here, he took a stomp at the evil thing.

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The half elf approaches the librarian with a broom and asks her a quick question. "Is the rat problem here a big problem? I knew one scrub who was chasing them down. He seemed to be having a difficult time. Also, do they often carry scraps of paper?" He was investigating the disappearance of a large amount of paper recently, and he didn't want to leave any possibilities off of the table.

After his conversation with the librarian, he watched as everyone arrived. He gave nods of acknowledgement to everyone who paid attention to him, although he really didn't know what to do with the wink he got from Elyssa. Should he wink back? Try a charming smile? Mostly he was just a little flustered by it, and that seemed to suit her just fine, so perhaps that what she intended.

As they went up to the top of the library, he noticed the spacial distortion, knowing magic to likely be at the center of the issue, put on his detection spell and kept looking around.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

After hearing Jalen get the meeting started, Daen responded to him in kind. "It's good that this place masks our conversation. We have several problems about. To which are you referring?"

DMR:
Knowing these rats to be tough, if it survives that and he gets another chance, he'll chase it and attack again.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4


Daen reacts swiftly, stomping the rat hard and snapping its back. The creature dies instantly, fortunately enough. The library stops in her tracks, panting and nods to Daen.

"Thank you. Not usually, no, but I've seen a few around lately. I'm not sure what's changed. That one was caught chewing at a book. The little monsters were destroying precious texts!"

Paper scrap:

The piece of paper in the rat's mouth is none other than--a gnawed on piece of book text. The text reads: "..slain during the Shin.."

Elyssa looks very pleased with Daen's flustered reaction. She lets out a small laugh, shaking her head. At the table, she flops down and snatches a piece of parchment, folding her hands over it and resting her chin on them. She grumbles quietly, a sly smile on her face"Bets on the problem being that you beat him.."

Jalen ignores her, his gaze turning to the magus. "Several individual problems, maybe, but one that affects our entire cohort."

He reaches into a bag and pulls out a textbook from Magister Dazen's class. Opening the book, he shows the pages are slashed and scored in many places with a crude drawing on the inside flap.

"I understand this isn't the first time something has been sabotaged or gone missing in the dormitory. I'm tired of it and I hope the rest of you are too."

Rans scoffs and stands up, shaking his head. "This is nonsense. What do I care if a few of your belongings get rifled with? Pay better attention, you idiots and take care of your own business. Your problems are not my problems." He turns to walk out, Jalen calling after him as he moves to the stairs.

"Rans! It's not--bah!" He scowls at the scrub, shaking his head before quickly turning to the rest of you. "Don't leave. I mean to say that we need a strategy to handle this to prevent it from happening to all of us. We should set up some security things..maybe make sure someone is in the dormitory at all times."


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Eilidh takes a seat, listening to what Jalen has to say. Once he's finished, she stands as well. "It's all w-well and g-good to say w-we should l-leave a guard at the r-room, but w-we all know wh-who's d-doing this. Leo and h-his friends w-won't j-just stop, and if th-they catch one of us alone in the d-dormit-tory, they'll just g-gang up on him, or her. I h-hate to s-say it, b-but I don't s-see a way to stop th-them."

Leo Surtova, universal boogeyman and general bad guy. Eilidh's a nice girl, maybe someone else could suggest offensive measures?


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

Grimold takes a look at the slip of paper, glancing back up at Elyssa. He suppresses the urge to roll his eyes, nodding instead. After debating it with himself for some time, he decides to attend, but conceals his dagger on his person in case his worst fears are realized.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Entering the library, he tenses as he arrives, pausing before pressing forward. He had practiced his neutral face on the way over; scowling at everyone in the room certainly wouldn't help him. When he catches Jalen's eye, the other boy looks surprised to see him. Maybe this isn't a trap. Just maybe... The look he shoots at the two girls give Grimold hope that Eilidh and Elyssa had been sincere in their gestures.

Grimold grows curious and uncomfortable as they ascend the stairs. He hadn't noticed how big it was on his earlier visit, having been too preoccupied with finding the right books. He'd heard about things like this in stories but had never experienced it himself. He had always expected these larger-on-the-inside spaces to have some tingly aura associated with them, but it seemed like another dusty old library. Strangely enough, it was the small room that actually felt magical.

Deciding to just pretend like he actually belongs, Grimold takes a seat close to the Tilernos sisters but as far as he can from Jalen. When he first hears the concern, he is inclined to join Rans, but stops to think about what might happen if his own possessions were attacked. Papa's violin... He half expects somebody to accuse him of the sabotage, but things take a turn for the interesting with the mention of this Leo character. So we really are being trained to attack each other here. He keeps his mouth shut for the time being, waiting to see what the others have to say before venturing to weigh in.


Female Human Swashbuckler 5 | AC: 20 [T: 16 FF: 15] | HP: 60/60 | F+3, R+8, W+1 | Init: +9 | Perc: +7 | Panache: 5/5)

Kassie exaggeratedly rubs her shoulder and pokes her tongue out at Elyssa in response to the punch, grinning conspiratorially at Daen's reaction and turing to add her own wink to his discomfort before taking Elyssa's arm and walking up the stairs, giggling. Taking her seat she glances over at Grimold, turning and raising her eyebrow questioningly at Allie. When Jalen presents his idea, and Aliie responds, Kassie pipes up... "I'm not so sure Al. I don't know that they'd find it all that easy to get into our room and,... well, maybe its someone from our cohort? Anyway. I'm not so sure about a guard. I'd prefer to find out who it is so that we can get 'em back... I think we need to set a trap. "


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

"A t-trap? I c-can just imagine h-how that ends. F-Fisk, for no reason and d-despite his n-never doing it b-before, d-decides to pay the d-dormitory a visit. S-suddenly, a n-net falls on him. W-we all get shipped off to p-prison. B-besides it's L-Leo and Septima, I know it!"


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Daen pockets the scrap, asking the librarian which books have been destroyed lately. Perhaps this has nothing to do with the theft of Comell's research, but it never hurts to be a little inquisitive. All of the information he could get would be useful in the long run.

Daen is a bit more disconcerted with all this winking going on. It's like they know a secret or something that he didn't know. He had heard from his family on occasion that ladies were attracted to men who demonstrated power. With his new position, perhaps it might be what is going on. It kind of made him want to lose on purpose if being on top was this uncomfortable. Alyssa's comment made him more reasonably sure that was the case. He'd never really considered the idea that girls would be attracted to a half-breed, so perhaps they just wanted to make him uncomfortable so they could defeat him more easily, some kind of emotional warfare. He'd ask Vorin, but he seemed as befuddled concerning girls as he was, so that was probably a wrong move.

Turning to the issue at hand, Daen spoke up. "Catching the culprit would be the best move. If someone gets caught doing that, it will be bad for them, and if it's of another cohort, they'll lose points. Barring that, I'd recommend purchasing a lock. That would be useful in slowing them down."


Jalen shakes his head, frowning a little. "Don't be so quick to judgement, Eilidh. I'm sure they have at least some part in it..Leo Surtova doesn't seem to like his cousin much."

He looks to Daen and shrugs. "But I doubt he has enough time to consistently waste on the rest of us while tormenting you, Daen. I'd heard about how him and his friends cornered you near the basement stairs..that was cheap."

Before he can continue, Vorin blurts out. "But that can't be all. Sittas' father in cohort three is friends with my father but we don't get along at all. He seems intent on causing me mischief.." Vorin pauses, looking sheepish before mumbling. "..which I may have started."

Jalen sighs and shakes his head at the other boy. "A lock is one idea. Does anyone know a locksmith? A lock and twenty keys won't be cheap. Perhaps if everyone pitches in some money?"

Austyn starts chuckling at that, pounding a hand on the table. "Locks? Sabotage? Gold? Do you hear yourselves? What are you, Jalen, our f&~%ing keeper? Rans is right. Keep an eye on your own stuff and you won't have any problems. I found my chest disturbed a few days back and I hunted down who did it and walloped them good. They won't mess with me again."

The alchemist lets out a growl and rolls her eyes. Elyssa doesn't look pleased with Austyn. "You sound like an idiot. If you hit them, they'll just find a better way to get back at you. Or show up with friends like Leo did to Daen. Everyone here is a bully in some way--but we're all fighters and warriors and other things besides. Jalen's right--in a way. All this is a test. We're not here to fight each other, but we are here to deal with the unexpected. What happens when a damn ghoul pack ambushes one of your team while they're alone? What happens when a ghost starts misplacing your weapon or armor? Or a shadow or demon creeps among your belongings and steals important intelligence? Or someone assassinates a weaker member of your team--or a valuable non-combat asset? Think!"


Vorin nods his head at Elyssa's outburst as Austyn sits down in a huff. He doesn't leave--yet. "Kassie's right. Of course, it could be our own cohort as well. Perhaps an arrangement--let's agree not to sabotage one another? I'm not sure why you only asked us here, Jalen."

The older boy twists his hands around. "..we're the ones most likely to make it, aren't we?" he asks quietly.


Female Human Swashbuckler 5 | AC: 20 [T: 16 FF: 15] | HP: 60/60 | F+3, R+8, W+1 | Init: +9 | Perc: +7 | Panache: 5/5)

"Well I guess that's true," Kassie replies to Jalen, "but I don't think it means that we can necessarily discount anyone here either. In any case, I think we should let the others know too. I can't see how we can do anything without their help anyway, and having private meetings can only make them feel more excluded and threatened and, yes, Jalen is right. Everything here is a test - and I think the biggest one is seeing how we act as a team. Nevertheless, in the end the simple fact is that it could be any of us doing this,.... Well except one." She nods over at Grimold "We know for certain that it wasn't him, he wasn't even here when anything happened."


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

Grimold blushes a little at the sudden attention. He never thought he'd be the only one suspected of not being the culprit. "It... it doesn't make sense to target each other. If classes only matter for the whole cohort, you don't gain anything by hurting somebody else in the same cohort." He looks at Austyn and asks, "How did you find out who disturbed your things?"


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

I d-don't think we c-can assume we'll all make it on t-two weeks of fighting. B-besides, the others are g-going to get caught up in th-this whether or not we t-tell them, and if w-we do t-tell them, maybe w-we'll scare one of them into s-stopping if they're d-doing it.

As for the l-lock, d-do we have that r-right? The t-trainers may not w-want us l-locking our s-stuff, even if we c-can afford it. If w-we're going to t-try to set a trap, it n-needs to be more of an ambush, I th-think." Eilidh looks down the table at the others. "Is th-there a day this has happened more often th-than others?"


Jalen nods his head at Kassie, frowning at Grimold. ”...You're right. He couldn't have. My notes don't suspect many of our cohort for doing anything that's occurred thus far. Possibly Theodric...maybe Rans. I hoped we could come to an agreement and present it to the rest of the cohort.”

Austyn grunts at Grimold, grinning grimly. ”By asking 'round. Someone mentioned they'd seen what was taken--my uncle's dagger. Could tell by the scabbard. It was some scrawny scrub, don't even remember which cohort. He said he didn't mean anything about it, that it was something one of the others had asked him to. Never found out who though. Don't really care. Got my stuff back.”

Eilidh's statement gets a laugh from Elyssa. ”Screw them if they want to complain about us locking things. We can give a key to Fisk and tell him to stuff it if that's what we decide to do.”

Cutting into Elyssa's statement, Jalen interrupts. ”I've only noticed it happening a few times, Eilidh, and never in any kind of pattern—no specific individuals stand out. I don't think it's a single culprit, Daen. Then again..if you all want to ambush and trap every scrub that tries something against our cohort—that's an idea too. Perhaps we'd be seen as the cohort to leave alone, protecting our own. That's kind of what I was thinking of anyway with the sentry duty part..”


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Daen pulled out a sheet of paper and began scribbling notes. He actually spoke up while he was still writing without looking up. "In order to do defensive measures, we'd need to have at least one team of two to be in the dorms when no one else is there. Since we can't speak for the trustworthiness of everyone in the cohort, two is a minimum. As we have only eight here, it would require most of us to spend two days within the dorms. We could attempt to gain the aid of those lower down on the list, but as we might not get all of us to agree to such a plan,

Since many of us have outside jobs and obligations, it may be difficult to make that happen. Also weekends would be troublesome as well, due to the more significant amount of time involved. If we take this route, it would give us an opportunity to spend more time studying for classes, which may prove to be very valuable for those who are making bad scores on a regular basis. We also could do some combat training in our living area, but it really isn't a good area for that. We'd be best in having people use that time for studying for classes."

He dipped his quill and kept on talking. "If we can't commit to such a schedule, then Austyn's method would be the most reliable. If we made and established contacts with the workers as well as people in other cohorts, we might be able to get information quickly and respond quickly as well which should serve as a good deterrent. It would require a less time invested, but it's also slightly unreliable if we fail at gathering the information we might need."

"As for the lock idea, I'm planning to get one specifically for my things, and I'd recommend the same for everyone here. Sometimes all one needs to do to thwart a thief is to remove opportunity or to make it difficult. If we had one lock with 20 keys, not only would that be fairly expensive, but very easy to circumvent with just one careless person or turncoat among us."

He produced his paper for everyone to see, as he had a chart written on it with lines for signatures and scheduled times, his own signature on the first line. "If we can each commit to guard duty for one day over the next four days, perhaps we can either catch someone attempting sabotage or at least get out the rumors that we never leave our things unattended which might give us the armor of reputation. If we want to keep it up for a week, we can have six of us do it twice, with two who do it once with a promise to assist in tracking down offenders should they penetrate our defense. If you can convince someone else to keep watch with you who isn't present during this meeting, that would count for two guard duties and fill your obligation for the week."

He looked seriously at each of those gathered there. He had gotten more wordy than he expected when he began, and was sincerely hoping that he hadn't put anyone to sleep. "We are preparing for war. It's probably time we started acting like a unit. If we're divided, we'll just be easy pickings for anyone here, or out on the front. Our plans will only work if we're all in."

Diplomacy- Reasonable Request?: 1d20 ⇒ 16

We don't need to actually put together a chart, if everyone's on board, we can as players just pick our days we'll be hanging out at the dorms and roll randomly for everyone else. If someone wants to put it together, be my guest, I just don't think it's necessary. Since Daen took point on this one, I'm guessing some Aid Anothers might be useful to get everyone on board. At least I rolled well. But we'll probably need at least two people to help Daen to convince Austyn to help.


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

Eilidh looks at Daen's paper. "Ehrm, I c-could sign up f-for tomorrow, b-but I have s-special c-classes Wealday and Oathday, s-so..." Taking the paper, she signs it, her signature shaky. "If I h-had to, I c-could skip the Oathday c-class, I s-suppose."

"I th-think this might b-be the best plan we're g-going to get. Locks aren't ch-cheap, and w-we don't have m-much money available. I'm in, and I th-think you all sh-should be t-too."

Aid Diplomancy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12


Daen's speech causes a grin to spread over Jalen's face. ”Agreed, you said that better than I did, Daen. It shouldn't be hard to recruit most of the others to help. Kassara seems to have some pull with Cilys and Adir. Ardis will listen to Eilidh. Vorin, Bryson looks up to you so you could ask him. Aiden and Lond spend a lot of time with you, Austyn. I can probably convince Rans...frankly, Kathleen and Gideon may not b e with us much longer. Theodric will be hard to convince, he's a loner. ..and a little creepy. I wouldn't doubt it if he's messed with his own cohort. Eckart too, honestly.”
Assist: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Vorin, seated beside Daen, leans over to glance at his notes, nodding his head. ”All of that sounds good to me. We can show the other cohorts that we aren't to be messed with.”
Assist: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19

”...speaking of that..” Elyssa raises her hand up. ”All these ideas sound great to preventing trouble..but what about individual troubles?” She looks at Daen pointedly. ”We should get Leo back.”

Austyn leans back and folds his arms, frowning. ”I..guess I'll help.”


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

"N-no, we shouldn't." Eilidh looks at Elyssa, the hint of a scowl on her face. Her face turns a little red. "I m-mean...I mean, yes, s-someday w-we can, b-but for n-now, let's w-worry about k-keeping our th-things s-safe. O-once we've d-done that, if he's s-still a p-problem, we'll d-deal with him."


Female Human Swashbuckler 5 | AC: 20 [T: 16 FF: 15] | HP: 60/60 | F+3, R+8, W+1 | Init: +9 | Perc: +7 | Panache: 5/5)

"I agree with Al," Kassie glances around at the others, "We've all got extra classes we go to, and some have jobs. I think we've got enough to do for the moment without worrying too much about Leo as well. With any luck the thumping we gave him last time will keep him from doing anything too stupid. Maybe though, as well as agreeing to act as guards for the room, we should all agree to look after each other if anyone gets targeted?" she pauses for a moment in thought,.. "If we always had two people on guard, maybe they should help each other study too? After-all, the points we get from classes help everyone, so we would all benefit. I want to keep going to Duelling classes,.. they're on Toildays and Sundays, but I'd be happy to do any other day.... Except I can't do tomorrow, I need to see the guards. I don't know whether Al's already told you, but those men we took to prison," she glances at Grimold, "they're dead,.. somehow someone, or something, killed them, and the inspector, his name was Silverius, well he didn't seem concerned, so I'm trying to find out what happened."


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

As much as he hates Jalen, this plan seems like it will keep Grimold from getting framed and tossed out, and he had promised to cooperate with the Tilernos sisters. More importantly, he can't afford a lock, and he definitely can't afford to let his violin come to harm. He doesn't have much else to add, but he nods his assent.

He's taken by surprise as Kassie brazenly discusses the mysterious murder of his fellows. Not knowing how to respond, he lowers his gaze to the table and mumbles something unintelligible. So much for keeping a low profile.

Kassie:
After the meeting, Grimold catches Kassie in the halls. He walks alongside her, touching her lightly on the arm to get her attention. "Why do you care about what happened to those men?" He keeps his voice low and faces forward as they walk, talking out of the side of his mouth.


Sense Motive DC 10:

At the mention of the inspector's name, Elyssa looks up and scowls.

Elyssa rolls her eyes at Eilidh and slumps into her chair. "Fine, fine." She lets out a sigh and shakes her head.

Jalen grins, nodding his head to Daen. "Brilliant. We have a plan then. I can't say I'm particularly concerned about your cousin though." He looks to Kassie. "I don't mind stepping in to protect anyone. And from what I hear, many of you have already done that. Those men...are you sure? Who killed them? Why would someone want to murder a pair of thi--" He cuts off and glances at Grimold. "two people already in a prison?"

As the topic changes, Austyn stands up and pushes his chair in. "I'll help guard..seems like a good idea. I don't care much about the rest of that though." He turns and leaves the gazebo.

How this will play out using the current rules in play: No schedule necessary, simply each PC required to spend 1 downtime day in the dorm room "studying" or some other activity. If they successfully convince one other NPC to guard with them (only NPC's with a Friendly or Helpful attitude will work) they may also make a free check to improve their attitude by one step (useful for making friendly NPC's helpful).


I forgot to add that the Study or Assist another in studying downtime can also be completed at the same time as the above.


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

Grimold glances up sharply at Jalen before catching himself, toning his glare down to a glower. Why don't you tell us, since you're the expert here. He pushes his chair a couple inches back from the table, crossing his arms.


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

"I don't think we need to get Leo back at this time. Not only did we soundly beat him for trying to ambush me, but Cohort two received all of the blame for the incident. He was cowed enough to not even speak to me the last time I saw him." He didn't add what he thought which was that if they did single him out and go after him, it wasn't only likely that Leo himself might increase his persecution in a more deadly vein, but the Surtovans might send assassins to kill him and anyone complicit in any such plot. He'd seen it before, and it didn't matter that they were full blooded relatives as well.

Daen was also interested in the fact that the men in prison died and wondered about the circumstances. Perhaps there was a bit going on with that. Austyn left, but it seemed like things were winding down a little and the half-elf stuck around to ask Jalen his suspicions considering Theoderic.


Vorin leans back, looking thoughtful but not engaging in the conversation at this point. Elyssa, however, chooses to speak up again.

"Why are you trying to find out what happened, Kassara? Are those the men you fought off during that robbery the night we went out? ..I miss all the adventure."


Jalen shakes his head at Elyssa as Austyn gets up and leaves. "Maybe now isn't the time..perhaps another day. Making the decision to act together, to work as a group and show the other cohorts that we are not twenty disparate individuals but part of a team is something that is important enough, I believe."

He stands up as well, packing away a few notes he'd made. "I'm glad to hear about that, Daen. I agree with you...I don't think petty revenge is a worthy goal. Good luck on your studies."

Day 16 - Toilday

After Fisk has put you through practice yet again, mercifully shorter than Moonday, the cohort moves on to their lessons with Professor Comell.

He looks flustered today, his wrinkles more noticeable and his limp pronounced. His cane comes down like thunder as he paces incessantly, pacing before the classroom and gesturing with his cane to notes on the board. The board lists pages from Delbrook's History of War detailing the first crusade that led to Lastwall becoming a nation. The sections focus on the weaponry used and the old-fashioned, less sturdy, forms of plate armor that were common among the Knights at that time.

Eilidh
After class, Ardis volunteers to help you study for Comell's class next week. Eilidh gains a +4 competence bonus on her next check for Comell's class. Receiving help does not use a downtime.


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

"Revenge is costly and has little return. Pursuing it is unprofitable..." The half elf was ready to start waxing philosophical, but it seemed that people were getting up to leave. Perhaps philosophy was a subject of disdain around these parts. It didn't matter. It was important to Daen to be a good thinker, and he'd maintain his psycological discipline. But he needed to do it when he didn't have pressing matters.

Daen followed Jalen after the meeting, catching up to him in the hallway. "Jalen. I need to talk to you concerning something. Do you have a moment? I need to speak to you concerning Theodric. I've found that he might be wandering about where he isn't supposed to be. What do you know of him besides his unfriendly nature?"


Female Human Swashbuckler 5 | AC: 20 [T: 16 FF: 15] | HP: 60/60 | F+3, R+8, W+1 | Init: +9 | Perc: +7 | Panache: 5/5)

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

Vorin leans back, looking thoughtful but not engaging in the conversation at this point. Elyssa, however, chooses to speak up again.

"Why are you trying to find out what happened, Kassara? Are those the men you fought off during that robbery the night we went out? ..I miss all the adventure."

Kassie leans back and turns to face Vorin. "I,... we're trying to find out because,.. well, we're kind of responsible. I mean,.. well, I know that they were attacking that man." she turns to Gimold,.. "you were. You can't deny it, but still, no-one deserves to die. Not like that. And, anyway, I don't think that someone being able to kill prisoners in Vigil's prisons with impunity is something that should be able to happen. I mean, if they can do that, what else could they do? Could they open the gates if we're attacked? Poison the water? Who knows? Someone has to find out what happened, and if no-one else will, then its up to me, to us!"

I think that kind of answers Grimold's question (which happens later) as well?"


Daen

He pauses, his eyes widening slightly and he taps the side of his leg. "Wandering around where? He keeps to himself but..I get a weird vibe off of him. I don't know, he seems like the kind to do something sneaky. I don't know anything about him though. He acts and dresses like a noble a lot of the time, but I've never heard of his family name and he wasn't allowed to pick a number like the rest of the nobles or Knight families."

Kassara & the Gazebo

Elyssa lets out a small laugh and leans over the table, nodding enthusiastically. "Oh, definitely! No one should be murdered without someone looking into it! It's just unjust, and we're the Inheritor's avatars! We have to do the best we can by city, nation and people."

She steeples her fingers, shifting in her chair. After a moment or two, she pushes it back and gets up, pacing restlessly as she starts to talk. "The prisons are usually well-guarded. I'd like to hear what you found out so far, and would be willing to help."

Elyssa's pacing while thinking reminds the two Tilernos of their encounter with the Inspector.

Vorin takes this moment to finally pitch in, as one of the few left in the room. "It does sound like a problem..but isn't that someone else's prerogative?"


NG Female Human Inquisitor 5 | HP 45/45 | AC 18, T 14, FF 14 | F 6, R 6, W 7 | Init +6 | Per +10

The Gazebo: It sounds like I'm there, so I'm there!

Eilidh takes a look at Vorin. "I know th-this knighthood th-thing is supposed t-to be about the b-bigger picture...the bigger picture, but If w-we p-protect these p-people from orcs and un...orcs and undead b-but they s-starve to d-death and d-die for no r-reason in their cells, th-then it s-seems to me we haven't h-helped them at all. Maybe we should l-look at the little picture as w-well as the big one."

Day 16:

Intelligence: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Eilidh is able to once again make it through the history class, remembering both the sections from the book and some of the old armor, which she'd seen around her mother's castle.

After, Eilidh gratefully accepts Ardis's help. "I'm s-sorry about a c-couple of days ago. I w-was d-dealing with...well, the new boy. His f-friends died in the p-prison. I was upset about th-that." She spends most of the studying time flirting awkwardly instead of studying like she should have, laying on his bed and grasping for his hand.

Diplomacy (Ardis): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8 It occurs to me that Eilidh may not be able to pass this diplomacy check no matter what she does. Is this true?


She's already made him Friendly, so the DC to make him helpful is only DC 10


M Half Elf
Stats:
Magus (Kensai) 3 Init +4, perception +8 4/5/4, +7vs ench., 19/17/12, 7/15

Daen wrenched his lips to the side in a way that could be described as expressing disappointment. "Ah, so no evidence, just a feeling? That's less useful to me. I'm currently looking into a crime committed a couple days ago. He's a suspect, or really the only one in the area at the time that I recognized. It still isn't much of anything to go on, and I was hoping to have more to report."

With that he turned to leave, but he stopped and turned back to the Jalen. "Thank you for calling the meeting. I believe it will do all of us good. I have taken note of your initiative in this matter and will seek to emulate it in the future should I have opportunity." It was unlikely that Jalen would realize that Daen didn't hand out compliments like that very often, but the half elf didn't want to have such a thing weighing on him to go unsaid. Now he could clear his mind concerning the former number one and proceed from here.

He still had much to do. He did turn at this point and headed back to take note of the book or books that the rats destroyed, and planned to come back the next day to see if there were any connection to the missing book from Comell's office.

----------------------------------------------

Day 16

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Daen breezed through Comell's class although he was distracted. It was something to which he was well suited, so it required little effort. His study time during guard duty would likely not be in preparation for this particular class.

When class was done, he was a bit conflicted. As it was Toilday, his first inclinatino was to go to his swording class. But unfortunately, the issue with the missing book took precedence. The tough thing was that Leo usually attended the Sunday class, and he was hoping to avoid him altogether. Perhaps he'd be able to do that next week.

So off to the library to do that research. He spent a goodly amount of time there and nearly missed dinner. The previous night had cured him of desiring to do that as the training seemed to go well when he had adequate fuel to burn. Coming back to the library refreshed, he spent his time there until well past dark until he found the answers he sought.

Research Roll: 1d20 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 4 = 31

Specifically looking for information concerning Comell's research project, but also hoping to find out if there's a connection to the rats and the books they destroyed.


Male Human Warlord 1 | Init: +3 (+1*) | HP 12/12 | AC 15 (17*); T 13 (15*); FF 14 | CMB +1; CMD 16 | Saves Fort: +3; Ref +3; Wil +0 (+2*) | Perc: +4 | Hero Points: 1

Yeah, that pretty much resolved the later bit, so retcon it out. I need to stop jumping ahead and learn to flextime properly.

The Gazebo
Grimold is caught off guard to hear anybody taking responsibility for what happened. He listens, curious and a little hopeful, but the way they talk leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. When Jalen leaves, he lets his guard down and gives the others a piece of his mind. "You knights and your quests. Is that all this is to you? You feel guilty, so you want to solve the mysterious murder for your atonement and wash your hands of it." He manages to keep an even tone, but his nostrils flare as he exhales through his nose in frustration. "It was wrong for Jorge and the others to be killed in their cells. But theirs were not the only deaths! Felipe's death demands justice as well! One of your own is a murderer. Maybe you should start with that instead of looking for a scapegoat for your guilt."

Grimold never got around to reading the note that was in the chest with the new equipment, did he? He can read that when he gets back to the dorms, if it's important.

Day 16

Intelligence: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Grimold does poorly on his first day of Comell's class; he is unfamiliar with Lastwall's history and the finer details of arms and armor elude him. Perhaps if the textbook were as interesting as The Cloud Castle of the Storm King he might be inclined to pay more attention, but what use knowing about warfare hundreds of years out-of-date?


Female Human Swashbuckler 5 | AC: 20 [T: 16 FF: 15] | HP: 60/60 | F+3, R+8, W+1 | Init: +9 | Perc: +7 | Panache: 5/5)

Still at the Gazebo

Noticing both Elyssa's response when she mentions the Inspectors' name, and the way the girl acts, Kassie smiles to herself and glances over at Allie, raising her eyebrow quizzically. When Grimold speaks up, however, she sits up straight and rounds on him. "I don't think anyone deserves to die without a proper trial," she begins, her voice rising as she continues,.. "but I also don't think that people deserve to be accosted by armed thugs when they're just walking around town! Your friend, Felipe?, his death was a mistake, but it was his own fault! Not ours! Your other friends were in the cities' protection, so I feel responsible for them. Felipe was attacking an unarmed man. an outnumbered unarmed man. Any harm that came to him was his own fault!" at this point she stands and approaches Grimold, poking him in the chest with her finger in time with her words. "My sister thinks everyone deserves a second chance. Not many others would, or do! You're lucky that you're not in prison, but don't try to pretend that your situation here is much, much better than you deserve!"

With that she turns and, motioning for Elyssa and Aliie to join her, walks away from the thief without a look backward.

Day 16

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

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