Stam Truthfinder |
Stam listens intently to the mayor, turning around to look at the art and other such things in the room. While his back is to the mayor Stam utters a single word turning is vision from normal to magical, Stam scans the room to see if there are any magical listening devices present.
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
”It sounds like we can be mutually beneficial to each other here. So you believe the priests are hiding something and part of the disappearances, everyone is loyal church goers and you think the Sherriff is working with them?”
Sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
"You do know much more than you are letting on, I saw your shoulders sag a bit and your eye brows move when Darius mentioned Dagon. We will help you but you need to tell us more."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
so many 1s I have rolled
Foxy Quickpaw |
As for general motivation, you suspect it is not so much the people he is worried about, but personal profit as a side effect of that problem solved.
"Ah, to hell with it... you'll find out soon enough. The church is only devoted to Gozreh on the outside. It's a Dagon cult. You see why I suspect that they have something to do with it?"
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Then I assume the Effigy was traded to one of the Priests? Is the rider still here?
How deep do the roots of this cult run, are people new converts, or has this been going on for years? Because there is a difference on how we might approach this if we are dealing with magical control vs. what has been ingrained in people over the years.
Darius Redgrave |
"So they don't try recruit anyone from outside the town?" Darius says then holds his chin and with a furrowed brow he says "I really am starting to develop a strong distaste for cults."
Darius Redgrave |
"One last thing. Can you give us names of important members or who to look out for? Any high ranking members you might know of? dangers we might come into contact with besides the obvious ones?"
Spugnoir2 |
So that Undiomede house the rider went to, what do you know about them? Also that inventor that has been going out into the water with his boat, he mixed up with the cult?
Darius Redgrave |
"Maybe starting some of our investigations at that house would be a good start. Though I think we should do it tomorrow so that I can prepare some different spells just in case."
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Yes, starting to look at the ruin might be good.
I had planned on visiting the temple in the morning, just to offer my aid to any around town, Like I normally do when visiting a new place.
Would it make sense for me to continue to do that? It would introduce me to them, but I'm not a very good one for hiding the truth...
Darius Redgrave |
"It's decided then. Lets find a room and turn in and look at the temple first thing and then the house in the afternoon. I shall prepare accordingly. Also a paladin and cleric visiting the local temple early won't look out of place."
Brother Grergof Varsk |
No clearly sleep first, and the Mayor asked us not to go directly to the temple, so I don't think us going first thing would be a good idea.
We either need to make it seem like we are just canvasing the town for information, and happened to stumble in there, or have an alternate reason to make our first visit to the temple.
Foxy Quickpaw |
I guess there is just a 'in the morning' missing in Darius' post :D
As everything is talked about, and a Schedule of activities is agreed upon the mayor tells the group farewell. You go back under the leery eyes of the sheriff to the Bountiful Catch Inn and to your rooms. There is not too much left of the night, and it passes uneventful.
For breakfast, which is included in the price you are served fish sandwich.
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Do we want to split up? Mr. Spugnoir, you and Mr. Stam can go talk to the inventor, while Father Redgrave and I talk to others in town?
Then we meet up to explore the ruins of the house?
Spugnoir2 |
Splitting up to look for clues? What could possibly go wrong? He points to Varsk and Darius. You two are the people persons of our group, so Darius and I go to the inventor while Varsk and Stam go to town.
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Just to be clear, I'm back to my standard spell layout this morning, Fires of Entanglement, Litany of Righteousness, Divine Favor, Grace and Hero's Defiance. Also I am in my town clothing (chain shirt under clothing, only dagger and scimitar) just like last night.
Grergof and Stam walk over to the Temple and check to see if it is open.
Assuming the door is open Grergof pokes his head in and says:
Good Morning, is anyone here?
Darius Redgrave |
Changed up a bunch of spells for the next day, they're all in my alias profile. Darius is walking around with his sword and breastplate and clerical travelling clothing. Also Darius casts Purify food and drink on everything he eats here, that includes the breakfast they had earlier Darius does not trust the cool aid when there's a cult in town.
Darius and Spugs take a walk to chat to Croon.
Foxy Quickpaw |
Darius and Spugnoir find, that even though Croon is one of the curiosities of town, they didn't place signs pointing to his home.
Grergof and Stam visit the temple. They move through the open, colonnaded portico that faces the dark waters of Lake Encarthan. A stone statue of a mermaid with long, flowing green hair holding a trident and a conch shell stands in the middle of the portico, also looking out to sea. An open archway to the east leads inside.
Entering through an open archway you come into an antechamber. Two leaded stained-glass windows to the north and south display images of the same mermaid depicted by the statue outside. In this antechamber, eleven pairs of shoes stand at the wall. Two doors and an open archway lead further to the east.
There warped wooden pews stand within this central meeting hall, decorated with a decidedly nautical theme. A wooden statue of the same mermaid depicted elsewhere in the temple stands at the front of the hall, though she holds a strange octopoid creature in one hand rather than a conch shell.
In this room are four people in matching robes standing around the statue in worship. They turn as you enter and approach you "Visitors are not welcome in this temple. I must ask you to leave." one of them tells with a stern face.
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Religion: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
I'm sorry sir, we did not mean to interrupt your worship. I simply wanted to check to see if I could offer my assistance to the priest here. If you could relay a message to them, I would be happy to meet them at a later time of their convenience in the tavern.
Perception to see if I notice where the owners of the other shoes are: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Grergof pauses for a moment to see if he gets a response before backing out into the columned portico.
Stam Truthfinder |
"Gozreh is your god? Interesting that you pushed assistance away before listening to Brother Varsk." Stam says while inspecting items in the Antechamber.
Arcanist Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +14)
4th (4/day)— black tentacles , ice storm
3rd (5/day)— displacement, lightning bolt (DC 18), slow (DC 18)
2nd (5/day)— glitterdust (DC 17), hideous laughter (DC 17), summon monster II , web (DC 17)
1st (6/day)— detect charm , hypnotism (DC 16), mage armor , magic missile , protection from evil
0 (at will)— acid splash , arcane mark , detect magic , disrupt undead , light, mage hand , prestidigitation,
read magic
Spugnoir2 |
Long Day
Spugnoir mixes up his mutagen and leaves several of his extract slots empty for emergencies and heads out with Darius.
Hmm..Heloo! Pardon me. Spugnir waves to a townsperson. Do you know the way to Croon's abode?
Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 20
Foxy Quickpaw |
The towns person mumbles something and points in direction of a house at the northern end or town. You're not sure which one, but as you approach it becomes clear from all the clutter around and the hammering inside. As Croon sees you he just says "Ah, you again." but continues with his work.
Darius Redgrave |
Darius walks up to Croon and as he does so he greets the inventor. "yes yes, us again I'm afraid. Seem's like we will be in town for a day or two and we thought we'd check in and see how you are faring sir."
Foxy Quickpaw |
"Yeah sure, I'm fine. I need some improvements on my submersible. It took some damage, and I think it's not airtight anymore. So I need to rebuild this autonimic metal combination and I have to completely resynchronize the primary and auxiliary autosequencers, or the resulting output decay will cause a catastrophic thoron dump... you know, can't have that while inside, ..." Croon tells without stopping what he does, shortly looking up at the last sentence. He then goes on with the repairing and the technobabble without taking a breath.
Darius Redgrave |
Darius leans in 'This i quite a contraption you have here. Soooo... i mean I know it's to travel under water, but why would you want to do that? Looking for anything in particular?"
Darius pauses then continues. "Also we have a couple of questions about the town."
Foxy Quickpaw |
"There is some evil force at work. I believe it's that monster, the watcher in the bay, and I'm going to find it! But first the counter pressure stabilizing duktator has to match the input of the water/air independencies sensors before I can dare to use it again." and he keeps on telling about technicalities on and on.
Brother Grergof Varsk |
Yes, I guess... Maybe the owner of the general store will know who in town needs help...
Grergof gives a last look at the the group then backs out to the outer area.
He nods in the direction of the store and moves in that direction to get out of earshot of the temple.
We need to find a quiet place to talk he whispers to Stam as they walk away.