GM Rednal's Rise of the Runelords: AE (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Zelani nodded attentively along as the guard said his well-memorized speech. She looked around as she considered and listened to what the others said, before saying, "It is a very good set up, equality before the law is important...what would be the procedure in a situation when someone wants to contact him on matters not to do with the law or any legal case? As I said, we don't want to disrupt anything or be a bother. Maybe we could leave a letter with some of the information we've been sent to deliver and where we're staying and allow him to decide if and when to discuss it further?"

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

"Personal messages can be left with the clerks, who will read them and determine whether or not they are worth the Justice's time." the bored guard answered. "Please be advised that nothing submitted to the clerks is considered confidential."

Shalluk pulled his compatriots to one side. "We can either trust both these clerks and the justice with what we suspect," he murmured to the others, "Or we can see if we can track down one of there groups this evening."

Rixa sighed, "I think the right course of action is to go through the clerks. Shelyn wouldn't have pointed me in this direction if she didn't want us to pursue it."

"Thank you for your time" Zelani said to the bored guard with a cheery smile as Shalluk pulledthem away. Listening to Shalluk and Rixa, Zelani considered, looking around before she nodded in agreement. "If you think that's best. Do you want to write the letter? Maybe you'll get inspiration..." Zelani asked Rixa sincerely, though still unsure how much this would help.

You got the feeling that letters in general weren't going to be terribly fast - not fast enough to really help you figure out who (or what) was behind what had happened in Sandpoint. Some people were better at writing letters than others, though.

Shalluk looked to the others. "Who has the best penmenship?"

I assume it's Linguistics to pen a compelling letter?

Zelani shrugged, "I'm happy to try before we go, we'll need to grab some paper. What information should I include?" she asked with a look to Rixa, hoping she would have some Shelyn inspiration for this...

Linguistics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

"I never had any real training in that. Or at all, really." Rixa mused, "But I can try to help."

Aid Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

With about ten minutes of work, you managed to pen a rather nice-looking letter. It was definitely well above what the average peasant would be able to do... probably because most peasants couldn't write, but still.

Do let me know what you want to include, though. XD

Making sure that the letter simply included the problems that Sandpoint had been experiencing, a believe that there was a connection within the city and a need to talk to the judge, and their inn so he could contact them, Shalluk left the judge's place of work.

"Perhaps we can get more guidance on the vision," Shalluk suggested.

"Agreed. I'm pretty sure there's a temple somewhere, and a cleric may have more insight than I would- Shelyn may empower me, but I don't always understand her wishes." Rixa admits, trying to recall where the temple may be.

"I'm sure we'll find it if we look and ask around..." Zelani said with a smile as she went to do just that...

Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Finding temples was only slightly harder than finding the main streets, mostly because the majority of them were located fairly centrally to the kind of people you served. Shelyn's temple, in particular, took great care to stand out from everything around it - the entire outer wall was decorated in art and visible from blocks away. Inside were a variety of artists, including a rather motherly woman who was fussing with a painting while answering some questions. "Ah, good morning, dearies." she said as she dabbed a bit of red onto her current work. "I see more frowns than we usually have around here. What seems to be the trouble?"

"Hello, mother." Rixa greets the priest, deferring to a title she had used a few times before, "Nothing good, I'm afraid. We're trying to find... a murderer? A necromancer? Honestly, we're not sure. We've followed a trail after destroying a nest of ghouls, and we're not sure how to proceed. We're here because the Rose gave me a dream, and, well..." Rixa describes the dream she had, "Do you know what it might mean?"

Zelani remained back as Rixa spoke, admiring the art and watching the people.

Shalluk sighed and remembered a time when this would have seemed odd to him.

"Everything is a symbol, of course." the priestess said, changing colors for the painting she was working on. "An iron thorn is a clear reference to Justice Ironbriar. But the salient bit is the snake biting him and an ancient symbol appearing, I think - to me, that sounds like mind control of some kind, especially when there's blood and a saw. The Skinsaw cult would fit, don't you think?" she turned the painting around to reveal an image of the sawmill you'd visited before, something she'd clearly been working on for some time. The setting was late at night, with a small crescent moon visible in the sky of the painting. "If I were the sort to give advice, I'd say you might want to determine just how deep this corruption goes. Was Ironbriar controlled and forced to join the cult? Or perhaps he was already a part of them, making him a useful target for control? I would hate to cast aspersions on his good name, but the gods do not send visions without a reason. The Eternal Rose teaches us that there is truth and beauty in art... so I wonder what other truths you might find here?"

Shalluk sighed. Somehow he wasn't shocked. "There were the mutterings of a mad man in the Asylum, that the Skinsaw Man was coming. It was at the same time we received information about the Misgivings." Which they would need help purging, of course. "Which was why we are here, initially. The house known as Misgivings is cursed and corrupted a point that is pure evil, and able to resist such measures as fire."

"If the judge is corrupt, then we'll need to look into his dealings more deeply." Maybe they could follow him and see where this led. Still, it felt like they were missing something.

"Thank you, mother. Your advice is helpful."

Rixa turns to her allies, "Do we want to return to the sawmill tonight? It's possible that we simply missed something visiting in the day."

"Maybe some time earlier or later would give answers,Zelani said, obviously concerned, especially as they'd given the possible corrupted judge some of what they knew. She continued looking around the art of the temple while thinking on what the priestess had said.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

So what are we doing?

The priestess just gestured to the painting, which clearly showed it at night. "I doubt you will find much in the day. Such figures rarely act under light where others can see - they wish to hide all that they do, and so it is only then that they may be found."

Shalluk sighed, but internally for a change, as he had no wish to offend either the priestess or there Paladin ally. This whole thing had...not gone well, since it essentially led them back to the sawmill. Which Rixa could not enter in a circumspect fashion without deffinitive proof of wrong doing. Which was most likely held within the Sawmill. "Thank you for the aid. I think we shall have to visit the...'lord' and his wife again, to see if they have more information." Although it was likely by this point that they had already run.

He nodded to the Priestess after a moment. "Another matter to consider, if you have more time? As I mentioned we disocvered a house, so corrupted by evil that it would not allow itself to be burned. Do you know of anything that might help cleanse the area?"

In her time, Zelani knew many figures who tried to hide by night - and just as many who were even more adept at hiding and harming in the sunshine. If the priestess thought these were the former, Zelani would listen - though going back to the sawmill had little appeal.

Zelani nodded in agreement with Shalluk, "We've done what we could to send those stuck souls on their way, and still the taint remains in what should be beautiful countryside. I think the people nearby would rest better if we could get help restoring the land.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

"Then we shall return there tonight. With luck, we can root out the source of this evil once and for all." Rixa agrees, "Thank you mother."

"So corrupted..." the priestess frowned slightly. "Well, that certainly sounds like a job for a specialist, or perhaps an expeditionary team. Did you find out anything more about any particular traits this house had? The source of corruption often informs the best method of addressing it."

"I believe it to be in two parts," Shalluk said slowly. "Firstly, there is some kind of toxic, magical mold in the lower reaches. Something that a group named the Brotherhood...harvests. There was also a murder, dark experiments..." The bowman shrugged helplessly. There was a lot wrong with the place.

"And obsession, those spirits we laid to rest seemed consumed and twisted by their obsessions - possibly in life as well as death. Whether that horrid mold amplifies it, I'm not sure, it seemed to..." Zelani said quietly, eyes studiously looking at nearby art - totally not avoiding the others gaze in discomfort on the topic.

"A lot of ghouls, too." Rixa adds, her companions having already addressed most of the house's peculiarities, "And absolutely permeated with evil. The entire place just radiated it."

The priestess nodded - and particularly so at Rixa's words. "No ordinary haunting, then. We get some of those around here - you always do in the bigger cities, but most of them are exorcised simply enough. I'll see about putting a group together to do it properly. The Pharasmites don't care so much about good or evil, but they're always willing to lend a hand for haunted places. Iomedae's church, too, would be happy to lend some swords for it. I don't think you'll need to worry about that building any longer."

Rixa nods in gratitude, "Thank you, mother." she turns to her companions, "Well? Shall we go to prepare our own cleansing of evil?"

"We shall leave the matter in your hands, but feel free to summon us if you need additional information of aid in destroying the building." With that done, and a note containing there inn address and names passed over, Shalluk looked at the others. "I suppose we must try investigating the mill once more. Shall we set off now, or wait until night?" If they decided to wait perhaps they could get more information...

Zelani considered quietly. Night often worked better for the Lunar Guardian, but that hadn't worked so well last night. Even not entirely sure of the next step, maybe sooner was better, "Let us prepare and see, maybe a different light will help..."

How would you like to prepare? You have plenty of time - including to go shopping if you want to pick anything up - so you can make pretty much whatever preparations you want.

As they leave the temple, Rixa looks at her companions, "So... I guess we meet back at the hotel shortly before sundown? I've been meaning to make it to a big city for a few months now, may as well get some shopping done while I'm here."

Assuming they agree, she heads off to find a magical item repository, and gets a headband to improve her force of will, before returning to her allies.

The only thing for me is picking up a Headband of Charisma +2, if available.

"I am content with my current equipment, so I will meet you at the Inn," Shalluk replied simply. Other than eating a meal and resting he was ready to head for the mill.

"I may swing by an alchemist on my way back...a good meal after that will hopefully do us good." Zelani said after a long moment's consideration.

Zelani is going to be looking for:
Celestial Censer (20gp)
smokesticks (20gp)
incense (10 sticks) (10gp)

This city is big enough to have pretty much anything in your price range - all of those are available. Do you have anything you'd like to note about using them?

Put it on, I guess. I won't get bonus spells, but the save bonus will be nice. I'm ready to move to the sawmill.

Yup, rested, eaten and ready to go try and work out how to morally illegally search a place.

Considering using them for good rogue-y reasons - maybe distraction or a literal smokescreen. Zelani, I think, would believe it is possible to come across something evil-subtype, hence the censer. Also she has a thing for pretty knickknacks as has been mentioned in the sections in her house so her coming back to the inn with what looks like a shiny bauble in hands seems appropriately amusing with the incense and smokesticks hiding in her bag. I'm ready to reattempt to sawmill.