Madeline walks calmly into the midst of the group of locals. Her chin up and her gaze calm and neutral. She settles dutifully into the seats provided, the stiff backs of the chair allowing her to remain her poise.
Smith follows his Mistress at his normal, respectful pace. Sitting where his Mistress indicates with an inclination of her head.
Madeline listens calmly as the Chief Magistrate speaks, though at his closing words her eyes take on a steely gaze and she begins to slowly regards first the gathered crowd and then the arraigned council. Her gloved hand sitting easily upon the hilt of her sword.
At some of Alexa's inflections and word use Madeline arches an eyebrow, glances to the woman but for now remains silent.
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You find a suitable place up front, not far from the council, nor sandwiched in by the common folk.
As Alexa speaks, the crowd murmurs and whispers to itself. It does not, however, comment. It appears to be waiting on others to speak, or, if none do, the council. You cannot, however, determine they're overall emotional response. If any are moved, they are hiding it well.
As she is speaking, Alexa carefully watches the crowd.
Sense Motive:
Perception: <-- I assume it is not dark/shadowy enough for the +3.
As I step back with my companions: Quietly: Seems there are a few in the back who seem antagonistic. Most of the rest seem neutral or supportive.
@Vaghn: Valen nods (a little surprised) at the Professor's compliment and adds to his assessment, "By Pharasma's aid, I am glad to help defeat this thing then."
He also nods in agreement with Vaghn about his assessment of treating Tharnik after they leave the town hall.
In preparation for their trip, Valen tries his best to make himself presentable to an "official" body - the concept being foreign to him given his small village upbringing. He places his holy symbol over his clean chain-shirt and makes his common clothes as neat as possible. Self-consciously, he covers his ears and tries to place his cap to shadow his eyes somewhat. While he bears his weapons, he decides to use his shovel as a walking staff for now. To ease his nervousness, he chews on one last biscuit as they make the walk to the town hall.
@Madeline: He listens thoughtfully as they walk and hear her story. At the mention of Alkenstar, he tilts his head as if considering something, but remains quiet.
At the town hall, seeing the large, nervous crowd, he does his best to blend in behind the others and quietly make his way to the front once they are inside. Grey Lady, let them not fear or think me...inhuman.
At the councilman's annoucement and request that they speak, Valen feels as if the biscuit is dancing in his stomach at the thought of having to stand in front of all the townsfolk.
Alexa's forthright speech pushes his courage up to speak, and after waiting a bit, he stands up and scans the crowd before speaking:
"People of Ravengro, my name is Valen Stellori of Crowbridge, a small village northeast of here. I have come here to assist you, just as your native son, Hugo Van Der Maarl, helped my home some weeks ago. As his friend and fellow disciple to Pharasma, I can do no less than help battle whatever menace may be before you."
Turning to wave at the others, Valen's voice, small at first, grows stronger as his conviction grows throughout.
"I ask that you give us a chance to provide that aid before you pass judgement, and we will, by the Grey Lady, not fail you."
Vaghn listens intently to the words of the townsfolk, and those of his new allies. When they have fallen silent, he nods to himself and strides to the fore. Adorned in his formal professorial robes, he radiates a confidence previously unseen, obviously in his element addressing a crowd as though at the front of a lecture hall.
"Herren and Frauen of Ravengro. Esteemed councilmen. Friends. For those of you who do not yet know me, I am Professor Vaghn der Grafft of the University of Lepidstadt. The Lorrimers have been friends to me since I was but a boy, and so I have had the pleasure of visiting this fine community on more than one previous occasion; I have walked these streets with you, purchased items from your businesses, broken bread with you. So please understand that it is no idle fancy when I say that I care about this town and its people, and wish it only peace and prosperity."
"Professor Lorrimer loved this town. He worked tirelessly to improve and protect it, up until the very moment of his death. For you see, there was another group of strangers come to visit not long ago. You probably did not see them, as they would have hidden themselves, only coming out to visit Harrowstone late at night. They came to wreak mischief upon this town, and when our friend, the Professor, tried to stop them, they killed him." Vaghn hangs his head and allows the portent of his words to sink in before continuing.
"I am sure you all know the rumors of the haunting of Harrowstone. I believe that they are true. I am sure you all know the legacy of Ravengro, and the story of Warden Hawkran's brave sacrifice to save the inhabitants of the town from vicious criminals of the most vile sort. These strangers, these enemies of Ravengro, these murderers are cut from the same cloth as the criminals that once inhabited Harrowstone, and when they were here they performed an act of most vile necromancy: they stole the spirit of Warden Hawkran from the stones he had given his life to protect. That statue out by the river depicts the greatest hero in Ravengro's history, and these men defiled his memory and his very soul! That is the sort of perverted act Professor Lorrimer died trying to stop, proving that heroes are not found only in the past."
"You might be wondering why I tell you all of this. Is it to clear the name of my friend and mentor, the victim of vile rumors contrary to his very nature? In part. Is it to put your minds at ease regarding the intentions of myself and my fellows, here to help this fine community? In part. I will tell you my primary reason now: I am here to warn you, prepare you, for those men did not only take from Ravengro, take the life of one hero and the soul of another; no, they also left something behind, something vile beyond imagination, something that has been causing trouble from calling wolves to attack your neighbors to animating the bodies of your loved ones in a most foul mockery of who they once were. Whatever this presence is, it is a bane to all that lives, a blight upon the proud heritage and beauty of Ravengro, and I vow to you now, with the help of your council, Father Grimburrow, your fine sheriff, and the capable individuals you see here with me today, I will see that being destroyed! I will see those whose lives have been lost avenged! I will see the safety of Ravengro restored and the men who brought this danger upon us brought to justice in a way that would have made Warden Hawkran proud!"
"This I vow to you, fine people of Ravengro. This I vow, fellow citizens of Ustalav. Together we will tell these cultists, these spirits, or the shade of the Whispering Tyrant himself that we are not afraid! We are not weak! We are the living, breathing descendents of heroes and we will not bend!"
"Now. Any questions?"
I have no problem with your formatting. It just takes some getting used to as most posters that I have played with on the Paizo boards use the technique I do.
It is more important that you continue posting on a regular basis. I have had one previous CC campaign fail. As I really like this campaign and you all, I hope we all can make it through all the books of this one. RGM has created a picture of the town that is almost alive (at least for an undead infested town), and I look forward to him leading us through the adventure.
Madeline listens as Vaghn speaks, her expression showing the growing appreciation for the man's talent of speech-craft. By his oration's end, even she is clapping softly in response/praise of his words.
However, she waits and watches for the council's and toe town's folk response before she makes a move to stand up.
Creel now stands, his ever-present smile on his face. If Councilman Gharen Muricar , the sheriff, Father Grimburrow, Vai or Athelliana are among the gathered multitude creel will nod greeting or at least try to catch their eyes.
"There is very little I can add to what my friend Professor der Grafft has said."
"As for who I am, my name is Creel Candelman and I am a paladin sworn in the service of Iomedae."
"I know there have been rumors floating about that the recent troubles are related to the late professor Lorrimor. I can assure you that there is no grounds to this. I know the professor was a newcomer to Ravengro. I know his work required him to travel extensively. I know he was never able to become part of your community. So the suspicions are understandable. However it is time to let them go. Pharsma granted my friend Petros rest in her sacred ground. Do you think Father Grimburrow much less the the Lady of Graves would let someone unclean lie in the restlands? I was one of the professors pallbearers. I inspected his body, his grave, and his home. If there was a particle of evil about him Iomedae would have sniffed it out and shown it to me. Or do you think a man so powerfully steeped in evil as to fool Prarasma, who sees all secrets, to fool Iomedae who saw through the machinations of the Whispering Tryant himself... Do you think that such a being could be felled by a simple dropped stone?"
"Because that is what killed my friend Petros. A stone. A stone that just happened to fly several feet from its wall to hit the professor. Maybe it was chance, it is just possible. But I think it had help. I think it was a volley. A volley in a war being fought with Ravengro as the prize. A silent war between professor Lorrimor and the people who disturbed the rest of Warden Hawkran. When they killed Petros Lorrimor they must have rejoiced. Their hunter was dead, no one else knew they were about. But oh how these necromancers must have hated our arrival. Valen a priest of Phrasma, not a friend to grave-robbers. Myself a simple man but through me Iomedae, implacable foe of the Tyrant and all who stand with him . Vaghn, a professor like dear Petros, a man who can call upon all the knowledge collected since Starfall. Madame Peshtussle and Miss Grunwald, masters of powers natural and arcane that these evil doers cannot understand much less stand against."
"Oh they hate us. They have tried to kill us and will try again but what they truly hate, what they truly fear is what is happening right now. Ravengro, their true enemy, has awoken."
" We are talking to each other. Working together as a community. My old Sargent used to say that a wound will only fester if its covered. The same is true for evil. Ignore all this. Send us away if you will, you have that power. If you do you might gain some peace. A few quiet nights while evil breathes easy and gathers strength. Then some night, some night soon, you will face not a few maddened wolves but hundreds, not a handful of dead pulled from their rightful rest but an army. Ravengro will cease to exist."
"This is why we are here, this is why Petros pulled us together. To help save the community he loved. To shine a light on the darkness that has infested his beloved land and drive it out."
"That is who I am and why I am here. I am Creel Candleman servant to Iomedae and friend to Ravengro. Please ask what you will. Let ther be no secrets between friends."
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And yes, it would be Disguise. Bluff is for speaking, Disguise is for physical costumes and attempts to change your appearance...
As you step down, a few people clap. When you look to the source of the sound, you see 4 of the councilors standing.
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Creel finishes his speech, his words flowing and mixing with those of Vaghn to great effect. The town stands, and here and there, the once light murmur erupts into a host of jumbled questions, excited responses, and even hushed accusations. Try as you may, you can't make heads or tales of it until the echoing thud of the gavel rolls out, like thunder striking the cold, hard earth.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
And then, once again, the crowd is silent.
Until someone calls out, from the back.
"Look! The tapestry!! Fire!!! Fire!!! Aghhhhhhhhh!!!
Suddenly, the room is complete chaos.
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Town Hall dimensions"
The town hall is a rectangular building, 50 ft wide and 60 ft. deep. The back of the building has a slight stage, raised roughly 3 ft. up (where Creel and Vaghn are currently standing, alongside the council members, who are seated in chairs along the back wall). The stage is 10 ft. deep (from edge to the back wall). The audience are packed into 2 rows of benches, each row with 6 benches. These benches are roughly 20 ft long. Narrow lanes, each less than 5 ft. feet in width, run the full length of the main room, both outside of the benches and between them.
Double doors, along the back wall, lead out of the hall.
Five ornate tapestries cover each of the town hall walls. One hangs behind you, and two hang on each of the side walls. While the townsfolk cried fire and pointed to the tapestry, it is the oil lamps that have exploded, covering the walls adjacent to them in fire. So far, none of the tapestries are on fire.
Madeline, Alexa, and Valen are sitting in the first row, closest to the stage, on the left hand side of the door.
If possible, would like to be able to get a door open to help get these folks a clear exit. But if it that seems impossible, then look to putting the fires out.
"Smith! Tear them DOWN!" Madeline calls, standing and pointing at the nearest tapestry. To which her manservant responds by leaping to his feet and reaching out to the nearest wall hanging,
Even as Madeline moves to the opposite side and tries/proceeds to do the same there.
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So far, initiative is:
Madeline, 23.
Smith, 12.
Valen, 7.
Your options are:
You can flee: A PC can simply flee the fire, moving through
crowded squares at half speed.
You can fight the fires: A PC can fight a fire in an adjacent square by beating the fire with a cloak or tapestry (such as the tapestries that hang on the walls of the room) by making a DC 12 combat maneuver check. Using magic to fight the fire grants a +4 bonus on this check. With a successful check, the fire in that square is extinguished, but the square can still catch on fire as normal in a later round.
You can try to direct the crowd: By making a DC 15 Diplomacy check (full-round action) or a DC 20 Intimidate check, a PC can direct the panicked crowd to the exit, allowing the villagers to move 6 squares per round toward the exit.
You can save one of the townsfolk: As long as she is an adjacent square, a PC can save a townsperson from a fire square by picking the victim up as a standard action. A single PC can only carry (or drag) one townsperson at a time, but once the PC does so, that townsperson automatically stabilizes and is not in danger of dying from the fire unless the PC carrying him falls unconscious or unless the townsperson
is dropped in or left in a burning square.
This room, especially around the rows of benches, is considered difficult terrain. You estimate that some 60 villagers are packed into the town hall.
"Bloody hell! Okay, everyone move toward the exits! Pick up the children and carry them! One at a time; the fires are still small, no need to panic, just move along the aisles and everyone will get out just fine!"
for firefighting.
for crowd conditions.
Valen struggles in the crowded panic to make his way to the tapestries (maybe the one behind us?) and then tries put out one of the fires.
Init:
Although concerned about the welfare of the locals, Alexa is more concerned about what, or who, managed to do this with so many people watching.
I begin to use my Spirit Sense to see whether there is something out there responsible. I begin to scan around the fire. This should penetrate the thin wooden walls of the building and reach to 60'.
Detects undead; fey; outsiders; and astral, ethereal, or incorporeal creatures.
Alexa again begins to focus on the unnatural and begins to scan with here eyes that see what is not there.
Creel looks about assessing the dangers. "Tharnik! Get Kendra out of here!"
[ooc] Ok from the description the ornate tapestries are more likely to burn than the walls so getting those down might save the building.
Creel moves to the nearest fire and beats it to death with an expensive wall hanging.
[ooc]in case I go quiet for a day. Upgrading work comp. joy of joys. Creel will fight fires until it becomes clear the structure is a loss. He will then shift to Getting people out. In case you need his numbers. CMB+5. Acrobatics -4. Diplomacy +7.
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Round 1
Madeline, 23.
Madeline pushes through the crowd, moving slowly, but steadily, and reaches the tapestry on the wall closest to her. She deftly snaps the tapestry from the wall, rolling it up with a swift motion and turning to the fire on the left wall.
Creel, 18.
After yelling for Kendra and Tharnik to escape, Creel turns to the tapestry behind him, yanks it off the wall, and begins to put the fire out behind him.
Alexa, 14.
Alexa closes her eyes and starts to study the area, letting her senses extend out into the universe, pulling wisps of the unnatural from the normal.
Smith, 12.
Following the directions of his mistress, Smith pushes through the crowd, pulling the second tapestry from the left wall. He rolls it up and readies it to fight the fire closest to him.
Vaghn, 10.
Vaghn starts to direct people out. of the 60 or so people evacuate the building.
GM (fire), 10.
Creel continues to beat on the fire next to him, and, with a sputter, it goes out. The fire next to Smith and Madeline both spread (1 square each). The fires on the left walls spread, each catching the adjacent tapestries on fire. (4 squares on the right wall are on fire).
Suddenly, two flaming skulls appear out of the flames. They start to fly toward the stage!
GM (people), 10. Panicked, the people begin to run from the hall. people push their way outside.
Valen, 7
Valen tries to push through the crowd, but in its panic, he is swept backward and away from the stage. He continues to struggle, finally making it to the right wall.
Round 2....
The fires on the left walls spread, each catching the adjacent tapestries on fire. (4 squares on the right wall are on fire).
Suddenly, two flaming skulls appear out of the flames. They start to fly toward the stage!
Valen continues to struggle, finally making it to the right wall.
Hmmm, could have sworn I posted my Round 2 last night.
Round 2
Well, I sense non-natural presences, but they seem to have appeared.
Swift Action: Place Magic (+1 CL for 1 round)
I then draw my club and cast Shillelagh and move toward the heads with my glowing green club raised and ready to strike.
Shillelagh (lasts 3 minutes with the extra CL from Place Magic)
Round 2. 18
"Look out councilers!"
Creel moves up the outside lane trying to reach the stage before the skulls.
"Goddess' scales!" Valen utters at the sight of the flaming skulls, but he tries to focuse on putting out the flames.
If there is still a tapestry he can use, Valen will attempt to snuff out flames on the right wall.
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Hmmm, could have sworn I posted my Round 2 last night.
Round 2
Well, I sense non-natural presences, but they seem to have appeared.
Swift Action: Place Magic (+1 CL for 1 round)
I then draw my club and cast Shillelagh and move toward the heads with my glowing green club raised and ready to strike.
Shillelagh (lasts 3 minutes with the extra CL from Place Magic)
Alexa, you did. I was announcing it for everyone else.
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The fires on the left walls spread, each catching the adjacent tapestries on fire. (4 squares on the right wall are on fire).
Suddenly, two flaming skulls appear out of the flames. They start to fly toward the stage!
Valen continues to struggle, finally making it to the right wall.
Yeah, that was a typo on my part. Madeline and Smith pulled the tapestries on the left wall (closest to where they were sitting) down. Smith, however, wasn't able to fight his fire before it spread (he had to push through the crowd) just to reach the tapestry.
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Round 2
At the end of round 1, the fire adjacent to Creel (the fire on the back wall) is out. The fire on the left wall has spread to an adjacent square (two squares on the left wall are on fire). The tapestries on the right wall were not removed and the fire spread there. Four squares on the right wall (total) are on fire.
On 23, Madeline, having put out the fire adjacent to her, moves to smith and extinguishes the adjacent square that the original fire spread into. There is still a single square burning on the left wall.
On 18, Creel shouts a warning to the councilors and charges down the outside lane, drawing his sword as he moves. When he reaches the first skull, he brings his sword in hard, with both hands, and shatters it. The first skull is down.
On 14, Alexa casts a spell, touching her club as she begins to move toward Creel and the second skull. She pushes against the crowd, but isn't quite able to close the gap.
On 12, Smith continues to swing the tapestry in his hands at the fire. try as he might, however, he cannot get the fire out. There is still a single square burning on the left wall.
On 10, Vaghn continues to usher people out. more people leave.
On 10, the fire spreads and the skulls act. The fire on the left wall spreads. Now, Smith faces two squares (on the left wall). The fire on the right wall spreads, as well. Both of the tapestries are completely on fire and a total of six squares are engulfed in flames.
The second skull, enraged by the loss of its ally, charges Creel. (and deals 1 + {from fire} points of damage).
On 9, more townsfolk exit the building.
On 7, Valen, seeing Creel drop his tapestry and the right wall fully aflame, dashes up onto the stage and picks it up.
Please post your round 3 actions...
Madeline sighs in vexation as her Manservant proves rather inept at dealing with the fire and goes at the task still before her with a will,
Smith, seeming ignorant of his Mistress' displeasure, continues to try and defeat the flames before him.
Round 3 AC 15 touch ac 10
Ahh! Pushed back by the flaming skull Creel spins betwen it and the wall as he brings his sword around in a textbook double-hand slice.
. Damage 2-hands .
"Pharasma, give me strength! Excuse me, Master Creel!"
Valen races back to the right wall with the dropped tapestry in hand - and frantically trying to contain the spreading flames on that wall.
Seeing that the fighting man has the fighting in hand, and his fellows are busily fighting the flames, Vaghn continues to direct the crowd out of danger.