Megan Robertson's page

Got it... here you go...

Basically seems to be a crossroads.

The back streets you are in remain quiet, although you can hear growing crowd noises round to the front of the tenement building in the main road. A few folks pass you without a second glance, obviously heading to see what the ruckus is all about.

Una, the lad smiles down at you. "Hey, there. I'm Dion. Do you freerun? Wanna race?"

Oleg says that he's expecting a caravan any day now and that your orders ought to be on it.

As for the body... "That's Breeg Orlivanch. Used to come by here to trade furs and hides, but nobody cared for him much. Some folks take to the trapper's life because they don't care for the company of others, but I always reckoned Breeg took to it because nobody cared for HIS company. Nasty piece of work, I'm afraid. Unfortunately he never spoke of family or friends so I cannot tell you if there is anyone who will miss him or mourn his passing."

As for the level-up: that's your Christmas present :)

How do you intend to get ninja training here in Korvosa? It's a cosmopolitan enough place that I'm sure there is the odd ninja around, but they tend to be quite hard to find, particularly if you want to learn from them rather than hire them for a bit of wetwork.

Do you have a page reference for the Crossbow Sniper? I cannot seem to find it.

Una, yes you can see the gaudy lad, he's swinging round a chimney pot above you on the left.

Quest: Tuskgutter's Head: You'd been asked to kill Tuskgutter and return his head to Oleg's by a retired hunter, Vekkel Benzen, who lost his leg to the monster pig a year ago. He had promised his masterwork longbow and six +1 animal bane arrows to whoever can kill Tuskgutter. He also promised to share the head cheese he planned to make out of this trophy, while Oleg wanted to have the head stuffed and mounted.

Dyfrig says that he can make head cheese without damaging the skin, which can then go to a taxidermist along with the skull.

Oleg is also after a tatzlwyrm head for decoration, if you fancy some further hunting. They are to be found in the forest, but he's not sure where. Plenty of hunters have mentioned them.

Quest: Kobolds in the Hills:: There's a poster at Oleg's which says that the swordlords offer a reward of 800 gp once the kobold activity is under control. You will have to send them a message to claim your reward.

The brewing ex-bandit, who is called Sinon, quite likes your idea, Barnabus, and invites you to come to his shed and settle down to some technical discussions about the finer points of brewing.

Got the map, thanks. It will replace the one linked to in the campaign header shortly. And Barnabus, did you know that there's a beer called Witch's Brew available round here where I live?

At street level:

Out in front of the tenement building, you can hear the grey-haired woman's voice raised.

"No! I tell you, she isn't here! Yes. She does live here, but she's not in. And I don't know when she'll be back. She didn't say. Might be a while, though, she had..." The voice breaks off suddenly with a yelp, followed by some crashing sounds.

It's quiet in the back alley where the 'fire escape' reaches the ground, though. Just a dog engrossed in the pursuit of his own tail, and an old man dozing in a corner.

On the rooftops:

The ragged bird-feeding man has gone back to talking to pigeons, and most of the kids have scattered, going towards the front of the building to look down at the ruckus below.

Aerial recon:

Circling, Chatterbeak and Majenko can see a party of Hellknights breaking in the door of the tenement, ignoring the fact that it happens to be standing ajar - maybe they just like breaking things! Further down the street, a squad of regular Korvosan Guard are marching purposefully in this direction.

And advancing this way across the rooftops is a very agile youth dressed in gaudy red and yellow clothing, leaping across gaps, swinging on poles and generally giving an excellent demonstration of parkour (free running).

Ah, good... you are talking to each other :)

My habits are normally to come by around 8-9am GMT. Occasionally other things intervene and it's later, and on Sundays it is more like 2pm GMT as I don't tend to come online before going to church.

Pacing is always difficut in online games - be they forum or e-mail - and it always seems to be that the one person everyone else is waiting on is in outer Mongolia with no net access.... (and, of course, if there's something you are burning to say, that person is YOU!).

Whilst it's appreciated that trying to keep things moving is important, and people who post entire plans of action or everything their character is going to do before Christmas in one go do help keep up the momentum, it is important to remember that you can only ever speak for one character, your own. (Plus birds, pseudodragons, etc., of course!) You can suggest that another character does something, but you cannot assume that they will.

Hugs from Megan.

The gaol rules are not madly informative. Mostly stuff about what property you are allowed to keep in your cell, obeying guards' instructions immediately and without question... and lots of punishments for the merest infraction!

OK, which door next?

Oleg is looking a lot happier than you have seen him before. He welcomes you in, and serves tankards of ale all round once the horses have been attended to. Svetlana comes bustling in from the kitchen, wafting appetising smells...

Dyfrig takes an appreciative sniff. "Beef, mushrooms, sour cream, pepper... rice..."

"Yes," says Svetlana. "It's an old family recipe. It will be ready in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, enjoy the ale. One of the bandits you left here to make restitution through labour turns out to be quite a hand at brewing. He's named it 'Bandit Brew' - quite a light nutty flavour, nice after a hard day's work."

Then Lothar produces the ring. Squeals of delight, then she bursts into tears!

After dinner (think beef stroganoff), everyone settles to watch Lothar's performance. The brewer, the only former bandit who is still here, joins you. He says that he has decided never to return to banditry, and is negotiating with Oleg to rent space to brew ale for a living instead.

At the moment there are no other visitors, but Oleg thinks that there ought to be some soon... several orders of goods are due, for a start.

Rhasa' - yes, that would be appreciated. D5 & E5 are explored, as well as the ones more recently mentioned. I'll stick labels on for the major landmarks and update our link.

:)

I do hope that differences in approach can be resolved: I like both characters! (Indeed, you are all a pleasure to have around this virtual table...)

I am happy for 'third-party' Pathfinder resources to be used... and have Ultimate Options: Power of the Ninja lurking here on the RPG hard drive :)

Note that it may prove difficult and/or expensive to get some of the more exotic weapons. Perhaps I'll have to invent an 'exotic weaponry travelling salesman' NPC for you!

Perlivash eventually admits that it was indeed he who severed that critical rope... with his teeth. He's a bit embarassed but is adamant that the trapper was a menace to all who dwell in the forests and needed dealing with.

"If you biggenses are going to look after the forest now, likely it is a good thing," he says, "And we will support you best we can. Especially if you will get rid of the bandits. That Stag Lord is no fun, no fun at all!"

The two fey take their leave, saying that they will look out for you the next time you come this way, and won't take any more precipitate action without consulting you first.

The only tracks that can be made out lead back towards the glade you spent a full day clearing of traps.

The rest of your explorations - C3, D3, and D2 - occupy four days, and as it begins to get dark on the fourth day, the lights of Oleg's trading post come into view... a welcome site as it has been rather cold and drizzly all day!

I know that I can trust you all to ensure that any disputes remain IN CHARACTER and do not spill over into real, or even virtual, life...

But do please consider what you are doing and proposing very carefully, as decisions may have campaign - and GAME - affecting results.

I don't want to lose any of you, or have to stop DMing this game because my players have vanished.

Sorry - have to go out today... more soon.

Map of Korvosa - will post a modified one later to show where you are...

It's a nice masterwork axe :)

Trinia gazes at Ashe with tear-filled green eyes*.

"All right... I'll come with you."

The urchins edge away, but one turns and drops his breeches, displaying his bare rear, before scampering off across the rooftops. His mates jeer, but it looks as if none of them intend to interfere in the face of Una's aggressive stance.

People inside cannot tell just what is going on, until Majenko relays that Ashe seems to have persuaded Trinia to come with you.

So, what now?

*The picture in the AP isn't clear on eye-colour, although she is blonde. So we'll go with green :)

That search check will do: apart from debris and some more manacles (not as frisky as the set you've destroyed!) there is nothing else to be found... apart from a board with the gaol rules painted neatly upon it.

Mikmek proceeds to investigate the area thoroughly. He pronounces it all clear, but shows you where the dead-fall trap was sabotaged deliberately... a critical rope had been part-severed, and once strain was put on it, it gave way.

Barnabus spots an axe embedded in a tree near the outstretched hand of the dead man.

Once everyone is ready, the two fey lead you to the bottom point of C3. Here, it appears as if in an attempt to rig a deadfall along the south bank of the Thorn River here, the trapper overstepped his skill and was pinned to the ground by several large logs when his half-completed trap
collapsed on him. He's sprawled there in the dirt.

"Er..." says Perlivash. "Should I have buried him?"

Indeed Sorin, the combined assaults have reduced the manacles to dust and shards...

On the rooftops:

Trinia, who detects as NOT evil, bursts into tears.

"I'm being set up, I didn't kill the king, and I don't want to die," she sobs.

A few urchins and that raggedy fellow who was feeding pidgeons are gathering to watch. One urchin calls out, "Isn't that the girl who killed the king? What was the reward for her head?"

Inside:

This two-room flat combines all the amenities of a bedroom, a kitchen, and a painter’s studio into about fifteen-foot-square of space, leaving little room for much else. A stack of cheese and bread sits on the counter next to several full waterskins, while the easel in the opposite corner holds a half-completed painting of an imp and a pseudodragon fighting atop a church steeple. A single window looks out over the tangled rooftops of the Shingles, while in an alcove, a woman sleeps in a curled-up position on a low bed.

As Varrel advances and reaches out to shake the woman, she vanishes!

Um. I am using the maps from the PDF of the adventure and edit them in PaintShop Pro to mask out the bits you have not visited yet.

Which Newcastle? I am near the -under-Lyme one, not the -upon-Tyne one.

Of course, Ashe!

Apologies for neglecting everyone yeserday. Went to the pantomime with the primary school of which I am a governor (sort of, school board member, but with close links to ONE school rather than a whole distric!). 200-odd youngers all thoroughly enjoying the show, with 3 other schools as well. The noise was tremendous, and the smiling faces a true delight.

Sorin's arrow flies true, striking sparks from the animated manacles which twist as if that hurt!

The manacles then launch an attack on Barret...

Manacles' initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
And their attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

I think you can manage to get by without expending more than a couple of charges from the wand, Lothar. Rhasa', Calinder and Lothar manage to keep themselves out of trouble, as does Mikmek. (And Dyfrig and the 2 fey, but they didn't put themselves into harm's way!).

By the end of the day, the task is done and the area trap-free. Rhasa' has a goodly collection of 'bear-traps' in her cart. Dyfrig has bear sausages in batter for your dinner, with a berry tart for afterwards. The fey like berry tart!

There is a thunderstorm that night, but you are sheltered under the forest canopy and stay dry, even if it is a bit noisy.

What next? Do you want the fey to take you to the dead trapper's remains?

Trinia pauses in headlong flight, teetering somewhat on the edge of a corbelled roof as first Ashe and then Una address her.

"I... I did nothing wrong... to... t..the king," she stammers, blinking back tears. She looks from one to the other, native humour shining through. "Are you competing to help me, here?"

Meanwhile, inside...

Varrel is indeed hearing a running commentary from Majenko, as he edges forwards. Looks like a 20-something young woman, blonde, curled up asleep. Quiet sleeper, though - no snoring or grunting.

You all hear a clatter from the far side of the room as a set of manacles seemingly comes to life and begins to move towards Barret...

The fey seem amused by your antics. They 'help' by fluttering around a lot, and try to point out what traps they can see... but are not very much use. And don't want to land at all.

Being organised with your healing magic, by the end of the day you have cleared the area with quite a few 'ouch' moments... more traps than you might like have been found the hard way.

Dyfrig refused to come anywhere near the trapped area, although Mikmek pitched in and proved very adept at spotting traps without the need to put his own feet in them.

Una, do you want to make a Bluff or a Diplomacy check, please.

Without further ado, both fey take wing and head off in the direction of D2.

After about 3 hours, during which you struggle at times through the undergrowth (flying fey are apt, it seems, not to pay attention to the ease or otherwise of movement for people on the ground!), they land on a branch and wait for you to catch up.

"OK," says Perlavish. "The trapped area is ahead. Take care, he was good at hiding them - think he got amusement from seeing all manner of folk, not just the critters he needed to catch, getting caught in them."

Mechanics of this: It will take a day to clear the area of traps, for which a Perception check at DC 15 is required from each person wishing to go poke around. Most of the traps are the standard 'bear trap' sort, spring-loaded steel jaws attached to something solid.

I posted your positions as I understood them to be... if you want something substantively different, no problem. Decide for yourselves where you are, and read the appropriate spoiler :)

There is no answer.

Tyg-Titter-Tut shifts all six of her legs uneasily. Pervalish looks round the party.

"We like to stay together. We can show you the traps, and the remains, if you like, though."

We are in D3 at the moment.

The door shifts slightly under Varrel's hand, but doesn't open. Perhaps it's unlocked (indeed, you cannot see an actual lock...) but blocked by something...?

The door opens easily into an odd-shaped room (Map Update).

This chamber is in a shambles—old wooden benches lie in ruins along the walls, while rusty chains and bits of rotten rope lie scattered on the floor.

Could everyone make a Perception check, please.

Pervilash takes wing again, looking a bit agitated. After a couple of intricate aerobatic manoeuvers, he lands on Rhasadilara's shoulder.

"We... um... we killed him, actually. We couldn't let him go on like that. Er. Sorry. Did we do wrong?"

Dillan opens the cabinet carefully, finding nothing untoward. Once he nods the all clear, Merian removes the items, passing the wand and scroll to Tre'duinne for examination.

Tre'duinne, you unroll the scroll and see that it is a scroll of lesser restoration. You then turn your attention to the wand, which is clearly a wand of cure light wounds, with some 15 charges remaining. Useful!

Pervilash points in a direction that would suggest C2.

"Traps is that way. Plenty of folks set them... mostly responsible, like, but there was one real mean fellow, hides them so well that other people get caught, and doesn't patrol them regular-like either. Big glade that's full of them. Take care if you go that way."

"He won't be back!" chips in Tyg-Titter-Tut emphatically.

Pevilash glares before continuing, "The hot springs are over there." He points towards B4. "Follow the river almost to the forest edge, you cannot miss it. Not with the smell... rotten eggs, like."

Trinia's flat is on the third floor in the southwest corner of the building. Majenko describes as best he can how to get there...

So, we have:

Una and Chatterbeak - on the rooftop.

Ashe and Shakhan outside the building, on something a bit like an external fire-escape (even if it's doubtful that is why it was erected, more like access to the 'homes' built on rooftops and in angles of walls), Majenko fluttering around as well.

Varrel and Hytogg are inside on the stairs up to the third floor. The naked kid passes you without a second glance (sorry, Hytogg!).

Majenko gets the impression that the naked kid has been tasked with warning Trinia that people have been asking about her, and that he personally thinks the world of the young artist.

Una, from where you are, you are able to get a sightline on what must be the windows of Trinia's room.

Once everyone is in position and the naked kid has come running downstairs again past them, Hytogg and Varrel advance on the door of Trinia's rooms. It's shut...

I shall have a word with the webmaster about making it a campaign. I got presented with the option for the OOC thread, but not this thread. My other 'inherited' campaign got set up without problem... Oh, and if you, Ashe, want to run Majenko as a separate entity, that's fine - one thing less for me to remember!

The naked child looks at Majenko. "Imps is on t'roof. Don't come inside unless they wanna get et," he says firmly. Sounds like he thinks the pseudodragon is a bit simple, or at least ignorant!

He then continues along the hallway without a backwards glance, heading up towards the top (third) floor. It's clear that most of the inhabitants are artists, singers, students of the university, and other craftsmen... and, judging by the fearful glances out of barely-opened doors, quite scared by the current state of affairs.

The old woman nods at Ashe. "You know, Trina was quite excited when she got that commission from the late King, may his soul feast in heaven, and she was generous with what she earned. But it all seems to have gone sour. If you can help her, I beg that you do."

"We like to play," said the miniature dragon. "I am Perlivash, and my companion hight Tyg-Titter-Tut. We think you are fine sports, not like those nasty bandits. No sense of humour at all! Round about here we know that there's a camp of bandits south of here but it seems to have been deserted recently, and there are some traps in a clearing north of here, a radish patch nearby, some hot springs where some frogs live, and a ruined Temple of the Elk... have you been there? You seem to come from that direction."

As he speaks, he takes off and flies around, with a couple of spectacular loop-the-loops and a barrel-roll before settling on Durok's back beside Calinder.

Dillan, you are certain that the chapel is devoid of further inhabitants save members of the party, and that the cabinet is neither locked nor trapped.

Inside, as Merian picks her way carefully over to help, you find a few religious supplies, including five vials of holy water, a scroll, and a wand. It appears from the religious items that Pharasma was worshipped here.

The tattered man strokes the pigeon's head.

"It's them free-runners, lass. Youngsters, mostly. Running and leaping, never stopping, rarely touching the ground. You look like you could give them a run for their money!" he says to Una.

Meanwhile, below the knitting lady looks at Hytogg (I think - did you switch ident on us here?).

"You can leave a note with me if you like, laddie." She calls one of the stark-naked children over and whispers something in his ear, and he takes off indoors, scampering up stairs.

You're correct, Sorin. Barret's flurry of rage-empowered carnage has splattered the two remaining spiders into a smear of nasty yellowish ooze.

About midday there is a sudden commotion in the forest canopy, and two strange creatures fly down towards you.

One appears to be a miniature dragon with a pair of brightly colored butterfly wings sprouting from its back. A mischievous smile plays across its fanged snout as it flutters about with incredible grace. The wings are mostly orange, whilst the dragon body is a bluish-grey colour.

The other is even more strange. It has the upper body of a female humanoid, with flowing grey/silver hair and a pair of thin straight horns protruding from its forehead. The body looks like that of a dragonfly, irridescent green with transparent wings and six long jointed insect legs.

"Hi," says the miniature dragon, in accented but intelligible Common. "You are fun people. And make nice puddings!"

That ought to help... if you are taking up parkour, that is! You are in the right place for it :)

Nice one, Una... emulating the urban equivalent of a mountain goat, you are soon up amongst the rooftops.

An old fellow in tattered garments - including a battered top hat and fingerless gloves - looks up from feeding a pigeon.

"Hello, girlie," he says. "Haven't a-seen you up here afore. Wonderful view... Come for the race tonight?"

The forest is quiet and still.

Do you intend to gather up your socks and return to camp, ready to move off? Or do you want to stick around for a bit?