And Then a Skeleton Popped Out: subSPUF Carrion Crown

Game Master Rynjin

" I see. Give me a moment."

Estovion walks off behind a few shelves and comes back with three different books from the Natural History, Anthropology, and Biology sections, and hands them off.

"These are the quintessential texts I have on werewolves. One of them I wrote myself." he smiles.

"But I'm afraid I've never heard of this 'Halo of Dreams' book you speak of. Are you sure that's the correct title?"

"We have little else to go on, to be honest. Perhaps you should take a look at this."

Jones shows him the journal Darius found, along with the note referring to the book in question.

And with that, I'm out. Peace!

"Interesting. This was in the Reference Library?"

Darius isnt handing over the Journal so you might want to retcon that. Right now he has trust issues.

Darius asks the man.. somewhat bluntly, " Have you ever sat down and talked with a Werewolf before..? "

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

"Never. Why do you ask?"

He seems to be telling the truth to Darius.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29

Sledge eyes the man suspiciously.

Sledge, on the other hand, thinks he's hiding something.

Z is going to just start walking around and looking at anything that catches her interest.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Estovion is comfortable letting you walk around the library, but stops you if you try to go into his private office.

"Tour of the office?" says Z indicating behind her with her thumb.

"I'm looking for something."

-Posted with Wayfinder

"My private office is off limits to all guests."

"Well how am I supposed to see what books you have in there if it's off limits?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Estovion looks confused.

"You don't need to see what's in there. It's my private room. I gave you access to this library, not my office."

They're separate rooms in the tower.

"Does your office have books? Bring them out here then. I want to see if you'd please. I'm looking for a certain text."

-Posted with Wayfinder

"There is nothing in my office that you need to have."

"Well now I'm growing increasingly curious."

"I have to wonder. How able are your guards if I can dispatch one of the "feared" dire werewolves with no effort at all, yet you all fear the night?"

"Clearly if I want inside your office, I can do so. I think cooperation is best for everyone. Don't you agree?"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Do not test me, girl. My private things are mine alone, and your pitiful attempts to bully me into letting you invade my privacy are not going to work."

" Its the man's private quarters, ofcouse he might have things you dont want to see. However I have one issue.. either you are telling the truth or are a very good liar.. because those wolves we killed were fairly certain till their death.. your Lodge was dealing with a Clan.. And I didnt feel any faults in their logic. "

Is this guy taking a 10 on Bluff or whatever, wouldnt that mean We'd take a 10 to sense motive?

"I don't appreciate these aspersions. I have suffered you this far due to loyalty to the Order, but I don't have to listen to these slanderous accusations any longer. Especially accusations you believe from the mouth of a werewolf of all things. Leave my Tower, and don't bother me again."

He seems ready to fight you over it if you continue to press him this hard.

Save for Discern Lies

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24

Z folds her arms, "I'm getting pretty agitated at all these uppity nobles who keep forgetting who they're dealing with."

"Do you think the Whispering Way has to deal with as much lip from the likes of people like this sad bastard?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

1d20 ⇒ 14

What DC, and roll Initiative.

18

Estovion shrugs off your spell like it's nothing.

Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

"Help! Guards! They're casting hostile magic on me!"

Init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

"Kill or maim?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

"Also, I mean c'mon now? He knows he has no chance, why waste our time and his men's lives?"

"Must be a part of the Whispering Way."

-Posted with Wayfinder

" That is assuming alot, He is acting too erratic, however. "

"He is being damn suspicious, but..."

Sledge interposes himself between Zin, Darius, and Estovion.

"... He is our host. We will show him the respect he is due."

"This will not come to blows."

Move action to get Snake Style and Improved Grapple.

" I have no reason to harm him unless he makes it. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Why is he lying then. "

"Simple enough to settle that. We'll all sit down and wait for the guards to come in."

Sledge bellows for Belik. "We could use some tea in here!"

Sledge will gently but firmly guide everyone to a seat. He will sit in a fairly central location so as to be able to interpose himself should violence begin.

Darius looks at Samuel and stays where he is.. he isnt moving. He makes it clear that touching him will go badly.

"Pal, at this distance, I would crush your ribs in a few seconds, and I've got a grip even trolls can barely escape."

Sledge clearly is prepared to restrain Darius, but seems loathe to injure him.

"Just sit down. You're showing a marked lack of temperance and patience for a servant of Sarenrae. Lead by example."

" You highly underestimate me, At this distance I could rip you apart and be none the more hurt. You should also lead by example and know when not to test someone who slays monsters for a living. Including trolls. Do not threaten that which you have no knowledge of. And do not use my Goddess's name when you have no real knowledge of how she works. You go ahead and sit down to play Mediator but I am no child I will act if need be. I'm showing patience now to allow you to act the gentleman brute. "

Some rolls need to be slowed.

Sledge: We are in Initiative now. You can neither move nor use Combat Flexibility nor enter your stance until it is your turn.

Darius: Sledge is the only one who passed his Sense Motive check. As he has not mentioned that Estovion was lying about the werewolves, Darius is unaware of this as well.

Also, as far as I'm concerned, the next sentences long exchange the two of you have will mean you're Delaying in the round to talk it out. I don't want to limit your ability to converse in combat, but there's a point where carrying on a conversation within 6 seconds gets a mite ridiculous. =)

Init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

The Sense Motive wasnt for the Wolves but it was for the other thing which I made He is assuming he is lying about other things also Sam's Sense Motive is 12 not 16.. not sure if that makes a difference. And Discern Lies is an Immediate Action SLA I'm not sure the Estovion would realize anyone cast anything.. I didnt say anything.

It doesn't, since he rolled so well. I just noticed you made a Sense Motive with Discern Lies which just barely makes it though, so you DO know he was lying about the wolves. However, as per the rules the subject of a spell knows that it was affected by hostile magic if they passed the save (which he did). It's actually too bad it was an SLA, or he probably wouldn't have freaked out so much (he'd know what it was, otherwise).

As-is, all Estovion knows is Darius cast something on him and it didn't work.

So, Sledge is between Darius and Estovion and has used Martial Flexibility. Darius' turn.

Your turn is over. you have used two Moves and a Swift, and do not have any actions left to attempt a Touch Attack on Estovion.

Sledge shrugs. "Restrain, not kill. That's all I ask."

How would he, by the rules know it was me but know I cast something but not know what it is?

" Stop acting so suspicious Estovion, I dont have time for this, whatever you have in your study is yours but if it is something to do with those monsters we slayed recently you should tell us. The people at this Lodge and more will be in danger otherwise. And stop panicking, no one is trying to harm you. "

Darius is gunna Judgement Surge of Protection, he doesnt draw a weapon.

A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack.

Right and they dont know the nature of the attack nor does it say they know where it came from

Aye, so all he knows is that he felt a hostile force. It's natural to assume it's from one of the two casters in the room. That's why he said "they're" not "Darius".

Darius at no point looks like a caster So technically he would have thought it Z if anything. Likely the they're was pointed at everyone in the room. I cant comment really on if discern lies is considered hostile or not.

It's under the Saving Throw rules in the Magic section of the CRB.

A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature's saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell, you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.

So he knows that he was affected by a hostile spell, but not who exactly cast it, or what its effects were meant to be. As you are the only people in sight, however, and were just acting hostile, it's a safe assumption, especially for someone of his intelligence. Which is why I said ironically if it were an actual spell, he would be less alarmed, since he would have been able to ID it as it was cast.

"And how am I supposed to believe you? One of your number has threatened to kill or maim me and any who defend me if I do not allow her entrance to my office, and one of you has attempted to cast a spell on me, and have somehow hidden it from my senses. Trying to Charm me? Paralyze me? Invade my mind? KILL ME!?"

"I know nothing of your supposed werewolf plot, and I would appreciate it if you would LEAVE MY SIGHT AT ONCE."

Edit: "Hostile" is generally defined as any spell not designated as Harmless that affects a creature without their consent, or ANY spell cast with intent against someone who isn't an ally. Casting Discern Lies that way would break your Invisibility as well.

Eh. I think any spell which extracts info like that (such as detect thoughts) is assumed hostile. And he carries a spell component pouch, so an observant person could notice.

Take 10 on Sense Motive.

Sledge pauses and goes cold. "You're lying and you're not well, Estovion."

"I'm only human. I have no magic. So you can trust me - just show me what's in your office. Zin, Darius, bar the door and stay back. There will be no magic here."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

Darius looks to Z then to Estovion. He hold the door shut. " It was simply a way to tell if you were telling the truth or not. No more no less. HOWEVER, you erred when you said you wrote a book on these creatures, which is only possible if you've interacted intimately with the beasts one way or the other. You are not martially inclined. I can tell. However, I can also tell you are lying through your teeth. Estovion, don't make this hard on yourself.. Tell us what we want to know.. and we will leave you be. Continue.. and it will become harder. On our venture FOUR people died and they blamed THIS establishment when thy killed those men and women. There is likely MORE death regulated to that fact! "