DM Brainiac’s Return of the Runelords Table 2

Game Master Brainiac

Leaning in to her sister she, teases "She bought one for me first." as she waggles her hips back and forth.

Elanna takes the muffin with glee and picks at it, making a face. "Eurgh, this is not worth the calories. Here, Hope. You have it." She thrusts it at Hope, not giving her the opportunity to say no.

Spellcraft?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 OOOOOOOOHHHHH!!

The madame's eyes go wide behind her mask. "...a weird?"

That's... that's only magic I've heard Mother was able to do...

Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Fioralba finally starts paying attention when the information comes forward. She nods her head to Triel and adds "It sounds like legendary sword Baraket, one of the Alara'hai, or Seven Swords of Sin, employed by the runelords of Thassilons' MIGHTIEST CHAMPIONS!"

This was TOO MUCH of another coincidence for Fioralba to contain her excitement. Triel had spoken of arcane power and here, a mighty arcane blade of Thassilon that just happens to be the same blade type she has trained with and wields?

She reaches out and grabs Elanna by both shoulders, unable to contain her excitement. "DID YOU HEAR THAT ELLA! It's just like Madame Hawk predicted, again!"

Madame Hawk looks between Fi, her muffin and the boy before approaching him.

"Thank you for sharing what you know." She offers her blackberry muffin to him. "Here--you look like you'd appreciate this."

"Thanks!" Kynae says, eagerly devouring the muffin.

"Well."

Madame Hawk straightens up to her full height and looks at the others before returning to Fi's side.

Maybe I do have a talent for this fortune-telling rubbish...

Screaming Moon gets a sad look in his eyes whe. the boy mentions his father. "He'll not hear it from us, certainly."

Looking over the boy, he notices various scrapes and bruises, whether the result of normal play or mistreatment. "Do you mind? I have a salve that will keep thise from becoming infected."

Reaching into his pack, he brimgs out a paste smelling of pine and deep forest earth. Spreading it on the boy's scrapes, the pain goes away instantly.

Healing Hex: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Replacing the salve, he says. "You know, if you ever need a safe place to hang out, I'm sure my friend Audrahni wouldn't mind if you stopped by. It might not seem so, but her house is comfortable and cheery."

Kynae's eyes shift back and forth. "I'm fine. I can take care of meself," the boy says with an edge in his voice. But he looks back to Screaming Moon and gives him a small nod of thanks, for both the healing and the advice.

Before leaving, Screaming Moon purchases a gingerbread cookie. "Well done, Tsu-la. Here, your favorite."

Fioralba only eats half of her muffin, now concerned about eating the whole thing since Ella didn't. Turning to Triel, she holds out the uneaten half and offers it to her. "You want it? You bought it, you should at least try it?"

As they walk, she says to Triel "You are like a seer. I feel so overjoyed to have come across your talent at this juncture. Why are you not more famous? Your stand should be the centerpiece of this entire town? The line to get in to see you should wrap out to the cove!"

Clearly Fioralba is taken by Triel's "powers".

Madame Hawk takes the muffin back. "Sometimes, one would be better served by anonymity. Not all attention is welcome."

She tips her mask up slightly to take a bite out of the muffin.

After chewing a bit, she swallows and continues. "Regardless, your appreciation is not unwelcome."

After a brief glance back to see if her sister is otherwise occupied with Hope, Fioralba slides her hand around Triel's waste and looks up at the tall woman. She is close enough that with the partially lifted mask, she spies what's hidden underneath.

Curiosity piqued, she raises her hand and gently slides her finger down Madame Hawk's right cheek, tracing slowly tracing the contour of her skin with the tip of her pointer finger. As she does so, she looks up and asks quietly, "Is it a secret?"

Madame Hawk tenses when she feels Fi's finger on her cheek, but from the girl's tone, it seems like she's honestly curious in her question.

"...it is." The masked woman replies, tipping her mask up a bit again to take another bite of the muffin.

"Why do you hide behind the mask when you have such beautiful coloring underneath? Are you ashamed like Hope who hides under her robes or do you have another reason?" she ponders, looking up at the sky for an answer.

A brief pause of thought in which she contemplates this is followed by a small side-smile as she reaches her conclusion. "You not wish the others to be so tempted by your glamour that you must hide it to keep them away."

The madame snickers for a moment. It sounds oddly melancholy.

"It'd be more appropriate to say that if too many learned my secret, the wrong people would come looking for me." She sighs. "Though that other reason sounds just as plausible--who wants to be hounded by admirers all the time? I'd never get anything done."

"Oh it's not so bad really." she admits, waving her comment. "You get used to it. It goes to your head at first, but if you learn how to use it to your advantage you'll want for nothing. Like the food today." She smirks then and is completely unable to contain herself and so she gloats, adding with a bump of her hip against the drow's "Or my reading." She looks up at the spiritualist and winks once with a teasing smile.

"...what makes you think I have no experience in such things?" The madame gently presses her hip to Fi's for a brief moment before resuming her pace. "Perhaps I'm playing the longer game here."

Fioralba laughs again, just for a second before lifting her hand to her lips and clearing her throat to wash away the smile. "Perhaps. My sister and I are, shall we say, established in the arts of the confidence game. I must admit however, that while I'm the smart and beautiful one, she's the master of words, reading people and quick hands. So it's entirely plausible you're just lying to me because I'm beautiful. But I'm sure you wouldn't do that to me. Would you?"

Looking up at the drow, she bats her eyes several times with a woefully innocent look on her face.

"Of course not." The masked one shakes her head.

"You and your sister seem to be remarkably close."

Nodding, she agrees "Yes, we are exceptionally close. She's the most important thing to me in the entire world." She closes her eye and takes a long breath in and as she places her left hand over her chest and says "She is my soul." She holds her hand there for a moment before opening here eyes with a dreamy smile.

Lunch:
Hope took the offered food and quickly bundled it away. She'd already finished her own and, while she was still hungry, she didn't want to eat everything now. She had learned it was best to try and save some for later when she had trouble finding anything to eat. She didn't offer any thanks for what she was given but the look was there in her eyes regardless.

The bakery:
Hope walked next to Ella on the way to the bakery. Her was back up and she kept quiet as she looked around constantly. It was obvious that she was used to being on edge and Ella drew most of her glances as she had learned to be wary of those nearest you. When Ella suddenly shoved the muffin at her it caught Hope off guard and she nearly reacted badly to the sudden movements. She caught herself though and instead took the offered treat with a mumbled word of what might have been "thanks". She ate about half of the muffin and, like before, carefully stowed the rest of it away for later.

Nodding, she agrees "Yes, we are exceptionally close. She's the most important thing to me in the entire world." She closes her eye and takes a long breath in and as she places her left hand over her chest and says "She is my soul." She holds her hand there for a moment before opening here eyes with a dreamy smile.

"...hmm." The madame somehow manages to look pensive through her hawk mask.

Ah. That close.

"...would it surprise you to learn that I'm also a twin?"

Fioralba's eye dance with delight and curiosity. She grins and looks up as she asks "Why, yes, it would! Where is your soul twin, Madame Hawk? Are they also a diviner?"

"He's..."

The madame trails off. "...how do I put this? He's with me, in spirit. He's always been there for me when I needed him the most." She continues, her tone not carrying any of the same ardor that Fi's had.

Per my discussion post, I'll try to remember to spoiler stuff that you don't need to see for plot reasons and is really just character development. :)

This will happen after Fio, Ella, and Triel finish their conversation so as not to interrupt its flow.

As you leave Blackberry Bakery and are pondering your next course of action, you notice the air is beginning to get significantly colder. Before you can react, you all suddenly feel as if you have been plunged into freezing waters! The cold bites into your bones, leaving you shivering, though you are not actually wet.

Everybody is affected as if they had been outside in cold weather for 1 hour, taking 1d6 points of nonlethal damage unless you succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save. If you suffer the damage, you are also fatigued and suffering from hypothermia until the damage is healed. Ella and Fio’s cold resistance protect them from this effect.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

The madame flinches as the cold strikes her.

"That... that was a haunt." She looks around. "Sir Roderic must be feeling especially restless today."

As they left the bakery Hope felt the sudden onset of cold that washed over her...
For: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
...but Hope shrugged off the effects. If the "haunt" as Triel called it thought this would bother her it was in for a rude awakening. This cold had nothing on her first winter in this town, now that was cold. She looked at Triel and Hope asked her, "How do we deal with the haunt?"

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Tsu-la Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Screaming Moon and Tsu-la barely notice the cold, though its sudden arrival and departure is disconcerting.

"If this truly was Sir Roderic, I imagine dealing with this threat is the answer to putting him to rest.

I worry about these followers of this ... runelord? If they have a powerful magic weapon, we may be overmatched. We should take this news to Audrahni and see what she has to say."

"How do we deal with the haunt?"

"Usually, by exorcising it with holy power or by putting whatever caused the haunt right. Moon has the right of it."

Audrahni listens to what you have learned with a grim expression. ”I confess, I do not know much about those who dwell in Peacock Manor. But I will try to learn more about them for you.

“In the meantime, I spoke with Desil at the chapel and told him you were going to investigate the appearance of Roderic's ghost. He bade me deliver these items to you to help in your task." The elf hands you a silk pouch containing a wand of cure light wounds with 13 charges and six vials of holy water.

"If Roderic is indeed haunting his house, he may be very dangerous. The wand can harm his undead spirit as surely as you can use it to heal yourselves. You should focus on exploring and looking for clues on how to put the ghost to rest, rather than directly confronting him. Don't hesitate to flee if things get too dicey--better to regroup and try again than to die."

Feeling a slight chill in the air, Ellana looks around with confusion as everyone in the street looks taken aback by the cold.

"We will just have to put old Roderic right. Fi here is clearly destined to help with this one." Elanna says, indulging her sister's newfound beliefs for a short second.

"Thank you Audrahni, I'm sure Triel here can look after these, she seems to know of these unnatural things." Elanna tries to hide the disapproval of Triel's knowledge, but doesn't quite manage to cover it all up.

"Now, this haunted house seems like an exciting adventure - just like going to the fair-ground, I'm sure. A piece of cake."

Madame Hawk takes the offered wand and holy water. "Thank you."

"Though considering how he's being disturbed by violence, he may be open to conversation..."

When the haunt manifests, Fioralba seems confused. "I thought that Sir Roderic was here as a beneficial spirit, to help. Why would he be causing something that was hurtful to his people in his town? Perhaps he cannot control it?"

---

Fi holds her hand out for the wand and looks it over once Triel gives it to her, identifying the properties and explaining to the others what they are used for whether they asked or not. She hands the wand to Screaming Moon and asks him "Do you know how to use this?" It is not asked in any way to mock or make fun of him, she is genuinely curious.

"If that haunt was is a sign of things to come, we should expect Sir Roderic to cause even more dangerous problems. I suggest we proceed to this house right away." Because, why shouldn't you be running headlong into the most dangerous place possible?

"Perhaps we should do some research on the Manor first. While we know Sir Roderic will be there, we have no idea who else has decided to move in with him."

Fi looks at Triel and nods "Yes, of course... It's always prudent to do research first, i agree completely. My sister and I are not from around here. Do you have suggestions on where we should start? Should we try to gather some background on the manor or Sir Roderic himself, perhaps? Or should we continue our research into the massacre, perhaps?

Madame Hawk taps the beak of her mask in thought. "Gathering information on both the manor and the man would be ideal. We especially need to know if anyone else is squatting in the manor--and whether or not they would be accommodating towards prospective investigators."

Fioralba's go-to location is always the library. She spends a considerable amount of time with her nose pressed in a book researching about the arcane ways in her somewhat-fruitless endeavor to gain and possess untold arcane power. "Is there a location in town with historical information like a library or museum dedicated to Sir Roderic we could visit perhaps? Or a town historian?"

Gather Information: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Fioralba sets about bothering people nearby trying to get answers to these questions, but is completely fruitless in her pursuit for answers. "I don't think anyone cared very much to speak to me. They were all looking at me strange, like I was dangerous. Perhaps more people have been spreading rumors about us again?" she says, frowning for the first time today.

"Is there a location in town with historical information like a library or museum dedicated to Sir Roderic we could visit perhaps? Or a town historian?"

"I'm afraid the closest thing to that would be the Cove Hall--where Port-Governor Thort makes her office."

Upon hearing of Fi's disappointing results in gathering information, Madame Hawk begins her own efforts to learn of Sir Roderic and Peacock Manor.

Diplomacy (Gather Information): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

As they discussed how to proceed in this investigation Hope was trying to figure out how she let herself be roped into it. The town hadn't done anything for her, hell they barely tolerated her, why should she care about saving them? She looked at those she was with and then knew why. She wasn't going to do this for the town, f!#! them! Ella had given her food and Screaming Moon was going to feed her rather than turn her in for trying to rob him. She would do it to help those who were kind to her.

"I'm not any good at research, and the people won't talk to me, but I can sneak if we need it. I can destroy things as well when the time comes." She didn't seem to have any idea what she could do in the meantime.

Madame Hawk glances at Hope during a break in her information-gathering rounds.

"Miss Hope, was it?" She tilts her head at the young woman. "I don't believe we've met before today."

Hours: 1d4 ⇒ 2

It takes a couple of hours, but Hawk is able to piece together Sir Roderic’s history:

When Sir Aurek Roderic first arrived at this cove as he was exploring the upper reaches of the Lost Coast, he fell in love with the cool river threading through the lush evergreen forest. After founding Roderic’s Cove and deciding where its docks would reach out into the river, Sir Roderic chose to build his own home slightly outside of town around a small bend, where the river actually met the Varisian Gulf. His chosen location was one that was easy to cast off from, yet hard to spot from open waters. He employed several of the first settlers to Roderic’s Cove to build this home, and they completed the project well ahead of schedule, all while building other structures in the town proper.

Once enough families were established and it looked like they would make it through the winter, Roderic became obsessed with protecting the village that was his namesake. He set out every day at dawn to patrol the waters where the Chavali River met the Varisian Gulf, showing an active threat to any who might exploit the people who chose to follow him to this remote location. During this time, Riddleport flourished, and Roderic’s Cove feared that they would be outshone by the rough-and-tumble port.

Roderic died at sea, a fate that meets many sailors, yet few shared Roderic’s tragic doom, for his boat sank with his entire family on board. While returning to town after a day out sailing, Sir Roderic and his family were attacked by a group of Riddleport pirates whom Roderic had greatly inconvenienced the previous year. While he could have saved himself, he sacrificed his life to try— unsuccessfully—to rescue his family. He ultimately failed, and his body, along with those of his family, washed up on shore, ironically amid the pilings of the small private pier attached to his home. Ever since, his unquiet spirit lingers in the region, seeking ever to protect the town that’s become his namesake, if not always the citizens who dwell within!

Post-Info Gathering

"Hmm. It appears Sir Roderic's story is quite a tragic one." Madame Hawk taps the beak of her mask. "Building this town and doing everything he could to defend it, only to be rewarded for his efforts with the deaths of his entire family and himself..."

"...small wonder his ghost remains here."

HEY. Fi gave food Hope first. Get your facts straight!

When Triel recalls the story, Fioralba nods as the pieces snap together. "Such a tragic story..., but it all makes sense now. Do you recall water was streaming from his mouth? It appears that was a result of his dying. Not quite sure how this helps us, but I'm sure it won't hurt having gathered this information. Well done, Madame Hawk. Well done indeed."

Looking around at her new "companions", she asks "Do you think we are going to learn more? Perhaps not. I think we should visit the manor now." she decides, waving the others on. She starts walking but stops almost immediately, "Uhm. Which way is it?"

Madame Hawk takes the opportunity to take the lead. "Follow me, please."

Yeah, all you twins look alike. '-P

Ellana does not help with the academic research. Fi knows full well that she does not have the patience for such things and prefers to learn through experience. She spends most of her time playing with Screaming Moon's little Fox, cooing over it with a silly voice; "Oooh, aren't you such a cute thing, you little foxy woxy."

As soon as the research is done, she is more than happy to listen to the results and get involved.

"Do we think we will experience any more of those 'haunts' Madam Hawk was explaining earlier? I'm really hoping there will be nothing to do with water as he drowned. I'd just hate to get my hair wet." Elanna queries as they make their way to the Manor.