There are in game benefits for befriending these other actors.
Garrand will scowl at Thesing Umbero Ulvauno contemptuously, "Ulvauno."
Garrand will take the opportunity to talk with each of the participants when he can find them by themselves. Unlike his obvious contempt for Ulvauno, he is all smiles for the others.
To Robahl Nonon—Infamous Director, "It is my great honor maestro to finally have a opportunity to work with you."
To Visbaronetess Delour Aulamaxa —Arrogant Diva, "It has always been my ambition to have a chance to share the stage as you Visbaronetess. I can only hope my poor skills don't detract from your stellar performance."
To Calseinica Nymm is—Rising Starlet, "My dear! Your name is on everyone's lips. I am so glad that I have this chance to share the stage with you this early in your career. With your natural talent soon you'll be acting in venues well beyond my meager reach."
To Millech the Hump, "Ah, and here's the most important man in the company!" He'll give the man a knowing look, "You receive none of the glory or accolades and yet without you the whole production falls to pieces doesn't it."
Robahl Nonon: Ah yes well at least SOMEONE around here has a brain at least! Do as I say son and you may have a career ahead of you.
Garrand. You are no longer the target of his frequent tirades, and
gain a +4 morale bonus on all skill checks made in a performance of a play Robahl directs.
Visbardnetess Delour Aulamaxa. Your flattery almost wins her over but you catch sight of the beautiful Calseinica half way through your flatery to the Diva Away from me you CAD! You should be no where near this production!
Calseinica Nymm You are too kind sir. I am just happy to be here is all. This is all so exciting! I can't wait to see how they fake the "deadly" fights of this play! HeHe
Garrand. A character who befriends Calseinica finds that her mere presence is inspiring during a performance, and thus gains a +2 bonus on all skill checks made during the performance. The character playing Larazod gains
a +4 bonus due to the close relationship between their characters on stage.
You will need to convince Robahl that you have no intrest in Calseinica or you will not only loose his friendship but will become his bitter rival.
Milech the Hump Yes well we will see... Despite the cold response over the next few days Milech acts as friendly to you as he can muster. You get the feeling if things start to go badly he would have your back.
Garrand gets the part of Larazod the Tifeling. One of the play’s two starring roles (the other being, of course, Montigny Haanderthan, who is being played by Thesing).
Adria with her display of spell casting gets the part of Dentris the Wizard. A sharp-tongued wizard who has a knack for biting insults
and a quick wit, and who acts almost as a father figure to Larazod.
Sorsha is given the roll of Tybain the Paladin. Tybain is the comic relief of the play, a bumbling paladin whose devotion to Aroden is even more comical in this age, due to the deity’s death. Robahl thinks having a halfling play the role will bring even more laughs! Traditionally, Tybain is the character who dies first in the play, but the longer he can survive, often the better the play is received.
Nilus is given the roll of Drovalid. Drovalid is the torturer of Larazod who has a change of heart and joins Larazod’s side to protect him. Drovalid is the toughest character in the play and he often ends up being the star combatant of the performance. I hope Nilus has no problems whipping Garrand.
The last matter to cover before rehearsals can begin in earnest is the matter of payment—Robahl informs the PCs and the NPCs that all of them will be paid a percentage of the house’s take from the performance.
Thus, it is in the interest of everyone involved to make the performance as great as possible, and to spend the next several days promoting the production. Until the performance is over, the exact amount of each character’s payment is unknown, but Robahl does tell each of the PCs, in private, that they’ll be paid 5% of the house’s total take after the performance, with a possible bonus (at his discretion) for jobs well done.
Once the rolls are cast, Robahl doesn’t want to delay. He explains that the performance for the mayor at the Nightshade Theater is scheduled to occur in 1 week, leaving only 7 days to get to know your parts. The night before the performance, the group is scheduled to do a
public dress rehearsal at the Limehouse, although this dress rehearsal will exclude the actual onstage combats and trials, instead being the shorter, “false” version of the play. It’s mostly just a chance to make sure everyone knows his lines and role, and to make sure you can handle performing before one of the rowdiest audiences in Westcrown. If you can pull off your roles at the Limehouse, you should have no problem with the Nightshade, Robahl explains.
As the 7 days pass, you are expected to be available for rehearsals, costume fittings, and the like from sunup to sundown, every day. This essentially means you’ll be spending about 12 hours a day at the Limehouse.
Anything you want to say or do before we move on to day one rehersal?
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During the grueling interview process Adria sits on the bench beside Visbardnetess Delour Aulamaxa between tirades. Adria pulls out a pearl flask and takes a swig, then offers it to the Diva: Your masquera's running madam. Perhapse a little pick-me-up is in order?
Whatever the Diva's reaction, Adria just shrugs and winks back a second drink to loosen her up for the next tirade.
Diva: HOW DARE YOU! My makeup is Flawless! She stands up and stomps off.
lol
So, you from around here? Your legs must be tired...because you've been running through my mind all day.
Are you religious? 'Cause you're the answer to all my prayers.
Nilus does his best to impress the ladies.....he fails like a champ.
So he goes flex for them and shows his swordsmanship
Calseinica seeing Nilus's display of arms. MY! You are a real swordsman? How impressive! Well I feel much safer knowing you are on stage with me! 'giggles'
Nilus you have made a friend of Calseinica and an enemy of Robahl.
Robahl directs far more abuse your way than any other actors.
Garrand you siding with Cal or Robahl?
NilusYou will get a +2 bonus on all skill checks made during the performance.
Garrand you siding with Cal or Robahl?
Both. With Calseinica he'll take on the role of devoted older brother, with Robahl the eager student. He'll make sure to mention to Robahl how much Calseinica reminds him of his own sister.
Sounds good. He has a big enough ego to believe it.
Lol Robahl
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Unsuccessful with the Diva, Adria will try her charms on Calseinica:
Y'know I don't care what that sharp-tongued producer says about you, I've always found your work exquisite. Remember that one scene in that one play where you were a ballet snow monkey? Girl, you had some ATTITUDE! Adria holds her hand up for a high five...
*sh%^*
Thank you always nice to hear from a fan.
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Adria slides her "high fived" hand through her hair as though she ment to slick it back all along. Yeah, well, looking forward to working with a master mistress of the theater.
She talks to the Hump
Highya champ! You know when I first saw you I though you were the great Alfonso Beaufinetty, the famous actor...you look JUST like him!
So, uh Boss. How'd you like me to capture Drovalid's inner anger at the tielfling. Like this?
Nilus launches himself into a display of martial prowess
Or perhaps Drovild is more of the comedic role?
Nilus says to the Director, clearly not knowing what the heck he is supposed to be doing.
On the flip side, I DO get to hit Garrand a few times!
"Oh my stars, I am so lucky! To think I will be directed by the world's greatest living director!"
On being introduced to the visbaroness, Sorsha curtsies and says "I have long been an admirer of your talent, my lady"
"And to think we will be assisting the greatest actor of our age in this rarest of performances! Do please condescend to let us know how we can help you in your role?" Sorsha pleads
AdriaDespite your strange approach Milech is not used to beautiful women talking to him and he takes a liking to you.
NilusRobahl feels you are trying to steal Calsenica from him. But you are quite the swordsman. Robahl Do what you do best swing that sword and try not to ruin my play.
Sorsha make some diplomacy rolls to see how you win them over if you like.
Gonna move forward.
For the first day you spend much of the day being fitted for costumes. A mix of practical makeup, complex material costumes, and magic, these costumes are quite intricate and must be customized to each person. Robahl encourages you to bring all of your favorite gear, armor, and weapons to these fittings, explaining that when the final play is performed, they'll need all the help they can get to endure and survive the spectacle. The bulk of the costume design is handled by Millech—the characters' costumes are all already completed, but adjustments for everyone's size, gender, and gear must be made by a small army of tailors he contracts to work overnight to make the costumes fit perfectly, and all of the your gear is incorporated tastefully and skillfully.
You win over the Diva! She think's you are just darling. Is is quite condensing toward you and treats you more of a servant then a true friend. But it does have its privileges. Securing Aulamaxa's friendship allows a you to namedrop her once per day when purchasing anything in Westcrown worth a minimum of 100 gp—doing so grants a 20% price reduction from the actual price of the object being purchased. You will need to keep in touch with Aulamaxa to maintain this benefit after the show is over.
Day Two: Most of this day consists of the learning your lines and the blocking of motions and actions during the play. Robahl spends most of his time working with Millech to get all of the lighting and effects under control, this gives you the chance to practice your lines and spend
time with Calseinica, Delour, and Thesing if you wish.
Day Three: Robahl starts doing full dry runs of the entire play during the day. Robahl spends much of his time with Calseinica and Garrand. Make a DC 15 Perform (act) check; each success indicates that you are growing more comfortable in your role. For each successful check, the party's Popularity increases by +2.
Day Four: This day goes much like Day Three, but by this point, you start to notice anticipation building in the city. When you leave the theater (perhaps to go get lunch, or to relax later in the evening) you hear town criers announce the "legendary skills" of the four of you who have "played to royalty in ten kingdoms". In the evenings crowds begin to form around the playhouse.
On day four at lunch all four of you are eating at a nearby tavern when a woman comes up to you.
Woman with a thick accent.
Oh my youse be those ack-tors that has dun played before Kings and such! She seems to yell at the top of her lungs.
Perhaps Nilus is getting into the role of Drovalid because he relishes the idea of beating people up?
What's all this about!! By Abadar's Golden Balls! I'm trying to eat here.
Woman:
AWW don't be like that! Give us a sneak peak! Jus fer us poor folk!
A small crowd is starting to gather as 2 men and a woman with a male child. They all seem to want to see some acting from the famous hero's.
Hell yeah Nilus will do some swaggering
Sure, lemme show ya hows it done
He whips his sword around and does a few basic combat maneuvers.
Sorsha applauds Nilus' 'performance' vociferously.
Popularity 26
Nilus's performance only has the crowd wanting more.
On the flip side, I DO get to hit Garrand a few times!
Garrand will spend his time smoozing with the other actors. He'll make sure that he's not upstaging anyone but use his performance to enhance theirs, even Ulvauno's. If he's going to make the man look foolish he'll wait for the actual performance <evil grin>.
Popularity 28.
Between Nilus and Adria giving gifts the crowd disperses happy and spread the word even further of your upcoming performance.
Popularity 34.
Day 5
By this point, the play is running pretty smoothly. Robahl picks out a particular problem spot for each of you however and has you go over the scene again and again. At this point, you must make a Perform (act) check, this one against DC 20.
Success indicates that you are making progress, and from here on out you will gain a +2 bonus on all Perform (act) checks to portray your specific role. Failure brings a wave of insults from Robahl, who eventually accepts the performance, muttering how it is a waste of time to expect anything but mediocrity from mediocrity.
Day 6
This is the last day to iron out problem scenes before the dress rehearsal. Make one more perform (act) check.
Nilus feels pretty useless.
And this time he feels slightly less useless.
Garrand
Garrand
Adria
Adria
As practice concludes at the end of the evening on day 6, Robahl confronts the Adria It's unfortunately too late to fire you and find a better
actor, or to hire a second illusionist to replace you with an effect. We're all stuck with you, is what I'm saying, so to soften the blow of your dulcet tones, I think you should wear this during the play. At this point, he hands the Adria a circlet of persuasion to wear.
Day 7
The first part of this day is spent tightening up any last minute issues with scenes or other logistics—the public dress rehearsal is scheduled to begin at 4:00 in the afternoon.
The Limehouse fills quickly as the time for the dress rehearsal draws near—by 4:00, the theater is packed with nearly a hundred excited, noisy theater patrons eager to see flubbed lines, missed cues, and not-quite-special effects.
The din of the crowd is fairly intimidating—this is not an audience interested in remaining quiet and respectful during a performance. Just before the dress rehearsal begins, Robahl offers some last advice: Do your job. Ignore the rabble. If they throw something, take it and
move on. Anything less than them actually starting a fire is not cause to stop the performance.
For the dress rehearsal, Garrand needs to make a series of seven DC 20 Perform (act) checks (one for each of the play's acts).
The rest of you aid this check by making your own DC 10 Perform (act)
checks—each of these successes increases Garrand's result by +2. Each time Garrand makes his DC 20 check, the audience cheers and you all gain in Popularity by +10. Each time Garrand fails a Perform (act) check, however, the merciless Limehouse patrons unleash a round of heckling and abuse.
Garrand needs help in acts 1, 4, and 5
Still only an 18 in Act 1. Must be cold feet.
Act one Does not go so well Ripe tomatoes, cabbages, and small bags of weevil-infested flour and grain are hurled at the stage (the next act's Perform checks suffer a –2 penalty).
In Act 2
Garrand needs some help for act 2 after the beating you took in Act 1.
You help carry a great performance through Act 2.
Popularity 44.
Act 3 goes well 54 Popularity
Act Four goes quite well also. 64 Popularity
In act Five Adria forgets her lines but the crowd does not seem to notice. You have them totally enraptured through out the rest of the play.
94 Popularity at the end of the Dress Rehearsal.
After the performance, the audience cheers wildly with approval. Robahl has no words of encouragement in either case—he merely tells the actors to go home and get some rest, for the big day is tomorrow!
Seems we are doing pretty well, better than I thought....
The Nightshade Theater is the latest of Mayor Arvanxi's attempts to "bring culture to Westcrown," an exercise in excess and misery. From outside, the theater looks like nothing less than an iron and stone cathedral to some nameless evil god. Inside, the building is all soft lighting, thick red carpets, and devilish decor. Carvings and murals
of leering faces and tormented souls decorate the walls, while the ceilings hang with iron chandeliers. The main theater can seat approximately 250 individuals, all facing a relatively spacious stage.
In the back rooms, evidence of the Nightshade's recent construction is
apparent; crates of tools and equipment, unfinished walls, and bare wooden floors testify to the fact that only the parts of the building that the public sees are fully finished.
The play itself is scheduled to begin, at 4:00 in the afternoon. Robahl gathers his troupe at noon and leads them on a procession from the Limehouse to the Nightshade intended to show off the actors in their full costumes as they wind their way through the streets to the west, board a large barge, sail across the river, debark on Rego Aerum (the highclass island you have never set foot on before), and then proceed
to the imposing facade of the Nightshade itself. Once there, Robahl bundles you into the theater through a side entrance, sequestering
you in the green room with enough food and drink to keep everyoe happy
until the play begins.
You discover the stage has a false floor. Various stagehands rush about moving props and preparing scenes between acts, all overseen with expert precision by Millech, who takes position on the wooden catwalk that runs across the back 15 feet of the stage (above the area set apart by the
back curtains). These stagehands are employees of the Nightshade (and thus employees of the mayor), but are quite nervous—even terrified—at the rumors of what will be coming out on stage.
The majority of the play's deadlier aspects are wrangled by none other than Vestus Savaska a male human cleric, a high-ranking member of the church of Asmodeus who, after Mayor Arvanxi made a sizable donation, agreed not only to bless the construction of the Nightshade but to also provide the deadly props and creatures needed for this evening's performance of The Six Trials of Larazod.
You are able to catch only a glimpse of Vestus (the cleric spends the entire play backstage in his office, sipping wine and enjoying a plate of sweets during the performance, emerging only between acts into the prop room to prepare the next act's torments), the cleric however does
spend some time speaking with Robahl, informing the director of what he plans to use and working out with him how best to integrate things into the play.
Intimidated by the cleric, Robahl says little during their meeting, and emerges only a few minutes before the play is set to begin, appearing before you white-faced and sweating.
Asking details of what Robahl and the cleric spoke about Robahl merly
feigns a smile and says only, You'll do fine ... you'll do fine ... hit your marks and remember your lines, and you'll do fine ...
As 4:00 rolls around, the sound of bells in a nearby tower pealing out the hour, the growing rush and din in the auditorium calms. Robahl takes a deep breath, then steps onstage to greet the audience and give the following short speech.
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the premiere event at this wondrous new theater! Let me begin by extending my humblest thanks to the Church for providing the—how shall I say?—punch in tonight's spectacle. And also my sincere gratitude and thanks to our illustrious and benevolent lordmayor, Aberian Arvanxi.
With that, Robahl bows and returns backstage. The lights go down, the seven-piece orchestra plays a short introduction, and then Visbaronetness Aulamaxa takes the stage and sings for a few minutes to introduce the play. She finishes to a round of tremendous applause, the orchestra falls silent, and with a strangely uncharacteristic whisper
of encouragement from Robahl—the play begins!
When everyone is ready. Don't forget to add your bonuses from befriending the NPC's on your Act Rolls.
A high-backed obsidian bench stands up center. As the curtain rises, HAANDERTHAN (Thesing) himself perches there, an awesome figure of power looming above the shackled forms of LARAZOD (Garrand), TYBAIN (Shorsha), and DENTRIS(Adria). The other members of the COUNCIL, including the sultry ILSANDRA (Calseinica), flank out stage right and left of HAANDERTHAN'S tribunal bench. The hulking bearded devil BAILIFF(illusion) stands over them, spiked truncheon in his scabrous red, leather-like hands.
Order in the Tribunal. The Court of His Honor Paraduke Montigny Haanderthan, Black Tongue of Asmodeus, Magistrate Maleficarum, now holds session. All rise.
[B]Be seated, members of the Court. Today this court seeks truth, or at least shadows thereof, from one Larazod Rilsane, honored veteran of the Shadestar War, member of a once gloried house, of recent fallen in Asmodeus's regard. The accused stands on several counts of failed conspiracy, evidenced thereof by the industrious interrogations of
the court's own Seeker, Drovalid Vorclune(Nilus), administered with his usual diligence and severity. In these interviews Vorclune gathered from notable sources, only a few of whom survived their conversations with the lash, that Larazod of the Rilsane held audience with undesirables—
the topic of their whispered covenant the activities of none other than myself. A most serious affair. Service to Asmodeus's ever-darkening glory is never without risk of menace, betrayal, and threat of doom. My family and I have long suffered the bumbling attempts of assassins
who would tear at our dark lord's visage as casually as they befoul their mothers' beds. What they lack in cunning they bolster with sheer
desperation, evidenced by consorting with all manner of Aroden-suckling knaves, and aged wiz-worms who trust in mystic secrets over the Dark One's love. You hereby stand accused, Larazod, along with your ill seeming compatriots, of conspiracy to undertake grievous harm to the institution of this tribunal, namely myself, Paraduke Montigny Haanderthan. How answer thee these charges, Larazod of House Rilsane? Be thou maligned by a scandal-brewer's wagging tongue, or dost thou cleave to my comings and goings as a bloat fly to a fresh cadaver? Speak! And know that lies are my closest friends. They'll betray you before I. Speak the truth or do worse than die!