Curse of the Crimson Throne / Edge of Anarchy (Aardvark DM) (Inactive)

Game Master Troy Malovich

DM Cloud

Damersel can't stop glancing toward Yamiko with a worried look. I'm not sure about this one. Not only does she revere a contemptuous god, but she openly admits to acts of evil. I have to see how this plays out though, for the sake of the missing child and Lamm being brought to justice. He thinks to himself looking back toward the shuffling harrow deck.

Nodding at Yamiko, Zellara proceeds to tell your fortune.

"Let us hope that the Harrow foretells happier times in your future, dark-touched one."

Your chosen card is the Crows.

"An evil card, it tells me that you have been separated from loved ones in the past and that in the future, forces will conspire to keep you separate from any you become close to."

Re-shuffling the card into the deck, she deals nine cards out into a three by three square pattern and interprets it in the following order:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

1: The Empty Throne
2: The Eclipse
3: The Waxworks
4: The Beating
5: The Marriage
6: The Inquisitor
7: The Liar
8: The Idiot
9: The Keep

She takes longer than usual to look over the spread, a puzzled look on her face.

"A strange spread, almost as if the cards are at odds with themselves. The strongly positioned Empty Throne speaks of great loss in your past, but that loss has given you fortunes that have helped you make your way in the world. The Liar speaks that betrayal as well has tainted your dark past. The Idiot dominates your present, for good or more likely, ill, foolishness and greed will affect you soon, although it may not be your own. The Harrow is largely silent on your future, other than The Waxworks, which speaks to an abundance of enthusiasm and energy within you that will prove useful."

You gain one Harrow point from the reading and your Chosen card is the Crows.

Gathering the cards again, she turns to Damersel.

"Hopefully the cards will be kinder to you, holy warrior. Yet the Harrow is not known to be lenient..."

Your chosen card is the Juggler.

"A good start, the Juggler is a sign that fate has smiled upon you in the past and will again in the future."

Re-shuffling the card into the deck, she deals nine cards out into a three by three square pattern and interprets it in the following order:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

1: The Bear
2: The Inquisitor
3: The Locksmith
4: The Keep
5: The Twin
6: The Carnival
7: The Snakebite
8: The Rabbit Prince
9: The Bear

"Interesting, the cards speak little of you, but speak strongly when they do speak. Your past is of little interest to them, other than to mention that poisoned minds have had a strong influence in it. The Twin dominates your present in a strong position, implying that you have dual purposes that may soon come to odds with each other. An equally strong effect over your future is held by the Carnival. It foretells illusions and false dreams, beware, for all will not be as it appears."

Damersel, you get three Harrow points and your Chosen card is the Juggler.

Surprisingly, after giving Damersel his Harrowing, Zellara begins to deal out another spread before the empty chair at the table.

"While divining the Harrow for each of you, I sensed a missing part to the process. I believe that before you are finished, another shall join your mission. Let us see what the Harrow can tell us about them."

She selects the Chosen card by tossing nine cards in the air and letting them come to rest in front of one of the tapestries. She picks up the one closest to the tapestry.

"The Cricket, ah, well for good or ill, this one will be speedy about his doings."

Re-shuffling the card into the deck, she deals nine cards out into a three by three square pattern and interprets it in the following order:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

1: The Inquisitor
2: The Big Sky
3: The Juggler
4: The Waxworks
5: The Tyrant
6: The Forge
7: The Eclipse
8: The Joke
9: The Brass Dwarf

"Hmm.... a strong, though muddled reading... The Eclipse dominates his past, speaking to self-doubt and loss of purpose. The Inquisitor suggests this was a result of encountering the cold, hard truths of this world. The Big Sky and The Joke vie for his present, speaking of escapes from dire situations through trickery and guile. The Juggler is strongly positioned in his future, so fate will be on his side. The Forge suggests that strength will be found through combining many elements, not sticking with one aspect alone."

Rutter, you gain two Harrow points and your Chosen card is the Cricket.

"Now that all five of us have had a reading, where do we go from here?

Five indicating that Zellara did five readings, not that Copper somehow knows Rutter is in the room.

Zellara slumps a bit in her chair, obviously drained from the readings.

"Dark pasts you all seem to have, but I would expect nothing else from those who Lamm has hurt. However, you have all found your way in the world and hope lies ahead of you. May you bring justice to Lamm and in doing so, make this world a better place."

"Well Zellara. We need to thank you for arranging to give us this opportunity." Senjin stands and gives the tired woman's shoulder a soft squeeze. "We will see your son avenged."

Addressing the others, "As to our fifth, I am not sure we will recognize him or her once we leave this home. Maybe we should just approach the biggest guy we come across and propose he join us. Odds are he also has a grudge against Lamm, and we could use the muscle." Senjin ends with a half-hearted smile that quickly fades.

Damersel grabs Zellara's hand, holding it in both of his. "Thank you Zellara. By my honor, we will bring Lamm to justice."

Damersel then turns to the others. "If the cards say there is a fifth, then we should not have to pick them out. By fate we will meet."

"I agree with Damersel. If the cards say we are supposed to have another, we shouldn't need to go looking for them. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention to those we encounter, in case one of them might be our fifth.

Looking back to Zellara, Copper asks, "Do you happen to know where we can find Lamm, or any information that will help us track him down?"

"Let her rest. She has given us enough. We will check out this address and see if her contacts hold true. She had said he can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17."

Senjin pulls his cloak hood back up and retrieves his large axe from against the wall. He looks ready to set out.

Zellara nods to Senjin and Damersel, thanking them for their kind words.

"Yes, Westpier 17 is where Lamm can be found. He rarely ventures forth from there, relying on his underlings to run his dirty errands.

Yea, I forgot it was posted. Sorry lol.

Copper picks up his crossbow, takes a bolt from his pack and loads it,"I'm ready whenever you are. Let's go get this bastard.

"Yes, let us go. We have young lives hanging in the balance."

Lamm Shall be slain and his blood licked off from the barbs of my chains. i say we find him as soon as possible. the sooner he dies, the faster i can try to get strings pulled. Yamiko says as she plans the best way to kill Gaedren within her own mind. No more shall that man harm the life of another youth.

Just FYI, in general, I won't be able to post much on weekends, so this is probably my last one until Monday.

As you leave Zellara's, the mists of Korvosa swirl around you, lending an eerie feel to the night that puts you all on edge. It brings thoughts of the Harrowing that you received close to your mind and makes you wonder what fortune the night may bring.

If you head to the location that Zellara described, Westpier 17, this is what you find when you reach it.

A dilapidated warehouse stands behind the faded sign marking Westpier 17. A stench of rotten fish pervades the atmosphere here, overwhelming even the normal aromas of the docks. An ancient vessel lists at moorings, rotted beyond any sense of seaworthiness and only held afloat by the moldy ropes fastening it to the dock.

Here's an outline of the building if you want to plan your entrance.
Westpier 17

As the gang makes its way toward the pier, a dirty halfling sidles up to Senjin. He has long, dark, stringy hair and thick stubble on his chin. He wears a beaten, long-brimmed hat and an equally worn leather longcoat with a high collar. His collarless shirt was clearly white at one time, but now it's a dingy yellow and has several stains. His ruddy skin looks as leathery as his coat, and he has a scar across the bridge of a nose that has clearly been broken at least once.

"So, uh, what's the rush?" Rutter has a knowing smile. "I'm the fifth. Cricket card? Old Harrower lady who can see through tapestries? You're the Sable Company man, she [nodding his head at Yamiko] wants to lick his blood off her chain, the half-elf wants to redeem him. I was there. I can be pretty stealthy when I want to be. Let me scout the place before you all go barging in. Oh, my name's Rutter, since you lot probably care about that kind of thing."

Senjin gives a wry smile, lost in his cloak hood. So much for the muscle. But Zellara called this one right, The Cricket. Although this Rutter, does not look like the type to enjoy having this pointed out to him. And he does have a point that right now we could use a 'Cricket' to scout this place.

"Welcome to our little revenge party, Rutter. Yeah, so I guess introductions are not needed. That warehouse over there is the place, and it would be good to get a look through those windows and check out that side door. And I agree that I am not in a hurry to go through that front door, either."

"If he wants to go take a look around, that sounds like a fine plan to me."

Addressing Rutter, "Be careful."

Knowledge Local 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 to know anything about this place.

Senjin finds a dark shadow to wait out Rutter's scouting. Preferabley where he can see down the length of the pier along the fishery. He will keep an eye out and be prepared to rush to Rutter's aid if he sees trouble.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Copper moves into a spot to hide and wait, trying to keep himself in a spot where he can keep as many of the others in sight as possible, should they need assistance.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Yamiko will also observe the enviroment with Copper and Senjin. preferably from the shadows.

stealth check

1d20 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0

perception check

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

it turns out Yamiko found no shadows to hide between for her cautious observation. cursing her inability to hide an beneath her breath, wishing she had a mithril cuirass beneath her kimono instead.

All appears quiet on the docks, other than an occasional stray cat or drunken fishermen stumbling home, there doesn't appear to be much activity in the damp, foggy night.

Rutter, if you're scouting out the building, let me know your plan of approach and make stealth and perception checks.

Also, all of you might want to check out the discussion thread if you haven't recently. Senjin had some good suggestions about running combat.

What's to the top and left of the fishery? I guess one side has to be water (the top?). Is there a building on the other side or some other obstruction? That pier looks like it could be noisy. Are there any vantage points from the abandoned warehouse to see inside the fishery?

As the rest of the party hides, Rutter scans the fishery for the most opportune points to get a look inside.

Here's perception and stealth checks in case you need them now. I can roll them again when Rutter moves in for a closer look through one of the windows.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

That is a bit confusing, sorry about that.

The left side of the building has what looks like a loading dock opening near the street, this is where goods were transferred from the warehouse to carts. The farthest 2/3 or so of the warehouse are out over the river, with no walkway as there is on right side.

So at the top right of the map, by the boat, the walkway turns underneath the part of the warehouse that's over the water? Is the two-thirds of the warehouse that's over the water cut off at the top of the map? How many doors and windows are on the left side with the dock? (Or was it cut off because we're coming from the lower right side? In which case Rutter would sneak around the front to that side to check it out before deciding to try the walkway.)

I'll try to simplify the priorities, so you can move us forward.

1) If the left side was cut off intentionally (fog of war, or something), Rutter will sneak across the front of the building, listening at the first window (by the door) but not peeking in, but peeking in the second window in the front, then peeking around the side to see how many doors & windows there are there.

2) If Rutter knows what's on the left side of the building, and that walkway does go under the building, he'll try to sneak along the walkway. If the first couple steps sound creaky, he'll probably back off, but if they're not as creaky as they look, he'll continue. He'll look in all three windows as he goes.

3) If the steps are as creaky as they look, he'll sneak across the front, as described in option one.

You can roll any rolls needed for this. Rutter has a +11 to stealth and a +6 to perception.

Hope all that's clear.

As Copper waits and watches quietly, with crossbow in hand, he thinks to himself, I hope that little guy knows what he's doing. Heck, I hope I know what I'm doing. I barely know more than these people's names and I just went along with them. I'm placing my life in their hands...this better be worth it.

Had a post written up last night at home and got distracted and never posted. DOH!

Damersel attempts to find a spot in the shadows close to his new companions with a adequate view. I'm starting to think that maybe Lamm has been given enough chances. No one can tell how many times he has done what he did to me to others with a worse result. Lamm is evil and I don't think he can be redeemed. Let us hope I am making the right decision doing this. Damersel thinks as he shuffles around in the road, unable to find a hiding spot.

Stealth 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2
Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Ouch, let's hope that gets better.

Hopefully this image helps explain the situation better.

Westpier 17

The walkway doesn't go under the building. There is one upper walkway on the south side of the building and a lower, floating walkway, also on the south side of the building. Ignore the windows on the west side of the lower level, the warehouse is built into the bank there, and I'm pretty sure it was a mistake on the mapmaker's part to put them in there.

Aargh! Had a longer post written up, but the boards ate it.

As Rutter reconnoiters the building, he sees a low-ceilinged lower level with a floating walkway leading to the barge. There's no obvious way to get to the lower level other than through the building or by swimming.

He also sees an large opening on the north wall that leads to a dark interior which even his sharp eyes cannot penetrate. Peering through the northernmost window on the front of the building, he sees a double door close to the window on the north wall. The room has a few dimly outlined pieces of furniture, but is dominated by a long, low trough in the middle of the room. Faint glimmers of light hint of doors or other openings in eastern and southern walls.

Rutter will go ahead and try the walkway. He'll listen again at the window by the door on the west side of the fishery, but not look in. If the first couple steps of the walkway creak, then he'll go back and look in that window first, and if he sees no people, he'll finally try the walkway, even though it creaks. If the walkway doesn't creak, he'll check the windows on the south side. Again, you can roll his stealth and perception checks.

Perception check for listening at west window
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Listening attentively, Rutter doesn't hear anything except for the gentle slap of waves against the docks.

Stealth check for sneaking along the building and onto the walkway
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
The walkway is wet and slippery from the night's fog and rotten in places, but it doesn't creak. He creeps along the side of the building, the stench of rotten fish even stronger now.

Perception check for peering in the first window on the south wall
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
The moonlight shines through the mists, illuminating a small room with three bunks in it. It appears that each of the bunks is occupied by a sleeping person.

Not sure if you'll continue on to the further window, but if you do. Perception check.
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

The second window opens into a much larger room than the first and you can only see about a dozen feet from the window. You see several hammocks hanging from the walls and support pillars, each with a small form asleep in it. Your keen ears pick up a faint, rhythmic clacking, which your instincts tell you is most likely a guard dog prowling the room.

The windows are glass, but do not open. The bunkroom does not have the double front doors opening to it. The door on the west side is not visible from any of the windows, it probably opens into a hallway or windowless room. The last window opens into the same hammock filled room.

Stealth Check for sneaking along the walkway toward the decrepit barge.
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Perception check
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Quieter than a ghost, Rutter pads along the walkway and around the edge of the barge. The northern half of the deck is open, while a rotting cabin rises close to the walkway. The rotten deck of the this ancient barge seems to be barely intact, its hull worn and thick with seaweed and barnacles. The barge is held together primarily by the layers of old rope that lash it securely to the pilings that support the fishery and the nearby boardwalk. A single wooden door leading into the aft cabin bears a crude painting of a red fish on its surface.

Were there any visible doors in that bunkroom? Meanwhile, Rutter will finally take a look inside the front window.

There was a door on the opposite wall from the window of the bunkroom. Also, I missed your question about the door situation above. Other than the loading dock opening on the north side, all of the doors are closed and have locks on them. I assume that you would probably gently check the handles on your way, which reveals that the doors are indeed locked. Also, the large room with hammocks in it has a lower floor than the others, about 5 feet above the water. A catwalk leads around the edge, allowing access to the front portion of the warehouse. Stealth check for creeping back along the walkway to the front of the building.
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Making less noise than an owl in flight, Rutter makes his way back along the walkway and peers in the window nearest the front door.

Perception1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

A single desk sits in the middle of this room, a moldy chair pushed up against the far side. A small pile of ratty furs and straw is heaped under the table.

New map, reflecting what you've learned on your reconnaissance.

Westpier 17 revealed

Rutter checks the front door for traps, then (assuming there isn't any) pulls out his picks and goes to work.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Disable device: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Stealthy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

If that disable check isn't enough to get in, he'll try again until he gets it or he hears anything moving inside. When he gets in, he'll make sure the doors to the north and east of that room are closed, and see if they can be locked from that front room. Then, he'll check the door leading into the bunkroom for traps, pick the lock if necessary, and sneak in. He'll get a better look at the other two guys in the room before he decides what to do.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Disable device: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Stealthy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Seeing Rutter disappear inside the building, Senjin beckons to the others and quickly crosses the street and takes up a position by the door. He takes a quick look inside to spot the Halfling.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

The lock proves more complicated than expected, but Rutter manages to open it after a few minutes with barely a sound.

Unless directly stated, none of the interior doors will have locks. None of the doors off of the first room have one.

In addition to the gnome, a slightly built human and a massive half-orc slumber away in the bunk room. None of them move as you slowly open the door.

Seeing Senjin motion to him and the others, Damersel quickly crosses the road trying to keep up. He draws his scimitar and readies his shield just in case anything gets out of hand.

Copper quietly follows the others, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder as he moves to free up his hands, which begin moving into arcane shapes. He whispers to himself, "Het pantser van mage zal me protesteren."

Cast Mage Armor on self. Lasts for 1 hour.

Hookshanks gurgles as he is rudely awakened by the sensation of choking on his own blood. You see a flicker of surprise and recognition as he looks into your eyes briefly before he dies.

Rolling Stealth for Rutter staying quiet as he moves about the room doing his deadly work.
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

As Rutter moves to cut the human's throat, the human jerks in his sleep a split second before the blade cuts into him. Although it penetrates the side of his neck and blood sprays over the bed, it does not penetrate the windpipe. The human jerks awake, struggling violently against Rutter and yelling as loud as he can through the muffled cloth. Hearing the struggle, the half-orc's eyes snap open.

Rolling initiatives for the group
Rutter: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Senjin: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Damersel: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Copper: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Yamiko: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

You have the surprise round to act. In addition the human and half-orc are starting prone with no weapons in hand. Both of their flat-footed (unarmored) ACs is 10. The lighting is dim light, 20% concealment unless you have darkvision. I should have a new map up shortly, but feel free to describe your actions before then.

SURPRISE ROUND; INITIATIVE 18

Senjin will enter the building and move toward the open door to the right, toward the sounds of scuffling. He has enough movement to bring him inside the door to the bunkhouse. From there he will prepare to bring his bardiche down on what he encounters.

Okay, for better or worse, I'm trying something new and fancy with the map. I'm using Dabbleboard, which is an online collaborative drawing tool. It runs on flash and it worked okay in Firefox and Chrome, not sure how IE will respond. Let me know your experiences with it, you should be able to move your own characters on it and it looks nice, hopefully it works for everybody! Link here:

Fishery interactive map

SURPRISE ROUND; INITIATIVE 14

Damersel moves into the room trying to get a glimpse inside. He readies his scimitar and shield in case of danger.

Readied Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15 Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Stealth 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (9) - 2 = 7
I like the map, pretty neat.

I like the map too, pretty neat. I am going to try this for some other games I got running, Thanks.

It just took a minute to work everything out but as a help to others: Just click on your icon, click the move symbol and drag your icon to the new location. And then hit save at the top of the screen.

I figure Rutter is going to finish off his target, so my movement should be safe from edits.

Suprise Round; Initiative 9

Copper moves into the room, sticking next to Damersel.

Is the top of the map East?
Also, I like the map, but cant view it at work; can view it on my phone, but its so small I cant click on my icon to move it, and the screen wont let me make the dang thing bigger. When I get my home pc back from the shop, I can move myself from there, Im sure. Until then, someone please move my icon for me. Put me directly below Damersel on the map.