DM Alexander Kilcoynes Carrion Crown Game (Inactive)

Game Master Alexander Kilcoyne

"Five gold, then? We're agreed? And could you point us toward the records having to do with the victims of the fire at Harrowstone Prison?" Corinne drops the coins into the collection basket and smiles at him expectantly.

"A blessing you, indeed, child. But that appears to be 'well-wishing', not quite on par with 'the best of intentions."

Corinne narrows her eyes and purses her lips at the priest. She takes out 3 more coins and drops them deliberately in the basket. "Genealogical records for the victims of the Harrowgate fire," she insists. "Your collection must be extensive indeed to warrant such 'donations.' If you could show us where to begin our research?"

Father Grimburrow sighs. "I could, but there is simply so much to care for, I don't know how long it would take for my acolytes to look it up for you. Perhaps if their burdens were lighter..."

Morven snorts in contempt. The priest's innuendo and 'golden heart' would put a Ardis street whore to shame...

Stannis is visibly angry.

We are seeking information about a possible threat to the town and you quibble over gold. Are you a priest or a groccer?

Diplomacy 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

If that doesn't work he storms off.

Edit: Booyah. Give Corrinnes money back Father Greedy.

The gold is already in the pot :P

Father Grimburrow chuckles in his raspy tone. "Both, if rumors are to be believed! After all, most of the petitioners to the Lady of Graves are already dead and have little to give to support the faith. We wouldn't have a library for you to read if not for the generous contributions of those who came before. Likewise, you are helping some poor sod who will need our help in years to come." He waves you inside. "Here, follow me." He leads you through several dim hallways to an antechamber off of the main chapel. Inside is a room filled floor to ceiling with books and scrolls. You even spy a few more exotic tomes such as stacks of metal sheets bound with wire and bundles of sticks with writing spiraling around their circumference. Father Grimburrow squints at the shelves, then nods and pulls one book and places it on a table nearby. "Have fun!" With a wink he shuffles off back to the main chapel.

2 hours of study will give you a +4 bonus to a Knowledge (history) OR a Knowledge (local) check. You can make four checks before Father Grimburrow shows you out for the evening.

With the help of the library are we limited to DC10 on untrained knowledge skills? 4 checks each or between us?

Let's say that up to two people can read the book at the same time. So two people can make four checks each. You can make an untrained Intelligence check with the library, but only at a +2 bonus since you aren't familiar with what you should be looking for.

I don't have history or local, so i'm low priority here. Corinne has history and Quiddling local, I saythese two make the checks.

Who has the best bonus to make the checks? Corinne has a +8 in History but no ranks in Local.

"Nasty, grasping old buzzard," Corinne mutters after Father Grimburrow has left. "Wouldn't even pull out some records to get us started. Why a man like Professor Lorrimor would live in a town like this, I'll never know." She sighs. "Well, we'd better get to it."

You can only make one check or the other, but either check will reveal the information.

Go for it little miss know-it-all. ;) Quiddling has a +6 in Local. Sounds like Corrine and Quiddling are our best bets for the four checks.

Knowledge (history) 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

To clarify, Tanner, Corinne gets to roll 4 History checks? Is that right?

Yes, you can roll four checks. The highest DC is 25, so keep 'em rolling.

"You certainly know how to handle people, don't know", Quiddling muses although it's unclear to who. His eyes grow wide at the sight of the old tomes. "This should prove very interesting."

Since i have one rank in Knowledge (history) i should be able to assist Corrine's check, right?
Aid another Knowledge (history) check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Aid another Knowledge (history) check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Aid another Knowledge (history) check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Aid another Knowledge (history) check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

That puts her at 24. If anyone else can assist her, then you guys are finished here.

Here's another 3 rolls, then. 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Done.

Go Team Poindexter!

Go Team Poindexter!

Yes, I'll expect you all to remember this when we're in combat later on: She pulled her own weight for at least part of the adventure. ;)

"Ha! Here's what we need to know, no thanks to that greedy old ghoul," Corinne says, flipping through the pages of a large genealogical ledger.

Cue the DM with the info... :)

The Five Prisoners

DC 15: Originally, Harrowstone housed only local criminals, but as the prison’s fame spread, other counties and distant lands began paying to have more dangerous criminals housed within this prison’s walls. At the time of the great Harrowstone Fire, the number of particularly violent or dangerous criminals imprisoned within the dungeons below was at an all-time high.

DC 20: The five most notorious prisoners in Harrowstone at the time of the great fire were Father Charlatan, the Lopper, the Mosswater Marauder, the Piper of Illlmarsh, and the Splatter Man.

DC 25:

Congratulations, you each earn 250XP for your diligent efforts. You will level up after resting for the evening. Please post the summary of your changes in the OOC thread. Alternate rules for rolling HP can be found in my profile.

Corinne turns pale as she reads aloud the dreadful deeds of the five prisoners. "Nethys preserve us, if these five were the only ones in the prison when it burned, I'd say the clouds of smoke had a silver lining. This false priest seems a little out of place among such hideous murderers ... but if life bears any resemblance to novels, he's probably secretly the worst one of the pack. The only one with a "V" initial is this Lopper," she shudders. "Although I can't imagine what he might have to do with the vandalized memorial."

Well done Corinne. Whats our next move?

"As i understand it all these heinous criminals burned in the fire. Our vandal is alive and well. As far as we know mr Saetressle perished in the fire, and even if he didn't he would then have had to keep his death secret for fifty years. That is a very long time."

"Well i don't know about you but this investigation has hungry for a bite to eat. I suggest our next move is back to the Lorrimor household, or perhaps stop by that tavern we saw on the way to the graveyard and see what they have to offer?", the halfling says cheerily.

"As i understand it all these heinous criminals burned in the fire. Our vandal is alive and well. As far as we know mr Saetressle perished in the fire, and even if he didn't he would then have had to keep his death secret for fifty years. That is a very long time."

"Well i don't know about you but this investigation has hungry for a bite to eat. I suggest our next move is back to the Lorrimor household, or perhaps stop by that tavern we saw on the way to the graveyard and see what they have to offer?", the halfling says cheerily.

He could live on, in undeath...still plying his trade. Maybe someone has opened a way into the prison, and released these evil spirits or the undead that might have survived somehow in the prison since the fire... she says hauntingly.

"The foot prints around the statue was undoubtably made by booted feet. If the fire left sufficient remains from mr Saetressle i doubt that he would bother with respectable clothing", Quiddling responds trying to lighten the mood but he is clearly effected by the haunting tone of Sarrah's voice. "I have no doubts that our culprit is alive and in good physical health. Although if he or she is a member of this Whispering way, then we're dealing with a dangerous individual none the less!"

Father Grimburrow gives you a wily smile and a wave as you depart from the temple of Pharasma. You head back south along the main road and cross the covered bridge again, making your way towards The Laughing Demon for dinner. (Looking at the town square on the east side of the river, there is a road that leads west. The tavern is the circular building at the end of that road.)

I think I need to label that map so you guys can remember where things are located :)

As you enter the town square, you see lively townsfolk enjoying the cool evening air. Some are finishing up shopping at the Ravengro General Store, while two men appear to be haggling rather aggressively with each other in front of a building with a sign reading The Silk Purse. Small knots of townsfolk simply stand in the square and chitchat, the defacing of the Harrowstone monument taking a prominent place in their discussions.

You spot something rather interesting. A group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls and dresses are playing a skipping rope game at the side of the road. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song, then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and well choreographed — and the verse itself, which the girls sing in Varisian, is rather disturbing. The five repeating verses are as follows:

Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.

Corinne stops dead in the street, holding out her hand to catch hold of the next nearest person in the party. "Listen," she murmurs, not wanting to disturb the girls and stop their song. "The Lopper, the stirge, the spelled-out name, the wife-killer, and the false priest. Those are the five prisoners we just read about."

Sarrah approaches the girls after asking Pharasma for a little help Guidance, Where did you learn such a interesting song?
She will try to draw out who taught it to them or where they heard it.

diplomacy 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 1 = 24

Stannis tries to look non-threatening. This is a nice lady. Mind you answer her question girls.

Assist diplomacy 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

"What do you mean?", Quiddling asks Corrine rather impatiently probably annoyed that the party have prosponed the dinner plans to listen to some foreign children rhyme.

<--- doesn't speak varsian

"What do you mean?", Quiddling asks Corrine rather impatiently probably annoyed that the party have prosponed the dinner plans to listen to some foreign children rhyme.

<--- doesn't speak varsian

Oops! Neither does Corinne. Threw me off because it wasn't spoilered as another language. Looks like only Theodric can actually understand them; questioning them will have to wait for him to initiate.

"That's a bit disturbing...the girls are singing a rhyme about the five prisoners the we found information on...they are singing,

Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die."

What do we Ustalavians speak, common or Varisian?

"That is rather unnerving for a children's rhyme. You know more about Utslav than i do, is this a common thing? Perhaps a way to deal with the horrors haunting the everyday life?", Quiddling asks.

Stannis smiles. Common. Yes. As a boy I heard much worse. This is a hard land and we a hard people.

It's likely simply a children's song that sprung up from the legend of the prison. Disturbing, certainly.

It's likely simply a children's song that sprung up from the legend of the prison. Disturbing, certainly.

"A bit more than disturbing, given the "coincidence" of what we were just investigating and where will soon be going."

The girls immediately stop playing and stand quietly and nervously — it is obvious they’ve been well schooled by their parents to avoid talking to strangers. Sarrah's kind words gets the kids to relax. They unfortunately have little to say about the rhyme. "We were only singing 'cuz it's nice to sing when we're jumping rope. It’s just something we've sung forever in Ravengro. I think they made it up when my Pa was a little boy." A parent from across the town square calls out to one of the children, and the small knot of adolescents dissolves quickly and disperses.

25XP each for connecting the verses of the song to the five prisoners.

Continue on to the Laughing Demon for dinner (RP'ing and learning more about the town) or retire to the Lorrimor residence (sleep and fast-forward to the next morning)?

Quiddling will go to the Laughing Demon to try their cooking and mingle with the village populace. It does however not need to be played out if we want to fast-forward into the morning for lvl:ing and Harrowstone delving.

Tavern sounds good.

"We were only singing 'cuz it's nice to sing when we're jumping rope. It’s just something we've sung forever in Ravengro. I think they made it up when my Pa was a little boy."

Heh...heh...heh...

Morven snickers in glee at being proven right, making sure Theodric sees his blatant grin.

Theodric grumbles a bit, particularly in light of Morven's snickering...

"So be it...another thought does come to mind though..."Splatters spell her name just right. With a hammer killed his wife." The bloody letter at the statue...a killer with a similar motive? Or perhaps the actions of Hean Feramin himself if he is one of restless dead of Harrowstone..."

Not really surprised by the answer from the girls, Sarrah goes to dinner with the group if that is the next step. She could use an ale after spending that much time in the boring library.
She will talk to some of the locals and try to make some friends.
diplomacy 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Quiddling will go to the Laughing Demon to try their cooking and mingle with the village populace. It does however not need to be played out if we want to fast-forward into the morning for lvl:ing and Harrowstone delving.

So now you would rather have pub food than what Kendra and Sarrah are offering? You are just asking to have your life made miserable... lol's

To avoid a very complicated encounter where six PCs are talking to six NPCs, I've divided your RP encounter into manageable chunks.

You need to state your goals for hob-knobbing with the locals. In a spoiler you need to state whether you will (1) ask about locations or (2) ask about rumors. You can specify two locations or one rumor. Possible locations can be viewed on my profile.

To be successful, you must pass a DC 5 Diplomacy check. I have uploaded a map of Ravengro with labels. A description of each location will be updated on my profile as you learn more.

I was going to say I won't bother trying but I could actually make DC5 ;). Are we allowed to plan out what we're going to look into between us?

I was going to say I won't bother trying but I could actually make DC5 ;). Are we allowed to plan out what we're going to look into between us?

Sure, in-character. I put a low DC since you're trying to get basic information, not actually influence people.

Ever practical, Morven decides to ask about the shop and the forge. Hefting an ale in two hands, the burly half-orc puts a hand down upon the shoulder of one of the locals (preferably one he caught in the colour spray) and asks loudly-

Good citizen of Ravengro, come tell me about the store and forge in your fine town! There'll be an ale in it for you, whaddya say eh? he finishes, winking with his one good eye.

1d20 - 2 ⇒ (15) - 2 = 13