Feast of Ravenmoor (Inactive)

Game Master mathpro18

"Are you sure? everything sounds on the up and up to me."

Not finding out anything at all, let alone of use, Linflass wanders back over towards the company.

"They're a close-mouthed lot here. We're going to have to do some real digging to find anything out."

He eyes the mayor. "He seemed awfully willing to make a second payment. That's not the mayor I've come to know here."

"You all should all get rooms at the inn and take care of the horses. We have a better chance of learning something at the Festival."

Looks around. These folks do drink, but not anything like they will tonight. Tongues will be loose."

He looks directly at Tomas. "I don't think they'll be poisoning us tonight.

There is no inn either. You can either stay in someone's barn or with the mayor as he offered.

goodness. What brought Linflass to this backwoods haven? I should have made him an outlaw on the run!

Tomas says to Nora "Something just just off about the mayor and I don't trust him. Not sure what it is but I think he might know more about our missing man than he is saying." He nods to Linflass and says, "Well, I don't trust him or anyone so I'm going to be careful about what I eat and drink. I don't want to wake up strapped to a rack or something like that. My paranoia has kept me alive this long and I tend to follow my instincts."

thinking to herself
I have to agree with Tomas here on this,
As something here does not feel right.

Eldwin looks to the others. "Tomas if it makes you feel better, we can stage watches throughout the night...and let's stick together during the festival. I'll have food and drink this evening though. I wouldn't want to appear rude." Eldwin flashes a quick grin.

"Food and drins sounds good."

Gods. We've found out nothing and the woodsman is afraid of being poisoned by the mayor. Fine job we're doing so far.

Linflass continues to roam about the festival grounds, looking for folks he knows or anything that seems notiecably different from prior year festivals.

Perception
Take 10+16=26

I'm just picking at threads to see if something comes loose before the festival begins.

Maybe Linflass should get a pet stirge to fit in!

Linflass notices the local weaver talking to the mayor and casually wanders their way, avoiding their lines of sight as best he can, to see if he can overhear anything.

Stealth
1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

Perception
1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

I know I can take 10, but I loved rolling dice back in the pre-PC days.

Linflass listens unobtrusively until they stop talking or start to move away and drifts towards the group, not drawing any attention to himself.

Reaching the group, he speaks in a low voice."Don't anybody react. I've got a lead. But not here. Let's take the horses to the hitching posts and find a quiet place to talk."

Assuming the group is all present. He heads towards the horses.

I guess Tomas wasn't as paranoid as I thought.

Tomas listens to Linflass and nods slightly and says loudly, "Well, Windrunner let us get this saddle off and give you a good rub down. How about you guys come along it looks like your horses could use some attention as well." He pats the horse on the neck and starts walking towards the hitching post while whistling a song he heard in a tavern a while ago.

Since there hasn't been much non-me posting since Saturday, I'll move things along with what Linflass just learned. Let me know if you want me to slow it down.

As the group tends to their horses, Linflass sees that they have a bit of privacy. He has a concerned look on his face.

"We've stepped into it, friends. I overheard the mayor and the local weaver talking. She's a cold fish named Alizna."

He looks at Tomas, grinning a little. "They said something unflattering about..."

He stops in midsentence as he realizes they were talking about him, not Tomas. The grin is gone.

"Why those offal of a flind. THAT'S what they think of me after these years?"

He gets a hold of himself, though he's simmering a bit inside.

Shakes his head. "Never mind. They killed Elias."

He watches their expressions and continues to look around to ensure that they aren't being listened to. He will stop if an outsider gets too close.

"That's all I heard about him. But at least the weaver is worried that we're here asking questions."

"Tomas, you were right: the mayor is up to something. He's going to deal with us somehow and meet her and some others after the Festival."

Shakes his head again. "I'm not sure if any of you said you'd stay at the mayor's house tonight. If you did, maybe tell him we've decided to all stay at my place."

Pauses. "That's a tight fit. Might look suspicious. I don't know..."

"We can figure that out. But we need to stay alert tonight at the Festival. Tomas. Maybe we can say you wanted to do a little exploring and rabbit hunting. I'll tell you where the Chenowitz Place is and you can stake it out well ahead of time."

He stops. "Okay. I know that was a lot. They killed Elias, they want to do something about us: presumably at the Festival. And they're going to meet afterwards."

He is now quiet, still looking for eavesdroppers. What do you say?"

NOW we're moving!

"I though something smelled bad here, especially the mayor"

"I knew it. I agree that it might look odd if we all try to pile into your house if it is small like you say. Maybe we should all stay at the mayor's house. He'll be less likely to try something with us all there; unless he tries to poison us." he says in a low voice as he rubs down Windrunner. "I'm willing to stake out Chenowitz Place, but do you think its a good idea to split up. I wouldn't doubt it if they sent someone to follow me."

Awesome treatment of my non-clear ramblings there Linflass. They were in deed talking about you :P

You guys make it to the trading post and smithy and you're pretty sure that you haven't been followed. You notice that while the trading post has a sign in front of it that proclaims it to be the town trading post, the lack of business and activity certainly raises concern though it doesn't seem out of place with what you've found so far.

I want to thank you all for not immediately trying to kill the mayor lol. That was my fear when I planted that seed.

Huh. We could have killed the mayor, routed whatever futile resistance the locals could offer and have Linflass declare himself a local warlord/baron. That would have been fun. For Linflass, anyways...

Linflass acknowledges Tomas' concern with a nod of his head and waits on more input from the rest of the group.

"I don't think it would be wise to split up."

Linflass looks at the cleric and the halfling. "Any suggestions?"

"Leave town and report back since we have found out what happend to the collector."

Linflass gives Norn a look of disbelief. "We just rode two weeks to get here, and you want to turn around and go two weeks back? To tell our employer that her brother is dead. With no details or body for proof?"

He shakes his head. "I think we need to try a little harder than that."

Sounds like laying in wait is out. Guess we can go to the Festival and play it by ear. If you want to drop some stuff off at the mayor's house, now might be the time. Tonight, I'd keep your blades handy."

He looks at Tomas.

"I suspect they're going to frown on carrying a bow or crossbow around the festival, though."

"Our task was to find out what happend and we have. I dont see why we now have to risk getting killed to confirm that when we could just leave right now and report back."

"You want to go back with out any form of physical proof and just word of mouth,
It's not good enough and what evil goes on here should be stopped."

Tomas looks at Norn in surprise and says, "There is no way I'm leaving here without more evidence and we get to the bottom of what really happened."

He nods in agreement with Linflass "I'm not happy about leaving me bow, but they might not like us going to the festival armed. Knowing what we know I don't really care if they are unhappy about us going armed, but it the rest of you think I should leave me bow behind I will." Tomas says with a frown.

"As Eve said, the evil must be stopped" He looks around at the rest of the group. "Fear is not the answer for a situation like this. It only feeds chaos" Looking at Norn. "Be bold little one, and trust those who are with you"

There is still about 2 hours before the festival starts. Do you guys do any more exploring while you're in town? Maybe try to find where the body is?

Linflass ponders where they might have dumped Elias.

Knowledge Local
Takes 10 + 8

"We're in a swamp. They could have gotten rid of Elias anywhere. He's probably stirge food."

"Maybe we should take a look around and see if we get lucky. You never know we might just stumble onto something they want hidden." Tomas says to Linflass and the rest of the group. "If he was stirge food there would still be a corpse.", he adds with a rare smile.

what a disturbing sense of humor you have there Tomas

Linflass you can think of two places they might hide the body. The first being somewhere on the Chenowitz farm. The secound would be at the stone amphitheater that is just up the road(back toward the festival grounds) from the trading post.

with a unimpressed face
"That was a horrible joke.
especially given the current circumstance we are in."

"Umm, Sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone. My social ineptitude is one of the reason I tend to say in the forest and avoid social contact. Again I apologize.", Tomas says uncomfortably.

"I know about that a bit.
thankfully, my old man made me get used to being social in towns."

Tomas looks to Eve and says, "If I think someone will be offend by something I says can I run it by you first? I don't want to make things more difficult for the group or myself. This is not the first time something like this has happened to me. I've grown to like you all and would like to continue our friendship."

aww they're bonding...we must do something about that *evil dm grin*

Linflass ignores the exchange between Tomas and Eve as he ponders where the mayor might have gotten rid of the body.

"Well....they're going to meet at the Chenowitz farm. That's been abandoned for some time. You could bury a body out there and unless some wild animals sniffed it out, doesn't seem likely to be found."

Pauses. Thinks for a moment. "But it would be pretty stupid to meet where the body was buried. Of course, this town has more mouthbreathers than a lumberjack camp in the Hollow...."

Looks thoughtfully towards the edge of town. I can't guess what's in the minds of these people. I'm not sure they know half the time."

"And there's probably a few places at the amphitheater just up the way. Though that is more likely to have visitors. Not sure five of us could look around without being noticed"

"By Ketephys' bow. Going to either place is likely to be noticed. But I can't come up with any reason to explain why we're out at the farm. Let's go the theater. At least I can tell any nosy folks that I was showing it to you."

Nods his head affirmatively. "That's the plan. If needs be we'll go to the farm after we deal with the mayor's surprise."

If no dissent, he heads up the road towards the stone theater. Look sharp but try not to be too obvious."

I'm assuming everyone follows

You make your way up to the theater and pass many townsfolk on the way but they seem to be giving you a wide birth. Parents with children will pull their children close to them until you pass by and no one addresses you.

You make it to the theater and see a large ring of black river stones and tall, stacked rock columns. Stone benches sit nearby, while a misshapen wicker and corn-husk figure with mossy canvas wings looms over a stone alter at the far side of the theater. Linflass will inform you that since their church was destroyed a few years back some of the people of Ravenmoor have taken to using this area as their church.

I want you to make me perception checks and knowledge religion checks please.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12+2 if involves humans

Perception
Takes 10 + 16 = 26

Linflass looks about the area. He doesn't spend much time here, as he doesn't worship the local gods.

Knowledge Religion
1d20 ⇒ 19

He tries to remember anything about the locals' worship that might be useful.

Linflass you recognize the corn-husk figure as a very very crude representation of Desna. From you're time in town you know that most people worshiped Desna back when the church stood but since its ruin some of the local townspeople let their faith fall into ruin as well.

Your also notice that tucked under the alter is another shrine. I'll need another knowledge religion check from you to identify what god its to.

Eve you're able to notice that blood has been spilled on the alter and runs off it and down onto the floor. It looks to have been there about a month which coincides with the time frame of everything. As hard as you search you aren't able to find a body though.

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Knowledge Religion 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Knowledge Religion 1d20 ⇒ 3

And there's the Paizo dice roller I've come to love...

Eldwin you also notice the other shrine but you are not able to identify the deity it depicts. You're almost positive it isn't one of the well none gods and that its probably evil.

Linflass walks over and watches Eve.

"Blood."

Bends down to look more closely.

The locals don't make blood sacrifices to Desna, as I recall. Drinking, dancing, yes. Blood? Hmm.."

Hippies!

Looks around. Doesn't seem like anybody else has found something.

"We can head over there into the woods and use the cover to visit the abandoned farm. I don't think anyone will see us."

"Even if the cover stops us from being spotted will they not notice when all of us suddenly dissapear on them?"

"They might but at this point do we really care. It is obvious that they are up to nefarious activities and much of the town could be involved. I agree with Linflass and we should check out the abandoned farmhouse.", Tomas says to the rest of the group as he looks around to see if anyone has notice them.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

DOH!!

Looks at Norn. "Well, my earlier suggestion to split the party was rejected. I'll try again. Tomas and I could sneak there and back without too much trouble."

"The rest of you could settle in at the mayor's house and we can meet up a little later. Tell him I took Tomas to show him a spot nearby where I hunt game."

Pauses. "Or, we can all just go to the mayor's and see what happens at the Festival."

Stops and looks at the group.

"Good point Linflass. Just make sure that you two don't stray away too long. Numbers may be needed tonight.