”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
If Wheeler can't pick the door, Raynard will start hitting the door with his scimitar.
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
”Cortland” | Male LN Medium Human Investigator (Empiricist) 3 | HP 27/27 | AC 16, T 12, FF 14 | CMD 14 | F +4 R +6 W +4 | Init +2 | Perc +10 (+11 vs. traps) SM +10 | Speed 30ft | Inspiration 8/8 | Active Conditions: None
Good, could you just sit there (Robbin points to the remnants of the goo from the tanglefoot bag) while we see to my doppelganger upstairs? Robbin gives just enough of a downward push on Cyan's Shoulder to direct the fellow before turning and fluttering up the stairs to where his team is working on gaining entry into a locked perhaps now not locked door.
A chest of drawers stands against the western wall between two twin beds. Each bed has a window above it. The walls are painted with fanciful nursery rhyme characters.
Two young children, a boy and a girl of about nine and ten years respectively, are the source of the sobbing-turned-wailing, and at the sight of the Ifrit warrior in the doorway the sounds change yet again, now to full-throated screams. They clutch each other in terror and when, a few moments later, they spy Robbin approaching, they enter full-blown - to the extent that they weren't already full-blown - hysterics.
A grappling hook can be seen embedded in the window frame, with a length of rope descending from the open window.
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
Neither Wheeler nor Raynard perceives anything besides two screaming children. Looking out the window, Wheeler can see that the rope attached to the grappling hook reaches down to the ground.
The children do not seem to be calmed by Ninnic. Both are pointing at Robbin and gasping in panic, begging and pleading Robbin not to hurt them, and generally screaming at the top of their lungs. If all this racket has not yet attracted the attention of the neighbors it seems likely that it will soon.
The children cling to Wheeler, still bawling. "Where - where - did he go?!? Why, he went out this door, and now here he is again. Protect us from him! Save us! Mama! Daddy! Where are our parents?!?" They look fearfully at Robbin. "Are you with him? He is BAD!"
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
Pointing at Robbin "This man is our friend, he was with us the whole time. The man you two saw was someone else."
The children don't seem particularly satisfied with these explanations, but since Robbin has not - so far - moved to actually harm them, their hysterics subside to a dull, relentless, sobbing. These are not happy children.
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
I think I should NOT be the one who goes looking for Mama and Papa. Not that I want to leave the safety of numbers but perhaps I should go out and look for our potentially escaped doppelganger.
How I think the room is set.:
I'm doing this based on the thinking that both children are huddled in the same bed. If they are not I would ask that the child(ren) by the open window move to the other bed with their sibling.
Robbin goes to the open window, climbs and perches on the sill and then glides:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 to the ground. From there he will look:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25around for a trail from our retreated foe.
Robbin moves to the window and flies out of it, to the utmost consternation of the panicked children, who clearly remain convinced that Robbin is the source of their fears.
On the ground level, Robbin can easily see that the rope from the window above descends all the way to the ground. Footprints are easy to discern in the soft earth at the base of the window.
Robbin Survival:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Untrained in tracking though Robbin is, he can nevertheless make out that the footprints are both coming towards the location, and leaving it.
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
Gorak looks out the window to the pathfinders heading back down and out of the window- and then back to the kids. Leaning out, he calls to the others. "Are we just going to leave these kids up here alone?"
The children appear to be of two minds about this. On the one hand, they are clearly terrified of Robbin, and by extension, of the rest of the pathfinders as his accomplices; the pathfinders' bloody weapons and warlike appearance probably don't help. When they hear Gorak's question, they appear to take it in its most sinister possible interpretation! On the other hand, they are small kids, and they appear desperate for someone to comfort them. Both of them blubber helplessly for "Mummy! Dada!"
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
"Maybe we shall bring those kids to the sheriff?!"
Uh! Yeah! But maybe check the other rooms quickly for their parents first. But either way we should definitely bring them to the sheriff even if they will point the finger at me and thus by association. . . You. By the way it looks like that window is also how my copy got into the house. Perhaps it then opened the front door to let the others in.
DM:
perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18Robbin looks more closely at the footprints near the base of the house. He is trying to determine if the set of prints going in are the same ones coming out and if there is only one set of prints or multiple people went in this way.
Gorak's offer of reassurance is clearly heard as a threat, as the kids' wails once again intensify. Whew, I have to say you have all had some hard luck on skill checks throughout this whole mod.
So, are you splitting the party? Gorak staying with the kids and the others going... where?
[/b] Burnt Meal worms! We haven't checked the rest of the house. But I likely shouldn't go back in. We need a meeting spot if we are to venture separately. Sheriff's office? Carnival entrance? Also we are looking for
GM Abraham wrote:
"Robbin" smiles evilly and his appearance begins to change, revealing a handsome older man with a ponytail, dressed in black.
How ever since they could change their appearance and voice who's to say that IS the real appearance of this being? Holy illusory sphinx feces! Who ARE we looking for?[/b]
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
I'm not trying to slow roll us, but I just haven't heard any clear decision about what you all want to do. I've got Gorak inside trying to comfort the kids, Raynard, Robbin, Wheeler and Ninnic outside, but with no clear indication of what they want to do there, and Cortland not yet weighed in (I've PM-ed him).
Just to help move you forward, here are the options I'm hearing: a) try to find ponytail guy (but so far no idea how you plan to do that); b) go see the sheriff; c) search the house; d) comfort the kids; e) return to the carnival; f) something else that I've missed. I'll go with the first choice that gets two votes.
Male CG Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) | HP 12/12 | AC 18T 14 FF 14 | CMB +2, CMD 16 | F: +1, R: +6, W: -1 | Init: +10 | Perc: +3 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None |
Ugh, a shapeshifter. Gorak, bring the kids or leave them, but I have a feeling we're going to need all eyes on this. Let's hope we can follow these tracks.
”Raynard Milton” | Male N Elf Magus 5 | HP 38/38 | AC 22, T 15, FF 17 | CMB +1 CMD 16 | F +5 R +8 W +5 | Init +8 | Perc +2 SM +0 | Speed 30ft | arcane pool 6/6 | Active Conditions: None
I suggest if we can't find the track that we go straight to the sheriff
Male Ratfolk Psychic 5 | AC 13/13/11 | HP 8/32 | F+4,R+4,W+7 | CMD 12 | Init+6,Perc+12 Phrenic pool 6/6 day | 20’ movement | Darkvision 60’ & Scent |
Ninnic agreed to head to the sheriff and report what happened. He yelled up to tell the others that, so if anyone wanted to stay with the kids, they could do so until help arrived.
”Cortland” | Male LN Medium Human Investigator (Empiricist) 3 | HP 27/27 | AC 16, T 12, FF 14 | CMD 14 | F +4 R +6 W +4 | Init +2 | Perc +10 (+11 vs. traps) SM +10 | Speed 30ft | Inspiration 8/8 | Active Conditions: None
Cortland glances at the kids. I will stay with Gorak. No one should be alone in this town. Who knows what could happen to them.
Wheeler, Raynard, Ninnic, and Robbin set out to find the sheriff, while Cortland and Gorak remain with the children.
Cortland and Gorak:
The children don't seem relieved by your presence in the slightest. They appear to regard you as their captors and are both sobbing and calling repeatedly for their "Mummy" and "Dada."
Do you wish to do anything while you wait?
Wheeler, Raynard, Ninnic, and Robbin:
The four pathfinders hurry in the direction of the sheriff's office but before they reach it they are accosted by a shy teenage boy, breathless as if he has been running. "Er, um, excuse me, beggin' yer pardon sirs, but I'm most grateful to you, on account of what you did for my friend, Milandru. You know, the boy that those hooligans were beating? It was so mean of them, and so unfair, the only reason he was out past the curfew anyway was on account of me, to tell me that the carnival might leave soon. He wants me to run off with them but I don't know if I can. I mean, it would be ever so much fun, but then what about my schoolwork...?" The boy trails off, as if realizing that you probably have other things on your minds than whether or not he should pursue a career in the carnival arts. "Well, yes, you see, it was on account of you that Milandru escaped with his life, so it made me sick to my stomach when I overheard that rascal Mr. Monchello telling the sheriff that you lot are behind all the murders and thieving and commotion, and that he's got evidence to prove it, and that y'killed a bunch of his men, an' the Braetons, an' nearly him too but he just escaped with his life! I knew it couldn't be true, but Sheriff Feldane, well I don't know what she thinks in her heart, but she does have to answer to the community, and Mr. Monchello, he's got some clout that's for sure. The last I heard she was gathering up a posse to come arrest all of you - that's when I thought I'd best find you first, so's you can escape. She calls it a posse but if I know people around here - 'n I do - it's like to be more of a mob than anything else. I doubt y'll ever see a courtroom. My advice, if yer asking, just get out of town, right quick, and don't look back. Even if the whole town o' Ilsurian thinks yer a bunch o' murderers, what matters it? I s'pose y' might need to stay out of Varisia altogether, but I hear there's lots o' other countries, 'n some of 'em not even half bad!" The lad stops and looks at all of you expectantly, as if wondering why you haven't already left.
”Cortland” | Male LN Medium Human Investigator (Empiricist) 3 | HP 27/27 | AC 16, T 12, FF 14 | CMD 14 | F +4 R +6 W +4 | Init +2 | Perc +10 (+11 vs. traps) SM +10 | Speed 30ft | Inspiration 8/8 | Active Conditions: None
Gorak, sensing the loss of the Children's trust, steps out into the hallway and shuts the door behind him. He peers back across the chambers below- guarding the room and waiting for the other pathfinders to return with the sheriff.
”Cortland” | Male LN Medium Human Investigator (Empiricist) 3 | HP 27/27 | AC 16, T 12, FF 14 | CMD 14 | F +4 R +6 W +4 | Init +2 | Perc +10 (+11 vs. traps) SM +10 | Speed 30ft | Inspiration 8/8 | Active Conditions: None
