GM Debug's PbP PFS 7-06: To Judge a Soul Pt 1 (Inactive)

Game Master DebugAMP

The shrine was an epitaph for her 6 daughters who according to the shrine died as infants just over 100 years ago. Also remember, diplomacy isn't always the only option for social encounters.

Kasashige seems a bit confused by the whole transaction, but is comforted by Lars's understanding of his predicament and Viper's respect. He gives a nod to you as you dwell on the short but pointed exchange of words and says "Please excuse me for a short respite. I wish to meditate and beseech my ancestor for guidance."

As he leaves, the third member who was seated at Kasashige's table, a toothless, rambling male elf reeking of sour wine approaches with a big smile across his face. He reaches out, grasping Reavis's hand, and shakes in greeting despite it not being offered. His claw-like fingernails rasp against your skin as he does. "Welcome outlanders!"

"Charmed, I'm sure." The tiefling says, returning the shake "The name is Reavis, you are?"

"I am Mata Ryu, Lord of the Mata family. He turns and begins shaking everyone's hands with the same rough scratchy grip, excluding Shear and Kaa. "I hope you are all enjoying yourselves, good wine eh?"

"I don't drink. Too much like water." The elemental does a bit of a curtsy. "I enjoy myself though. Give chance to talk more. Practice. And there is much to talk about."

Enora tries not to flinch at the smell and the yucky grip.

Any mechanics (like a save or bluff roll) needed to not react to this guy?

Viper turns to Mata.

"The wine is good. We wish to thank you for the hospitality.

"What? You speak? How interesting! None of my conjurations are as interesting... A transmutation perhaps? Let me get your some wine!"

He wanders off towards the drinks, then just stands there chatting with other guests and drinking.

Enora, he doesn't seem to really be paying too much attention to your reaction either way. Also, his last comments were directed at Shear.

Okay, to make sure I fully understand what's going on here, I take it we need to make good impression on the persons we just met in order to swing the vote our way?

I think that is it.

With no audible prompting Karg pipes up, "Alright Shear I understand, I'll try talking to one of them. Mata Ryu looks like he fit in well at home, but I feel too sober to take him on. So I guess I'll talk to the emotional one who had ninjas attack us. Accidentally?"

After a thoughtful look at the group, "Yeah, if Shear just happens to vanish for ... no reason, something may have happened to me."

"If someone else would like to join, I would gratefully assist."

In either case Karg goes over to where Shiori sits to speak to this person of higher authority that he has beaten into him over the course of his life.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry if we did anything to offend you. We are the guests of your people and don't wish to cause any problem. This land is new to most of us and I know I will be bound to make some mistakes."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

prescience: 1d20 ⇒ 11

Enora follows Karg and aids him in diplomacy.

Using the roll from prescience, which gives a total of 14, so Enora gives a +4 (because of helpful) to Karg's diplomacy roll.

"I hope I did not say anything to upset you. Perhaps we can tell you a story of what happened to Bakten soon before we left him?"

"Please, leave me be. It was a mistake for me to have come to an event as such while in mourning."

She seems rather off-put by your politeness and honestly seems to fear you. The comment about her mourning is quite obviously a lie. It is not told in a way to conceal the falsehood, but in a way that sounds more like she's giving you an excuse that wont provoke suspicions if anyone overhears.

"If my guesses as to what is going on are correct, this story will help you feel better. Bakten was attacked by a group of ninjas, but they were captured and are fine. The ninjas were all female elves with a tattoo between their shoulderblades of a tree with knives instead of branches. Bakten is also unhurt."

Go ahead and make a bluff or intimidate check

prescience: 1d20 ⇒ 17

intimidate, using the prescience roll, gives 17+3(stat)+2(bonus from earlier)=22

Reavis picks up some alcoholic drinks and approaches Mata Ryu, offering him a glass, "On my side of the world they have a saying, 'Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.'" The tiefling says with a guffaw as he takes a drink, "I bet your people have the best booze, right?"

Karg uses his bulkier body to the advantage, not as threat, but forcefully showing they won't back off trivially.

"Talking to us will help."

Aid to Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Over by the drinks...
Reavis, as you approach Mata he turns to you, smiles, and proclaims "Welcome, outsider!" as he reaches out, grabs your hand, and once again digs his rough nails into your skin and he delivers a firm handshake.

???: 1d20 ⇒ 8
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.
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On the other side of the room...
Shiori seems downright frightened by all of the comments, and the look on her face gets worse and worse every detail that comes out of Enora's mouth. "Please... shhhh.... not so loud. Yes, that is my family crest." A resigned look crosses her face and she continues in a hushed tone. "You've met Mata Ryuu have you not? He is but a shadow of the man he once was... in fact I was once in love with him, but to my chagrin I once observed him having a liaison with a female samsaran with hair like a black shroud. That day I vowed to kill the woman who stole Mata's heart... Foolish and irrational... I know... but when I heard that Bakten was near enlightenment I sought to make good on that vow. I know now that it is unfair to punish him for deeds done by an incarnation of which he has no memory, and that there is no honorable way to fulfill my vow anymore. Please... keep my shame a secret and you'll have my full support."

Enora leans in closer, and speaks softly and gently. "I can give you my word to tell none but Bakten himself and my companions. Bakten, for his peace of mind, needs to know everything we find out about his 'missing life.' Also, I can do everything possible to make sure that the ninjas from your house are released and allowed to return to you. All I ask is your support, and any other information you have on Bakten's missing life. I'm sorry that we must dredge up all this pain and guilt."

Lars ponders his next move on who to go to.
1 Shiori, 2 Mata Ryuu 1d2 ⇒ 2

Moving to where Mata Ryuu is, he watches him give Reavis a greeting. Feeling that he should just standby and and watch, he heads over
Perception, observe his hand. 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Lars, you notice that when he shakes Reavis's hand, he deliberately scrapes his fingernails across his hand, then puts his hands in his pockets for a moment afterwards. Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 15

Something seems very wrong with him, as though he's not fully in control of his own mind.

Having noticed that odd behaviour, Lars continues to observe him.
That +2 Sense Motive is coming handy here. Guidance. 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 26
Praying to his Patron for divine guidance, Lars adopts a neutral posture.

He is clearly under psychic control.

Karg attempts to match Enora's hushed tone and changes his posture to one that less forceful. "So Bakten was once dated Mata Ryuu? Do you know the woman's name or anything else about her?"

Shiori has a pensive look as she responds. "I only saw her once, and never learned her name. The whole situation was rather distressing... When she died, I had my people follow leads on her reincarnation. It wasn't until the last few decades that I had the Pale Silence keep an eye on him and await my orders."

"Thank you for your information. What would you like me to try to have done with the ninjas?"

"Yes we are very grateful for the information. Your shame shall not be spread we realize the damage it could cause you if others found out.

Seeing the telltale signs of one under control of another, Lars notes the inconsistancies and wonders how to tell his companions about this.... He approaches Reavis....
"A word with you my friend if you please."

Lars, as you approach Reavis and Mata he turns to you, smiles, and proclaims "Welcome, outsider!" as he reaches out, grabs your hand, and once again digs his rough nails into your skin and he delivers a firm handshake... And again sticks his hand in his pocket.

And people think I'm creepy!

Reavis looks to Lars with relief and moves over to the dwarf, "Yeah sure, what's up?"

Lars examines his hands discreetly as he brings Reavis away from Mata.
"The man's under some kind of mind control. Beware. I'm heading over to inform the rest so keep him occupied and act normally." With that said the rather slightly disgusted dwarf moves off in search of his other companions.
Once he finds them, he pulls them away and relays what he just told Reavis.

If Lars could avoid taking his hand, he would.

"What, me?" Reavis says with incredulity as Lars walks off to warn the others.

Instead of getting hand scrapped again, Reavis keeps his distance and watches Mata carefully for signs of said mind control or other unusual behavior. He also notes whose hands he shakes, since that seems to be a compulsive behavior for the man.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

He shook everyone's hand in his initial greeting, but none of the other party-goers. He is also quite insistant on the handshake.

"Is there any candle magic that can help? Anything we can use to tell us why?"

Shear looks from Lars to Karg before adding, "Karg also has warding magic, but is not sure if it will stop the control. He could try, but doesn't want use magic on people here."

On the other side of the party, with Shiori, Enora, and friends...

"Please... let my ninjas go free, they are incredibly resourceful and loyal." She says that with quite a bit of pride.

As for Shear's question, magic is certainly in use here for fancy effects and fun, so while trying to target someone with a magic effect would probably go poorly, simple divination like detect magic wouldn't upset anyone.

"How do you know they won't attack us again?"

"Their way of handling themselves after they were captured is indeed a tribute to your house. I will do everything I can to get them released to return to you. However, it would be helpful in convincing others of this if we had a way to be sure they would return to you instead of attacking again."

"I can personally vouch for the integrity of the Pale Silence. They act on my orders exclusively. That is all you need to know."

"All right, as long as you can get the new orders to them before they attack again."

After politely bidding farewell, Enora walks over to where her party members are, staying just far enough away from the creepy old elf to hopefully not get scratched again. She uses what appears to be a string of cantrips like light and prestidigitation as entertainment, but it really hides detect magic, supplemented with uses of spellcraft and knowledge(arcana), to see what she can determine what is going on.

I'm going to go ahead and roll the two checks, use them as needed.

spellcraft:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
knowledge(arcana)1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Let me know if any other checks are needed

Sorry, spending most of the day in a test cell with no reception, so responses will be spotty.

Shiori gives a curt response, then nods and heads to leave the party. "I will take necessary precautions. Suffice to say with no further instructions they will return to me, and the only lives they take are those I specifically instruct them to."

Enora, you detect an enchantment aura about him. You aren't sure what the spell is, but the strength of the aura indicates that it is pretty far out of your league to deal with.

Enora shares her results with the others.

Karg is noticeably irritated following the conversation with Shiori, but is directed to speak by Shear.

"Wonder what kinda of monster is shackling that guy. I mean, I barely know him, but no one deserves this. Although with the nobility around here" Shear gives a gentle nudge to push Karg to another topic.

"You all still have that candle though and Bakten can see through it was what you said. If he got a look at Mata he might have a better idea what is going on. We don't have any way to send messages to him quickly though. That candle was supposed to have magical powers itself though to help with detection, right? Do you think any of those might be of use?"

"And, while Shear doesn't like the idea," and the elemental snorts to confirms this, "I do have to recommend telling Kasashige about this. Even if fixing this yourselves does make the nobles impressed with you, he might have a better answer."

The candle would allow him to make an aura reading. It would reveal the same information to him as your detect magic did.

"All right, let's go talk to Kasashige. I will let someone else speak first, but I will come so that I can personally verify what I turned up."

"Indeed let us do so. In fact I do hope that Bakten heard the agreement we have just made with Shiori."

The torch only allows for psychic aura reading at a distance. No actual communication is facilitated via the torch.

It doesn't take very long, but Kasashige returns to the party, and slumps down at a table, looking rather downtrodden.

"Do any of you guys have a way of trying to break the spell on the guy with the claws? Can't one of those protection spells work?" Reavis asks with a frown as he waits for someone to start the conversation with Kasashige.

Lars heads over to Kasashige.
"What's wrong now?" he states with little tact.

Enora rolls her eyes at Lars's tactlessness. She tells him "It's quite possible that our request is causing his distress, perhaps some understanding would be good." She then turns to Kasashige. I'm sorry if our extremely unusual request is causing you distress. If we knew of any way to not disturb your honored ancestor's body while still getting the information we need, we would certainly use it. And if permission is given, we will minimize the disruption. However, there is something else we need to discuss with you. Have you noticed anything amiss in Mata's behavior recently?"

Kasashige looks over at Lars and chuckles a bit. "This is my great grandfather's legacy.... But throughout my lifetime I've watched the clan alliance gradually erode and I feel powerless to stop it. My Ancestor and Mala- Bakten as you know him, led by example and the clans decided to put their differences aside, but now that the conflict that brought them together has passed, year by year the petty squabbles return. The followers are no different than the leaders. I'm sure you've made your own deductions about Shiori, and Mata is but a shadow of who he once was. Age has not treated him well, and I fear he is just a puppet for the scions who wish to open old wounds."