GM Tektites PFS First Steps (First Run) (Inactive)

Game Master Hawkwen Agricola

Meanwhile....

Gabriel fails at finding a tavern, but does end up talking to some the neighbors on the street. He soon discovers many things about Baltwin. Miltivis, who runs a nearby market, claims he’s served Auntie Baltwin for over 30 years, and while a good customer, she is quite demanding and often rude to the other customers. He says she’s kept his supplier of fine whiskeys in business for decades. Gilga Baltwin’s neighbors Travost and Tirelle Anthos are frankly tired of the noises the children make and the retinue of cats—though they do appreciate the latter’s mousing skills. They admit to being happy when Auntie Baltwin sends the children “off into the town” during the day, as it gives them a few hours of peace and
quiet before they return in the evening. At the estate across the street, Master Trebb Bonto, a retired builder, says nothing but nice things of
Lady Baltwin, as he calls her. He recounts tales of tea and games on the sitting porch, though if pressed, he lets slip that she often cheats at games and sometimes had some shady characters coming to whisper in her ear
and palm her small bags of what might have been money before slinking away.“Otherwise a fine lady, indeed.” he quickly adds.

"What are we up to? Why we're merely waiting for your return Auntie! Tell me...do you work with many other charities?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 (if needed)

Well yes, why? It is hard to run this orphanage, I accept any help that is offered.

"And do they all send medicine? Or do you get other things as well...like clothes or money? How much medicine do you go through in, say a week?"

Gabriel, if he thinks he's gotten all the dirt he can, goes back to the others to compare notes. He knows that she is allegedly an alcoholic, with potential black market ties, and she sends the kids into town instead of care for them, plus she's a horrid racist.

After listening to the children and then hearing Gabriel's report, Ygdnur waits for the children that Auntie sent away to get completely out of earshot and then says "Well, what we've heard is enough for me to assume that Auntie Baltwin isn't exactly fit to run an orphanage. I understand that not everyone is 'squeaky clean' but there are too many things stacking on top of each other. And I suspect the report that Gwion and Horvon will bring us won't be much better. The question is what to do? If the children aren't in any immediate danger then it might be best left up to the Silver Crusade to clean up their own mess, leave the medicine here so as not to tip the old hag off and let Lady Zadrian know what we've discovered. On the other hand, if the boys come out and tell us something worse... well we'll just see what is they have to say."

While Gwion and Baltwin talk, Crondor sniffs inquisitively in her direction. Detect Evil on her. After they're done talking, he thanks her briefly, hands her the medicine, makes his goodbyes short, and leaves.

Rúnar nods at Ygdnur's assessment. "Our job was to report back to Lady Zadrian. The children are fine, so let's regroup and do that. Then we can move to the next task."

Gwion suddenly realizes that he's been left alone with a woman who thinks of him as one of her orphans. While he wouldn't necessarily object to a woman giving him a decent scrub down old Auntie wouldn't be his first choice. With a polite bow he makes his exit. "G'day to you Madame. Please put the medicine to good use and don't let it sit idle in a cupboard or anything like that."

As Crondor and Gwion emerge from the orphanage Ygdnur notices that they do not have the medicine and relates to them his thoughts and what had been discovered from the children outside and the town. "So if you agree that the children aren't in immediate danger, I say let's double-time it back to Lady Zadrian and get going on the rest of this list. We're starting to run out o' daylight!" With that Ygdnur signals to the two cabs waiting at the end of the street.

The party piles into the two cabs and are driven back to the Temple of the Shining Star. Upon entering the temple, Ollysta notices the rather unique group and strides over to the party. Greetings Pathfinders, were you successful? What did you discover?

Slightly bowing his head upon her approach, Ygdnur looks back up and speaks to her, "Aye, miss Lady Zadrian, we were successful, if you want to call it that. Though the children are not in any immediate danger, we believe that she is not fit to be leading such an establishment." Ygdnur goes on to relate all that they had seen and heard, about the half-truths, drinking, black market ties, working children, the stash of medicine from other charities, etc. "She was already suspicious of our questioning, so we left the medicine with her as to not tip her off to what we were about with the investigation and such, but I would recommend that she be dealt with swiftly and replaced according to your own ways, whatever they may be. I hope it's not too out of line for me to suggest such, m'lady. Also, she mentioned some sick children which I don't believe that Gwion and Crondor had the chance to lay eyes on, but I suspect she was lying about them too, what the lie was I cannot say, but I could sense the deception in her voice, m'lady."

I related a lot of that assuming either before, during, or after the ride there we got all our stories straight as to what happened.

Once they've left the Temple of the Shining Star, Crondor turns to the rest of the party and asks, "Horvon suggested we visit Paracountess Zarta Dralneen next. Does anyone have any objections to that?"

Good job guys, you had me worried there for a minute. ;-). So ready to move on then? The Paracountess?

Before they depart, Rúnar bows to Ollysta. "An honor to be of service, my Lady. Until the next opportunity to serve..." With that, he manages a slight bow of the head.

After they leave the temple, and the group plans to meet with the Paracountess, he mutters something unintelligible under his breath, and follows it up with a more audible, "Fine, let's get this over with."

Huh, I kind of expected something else to happen there. On to the paracountess then.

I expected more roleplaying too. Talking with the kids and neighbors, trying to find out stuff while Baltwin tries to conceal it, that sort of thing.

Aye, we should perhaps visit this... paracountess I've heard so much about.

Well, this is first steps, 1st level PFS stuff, so I'm sure it's written really simply, which I can appreciate because I'm pretty new at this game. I'm sure it will get more complicated as we go along.

"So does anyone know where these Vaults might be that we have to return this item to? And for that matter I wonder what this item might be and why she might have need to borrow it?"

Are you guys taking coaches again or walking this time?

Ygdnur signals the two nearest coaches.

Rúnar responds to Ygdnur's question. "The Vaults are underneath the Grand Lodge. Never seen them myself, of course."

As the coaches rumble through the streets there is a marked change as you move from the Ascendent Court toward the Ivy District. The temples and shrines are replaced with palatial town homes and manses, and the occasional tower of Absalom's power brokers. Soon enough your rides slow to a stop outside the abode of Paracountess Zarta Draleen. You find yourself standing outside her townhome while people pass you on the street and walk, going about their business in the city.

Slowly, carefully getting out of the coach, Gabriel limps up to the door and knocks, waiting for a servant or something equally as pretentious. When he does, he looks around for the tail from earlier. Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Ygdnur takes his similar stance as he did before, towards the back of the group. He still thinks about that woman they saw, not liking to be followed or watched for reasons he doesn't know about.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Horvon gets out of the coach with a look of interest on his face and says "well it isn't every day you get to meat the leader of you faction"

As they approach their next stop, Rúnar will keep his eyes open for the woman who seemed too interested in their work, or anything else that seems more than the normal amount of attention.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Gwion hops out of the cab munching on an apple. No one is quite sure where he got it. "What's everyone looking at?"

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

"Nothing that needs concern you yet, Master Gwion. We wach for the strange woman. You go and do what you do best, talk. If she be afoot and dangerous, we'll call you back."

You guys going up to the door?

It appears that Gabriel already knocked, but I'm going to follow the group to the door, just staying in the back. Horvon seemed interested in meeting the lady as well.

Oops, missed that, thanks.

Shortly after Gabriel rings the chime, the door is opened by a servant dressed in loose casual attire. He looks out on the party. Ahh the Pathfinders, my mistress will see you in her study. Follow me please. You are led through the grandiose townhome, passing through well-appointed sitting rooms, ballrooms, and a grand stairway granting a view of an elaborate study, the party finally arrives on the third floor of the house, at the door of Zarta’s personal study, which lies
beyond her bedroom. Knocking upon the door and announcing his presence, the servant opens the darkly stained wooden door. A large intricate carpet dominates the marble floor in this sitting room. A chaise sits along the north wall and a desk spans the southeast corner, its chair
positioned with its back to the southwest corner of the room. Three comfortable chairs are positioned around a small, low circular table. Sitting in the chair behind the desk, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen regards the group with a wry smile, putting away a few papers before standing to address you all. “Aldor, you are dismissed. Close the door behind you and attend to your other tasks.” She then turns her attention to the group. “It’s always so incredibly adorable when I see a freshfaced batch of Pathfinders. I mean, look at you scrumptious little teacakes. I could eat each and every one of you up. Well, maybe not you.” Zarta points at Crondor. “I assume this isn’t a pleasure visit since most of you are terribly overdressed for that manner of occasion, so that must mean you are here for that trinket Valsin has been nagging me about. Seems I can’t get that man around these parts anymore,” she gestures, sliding her hand down her body and widening the gesture to sweep out and across the room as if her home were a secondary thought. “On the good side, he always sends me
all the precious new recruits. Many think we in Cheliax serve and worship devils, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, we use the creatures for their power. They serve us and we sculpt their power in our own interests. The world must come to terms with the order of things. People need to know their place and operate accordingly. It is the only way to make order from this world. Too many people stretch too far beyond their station, making waves and eroding the true order.”

First Auntie tries to bathe me and wrap me in swaddling...now this lady refers to me as a snack cake? Gwion gulps...hoping it wasn't as loud as it sounded to him.

"It is a pleasure to meat you" he says as he starts to bow

As they walked up to the main door Ygdnur whispers to himself, somewhat to the others but mostly a though out loud "Everywhere we go, someone's watching us..." As they walk through the large, ornate home, Ygdnur notices all the architecture "Not bad, but the Dwarves would do it better." When they arrive to hear the Paracountess, Ydgnur pushes his way forward a bit, but still does not speak up. A few in the group might hear him whisper something about "Cheliax, power hungry...", but he takes care to keep his mouth shut in front of the Paracountess.

"Paracountess Dralneen, as I'm sure Horvon would be happy to say, if his tongue were not tied in awe, yes, we have come for the item that Valsin has requested. If you could have one of your men", and this Gabriel says with as little malice as possible, "fetch it, we will be on our way, unless you would have something else of us."

Diplomacy:: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Looks like you posted twice, I'd say let's stick with the natural 20 since it came first! GM?

I concur

Rúnar walks alongside Ygdnur, nodding when the fellow dwarf alludes to the small figure who was watching them. "Something's going on...", he replies.

Once inside the Chelaxian townhouse, Rúnar is even more quiet than usual, his countenance blank as he listens to the Venture Captain and faction leader.

Detecting Evil on her just for kicks

While the group is talking to the Paracountess, you start hearing crashes and screeches coming from behind the door on the opposite wall of her study.

Hearing the noise, Ygdnur finally speaks up. "Ma'am, is something going on? What is that noise?" Ygdnur unfastened his axe from his side, stepping slowly towards the door.

"What in gorlon?" He says casting detect magic and putting his hand on his axe

Ma'am, may we have the item in question and be on our way? Gentlemen, no need to draw weapons in a house where you are a guest, unless it is requested.

Zarta eyes Ygdunur slyly. “Oh that? A servant is greatly misbehaving. You’re going to have to deal with it in order to get the trinket.” She goes over to the desk in her study, opening a drawer and drawing out an exquisite silver letter opener shaped like a dagger. “You might need this to get it to submit,” she offers with a sly grin.

Zarta is holding the dagger out for anyone to take.

Crondor ignores the letter opener, turns slightly toward the door, and stares at it impassively. He clearly isn't interested in taking the dagger.