Mayor Kriegler
"Customs are different from manners my dear, a pity your friend takes her time to check food for something suspicious, while we ourselves would eat it as well."
Some of the elders give Aryn a disapproving look.
"Youngsters these days..."
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Near Uthred, a young blonde woman is seated, as she had won one of the other games. About his age in appearance, she is curious about you all, and him in particular, as strangers have been around the world.
"Hello, i'm Shel Lupescu.
Mister, could you tell me of the outside world?
Is it beautiful? Have you always been so strong looking?"
She's looking at Uthred with dreamy eyes. Uthred's become popular.
-------A little later: The Founders' Feast's Queen-----------------
Mayor Kriegler: "We have our next part of the festive day ahead of us. The play of our founding's story!"
Three young ladies, including Shel, take a stand at a small stage made of planks.
1): "The village of Ravenmoor was founded during the initial
burst of Chelish colonialism that saw the birth of much larger cities like Magnimar, Korvosa, and Riddleport."
2): "Yet where those cities flourished, Ravenmoor never progressed far beyond its rural beginnings, for in the early years the town was ravaged by what appeared to be a supernatural blight."
Shel: " With the villagers close to starvation,
the town’s founder, a priestess of Desna named Iola Kriegler, decided to undertake a sort of vision quest to seek a solution to her village’s problems."
1): "She followed visions of the divine and ventured outside our village."
2): "Accompanied by two human druid advisors, Iola returned to Ravenmoor to help the village."
Shel: "She and her two aides worked miracles, and the harvest that year and every year since has yielded enough bounty to keep the villagers well provided and safe."
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Clapping follows, and the three women bow with grace to the audience and then to the mayor and council.
Mayor Kriegler addresses you:
"So, whom did you think perform her part best?
Ellen (1), Alice (2), or Shel?"
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Uthred listens to the girl with open ears trying to see if there is something else she is keeping hidden...
and is oblivious to the fact she is buttering him up. He tells her tales of his actions in an evil crypt trying to secure an everflame.
After listening to the girls speak, Uthred says Shel did a fine job.
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Artoria's eyes glaze over at all of the formalities and rituals. She remembers countless such feasts from her former life. The strange off-putting qualities of this town cloy at her as well, making it difficult to let loose.
She was not particularly paying attention to the performances of the three girls, not expecting to be asked for input.
"The last one was fine. Shel, was it?"
wth is he getting into...?
"A crypt? You went into the burial site of others?"
....Wow, you did? Amazing!......That must have been disgusting :(..
Aryn will go with the majority, voting for Shel then.
The mayor and the others at the table are murmuring, trying to decide who would be the winner.
Mayor Kriegler: "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.
After some debate, we have decided upon this feast's queen.
The winner, with most votes is......Shel Lupescu!"
Clapping ensues and Shel's face shows a wide smile.
"I am? Protector be praised, i'm this time's winner!"
One of the elders hands the mayor a wreath of woven vines and flowers, who in turn places it on Shel's head. Shel comes to you.
"I slightly overheard you voting for me, thank you, thank you so much."
In her enthusiasm, she hugs Uthred.
Her mother joins in the thanking. "I am Anya Lupescu, Shel's mother. I want to thank you outsiders, you have made my daughter very happy tonight."
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Artoria leans over to speak quietly with Uthred.
"This situation reminds me of Sir Gawain's story of his time at the Green Knight's keep. I expect this may be some kind of test, Uthred. The mayor may have sent the girl to tempt you. Alternatively, some more sinister purpose may be at work...."
Artoria nods to herself as she decides something.
"I shall stand vigil outside your room tonight."
A little later.....Vioric approaches you.
"Greetings again. I've noticed you haven't got a place to spend the night at, i'm offering a place at my house if you'd wish. Think about it and come see me after the feast has ended if you wish to take up the offer."
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The feast has finally come to a close.
The villagers have doused the bonfires and are cleaning up.
The elders have taken their leave, leaving just the mayor directing the finishing touches to the closure of the feast.
In between, he approaches you.
"Well honored guests, i hope the feast was to your liking.
Traditions are rooted within our little community. As i've offered the missing tax collector in the past, i likewise offer you a room at my mansion for the night. I'll be back shortly after the feast to hear your answer."
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Sarephta smiles at the mayor's invitation and thanks him.
"I will discuss it with my companions. Thank you for your kind offer," she responds.
Once he has left, the aasimar says "I think we should take him up on the offer. We don't know where this tax collector has gone...I think it is only by investigating this place that we can find more information..."
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@ Artotia- "Is Gawain a Pathfinder? A green knight... is that like the Green Faith? Normally I would not mind a sample here and there, but on mission, I stay focused least I offend the wrong family with lots of family."
"I do not trust the mayors brother. At night I would rather sleep in safety at Viorec than be attacked in the dead of night by untrustworthy folk... we can always return to the mayors if need be."
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Artoria turns inward at Uthred's inquiries, a look of both pride and sadness on her face.
"No, not a Pathfinder. Someone I knew in another life. The Green Knight derived power from fey magic, so I suppose the Green Faith would be a reasonable comparison."
Artoria rests her hand on the pommel of her sword.
"I agree that we might be safer at Viorec's, but I think we need to draw out whatever evil is in this town. Who- or whatever may feel more inclined to make a move if we appear to be in a position of weakness."
A small brown cat walks by, looking at the 4 of you, before moving on.
When the feast is over, the mayor walks you over to his manor.
"So glad you've decided to take the offer, as my family's mansion is rather empty these days, aside from my brother that is."
He guides you up the stairs.
"This way please. Here are the guest quarters."
"I've got to drop off a bottle of wine to one of the families, as a gift for arranging part of the festival. I'll be back within the hour."
The mayor takes his leave.
You notice a scrap of paper stuffed into a slit in the mattress where the bed is pushed against the wall. One side of the paper contains an
order from the city of Magnimar for the collection of 500 gp in back taxes from Ravenmoor, while on the other is a crude map of Ravenmoor with several buildings circled—the trading post, the weaver, the ferry, and Kriegler Manor.
No evil radiates from the house, when Artoria is putting the scanner on.
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Sarephta, now that the group was gathered, decided to share the important thing she had found in her room.
"Look at this...what do you make of it? I found a scrap of paper stuffed into a slit in the mattress where the bed is pushed against the wall. One side of the paper contains an order from the city of Magnimar for the collection of 500 gp in back taxes from Ravenmoor, while on the other is a crude map of Ravenmoor with several buildings circled—the trading post, the weaver, the ferry, and Kriegler Manor. This looks like something our tax collector dropped here..."
She shares it with the others.
"Unless it was dropped here so we would follow the wrong trail or something..."
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Uthred will start in the great room (J1 and take 20 for a 29) to begin searching. The while the others are inside Uthred will go outside and 'enjoy' the outdoors near the house while secretly looking for signs of the brother. I guess Uthred will be the lookout. He will take 20 as he strolls around the grounds.
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"Maybe those are the places that hadn't yet paid the taxes to the mayor, and our man had to go there himself? Though I wonder if he ever got to any of those places..."
"Shall we investigate those other places tomorrow? I'm starting to believe our dear tax collector didn't just run off with the money."
Aryn brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "So... shall we start with the mayor's private room, or rooms, while he isn't present?"
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Sarephta looks skeptical at the idea of searching the mayor's room.
"I don't know...we are guests of the mayor, and while I do not mind looking through common areas, it does not feel like very good guests to go into his room. Perhaps we should retire for the night and search these other places on the map tomorrow."
Uthred is spending the majority of time outside.
Aside from the earlier description of the living room, nothing of note catches his eye.
-----------Inside, with the three ladies-------------
Shelves and cubbyholes line this well-stocked pantry.
A large circular table and sturdy, hand-carved chairs dominate
this room.
The manor’s double-sided fireplace also serves this large kitchen.
A large pot with a thick sludge of boiled vegetable matter and a single bowl and spoon are the only items to have seen recent use; the other pans and utensils carry a thin coating of dust.
One room, J6, is locked.
The upper balcony overlooks this smaller sitting room, which
is dominated by a bookshelf much too big for the meager selection of two dozen books it holds.
Among books on horticulture and outdated almanacs is a stack of papers bound between wooden slats.
Those of you who are versed in Thassilonian speech can study these.
This bland room contains a single bunk bed, dresser, and an uncomfortable chair.
The quilt on the lower bunk bed has a pungent odor, and hides silk sheets stained with dried brown fluid.
The upper bunk bed is made and doesn’t appear to have been used for weeks.
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"I think the most propitious piece of evidence we have found thus far is the map. If the circled places represent leads our tax collector friend found, we should seek them out tomorrow."
Artoria nodded towards the stain, taking care not to look at it again.
"This stain--whatever it is--is troubling, but unless we can discern what it is, it will not help us going forward. I suggest we hunker-down for the night, making sure to have someone on watch."
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"Forgive my bad manners for saying so, but it smells like diarrhea..."
Aryn bites her lip as she thinks about what to do. "I'll let you know I don't particularly trust the mayor. I'm sure he's hiding something, and I'm sure that it's behind the locked door. Still, I'd rather not force it open. I agree we should investigate the other places tomorrow, and see what we can discover there."
That said, Aryn wishes her comrades a good night and returns to her bedroom. Once inside Aryn casts detect magic to inspect her room, which is something she forgot to do during her earlier inspection.
Aside from the sheet, Sarephta finds nothing of note in the room.
Aryn finds no magic patterns in her room either.
The front door opens, prior to someone entering, you clearly see a cat pausing its pace to look at you, before proceeding its walk.
Uthred steps in afterwards, having not stepped on the cat.
Shortly after, mayor Kriegler returns.
"Ah, i hope the rooms are enough for the night?"
The mayor heads into the kitchen and returns, holding one of the wine bottles you saw earlier and 5 cups, which he places onto the dining table.
"Please, if you wouldn't mind, could you tell me of what your journey to our village was like? Under the pleasure of a cup of wine perhaps?"
Aryn having acted suspicious of their hospitality earlier, he pours himself first.
"Young lady, to prove i am not trying to poison you, i shall drink the first cup.", he proceeds and drinks it.
You get the impression this gesture is sincere.
------------------Cue any RP, before bed time--------------------------------
"Good night to you all.", he heads upstairs after/before whoever stays up late/goes in early.
The mayor heads upstairs into his room and tucks in for the night.
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Sarephta speaks quietly with her companions before they go to bed.
"I think that cat is watching us or something. I think it might be the same one I saw before."
The aasimar's runs a hand through silver hair, then adds "We should set a guard for tonight. I will take the first watch. Something is not right here, though I do not know what it is."
"Aha, i assume you are referring to young miss Shel?"
He laughs softly. "No, my good man, she seemed genuinely smitten.
As for the other villagers, the elders are a little grumpy on occasion, nothing serious."