spoiler for Cha
I like the Will save. So if you fail it, I guess you obey the 'other' brain? Actually what I need here is a Diplomacy check. I'll take your roll of 6 + (-1 skill bonus) = 5.
You try to let her down gently, but it just isn't working.
"Oh, that's fine," she shouts. "Don't want to upset your little strumpet upstairs? How about this then..."
She starts screaming... "Someone please help me?" She turns to run up the steps. If you wish to stop her, roll initiative. Otherwise, tell me you're letting her go.
spoiler for Sari
You peek your head out into the street. No sign of Cha. Just a rather thick looking gentleman pushing a small cart and whistling pleasantly to himself. He's coming up the road from the direction of the waterfront.
Back in the shop, you look around for access to other parts of the building. There is a door behind the counter where Shayliss was standing when you entered the shop, and a narrow stair leading upstairs. The entrance to the stairway is roped off with a sign saying "No customers beyond this point."
Suddenly there's a woman's scream from the other side of the door. She's calling for help.
for DM
Apparently my post went to never never land so here it comes again...
For DM
I move to put her at arm's length. "Excuse me Miss..." I wait for the name, then immediately continue with, "You're very beautiful and I'm flattered, but I don't think now is the time or place..."
I'm a bit dry so I'm off to drink with the Dwarf for a bit, hopefully we will still be able to walk when you come for us.
Yod and Eberk -
There's an early afternoon crowd in the taproom of the Rusty Dragon. An old man wearing a brimmed cap with a crimson feather is playing a six stringed guitar almost absentmindedly. Gurnsy the barkeep offers up a draft of imported Dwarven Ale and you tip it back along with some bread and cheese.
Fortitude Saves all around boys!
For DM
For Cha and Sari
Sari opens the door to a face full of Shayliss running up the stairs and bursting into the shoproom. Her hand clutches her untied bodice strings and her cleavages are flying unfettered. Her cheeks are flushed red, though she's not crying. She is yelling, though, and at the top of her lungs.
"Help me! He's lost control of himself..."
Cha stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Sari in disbelief.
For DM and Cha
Spoiler for DM
spoiler for Cha and Sari -
"I don't know how you travel with someone like that. He needs to learn the difference between wild forest women and a lady of the city. Maybe you should stick to the wildlands if you can't control yourself better."
See the spoiler that follows this one if you pass a DC 15 Spot check.
Cha and Sari DC 15 Spot check
She attempts to turn her shoulder so Sari does not see an extended tongue - pointed at Cha as he appears in the doorway behind the counter.
More spoilage for Cha and Sari
The three of you turn at a noise in the doorway. A meaty looking gent with a floppy hat stands in the doorframe. His look of utter surprise transforms to one of rage as he takes in the scene.
"Daddy!" the girl wails and runs to her father.
for DM and Cha
"Shayliss, you should have been named 'Shameless'! Good man, do not let looks deceive you, I realize what this scene seems like, however, most things are not what they seem. Leave your rage and anger for another time, there has been enough of that in this town already. Let's just say your daughter was swept up by the thought of a hero, and our hero is just recently come to town and not familiar with the ways of men and women here. You have my word, on the goddess Desna that your daughter is as pure of body as you left her. I will personally see to it that this man never crosses her path again. Let reason guide you and a cool head prevail."
For DM and Sari
[spoiler]
I hold my hands up, palms out. "I came in looking for an Healer's Kit. The welcome I was offered was much more than I was willing to accept."
Cha and Sari
The man shields his daughter as she makes a production of fastening up her dress again. When he looks back, he seems somewhat mollified by Sari's words.
"Shayliss, did you throw yourself at this tribesman? It seems I have more than one wayward daughter who needs looking after. Shameless indeed! As if the problems between Katrine and that miller were not enough! Get upstairs girl."
His anger is still simmering. He turns to Cha.
"I want you out of my shop! 'Heroes' do not take advantage of young impressionable girls while their fathers are out of doors. Do not darken my door again, or you and I will come to blows."
Sari is forced to complete the shopping in Vinder's general store by herself. She purchases the rope along with three days worth of trail rations and an extra pack to keep it in.
Cost: 16 gp.
The closest place to find a healer's kit is at Hannah's (#45), just down the street from the Rusty Dragon. Hannah is an elven woman who preaches the gospels of Gozreh, god of the natural world and the sea. Certainly, Cha sees more eye-to-eye with Hannah than he did with Vinder and his daughter, and no trouble comes of the trip to her shop.
The Healer's kit is 50 gp, as listed in the PHB.
You gather that you could find care here in Hannah's house, as well as healing supplies and midwife services. You may also purchase potions of Cure Light Wounds from her for 50 gp. She has three in stock.
Before you leave, she takes Sari aside.
"Listen deary. You're comely enough - I shouldn't wonder that the men of the town make their cases plain to you." She arches an eyebrow. "This tincture," she presses a small vial of dark red fluid into your hand, "can forestall unwanted families, eh? If you end up with child, you come to me and I will see that your child is born healthy. But if you take a single mouthful of this tincture within a couple of hours of your coupling, you'll not need to worry for unwanted children."
"You need not pay for this. It's cheap enough to make, and I have provided the same to most of the young women in this town to try and reduce the number of orphans living at the Tundarok Academy. More waifs without parents this town does NOT need. Besides, the Pixie's Kitten alone buys enough of this to more than cover my costs." The Pixie's Kitten is the town's only brothel (#43).
For DM and Sari
"Glad to be out of there. Note to self...goblins are far easier opponents than women scorned."
I'll take the Healer's Kit and one of the Cure Light Wounds. That will leave me about where I started.
"Let's find the others. I need a drink. Hopefully they've left us some.
Another round for me and big E !
For DM
Fort save roll = 20 + save = 1 total 21
for DM and Cha
To the healer, "I thank you for your potions and your foresight."
To Cha, "Let's go drink one to Fate and Desna before continuing on to the graveyard."
For DM and Sari
"Like that was my fault? Unbelievable! Pests in the cellar, my azz."
Shakes his head and makes for the Rusty Dragon.
For DM and Sari
"So, you really think I was trying to get in that girl's dress? Unbelievable? And all this time you've known me? We didn't have girls like that back in the Churlwood I tell you. So, you're not going to say anything about this to the others are you...are you?"
Cha and Sari rejoin their drinking comrades at the Rusty Dragon. You figure you better leave now to take advantage of the full light of day as you examine the site.
The cemetery sits on the east side of the Cathedral, between that building and the town wall. You access it by a gated arch on Tomb street, up by the wall, or by going through the Cathedral. In this case, you go through the Cathedral and show your pass to the guards there. Father Zantus comes over as you're walking out into the yard.
"I'll take these folk out," he says to the guards. He motions for you to follow and he leads you from the rear vestibule and down a path that winds through the headstones.
Just off the path you come to a relatively new headstone that has been toppled over. There's a mound of fresh earth and a couple of crude discarded shovels. A small marble coffer sits by the hole, its lid lying in the grass beside. The coffer is empty.
There are only two shovels. They look like they're sized for wicked little runts. It looks like they dug behind the stone, then pushed it over, then dug under the stone until they hit the coffer. Ishah is able to follow a scent straight to the town wall at its nearest point. There's no sign of how the goblins came over the wall or left. You're able to spot some of the more obvious tracks along the line she makes between the grave and the wall, but little else.
"It seems so strange that such an attack was staged just to steal some bones? Could there have been anything else in there," pointing at the coffer. "And if bones were in fact what they were after, why these? Why now? Why wait until the city is brimming with people to try this? Why not just do it after dark when everyone is asleep?"
"That attack caught you mid-speech, didn't it? You dropped something to get everyone's attention...what was that by the way, a big boom went off and almost as if on cue the attack commenced."
I'll move around to the other side of the father sorta poke around in the dirt with my morningstar
Survival check roll 4 + 0 = 4
Search chech roll 15 + 1 = 16
Sense motive check roll 13 + 1 = 14
Spot check roll 15 + 4 = 19
Listen check roll 12 + 0 = 12
Initiative roll 5 + 3 = 8
"I've been asking the exact same questions - and I've asked them of the sheriff and the mayor. Neither of them remember there being anything but burnt bones - and few of those. I blessed this grave when I first came here, but that was weeks after the burial."
He turns to Sari. "Your family is very well regarded in the town I find. I really could not be happier about your volunteering to help the town scouts. I want you to stop by the church before you leave in the morning and allow me to bless your search."
He turns back to Cha. "As to the timing... who can say what the goblin b@!+#es were thinking in doing such a thing. The crime is senseless - to steal a bunch of bones and try to kill people. They sacrificed themselves just for the glory of the rampage."
He's appears completely taken aback by the memory of the thunderstone going off.
"That's the first time I even remembered using the stone. I took it with me just in case. I had a feeling my voice wouldn't carry over the noise of the crowd. Do you really think I could have accidentally triggered the attack?"
Bluff check roll = 17 + 6 total 23
"First time you remember using the stone? Where did you get it? Any chance someone in on the attack gave you the stone and suggested it might be useful to get everyone's attention?" I look at Sari. "Maybe some type of Suggestion spell or potion or something?"
Something seems fishy to me. I don't really know what is going on but I have the hebbie jebbies. It seems to me Cha is on to something with the thunderstone. I roll a sense motive of 19. I also roll to spot and listen for anything going on around us. I roll a 13 spot and a 5 listen.
Seeing that I feel like somethings going on, I stick to the fathers side like glue. Every so often I reach back and touch my war axe just for fun.
"No. I thought of using one myself - I've used them before. Using them that way is common in Magnimar. I guess that's a detail I'd just not remembered until now about the attack."
"Maybe it was a prearranged signal to use as a contingency plan? Maybe they did intend to use stealth, and I coincidentally triggered the attack? How Horrible!" He falls silent at this last, and seems to retreat a little bit inside himself.
To the west, the sun is beginning a bright orange plunge towards the sea. The headstones throw long shadows across the yard, almost pointing the way to where the tracks stop at the wall.
A man in a tan tunic approaches your group along the path. His step has an uneven cadence, like he bears some spinal deformity. He bows his head to you all, and then addresses the father quietly.
"One of the bereaved families has come for pre-burial blessings, father. I have said my piece - you will be needed in a moment."
"Ah - I must leave you now friends. One of the local farming families lost their grandfather in the attack. Please come by in the morning before you leave and allow me to ask the Lady's fortune on your part."
He and the other man walk quickly up the path back to the cathedral door, conversing the whole way.
"Okay, the Father's telling the truth. I still think it's too much of a coincidence. Still feel like it was 'suggested' to him without his knowing." At the mere mention of the general store encounter, Cha turns beat red, says "Nothing happened, absolutely nothing!" and moves to look at it something else, anything else.
As an afterthought Cha pipes in, "Did he say using thunderstones that way was common in Magnimar? That place just keeps popping up in conversation."
"It seems we may have misjudged the good father. I'm sure since the thunderstone seems to be common practice that the person that planned this attack could have assumed Father Zanthus would use one. Or maybe the trigger for the attack was just the beginning of his speech? It's no matter now. We have much to think about and a long day ahead of us. Let's let this day rest and see what tomorrow brings when we go out with the scouts."
I'm checking the tracks over to the wall and the wall too
search check roll 16 + 1 total 17
spot check roll 15 + 4 total 19
Then I'm wandering past the other funeral for a listen on the way out
listen check roll 10 + 0 total 10
I ask the others if they think we should talk to the guy in the tan tunic with the limp, see if he has noticed anything odd lately.
Your search of the wall yields no further information. You walk back towards the Cathedral and are greeted by the same crippled man at the entrance. He introduces himself as Naffer Vosk, caretaker of the graveyard and local adept of Saranrae the Golden.
“Please, as you go through the chapel, do so quietly. The Harnell family grieves tonight for their lost elder. I can’t say that I’ve seen anything unusual here, other than the violation of the grave. The elf girl, Shalelu, should come quickly so I can set the yard back to rights. I know it’s important not to muss the tracks, but seeing the toppled stone in the yard is offensive to me.”
You move through the southern wing of the church quietly and exit back out to the plaza. The town seems quieter now that evening is setting in, and you make your way down to the waterfront.
You find the taproom of the Rusty Dragon half-filled with pipe smoke and mingling patrons. A young pair of minstrels plays a catchy tune on mandolin and flute. Ameiko smiles broadly as you enter and gestures for you to come over to her table in the corner.
“I have a couple more rooms available now,” she says, offering two more keys. “Same rate as before.”
“If you folks are wanting food, there’s an excellent meal tonight of spiced pork cutlets that we’ll be laying on momentarily. I got the recipe from a Shoanti tribesman I traveled with some years back. It should remind our plainsman here of home.” This with a gesture and a wink to Cha.
"Well, that led us knowhere really. It's hard to believe that the thunderstone and the attack weren't connected, but I believe the father is telling the truth. We'll see what we can scout out tomorrow."
For DM
At some point when I can get Ameiko to herself and I'm out of earshot of Sari I want to ask her a few questions about Aldern Foxtrot. "How long had he been staying here before the festival? Does she know anything about his profession? What about his club in Magnimar?"
"I'm turning in early tonight." I ask Ameiko for a wakeup call before sunrise.
I agree with Cha. It seems like the father is telling the truth however I think we may have missed something? Oh well like Cha said maybe we will find out more info tomorrow.
I will be indulging in a few beers tonight also. I do intend to go to bed at a resonable hour since we have to start so early tomorrow. Hey Cha wake the rest of us up too if you would not mind.
You all sit and drink and listen to the entertainment. The minstrels are just packing their things when there is a sudden commotion by the door.
“Ned!” a woman’s voice calls over the taproom din. There is a hint of panic in her voice.
“Ned Barrett! Please, I must find Ned!” A middle-aged woman dressed in a nightgown comes into the room from the street, wailing baby clenched to her breast and young son clinging to her hem. The boy has a bloodied rag pressed to his wounded forearm and he is crying.
A man seated against the back wall at a gaming table stands up at hearing his name.
“Amele, what are you doing here? What’s wrong?”
“Ned, there’s a monster in the house! Aeren was screaming and crying, and we thought he was having a nightmare, but when we went to him we found a monster pinning him down and biting his arm.” She holds out the young boy’s arm as evidence.
“Your brother flew into a rage and chased the thing into Aeren’s closet. Please Ned, go help him.”
Ned’s eyes go wide at the story. He starts towards the door at a run.
Well the father believes he is being truthfull anyway, we'll have to go with that for now. I ate and drank too much at lunch and these minstrels hurt my ears so I'm turning in now and getting up early. I can't think of anything else to take tomorrow. See ya in the morning
Assuming it's still early and I'm down stairs, I immediately go to Ned's aid. "Where's your house? Come on Ishah."
I'm up and after Ned
Initiative roll 17 + 3 total 20
Great something to kill, maybe that will make me hungry
Halfway to the door, I remember the little boy and stop to look at his wound. "Let me take a look at that." "Hold still and I'll see if I can clean it up a bit." I take the rag and wipe it across the wound as I cast Heal Light Wounds. Looking at mother, "Get him to Father Zantus right away. Let him know what's happened." I pat the boy on the head and take off after the posse.
I run like hell after Ned. As I run out the door I yell, "Someone send for the town guard! Come on Eberk, let's go!"
Ned mumbles something about it being his brother's house and runs out into the street. He turns immediately left, then right, then left to Brokestone Alley and up a short flight of three wooden steps onto the porch of the house. Sari is right at his heels, followed closely by Yod.
The front door to the house stands ajar, and light from a lantern in the front room spills out onto the porch. Ned comes to a halt at the door and peers in cautiously. He puts a hand down to his side and seems to realize for the first time that he's unarmed. He looks at you expectantly.
"That was my brother's family," he whispers, "my brother's wife. This is his house."
"Aldergast!" he hisses into the house.
Sari and Yod may act. Eberk is not quite there yet (20' movement and all) and Cha is coming up behind him.
I cast Mage Armor (11 points left), and enter the door and step to the right.
"Is there a back door?" I yell at Ned.
Cha - Ned turns at the sound of your shout and shakes his head in the negative.
Sari and Yod
The room beyond the door is a common living area that shares space with a dining table. There's a low fire burning to the left. A door in the rear of the room stands open and a light from within is flickering weakly upon it.
Ned gestures to the door.
"That's Aeren's room."
Listen check DC 15 for Yod before his action
Listen check roll 13 + 0 total 13
I proceed to Aeren's room
Move silently roll 10 + 8 total 18
Spot check roll 12 + 4 total 16
Cha and Eberk arrive on the porch as Yod pads quietly across the cluttered room towards the door.
Spoiler for Yod
You peek in the bedroom door. The room beyond contains all the normal trappings of a young boy's bedroom. Directly opposite the door is a closet with a door that is slightly ajar. A man is lying face down in the closet doorframe - head and shoulders lost in the darkness of the closet - feet pointed toward you. He is not moving.
For DM
Spot roll 11 + 4 total 15
Search roll 20 + 1 total 21
After my friends listen and check the door, I am wiling to move in first. I have rolled an 18 + 2 = 20 int. I ask the guy Ned which way is closet. I have my axe ready and waiting to banish any monsters to hell.