GM Fuzzfoot's PBP: Black Waters (#0-06) (Inactive)

Game Master PJP

"I like your house!" Chup suddenly blurts out as though he'd been holding it in since arriving. "Oops," he feebly offers when he feels the disapproving gazes of the aristocratic guests weighing heavily upon him.

"Sorry about your daughter, Lady Dacilane. Is there anything we can do to help you out?"

Fool eats hors d'oeuvres without a care in the world, occasionally dropping one in his pocket for the fox.

Mavaro semms pretty gruff after being so blantanly ignored by his 'companions'. 'I enter the room and they don't even care to greet me - just because they got an invitation to a little party'.
When they head to the nobles' gathering, he makes no try to further communicate, apparently offended by the brats he was tasked to endure.

During the event, he makes sure to stand apart of the group, so the guests associate him with the others who seem to spare no thought about appearances. He has taken the time to remove some of the more striking features of his garb and stow them in his backpack, though he didn't remove the armor from under his clothes.
He might be taken for a rich adventurer this way - that was his hope at least.

He tries to mix into the general audience, striking up a few conversations here and there, mostly with those that seem the type for arcane magic or some other form of knowledge, trying to find out if the college was more than just a place of general study for the rich. He hopes to learn hints about deeper secrets of arcane or divine nature that were conducted in it's halls. He also steers such discussions to the topic of the necropolis underneath and tries to gain more information about it.

Gather Information: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

I had Knowledge(history) 19 - trying to remember anything of interest about the case and Knowledge(Religion) 23 - about Necropoli in general.
Don't know if I missed anything, do I gain anything useful from this?

"Such a memory can be hard to hold. We do what we can to show lespect, for your daughter."

"There is reason you call us here. Prease, share." Kon Kon's accent isn't quite as thick when she speaks slowly, but it's still quite noticeable.

Diplomacy(untrained): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

To each of your inquiries, she nods and tries to help.

Lady Dacilane knows nothing of the necropolis. "We didn't even know about it. Surely we would not have allowed the academy to be built there if we knew! However, I recall my daughter once mentioned that lesser children" —not her Junia mind you— "skipped class to tell ghost stories by candlelight in an abandoned corridor beneath the school. Perhaps it's connected?"

When she is asked about funding for the trip, she purses her lips, narrows her eyes, and says, “A small donation to the Society would of course be in order for any services rendered” and then refuses to speak of the matter further.

"This is the last portrait we had made of our beloved Junia..." Lady Dacilane gestures to an enormous painting of her daughter—a rigid, sharp-featured young girl with long black hair—that looms over the entire banquet hall. "It still hurts to look at and not know her fate."

She is clearly desperate for any news whatsoever of her beloved Junia and attempts to be courteous to you.

Once the dinner is over, Lady Dacilane shows you to the door herself, and wishes you luck in their exploration. She impresses upon you once again how important it is that she receive any word of her daughter.

"Let's go at night, right now. That way we are assured to see some ghosts," wiggling his fingers in the air.

The door of the venture-captain's office is sharply opened and the no-haired shoanti, an exemplar pile of muscles, with some fresh blood stamped in his clothes enters the room.

"Sorry for being late, sir! I got some...uh...troubles. Do I missed something?"

Erevan Stormstride appears to share an interest with the nobles in the finer things. Dressed not in armor but the attire of a noble, he nods knowingly at some of the jokes about the adventuring gear of the group.

Still, the half-elf seems serious about the mission at hand.

"Surely if anyone can uncover information about your daughter, I can," Erevan tells Lady Dacilane.

"Honorable lady say good-bye. I not know why we waiting. Let us go to place of school and ghosts."

Kon Kon nods at the newcomers. "You miss good pahty. No new knowing. Just talk."

Nemis will bow and take his leave. Once all required pleasantries are met, he too makes for the ruin.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Following the group of Pathfinders as they walk through the streets, Chup skips to keep up. "I'm ready to go right now. Let's boogie!"

As you make your way toward the gate of the drownyard, you walk through a thick misty fog. As you emerge, you notice half of your number is no longer with you. Perhaps they became afraid, or just got lost. Yet somehow, you are ok with this, and proceed with those who are with you now.

Nemis, Erevnan, Fool and Kon Kon, stay here. We will proceed with your story line now.

Spooner, Dumm, Crowe and Mavaro, you may check in at Table 2 to complete your adventure.

Table 2 Gameplay thread is here.

Both tables will use the same discussion group, so try to keep spoilers to a minimum :)

Beldrin’s Bluff is a rotting ghost town at the edge of a hungry sea. Throughout the derelict landscape, seagulls perched on splintered timbers reflect your passage in their glassy black eyes. Overhead, dark clouds move ashore with the promise of a storm.

A fence of black iron pikes surrounds a block-wide yard. Dead tree branches reach out from the fence like the arms of emaciated prisoners desperate to escape. A man is on the inside, cutting the trees down. Some of the dismembered branches remain, stuck in place by knotty elbows swollen around the iron.

The man looks up from his sawing and watches you. His thinning hair is matted and sweaty. Beyond him, partially collapsed buildings and
three whitewashed towers lean in a lake-filled yard.

...I was not expecting a laborer. "You there, come here if you would. We have some questions."

Is the gated area locked?

Fool experiments with several colors to his dancing lights spell, rotating from red, green, blue, then shifting through several hues of blue. Settling on a silvery blue, he says to no one in particular, "This color should accent the ghosts nicely!"

Moving forward, he maneuvers the four ghostly spheres within a 10-foot-radius of each other. Circling and searching with them as the group proceeds.

detect magic pls on courtyard and an active perception on the groundskeeper

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Moving to the gate, he gives it a tug to see if it is locked.

First I use skeleton key acting like it is the real key.

disable device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Erevan watches for any irregularities. perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

Poking his head out of the pocket, he wonders where the others went. It seems he was the only one who noticed.

perception, scent, if he approaches within 15 feet: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Some notes to keep from cluttering the gameplay as the DLDM (Dancing Lights/Detect Magic)was getting a little weird in the last game: I am moving the lights ahead so it illuminates the area ahead and around us. Hopefully we have a secondary light source to illuminate behind us a little, does anyone have anything? Every minute or so (or when she uses it), I am going to touch the rogue's sleeve and cast guidance. However, I am more interested in not being slain by a pendulum scything blade or a explosive runes than casting the spell again, so she might be on her own a little. If we pause for a moment and would normally look around, I am going to be continually casting Detect Magic instead of using perception. If this isn't ok, just let me know and I'll call the castings.

Oh and in case you haven't played with a witch before, the rule is: "You wake it, you tank it". So let them sleep until we get a coup d'grace or until the rogue can sneak attack, please. You've got 2 rounds to line it up before they wake up and it's a full round attack.

The man simply watches you, refusing to speak. He seems concerned when Fool tries to open the lock, but then when the lock pops open, he scowls and starts to remove his gloves...

Perceptions and detect magic do now reveal anything more, but I will warn you that casting detect magic on someone like this will immediately change an attitude down one level, which could provoke combat. So keep that in mind when you continuously detect magic. I will also assume you are not trying to be stealthy while casting spells continuously, which translates into you being very unlikely to surprise someone.

I'm ok with that in the "dungeon", I'll refrain otherwise. I'm kind of assuming he is a ghost so Detect away. If he's not ill apologize profusely.

diplomacy (apology): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Trying to hide the look of utter amazement at it actually opening with the skeleton key, he smiles broadly at the groundskeeper. "Hello!"

It appears that he is not a ghost...

"Ghosts! Get out of here! You do not belong!"

He approaches menacingly, shaking his tool.

"Honorable sir, we have been given leave to ensure these grounds are safe. We seek site for memorial to those that pass on with Tri-Towers Yard school—which you may know as Drownyard."

"You seem know this prace well. Maybe you can be guide, yes?" Kon Kon smiles to show no ill intent.

curse my lack of experience, I should be able to enter his mind and probe for the information I want... I must meditate and practice...

-Posted with Wayfinder

He refuses to speak further, and attempts to lock the gate again.

"Please sir, put your tool away!" looking genuinely frightened at such a display.

"Damn thieves!" he mutters to himself as he relocks the gate.

"We're not thieves sir. Let us in. Our cause is just, not selfish."

"Only thieves pick locks... not thieves..." he says, rolling his eyes. Then he moves back to where he was working.

"I didn't pick the lock. I say good man, who are you and why are you here? I'll not hide my motives. We're here to find the remains of a girl. We believe she's in the Necropolis. Can you help?"

"But sir, I have the key right here," holding out the real key for him to see.

not biting on my tool joke, I see how it is

Seeing the key, the man's demeanor suddenly changes, and quite drastically. He smiles, genuinely, and offers his hand to shake. "Oh! I am so sorry. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me."

He takes the key from you and unlocks the padlock, and motions you in. "You should have just said that Mrs. Heracks was expecting you. I can take you to see her. She is setup in Headmistress Kiwu's office."

"Yes, prease. Lead on."

Raising his eyebrows in disbelief, he looks to the others before following the fox into the yard.

Erevan looks skeptical, but follows along nonetheless.

Nemis too looks skeptical, but so far, you haven't seen him look otherwise. "Please, we'd like to make a good first impression, what can you tell us of the Mrs.?"

"Mrs. Heracks? She is a great teacher. Her students all love her."

The ruined paths of the Tri-Towers Yard wind their way around black ponds and gray, shattered buildings. Powerful fragrances precede one roofless hall where a thin path meanders through an abundance of flower
arrangements in wild bloom. Just off this path is the entrance to a small classroom—this is either where he leads you.

As you enter, you see ten students dressed in checkered uniforms sit stiffly at wooden desks, staring straight ahead. No one moves. At the front of the class, a conservatively dressed woman leans against the wall.

"Here is Mrs. Heracks! These people are looking for you."

Suddenly, Mrs. Heracks jerks her head toward you, and silently waves at you.

Erevan maintains a poker face, but whispers to his companions "Something seems off here...we were led to believe this was a graveyard, not an active school..."

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

The teacher silently watches as students whisper to each other, but they don't make any sound at all.

Upon seeing the incongruity of the situation, Nemis squints a bit. "This is not what I expected. My first mission was a straight forward rescue operation." He eyes his partymates to gauge their intent. "We're not threatened by them, perhaps we let this play out and we'll find the source of this... situation below."

Erevan lifts an eyebrow at the scene before him, his sharp eyes catching some tell-tale signs of something wrong.

"This is not what it seems to be," he whispers again. "These are spirits...haunts...that re-live the lives they knew before this tragedy. We should try not to disturb them. Perhaps if we just act as if nothing is wrong, we can continue on without drawing their attention."

Fool's face drains of color and he whispers, "Yes, I agree. Let's pretend this is totally normal. Maybe there's a chance to save these children if they are magically suspended. The flowers outside are blooming, so there might be something powerful at work."

"Mrs. Heracks, good evening, how are you and the children, er...doing?" he tugs at his collar nervously. "We were sent here to find the necropolis. Do you know where it might be?"

The man looks over at the teacher, and a few moments later, she looks at Fool and starts nodding in an awkward way. "Yes, she will lead us there!" the man says. With that, the teacher turns and starts walking, using a very jerky gait. But she is leading you somewhere...

"This is a terrible plan. This is a terrible plan," he whispers, but he follows anyway, pushing the dancing lights ahead.

Trying to hide the shiver running down her spine, Kon Kon follows. She knows she's not prepared, should things turn sour, but she puts on a brave face.

Eventually, you arrive at a wide, black pool with an occasional bubble percolating up in the center.

"I fear that our path leads us...down?" Nemis looks about for other options (and the bubbling area.) Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Detect magic, guidance on rogue

Kon Kon looks over at the teacher.

"Umm, what next? Sorry, I not understand."