Hey kids!
It's time for everyone's favorite game, Brainstorm A New Working Theory Of The Case!
When we first met Paqshari, she was really eager to pin everything on Triella, and at that time we didn't know Gavin was in on it. What if Paqshari is, too, and (as much as it pains me to admit it) the Firefly Man is a red herring?
Thoughts?
Sum up for someone who joined late, please? :D
So we have an extra large person who's armor didn't fit buying all the fireflies from Paqshari's shop. Some missing Queensmen, and a warehouse owner presumed dead and said warehouse that Gavin was using owned by him.
I don't believe Gavin ever said anything about seeing Jess. He just refused to talk. Maybe he got the bile from Paqshari. Did we ask where he found it?
So we have an extra large person who's armor didn't fit buying all the fireflies from Paqshari's shop.
Mr. XL was a Queensman himself (or at least wearing the armor of one).
I don't believe Gavin ever said anything about seeing Jess. He just refused to talk.
IIRC, Gavin said something along the lines of not caring one way or the other about your missing friend.
Did we ask where he found it?
No, you did not.
We should go back to Paqshari's shop and talk to her. We can explain that we found poor Gavin and he's being healed up, but we are concerned about the demon bile and want to have a look around to make sure none is lurking in her shop to get Gavin sick again once he comes back. We can also ask more about the firefly man. Hopefully she will be more helpful this time since we saved Gavin.
Suspicious that some Queensmen went missing and then someone was wearing ill-fitting Queensmen armor and buying weird stuff at Paqshari's. Wonder what Rastuni was doing in the warehouse. GM, did we notice anything in particular in the records that we found that Rastuni was storing in the warehouse? Or were we not specific enough in our search?
From the centipede room:
With the mutant centipede threat eliminated, your group has time to look around the room a bit more carefully. There's a trail of papers leading to the north door and scuff marks on the floor indicating that a heavy piece of furniture seems to have been dragged through fairly recently.
Upon closer examination, the papers are records of the comings and goings of items to the warehouse, all signed by a fellow named Jozepi Rastuni, perhaps the owner or manager of the place. The earliest date on the paperwork is about 45 days ago; the most recent is 2 weeks ago.
I won't lie, I'm a little stumped right now, folks. All I've got is that in retrospect, Paqshari's story sounds hinky as hell. She was so intent on making Gavin sound like the hero and placing blame elsewhere (check her comments in the post GM just linked to), but that was before we knew that Gavin had been the one to abduct the other kids (which we found out after this, when Blackfeather said that at the cemetary).
What if we go back to her shop, try and
1) talk her into letting us conduct a "health and safety inspection" for the bile ook, and 2) lay a little Bluff down? "Yup, the priests say as soon as Gavin's healed up from the demon bile infection, he'll be able to tell them everything. Should have him singing like the proverbial songbird by, oh, tomorrow?" (Then lay low, discreetly obseve her, see if she does anything rash.)
If anyone else has ideas, I'm all ears.
I like that idea Dom.
Worth a shot. Wondering about the connection between Queensmen disappearing and then someone suddenly appearing wearing Queensman armor that didn't fit...
We assumed it was whomever took the teens.
OK, then who's going to do it? T'chazzar has the best Bluff score, with Kiri and I a step behind his +9. Jesse, you want to give it a go when the time is right?
Sure - she also doesn't know me, which should help!
GM, did we notice anything in particular in the records that we found that Rastuni was storing in the warehouse? Or were we not specific enough in our search?
The warehouse stored several mundane items like wheat, lumber, red clay tiles and shingles, and the like. Nothing particularly valuable or dangerous.
Sorry for the delay in posting; been sick the last day and a half.
Let me know in the gameplay thread when you've got your plan together and are ready to visit Paqshari again.
Perhaps you could ask Turl to send some of his performers to Villegre to get the Fushi sisters hunting for Jessibel as well.
I hope you are feeling better.
I hope you are feeling better.
Thanks. Finally feeling close to 100% again and getting caught up with things.
Glad to hear it. I've been swamped for the last few days. Things have calmed down enough to post.
Re: That outburst, I just felt that Dom had kind of hit his breaking point. Been a long few days for him.
Again with the eyeroll, Leora. Are you becoming our Emergency Backup Jessibel? :-)
Leora ninja'd me! You may use your post's Perception check for the one I called for in my post.
Muahaha! I figured I hadn't posted in a bit and would keep things moving by making a perception check in advance for once we got inside. Didn't realize I would ninja the GM AND all the traps and hiding monsters!
Quick Update: It looks very likely that in addition to not posting on Sundays, for the next two weeks I'll be unable to post on Mondays as well (5/21-5/22 and 5/28-5/29).
Well the 29th being Memorial Day, I can't fault not posting then any way you slice it, y'know?
I'll be pretty busy the Memorial Day Weekend, but I should be able to post at least once or twice.
I'm off to PaizoCon. Posting will be sporadic. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend if you live in the States. If you served in the Armed Forces, you have my most sincere thanks for your service.
Even if Leora gets the killing blow, Dom has better banter!
-Posted with Wayfinder
(Dom bows deeply)
Thanks! :D A DM from a few years ago put me onto the Orcish-as-Russian thing, and now for better or for worse, I imagine many chunks of Dom's dialogue sounding like Ivan Drago auditioning to be in a Shane Black film.
I'll be on vacation in Europe from Saturday June 17 thru Sunday the 25th. I'll probably be able to post Saturday while I'm hanging out at the airport, but not sure how much internet access I'll have during the trip.
Feel free to bot Leora starting on Sunday!
Have a great time, and safe travels!
Enjoy your trip. I'm jealous.
I prefer mithral weapons to silver 'cuz no damage penalty, but very pricey.
Given what we have encountered, I do strongly agree with getting more cold iron weapons!
Hey all -
Got a late start today and now have some rain getting ready to move into the area, so I'm cutting my library stay short. I'll get to the result of the Gather Information checks tomorrow, but for simplicity's sake let's say that Chuko at the War Cage has whatever weapons you need, and he offers a 5% discount since you've got the look of 'adventurers."
Nice catch, Leora, saying that Jessibel likely would've been disguised when out on the streets of Kintargo. Dom nailed the part about her getting her red-and-black colored armor because she thought it 'looked cool,' but now that the Queensmen have claimed those colors, she always prestidigitates her armor and hair 'basic brown' before going out, lest she be mistaken for a loyalist.
Have a great trip, Leora!
You're right, I overlooked the fact that Jess 'dyes her roots' on her armor these days. :)
For weapon shopping, are we in the market for MW stuff? We don't yet have a clear idea how much money we've got to spend from that jewelry, and might not want to blow our budget here.
Lastly, to anyone for whom it matters, have a happy Father's Day and a great weekend!
Sword cane/parasol. I'll just have to work with it when I need to hide the weapon. :) "Here you may have my rapier, but I need my parasol. My pale skin can't take the sun, and it goes so well with my dress." Looks all weak and harmless.
Couple of quick questions:
1) Dom: Did you want to make a stop at the Three-Legged Devil? It's a bit out of the way (Jarvis End) but you know Jessi used to work there and would be known to the owner and patrons.
2) It looks like there are two Gather Information attempts ongoing at the same time: 1) Anyone seen Jessibel? and 2) Anyone seen any demon's bile/demons? Are you guys all staying in one group but asking different questions or perhaps breaking up into two groups of three (Remember: You've got Lydia from Songbird Hall along...and she'd probably be able to earn one group an additional +2 with an Aid Another. Which group wants a shot at an additional +2?
Super quick check-in:
I think I do in fact want to go to the Devil. More later.
So, more on that thought:
What if we briefly broke into two groups: 1) Davina and I (with Lydia) ask around for Jess, with a detour to the Three-Legged Devil, and 2) Leora, Kiri and T'chazzar make inquiries about the demon bile, with their own side trip to get the jewelry appraised/liquidated. Both groups rendezvous at the War Cage.
Anyone got a better plan?
Kind of metagamey, but...if you put Lydia in the Demon's Bile group instead, both groups would likely hit a DC 20 Gather Information check.
I'm fine either way. Possibly more comfortable with that, as Dom has the idea in his head that Lydia doesn't like him. Thoughts from the others?
That plan works for me.
I like Doms plan!
-Posted with Wayfinder
Leora is on board with waiting for the ammo. If this demon is serious business, the team should take all the help they can get!
-Posted with Wayfinder
I don't want to confuse the gameplay thread too much since we are kind of on several topics and in several places at once so when we are discussing whether to help out in exchange for info on Jessi:
"Well, we haven't found hide nor hair of Jessi on our own, so I think we should lend this guy a hand"
-Posted with Wayfinder
I'm down for investigating. We were going to do that anyway.
I'm still following your lead as I'm relatively "new" to the team!
I don't know what it is about Kiri but I just am having a rough time with her. Maybe it's because she is far less social of a character than I normally play, I don't know. Depending on how the next bit goes I might swap out characters, with permission, I'm hoping the adventure in the Nursery will help me enjoy her more.
Is there something that could happen plot-wise to change her outlook? Or are you not invested enough in Kiri to keep with her?
Honestly I don't know how to really explain it, though I don't think that it is a plot thing. Saying I'm not invested in the character would be incorrect but yet I think that is the problem, I just don't feel the connection to her like I do most of my characters I run. I'm not sure how to get there either.
Makes sense. I've had a couple of those types of characters. I thought I'd like them, but not they didn't work for me. I'm good with switching out to someone you want to play.
As am I. If there's anything we can do to help you transition from Kiri to a successor character, naturally I'm all in to help.
Kiri: As we discussed back at the start of this side adventure, I'm also good with you changing characters if that'll make the game more fun for you.
All: Thinking more long-term, it might be a good time to start thinking about what we're going to do once my side game comes to a close. I sent our old GM, GM Paladin, a PM near the end of April when I thought (foolishly, it turns out) that the side adventure would be over around the end of May. Maybe he's just lurking and waiting to reply once the end is closer in sight, but I haven't heard back from him. A second option--that another MB community GM that at least Davina, T'chazzar, and myself know might take over--also seems unlikely, as he's vanished from the boards for almost a month now.
This seems to leave us with three choices:
1) Me finishing this adventure and then continuing with the "Hell's Rebels" AP;
2) Davina taking over the reins as GM for "Hell's Rebels" (especially now that she's gotten more of a taste for what's involved); or
3) Recruit a new GM.
While I really wanted to just resume as a player with Jessibel, I think I can fit GMing a second PbP game into my schedule. Perhaps Jessibel could be a part-time DMPC, spending time off-camera with her Kintargo Opera House Society and Aulamaxa family obligations and joining the PC party when they could benefit from her Inspire Courage or other skills. I also have most of the stats blocks for the rest of "In Hell's Bright Shadow" transferred into a Paizo-PbP-Friendly macro-infested stat block document, so I've got some initial prep work already done.
Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts or comments. We've still got a bit of gaming to get through before we return to the AP, though.
Let me counter with a question: do either of you want to GM this AP? We all signed on as players first, and I won't lie, if we had to do without Jessibel or Davina's presence as PCs the rest of the way through, it'd be a sorely felt absence.
That said, it's your call to make. I appreciate the job you've done in picking the ball up for this, and if you or Davina really want to do the GMing, I certainly wouldn't object. But if you want to play, I'd be more than willing to try recruiting a GM first.