PFS 5-01 Glass River Rescue, Table A (Inactive)

Game Master DrGabe

Eadie smiles at Lore and Ruprecht. “Are you OK? How are we doing compared to your adventures in Thornkeep?”

In a low voice, Eadie says to Grim, “You sly dog, Grim. Metella’s so jealous! She clearly wants to buy what you’re selling – but you’re gonna play hard to get, aren’t you?”

Eadie curtsies to the dwarven merchant princess.

“Mademoiselle Metella, I am sorry if we have offended you by deciding to be merchants as part of our cover. But they say imitation is the highest form of flattery.” Eadie gestures respectfully with open palms to the female dwarf.

“Are there any tips you could give us on being a merchant that could help make our cover more convincing?”

"Welp, there were no dragons in Thornkeep that we encountered. That was a plus for it, I suppose. This seafaring life is different, that's for sure."

"Aye Ruprecht...not sure if I liked the undead runnin in the halls of an underground fortress or the dragons attacking while stuck on a riverboat. Tough call that one."

Turning to Eadie....with a low chuckle.

" To be honest, not sure what I'm sellin, but next place we stop with ale, I'm buyin!. "

"Thornkeep was a fascinating place, and I welcomed the chance to help send undead back to their original state of being just dead. As with Grim, I don't think we can compare our adventure here on the boat with delving underground. Apples and oranges. I have to say that I've traveled by boat before, but never with so much excitement." The little gnome flicks back a shock of purple hair and grins happily as she speaks.

"How about you, Eadie? How say you about this latest adventure on behalf of the Society? And are we meeting your expectations of traveling companions and fellow pathfinders?"

Wow. Veterans asking ME for my opinion … oh my!

Eadie puts down the whetstone she has been using to hone the falchion lying across her knees. A vacant expression comes over her plain features as she ponders a response. You can *almost* hear the cogs turning … then she smiles shyly at the priestess.

“I understand you and Grim are members of VC Valsin’s faction, Lore. Have you heard him talk about not being able to gauge the strength of a group until it has been tested in combat?”

“I think we’ve passed the first … AND second test with flying colors!”

Eadie thinks about the fun and camaraderie she enjoyed with her last party … and the time it took and circumstances under which they became friends as well as comrades-in-arms.

… and we were together for less than half the time Ruprecht, Lore and Grim have been together.

“But what really makes an adventure memorable and life somehow … brighter? When you work together to survive an experience when you were reasonably certain you were all going to die.”

She snaps out from beneath that pall and smiles broadly at the gnome. “But I certainly don’t NEED that kind of experience (at least anytime soon) to enjoy the interaction and dynamics of this party, Lore. Thank-you so much for inviting me along.”

Lore grins and lets out a peal of laughter, which sounds like the running of a brook in its timbre and cadence. "Oh my, we're so glad you're here among us! And I don't think we've had anything close to a near-death experience so far on this trip. You've been instrumental in our dealing with our foes quickly and efficiently. Your skill with that blade is amazing. I've not seen one quite like it before. It reminds me of Sarenrae's favorite, the scimitar," she touches the hilt of her small scimitar as she speaks, "but it is obviously larger and heavier. And you wield it quite effectively... I'm very impressed."

She sighs softly as the mirth wears away and her thoughts turn serious. I wish I was half as skilled with my own blade. I know I was an embarrassment at the temple training grounds, barely able to wield the blade I was given. I'm so glad I have other skills I can rely on to assist the others.

Mercurial, her mood shifts again and she smiles as she asks curiously, "What is this stone you are using to hone your blade? I guess I should do something like that with my own. I'm no warrior, and haven't had the training to properly wield or care for it. I'm afraid I do my sword a disservice through my ignorance, eh? So does that stone help you keep it sharp?"

“Why thank-you, Lore.”

Eadie picks up her whetstone and passes is over to the priestess.

“This is a whetstone. For a very low price, it adds a sharper edge to a non-magical blade like my falchion or your scimitar, provided you have the fifteen minutes or so of downtime to use it. If you ever get a Pathfinder’s Kit, it comes with that as standard issue, though you can also buy it separately.”

“I can’t remember where I first saw the idea of sharpening a blade with one. Maybe it was on one of the rookie field agent’s noticeboards back at Skyreach? ‘Effective equipment for a Pathfinder on a budget’ – or something.”

“Inside dungeons I normally don’t get the time to use it between combat encounters. But while we’re travelling like this I take the opportunity whenever I can and to be truthful …”

She lowers her voice and moves her head a little closer to the gnome’s. “I find the repetitive honing rhythm quite relaxing. Here, why don’t you try it for yourself.”

fyi, guys I'll be out most of the weekend. Please bot Ruprecht as necessary. I'm out of bombs for the day (sad face).

Lore takes the offered whetstone and pulls out her diminutive scimitar. She takes a position similar to Eadie's own, and imitates her grip on stone and blade as best she can and begins to rhythmically work the edge, just as she'd seen Eadie do. After a few moments, and maybe with a few corrections from the expert, she falls into an almost meditative state as she works the edge, finally looking up at Eadie with a nod and smile. "I see what you mean, it is almost like praying, this feeling while you work the edge."

She finishes the fifteen minutes of work and hands the stone back to Eadie. "Thank you so much for the training and the use of your stone. I will have to get one of these for myself for sure. This Pathfinder's kit you speak of, what else comes in it? Perhaps I'll get one of those and include other things as well."

Eadie patiently watches Lore’s progress, encouraging her with the occasional smile as the priestess successfully sharpens her goddess’s favored weapon.

“There you go, Lore. You’re a natural! Do grab the stone off me any time you want to use it.”

Her eyebrows rise momentarily at the cleric’s comparison of the honing ritual to prayer.

“I’d never thought of it like that. But … now that you mention it, I do find the exercise soothing and it certainly clears the mind, in a similar way to meditation.”

“As for the Pathfinder’s Kit – if you all ready have the basics like a backpack and waterskin it’s probably more economical to buy any items you want separately. I think the kit is more for rookies to just buy ‘one item’ for their first expedition in the wilderness. I do like having the relative comfort of my own bedroll and some food when not adventuring in an urban environment – I’ve also been told a dagger is important at all levels of experience in case you get swallowed whole – though carrying capacity is much less of an issue for someone with my *ahem* strengths.”

“Where are you from originally, Lore? And why did you sign up as a Pathfinder?”

“I grew up in a city in eastern Varisia, called Korvosa. I was at something of a loose end after my mother … died” Eadie is momentarily taken aback to discover the pain surrounding that event remains much closer to the surface than she thought. “And decided to make a fresh start in nearby Magnimar, just as the Heidmarches were advertising for new recruits.”

Metalla just looks at both Grim and Eadie, flushes and storms down below decks. Captain Pasad just smiles and continues to pilot the ship.
Your conversation continues as the sun starts to set. Near dusk, the captain points out a pleasant country inn up a hill on the north shore of the Glass River, where a small dock offers a berth for the Abacus. Passad and the envoys indicate they’ll wait out the night in their cabins while the Pathfinders execute their mission at the Gray Revelation Inn. Before leaving the boat, Amauhak strongly advises the party to refrain from violence on Razmiri soil if it can be helped; Metella and Passad, in rare agreement, concur.

Leaving the boat, a stone path leads from the dock about 200 yards through some light tree cover to the villa. All appearances suggest a very cozy establishment, and the inn certainly serves the obvious purpose of a way station for travelers. A sign above wide wooden gates reads, Welcome to the Gray Revelation Inn. The gate leans open invitingly, and the smell of fresh flowers wafts on the cool breeze.

a little retroactive conversation with Eadie:

"It seems we have much in common. I was born in Korvosa. We lived there through part of my childhood, but the city was a bit too awful lawful for my parents and their line of work, so we traveled to Magnimar so they could establish their business there. Unfortunately, our caravan was attacked on the way to Magnimar and my parents were killed." Though it's obviously been some time since these events, still, her eyes tear up slightly as she speaks.

"I was sent to be raised by my great Aunt in Sandpoint, but she could only take one of us, so my older sister was fostered in Magnimar by a very nice human woman. When my great aunt passed away, I traveled to Magnimar to find my sister, but they had moved away and no no one knew where they had gone. In time, I joined the church of Sarenrae.
Though I had little affinity for religious studies, I do love fire, so they trained me nonetheless. I guess due to my lack of religious training, I didn't find a place in the local temple and became a wandering priestess. In time I found my way to Absalom, and joined the Pathfinders mostly to earn a living. Not very inspiring, is it, this tale of mine, but it's the truth. I guess I should embellish it a little and make myself sound more interesting, eh? I could be the scion of gnomish royalty! Or the daughter of some famous gnomish bard! I'll have to think about that." She chuckles and winks at Eadie playfully.

"Ah finally! First rounds on me. The life of a merchant ain't easy! "

As they approach the inn, Eadie will stick close to her Principal, playing the role of dutiful bodyguard to merchant nobility. She will carefully observe the grounds for people, threats or items of interest.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

"huh? Dwarf prince...now that's a good one!" Grimdoc lets out a good belly laugh while almost choking on his ale.

"This seems like an inviting establishment" - Eredax comments as they approach the inn.

"I agree, Eredax, but things are often not as they seem. We must be on our guard." Lore comments before entering the Inn. She smiles bearing a friendly expression before entering.

Walking through the gate, the profusion of flowers planted around this lovely courtyard fills the air with an enchanting fragrance. An oaken door to the north is the obvious entrance to the inn, while south are the broad doors of a stable. Wooden gates allow egress to west and east, and a roofed well lies at the east end of the main court.
Inside the stable you can see the outline of a worker put down his shovel and starts to walk out toward the Pathfinders. The tall stableboy smiles and waves to the party.

Ruprecht follows behind Lore keeping an eye out for anything sketchy.

Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

" Hail, and well met lad!. "

Eadie stands beside the party's diplomats and smiles at the boy.

"Hi, we are a mercantile company looking for shelter for the night."

"Is there any room at the inn?" I've always wanted to say that.

"We are a sociable group and have *ahem* many tales we could tell."

Aid Another Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

As an aside to Lore, Eadie says. "Did you say Sandpoint was the name of the town you grew up in, Lore? Did anything much ever happen there? When there's time, remind me to tell you about the time I got married to a Tengu."

Lore waves at the young land and nods emphatically when Eadie tells him they are seeking rooms for the night. "Aye, many tales to tell. Perhaps I could tell the tale of the Sandpoint Devil, eh?" She grins and winks at Eadie, then quietly tells her as an aside, "Lots happens in Sandpoint. I'll have to tell you about the Chopper sometime, but first I have to hear about this marriage. Do tell!"

If you give us a place to stay, i would be willing to give a taste of my entertainment abilities. That sandpoint story is a bit too theological and scary for the audience i guess. Of course we could simply pay the rooms too if you wish that. You might be missing something then.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

"Wow. Looking forward to seeing you perform, Tomoe."

The tall oofish looking stable hand greats the Pathfinders cheerfully. He doesn't say a word but smiles a toothless smile. With a wave, he starts to head to what must be the front door of the inn and welcomes you inside.
Inside the inn are dark oaken tables, chairs and benches fill this comfortable, L-shaped common room, and the faint odors of tobacco and ale permeate the air. Narrow windows with panes of smoked glass along the north and south walls allow some light into this welcoming space.
An old matronly woman clad in peasant clothing and an apron sits at the centermost table of this room. She wears a red scarf about her neck and a wry smile on her face. The matron looks up at the Pathfinders and introduces herself. I am Addas Grymble. My sister and I run this establishment. What brings you here in the middle of the night? she asks pleasantly.

"Greetings, Addas. I'm Ruprecht and these others are members of our mercantile company. We need a room for the evening."

Lore blushes slightly and smiles demurely. "Perhaps two rooms... one for the ladies," she adds.

Eadie nods at Lore's remark as she scans the room for anything threatening or out of place.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

"Who tends your lovely garden, Mistress Grymble? I am so jealous of their talents. It is surely not the boy outside?"

"Have you been running your fine establishment long? The Glass River must bring a lot of interesting people and events to your door. Has anything exciting happened of late?"

Aid Another Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Merchants, how nice. We have several types of rooms available. Single rooms are 5sp a night. Our fine guest rooms are 3gp per night and would fit two of you, three if you don't mind sharing body heat. If you are more of the rich merchant type, I have a lavish room for 5gp a night. The silk covers really do make a difference. Addas smiles as she speaks.

She waves to her sister who comes into the main room with a bowl of beef soup, Please tell us more about why you are here with us tonight. And, how many nights will you be with us? Payment is expected up front and in full she adds with a friendly smile.

Since you are not Merchants, this is more of a bluff check.

She answers Eadie's questions about the garden happily. That is mostly the work of Rosh our stable boy and gardener. He is a good hard worker. Minds his manners that one does. Such a sweet boy.
The area is devoid of much excitement actually. The local farmers are out to market right now, leaving this area fairly dull and boring. Though it is good more making beef soup.

Trying to wait for a more skillful sort to answer the questions!

[/Eredax is not much of a bluffer, so he will not get into that trap, though he will address Addas and his sister :D

"Please, do not take offense at my words - my name is Eredax, and as you probably know, the secret is the soul of the business" - he leans slightly further - "We will most likely not discuss our business transactions, if that is ok, at least until they are finished" - he offers a grave nod.

"So... What was that about the fine guest rooms. You confirm it can accomodate two of us comfortably?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Nice rolling there Eredax :P

Ah it´s such a nice inn you have there. I guess i´ll be sharing the lavish room with the other two ladies. The men can decide for themselves i´m sure. I love the feel of silk on my fu...ehm skin. Oh and i would like to try that soup, it smells delicious! Surely we will have a very pleasant stay here with such friendly people. I almost already feel like at home! What a wonderful place! It has this grace.

After the first sentence, Tomoes voice takes on a humming timbre and it is very hard not to look at her and listen, her voice vibrating through your bodies.

Bardic performance inspire competence +2

Befriending diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 12 + 2 = 20

While talking Tomoe lets casually smiling wander 10 gold pieces from her pocket on the table.

Since she already made a successful? diplomacy check: Gregarious (Ex) Successful Diplomacy check causes target to take a –2 penalty vs further CHA skills for 24 hr.

Lore smiles at Tomoe's suggestion of the ladies sharing a luxury room, but looks to her as she lays out 10 gold. She waits until Addas goes off to serve soup or whatever and offers quietly, "I'd be glad to pay part of the room fee, you don't have to pay it all yourself.... Or was the 10 gold to influence the lady rather than pay for the room?"

When Addas returns with soup, she happily accepts a bowl and digs in, enjoying the broth. assuming it's actually as good as it smells

Grim looks at the ladies and chips into the conversation with a well timed grunt or nod. He gladly helps himself to a few bowls of soup. Wiping his beard, he states...

"Well gents...looks like the gals have taken the nice room. No offense to you both, but I have enough body heat on my own....so I will need a room for myself."

He looks around for any objections, then follows up with less boldly as he hands over 6gp.

"Besides, I have been told that I um, well...I tend to snore...um loudly. "

I forgot to ask if the two emissaries are with us? I am assuming the captain is aboard the ship.

Nice idea for protecting our cover, Eredax! Grim, I'm pretty sure the emissaries are remaining on Deep Space Nin... the Abacus for the night.

Hmm .. what was that play I saw in Absalom recently ... 'Arsenic and Old Lace.' I wonder if these ladies are really on the level?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Though I make a competent merchant, I am a poor sailor. So sorry, no soup for me, thank-you. It smells yummy, but my tummy is a bit upset from the boat trip."

Bluff: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19 Oh, just noticed the +2 from Inspire Competence

Eadie will snack on some of her trail rations a bit later on - and she has more than enough to share with all of her companions.

Eadie is also happy to share a room with Lore and Tomoe. "I have my bedroll, if there aren't enough beds ... so it's five gold divided between the three of us, right?"

The young warrior holds up five fingers on one hand and then looks at Lore, Tomoe and herself in turn, before shaking her head sadly and blurting out. "I don't think the three of us are allowed to share, 'cos I can't make three go into five."

"It works out to 1 gold, 7 silvers each per day we stay, That's not too much." Lore smiles at Eadie, glad for the training at keeping books she got from working in her aunt's chandlery.

"Oh thank-you, Lore. Yes, I can easily afford that. How did you get so good with numbers?"

*Quietly* "I have been known to take my shoes and socks off to count to twenty. It used to drive the under-bankers at the Temple of Abadar crazy."

When one of the Grymble sisters is present, Eadie will say, "You seem to have quite a few rooms vacant tonight. Are there any other interesting guests who might like to pass the time with foreign merchants?"

To her companions in a low voice, when the innkeepers are gone. "So, what's the plan? Wait until everyone else is in bed, and then explore the inn looking for the missing envoys?"

"My parents were... um.. merchants so I learned a bit of numbers when I was very little. Then I went to live with my aunt and she was a chandler with a shop of her own. She taught me how to do the books for her, a task she despised. Turns out I have a knack for numbers and accounting, so it was an easy task for me and I enjoyed it."

When the party is alone without the inn staff in earshot, Lore nods to Eadie and replies softly so that only the party can hear, "That sounds like it might work. Perhaps we should chat with other patrons of the inn as well to learn what they might know about the place. With of course the caveat in mind that anyone, including those we question, could be behind the disappearance of the envoys we seek."

"We shouldn't be too aggressive in our questions though, or we might end up the targets of an attack during the night if we are suspected of being here to free the captives."

Eadie nods. "All good points I think, Lore."

"Wow. So you're a book-keeper as well? You and Aunt Alix would have got on like a house on ...ahh... fire. I could never get into sums. Reading and writing Chelaxian was OK - but truth be told I much preferred to be sparring at the Orsini Academy in Old Korvosa any time I got the chance."

"I know you said you entered the clergy because of your affinity with fire. When we have some downtime, maybe I should tell you about my Paladin's entrance exam."

Grim will quietly take in the conversation of his team and the staff, looking for anything suspicious.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

"I may 'ave to go out and take another look at that garden after dinner and stretch me legs. Too many days on a boat makes me appreciate the land all the more. Paladin's exam you say Miss Eadie? I had no idea. Very impressive. That reminds me of something..."

If given the chance, Grim will excuse himself from the group and attempt to detect evil into the inn while outside (or in the hall etc) away from others.

Ruprecht is good with kicking in the 1.7 for a room and some grub.

the 1.7 is per night split 3 ways for the girls to share the luxury room... not sure how many of those they have, but while we love ya, Ruprecht, yer not welcome in the ladies' room

The sisters listen intensly at all the chatter. They stop, only to stare deep into Eadie's eyes for a few moments. Suddenly Addas leaps to her feet. Well that sounds wonderful. I only have one lavish room, but two of the fine rooms. 11 gp per night should cover you lot. I'll show you to your rooms once you are done with your meal. She and her sister start to clean up the common room.

Once you are ready, she leads you down the hall to where the three rooms are located. It is on the opposite side of the smaller rooms and the innkeepers rooms. The doors are solid wood and have a lock. The rooms are as advertised. There is a small bath and wash room next to where you are staying. Addas says you are welcome to freshen up as you see fit.

She makes sure that you all are tucked in for the night before she and her sister head to their room.

Ruprecht nodded and quickly agreed to the price. It could have been a million gold, but he wouldn't have cared. It was finally time to get down to the nuts and bolts of the exploration and recovery mission now!

Lore enters the lavish room with wide-eyed wonder, never having stayed anyplace quite so fancy before. She quickly gets over her awe and leaps onto the bed in a fit of giggles. "It's so soft!"

Once over that, she slips off the bed, and gets serious again. "We need to coordinate with the boys to decide when we begin exploring this place. I didn't like how suddenly they whisked us off to our rooms though, did you? Seems suspicious to me. Usually innkeeps would rather you linger and drink longer as the drinks are not included in the room and they make more money that way. Maybe I'm reading too much into it and they just wanted to go to sleep themselves, eh?" She shrugs and tucks her pack away into a corner until it's needed.

Eadie jaw drops at the opulence of the room. She pokes her head into the bathroom and spies a bidet.

"Lore, Tomoe, check it out! The bathroom has its own drinking fountain!"

Once one of the others has set her straight, Eadie agrees to get down to business.

"I agree that the Grymble's behavior was pretty suspicious. What say we get the boys, head towards the Sisters Gryms' room, someone sneaks up to their door and eavesdrops on their conversation?"