PFS: AP: Carrion Crown (CORE!)

Game Master R D

"I don't know if you should be alone for any length of time against such a dangerous person. We would at least need to be very close by."

"I can reach you with the Message up to 110 feet. My primary concern is that the vandal might spot us, so we need you to be as far off the track as possible. I'm sure I can hold out until you arrive -- and if I am wrong, well, it is my own fault."

How far away from the monument will Blackheath hide? On the monument? Under the monument? Five feet? Ten feet? There's nowhere to provide cover, really. (It's a monument; they want a clear, unobstructed view.) And you don't know the direction from which to expect company.

I'll hide at the closest point away from the monument with cover like a building corner so I can see the bard. Can I take 10? Then its a 13 or I can roll. No biggie.

stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Sure, you can take 10. Again, the monument is on a low-sloping hill with a long, clear, unobstructed view. To gain the benefit of cover, you'd have to be pretty far away.

We will wait as far away as needed as long as it's within 110 feet. If there is no sufficient cover within that range, we will have to improvise some cover, maybe all hunker down and throw a blanket over us or something...

Blackheath will press against the statue itself. If the vandal is human and it is night we can hope that he won't notice until he gets close if he doesn't have a light source. If he does have a light source then we should be able to seem him coming pretty well if the land all around is flat. If there is no other cover, the blanket idea sounds good. Unless it is really moonlit we should be able to see him before he rumbles our deception. My stealth check was 21.

The party sets up to observe. You actually see lots of townsfolk with the same idea.

At about 9 PM, there's a mob with pitchforks and torches; they wish to ensure justice for the memorial. You talk them down and send them home.

At about 10 PM, there's an overly amorous goth couple who want to see the blood. You're suspicious, but it's not them. They're just groupies. You send them home.

At about 11 PM, there's a sneaky fellow darting this way and that. It's the deputy. He can't possibly be the culprit because he's been standing watch every time you go to Harrowstone prison.

At about 12 AM there are a group of kids with a dog asking about a g-g-g-ghost. You're pretty sure they're high--especially the dog--because they act like the barks, whines, and growls are actual words.

And on it goes throughout the night...

Since you've been up all night, you take the next day to rest and give it another go the following night. Again, it starts out the same. It's like a bad TV lineup:

09 PM Vigilante Justice
10 PM Gothic Love Story
11 PM Keystone Cops
12 AM The Scooby Doo Mysteries

Then, just as you're about to give up, at 1 AM there's a lone figure that approaches slowly. He's dressed in... Is that a night shirt and a night cap???

Blackheath uses the Message spell to alert his comrades, and then prepares to surprise the mysterious arrival.

Blackheath will continue to use Stealth to try and get a surprise round on the nightshirt guy (probably the sleepwalking mayor lol) and if he can surprise him then he will make a grapple attempt when he is in range (if he tries to run, Blackheath will use his reach with his whip to do a trip). If the grapple works, next round I'll try to slap the manacles I bought on him.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Grapple attempt: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Sense Motive please.

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 13

There's nowhere to hide between you and him. You will not be able to stealth up to him.

Sense motive result: nada.

The rest of the party?

"That's the signal... let's go!" Sharien whispers to her friends, then moves out from the hiding place, heading toward the newcomer.

Then I will just wait until he approaches the monument.

Sense Motive checks from the rest of the party, please.

Faria follows along right behind Sharien, studying the lone figure as she goes.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

I swear this dice roller is trolling me.

Gravleon follows as well

sense motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

sorry I have been swamped at work...

SM: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20

Somehow, Sharien knows the man's exact motives and plans!

The man walking towards the monument is Gibs Hephenus--the ruffian from your first day here. He is the man who led the angry mob. Before we collapsed the two tables, the crowd also defended Gibs from Blackheath.

For those who may not know, Sense Motive may be used to determine is someone is under an enchantment/compulsion (or similar effect at the GM's discretion). It's under the "Sense Enchantment" section.

Gravleon and Sharien recognize that he's moving... oddly... Sort of like he is sleepwalking, though his eyes are clearly open. He has several bloody wine skins with him, and his clothes are covered in blood. He also wields a war razor. (This isn't an enchantment. It's a "similar effect." Knowledge religion to know more. Only Gravleon and Sharien may roll this since they're the only ones to recognize the effect.)

This part of the story is actually supposed to take the full month. You are supposed to have 30 days to investigate the monument. But you were ignoring it, and the party will soon be at a level where this is a trivial encounter. So, for those of you who have played CC before, yes, I sped up the time line. :-)

Grog moves staying close to the wizard.

sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Unfortunately Sharien is not versed in religious things, but she can at least tell there's something amiss.

"That man seems to be under some sort of spell or something... I don't recognize its nature, though. He is likely not acting under his own power."

She continues moving toward Blackheath and Gibs, watching warily.

Blackheath uses the Message to suggest that they try not to kill the vandal unless they are in danger.
If the guy comes close enough, Blackheath will still attempt the grapple.

Gibs Perception vs Blackheath: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Gibs is an older man. So when "Gibs" speaks, you are all surprised to hear a shockingly deep, powerful voice emanate from him.

"You shall not prevent our escape! The woman will die again!"
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War Razor: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15, Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

"Gibs" approaches the monument and slashes at Blackheath, intending to use the bard's blood! He strikes true, and the flat-footed half-elf suffers 4 HP of damage.
____________________________________________________________

AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12, Miss
Grapple: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11, Fail

Blackheath attempts to grapple Gibs, but fails. Thankfully, he also avoids the attack of opportunity.

The rest of the party is up!

Would it be possible for me to use the stealth check (22) and the grapple check (18) I rolled for the second night a few responses up instead?

Faria's eyes widen as the powerful voice emanates from the older man. After hearing that, and Sharien's warning, the priestess casts a spell, calling upon Pharasma to help expel this evil force. She then steps forward, getting ready to try to touch Gibs.

Cast Protection from Evil, move to within 10 ft of Gibs

Sharien begins casting a summoning spell. Summon monster I, full-round action, summoning a celestial dog.

if we're in range. I'll grapple the guy. charging if I can

CMB: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

edited: I'll assist Blackheaths grapple if I can. I missed that

Gravleon runs up and can tell he is being controlled "don't harm him to much he knows not what is happening"

[b]"Burn his weapon and help us stop this sad man Sarenrea" Gravleon prays

Reflex vs Burning Disarm: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Gibs drops his War Razor. Grog charges and grapples him.

What would the party like to do next?

Blackheath will try to cuff him...

CMB to apply manacles : 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Faria rushes forward as the man is occupied and restrained, laying her hand upon his brow. "By Pharasma's grace be gone pestilent spirit!"

Touch Gibs to activate Protection from Evil. If he is being mind-controlled/possessed, he gets an automatic re-save with a +2 to his bonus. If he saves, he is immune to foreign possession for the 2 minutes the spell remains in operatin.

1d20 ⇒ 2

Gibs doesn't save against anything.

Blah...even when others roll for me it's no good! ;)

Blackheath applies manacles. Faria calls upon Pharasma to exorcise the power controlling Gibs. But he's still under its sway.

What would the party line to do?

"If we can keep him on the ground, maybe one of us can run for a deputy so we can turn him in."

"Make sure to get the right deputy, or we could be arrested for accosting this man, considering all the badwill towards us at this time. Perhaps we should talk to him, first? Maybe he will offer some information."

The priestess looks down at the pinned man, her face stern. "Who are you, spirit?"

Faria can tell two things:

(1) The power that has Gibs under its thrall prevents him from speaking with you.

(2) Gibs, the man, is a misogynist. (You'd know this from your time in town.) Even if he wasn't under the control of an outside influence, being shackled and questioned by a woman (Gasp!) is too much for his fragile ego, right now.

"He's going to be useless to us now, I think. But we may have found our murderer, here. We should take him back to town and see if we can bring him to his senses."

Sounds good to me!

I'll take him to town if I can

The party drags Gibs back to town. It takes some effort to bring him, get the sheriff, explain the situation, etc. Given your consistent story, your corroboration of each other's facts, that Gibs is covered in blood, the fact that Kendra Lorrimor supports you unconditionally, and the party's collective diplomacy skills, you are able to convince local law enforcement of the truth of the matter.

Since you've been up all night, do you wish to head back to the prison or rest?

Either way, as you leave the sheriff, you encounter the children again. A group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls and dresses are playing a skipping rope game at the side of the road. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song, then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and well choreographed—and the verse itself, which the girls sing in Varisian, is rather disturbing. The five repeating verses are as follows:

Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.

Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.

Blackheath tries to get a sense of whether the children are possessed like Gibbs.Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 2
He also tries to remember if he knows anything about the song besides the obvious parallels...
Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Wow, that was awful. Can anyone else check those?

After his brain fails him, he tries a new tack and slowly approaches the children in a friendly manner.
"That's a good song! I've never heard it before. Could you teach it to me and tell me about where you learned it?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

SM: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Kn.local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Woohoo some good rolls!

Sharien listens intently to the children and their song, trying to learn anything useful she can.

Blackheath approaches the girls. They immediately stop playing and stand quietly and nervously—they've been well schooled by their parents to avoid talking to strangers. But the bard's manner seems to put them at ease.

They unfortunately have little to say about the rhyme they were singing—"It's just something the children in Ravengro have sung forever."

knowledge local, knowledge history, or some investigating to know more

Sharien is sure that the girls are not under some outside influence. She does, however, recal some useful information from when the party went to investigate the 5 Harrowstone prisoners.

In truth, the song came to popularity a few decades ago ("forever" to kids 10 and under)—the rhymes refer to five infamous killers who died in the Harrowstone Fire.

(Woo hoo! :-) The party just earned some serious trust points in town by (1) stopping the defacement of the memorial and (2) befriending the kids!)

Yay!

Blackheath spends some time thinking about the song:

Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.

"The Lopper..."

Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.

"We've already met the Piper and his stirges," Blackheath says with a shudder.

Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.

"The Splatterman judging by the wording. This bit about 'drops of red' and 'spell her name just right' -- doesn't that remind you of the vandalism at the monument? Gibbs was spelling out the Warden's wife's name. Maybe the Splatterman is the one who possessed him? We might want to found out more about that criminal."

With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.

"Marauder..."

Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.

"Father Charlatan. Not too informative, but I feel like the Splatterman connection to the vandalism -- if I'm right-- could be something new. Maybe we need to take a careful look at the strange items related to the prisoners again, though I'm not keen on playing with them. Unless we have a different plan for taking on the Piper."

You can also research the prisoners and their magic items. Now that you have less ill-will amongst the townsfolk, you might be able to find some tidbits...

sorry i have out for a bit ill try to post more often now ^_^

"if i remember right we have some items that will help us find the correct use for these cursed objects, Faria i could be wrong but are there not some spirits that require an object from their life in order to put them to rest..."

"That is possible. Perhaps we could use the magic board in order to garner more information. Possessing the items that were most precious to these precocious spirits could enable us to communicate with them effectively. Or with some other spirit that could be of help."

When, where and how would you like to use the spirit board and spirit planchette?

At Lorrimor's estate, in a library or study. Before we rest. I'd like to lay the piper's flute on top of the board, off to the side so as not to get in the way of the letters.

Who else is working with Faria to operate the planchette on the board?

Ultimately, whichever PCs try to contact the spirits should RP out what they do. I'll try to provide minimal feedback/response. Then we'll roll. I'll give you a circumstance bonus to your roll based on RP.

For example, contacting the spirits during the daytime is less creepy than at midnight during a storm. So there would be less of a bonus for one than the other.

Cool?