PbP GameDay 3: PFS 03-02 Sewer Dragons of Absalom (3-7) (Inactive)

Game Master Andrew Trexler

"Ok folks, let's go in."

Azdak, who is relatively weak, steps aside to let the others push the door open.

Darro walks through the doorway and to the left, with an arrow knocked on his bow looking around. As his eyes adjust to the lighting inside the ramshackle building Darro sees...
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Rhydderch accompanied Darro through the doorway.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Rikas follows suit, moving to the right of the doorway after passing in. He quickly takes in his surroundings and who else is in the room.

I'm trying to keep a charge lane from a distance open. Just in case.

The door doesn't budge. "Push hard now," calls the voice from inside. Strength check.

Do you normally walk into shops with drawn weapons? Just asking. :)

Depends on your definition of drawn. Rikas has a habit of twirling a dagger in his fingers. Playing with it. Not wielding it, not brandishing it, just twirling. All the rest are stowed safely. If it makes people nervous, he puts it away, but his hand feels empty without it, so he'll just start picking up random things.

"Come on Hugo, get that mean door, do it!" Tarri says. Hugo puts his shoulder into the door, trying to shove it open.

Using the 'Work' trick

Strength: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Darro scratches his chin for a second, realizes the door needs to get pushed open which is kinda shady for a shop, slings his bow and then helps push the door open.

Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

The door gives way with a loud scrape. Inside, a man and two women are playing cards. The man glances up and is alarmed to see an owlbear at his door, and quickly stands from his chair. He's mollified a bit when he sees the party itself, but keeps his eyes on the beast. "Well, there's a whole army o'you, ain't there? Leave your beasts outside, if you would. Here to place a bet, then?"

Rikas shoots the group a look, one identical to a child saying "Please? Can I?"

"Depends," he says out loud. "Which of you's Greeves?"

Darro steps in the room and off to the left grabbing his belt pouch as Rikas asks the question. Pretending to fiddle with his belt Darro calmly inspects the man and women.
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Li moves with quiet grace to take up a position out of the way of any melee but from which he can easily target any enemies. As is his wont, the dark-eyed Tien is silent and watchful, at ease in the moment.

"That's me," says the man, eying you suspiciously.

"G'boy Hugo! Who's a good owlbear?" The halfling woman says, retrieving a treat from the saddlebags and tossing it into aviamammal's beak. "Now siddown over here, ya big lug."

Tarri then walks into the build, sizing up the individuals around the room while taking the room's layout, especially doors.

"Well met, Mr. Greeves. I am Azdak and my companions and I are looking for the whereabout of an acquaintance or yours who goes by the name of Emral Xarcious. I understand that he owes you a great deal of money and we were wondering if you had any information on him that might help us find him?"

Greeves is surprised to hear the name, but his face returns almost instantly to a flat expression. In a guarded, almost unfriendly tone, he says, "I don't know nothin' about no Xarcious."

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 8

"Forgive me for being so precise, but if you don't know nothing, then you do know something. Please work with me. I think we can turn this into both our advantage. Clearly, there would be no harm to you, and we could both try and get what is coming to us! You must know something useful about the Taldan."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

Darro attentively listens to the words Greeves just spoke trying to see if the man was hiding something in his response or his body language...

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Neither Darro nor Azdak suspect that Greeves is anything but truthful. Which makes it all the more surprising, once Azdak gets him to warm up a bit, that he rubs is stubbled chin and says, "Might be I know somethin. Man owes me a lot of money. 400 gold pieces, ta be exact. Might be, you pay his debts, I tell you where he is."

"A man's debt is his alone to pay; particularly one caused by an act such as gambling. We would be willing to aid you in collecting what he owes you in exchange for knowledge of his whereabouts."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Greeves assesses the paladin carefully. "He don't have any money, that I know. Not likely to make money neither. And see, I be thinkin' you're his friends, so if you want to see him again, best help him pay his debts."

"Four hundred sails is certainly a hefty price for anyone to pay. I take it that he lost it gambling with you. Weel, we are willing to help you get your money back, but you are mistaken to think that we are friends. I have never even met the man, but I was hoping that by working together we could share what we know and find him. I return for your cooperation, you have a better chance of getting your money. Clearly there is no harm in telling us what you know. The alternative is that you are simply four hundred sails poorer."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Any aid diplomacy checks from the others would help!

"You misunderstand, love. I know exactly where he is. Don't need no help from you to find 'im, or ta get my money back. I'll be gettin' it back, if he don't die on me first. Either I sell 'im ta you, or ta someone else. Don't matter ta me."

"Not so," says Li Shuo, interrupting politely. "We will find Xarcious, but if we do so without your help we will leave nothing behind with which you can recover his debt to you. Aid us, and we can be very generous with what we find there. We take the risks, you reap the reward. That is a fine payment, yes?"

"Not really," the portly man replies. "As I said, I've already got 'im. Don't need to find 'im." He looks the monk over, considering. "If you ain't gonna buy 'im, maybe I let you just talk to 'im. Maybe. 50 gold. Yeah."

"An' maybe you just step aside and let us get what we want from 'im. We don't stand too well with extortion, but I give you a counter offer: 10 minutes... or your lives." Rikas' mouth broadens into a grin, awaiting an answer, showcasing his maw in a manner to convince others he's not one to mess with

Intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Reroll for REALLY not wanting to pay gold: 1d20 + 8 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 3 = 20
....harumph...

After Rikas' veiled threat Darro echoes Rikas' sentiment "I think it would be better for you to hand him over and stay out of this affair, dead men do not make money." Under his cloak Darro unhooks his throwing ax from his belt ready for what comes next...

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

That was veiled? ...must be why I rolled single digits...

Tarri looks aghast at her fellow Pathfinders, "We're not gonna kill these men over 60 odd sails apiece, are we? I'll pay it m'self 'fore we do that." She digs the required gold pieces from Hugo's saddlebags and lays them on the table for Greeves to count. "Now where is he, and don' double cross or'll lettem do what they want with ya."

A guttural growl leaves Rikas' lips. "You really are no fun, ya know that?"

"Killin' ain't fun."

Tarri, are you paying 400gp or 50gp?

400

"My friends, let's not let this escalate out of control. Mr. Greeves, we will pay you your fee of fifty gold for a visit, but my friends do not take kindly to this kind of extortion. It is not wise to make enemies out of them. Now, bring us to him at once."

Although I hate paying bribes, fifty divided up six ways will not be too bad.

At first, Greeves eyes the tiefling and ranger carefully, clearing giving thought to the axe next to his chair. Soon though his eyes light up at the sight of Tarri pulling fistfuls of gold out of the saddlebags, but a confused expression flashes across his face at Azdak's words. "Oh good! I been havin' trouble finding a buyer at the slave pits. I'll... what's that? Hang on. Are you buying 'im or renting 'im?"

Party needs to decide which way to go, and whether or not to haggle.

"Fifty it is then. Lead us to your "guest".

Darro speaks softly to his party so Greeves and his companions do not overhear. "I cannot be party to the purchase of another being for ownership. I will not abide to buy nor rent him. If the price is the full 400 then it is for his freedom and after he walks out and answers any questions he is free to do as he pleases as I am sure you all can agree."

"If he owes a debt it is his duty to pay it...not ours. On the other hand Darro does speak true...you are not a recognized authority and have no right to imprison this man" Rhydderch turns to Darro. "Thank you for helping me to see this clearly." Returning his attention to Greaves he continues. "I believe I have a solution. We will not pay his debt...but rather we will purchase it from you. This way he owes us the money, not you. And we will pursue an appropriate, legal recourse should he not repay us."

"Are ya all bloody daft? I paid the man. Ya can help me some or not, with the gold, that is. It's done though." She shoves the gold across the table and continues, "Now bring 'im out here."

"Killin' ain't fun."

Rikas' smile doesn't go away. "Who said anythin' about killin'? Oh, right, me. Just works better than a light pummeling."

So weird to see a paladin NOT sticking up to free a man. :-P

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Ri' away, ri' away!" says Greeves as he greedily shovels Tarri's coin into a desk drawer. "Jenera, bring 'im out fer the customers."

One of the seated women leaves through the heavy double doors and comes back a couple minutes later with an aged, unconscious, badly beaten Taldan man, who also seems quite ill. "Here ya are!" chips a smiling Greeves.

Darro walks over to the unconscious Taldan man inspecting his body for signs of what malady affects him. "What ails this man? Darro asks to Greeves and his companions.

Heal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

"Greaves? Are responsible for the maltreatment of this man?"

Darro suspects that Xarcious is deep in the throes of filth fever, and is quite near death. The massive bruising, inflicted via fist, doesn't help either.

"What maltrea'men'?" says Greeves, surprised. "Man owed me money. An' didn't pay. I just encouraged him."

Not having any worthwhile healing spells prepared, Darro spends a few seconds touching Xarcious and whispering light prayer incantations to relieve some suffering and pain. He then turns to his companions "I advise taking him back to a safer location and then administering proper healing to remove this disease he is afflicted with before asking him information." He then motions his companions to assist in carrying the wasted man out of the wretched gambling hall.

Darro casts the Stabilize and Virtue orisons on Xarcious as a stop gap...until the Paladin can do his remove disease trick

Li Shuo hands 200 gold coins to Tarri without comment.

Tarri fishes out her wand and heals the unconscious bloke. Afterwards, she accepts the coins from Li Shuo and says "Thanks, umm, I 'ave no idea whatcha name is, but thanks."

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

After the first tap from Tarri (you can save the other two) Xarcious coughs himself into consciousness. A full minute passes as the room is filled with the sound of an elephant attempting to snort a wet goose out its trunk.

At long last, the coughing subsides momentarily, and Xarcious looks around in confused bewilderment. His eyes lighting on a smiling Greeves, fear is plain on his face. "Oh... oh no. Don't... don't sell me! *COUGH* I *COUGH* I'll pay you back, I swear! Just give me more time! I swear!"

"Too late," replies the bookie, [b]"these blokes alrea'y bough' ya, fair an' square."

"Don't ya worry none, ya ain't no slave." Tarri says to the Taldan man. "Jus need some information, but we'll talk outside." She rounds on Skeeves,"Ya know, holdin' a man fer 'is debts is one thing, but beatin' 'im near ta death, an lettin' him wither away is another. I oughtta call the bloody watch on ya."