The Crucible of Freya (Inactive)

Game Master Grimmy

Did Jerrid just bring the crucible back inside? Give me new sleight of hand check if you want to replace it unnoticed.

Edit: I will do the rolls in case Jerrid doesn't see this for a while.

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Shandril does not notice the deep gnome replacing the crucible!

Astor looks at the temple as they pass it, hearing Damien's callous call for them to get going, not giving proper time for their worship. Even though he wouldn't call himself a "follower" of their ways, but Freya's followers kept him alive for a good portion of his youth. "We will all be on our way soon enough," he spoke to Damien, "they have their needs as I'm sure you have your own before you head into certain battle."

Unless Jerrid wants the priestess to know.

Jerrid gives it to the priestess to help her understand how foolish she is being leaving it lying around.

Damien snorts, "You'll notice my needs were taken care of by the time we were supposed to leave, your lordship."

He nods to Jerrid, "It's just as well, I doubt the stirges would take to their new god anyway. We'll see about finding this plant on our way."

He looks at all the others, "Now get going you lot, we'll meet you and the others soon enough."

Once the others are ready, he spares a curt nod for Shandril before heading off to the market and purchasing the tents and mule in as short order as they are able. Keeping an eye out for the merchant guards mentioned earlier.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

When Jerrid enters with the Crucible Shandril calls out to Kevezyat.

"Restrain the deep gnome my warrior maiden!"

Jerrid makes a Will Save against a Bestow Curse for -6 to his Dex.

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Jerrid succeeds.

Jerrid keeps walking up to Shandril blatantly not resisting arrest and laughs in her face, "your bowl was stolen by me and returned by me. It never left someone who supports Freya. But trust me others will steal it if you leave valuables out. Now that was a thank you for previous information. There are thieves about!"

Vhillish pats the mule as he walks past.

"A little faith is always good for morale sah. Besides we can double-time it to make up for any delay! Wot!"

The veteran tightens the straps on his pack and readies himself for the march ahead.

Sam stays close to Lannet. He tries to keep Lannet amused by adopting a similar false accent, but he decides to adopt the accent of a Chelaxian noble.

Damien steps between Shandril, Jerrid and Kevezyat, his hands out, "Now we'll have none of this nonsense! He was simply making a point...if poorly. Had we planned make off with the damned thing you'd not see us standing here!"

He points a finger at Jerrid, his tone firm but not harsh, "Give the damn thing back and lets be gone. The point was to make a quiet exit..."

At the priestess' hasty action, Kevezyat merely raised an eyebrow but remained motionless at her command to seize Jerrid.

"Freya favours the bold, priestess." she says formally "While perhaps foolhardy, Jerrid was merely, as Damien said, making a point in his own way of re-paying you for your assistance. Accept it in that vein and we will all be blessed. "

She nods to Shandril, then gently escorts Jerrid out of the shrine "That was very well done, Jerrid. I didn't see you do a thing! " she say encouragingly

The deep gnome waits a moment to see if she really is that lost in her love of Freya. He cocks his head slightly to indicate her response matters on many levels, not least whether wisdom and common sense are in short supply in this shrine.

Then the deep gnome leaves.

Vhillish stands waiting at attention, his eyes scrutinizing the happenings and exchanges;

"What a kerfuffle! Seems we've fallen in with pilferers and purloiners sah!"

Janna will eventually make her way through the marketplace remaining all business centered on obtaining what is needed for thier mission.

soon enough the whole group is together equipment purchased and stored.

I am not all to familiar with religious cerimonies and such, but I really don't understand what that whole business was about. I mean its a bowl, isn't it? what's so important about it?

Janna, despite going to a top school of magic, it ia eveident that her studies in religion were quite lacking.

Shandril's face is burning with rage but her hand trembles betraying how shaken she is by the incident.

She reaches for a bone horn and blows a sharp note that pierces the stillness of the pre-dawn village.

She addresses Jerrid.

"Will you submit to a truth spell so I can be sure of your intentions?"

The morning so far:
*Kevezyat and Leoven wake first and visit the temple and shrines.
*Kev stays at temple, Leo returns to the Inn.
*Damien rises and wakes the others, all come downstairs for breakfast.
*Sam talks to Lannet and convinces Damien and Janna to get tents.
*Damien suggests splitting the party so Lannet can be out of town before his pursuers get up and moving.
*Jerrid leaves and goes to temple.
*Janna, Damien and Astor volunteer to stay behind for tents.
*Damien and Janna visit the central marketplace waiting for it to open.
*Leo, Sam and Lannet talk about the best route out of town.
*Jerrid steals the crucible.
*Damien and Janna swing by the temple while they wait for market to open.
*Astor comes to the temple on time to hear Damien urging everyone to get going.
*Jerrid reveals his theft. Shandril asks Kevezyat to restrain him. Kev says no.
*Vhillish finds a stable and picks out a mule.

Should be about 5:30 AM now. Sam and Leo and Lannet at the Inn, everyone else at the Temple of Freya.

So instead of leaving, the thief stops at the doorway and spins back away from Kevezyat. Jerrid's bloodfire eyes show she has just overstepped the mark and lost what little trust he had in her abilities, "If you will, I will? My question to you will be simple. Do you think no one in this Valley would want to steal a holy magic item left out in the open? Damien, this will not take long. I took it outside. He spoke to me there about the bowl on view and then I walked back in."

"If you need a spell to believe me then so be it." The deep gnome lifts his empty hands and waits with a very nasty smirk.

Damien spins to face Shandril, anger in his eyes, "You can't mean to demand such a farce? He'd bloody well taken the thing. Had there been any intention of keeping it he'd not have come back with it in full view. Bloody well think before you go blustering woman!"

Holding her hand up to Damien to forstall any more outbursts, Kevezyta steps up to Shandril, her face a stern mask , Kevezyat states "You can question me about his intentions, priestess! You will not subject my comrade in arms to such an injustice, the mere mention of such an act brings your station into disrepute."

Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

From the earlier exchange with Damien...
Astor doesn't bother responding to Damien's retort, he knows that the soldier is just as stubborn as himself and no good would come from pressing an irrelevant point. And he hated to admit it, but Damien did have a point.

Presents situation...

Astor watches everything that goes down and is pretty amused by the situation. He isn't surprised when Jerrid gets all hot tempered and got even more of a kick out of everyone else's reaction. Either way he knew to just stay out of the way and watch the whole thing go down.

"I do not know what is keeping them. Let us get going."

Sam escorts Lannet out looking for the others.

"Leo, let's find them. They wanted to leave early!"

Kevezyat's efforts at diplomacy don't seem to calm Shandril much.

Glarian and two guards arrive in response to the horn as Shandril casts Zone of Truth.

DC 15 Will to resist.

vs SR if needed:

CL check: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 5 + 4 = 25

"Ask away. Remember you owe me a yes or no. Probably a yes if you are honest with me."

Will Save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Kevezyat shrugs off Shanril's enchantment and remains standing in front of her for a moment,eyes blazing , then steps aside to allow Jerrid and the priestess to have their 'conversation'.

Will: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11

Damien's mouth opens to explain exactly where he's going to shove her truth spell but is suddenly unable to force the exaggeration past his teeth.

Finding his voice again, it is strained with barely contained rage, "Release me...now! I'm not the one f!%#ing accused of anything!"

Is it Glarian who arrives with the guards? Or the other guys who's name escapes me at the moment?

Just in case we all need to do this...

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

And Astor decides to keep his big trap shut.

"Leo, let's find them. They wanted to leave early!"

Yeah, we should be moving by now.

Sorry, not Glarian. I meant Lauriel, the elf girl that was a little jealous of Kevezyat.

The zone of truth is a 20' emanation from Shandril. DC 15 Will Save or you can't lie!

Shandril's face is transformed into a picture of grief at Kevezyat's scathing admonishment. Her mouth hangs open and her eyes press tightly closed as if shutting out the scene before her. When she regains her poise she speaks to Jerrid.

"Whatever your purpose, whatever lesson you thought to teach me, know that because of your actions today a woman who wants nothing but to be a mother will endure the agony and indignity of losing the child which is even now a seed placed inside of her by the grace of Freya's will, through the nine day ritual which you interrupted by removing this sacramental object from a place of worship. If you think yourself wiser than me, let my folly be my own. As a teacher I find your lessons harsh and overly costly. Can I trust you to interfere no more in the ceremonies of this sacred temple? Speak truly."

"Yet another reason to worship the gods. Because someone moves a trinket a mother loses a baby? What a waste! I'll be on my way and when this little spectacle is over I'll be ready to move on with the rest of our little journey." And with that last comment directed at his comrades Astor gives an overly sarcasm bow to the priestess and walks away from the temple in the direction he assumes they are supposed to be taking.

Shandril watches Astor go, fighting back tears.

assuming this happened after the market trip?

Janna was outside keeping an eye on the mule and checking equipment.

then others arrive and heated words are spoken. Janna looks on. what the...

she turns and starts to walk away. taking the reigns of the mule.

way to go Janna, you really know how to pick em.

Janna simply heads back to the inn where they were staying, ties the mule to the post.

if it was before the trip to the market then Janna simply left for the market and used her money to buy what she could afford. then headed back to the Inn.

We are presently before the market, Janna. Glad we have someone to go grab things while order unravels here :P

Damien watches Astor stalk of with an unreadable expression. After a moment he turns back to Shandril, doing his best to reign in his temper but still clearly angry with her for forcing this situation and suffering for the spell's effect, "I think you've just made his point for him, ma'am. If the ritual held a life in the balance, how is it left in the open? One cow breaks free it's owner at market and causes the same calamity as the...Jerrid's...meddling. That's got to be the stupidest th...you did not take the precautions you should have. Not end this da...end your magic and we will leave your...village...shortly."

Jerrid stands up. "Sorry for her loss and I should not have taken the bowl. But that is your fault. Nowhere does it say that you should leave it in the open. No guards. No cage or cover for this valuable bowl. No magical protections that you fling like a child."

"One lost baby or lose them all. I am no great thief and you put that on a plate. Stop this faithful rubbish and learn to protect the most precious thing is this room!"

The deep gnome is totally unrepentant and ready to tell her what he really thinks of her and her ridiculous attitude to faith.

Vhillish stands stoically, his hand had moved to load his arbalest whenst his former commanding officer was beset by the priestesses magicks, however as scene unfurled he stood down.

However the serjeant cannot hold his tongue as the conflict defuses, addressing one and none;

"Bad business meddling in both religion and light-fingered larceny... Have a little time for the former but none for the latter... Let's keep the good psalms for the eve of battle and the gonophing for the bleeding villains wot-wot?"

Kevezyat's face pales a bit at Shandril's revelation, but she holds her thoughts until the others, escpecially Jerrid has spoken.

"I am not held my the coersion you just used, but trust me that I speak honestly. Freya has taught us two lessons this day : hold and guard her blessings close for they are precious , and meddle not in what you don't understand. Neither ommission was harmful in of itself, but together, a innocent mother-to-be is left bereft. Each of you should think on this and seek atonement from our mistress, Freya." she says looking between Shandril and Jerrid.

It is obvious that Kevezyat is past diplomacy, "This matter is at an end. " she says gazing at the anguished Shandril, her face now softened by compassion. Turning to the others, "Let us depart and leave the priestess to her meditations"

Truly overloaded by the quick, emotional exchange as Sam arrives, he is truly sad at the loss of a child almost to the point of tears. He actually seems very sad and disappointed that they have antagonized the church of Freya.

He moves to hug Shandril and give her any comfort he can as he finally bursts into tears.
"Forgive the words of my companions, they have not studied the lore of Freya as I have. They have limited knowledge of religious rites and rituals and may have thought things in the temple were there for those that needed them to take for themselves."

He looks up tilting his head to meet her gaze: "Is there anything we can do to make this right again for the mother?"

"You both have my word I will never set foot in here or any other shrine of Freya," as a concession to the careful words of the drow maiden.

He leaves.

Leoven just stand there with a "WTF?" face. In his mind he only had room for "we do not have time for this people" thoughts.

But then the emotional reaction of samduc warm leoven´s heart.

Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 - It is there something to do about it?

Sam always knew things went better when you said what you were 'supposed to'.

Samduc, you never made a save against the zone of truth....tho you're not really lying or telling a falsehood, or are you ? :)

Damien's expression is unreadable as he watches the deep gnome turn and leave. He holds his tongue and waits for Shandril to make a move.

Quick question, where is Lannet? Standing around with us? In front of Lauriel? I thought this was the very situation we were attempting to avoid.

Sounds like Samduc and Lannet and Leo just showed up. I have to roll Lauriel's perception check against Lannet's disguise, and Sam needs to save to lie in the zone of truth.

Seeing Samduc arrive Damien glances back to take in the newly arrived Leovan and Lannet. His head swivels back to the matter at hand, jaw bunching in agitation.

Sam hasn't lied. He is really sorry and sad. CG is my alignment. I only had us arrive to get the cats together so we could head out in one group.

Oh ok cool. I forgot Sam had really studied religious lore, I was thinking that was just his schtick.

Leoven knows that the ritual Shandril was performing used rain water and wheat in the Crucible.

There is a way to resett the ritual without the mother losing her child. We need the chalice of Elanir and the stone of tircople, they are in the tomb of a paldin called Alaric - Says leoven.

Alaric was a great paladin of Muir, the sister of Leoven's deity Thyr.

They say any liquid placed in the Chalice of Elanir becomes good wine fit for drinking.

Leoven thinks if the Crucible of Freya is placed on the Stone of Tircople, and the wine from the Chalice of Elanir is poured over it, the broken fertility ritual will be made right again with no loss of life.

Leoven knows about all these interactions of artifacts from his studies, but until now it has all been only theory and history and myth. No one knows for sure if these artifacts even really exist, but of course here is the Crucible of Freya right in this humble little village, so maybe all of it is true.