GM Batpony's Glass River Rescue (Low Tier) (Inactive)

Game Master Batpony

Sulana has been standing in the back of the group, fidgeting slightly in her borrowed robe. As Addas seems to accept their story, she relaxes. Okay, this is going well so far. Just keep quiet and everything will be okay.

Then Tanbu asks about the rooms.

Room assignments? Why didn't I think about this before? We didn't discuss this, are we all cramming into one double room? I don't think that will fit six, especially with Huntress there as well. Should we get a second room? Or even a third? But Tanbu said Aulurius had the funds, and I don't want to contradict him...and I don't have enough money for a double room anyway. Should I get a single? Would that be suspicious somehow?

Trying her best to keep the inner turmoil off her face, Sulana looks pleadingly at Tanbu. Of course, given that she's at the back of the group, he might not be able to see her.

Sulana will hold off for now to see what the others do, but if she can't share a room she'll pay 5sp for a single. Either way she plans to retire immediately and wait for nightfall.

Once the party are all in the room and out of ear-shot of anyone else, Aulurius breathes a sigh of relief.

"Well, we're here. I'm inclined to agree with Bahram. Those seem the most obvious places to hide. I think that at least once before nightfall, a few of us should take Huntress here for a 'walk,' and listen and observe the goings-on of this place. I'd appreciate if Gariath came with me, but I'm none too sure on how much attention more of us will attract. What are yer thoughts?"

The dwarf takes a moment to assess the group. Upon seeing Sulana uncomfortable, he asks, "What troubles ye lass?"

How big is this double room? Aulurius doesn't mind sleeping on the floor, but it didn't occur to me we might actually stay the night when I only got one double. I had thought we would be snooping come nightfall. Plus, the old saying of "don't split the party"

On this walk, Aulurius will allow anyone who would like to join him, and will take his time on a pleasant stroll, soaking in as much about the inn as possible while remembering his "vow of silence." Taking a 20 to perception for 28

Sulana shifts awkwardly. "Don't you think it's a little suspicious that we're cramming six people plus a tiger into a room designed for two? I mean, we're not actually planning on sleeping, but we don't want the innkeeper to know that."

Please retcon this conversation if someone ends up getting another room. Three people per double room seems much more reasonable. Or maybe I'm just massively overthinking things.

"Oh... I didn't really think about that. If our 'spokesperson' Simion wouldn't mind renting it out, I have the gold for another double room. Hopefully next door?"

Auluriuis offers out another 4 gold pieces, assuming that friendly tips never hurt.

I think that two double rooms also makes much more sense. I think that I will stay in the common room to observe the goings on amongst the nightly crowd as you guys 'pray'. Also, I have piss poor observation so I would be more of a help making my presence felt where we are supposed to be. Hopefully you can find something and we can all plan to go out well after dark.

We'll call this both a player and character blunder. Aulurius wouldn't really know how many people inns can accommodate per room, and I the player just didn't think about it myself. But I am hoping that the "walk" with Huntress will lead to something.

She pleasantly shows you to the rooms and goes about her business, and also informs you that there is dinner provided in about an hour.

New map is up with adjacent double rooms. Place your tokens on the map as appropriate based on what you are doing while "waiting". Do you join dinner? Let me know how long you intent to wait it out, before doing the sneaky sneaky stuff.

These are things a lot easier to hash out in person, but we make do with our limitations.

"Simion" upon getting the room and hearing the concerns about sleeping arrangements pulls out 3 gold pieces, "I will handle it. Plus I might be able to get some information in the common room. Bahram, why don't you guard me while I do so."

Tanbu hurries off to get another room from the woman. He heads to the common room. "Madam Addas, the guards and I have persuaded our treasurer that we need another double please." "He can be stubborn, but he usually is logically in the end." "If possible could be have an adjacent one. It will make it easier for prayers in the morning." He pays her the 3 gold.

After the room arrangements are made, he will hustle back and give the key to Aulurius. He will then gather up some of his travel clothes and sewing and head back the the common room to to listen to the talk while mending his stuff.

diplomacy to gather information: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Bahram does indeed accompany the little monkey, 'Simion.' what sort of people, if any, do I see in the common room?

"Do we plan to stay here until meal Time then sir?

I think that I would like to stay here until we retire to our rooms to regroup and see what the others found out and do our sneaky stuff

"I would think that best. Even with two rooms it is a little crowded." "I will put my stuff up shortly before dinner."

Tanbu thinks dinner is the perfect opportunity to drug our group, but he also realizes this may be him being little paranoid. Drug us at dinner and we awake in an underground cell next to the dwarves we are supposed to rescue.

Unusual, Tanbu and Bahram finds themselves alone in the common room until dinner time where you meet the rest of the workers in the establishment. Addas, her two sisters who act a innkeepers/chefs as well, and an errand boy who seemed to have been working outside this whole time. There seem to be no other guest residing in this inn.

Oooh. I am not drinking the kool-aid. Perhaps we should commune together on our trail rations in our rooms.

Axe says excitedly "I'll go with you Aulurius looking I've been looking forward some sneaking,gives me a chance to sharpen up my skills"

Aulurius will take Huntress for a walk after dinner. Upon seeing that there are no other guests, Aulurius will quietly pull Sulana and Tanbu out of the dining hall and into one of the rooms we rented.

Stealth: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (19) - 2 = 17

Aulurius gathers the three "pilgrims" as quietly as he can manage, assuming that the "guards" would follow. As soon as he is sure they are out of ear-shot, he says as quietly as he can manage, "We're also fasting. I'll be able to gather food and water for four of us in the wilderness later. I don't like that we are the only guests here. I almost wish we hadn't've shown up to dinner."

Once back in the dining hall, Aulurius will try to respectfully decline food through pantomiming.

"I have enough trail rations for all of us. We can eat those quietly in our rooms. Tanbu, would you tell Addas we're fasting?"

Sulana will pull six trail rations out of her pack and offer them to the other members of the group.

"Alulrius, if you Sulana, Tanbu, and/or Axe want to go for a walk around the yard to take a quick glance at the stable and workshop to see if they are locked or guarded we can all go out after dark for a proper snoop. I will stay in our rooms to make sure no one tries to snoop on us."

"Even better. Thank ye Sulana."

Upon going back out into the dining hall, Aulurius will use both detect magic and spirit sense to see if anything is magic, undead, fey, outsider, astral, ethereal, or incorporeal. For keeping up appearances of the vow of silence, he will cast detect magic immediately before leaving the room.

Simon/Tanbu returns shortly before dinner and discovers the 'fasting'. "Well, I will go make the apologies."

Once back in the common room he informs Madam Addas. "Sorry. We will not be dining tonight. The guards might show but I wouldn't count on it. I just found out we are fasting. It is often the case when 2/3rdss of your group don't speak. I am often the last to know. Anyway, I hope it is not too much trouble this way."

He then heads back to the room. Hopefully to help plan a scouting adventure.

"Oh that's not a problem dear." Madam Addas smiles and returns to her meal with her fellow innkeepers. In the meanwhile, dinner proceeds and they clear up, retiring to their rooms immediately after, and the stable boy leaves the inn.

Anything else before we move to stables for exploration? Also it was not made clear to me, what time of the day do you intend to sneak?

after what we deem bedtime to be. I also think that we should leave the inn by ones and twos. Do our rooms have Windows?

The inn is immediately quiet after dinner, but you can be safe to assume the Innkeepers have retired to their bedroom soon after.

I'll assume a lag of 1-2 hours after dinner before you intent to make your move.

It's not very clear, but on the map you'll see each bedroom has one window, albeit it's very small and a small size creature could probably squeeze through with an acrobatics, but it's not feasible for a medium sized creature to escape through the window.

"I say we exit our rooms one or two at a time so that we don't arouse suspicion. We can all meander toward the stables and give it a good search. Alurius, do you think that Huntres would distress any horses found within? I will last behind and let the more sneaky if us go first. I can convert or rear."

something feels very strange about all of this. I don't like it one bit.

Everyone go ahead and make your stealth rolls.

Part of me wants to wait and attempt to regain spell slots, but part of me thinks that is a terrible idea. So I think 1-2 hours would be a safe assumption.

"I agree that leaving in pairs, one guard one pilgrim, would be a safe alternative. As for spooking the horses, it all depends on the horses. If they are unaccustomed to more.. exotic animals, they'll be spooked. I gave up some of my time with animals to study ley lines and magics, but Sulana seems to have a way with beasts. I think we should be safe." Aulurius smiles, then frowns. "Something to consider, while we are investigating, how do we want to handle weapons? Worst case the guards can hold the weapons as we did coming in, but I'm worried the longer we stay and the more we snoop, the more likely we'll be ambushed." Aulurius is of course whispering in the rooms, as his voice would probably be very distinct.

Stealth: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (15) - 2 = 13
Huntress Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

I feel like I'm back in primer school. Who wants to walk out with me?

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
My stealth is typically only +4 due to my buckler, but I will not have it equipped, which means my ac will also be 1 lower for the time being.

"I can head to the stables first, if we think that's best. Perhaps with Tanbu? He'll be the stealthiest among us. I'd say we all keep our own weapons. We have no idea what's out there, and if there's a fight we'll need them. As long as we don't make too much noise or break into the innkeeper's bedroom, we should be fine. We're supposedly the only guests, so anyone else we run into isn't supposed to be here either."

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

"oh, and I think you should carry your own weapons if we are being sneaky. Let the sand fall where it may."

“Aulurius, I would be more than willing to accompany you and huntress on an excursion to investigate. I mean it makes sense since I am carrying your weapons. I am also fairly good at stealth, this should balance you out.”

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

The group isn't necessarily the quietest of bunch, but it would seem that no one pays attention to your withdrawal from the residences into the stables.

An expansive smithy is set up in the west end of the stable, one corner of it occupied by a small cot and a neat pile of clothing. To the east stretch a number of stalls for horses and other animals. Only a few horses four in all are towards resting, albeit awake, towards the end of the stables.

As usual, place yourselves on the map accordingly and describe your actions.

Aulurius and Huntress are searching the smithy. Aulurius is looking for for weapons, tools of torture, and the like, and Huntress is sniffing about for anything abnormal scent 30ft

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 +2 if unusual stonework
Huntress Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Bahram will have his great axe out and ready and his buckler back on. He will begin by using a 0th lvl detect magic and sweep the cone over this first room they enter.

Ah, searching for hidden catacombs. This is more comfortable.

I'll search the area for magical means of hiding or protecting something if someone else would look for more mechanical means of ingress. And be ready for traps or guardians, as always my friends."

A cot? Is that where the stable boy sleeps? If so, where is he? Did he leave the grounds?

Keeping her voice low, she whispers to the others "We should be quick here. We don't know where the stable boy is, or when he might return."

Sulana moves towards the horses, hoping to calm them if Huntress spooks one. At the same time she looks to see if a horse is missing.

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Tanbu accompanies the group. stealth check: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

He finds a corner of the stable and starts searching.
perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Placing token now.

Axe joins the group and helps to look around the stables "Anybody see anything interesting? I'll look around over here"
perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Gariath will go to the smithy with Aulurius and help search.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Tanbu looks at the occupied stalls, "There are a lot of horses here for an almost empty inn. Are there more folks around that we have not seen?

Tanbu starts back to examine the horses. Is there any clue to the overly stocked horse stable?

"You would think the inn were more full."

perception of horses and back stalls: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23 +1 if a trap

There's nothing unusual about the smithy, and no magical aura emanates from this area.

Likewise at a glance, the stables do not look as if anything is amiss, however Sulana does make a realisation that one of the horse seems to have left the building. Assume it's one of the middle stalls adjacent to one with a horse.

The horses do react in a spooked manner, and Sulana does her best to calm them before they neigh with spirit. Fortunately, Sulana is able to to keep them calm for the moment.

Bahram will begin walking through the stables, alternating his cone of detect magic from one side to the other.

Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

While calming down the horses, Sulana notices that one of them is acting very strange. On closer inspection, it didn’t even seem to be real!

”Looks like the stable boy may have gone somewhere; one of the horses is missing. Also, I think there’s some kind of illusion here, though I don’t know much about magic.”

Sulana moves closer, searching that stall carefully.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

will save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 +2 more vs fear (racial hlfling)
"Whoe, Nelly! These are big, mean horses." He whispers. He begins to back away.

Hearing Sulana, Bahram hurries up to her position to focus his detect magic on the area she is searching.

"What have we here? Good find Sulana."

Aulurius commands Huntress to guard the door while he investigates the stables with everyone else, including with his spirit sense.

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16+2 for stonework

Others who are not Sulana and Tanbu, make the will save to disbelief the horse illusion (north eastern stable) with a +2 bonus

will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Will save: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 2 = 10+ 2 if against a spell or spell like ability

"I don't know what illusion yer on about, that's a horse!"

Man it's grand when things like this come up.

Aulurius and Tanbu thinks the horse is real while Sulana and Bahram are certain the horse is merely and illusion. But beyond a horse illusion, you don't spot anything else.

Although i'll add, Tanbu does realise that the same stall's roof is not very secured, and upon entering it, a cascade of stones will fall. (this is a trap, disable device works)

"Though I think you are crazy to venture near that horse, the roof in that stall is rigged to fall. Just keep that horse off me and I'll see what I can do about shoring it up. Stand back please."
Waiting for folks to get clear..."Hope this works."

disable device: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
reflex to avoid falling stones: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

"Why trap an empty stall? There must be something here."

”Yes, and we need to find out what.”

Taking a deep breath, Sulana enters the stall. Hope Tanbu got the trap, otherwise I might get crushed.

Reflex Save if needed: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Once inside, (and hopefully not crushed by falling stones), Sulana looks around carefully. She pays particular attention to the floorboards in case there’s a trap door.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Tanbu fails to disable the trap and Sulana prematurely walks in causing loose rock debris to fall upon her! The noise created by the cascade of stone is extremely loud, likely loud enough to have been heard by every occupant in the inn.

Bludgeoning: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8

Though, once she recovers, Sulana realises upon searching the stall, (by walking through the illusionary horse) that a trap door (unlocked) lies hidden behind the hay.

While technically those that fail the will save against the illusion should have an opportunity to reroll with Sulana's action, since we're outside of combat rounds (for now...) let's say that you guys finally disbelief this illusion!

What now? through the trap door? If you open it and take a peek you will see it leads down a ladder into an empty hallway underneath the compound.

Sulana -8

"Ooh! Sulana! Let me help you.". Ranok helps Sulana back up. Looking at her worriedly.

"quick, someone check that yeah door and I can try and disable it and go through. They had to have heard that. We have to move."