The Fall of Plaguestone (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Collins - France

"No. I mean, not sure I've ever seen things like that that much.
We're more into crockery, or kegs... a bottle now and then."

Listening to her answers, Tamerius asked another question.

Do you remember who throw you the keg? Or at least which part of the inn it was coming from?

"It was a mug... I was looking towards the bar.
No idea who threw it.
Not sure it was thrown at me... probably just thrown, and it crossed over and hit me."

Giggett is lost in her thoughts.

"I don't know for you, but all that looks too random for someone who can get such type of poison. In my opinion, the bar fight was a welcomed diversion, not a part of the plan.

We should start looking for Phinick, now. The more time goes, and the more I suspect him to be involved in all this."

After you have finished here - tell me if anything else you want to talk about or ask - you go back to have lunch, grilling nice fresh strips of boar meat on the coals outside the wagons!
A fine meal.

As you eat and talk, you see Delma who came back to the inn for a bit, and asked you if you would have time to take her father out for a walk in his wheelchair.

Edra - the stablehand - also comes to you.
She says that the horses of the caravan have all become infested with biting fleas.
"Glunda told me that this is due to fight with the wolves."
Edra is doing what she can to help you, but she needs an entire bushel of rosemary to brew up enough ointment to treat this many animals.
"If you could bring me some rosemary to help take care of the horses? I know a spot in the woods nearby that is thick with the plants. Unfortunately, it is also the home of a rather ferocious old bear that tends to sleep among the bushes... so I'm afraid to go alone. If you could help me?"

And Tamli reminds you again that she has a little chore that needs to be seen to: Bort’s final delivery, here in town.

Tell me what you wish to do after lunch?
(Dragh will be looking through the books, with a fresh eye)

I want to make a Nature check to know how to avoid bears. As wild animals are way over the moon in this region!

"Nice, some errands. Is there anyone in this village considering Bort's death as important? Anyway, if Dragh wants to read the book, I would avoid to go for the bear. It's always better to have a wizard behind your back. Bort's last commission may be interesting for the adventure. Who knows, maybe luck is on our side and this commission was the one important to our assassin?"

Natsume will be working on transferring the rune to her flail, as well as fixing the chip in her shield if that's allowed-- it's only 1 damage, or I wouldn't ask to stack time like that.

You see that the people Giggett asks about Bort's being important nod and say: "Oh, yes, very important. Poor Bort. You must be sad. I hope you solve your problem."
But you see that they are not really affected, after all, it's some traveling merchant that died. Some say poisoned. Probably just had some heart problem. Or ate too much pudding.

Giggett knows that bears sleep a lot.
So you could just sneak up on it and snip whatever herbs you need.
Or else, seeing as they are not bright, you can easily divert their attention: make some noise somewhere and have it go over there, toss some bee hive at a bit of a distance so it goes eat...
Those things should do the trick.

So, in the afternoon, after lunch, with a nice fat belly filled with nice hot greasy wild pork, Giggett will work away, fixing the rune on her flail and repairing the shield.

And Dragh will go through the books.

Thus, Giggett and Tamerius want to do what?
• Bort's last delivery?
• avoid the bear and get the rosemary?
• take grand'pa the Mayor around town?

Last delivery?

Last Delivery

Tamli brings something out of a wagon, handing it over to Giggett.

It is something long and awkward, wrapped in burlap.

"As I said, this is.. was? It's Bort’s final delivery here in, town.
And it needs to be done delicately!"

Tamli unwraps the burlap bundle, revealing-- a pair of sparring swords.

"They were ordered by Pari Hemsoth, a young woman who lives with her mother on a farm about a mile from town."

Tamli pulls a paper out: "This is from Bort’s records, for the delivery."

Checking the note, Giggett reads: “Make sure the mother doesn’t find out.”

Tamli shrugs: "I do not quite know what this means, but I trust that you will deliver the goods discreetly."

Giggett and Tamerius gets directions, and see that getting out to the Hemsoth farm is not difficult--

In the meantime, Dragh works on the books and Natsume on her weapon and shield.

In the late afternoon, just before the evening, when Giggett and Tamerius return - hopefully! - from their errand... and when Natsume has finished working on the flail and the shield, Dragh comes out of the wagon, rubbing his eyes, but with a spark in his eyes.

(putting this up now so you have some more time to look into it, but still need to look into Giggett & Natsume and the delivery)

Dragh looked once again into the merchant’s ledgers that were originally found in a rack above the dwarf's bed.
The books are large and filled to the brim with details about his travels and transactions over many years.
And having finally been able to crack Bort's "code", Dragh can now tell you all:
"I have uncovered that Bort visited Etran’s Folly at least 22 times in the past decade.
Okay.
But, here is where it gets interesting, by my grandfather's beer recipe!
About five years ago, the merchant started making deliveries labeled “reagents” to someone referred to only as “H”.
Receiving rather large sums of gold in exchange!
These deliveries are numbered, starting with 1 and ending with delivery number 14, which occurred... the day the caravan arrived in town!
That is all I found. There are no address or indications here as to H is, which seems normal, because he has not addresses or such written for anyone else."

Giggett looks closely at the swords Perception + Society check to see/know anything about them

Reagents tilts alchemist for me, but is it the same for Giggett (or anyone trained in Crafting)?

"Are there the only numbered deliveries? Is there a reason to think the 14th was supposed to be the last? Was Bort not spelling all the names entirely in the ledgers or is H. an exception?"

By my grandfather's beer recipe! Your post made me laugh, as a reward GM you get from me 1 GM Point :P You can't use it for anything else beside bragging. GM I will let you respond as Dragh the question from Giggett.

Before leaving
Giggett does not see anything special with the swords.
Just two sparring swords. Not too expensive nor fancy. Just regular training swords.

Once coming, back later
Dragh repeats that here are no address or indications here as to H. is, which seems normal, because he has not addresses or such written for anyone else.
Dragh can confirm again that no other names are spelt out.
The entire ledger is written in a sort of code. Probably not to be secret, but just to write things faster.
So, all "names" are in initials.
H. is not an exception at all.

"So, the only weird thing about this H. is that it needs reagents. So, he should be an alchemist, while we are looking for someone who may be an alchemist. It's really thin for a lead. Better than nothing, but really thin. But noone here told us about an alchemist, which is odd, considering how smelly an alchemist lab can be...

Dragh, could you give me the number of deliveries Bort did on our day of arrival. Considering the time it took him, we may know the maximum distance from the town center this H. is located. Also, can you get a description of the deliveries. I assume Bort took them with him, so if someone saw him with or without these goods, it will give us the information that Bort already made or didn't already made such delivery. We could then triangulate and get the location of this alchemist."

I'm pretty sure it's not in the adventure, but we can actually very easily triangulate the location of the alchemist if we can know all Bort's deliveries. With a map of the area, we can draw his trip, and find where he took too much time to get from one delivery to the other. Then, we look for isolated places around, and we just have to visit a few houses.

"Let me check the books Giggett, but it could also happen that he meets some of the people at other locations than their homes. If someone pays a lot of money for deliveries it might mean very valuable or illegal things. And that could lead to extra precaution measures, like not allowing others to learn where you have your lab."

He thinks for a moment:

"I will try and assemble a list of all recipients in Etran's Folly, and maybe we will at least eliminate some of the people by doing that. We could also ask the caravan members if they saw Bort meeting with someone new in the past 5 years. "

GM, let me know if we are making your life a nightmare with that ;) We can tone done with tracking algorithms

So I try to get two things from the ledger for now: a list of deliveries that Bort wanted to do on the day of his death. And a list of all people that ordered anything in the past 7 years from this town.

"Good idea, Dragh. I'll also ask around if there's any new citizen from five years ago or one who came back to the village. I don't think you become an alchemist by chance in such a place. Either you were one before coming, or you traveled out of town to learn it and came back. Anyway, not everyone can become an alchemist, so it should be easy to ask around for someone named H something with a scientific mind. And there's still this Phinick goblin! No one knows where he lives and he can clearly be involved... Do you think someone could speak goblin around? I start to think Phinick may start with an H in goblin language..."

That evening, Dragh will work on the list of deliveries and to whom, for this trip, and the previous ones.
Maybe not all 22 trips in the past decade, but at least what was done in the past 5 years at first.
And then look with Giggett at trying to map out how far Bort might have gone once you know and confirm which houses he did go to.
That evening, after the delivery of the swords (if it happens!) you will see that the swords were noted to be delivered to P., and that it seems they were not delivered because they are the only item that was to be delivered outside the town.

In the meantime, Giggett and Tamerius set out for their walk, to reach the house that is a mile out of town?
To deliver the sparring swords--

Do you think someone could speak goblin around?

"Yeah, I speak goblin. I always learned new languages with ease and Goldenoak brewery did some business with Goblins. Either way, Phinick name in goblin language begins with ..."

I imagine P, or something else than H, but will let GM to say yes or no.

"Also, the H. person needs to be someone who has money to pay for the reagents. So it has to be someone at least wealthy to some extent. People turn into alchemy for a reason: poisoning, healing, mutagens experimentations being the most common ones. We should be looking if there are no gossip with regards to people injuries healing quicker than expected, Mayor being in better health than he was etc."

Phinick in Goblin is either a PH or an F... but not an H, no.

Natsume asks a question that seems obvious to her:

”Have we asked anyone if they know any alchemists in town?”

I don't remember, I'm not sure. I was looking for a chirurgeon more than an alchemist, so I don't think so. But we've already made the turn of the village a few times, I think we would have spotted an alchemist... or anyone remarkable actually."

You have not really been everywhere in the village - maybe the Mayor can show you around.
And it does not seem that you asked about alchemists per se.

Unless Tamerius is against it, Giggett and he trek out of town, walking for about a mile, through the muddy road, amidst turnip fields and forest.
No wolves... no boars... no bears... you are nearly disappointed.

You have wrapped the sparring swords back in the burlap bundle, and Tamli reminded you: "That they were ordered by Pari Hemsoth, who seems to be a young woman who lives with her mother.
As for Bort’s records for the delivery including that rather cryptic note that reads, “Make sure the mother doesn’t find out”, well, I do not quite know what this means, but I trust you will deliver the goods discreetly."

Finally you come up to the farm, that is just over yonder know.

What to do?

Well, first, Giggett will have the swords in her backpack, unless they are too big, so she puts them in Tamerius backpack then. I make sure they are hidden from outside glances.

Then, Giggett tells Tamerius:

"I don't know what Bort's message was about, so I'll first introduce ourselves as investigator and conduct a quick interrogation of the persons inside the house. That should be good for hiding our true goal."

Then Giggett gets to the door and knocks at it.

The door opens, and a woman opens it, wiping her hands on her apron.
She glances at you, and sees she does not recognize you: "We don't want vagrants here.
Please get off my farm at once!"
She waves you away and goes to close the door.

Giggett blocks the door with her foot.

"I'm sorry, madam, but your current action can be considered an obstruction to justice. Maybe you don't care about helping an investigation for murder, but I highly discourage you from blocking the process, unless you would love to lose the afternoon at the sheriffs office with these beautiful bracelets around your arms."

Giggett shows the handcuffs hanging at her belt.

Intimidation (certainly Coerce): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 Again...
Intimidation (certainly Coerce) with a Hero Point: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

When you block the door, the woman whistles, and you see three big hounds come calmly up behind her.

Then she sees your weapons, and bellows: "Oh, you are not vagrants--"
She whistles a bit differently, and the dogs growl.
"--Adventurers! You are ADVENTURERS! You are NOT getting Pari killed too!"

She starts pushing at the door.
When Giggett speaks firmly at her, she eyes him up: "Your not even from here. Who's murdered? If you try to murder me, or try to put the cuff on me, or even enter, I'll put the dogs on you."
She keeps on blocking the door, but stops pushing: "What do you want? And speak fast, or else go get that lazy useless sheriff who want protect himself from being and idiot."

Coerce takes a minute.
These skills do not seem to cover that many things.

Clearly. Outside combat, you have to adapt the skills to the situation.

"No, I won't speak fast, as I can't. My name is Giggett, and I'm helping the sheriff on a murder case. Two days ago, Bort Bragit, an honest merchant, has been poisoned in the village's inn. He died a minute after exposure. The sheriff, who may potentially be lazy, asked us to conduct an investigation on his behalf. I'm here to ask you a few questions, in case you or anyone in this house had seen or heard anything. It should not take much time, as you are not suspected. If we start right away, I think it should be done in a couple of minutes. Shall we?"

 »You’re the sheriff’s little helper are you?
No papers or anything? Just threaten honest people with manacles?
Yeah, well... go on.
An honest merchant? Doesn’t exist.
Anyhow: we don’t go to the inn.
Might be adventurers there.
No wonder someone was poisoned.
Filthy place.
We stay at home. Don’t go to see merchants. Don’t cavort in inns.
We’ve seen no one here.
It’s a mile away.
You’re the only vagrants we’ve seen in a long time.
There. Satisfactory?
Have a good day and go bother someone else. »

"Wait a second! We? Unless you are speaking about yourself using the plural, there is someone else here? I have to ask this person the very same questions I have asked you. It may sound silly to you, but I have to be sure no one was near the inn that evening.

I know I bother you, but the quicker we handle that, and the fastest you'll be back on your more important tasks."

Sense Motive in case she tries to hide something about her daughter.

Tamerius followed Giggett out of town to see the young woman.
He lets the gnome talking to the old woman, observing from behind the reactions and trying to discern any lies.

Both of you, separately, do not have the impression that she is lying, no that she is hiding anything.
Her mannerisms and demeanor give you the feeling she is rather paranoid. And probably extremely overprotective of her child.

"Pari does not go anywhere. She is a good child. Polite. Well brought up. What are you insinuating? That she slinks off to taverns to drink? And kill merchantmen?! I will have none of it."

But a slender teen appears behind the dogs: "Hello! Momma is right. We never really get out. And haven't been to the inn nor anything. But I did hear about the death."

The mother waves her away: "What? Where? How?! How did you hear about it?!"

But Pari keeps on looking at you, especially Giggett's weapons: "It is sad the man is dead, but it must be exciting to be investigating! Like an adventure!"

"NO NO NO!" screams the mother. "That's it! See! She's excitable. That's it! You know all you need."

We have forgotten to put everything behind spoiler tag, is it a problem?

Giggett turns suddenly to the young woman when she sees her:

"Haha, here we are. So you know about Bort Bargith? We have to make a complete interrogation of your daughter, madam. For that, we will need a room, isolated from eavesdropping. If you can't provide us such a place, we will have to get her to the Sheriff's. Of course, no handcuffs as she's a witness, not a suspect."

The mother , followed by the three dogs, moves in front of her daughter.

She does not look convinced.

"She ain't goin' anywhere. Not with you people, who still might be vagrants.
And not to see that good for nothing nephew.
If you wanna ask a question, do so fast."

Tamerius steps up and says Please Madam, we need to interrogate your daughter. To accommodate you, we propose to do it at your house rather than getting your daughter to the sheriff. I’m sure you prefer to let us ask question here rather than in town.
If you have only one room, you can stay outside and look at your daughter from the window and if you prefer you can even let your dog in house to look for your daughter.
It will be in the interest of everybody.

Giggett takes a deep breath:

"Madam Hemsoth, what are you scared of? If you could tell us, I will promise on the Savory Sting not to do such a thing. Also, you said some adventurers tried to 'get Pari killed', to quote you. Maybe is there something we don't know and that's the reason you are extremely protective over your daughter."

Ups, we both posted at the same time. So, it looks like our characters are speaking a bit at the same time ;)
Unless you ask me to remove my post.

The woman nods at Tamerius: "Well, Pari's sure not going to see the Sheriff, you can bet on that. But, well, to get this over with, that's a good idea, I'll look through the window from outside, and leave the dogs in there with Pari. To protect her if you attack!"

But then she gets upset again when Giggett talks: "Who's this Savory Sting?! I don't want you stinging no one!
I just don't want no vagrants or adventurers get Pari killed like her brother!
Anyhow, let's get on with it.
But don't you pull her out of my eyesight, or start blocking my vision: I'll whistle!"

So, you end up in the room with Pari, and the three mastiffs, with the mother looking in on your from outside.

Giggett is acting very calmly and quietly, so neither the mastiffs nor the mother will react. She's also mumbling a bit, so lips reading would be very hard... Well, certainly not usefull, but she has some weird reflexes.

"Hello Pari, your mother is a bit hard to get through. We have your delivery from Bort Barghil. As it's useless to us, we were bringing it here to you. How could we give it to you without your mother to see it? Also, I'll be a bit curious, why do you need that?

I also have a few general questions about the investigation. You knew Bort has been killed, how come? Were you anywhere close to the inn 2 days ago? Do you know if there is an alchemist in town? Do you know where to find Phinick the goblin waiter?"

If Giggett decides to give the swords to the young woman, Tamerius is ready to get just behind her and the mother when the exchange is made.

He also, listen carefully to the daughter’s answers to Giggett’s question.

"Oh, wonderful! This is even greater than I dreamt! My swords!
Well, I want the swords so that I can advance in my training.
I hope to leave this town sometime soon, hopefully as an... adventurer!
This has been my dream since I was little, when my older brother died in the Goblinblood Wars."
She then becomes a bit sad.
"But the loss of my brother has made my mother fearful of everything and terrified of losing me."
Looking at you:
"You can just put the swords in the ditch on the trail out of here--", and she gives you some indications as to where to hide them.
"I will pick them up.
I slipped out of here today, while doing my chores, and went to see if Master Bargith had arrived. I was excited, and wanted my swords!
But I was sad to hear that he had passed...
However, no, I was not at the inn.
I can slip away from here pretty much when I want, but do not go far, really. Mainly to train in woods.
Only to town to get something. But not in this case."

She then thinks:
"I don't think there's been an Alchemist in the area since before I was born. I've never heard of one. Since the Plague there's been a lot of things missing.
As for Phinick, yes, I know who he is. I've seen him in the forest now and then.
I think he sleeps left and right, and changes places a lot.
That is very smart, because that way, by being unpredictable, it is harder for people to find you.
Do you want me to seek him?
That would be an adventure!
Did he murder Bort?
How did he do it? With a Goblin dog-knife?
Is there a reward to capture him?!"

She calms down, and whispers:
"Would you be willing to help me learn how to use a sword?
I will happily pay for the service. My brother was a fine warrior, and left me enough. We could easily meet in the forest between here and the town."
And she explains how you could meet when she slips away.

"We will follow your instructions. About the training, meet me in the forest everyday at the beggining of the afternoon. I can't promise to be there every time, but I'll do my best."

Giggett gets up.

"I'll now talk a bit to your mother and get back to town"

I let Tamerius ask what he wants then: Giggett leaves the room and reach Tamli's mother:

"Can I speak to you a minute ? Away from your daughter's ears."

Mrs. Hemsoth, Pari's mother, keeping an eye on her daughter, through the window, glances briefly at Giggett:
"You nosy busybodies are done?
She told you we don't know anything about that man dying?
You may leave now, thank you."

Do you know any one very good with plants in town or in the forest, or at least that know a lot about it?

Asks Tamerius to the young woman before getting out.

Nice one :D

Giggett opens her mouth, but sighs and shakes her head.

"Whatever. Kindness is helpful, sometimes, you know. Anyway, we leave, as we have finished our business here."

I'll leave with Tamerius when he'll have finished speaking with Pari, not Tamli :)

On the way back, Giggett gets to the ditch and puts the swords in there, well hidden for someone who doesn't know there's something to find.
Then, we go back to the village, speaking with Tamerius about the fact that kindness can help, sometimes...

Kindness is weakness. Except when it’s a ruse to get something.

"Plants? I mean... we have a lot of people who know turnips.
But plants... well, us farmers know some things. But I don't how to help with anyone special like that."

If no other questions are in order-- (but ask what you have to ask without any problem)

--you walk the mile or so to the wagons, discussing "kindness", where Dragh has the news to share about his findings from the books of Bort, about how many times he came and the letters and such.
And Natsume has finished her work.

Giggett knows that he can go give lessons to Pari whenever he has time.
(this will enable you to do earn income for 1 day each time you go, using your attack bonus for the roll)

You can gather and talk some, or do that later at dinner.

You know you can give the Mayor a walk around town, in order to fend off the cost of keeping the wagons at Feedmill.

And also you need some rosemary for the horses problems. Which you might be best doing early in the morning, since bears sleep then.

Or something else, of course.

What shall it be?

"I was planning to gather information about either an alchemist, someone who's first name starts with a H, someone who's last name starts with a H, someone who arrived in town 5 years ago, someone who came back to the village 5 years ago, someone who graduated in a big school, someone with many knowledges, some strange odors in the village or someone that dogs dislike. In that order, until I find something."

Who would be a good person to ask? Who would know who lives and works in town, who arrives, and leaves and such?

someone that dogs dislike
The postman.

Obviously, Delma is Giggett first guess!