Hmm's PF2 #1-07 Flooded King's Court and Other Tales (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

Steeltoe shoots Blue, then Grams cuts the Brute in half, repositions and sweeps a cut at Red!

"Braiiiiiins?" Blue looks surprised as Red falls to the ground with a THUD!

Red Arm Club vs Grams: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Bludgeoning + Crit: 2d12 + 10 ⇒ (8, 9) + 10 = 27

Ouch! Grams is at Dying 2. On the other hand, the rest of you can heal her and that useful axe is available for someone else to grab and use!

Red Arm Club vs Sandstone: 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (18) + 11 - 5 = 24
Bludgeoning: 1d12 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

That missed being a crit by *that* much!

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

Round 3 / 4
Active conditions:

Grams (Unconscious, 0 HP, Dying 2)
Loola

================================

Red Braiiiiins (-18)
Blue Braiiiins (DEAD AGAIN, cut in two)

================================

Iqu
Scratch
Tess
Sandstone (-6)

================================

Grams never sees the hit coming, and collapses bonelessly to the floor. It's so quick only a few brief moments from very early in her life flashes before her eyes.

She smiles conspiratorially at the handsome young dwarf, pulling his hand along as they look for a dark cave away from their parents. "Bryn," he whispers, "are you sure about this." She holds a finger to his lips, quieting him as she listens to make sure no one heard. She may be too young to leave the mountains on an adventure, but there's plenty of adventurous activities to do right her at home. And Dueggan was awfully handsome, with his still finely trimmed read beard, and witty rejoinders to her flirting. A little time alone with just the two of them would be a grand adventure indeed!

Even unconscious, a smile seems to cross her lips, her breathing easing slightly.

Recovery (DC 12): 1d20 ⇒ 20 Critical success! Dying value 0, wounded value 1

Gram is to tough to die from a stupid Zombie Brute! She stabilizes at Wounded 1.

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

Round 3 / 4
Active conditions:

Grams (Unconscious, 0 hp, Wounded 1)
Loola

================================

Red Braiiiiins (-18)
Blue Braiiiins (DEAD AGAIN, cut in two)

================================

Iqu
Scratch
Tess
Sandstone (-6)

================================

Scratch winces as he hears the sound. A sound he's heard many a time in the Five Mountains Infantry Unit when an ogre's club connects solidly to a Dwarven helm. "S$#~E! Get that Lady some help n quick!" He blurts out to no one but maybe himself.

He fires off another wild shot from his already loaded bolt flinger, reloads, then moves adjacent to the fallen Grams.

Crossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Damage (P), Precision: 1d10 + 2 + 1d8 ⇒ (9) + 2 + (1) = 12

I can try some battle medicine next round or a minor healing potion. Strike, Reload, Stride.

As Scratch strides past, Blue matches his movement, and steps forward.
⤾ Goblin Scuttle to Step.

"Grams!" Blue's chipper demeanor is replaced momentarily by panic, then fury. "You pay for that, mean pickle-head!"

With a wave of her hand and an arcane shout, "ටෙලිකිනිසිස්," Loola telekinetically hurls Grams's battle axe at the giant zombie.

◈◈ telekinetic projectile
telekinetic projectile attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
damage, slashing: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

With another arcane word, "පලිහ," Blue raises a magical shield of force. Dragon scales cover her body briefly as she does so.
◈ shield. Total +2 to AC because of bloodline ability.

Iqu hustles forward, raises her club, and swings it at the zombie's swinging-arm!

Power Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 <==Ouch! I will use a hero point to reroll that.
Power Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
B Damage: 1d10 + 4 + 1d10 ⇒ (8) + 4 + (8) = 20

Stride (1A), Power Attack (2A).

Tess is nearby and happy to donate a healing potion to Grams' cause if she needs an extra boost after Scratch's healing!

Tess shouts in alarm and fury as she sees the tough woman fall after the first brute goes down. "Grams, NO!" She dashes around behind the next one, keeping an eye on Scratch as he ministers to Grams in case she can be of assistance.

Stride, Stride, Strike

Rapier: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Piercing (oops, not Slashing!) damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

edit: I doubt that hits, but I forgot to add flanking damage just in case...

flanking damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Scratch misses the Brute in his desire to get to Gram's side as fast as he can! Loola throws Gram's axe at the 'picklehead' for ten damage! Iqu slams her club into the Picklehead for twenty damage! Tess attempts to hit the creature, but in the stress over Gram's injuries, her lunge goes wide!

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

Round 3 / 4
Active conditions:

Grams (Unconscious, 0 hp, Wounded 1)
Loola

================================

Red Braiiiiins (-48)
Blue Braiiiins (DEAD AGAIN, cut in two)

================================

Iqu
Scratch
Tess
Sandstone (-6)

================================

Click. Whirr.

BOTTING SANDSTONE

Looking at Wild Shape, it looks like Wild Morph gives a +2 bonus to attack, and lasts a full minute... They're also agile, making it easier to hit on successive attacks.

Sandstone goes into a full attack!
Claw: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 2 = 15
Slashing: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Claw: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 2 - 4 = 14
Slashing: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Claw: 1d20 + 4 + 2 - 8 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 2 - 8 = 18
Slashing: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11

Action 1: ◈ Strike
Action 2: ◈ Strike (okay, miss)
Action 3: ◈ Strike (crit!)

Sandstone does nineteen points of damage with his slashing claws, and cuts the Zombie Brute into smelly strips of rotting flesh!

OUT OF COMBAT!

Let's take a break for healing, shall we?

After you get a chance to heal up a bit, you get to look around this gallery.

This wide gallery is lined with a colorful mural depicting a figure performing some sort of magical ritual over an expanse of ocean. His arms raised, he beckons to something beneath the waves, and is answered by a frothing, foaming section of the water that hints at a massive shape rising.

To the northwest, stairs rise to another large room. An elegantly carved figure towers over the room, combining the body of an eel with the visage of a horrifying deep‑sea fish and four grasping tentacles.

Whoever had this section of the Tombs of the Living constructed spared no expense. Whether that is because of dedication to dark powers or a flair for the dramatic is difficult to tell.

Can I have rolls on Crafting, Lore Absalom, Religion, Society and Occultism please? Please feel free to roll them all if you have them while you examine this disturbing artwork.

I don't have any of those...

Loola sits next to Grams to hold her hand. "Scratch, can you help Grams?"

We probably want to take a 10-minute break anyway, in case anyone used a focus point.

I'm absolutely thrilled you botted me because now I know what "agile" means in practice :)

I don't have any of those skills.

Sandstone's claws vanish in a puff of wind and sand, and he bends down to minister to Grams. There is much muttering and fragrant herbs. Taking the opportunity to have his fingers in plants, where they belong, restores his focus.

Natural Medicine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Yay, Grams can heal 2d8 and remove the wounded tag -- as long as it's DC 15 as I suspect. Do I roll the 2d8 or does Grams, or does it matter?

Yes, you made the DC! It does not matter who rolls the healing. Feel free to do so if you could like.

I'm so glad you didn't mind the botting! As for weapon traits. I strongly recommend reading the traits on all of your weapons. Sweep, Forceful, Agile all do different and interesting things. Every basic weapon in Second Edition has a different set of weapon traits, so as a GM of a party with lots of beginners in it, I have been looking up the weapons you've been using so I can assist you getting to know them better. It makes it a bit harder to learn your weapons at the start, but I think it also adds some interesting flavor to the game to have them all act a bit differently as you use them.

Iqu checks on Grams. "You alright?" (I've got some minor healing potions if you need. You're welcome to use one).

Iqu eyes the artwork.

Crafting: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

2d8 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4

Grams comes to -- barely -- as Sandstone treats her. She blinks furiously, trying to figure out why there are 10 Pathfinders down here with her now instead of just the five she sort of remembers coming down with. Maybe the mercenaries had decided to join them, after all? No, that wasn't it...

Collecting herself, she climbs to her feet, looking for her axe. "Oh, ol' Grams will be OK, don't you worry..." she says.

Patting herself down, she pulls a vial and chugs it, shaking her head as she clears more of the cobwebs.

"OK, young 'uns, I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's get a move on!"

That said, she's still limping very badly and clearly not fine. At 9 HP of 23

1d8 ⇒ 5

Crafting (trained): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Religion (trained): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Loola walks over to where Grams's axe ended up, grabs the handle and drags the battle axe, that is almost as tall as she is, back to the old dwarf with a grating metal-on-stone sound. "Bloo worried about Grams."

As you are glancing around this room, you find some things. Discarded or forgotten long ago, a pendant of the occult sits on the floor. Behind the statue are scattered offerings: a potion of water breathing, and a silver bowl decorated with a sea motif worth 7 gold pieces.

Meanwhile, Grams notices a few things about the art.

She notices the statue as a depiction of Dagon, demon lord of the sea, sea monsters, and deformity. The mural is a depiction of Aroden raising the Starstone and the Isle of Kortos from the depths of the ocean.

If others have skill checks they wish to make in this room, please do so. If you are offering Grams a potion from your Pathfinder Training, please do so in character so she can accept it.

"Thanks, Blue," Grams says with a smile as she hefts the axe over one shoulder. "But don't you worry, child. It'll take more than that to keep ol' Grams from finishing her first adventure!"

She looks around the ominous Tombs.

"Dagon!" she exclaims in sudden realization. "I had an old book I used to read the boys, and I think that's what he's supposed to be! And that must be Aroden, of course. "

"Here go, Grams." Blue hands the old dwarf a healing potion. "That make better."

Man you guys move quick. A lot has happened since I posted 24hrs ago!

Scratch helps Grams to her feet after Sandstone beats him to the punch for first aid "One of those 'new age' healer types eh? Good fer you. More than one way ta stop infection." He nods and hands her a minor healing potion from the Swords repository. "Don't think you can get away from me bein' tough. Drink up and get yer legs back."

When it comes down to the art around the room Scratch seems to be pretty well traveled. He shoulders his crossbow and takes his time looking around at everything.

Craft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Occultism: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

2d8 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3 Really?

The healing potions seem to have little effect. Maybe we rest for another hour and do another Medicine? We had 5-6 hours; not sure how long we've been down here.

Tess offers her healing potion to Grams. "It's good to see you back on your feet! Here, I think you may need this more than I do."

She then wanders around, examining the room in awe.

Lore (Absalom): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Also, it's fine with me if we rest a bit! And don't feel obliged to take the potion, Grams, but it's yours if you'd like it.

I hope me healing Grams didn't infect her with my bad dice luck!! I'm happy to wait and do another Medicine.

Sandstone feels at a loss. Carefully crafted chambers and mosaics and statues of demon lords are well out of his element. He holds his sagebrush and pinyon to his heart and thinks about wind and stone.

Tess notices one more thing that Grams didn't catch. With her critical success she notices that the depiction does not exactly match the famous event of Aroden pulling the Starstone and the Isle of Kortos out of the sea; the affected patch of ocean seems too small to be the island, and the figure's left hand has barely visible webbing between the fingers.

You decide to take the extra hour to heal Grams, though you know it might shorten your exploration. You'll have to be fairly efficient moving forwards.

Go ahead and roll your medicine. Remember Hero points for this.

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

You make your way to what appears to be a records room.

Society and Absalom Lore?

Bits of saturated parchment, fragments of wood, and other detritus float on the surface of the two‑foot‑deep water in the room. Small niches are carved up and down the walls, each space only a few inches square but nearly a foot deep. The niches to the north are mostly destroyed by the partial collapse of the surrounding wall, and a deep crack runs at an angle across it. To the east, a statue of a hippocampus rears up and its eyes roll back as if in pain. A trident made of a corroded metal protrudes from a wound in its side. Behind the statue on the wall are carved the words “Ex Prothex.”

Sandstone's keen eyes spot an airtight bone scroll tube bobbing in the water. Inside is a remarkable document: the deed to the playhouse and even some of the surrounding neighborhood. As Tess looks it over with her legal acumen, she realizes that this document in and of itself does not grant rights to the property, but it can be used to make a strong case for ownership for the goblins, given the lack of current owner.

"Thank you, dear," Grams says to Tess, but declines the potion. "Just a little bit of time, then, if everyone doesn't mind. Let me catch my breath and I'm sure my rib will stop hurting."

Does someone want to make a Medicine check, please? Or I can do it. Assuming it works, I'll decline the potion, but because of time constraints, I'll take it if the Medicine check fails.

Society (untrained): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Still distracted a little, Grams can't make heads or tails of the room; something human-related she's sure, and she was certainly better with dwarven lore.

"That's amazing," she exclaims as Tess realizes what she has. "The goblins will love that. And it should hopefully help the Pathfinders build more inroads with them."

Once you complete the medicine on Grams, you move on. After all, you found this amazing deed to the Playhouse! What more might be here in this basement?

Feel free to fill in medicine / healing / society / Lore Absalom checks as you have time to post.

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

Traveling further in the other direction, you find an oddity.

You move along this new hallway, finding some mysterious chambers that used to be walled off, but the walls have been broken by the recent flooding. The tides have washed away all evidence of what might have been here. You move on to the next hallway.

You make your way down a long, claustrophobic corridor and turn left. Ahead is another hallway, but you notice something different here. There's a span of the masonry that's different from the wall — a passageway here has been bricked over. There's a hole in the masonry, though, about the size of a goblin's head — just big enough for someone to peer through and see what's beyond.

Crumbled bricks and mortar lie scattered on the floor below the hole — whatever clawed or smashed open the brickwork must have done so recently, as the tides haven't had time to wash away the evidence.

You could look inside if you wish…

Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Lore (Absalom): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Puzzled over the discrepancies, Tess wonders aloud who might have painted an Aroden with webbed fingers...

~

In the records room, she mutters under her breath about being "wet, cold, and nearly full of holes*" as she wades through the standing water, but quickly forgets her complaints when Sandstone discovers the scroll. "The goblins can definitely make a case with this!" she exclaims with delight, already crafting the argument in her head.

~

As we approach the wall, Tess prepares to venture forward and peer inside with the flickering light of her waning torch. (Someone with better darkvision can go instead, but Tess is happy to look!)

*Please tell me someone's read the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix and can appreciate my favorite Mogget quote. :)

"Bloo want see!" The goblin lass jumps on Tess's back, and climbs up to get a better look in the hole in the wall.

Something inside sloshes around in the water — clearly startled. It sounds like something moving around on two legs. You hear a low, sepulchral voice whisper from the hole. The words drip slowly out of the opening, like blood seeping from a cold corpse.

“Whoooo… who… art… thou?” Water sloshes around. “Dost thou… live? The… living? Come… to… me.” You can hear the creature approach the hole. “Prithee. Prith-eee… please… let… let me… see… thee… So long.... it has been..... soooooo long....”

Grams takes a step back, making sure she has axe and shield firmly in hand.

"That doesn't sound good," she whispers. "Come away from there, Blue!"

She hopes Tess has enough commonsense to follow suit.

"A rib, you say, Grams? I have just the thing!" Sandstone produces another herb from his bandolier. "I call it ribweed."

Natural Medicine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Sandstone is decidedly creeped out by the watery voice inside the wall, but equally curious, surrounded and emboldened by his new friends. He peers into the darkness over Tess's shoulder to see if he can get a better glimpse of what fresh horror this might be.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"Ack!" Loola screams and falls off Tess's back onto her backside. "Ghostses!" She points at the hole in the wall then scampers behind Gram, clutching the dwarf matriarch's legs.

Earlier
Grams sighs in relief as Sandstone's weed helps ease her pain. "Thanks," she says.

2d8 ⇒ (6, 7) = 13 Full health

Now
"Don't worry, dear, ol' Grams will protect you," she encourages the little halfgobling.

When Bloo peeked through the hole, Bloo caught a glimpse of a vaguely humanoid form sloshing around in there. Sandstone also saw that in the room, the words Candren's wish have been scratched deeply into the stone, over and over again.

"Oh... Prithee, please... Don't go." Slosh. Slosh. "Soooo long. Soooo long. Alone, forgotten. Alone, no one to talk to. Please... talk to me, living things. Thou art... living, yes?" Slosh. Slosh. "We can... talk. Share questions. People... still talk? Still converse? So long ago."

Can I have a crafting check for those checking out the wall?

And for fun... a picture on SLIDE ONE!

Startled at the voice, Tess scrambles back a few steps, narrowly avoiding tripping over Blue, who has the same impulse. But, her curiosity piqued, Tess still peers forward and attempts to match the voice's tone. "Pray, who art thou, and how did, er, thee come to dwell here?" (Tess thinks, if they want to share questions, this is a good place to start.)

Recall Knowledge/untrained Crafting: 1d20 ⇒ 20 (Am I doing that correctly?)

Yes, you can do that... Would you rather use that roll for diplomacy, since you are engaging the... er... resident?

If you like, you can also do a Society check on this resident.

"Who are you?" Blue asks the voice behind the hole from the security offered by Grams's legs. "Me Bloo Berrythwaite, of Absalom Berrythwaites. That halfling name. Me goblin, but also halfling. What are you? Where you come from? Why in hole in wall?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 Using a Hero Point on that roll.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

“I…I am…was called Marcon Tinol. I didst not choose this dank and closed residence. T'was meant to be my prison and my tomb. Candren t'was successful in that, it seems.”

The voice is gloomy, and the body sloshes around a bit. “I was…'prisoned here, chained and bricked up behind that same wall. I…slept…died? I woke then and broke the chains. Searched for escape, but there was none. So slept again I did ‘til the ground shook. Since then I have drifted…and chipped. A crack, I noticed after the shaking. This hole is all I have…created.” The voice is mournful. "T'wouldst not have been the legacy I wouldst have chosen for myself, milady. Thou art a living lady, correct? I had a daughter once. So long. So long down here."

"As to what I am... What is anyone? Does goblin define you? Does halfling? Nay, they are but part of who you are. I know I am... not living. No, I am not living. I was once a man... an accountant. A person who asked questions. How I loved to converse."

I'd be happy to use that for diplomacy instead (+6), if you're feeling generous, though it seems Blue is making good inroads with Marcon already :)

Society and Lore Absalom would also be helpful.

Iqu opens her mouth, then closes it, more than a little stunned.

"You're the living dead?" she eventually asks. "Do you hunger?"

She taps the wall once, curious at its sturdiness. She couldn't leave anyone -- even the dead -- trapped for eternity in a wall.

Crafting to see how sturdy the wall is, and if she thinks she could break it down.
Crafting: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Grams relaxes as the mysterious voice seems happy to talk.

"Why were you imprisoned?" she asks, trying to be gentle but perhaps coming off a little more acerbic than she intended -- she's never talked to undead before, after all. "Who is ... was ... Candren?"

Diplomacy (trained): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Society (trained): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

"A fair question, Mistress." Marcon pauses, considering Iqu's question. “'Tis true that… I hunger. I control that… hunger… for now. Discipline I have learned… yes, discipline. Hunger is as nothing unto me now. Its claws have lost their grip… This I swear: no harm to the bodies of the living will I bring…So long as I see justice done. Then…peace. Forever.”

As Iqu studies the wall, she realizes two things. The first is that Marcon has made significant progress on the wall. He's 1-2 weeks from busting out on his own. The second is that your group, with the tools you found in the Basement, could likely chop him out with fifteen minutes of work. You could even halve the time if you hit in the right places.

"Why was I imprisoned, Milady?" Marcon responds to Grams. "My crime? T'was no true crime. My crime was asking questions, reviewing books, finding a discrepancy. My crime? Curiosity, and caring about--" He breaks off abruptly, sloshing around, agitated. "My secret, that is…to keep…it burns in my mind, a secret to bargain with. I know much. And greatly does a family in Absalom fear my secret. Prithee, I beg you to free me. Guide me to the surface and I will share my secret. Perhaps then I will know peace…”

Although Marcon did not answer directly about Candren, Gram's Society check reveals two things. The first is that Marcon's speech is over 500 years old. The second is that she understands the undead's information could be quite damaging to one person in particular: Goodman Hugen of House Candren, a member of the Grand Council of Absalom and First Harbormaster.

@Tess, lets say that 20 was on Lore Absalom.

Tess recalls that Ednathian Candren was one of the most wildly successful merchants in Absalom History, with a history for innovation, magical expertise and utter ruthlessness. Several hundred years ago, they went from being a solidly successful merchant house to one that controlled half the trade that went through Absalom.

Even today, the house is big in politics. Ednathian's descendent, Goodman Hugen, has been using his wealth to help the causes of liberty in Andoran, and was very much involved with the efforts to free Absalom's slaves both before and during the last siege where they lost their chains. A scandal -- even a really old one -- could do some harm to him politically.

Can we have a Religion check? Also, he's close enough to the hold now that you can see his face on SLIDE ONE.

Blue whispers up to Gram's, "Me believe Marcon. Uncle Cosmo say that undead are bad -- well, he say lots of things, but me not always listen. But Auntie Juniper says that Apsu teach mercy. 'Mercy is given, but once,'" she quotes from the Draconic Apsu, having been made to remember that line by her sweet aunt.*

"I know!" shouts Blue, before realizing the loudness of her own voice, and returning to a whisper, "We dress him up in Iqu's bunny costume." Turning to Iqu, "You still have bunny costume?" again not remembering to whisper her plan.

* Loola remembers being given nothing but yucky vegetables to eat for a month after the second time that she broke into the cookie jar and ate all the cookies. "Mercy is given, but once." Her aunt had a way of conveying the teachings of Apsu in a way that Loola could understand.

Scratch stands back from the opening, a bit flabbergasted at what he's hearing and seeing. Let this thing out? I dunno... I'm supposed to be keepin' things like this sealed away! Geez and today was goin' pretty solid too.

The old Dwarf pushes his way to the front a bit to peek in and get a look at this dead one's face.

Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 doh.

"How do we know yer not just in there blowin' smoke at us so we let you out and into the city fer all manner of chaos n murder?" He taps his finger against the wall, waiting for a reasonable answer, and the tells it might be a lie...

Hunt Prey on this little guy just cuz.
Perception Expert: Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

@ GM: Do I still have the bunny costume? I assumed the goblins would have taken it back.

Iqu takes a few steps away from the wall and tells her companions quietly. "He'll free himself in a few more weeks if we don't help him, but we could do it in fifteen minutes. Maybe less." She considers the undead, then adds, "We should bring him back to the Grand Lodge. Better than letting him find his way in Absalom alone. Safer."

I vote we take him to the Grand Lodge.

Grams nods.

"I don't like the idea of leaving something trapped, especially if he's going to free himself anyway," she agrees quietly. "Maybe we can make sure he keeps his word and doesn't try to eat anyone? If he's right about his secret, I think it could bad for Goodman Hugen. I did a little studying once I realized I would be in Absalom. He's the descendant of House Candren; he's also a member of the Grand Council of Absalom and First Harbormaster."

In response to Scratch's question, Marcon responds, “Canst thou…imagine…the rage I feel? My heart beats not, yet it burns for vengeance… To speak the truth is my deepest desire…Know thee this: my jailers were not men of law but base criminals. No just sentence do I serve!”

Scratch, you believe that Marcon is being forthright with you.

Yes, Iqu, Bloo asked if you could keep the costumes until the play, and the King agreed provided you cleaned them in the meantime.

Tess is well acquainted with the wealthy figures in Absalom, both through her daytime legal work and her... less legal after-hours roguish pursuits. She shares what she knows with her companions, noting "Goodman Hugen, Ednathian Candren's descendant, has done some good with his wealth, particularly on the behalf of those enslaved in Absalom, but I'm not one for burying secrets, either. I agree with Iqu and Grams. Let's escort him back to the Lodge and hear him out." She does her best to politely keep her composure as she sees him for the first time. "Maybe some sort of disguise would be... prudent?"

Tess is inclined to believe him about not hurting anyone, but he does look a bit frightening...

Perception (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Edit: welp, seems honest to me!