GM Tyranius (PF2) Flooded Kings Court (Tier 1-4) (Inactive)

Game Master Tyranius

"Of course." Marcon agrees to being bound.

Working together, you manage to smash through Marcon Tinol's wall, and rescue the undead ghoul. He submits to both the hat of disguise and the bonds, watching with great interest as you have to hustle him off to a boat! The waters are already higher at this time of day, and some of you have to wade in chest deep as you retrieve your boat and all climb in with the ghoul.

You make it back through the sewers, through the rising waters drench all of you in turn, and finally make it to the basement of the playhouse with the waters already at the beginning of the stairs. The goblins all wave cheerily at you.

"Did you slay the beast?" Zusgut demands to know.

Meanwhile, Marcon chants under his breath, "So many living... so long, so long. Smell delic... No. Gave word. Also... have no time for that. The court. The court. The court."

Bucket in hand, the elder goblin thumps over to you. "Who's that?" She points to Marcon, under the magical illusion of the hat.

When they returned to the basement of the playhouse, Martin used the tools there and what he could salvage to repair the hole in the wall to prevent any more beasts from entering from the sewers.

As they entered the playhouse and were being questioned, Martin replied.

"Beasts, crocodiles, two of them. We did not slay them, but helped them escape from your basement where they had gotten trapped. Then, we repaired the hole. You shouldn't have any more problems from them, but you might want to get some stonemasons down there to make our fix a more permanent one."

"That? Oh some lost soul we found down in the dark. Seems he has business in the court, so we agreed to escort him to the surface and take him there."

"Or, if you have any among you so inclined, you could feed the crocodiles below and they would defend you from any interlopers who might use the necropolis to trespass upon your land," Chulyin says. He looks over to Arfsnarf. "Should we leave the deed to the Society to negotiate or discuss it now?"

Eh, business is boring. Let's go see what happens when our buddy here spills the beans. VCs will send these fine goblins a bill.

Arfsnarf urges them on to a (hopefully) dramatic conclusion.

Zusgut and the rest of the goblins look nervously at Marcon as you walk out past them, some still in awe of your tale while others take mental notes to feed the crocodiles.

You return to the Grand Lodge, where Venture Captain Drandle Dreng, still doing paperwork, says, "Ah, returned from your mission already! Did you find the -- AAAAGH!" But the old Venture Captain quickly recovers, and hobbles over to Marcon. He squints. "If I'm not mistaken..." He removes the hat of disguise. "..That is a ghoul! Why did you bring me back a ghoul in a disguise?"

He then sits down. "This better be a good story..."

"I believe he is a revenant," Chulyin answers the Venture-Captain. "He was imprisoned alive 500 years ago by House Candren. His soul will find finally peace if he can tell his tale in the light of day."

"There is a large complex in the sewers beneath the Puddles. It looks like it was used as a secret prison, among other things. There were other undead there - some zombies - and a cult of Dagon mural. Maybe? I didn't really get it, but the others said so."

Arfsnarf scratches his head nervously. So... uh. Does Pathfinders have relationship with House Candren and how important is it?

He focuses on the VC expectantly. But, it's gonna pretty pretty funny so you should come see it happen too!

"We also found the deed to the playhouse and several surrounding buildings," he adds. "However, letting Marcon speak his truth and find his rightful rest seemed important."

"At least it's a way to make sure the deader's able to pass on without re-growing whatever bits would've made it stop movin'"

Drandle Dreng is a patient listener. With careful questioning, active listening, the wily old Venture Captain draws out the rest of Marcon's story.

Then he sits down with a notebook, taking extensive notes on Marcon's testimony.

"Milord, I was walled in alive so... that the secret... the secret... did not come out."

When he was alive, Marcon Tinol was an accountant and bookkeeper for House Candren of Absalom. At the time, House Candren was a rather unimportant, if moderately wealthy part of the nobility of the city. They owned many shipping concerns and dealt in sea trade throughout the Inner Sea, although the heavy taxes and fees levied upon them made it difficult to build upon their successes very easily.

Suddenly, in what seemed like an overnight transformation, the family's fortunes changed for the better and their wealth began to steadily grow beyond any projections Marcon had made. His surprise was brushed aside by Ednathian Candren, the patriarch of the family. Being the diligent and dedicated worker he was, however, Marcon began digging deeply to find the reasons for the improvements. He found that the family had ceased paying any taxes or fees to the city or any other government in the region. Certain of a mistake, he contacted his counterparts in these organizations, but his questions and letters were ignored, lost, or met with strange responses that didn't make sense.

Marcon's eagerness to solve the mystery soon became an obsession and his own undoing. He came to learn that the head of the Candren family had, through great expense and trouble, found a wizard willing to cast a wish spell to guarantee freedom from taxation and fees for perpetuity. Eventually, the family noticed Marcon's curiosity. While the family was sure the power of the wish would keep their money safe, they were concerned about their reputation. Worried the accountant knew too much and that word would get out of his actions, Candren ordered Marcon sent to the Tombs of the Living, where he was walled up and left to die.

Dreng's big woolly eyebrows knit together as he listens to this tale. He slowly says, "Oh my. A wish in perpetuity? What if it's still active?" He claps. "Five hundred years of back taxes and fees! No wonder they buried you to keep this secret!"

Dreng also listens patiently to the story of the play, the other mercenaries, the zombie brutes. Then he starts laughing so hard that he nearly falls off his chair. [b]"No one has ever tried to sneak a ghoul into my office before! But I have to say... ingenious use of the hat of disguise you found! Who's idea was it?"

So... uh. Does Pathfinders have relationship with House Candren and how important is it?

"We have dealings with many in the city, something that will have to be carefully looked into I am afraid."

"It seemed a fortuitously convenient solution to the problem of moving a ghoul through the city," Chulyin says. "Besides, hats of disguise sprout like mushrooms once you descend below street level in Absalom."

The goblins shoulder slump.

Aww. Does that mean we aren't spouting the secret and giving this poor ghouly his eternal rest today?!

Dreng considers your questions about Marcon's future, steepling his fingers. "The wheels of justice grind slow. The Candren family will certainly try everything they can to get this trial thrown out: statute of limitations, the undead nature of the witness... This will take time." Dreng considers.

"While you're waiting for your trial, Marcon, can you talk with the Society's historians? We'd love any details you can remember."

The ghoul responds, "So long. So long ago... but time hath not dimmed my memory, milord. I will tell thee what I can."

After a bit, Dreng turns to you. "I have no idea what will happen to Marcon after the trial. That is one stubborn ghoul. Maybe he'll finally find rest once his purpose is completed. You never know how these things will work."

Dreng awaits any further questions before dismissing you so he can escort Marcon to safety. It seems that Chulyin, Martin, Mal, and Erevan have a promised duty to help with the CrookedToes playhouse.

That is the end of the scenario, I hope that you all enjoyed and feel free to continue roleplaying this out.