GM Khouri's Murder's Mark (PfS 1e module) (Inactive)

Game Master Khouri P.

Salmok places his hands on the bossman. "I'm not sure what happened exactly. But this Borvius tried running away. He almost got away with it all." Salmok tips his bowler hat while taking. "He's only knocked out. Should be another hour or two before he's awake. We can ask him questions then."

Magdelina retells the story of recent events to the Sheriff, filling her in with all the details.

"It would be important to find a guardian for the children, dear Sheriff. One that can be both trusted in intent and capacity to protect them. As you see in these forged documents, the likelihood of bad actors to come after this estate and the children is very real..."

Ejtehah listens while still sitting on his riding dog with his blood stained clothes.

He does not speak.

The Sheriff looks quite surprised both at hearing Borvius shape-changed and is a villian. "Huh. Never seriously considered it could be a local causing these issues. I wonder if his wife Robella is aware or a part of the conspiracy. It's hard to see how this connects with the theory that someone is framing the circus for the murders, if it weren't for the forged note found on Filton Legg's corpse I wouldn't think they were connected at all! This seems much more like they were trying to frame YOU." She skims over the will and you point out the differences in signatures so she can see the forgery as well. "This is actually not uncommon for wills around here, so no wonder they thought we would accept it. I will keep it safe while we look for the real will. Borvius and his man can wait to recover in a cell. Any description you can give me of the folks who got away would help in identifying them."

She hesitates, then adds "I warned you I wanted someone arrested for the murders before the town started waking up... I waited as long as I could for you, but when I started getting questions at the jail, I went to the Circus to arrest the Sphinx. Almara Delisen would not or could not produce her, so I was forced to arrest her instead. If I let her go now, that will alert the rest of Borvius' gang that something is amiss. Although the folks that got away may likely have done that already. If you need to rest up to recover resources before confronting his place of business, I can try to keep these events quiet for most of the day so hopefully you can surprise them. Of course I will release Miss Delisen from custody once you have begun your attack. In order to actually prosecute them, I still need more hard evidence - keep an eye out at his business for any hard evidence connecting them to the earlier murders."

Nilah frowns at the situation, imploring the sheriff. Is there no way you can smuggle her back to the circus and tell her to keep a low profile? She deserves her freedom.

If the sheriff declines for reasons, Nilah will then ask if they can visit her briefly before they speed off to rest and complete the last (?) leg of the investigation.

The Professor was about to speak up, but Magdelina begins first. Knowing the younger woman has a better way with people than her, she bites her tongue and listens. Hmm... Not bad. She got all the facts correct. Yes, she'll do nicely as a Pathfinder. I will have to remember to tell her that. At the mention of a good night's (day's?) rest, Professor Masaendri sighs in relief, swaying slightly with fatigue. "Yes, a rest is mandatory. I'm too old for these all-nighters. Though I agree it would be considerate to check in on Ms. Delisen to let her know that she will soon be cleared."

The Sheriff looks affronted at the suggestion she smuggle Miss Delisen out of jail. "Do I look like a smuggler? You don't think townsfolk might be suspicious seeing a heavily cloaked figure leaving the jail in broad daylight?" She shakes her head in disbelief, then continues "Of course you can come to the jail and speak with Miss Delisen before your rest. I would also suggest checking the pockets of these buffoons for anything that might aid you."

Well... no. You look like someone who doesn't keep an innocent person detained. I'm just speaking to the sensitivity of what the townsfolk know. So... in this case, yes doing the right thing might be a smuggle if we can find the right time of day. But yes, we will go talk to her and check the thugs' possessions.

Ready to head out.

Besides armor and weapons, the only items on them is Borvius, he had 2 potions of Cure Light Wounds, and 1 flash powder

The Professor pockets the flash powder and offers one potion of CLW to Ejtehah. "Would you like this? Who wants the other one? If no one else claims it, I will." Once the goods are distributed, she marches outside to wait for the group so they can all head to the jail together.

As you exit the mansion, the sun is rising in your eyes. You make your way back to the jail with 1 of Sheriff Feldane's constables to allow you passage.

The constable tells the person on guard that you have permission from the Sheriff to talk privately with Miss Delisen, and they leave you to guard outside the jail.

She appears comfortable, they obvious allowed her to bring some personal items with her to the jail. As soon as the constables leave, she urges you to not make a fuss "This was my choice - I have been arrested before, I can handle it. What is much more important is not letting our secret out!"

Nilah frowns at Miss Delisen's submission to the situation.

I'm glad you're... taking it so well. The Sheriff now understands that the guilty party isn't of the circus, but needs to have someone here until we can bring in the lead thug. We tried to convince her to let you out sooner, but otherwise we're off to infiltrate Borvius' lair, try to bring this thing to a close.

"You'll be out in no time Mr. Delisen. Do you need anything from us?" Salmok stands in the back, surveying the jail.

Ejtehah again remains silent.

Who knows if there are not more lies behind lies behind lies. We will find out!

Upon seeing that some of Ms. Delisen's personal effects have been brought along to help her be more comfortable and that she doesn't appear to have any obvious signs of bruising or cuts, Professor Masaendri nods politely yet curtly at her and waits for the conversation to be over. She's not one to be effusive after losing an entire night's sleep. The bags under my eyes must be big enough to hold a handful of things. I can't wait to sleep in a nice, warm bed!

Since the Sheriff is going to try to keep the evenings events quiet for the day, everyone please take a long rest to prepare for the big ending combat "dungeon." If you alert the Sheriff before you strike, She will release Almara shortly after.

Understanding what must be done, Nilah departs the jail with the group to focus on rest. The next morning, she ensures they catch the Sheriff on the way out to the Borvius' lair.

Happy to finally get some rest, Magdelina heads for the inn as well.

Since it is early morning now, 8 hours of rest will put you at waking up around late afternoon/early evening. You'll be able to investigate at Borvius' business, Ilsurian Storage & Hauling, down at the docks, before they close for the day.

Ejtehah stretches his arms .

"Let us go and check out Borvius' business!"

Salmok stretches too. "Wow, I slept like a rock.". He pauses, then whispers, "Thats a good thing for us oreads... trying to be funny here." He laughs a bit.

"Do we know where this place is?" he asks in a post-sleep daze.

Yes, you remember seeing the large warehouse when you came in on the docks.

Salmok leads the group over. "Almost there guys, just up ahead."

There are 4 entrances to the building: On the South side near the water there is a smaller door to the west labelled with a sign declaring it to be the Front Office, and two much larger (open) sliding bay doors to the East. There is also a smaller door around the back North-East side.

Since you can see inside, I will include the description for that area (also map is updated):
D1. Shipping and Receiving (Ilsurian Storage & Hauling)
The interior of this large building appears unfinished, with a wooden frame that could have housed two separate floors but is instead open to the roof like a barn. Sliding bay doors stand to the south, where a serviceable wagon is parked. Across the center of the warehouse, a catwalk hangs fifteen feet off the ground, with 3 burly men raising and lowering cargo using ropes and a block and tackle. In the northeast and southwest corners, rooms have been framed in and walls erected. Shelving lines most of the walls, and crates and boxes are stacked in many places on the main floor.

How do you choose to enter?

As they travel towards the warehouse, the Professor makes two expedited detours: first to purchase a coil of silk rope and second to purchase another potion of Cure Light Wounds. (Noted on my Character Sheet.) "Would someone be so kind as to carry this rope for me? I'm afraid the weight will slow me down."

Once they're within sight of the warehouse, she stops to cast Mage Armor on herself, then whips out her spell book. After several seconds of staring at it and muttering, she snaps it shut and replaces it into her pack. "There. I'm ready. Well! Shall we start in the office? Perhaps confiscate paperwork before it can be destroyed?"

She used Quick Study to switch out Mage Armor and replace it with Magic Missile.

Maggie will retain one potion of CLW from the loot above; I recommend we sell the rest of the unwanted stuff. Because this is PFS I doubt we can convert these funds into something else before the end of the scenario though, but if the module offers a list of items we could convert it to, I would vote for a wand of clw or similar healing to occupy the low level witch's hands... :P

On that fine morning, Magdelina decided against a charm spell and instead memorized a sleep enchantment along her usual spell of mage armor. She cast the latter spell before turning the corner from the last alley leading to the warehouse.

"Dear friends... remind me again what kind of opposition we're expected to encounter without this Borvius calling the shots? say, do you think I should make myself to look like Borvius? what is our end goal here? bringing the rest of his goons to jail or do we have a license to kill from the Sheriff? I'm confused a bit about our plan... if the Sheriff wants us to bring these guys in, I could just play Borvius' part and tell them 'I worked out a deal with the Sheriff, and you guys must come with me to the Sheriff's office to sign a statement that the ones she has in custody acted against my wishes and were rogue employees' or something like that... what do you think?"

Nilah nods at Magdelina. If you can do that, and lead them on, it would be much simpler than conflict. Then we can search this place for clues that tell the rest of the story. Remember, we need more evidence and it should be here!

Salmok looks uncomfortable with the thought of killing Borvius. "I personally do not want to kill this goon, only in self-defense I guess.". He tips his bowler hat. "Your plan does seem fine though. What if he refuses?"

Salmok also grabs the Professor's rope. "I'll carry this. Not too heavy for this oread." He smuggly points at himself.

Ejtehah looks confident.

“It’s a good plan. I will try to charm him!“

I'm confused what you are planning. I see @Magdelina suggesting Disguise Self as Borvius, @Ejtehah suggesting Charm Person on Borvius, and @Salmok interpreting Magdelina's suggestion as killing Borvius. I will discuss how I run both of those spells in the Discussion tab. Right now Borvius is in jail and not a threat, so the Sheriff would have an issue with you cold blooded murdering him, especially before she can interrogate him (though he would have woken up while you were resting). HOWEVER the Sheriff has NOT questioned the lethal methods you took at the mansion, seeing they were also armed lethally and trying to kill you, so in that manner yes you do have a 'license to kill.' She would prefer to have living people to hold accountable to the law, but is pragmatic about combat. Right now you aren't sure if all of his employees are in on it or not, but you have definitely connected the latest murders of the Braetons & Filton Legg to Borvius and at least some subset of his employees/cronies. Last you spoke with her, she focused a lot on you needing to find cold, hard, physical evidence tying him to the other murders as well.

OH also important to note that when you searched Borvius at the manor, he also had an empty alchemical vial in his pocket! Which is circumstantial, but the only other evidence you've seen of alchemy in town (besides the empty vials at the circus at the 2nd murder).

The Professor's eyes close halfway as she considers these suggestions. "Hmm... I am not confident that anyone could accurately imitate Borvius's day to day mannerisms well enough to fool those who have frequent contact with him. In addition, casting a Charm Person spell involves very obvious verbal and somatic components. Any witness would likely become suspicious and possibly hostile, thus making our job more challenging. Furthermore, we don't know if the thugs who escaped have reported back to any of these people." She ponders another few seconds.

"Perhaps if we meld truth and fiction... We could go in, saying that, after a rather intense misunderstanding at the manor, Borvius has hired us to clear his name, as there are rumors that he is behind all the murders. He was able to tell us that he has some evidence to prove his innocence at this location, but the Sheriff arrived and hauled him off before he could go into detail. We are here to search for that evidence, though we don't know exactly where or what it is. With enough charm, I think we could easily pull this off. Thoughts?" She arches an eyebrow at the group, waiting for their input. (Deep down, she is convinced that her idea is the best, of course.)

"Good idea Professor! we say Borvius was jailed before he could come here to erase the evidence, and we're here to gather this all up and relocate it off-site! I will not have to use magic to impersonate him, and instead I can use my... charms... ... to their fullest extent..."

Magdelina unlaces the front of her dress by two notches...

Nilah, in particular, perks up at the Professor's plan as well.

Now deception, that's something I'm very comfortable with. This is accompanied by a wry smile. bluff +8 (+4 to lie)

UPDATE Oh, and another +1 if opposer could be attracted to her. Left to the judgement of the GM :)

Who else is comfortable with that and who thinks that they would break under scrutiny. Please speak up now and we can decide who the "talkers" should be.

Salmok blushes. "This sounds like an... intriguing plan.". He pulls on his shirt collar. "I wont be of much use though. My tongue will fall out if I lie." -1 to bluff

"I'll help out in any way I can though. Be the mysterious stranger in the back of the room." He tips his bowler hat so it covers his eyes.

Bluff +2 here; Intimidate +9.

"I'll stand back with you, Salmok. Unfortunately, I think my preferred method of dealing with these men will likely fall flat." Her eyes glance over the two more attractive females of the party, then nods at Ejtehah. "Attractive forms and a honeyed tongue will go farther than my old vinegar, so to speak. If asking nicely doesn't work, though, I'm more than willing to utilize to my 'harsh old professor' vibe."

"Some people like old vinegar, Professor. But yes, agreed. We might have to deploy other tactics if things go south." Salmok absentmindedly reaches to his mattack and grasps the handle.

"Oh my, Professor. I believe this is oread for 'Would you care to have dinner with me tonight?'"

Salmok blushes again (can rock-people blush?). He attempts to change the subject, "So I think this plan will work. I'm ready to go."

OK also in your deliberations remember that Borvius had impersonated Molvil at the mansion - whatever what that may mean for how his employees treat your group is unknown, could be to your benefit or detriment depending on how its played.

D2. Front Office
A man sits at a desk against the east wall, with additional chairs situated nearby. Wall lamps light the room. To the north of the
desk is a single door leading deeper into the warehouse. When you walk in the door, the man at the desk smiles and asks how he can help you.

Just before they enter the front office, Nilah pauses to the side of the entrance and straighten her outfit. She holds her rapier up in front of her face and moves it around to inspect her reflection, wiping a smudge of dirt here and brushing aside an errant wisp of hair there. After several moments of this she smiles back at her reflection as if to complete the process, thrusts her rapier back into its sheath, and straightens her posture before launching around the corner in a confident stride to the front desk.

She does not smile, and in fact projects a stern, business-like demeanor that does not invite extraneous "chatting up."

Hello, yes. I am known as "The Wolf", and I've been sent here along with my associates by Borvius to deal with a serious situation.

She pauses to lean over his desk, plant her hands wide, and hold his gaze for effect.

I need you to listen carefully. Borvius has been incarcerated by the Sheriff and he's assigned me clean his files and "alchemy" lab. I need you to show me to the back office, and then I need you to leave me and my associates alone to do our work. We're his new "fixer" team. Most important, is that I need you to keep everything up here looking like business as usual. We suspect the Sheriff's men might stop by later looking for evidence and that cannot happen before we finish and sneak out the back.

She recedes from the desk and stands back up to full height, crossing her arms. Her sterness and hardness soften every-so-slightly as she cocks her head, and asks Can you do that favor for me? If we can just get through today, Borvius will be very grateful to us all.

Bluff (to lie, milkshake bonus): 1d20 + 8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 4 + 1 = 28 plus any RP bonus you believe this post is worth :P

Sure, I'll give you +1 for the RP, but based on the information they have, I'm going to say this is a "far-fetched" lie which lowers your DC to 19... and I will roll his Sense Motive secretly since you won't know if you succeeded or not.

His beady eyes move carefully from face to face as Nilah spins her tale, and then she crosses her arms and his eyes move momentarily to her chest before moving back up to her face.

"Of course, I understand. It would be most unfortunate if the Sheriff were to discover Borvius's true files. One moment while I fetch my supervisor - they have the keys to the back room. You may have a seat in the meantime if you so desire." and turns to exit through the North door. Before he leaves, he turns once again to ask "By the way, what is the weather like today? I heard it might rain."

@Nilah in particular, is quite confident that her ruse has worked. Everyone else agrees.

Salmok stands behind Nilah and nods when she mentions her associates (i.e. him/the others). He wont move nor speak, trying to keep a still face the whole time.

The man suggests taking a seat and Salmok wanders over and plops down.

What's the weather like today? Does it look like it might rain? Salmok kinda believes it is a codeword/phrase for something, but wont mention it to his companions.

There are a few fluffy clouds in the sky, but they don't look full of water.

'Codeword for sure.'

Salmok is going to try to read the man to see if he's expecting a response or if its just idle talk. If he fails at reading the man (very likely), Salmok will nod and remain silent.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Salmok cannot tell if it is idle talk or if he expects a response. The man pauses for a moment near the door to see if anyone responds, then exits.

"By the way, what is the weather like today? I heard it might rain."

Drat! It's got to be a code phrase! Well, we'll surely fail if we don't try. Just before the man exits, the Professor hazards a guess. "It looks like rain." Probably wrong. I wonder what it really is?

Once he's left, she mutters to the group: "They know we're impostors now. We'd best be prepared for a confrontation. Can anyone follow him stealthily so we can see what he's up to? If he hides or destroys anything, it would be best to know where those things are. Or if he brings back reinforcements, forewarning would be good. Hmm. I think I'd like some fresh air. Anyone care to wait with me outside? I'd like to avoid being locked in this room." With that, she marches out to take a stand against the wall outside the door.

While she's out there, she glances around to see who seems to be reacting to their presence and how they're doing so. Also, where's the man from the office going?

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

There was only 1 person in the Front Office and he exited through the north door further into the building.

Does anyone want to follow the man through the north door? Or come around a different way? Is anyone else going back outside with Molvil? Do you close the front door behind you?

Salmok is sitting down, as per the request of the guy. If there's a magazine or newspaper, he'll pick up a copy (but not read it). Though if everyone else heads outside, Salmok will follow.