GM supervillan's Jarlsblood Witch Saga [Outpost IV] (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

And I am Countess Inga Morgenstern-Blücher, Merchant Noble of Varisia.
She gives a polite nod.
I am accompanying The Holy Grunjar here to learn more about your religion. I have never been to a place of worship dedicated to Gorum. The architecture is quite grand and very impressive.
She says as she strains her neck to look up at the building.
It almost reminds me of a Hellknight keep.
She adds, softly.

Damn. I forgot to change Inga's last name to Morgenstern before my 10th post. I originally got Blucher from Young Frankenstein. I just came across this article.

Link

The two guards look at each other and snicker. One of them knocks on the gate behind him and calls over his shoulder, "Fortæl ypperstepræsten, at der er en dværg, der vil se hende. Og han er en præst for Desna. Bør være godt for en latter!"

"I am sure Valosi will be interested to meet you, your Holiness" says the other guard with a broad grin.

A moment later the gate is opened and two more guards show you in.

"Mælkedrikkere" mutters one of the guards behind you as you pass, and all four of the Ulfen burst out laughing.

Another Ulfen warrior greets you. "I am Svard. I will take you to Valosi." He guides you through the halls, past a smithy and several shallow pits with earthen floors. The sound of steel clashing with steel echoes through the hall, and the distant shouts of warriors. "Se på mig Gorum!"

You reach an altar - a jagged pile of iron shards resembling the mountain image of Gorum's holy symbol, complete with a greatsword thrust into it. A dwarf in full plate kneels before the altar. The dwarf rises at the sound of your approach and turns to face you. "I am Valosi, high priestess of Gorum, our Lord in Iron. What brings you to His house, strangers?" she asks.

Lorian looked at the Horn of Afanc and caught his breath. "Looks like we will be doing a bit of drinking." he said, offering Frigga a chance to drink first.

Myth whispers in Elvish to Inga and Rallas...

"Im ú- ped- hain're lamb, im hain're lyrfen ti ammen, ú- with ammen. Hin galem, thír sund yir yss-hulven..."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Tha mi ag aontachadh, Myth.
Inga replies, also in

Grunjar does neither understand Skald nor Elvish. Regardless, he tries to pick up the vibes of the words and the laughter...

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

...and his friendly face expression gets very serious.

Remember, you have a mission here - feelings must not get in the way!

Grunjar grits his teeth and ignores the four guards.

"Thank you, Swart."

At the altar...

Grunjar bows.

"Добрый вечер, Валоши. Меня зовут Грунджар, скромный священнослужитель Десны. Я прибыл сегодня в Ледяной Пролом и хотел отдать дань уважения вашему храму, а также предложить свою помощь в лечении больных и раненых."

Grunjar is wearing full plate, too! ;-) And whatever her reaction, here's another SM check:
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Rallas gently nods his head, acknowledging Myth and inga. He tries to find out if the man is trying to hide anything.

sense motive: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 1 = 31added studied target as well...been a round

Pretty sure the barbarians were insulting them, he keeps his mouth shut for the moment and let the others talk as he observes for anything suspicious.

Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (17) + 18 = 35

Gorum's Anvil

You definitely get the feeling that the gorumite guards are ridiculing you, but you sense no hostility.

"Добро пожаловать, Грюнджар Деснинский." Valosi replies. She removes her helm.

"Thank you for your offer. We have no wounded in need here, what cuts and bruises are received are accepted as blessings from our Lord in Iron. Reminders to do better in real battle! I train fighters to defend our border with Irrisen. As for sickness - there are a couple of folks in the hospital. My acolytes and I are tending to them. If you can cure water on the lung, or a madness of fear, be my guest. Oh, and old Britta thinks that the Jarlsblood Witch has cursed her with barrenness, but that's nonsense. I sent her home.

Now, I doubt that you all came here at this hour as the entourage of a Desnan healer desperate to aid the soldiers of Gorum. So, what is it that you want?"

Though Grunjar intends to come back tomorrow and seek information after helping tend the sick, nothing really stops the rest of you from making an attempt now (except Myth, who rolled at the Inn; I probably ought to have held off giving a clue there till later but I do need to limit each PC to one check per segment).

At the Inn...

Frigga takes hold of the Horn of Afanc, whilst looping her arms through Lorian's. "Only the strongest and bravest of warriors can defeat Afanc!" she winks, and takes a long draught from the seemingly bottomless horn. "Your turn."

Barrenness? That's terrible, if true.

It is quite late. I'll just have to visit this Britta woman in the morning. Thank you, Priestess Valosi, for allowing me the pleasure of visiting your temple. Very industrious religion, I must say.
Inga turns to Grunjar and the others.
I'm going to head back to the inn for a good night's sleep. I'll check on Lorian as well.
Inga makes her way out of the temple, glaring back at any guards that make eye contact with her.

That woman must be a wreck emotionally. We should see what else we can find out in the morning. A good night's sleep would be a good idea, Inga. We might have to save Lorian from himself first though... Rallas chuckles.

Myth nods. "Aye, that sounds good to me as well...I'll head back to the inn with you..."

As he leaves the temple with Inga and Rallas, Myth bows to the guards who were laughing at them earlier, smiling as he says, "Pure minua."

at Gorum's Anthill: ;-P

Grunjar also takes off his helmet.

"Water on the lung, you say? How are they doing? I'll look at them right now, if I may. And fear... Hm, how serious is the condition? As for the curse: That would be a first, I've never met someone with a real curse of barrenness so far."

Grunjar turns to Inga. "I should accompany you tomorrow, countess."

He addresses Valosi again: "High priestess, as by far the most important church here in town, you must have records of the area. We are quite interested in the history of this town. Would allow us access to them?"

What kind of roll can/should I make here? I have Knowledge (Religion, History, Nobility) and Profession (Scribe) to show that I know my way around church records. My Diplomacy on the other hand is subpar...

Grunjar You can use Knowledge (religion), if you are talking about the history of the church in Frostbreach :)

Gorum's Anvil

Valosi leads Grunjar to a basement level, whilst the other pathfinders make polite excuses and head back to the Inn. The temple guards snicker as you leave, though they clearly don't understand Myth's elven retort.

"Old Helga will probably die of the condition" says Valosi calmly. "Shame really. She was a great warrior in her prime, and always thought she'd die a warrior's death. Magnus is afraid of his own shadow - he's a strange one, some say he's fey-touched. But pay no heed to Britta if you see her about town. Some women are just unlucky, it doesn't mean it's a witch's fault."

The basement has a dozen or so cots with privacy screens. Helga is a dwarf woman, obviously of advanced age. She coughs fiercely. Magnus is an Ulfen male. He's asleep, but it looks like a fevered sleep. Take 10 on Heal with your skill Grunjar confirms Valosi's diagnosis of Helga, and also that Magnus is afflicted with a madness. Remove Disease might cure Helga, though Valosi says she's already tried it. Magnus would need multiple Restoration spells to be cured.

Linnorm's Tale Inn

You find Lorian with young Frigga Trolltooth sat in his lap, the two of them drinking from a four-foot long mead horn. Both seem at least a little drunk.

Lucifer follows along with Grunjar to the basement, believing no one should be left alone.

Hearing the conditions of the two inflicted and then looking at them, Lucifer shakes his head in regret. "I'm not sure any of us are equipped to handle their afflictions."

Myth shakes his head. ”Should’ve stayed here with Lorian...would’ve had a lot more fun...”

Aye...it's always nice to let off a little steam once in a while. To a point though...I was at an...establishment with a few other agents a while back...a bunch of brothers and cousins. Well, someone made a snide remark about the lone female that was with us...bad move. She broke a chair over the fool's head and then it was us against the world. The Therinors know how to scrap...especially Vanna...she fights dirty...really dirty...

"Your wish is my command" Lorian said as he headed out with Frigga to enjoy each others company.

Inga notices Lorian, obviously having one too many drinks, arm in arm with a local woman. She steps in front of them to block their exit. She looks the woman up and down then addresses Lorian.
Lorian, my dear. It is very late and we have much to do starting early in the morning. Perhaps you could say goodnight to your lady friend now so you can get some much needed rest.

Inga turns to Frigga, forcing a smile.
I'm sorry, Miss... Frigga, is it? We must be turning in. It is quite late, as you can see. Perchance you could meet us here for breakfast? I'm sure there is much to discuss and it would be better if our minds were more... clear.
Sense Motive on Frigga: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

Yes...a good night's sleep would be a good idea. I'm going for a quick breath of fresh air to clear my head then turning in for the night. Rallas says as he grabs a cup of warm tea and goes outside to gaze at the stars.nothing game play wise...just for effect.[/b]

Once in his room, Rallas sets out to rig a quick alarm should someone open the door during the night.

[ooc]I have craft Traps, nothing big just a trip wire set to pull over a few empty bottles...i have twine to make it with too

Frigga's intentions are quite obvious to Inga - she wants to take the charismatic adventurer Lorian and bed him. And she doesn't take kindly to another woman interfering with her plans.

"Who're you, witch?" Frigga says with a drunken slur. "He's mine! Tell her, Lorian, my mighty bear! You're no match for me, little girl!"

Indeed, Frigga Trolltooth stands head and shoulders above Inga.

Lorian doesn't seem to be in danger - but if Frigga thinks that Inga has a claim on him a fight could potentially break out.

"Countess, I am perfectly safe with Frigga and as she has invited me to share her company, it brings with it the protections that are provided under hospitality with the Trolltooth's." Lorian said, not willing to be in the middle of a fight.

Myth gives a playful smirk to Inga, speaking in his native tongue...

"Inga, anna heidän olla. Hän vie hänet sänkyynsä, ei muuta. Jos pysyt sinnikkäästi, hän näkee sinut kilpailijana hänen kiintymyksilleen...

“Mutta jos todella olet kilpailija, mene eteenpäin...ehkä hän ottaa minut sopivaksi korvaajaksi..."

at Gorum's Anvil

I assume for the Heal checks, that the casting of Guidance is allowed - actually I would be surprised if this was not standard practice for clerics. (With Take 10 my result for my Heal checks would be 21.) Will you allow Grunjar to cast Guidance once more before attempting the Knowledge (religion) check?

Knowledge: Religion t: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11 (+1 if casting of Guidance is allowed)

using my domain power Good Fortune (Ex) to reroll a d20:

Knowledge: Religion t: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18 (+1 if casting of Guidance is allowed) The dice bot does not seem to like me today... :-(

"Valosi, your diagnosis of Helga's disease is spot on. Tomorrow I will try my magic against it - I have to prepare the right spells first. And if I fail (I hope not), you could also try again - I can aid you with a bit of Desna's luck."

So for Magnus it has to be Restoration? Grunjar cannot cast level 4 spells - yet. :-( A bunch of Lesser Restorations wouldn't be a problem at all...
Would Remove Fear (duration 10 min) make it possible to have a normal conversation with Magnus? Maybe we can determine the reason/source of his fear...

"Do you have any idea where Magnus' madness originated? What happened to him? Did he tell you anything about it?"

Forgot to say that I attempted a moderate skill check...

Guidance is good for skill checks that can be completed within the spell's duration of one minute, which does include a lot of uses of Heal. But not a check that represents investigation and discussion over a longer period, such as the skill checks made to gather clues here. I will allow Bit of Luck though, even though it's a standard action with a one round duration, because I think it fits the intent of the domain power and the domain power is much stronger than a cantrip/orison.

"They say that Magnus saw a ghost in the woods" Valosi answers. "But I can't get any kind of sense from him."

"By all means come back tomorrow, Grunjar. But let Magnus and Helga rest now. It's late." Valosi gently guides Grunjar back upstairs and to the gates. Her guards grin at her, some unspoken joke, but she glowers back at them and they bow their heads and open the gate.

Some rules detail coming up over in Discussion.

Turning red with anger, Inga ignores Myth momentarily. A ghostly visage of a wolf masks Inga's face as she scowls at Frigga.

Lorian is jeopardizing the mission.
The beast snarls inside her mind.
Arrgh. Release me, Inga! I'll kill her for you!

In a split second, Inga manifests two six-foot long tendrils of ectoplasmic energy. One reaches out, about to caress Frigga's face, but she suddenly has second thoughts and quickly retracts the tendrils. Now's not the time to be starting trouble.
Oh, It's much more complicated than a witch, my dear.
She snaps.
I am just an acquaintance of Lorian's.
Go on. Have your fun.
She gives Lorian a stern glare.
Just be back here in the morning, Lorian.

Inga storms off to head upstairs to her room.

Lorian kept his poker face as Myth made a comment in elven. making a bow to the Countess. "Have a good night, see you in the morning." he said, taking Frigga's arm and heading out into the night.

Seeing Lorian leave with his companion, Rallas chuckles as he heads back inside. We're starting out fairly early...but not too early... he calls back over his shoulder.

Once back inside, he stretches his back.

I'm turning in...have a good night, all. he says as he heads for his room.

At the gate of Gorum's Anvil:

Grunjar bows again. "Good night, Valosi, I'll be back tomorrow morning."

As soon as the gate is closed he starts walking back to the inn.
After a few steps he turns his head to a shadow on the left where he suspects Lucifer to be. Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

"Thank you for staying with me, Luci. I don't like being alone too much - especially not with these guards making fun about me in foreign languages..."

Lucifer wasn't guided upstairs and seen with me, was he? And Grunjar knows about the 'stealth mode' that more dextrous party members sometimes use. Of course, Grunjar could also be talking to a wall... ;-)

When Grunjar arrives at the inn:

"Another mug of Bugman's Best, please. And you can prepare the hot bath now."

As Myth is the only one of the party still sitting at a table, Grunjar joins him, raising his fresh mug.

"Cheers, Myth. Did the others go to bed already?"

Inga pokes her head from over the loft railing above, looking down at Myth and Grunjar.
Yes, we did! Shut up and go to bed!

;)

Myth puts a finger to his lips. ”Aye, best whisper, Inga’s a bit put out...the Ulfen woman took Lorian to her bed and there was nearly a row...Inga went bed pretty ticked off, and Rallas as well...figured I’d have another ale and see if another Ulfen lady might wander in looking for a bed warmer...no such luck though. Guess I’ll be heading that way directly...”

"Oh, that's what I missed? I would've liked to see that... Anyhow, my bath will be ready in a few minutes - better finish my mug and go to the bath-room. Good Night!"

With that, Grunjar downs the rest of his mug, goes to take his hot bath and heads straight to bed afterwards - moving as silently as he can.

Stealth without ACP (not wearing his armor after the bath): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19 His movements are - surprisingly - very, very quiet... :-)

Spells will be updated in a bit.

Following Grunjar back to the inn, "That wasn't very fruitful but I guess a little information is better than nothing."

At the Inn, Lucifer grabs a bite to eat and drinks lightly before heading to his room.

As silent as Grunjar's movement was, as loud is his snoring:

"Chrrr... bsss... chrrr... bsss... chrrr... bsss... chrrr... bsss..."

I hope you brought earplugs! ;-)

The night at the Inn passes without uneventfully. What happens at Frigga's chalet is for Lorian to tell. Or not, as he wishes.

Over breakfast at the Inn you plan your next moves.

When you have decided where to investigate next please put your name against the relevant location on Slide 3. I'll describe the locations that you visit and the PCs at that location can post actions and/or skill checks when ready.

Rallagoes goes down and fetches breakfast before the others stir. He stretches a bit to get rid of the kinks from the "bed" he had. And the fact that someone sounded like an obese bugbear in the next room didn't help either. He gets a hot bath after to ease the stiffness. He then greets the others.

I think maybe we should check out the Coalbraid's place first...then see what we find out and go from there. I guess Grunjar is heading back to the church..we can split up...doesn't seem likely we're going to be ambushed here...

Lorian entered the inn, gnawing on a piece of salty gammon, looking like something the cat dragged in but with a happy step and tune he was humming.

Getting in line for a hot bath, a half hour later he joined the others at the table. "I have directions to Greul's longhouse. Countess, maybe you can head to Coalbraid's place and I will speak to Greul Trooltooth? If we split up a bit, we might be able to gather information quickly and get to the heart of the problem."

After an uneasy night's sleep in an unfamiliar inn, not to mention the growls and nasally whistles of Grunjar's snoring down the hall, it's the long relaxing soak in a hot bath that makes Inga feel much more refreshed. Inga and Jeeves join the others for a hearty breakfast in the common room.
Gooood morning, gentlemen.
She says cheerfully as she takes a seat at the table.
I was so exhausted from our journey that I didn't realize until this morning that this Frigga Trolltooth...
She gives a disapproving glare at Lorian,
...is related to Kolvi, The Jarlsblood Witch, whom we seek knowledge of to clear the Ulfen guard's name.
She pokes at her scrambled eggs after a few small bites, then continues.
It will be nice to get a fresh start with clear minds this morning and converse with the townsfolk for any leads into this investigation.
Satisfied from her meal, she slides her almost empty plate away and sets her napkin on the table
Well, then. Rallas and I shall visit the Coalbraid residence. I believe Grunjar will be helping out at the temple of Gorum this morning and Lorian will speak with the Trolltooth family. As for the rest of you...
She taps the table with the end of her fork as she leans forward,
Myth? Lucifer? Are you paying attention?
Anyway, it's totally up to you two where you would like to begin your investigations. I would feel better if one of you would accompany Grunjar at the temple and another to accompany Lorian. For safety, let's try to stay together in pairs...

Two minds are better than one, right?
She adds with a wink and a knowing smile.

I moved Inga to the Coalbraid location on the slide.

Makes sense to me, my lady...I'll keep you safe... Rallas says as he drains the last of his mug of tea and wipes his mouth before rising. Be ready in a moment... he mumbles as he hoists his slim pack over his shoulder and his blade over the other.thank the gods for Handy Haversack...

Eating a light breakfast but with whatever available juice they might have.

Looks over at Inga and nods, "Sure. I'll head back to the temple with Grunjar again. Maybe he can heal one of them." He doesn't look hopeful about that prospect.

Myth shrugs at Inga. ”Since you and Rallas have the Coalbraid Longhouse, and Lorian has the Trolltooth Longhouse, I’ll go to the the Troll’s Hide and chat with our Pathfinder contact. I have no interest in going back to the temple and trade insults with guards which neither of us understand...I’m a big boy, I can handle it by myself. And I’ve always had thing for women and leather, so it’s a win-win,” the rogue adds with a smirk.

"Then Myth, why not come along with me and lets see what we can do to get a bit of information concerning this whole witch issue. Lorian said, looking at the trio of pairs to speak to the local community.

Makes sense to me, my lady...I'll keep you safe.

Inga looks over at Rallas with a warm smile.

The beast stirs within.
"Hahaha."
Klaus chuckles wickedly.
"Very courageous, this Rallas. He does seem to be truthful, though."

"Hmmmm."
He growls in thought.
"I do have respect for elves' loyalty. I'm starting to like this one. Just be careful, my love."

As you wish... Rallas says as he wanders towards their goal, observing the sights along the way.had to go with a Princess Bride reference there...had to

Wait a moment. Now that I think about it...
Before we all split up, maybe it would be a good idea to canvass the residences all together for any tidbits of information on our way to the center of town. Then, from there, we split into pairs to our chosen longhouses and shops.

Then, we'll meet back at the center of town and go in pairs again, this time pairing up with a different companion, and investigate what's left.

Here's my idea:
Residences - Everyone
Coalbraid's - Inga & Rallas
The Anvil - Grunjar & Lucifer
Trolltooth's - Myth & Lorian

Linnorm's Tale - Inga & Lucifer
Stonefire's - Lorian & Rallas
Troll's Hide - Myth & Grunjar
Or any combination different from the first three. A good mix of skills at various places.

After a good and deep sleep, Grunjar wakes up refreshed. He stretches a bit, then he begins to pray to Desna.

"My dear Goddess of the North Star, please grant me the power to cure diseases and remove curses..." ...and so on and so on. Spell slots are refreshed!

After the praying is done, Grunjar dresses in normal clothes and goes down to have breakfast. Seeing that his comrades are already eating:

"Good morning, everyone. I slept very well! Did you have a good sleep, too?"

He orders a breakfast plate and a mug of Bugman's Best to wash it down, then sits and eats while listening to the others making plans.
Inga's idea how to spend the day is seconded by me.

After the decision is made, he adds:

"Sounds good! If just someone could help me for a few minutes to don my armor before we leave, that would be great." Unfortunately, plate armor cannot be donned alone properly...

Inga looks over at Jeeves, who is slowly stirring his tea while staring at Grunjar. He has a small grin on his face after hearing Grunjar needing assistance with donning his armor.
Jeeves. Would you like to help Grunjar? To be a good adventurer someday, you'll need to know how to strap up armor.
Jeeves nods excitedly.

Jeeves will be happy to help you, Grunjar.

One of the drawbacks to heavier armour...getting it quickly...or even by yourself. I prefer the simplicity of a mailed vest...kind of hard to sneak around clanking like a golem...but there are benefits to heavy armour too... Rallas says as he watches the dwarf don his suit.

Inga here has an excellent point...you could hire a porter...or even a squire to assist you. Perhaps there is an acolyte at your temple that you can take under your wing and school him in the ways of Desna...