#3-21 The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment - GM Nowruz (Inactive)

Game Master noral

The female human that was preparing for the daily meal turns around and looks at Serata with a surprised look on her face.

"Hello, please enter. I do not know who you are but of course you can partake as well, Korada will provide!"

Moments later, she rings an alarmingly loud hand bell, alerting the rest of the temple that a meal is ready.

Gastidem, the gnome, as well as Miriya and Zhuang, and 8 other human and halfling residents of the temple enter the room and start to take seats at the table.

Zhuang smiles at you, Gastidem tries to not look at Serata at all and Miriya seems to be in thoughts.

Elena will stay back for the moment. She won't eat anything they have right now.

Goe says a prayer over the table. Cast Detect Poison. If nothing seems amiss, he will sit down to eat with the others.

I actually don't know if Detect Poison will show up for drugs, but Goe Lem will assume it does work.

Piotr just stands against the wall, observing the dinner service. Although he is hungry, he dares not eat the food in fear if it being tainted with flayleaf.

"I think with the discovery of a substence, you will have to excuse someof us from partaking in the food, though I am sure it is prepared how you all are accustomed to" Serata will sit down but she will not partake but keeps an eye on everyone she can

Goe says a prayer over the table. Cast Detect Poison. If nothing seems amiss, he will sit down to eat with the others.

I actually don't know if Detect Poison will show up for drugs, but Goe Lem will assume it does work.

Wis check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Geo Lem, you believe that this food has definitely been tampered with and has a mild poison.

"I think with the discovery of a substence, you will have to excuse someof us from partaking in the food, though I am sure it is prepared how you all are accustomed to" Serata will sit down but she will not partake but keeps an eye on everyone she can

The gnome takes a step back but does not leave although he seems a little insecure.

The woman is surprised be Serata's words.

"I am Di Duang and I do not know what you mean. We worshipers generally enjoy a communal meal once each day. This is a magical banquet table of the autumn feast, a massive slab of darkwood that creates a bounty of simple vegetarian fare for up to 24 people once each day. We are saving leftover food to eat individually later in the day. Is there anything we can do for you?" she asks.

Valeros, in his usual manner, nervously fingers the pommel of his longsword, awaiting to see how things play out…he will avoid the food/drink at the table by all means…

Piotr begins to feel anxious as the people are served their meal. He worries for these kind people who are being drugged in order to believe the teachings of a false prophet. Learning how to calm oneself through meditation while he has been in this temple, he takes a few deep breaths and thinks of little fluffy clouds and happy trees. He nudges Serata and speaks quietly out of the corner of his mouth.
"I-I-I can feel the ch-ch-change coming on soon if I d-d-don't do something. Shall w-w-we nonchalantly re-m-m-move the plates of food from in front of th-th-them?"

Is there a way to tell if the magical table has been tampered with, or if something happens after the food is created?

If Goe Lem shares to the party what he found, Elena will whisper to White Rose. "Perhaps we can ask them to fast. If they have been eating drugged food, that could help to pass the effects in a few hours..."

Is there a way to tell if the magical table has been tampered with, or if something happens after the food is created?

Detect magic and spellcraft. :-)

Heal: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Valeros looks to his companions and shrugs…

White Rose checks the table.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Heal: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 = 6

Heal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Elena can't tell if they are affected. She waits for WR to check for magic to see if anything comes up.

His belly growling with hunger, Piotr takes a whiff as servers pass by carrying plates of the aromatic and tasty looking food.
Heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
"It sure smells good."
He thinks to himself as he closes his eyes in near ecstasy and tries to resist the temptation of eating tainted food.

He trembles with anxiety and gets ready to move forward to swipe plates of food off the table and make up some excuse for his actions.

Uh-oh! He begins to feel the beastial rage building up inside!

Elena can give one of her rations to Piotr to calm his hunger and waits for White Rose's analysis.

If White Rose wants help to explain the situation she will aid her in diplomacy.

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 For a +4 to WR

Hearing the carefully quiet unwrapping of trail rations next to him, Piotr keeps his eyes forward on the banquet. Elena nudges his arm to offer a handful of food. Eyes forward on the banquet, he reaches blindly next to him and slowly pulls the deliciously smelling salted strips of pork from her hand. He gives a grunt in thanks and slowly gnaws on the bacon strips as he considers what to do next.

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

White Rose whispers to whoever is closest to her, "The table is producing the tainted food magically, so skipping this meal will not fix anything. I can't tell what the underlying problem is, though."

heal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
detect magic
spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

You have no reason to believe me, however it is my duty to inform you that his table magically poisons the food it creates. It is not simply the flayleaf that has been found in the compound, this is an actual poison.
I will not force an action or inaction upon you. You are free souls dedicated to another deity. Since you have been eating this food daily for some time, I doubt it would kill you immediately, but I am sure it has been having some effect upon your system.
I would advise you to not eat this food. I am willing to share what I have with you, you could prepare something from your other stores, or you could fast and contemplate what this situation means to your order. Some things you might consider in your meditations are who might have modified the table and who does not eat from the table.

I believe it takes alchemy to know what kind of poison and I don't have that. Unless my heal check can tell something about what effect it has been having on those consuming the food.

tainted not poisoned, and if its magically tainted it would be a knowledge check depending on thr taint

Upon hearing this Serata will mention the one using flayleaf and even tell them in what manner as she steps away from thr table, but towards the otherside of the room by the door the group didn't enter as quietly as she can on her feet

"You have no direct reason to believe any of us, but we have no reason to disrupt or interfere with you all, weigh as you wish, we are looking out for our well being at the very least, and sharing what we find"

Elena nods to Serata. "The Flayleaf bush we found in the garden is still outside. If you wish to check it to make sure, you can. It shouldn't be hard to find. Dakang apparently knew of this use on the test... without your consent."

tainted not poisoned, and if its magically tainted it would be a knowledge check depending on thr taint

...

...

Geo Lem, you believe that this food has definitely been tampered with and has a mild poison.

Leaving them to their own choice with the food, Goe Lem heads through a different door.

"Dakang will address all your questions - also on the ... ehh Flay ... Flaysomething. Many confused souls reach our home. You will surely be enlightened by Dakang who has long ago transcended the need to eat!" one of the halflings says.

Zhuang frowns a bit at the group. "What you are suggesting is really unbelievable! We are all equal and do not have corruption here! Do not forget that you are strangers here. We have 3 guards that are devoted to protecting Dakang so if you are hostile then do not forget that his guards are aasimar, and they were chosen specifically for the task because of their connection with the divine."

The remaining human and halfling residents, stand up from the table.

Zhuang nods to your group as if he wants to again welcome you to the meal.

"Please our new friends ... you are hungry from their long trip, so let us eat!" and he points at the table that is heaped high with fruits, grains, nuts and juices. The residents tuck in.

"Please, join us," Zhuang says.

White Rose tries another tack.

"While everything looks splendid, I seem to have lost my appetite with how excited I am to meet Dakang! How much longer must we wait for his appearance?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

I don't really care if they believe me, and I imagine their Sense Motive scores are around -10 in this condition.

Elena will let White Rose handle this but slightly raises an eyebrow.

"He doesn't eat? How does he look like? Can you describe him?"

Not really trying to convince anyone else, serata amongst the talk will open the door leading out to the other side of the room [ooc]looks like to the barracks/dorms] and will look around the room itself, and will not eat any of the food on the table

The addicted gnome grabs some food and walks away but the others are still eating.

"Dakang is a man of course. We will gather in the chapel soon. You can meet him then in about an hour." Zhuang says and shakes his head.

"Well, since it doesn't seem like any of us are hungry, shall we visit any remaining areas while waiting to meet Dakang?"

His hunger slightly satiated, Piotr manages to overcome his feelings of rage. Tossing their plates of food onto the floor will only cause trouble. He just feels sorrowful for these people that are being led astray by a false prophet.
"Aasimar guards? Surely they must be corrupted as much as these people."

He turns to a couple of his companions standing close by.
"Let's go find this Dakang person now. We must confront him before the sermon, out of the sight of his worshippers."
He snarls, gripping the handle of his sheathed sword to make a point.

Valeros nods enthusiastically in agreement with Piotr…his sword hand is getting twitchy…

If we eliminate this Dakang in secret they will all continue to believe the false teachings. Nothing will change for them. We need to expose his perfidy to them. We need to find all the proof we can then confront him with the proof in front of them.

Elena nods to Goe Lem. "Maybe convincing the aasimar would work? If they have them in high esteem as well and they see the proof, maybe they will at least give us the benefit of the doubt."

"There is no reason to believe the aasimar will not be poisoned, mind and body, as well," White Rose says dejectedly.

"I hope there is a nonviolent way out of this, but I do not see it any more."

"Squawk! Squawk!"

White Rose sighs. "The motivational speeches work better when you can speak, friend. I would that this were a children's tale, where friendship and truth carry the day..."

Those who are watching her closely notice that she seems for a moment to be growing orange fur, before returning to her normal appearance.

"I believe teamwork and friendship can save the day," Elena smiles at White Rose as she transform. "Welcome back."

Sorry, that was meant to indicate that she looked like she was going to change, but did not. Magical girl in danger of depowering.

"Well, since it doesn't seem like any of us are hungry, shall we visit any remaining areas while waiting to meet Dakang?"

As I see no decisive action I assume you continue to look around.

~

A2. Stable
Some tack and blankets for horses lie discarded in this stable. It has not been used for centuries, and any straw that once covered the floor here has been long since cleared away. Over time, the smell of horses has dissipated, and only the empty stalls and remaining equestrian equipment reveal the room’s original purpose.

~

A3. Storage
This room contains mundane stores used by the temple’s inhabitants. These include blankets, bandages, tools, empty barrels and crates, some wooden stools, several empty shelves, and rolls of the same white cloth the worshipers’ robes are made of.

~

A4. Pantry
These areas are unused and long abandoned, as the inhabitants eat communally from the banquet table of the autumn feast in the refectory (area A7). A search of the room reveals empty tins, unsealed bottles and jars holding only remnants of their former contents, hole-filled burlap sacks, and mildewed barrels bereft of food or drink within.

~

”Arghhh…. “

You all suddenly hear a strange sound from the kitchen!!

When you arrive in front of the kitchen you see that Zhuang has a shocked expression on his face and just threw up after looking into the kitchen.

A5. Kitchen
The temple kitchen is long abandoned and smells faintly musty. The kitchen’s massive stove and rows of cooking implements are all covered with a patina of rust and dark flecks of mold. Dangling in the center of the room, above a solid oak table, swings a halfling man on a stout cord.

Please move your icons.

moved according to where serata would be after hearing the commotion

Hearing Zhuang puking, Piotr darts into the kitchen. He stops dead in his tracks when he notices the grisly sight of the hanging halfling.
"What in the name of Milani?..."
He looks around at his companions in shock.

Elena also gasps and freezes in surprise... then she frowns in concern. She looks around in case anyone might be fleeing the scene. She remembers seeing several people leaving the table when they were discussing the food. Was he one of those people?

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

"We better bring him down."

Without another word, Piotr jumps up on the center table and lifts the poor halfling's limp body to create slack in the rope.
"Hurry! Someone, cut the rope!"

(I'm assuming the halfling is totally dead. Like, blue in the face and a broken neck).

Elena will help Piotr cut down the rope and check the halfling to provide first aid as needed, but she fears the worst as already happen.

Take 10 on Heal (15 total) for a first aid if needed or to check for wounds or signs of struggle.

Elena realizes that like the pantry, the kitchen is unused and long abandoned, as the inhabitants eat communally from the banquet table of the autumn feast in the refectory.

And the Halfling is indeed very dead. He jumped from the table and committed suicide. The self-inflicted end looked like this you assume: he stood on a large iron pot, tied a cord around his neck to a beam, and kicked the pot away. There is no evidence of any foul play.

Zhuang is shocked.

”We u … usually avoid the kitchen! This is When Wei—the patriarch of the halfling family living in the temple. He obviously did not have enough faith!!“

He then stands up.

”But it comes as little surprise. Wei had been particularly moody and morose for the past several weeks, ever since he lost the final finger on his left hand to the “Kiss of Korada” ritual in the garden!“

Everyone, can you make a Will save and perception check.

"He kept putting his hand in that thing?"

This will go well.

Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (20) - 2 = 18

will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23