[ACO] B16 - Boom Town Betrayal (P3) (Inactive)

Game Master UncleFroggy

Please dot (add a post) in here and then delete your post to add yourself to this campaign.

1) I am based in Southeast Asia (UTC +8) so my posting hours may be unusual (especially for those in North America). I usually update at least one or twice per day. Just to keep the game moving, please post at least once every day and at least once during the weekend. If you disappear for more than 24 hours, especially during combat, I will simply place your character on infinite delay just to keep things moving.

2) Please label all three of your actions. Even if you think what you are doing is obvious.

3) If I am unavailable for longer than 24 hours, I will let you know in the Discussion Tab. Out of respect for your fellow players and myself, I ask that you do the same. Real life happens, and real life will always take priority over the game, but out of fairness for your fellow players, please let us know if you will be unavailable for an extended period of time.

4) Please complete the Macros and the Slides linked at the top of the page.

5) Questions, concerns? Feel free to share them in the Discussion tab.

6) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.

Your adventure begins in the Docks district of Absalom. You are in a local inn, the Rabbled Rouser. The Rabbled Rouser is located on a busy waterfront near Absalom’s harbor. The streets are crowded with legions of taverns and warehouses; each full and echoing with sounds of sailors, travelers, and dockworkers. There are hundreds of ships scattered along the dock just waiting to set sail on their next journey. The inn is crowded full of travelers from all over Golarion, but it doesn’t stand out much from other taverns nearby. You are relaxing and enjoying your time off from adventuring when you notice a distraught man wandering from table to table and making his plea for help.

Please introduce yourselves here

Bechamel rubs his hands greedily as the server puts down a warm slice of apple pie with iced sweet cream. He picks up his fork and is about to dive in, when a man approaches his table.

"Aw, nuts. I hope whatever problem he has can be solved before my pie gets cold and my iced cream gets warm."

A battered looking upright ratfolk scratches behind an ear that is partly missing. A stained and tattered green cloak pulled back as he munches on some bits of meat left over from his meal as swirls it around in the gravy. He scratches again thinking to himself on how he is going to get rid of these fleas. Where he came from in time they didn't exist. But he is here now, with no way back and stuck with them. He watches the distraught man go from table to table and stifles a hacking, wheezy cough. Don't come to me, don't come to me.

Seeing the man reach his table he offers a forced smile. "Name's Scerzaq. You seem a bit worried 'bout something?"

Hankock, already short by virtue of being a dwarf, is further shortened by a sullen slouch. Curled over a bowl of soup he mutters incoherently between sips. Though not much company, he is a pathfinder and subjects himself to the expectations of the society, one of which involves an occasional group lunch. He eyes Bechamel's ice cream and pie with disapproval; the closest he ever comes to comfort food is the occasional chicken soup. Chicken NOODLE soup specifically.

When the man approaches he switches his disapproving gaze from the pie to the encroaching man, spoon hanging halfway between the bowl and his mouth, a noodle slowly sliding from its current resting place and hovering threateningly over the bowl, alarmingly close to the pie.

If the diminutive ratfolk is welcoming, then Hancock is the yin to his yang as he frowns and grunts something.

Ison leans back in his chair and takes a long pull from his metal tankard. Which in the candle light of the tavern is covered in scratch marks from the razor sharp claws at the end of Ison's gauntleted hands.
Similarly he's chosen an easy meal to manage with his fingers. A half of a rotisserie chicken with some garlic and herbs.
He hasn't even noticed the man approaching until the others say something...

Uh oh Hancock, wouldn't want to lose a noodle on some business we don't even know anything about yet. He says with a familial jeer to the dwarf sitting next to him.

alright, come on out with it man. If you're coming to us with your problem you must be desperate. How can we be of service?

A half-orc human under his dark-brown hooded cloak enters the inn. He notices the man begging everyone in their table, asking for help. He looks for an empty seat and found one on a table with the halfling eating a slice of apple pie.

”Would you mind?” he politely asks Bechamel with his low husky voice, pointing to the empty seat. It is this moment as well that the pleading man approaches their table.

It doesn't take long before he makes his way over to your table.

The troubled man speaks quickly, "Please, please! I need help! I could tell from across the room that you’re a group of honorable adventurers and I have been desperately searching for such folk to help me in my quest for justice! I beg you, help my poor elderly parents. A dishonorable Taldan nobleman has tricked my poor, naive parents out of everything they have! Their coin and any items of value were swindled from them, but their pride won’t allow them to ask for help."

"So, I must ask. My parents are good people who didn’t deserve this treatment. They’re kind and try to help others, and this is the thanks they get for trying to help someone they thought was in need. Please, won’t you help me retrieve what was taken? I know it doesn’t look like I have much of a reward to offer, but I promise you will have one from me and my parents at the end of this. Will you help me?"

Take a deep breath pal. Let's here some details... Who exactly is this nobleman and how did he trick your elderly parents out of everything they have?

Gilgamesh is usually silent and prefers to listen. He will speak if he is asked or spoken to, anyway.

Poor man, his parents being tricked by a noble, and is now looking for justice! Gilgamesh pities the man in his mind.

Oh boy. This is just the kind of mission that can land a well meaning fellow in jail.

Hancock casts a suspicious glance at the needy man before returning to his own needs, namely soup.

Scerzaq wants to get as far away from this dispute as possible, but he feels down at his own coin bag and it is getting extremely light. "You sure this wasn't part of some arrangement and your parents are having some buyer's remorse?"

"Buyer's remorse?! You don't even know what happened yet!"

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, the distraught man calms himself and starts from the beginning.

"I am called Wiston Drent. My parents, my father Lom and my mother Andrea, are at our shared home in the Coins district. They’ve been too distraught and ashamed to leave, but I can take you to meet them."

"A fortnight ago, a nobleman named Malcolm Stanian said he needed some funds to build an orphanage in Taldor. My parents take pride in helping others without receiving anything in return, so of course they agreed to help. We only found out that this man was a fraud! I can only guess he did it because he knew he could and that my parents wouldn’t fight back. This is why it’s such a horrible thing to have happened and why I truly need your help to bring them justice. My parents would feel horrible asking anyone, let alone strangers, to help them retrieve their valuables. But it’s all they have so I must go against their wishes and beg for help."

Scerzaq holds his hands out. "Calm down now. I just want to make sure we are ending up on the wrong side of the law and end up looking like a bunch of brigands is all." He falls into a coughing feet as he wheezes into his elbow. "How do you know he is a fraud?"

Can they give us a detailed information about this man named Malcom Stanian?? any clue or path to try to locate him??

"Do we know if Malcolm Stanian has fled town?"

Edit: and
"Of course we'll help."

Ison turns to confer with his drinking mates only to jump a little when he sees gilgamesh suddenly sitting there silently with them.

Oh. Uhh. Hey...

What are we thinkin' fellas? Seems if we're keen on listening to Mr. Drent here, then we should go see what his parents have to say for themselves. Because it's either a payback mission, or a long con. And I think I'm in the mood for the kinda trouble either brings.

He then punctuates his proposal by downing the last drink of ale in his tankard and flashing a fanged smile at the rest of the table.

Hancock mumbles his contribution, not at all convinced this will help them in the long run.

"Mebe weshd jusgivem jobs. Probly jst lositanywy ifn getit back. Gud lesn."

"When my parents wrote to the orphanage to find out how the children are doing, we got no response. When we checked with city officials, they'd never heard of the orphanage or Malcolm Stanian. So will you help? Will you come meet my parents?"

Gilgamesh ponders the details the young man has just given them. His story doesn't make sense to him.

Why would such his parents not check whether the orphanage is real in the first place? Or even confirm the identity of the noble man? he has some questions in mind.

"I would like to help. But, are you telling us the truth?" Gilgamesh politely asks under his hood with his gravelly voice.

"You do not need to believe me if you do not want to. I'm looking for heroes who would help a man in need. If you feel that I am not worthy of your trust, then you do not need to come with me. I have no reason to lie to you."

Hancock picks up his bowl of soup and drains the rest in a few long gulps.

"Won hrt tacheck."

He rises from his chair though he doesn't rise all that far and waits for the man to lead on.

Scerzaq scoops in the rest of his meal into his mouth. "Least we can do is speak with yer parents and get to the bottom of this. Fer a bit of coin at the end of this obviously." He offers a wink.

Right behind ya Hancock

Wiston looks at Gilgamesh. "You coming?"

"Aw, come on, we could use a sixth. I'll give you some of my boar jerky."

Bechamel waves some boar jerky in Gilgamesh's face.

We follow you Hancock, show us the way

Gilgamesh silently nods to Wiston eventhough he is not convinced of his answer. He gives Bechamel a timid smile under his hood. He grabs the jerky from Bechamel's hand and eats it.

This is delicious. The best I have eaten, actually, he compliments the food in his mind.

"Thanks," he says to Bechamel and follows the party going to the parents' house of Wiston.

As you leave to follow Wiston, you all start with one hero point.

The Coins District is home to the Grand Bazaar market, which, in the daytime, is full of people from across Golarion looking to buy goods. Wiston leads you further into the district, beyond the Grand
Bazaar. It becomes dark as evening descends over the city.

Gilgamesh, with all his timid personality and all, cannot contain himself to tell the others that somebody is tailing them.

Hmmm... Who could that be? he mutters to himself. At this very hour? Very unusual for somebody to tail us. And why he keeps hiding as he follows? Is he dangerous? What if I do not tell the others and something bad happens? he asks himself.

He finally gets the courage to tell quietly to Bechamel what he sees.

”Good friend,” he whispers, ”it seems somebody is following us. He is hiding but he is indeed following us. I don't know if you would be able to see him now as it gets dark.”

"I suggest some of us keep going, as to avoid arousing suspicion, and some drop behind to get a better look at them."

Bechamel has Stealth +6 and is a halfling.

Hancock looks a little startled and looks around.

"Mmph." he says in way of acknowledgment and continues trudging along behind the supplicant as whoever else lingers.

How's about we turn into that alley up there, and when they comes around the corner we'll be waiting for em. No reason to give up our numbers yeah?

I'm fine with splitting up, I just wanted to offer something just in case the GM doesn't want to have to deal with 2 different scenes happening at the same time.

Ison has stealth +5 as well

Scerzaq turns down the requested alley and quickly looks for some shadow or rubble to duck down behind. "Let's wait for them here."

You got it Scerzaq. Ison gets around the corner and crouches by some stacked barrels to cover him.

Wiston looks back at you. "What are you waiting for? We've got a ways to go before we reach my parents' house."

"Someone's following us. Keep going, we'll find out who it is," Bechamel says before he also hides.

Wiston looks incredulously at all of you.

"Someone's following us? I think you're all paranoid. Of course people will be following us because they might be going to the same place we are. Come on. We should go on together. Besides, I don't think you know how to get to my parents' house if I leave you here."

Bechamel looks at Wiston skeptically.

"Your parents got swindled, you're begging strangers for help, and now you may be followed and you don't want to follow up?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Assuming that he doesn't get the sense he's being lied to, Bechamel gets frustrated and just whirls around to confront the follower directly.

"Why are you following us?!"

Ison's head peaks out from behind the barrel after hearing Beschamel and looks over at Scerzaq. He makes a shrug as if to say "alright" and goes back to hiding this time intently watching Beschamels and the mysterious pursuers showdown...

Scerzaq nods at Ison, motioning his hand down as the pair continue hiding while Bechamel spins around to confront the stalker.

Arthas takes bow on hands and prepares an arrow while se tries to discern if anyone is following using his elven senses.

Ignoring the young man, Gilgamesh readies his dagger on one hand, just in case that someone following them attacks.

The young man looks startled and a little nervous as Bechamel confronts him.

"What?! No! I saw Wiston leading you down here and thought I'd follow you to make sure that you didn't wish Wiston any harm. Tell them, Wis!"

Wiston recognizes the man and steps between Bechamel and their tail. "Oh! Edmund, it's you! These are the adventurers that I'm taking to see my parents. Hopefully they can get the money that was stolen from us! There's no threat, honestly! I'm ok."

Turning back to Bechamel, he says "See? It's fine. Just a friend making sure you're not trying to rob me or anything. Can we go on to my parents' house now?"

Bechamel sheepishly apologizes and offers some boar jerky as a peace offering.

"Yes, of couse, let's continue."

Wiston and Edmund take a jerky and enjoy the taste and texture. Both agree it's the best they've had.

Scerzaq comes out of hiding upon realizing that it wasn't a threat. "This time is making me paranoid..." He scratches at an insistent flea behind his split ear. "Seems we're ready to head out Winston."

The place Wiston leads you is a fairly run-down section of town. The road is about 10' across and about 70' long. Wiston directs you to a house at the end of the street.

"There's my parents' house at the end of the street. Let's hurry before you all get paranoid again."

Area Map is linked on top. Go ahead and move yourselves

Hancock shrugs, surprised that the tail has not been caught by the ambush team.

"Mbe yarite,"

Not that he hurries any more than before.

”Oh.” Gilgamesh sighs with relief and shame of making them paranoid. He slightly bows his head down to further hide his face under his hood as they continue to walk toward the house.