GM Harrow’s Curse of the Crimson Throne - AE

Game Master GM Harrow

Good points. Just chalk this one up to me giving into one of my hang-ups. If we're going to play the part of sneaky, hired thugs, then we're going to look the part, dang it! :P

I promise to voice no objection what so ever if you choose to imagine us all dressed in matching black cloaks and masks. :-)

Fair points on that work around AND that it probably won't matter ;)
However, he DOES have prestidigitation so for this mission we can indeed fit the aesthetics SO ,with apologies to the stones, "I see a red cloak and I want it painted black"

(Which oddly gives me Raistlin of Dragonlance vibes too :))

Alternatively, we all get bird masks like Shrike. What's the Golarion equivalent to Darkwing Duck?

Hey, get your own theme. :)

Honestly, it makes perfect sense for people — most especially Audria — to want to conceal their faces here. But if you're going to be as extra about it as Shrike, might as well go all the way and be Black Canary.

I believe Shrike is still carrying the Harrow deck, and she definitely wouldn't think to ask Zellara's advice, though she really should. The problem is that we don't actually know what the deck does, besides being haunted by the ghost of this fortuneteller. She's always manifested some kind of feeling or illusion when she's wanted to get our attention in the past.

Hey, get your own theme. :)

I say it's your fault for picking something so evocative. :P

Honestly, it makes perfect sense for people — most especially Audria — to want to conceal their faces here. But if you're going to be as extra about it as Shrike, might as well go all the way and be Black Canary.

There is Ear-piercing Scream, and I was thinking about dipping into Bard. Only thing is that there's no way you'd be able to get Audria into that costume without her turning into Cousin It.

Fun thing - I had a first edition Harrow deck that I used to do the Harrowing just now. "Had", because as soon as I laid out the spread one of my cats spilled an entire mug of tea on the remainder of the deck and destroyed it. The only cards that survived were the ones I drew for your Harrowing. :D

Noooooooo

Sorry for the lost deck. Kind of spooky though, are we sure that one cat isn't working for some sinister power ?

:)

And yes, Shane smells a HOUSING opportunity and is not ashamed!

Oh no! I'm so sorry, GM. That's really annoying. Can they possibly be dried out and saved?

Oh no!

I'm sorry to hear that GM. Hopefully the kitty in question is okay. It'd be bad to have them ruin the deck and get hurt in the process.

That’s an ill omen indeed - or a sign that we have finally found the group of PCs that will last to the end of the AP. Let’s hope it’s the latter.

I actually have a 1st ed Harrow deck kicking around somewhere, so let me know if you need a new harrowing and I can do it.

Kind of spooky though, are we sure that one cat isn't working for some sinister power ?

Well, it wouldn't be the first time we joked that she's possessed by crazy iblis (demon), so you may be onto something.

I'm trying to dry out the deck, but I think the edges are too damaged to be shuffled again. Exploring buying the second printing as a replacement.

And don't worry, kitty is fine, she is adept at causing havoc and mayhem with no damage to herself and I would never hit her.

Today is quite busy for me - archery + protest - but I'll try to reply later.

I think we have our plan ready to go. Are we just waiting on Elric and Abella to potentially react to Zellara and the Harrowing?

I would like to give at least Elric time to respond, since it's his first Harrowing. :)

But if he doesn't post in a day or so I will move us on.

I was waiting for him cause I wanted the people getting the Harrowing to have the spotlight

Thanks for waiting. We’ve had another couple of sleepless nights with our youngest, so I have not had the mental energy for a longer post. Hopefully, I’ll get one in tomorrow, otherwise I’ll drop something short so we can move on.

HA! Okay, of all the times to roll a 20.

Just want to confirm which spells Abella needs to have prepared. It sounds like we needed an extra wood shape but had nixed the fog?

A hide from animals would be nice, just in case one of us has to go swimming with the Jigsaws.

If anyone can cast it, detect thoughts would be useful for locating Barvasi's private quarters through the hull or closed doors.

Even if they work equally well, Abella's fog is real, so it seems good to have in our back pocket, especially if we need to disguise our exit. From Elric's list, it sounded like we might need one wood shape but probably not two. Earlier, I was saying that if in order to cast wood shape, Abella ends up having to spend a scroll she bought with her own money, I think we should make that a party expense.

'Silent' Lem is extra funny because lem is a Korvosan delicacy: "A thin hummus cut with goat’s milk and heavily spiced."

Lem sounds delicious.

Roll 20 map has been updated. Once the new players join the game on Roll20 I can give them control of their characters.

Where do you want to move first?

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm unable to access the game on Roll20.

I'm registered with jacob.trier@gmail.com and display name is Jacob T.

Edit: Succes! Roll20 access unlocked

I've got access. I can move Audria.

As for where to go. It looks like our best bet might be right into the stern of the Eel's End.

Thirteen cubic feet of wood is a pretty big hole in flat planks. If a hole to bring the whole boat in isn't feasible, the Take 10 rules should really help the worse swimmers like Shrike and Audria. In calm water it's generally only DC 10 to swim 1/4 your speed as a move action or 1/2 your speed as a full-round action. No one has a Strength penalty, so we should be fine taking 10. The better swimmers can Aid Another the worse ones if need be. Shrike still doesn't want to do it that way though, because I don't think we should know for sure in-character that there aren't sharks around. In the dark, below the water, they'd be basically impossible to see.

I can move Shrike in Roll20. It sounded like the hole below the waterline where we stopped to either cast wood shape or briefly dive down and inside was up near the bow, so that's where I'll move her.

I looked up some visual examples of 13 cubic feet and it's about the size of a (non-American) fridge. So pretty sizeable, but I'm thinking that a boat that can carry six is not that small, and there's the restriction of "one piece of wood".

Thank you! That sounds totally fair and reasonable to me for the power of a level 3 character with a very versatile 2nd level spell

We all bow your wisdom and accept your judgement, fair and benevolent GM.

At least Audria won’t get her hair wet :-)

Sounds reasonable, thanks for the quick ruling GM!

We all bow your wisdom and accept your judgement, fair and benevolent GM.

At least Audria won’t get her hair wet :-)

If only getting her hair wet was the greatest of Audria's worries. :P

And I also bow before our benevolent Kittenmancer and accept his fair and feline judgement.

*their. :)

The GM's pronouns are they/them.

I updated the map with the new situation. Hope you brought some (non-flammable) light sources!

*their. :)

The GM's pronouns are they/them.

I updated the map with the new situation. Hope you brought some (non-flammable) light sources!

Shane's got darkvision, and light is evocation, one of his opposed schools. Fortunately, I actually did think we might need light as a group so he DID buy an ioun torch ioun stone!

(non-flammable)

Well that's worrying.

You are inside a wooden vessel... The lower levels may be too soggy to catch fire, but upstairs will be different. I think a candle lamp is fine though, as long as you don't drop it.

@GM Harrow: Duly noted.

On a different note, it seems our marching order is Shrike, Elric, Audria, Pava, Abella, and Shane

Just making sure I got it right - Audria is trying the western door near the hatch? Not sure how clear it is on the map that there are two doors on either side of the hatch, one to the west and one to the east.

Yup the western door.

On the Roll20 map, I have marked the southern door out of the eastern room, where Shrike is currently examining the northern door, with a little red spider symbol so that I'll remember later that that is the one "marked with a painting of a spider." If there's any problem with that, GM, please feel free to change it back. By his last post, I think Elric at least is currently in that same eastern room with Shrike standing by the northern door.

By his last post, I think Elric at least is currently in that same eastern room with Shrike standing by the northern door.

That's correct on Elric's part. I've updated my position on Roll20.

Generally, an inflection point here. Do we A) keep exploring the ship hoping to find the documents without a confrontation, or B) confront whoever is sleeping behind this door?

If the door is unlocked and Pava opening it wakes whoever is there, the decision is made for us. Otherwise, we still have to decide.

I'd say that's an In Character type of discussion, especially considering we are in cramped quarters and have to keep quiet.

But since there is a fairly high likelyhood that it is indeed Barvasi we have caught napping, that may be a moot point.

Also: After more than a month of real-time planning, it is super satisfactory to see our infiltration go so smoothly. Great work, Team.

Hmm, it if is Barvasi, what if we knock him out? We could Coup de Grace him non-lethally, right?

Again, I’d say that is an In Character decision. We don’t exactly have a group consensus on this topic and that uncertainty is part of the tension of the scene.

Personally, I have no clue what happens next and that’s not a bad thing.

Edit: Although, the plan just says to “neutralize” him as quietly as possible and Elric has previously made his stance clear on what happens in this exact scenario. That was spoken in a heated discussion, though.

To be honest, that was as much a mechanics question as one about what we do. While I think it is a good idea for the players to be on the same page, I don't think it's necessary for characters to be so. In this instance, I could see Pava or Shrike taking the chance and beaning the sleeper to make sure they don't wake up for a while if it is Barvasi on the other side of that door. I don't expect them to discuss it, and that's okay with me.

I do think that before someone does take a unilateral action like that, it's probably a good idea to make intentions clear out of character and see if anyone, again out of character, is going to be opposed to it. That's why I think it's okay to have these discussions out of character even if they are about what we do in character. Ultimately, I'm okay if we knock Barvasi out or slit his throat while he sleeps. Audria would be "mildly annoyed" at the first options and horrified at the second, but that doesn't change my stance on it.

All of that said, Audria's currently keeping an eye on the unexplored part of the ship. I think that's where the stairs are if this is indeed Barvasi's room Pava and Shrike are looking at.

Very true that it's good for players to be on the same page. In that spirit: if the door opens and it's Barvasi, Shrike will straight-up murder him in his sleep without asking anyone. No point in nonlethal anything, in her view, since the Guards don't want him brought in for his crimes and she doesn't believe in giving enemies an honorable fighting chance. If you have an unfair advantage, you take it.

If anyone objects to that in or out of character, please be prepared to jump in and stop her mid-stab. :)

That’s the Murder-bird we know and fear. I expected nothing less.

Oh, are we going to see another Butcherbird Display?

I appreciate the discussion and trying to align OOC.

Just want to mention that the dicebot is on your side, Barvasi has been rolling abysmal Perception checks, and thus is sleeping like a log while y'all are creeping around. :D

Very true that it's good for players to be on the same page. In that spirit: if the door opens and it's Barvasi, Shrike will straight-up murder him in his sleep without asking anyone. No point in nonlethal anything, in her view, since the Guards don't want him brought in for his crimes and she doesn't believe in giving enemies an honorable fighting chance. If you have an unfair advantage, you take it.

If anyone objects to that in or out of character, please be prepared to jump in and stop her mid-stab. :)

Pava was going to be slightly neater, but otherwise which one gets the coup de grace comes down to initiative/Shrike posting faster lol