GM Rotation, The COREageous Crew

Game Master Pete H.

Ryul strides up with a smile, ”Good day, my companions and I were wondering if you had a moment to speak with us.”

Cortina stays in the back and observes.

As Ryul advances, Neffery closes the ledger he was looking at. Cortina, you're in a good position to tell that he'd been doodling in the margins (and his drawings are actually pretty good). He smiles warmly. "Why yes, my friend--what can I do for you?"

The elf gives a friendly smile back, ”Well, we have been tasked with looking into canal piracy, so figured this would be a good place to check. I am sure you have all sorts of information or at least some good rumors. One can never discount a good rumor.”

He gives Ryul a slightly quizzical look. "I don't know much about that, I'm afraid. Pirates would be almost a relief for--never mind that. I'm a patriotic Taldan, and Ridonport is the birthplace of heroes! I'd hate to darken the town's reputation by speaking ill of anyone."

Ryul glances back at his team wondering if anyone else has anything to add.

He shrugs and replies, ”What do you mean by a relief? Is there something else going on?”

Let's have some checks. Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Nobility), and Craft (Drawing) if Cortina shares what she saw.

DC 13 SM: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Jack stays in the background, listening and pondering.

You seem to be a fellow who has access to information and ,,, well ... knows things. Seems to me that you're saying there's someone who wishes it was pirates.

diplomacy(aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

"Surely for one so knowledgeable as yourself, it would be but child's play to enlighten us as to various goings on... You seem like a man who prides himself on being at the top of his game."

Diplomacy(aid): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
"The Taldan tradition of rooting out corruption among their leadership is second to none. It is good to know your people are no sheep among the lions."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Aid Diplomacy: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1

LOL. A nat 20 and a nat 1. I am so glad there are no consequences for failed Aid attempts in PF1e...

"I couldn't help but notice you were drawing in that book - and just from the little bit I saw, I must say it looks you're quite talented! Would you be as kind as to allow my companions the pleasure to look at it, too?"

Cashel attempts to impress the man with his (relatively amateur) drawing skill!

Craft(Drawing): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19.

Success! It'll be a bit before I can post the resulting conversation, though.

Neffery looks around surreptitiously, and on seeing no obvious listeners addresses the party in a low voice. "The chandlery's been in my family for generations, and we've always been proud to do our part supplying the navy. That's how we got our title, back in the 4500s. Well, when Vernisant's father passed and he inherited the title, he approached me about a 'silent partnership' in the chandlery. As an earl, he outranks me by quite a bit, and I should have been more cautious. But at first it sounded like he wanted to invest for patriotic reasons. Of course, before I knew it I was sunk deep in debt to him, and he'd turned my father's favorite business into a private club for navy officers. They get liquored up enough when they're tromping through here that they barely notice how much the earl's hiked the prices...it's the people paying the tab, not the officers, so why should they care? Now he doesn't even let me into the back office. I had a hidden wall safe put in there before all this happened, and...not that I'm encouraging anything illegal, but there might be something interesting in there." He looks off into the distance for a moment. "You know, even with all that the earl has done to this place, I'd hate to see it damaged. And as a patriotic Taldan I would of course have to report any attempts at thievery I might see. Did I mention that I generally leave around sundown, when we close?"

If you did. Jack replies We did not hear it from you

The tall elf nods knowingly, ”Ah yes, thank you for your time. We shouldn’t have any trouble finding our way with those excellent directions. Have a good day!”

Do we have time to check with our last known lead or is it near sundown?

”Thank you for your time. May my Lady Luck guide you in future business decisions!”

You’ve got time for the last citizen before your evening assignations. It'll be a little while, though.

"Supposing someone were to reclaim your property from your safe, would there be a key or combination that would allow them to do so? Speaking hypothetically, of course."

So of course we need to crack a safe and our Rogue is the GM... XD

You’ve got a backup!

"I honestly couldn't say for certain, but who knows? Careful study may be of use." It may be your imagination, but it seemed like his eyes flickered down as though he looked briefly at the closed ledger in front of him.

Ryul heads out with the group and comments, "Alright, we were given three leads. However, I'm not sure if we need to go talk to the last one right now. The museum owner said it was Joleana Tantriano, the senior magistrate, and said to take any evidence of misdeeds to her. We don't have any evidence yet. Should we go now anyway or wait until we find something?"

Nal can disable a device, but good work getting a clue about an alternate way into the safe.

"I agree. Do we start with the Saint Lymirin Street Bridge or the chandlery?"

We would need to bot Nal, though - ‘Eκάτη hasn't posted since the mid of June. I hope they are ok...

Ryul points out to the best of his (player’s) recollection, ”Wasnt the chandlery at dusk and the bridge at midnight? Chandlery seems the reasonable first choice.”

From a position that allows covert observation of the chandlery, the party sees the employees leave in a group shortly before dusk. A few minutes later, Neffery leaves and locks the door behind him. Whistling a jaunty tune, he walks around the building and checks the other doors before sauntering away.

In case he comes back for some reason, you wait a few minutes. This leaves the party in a good position to see a half-orc striding purposefully to the front door of the chandlery. He unlocks it with a key and enters, closing the door behind him.

Cashel frowns.

"I am afraid that I would be neither good at bluffing the half-orc that we are meant to be there, or sneaking past them. Anyone else think that they have a shot?"

Horrifyingly, apart from our rogue, I think the best Bluff is a +1...

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Paloma attempts to observe what Neffery seems to be indicating before they leave him.

--------

Later, after watching the half-orc enter, "Doesn't look like he locked it behind him... Should we simply follow? Possibly he is not meant to be there either."

The half-orc did have a key.

Which *would* suggest he had permission to be there...

The best I can offer is bopping him on the back of the head and hope he falls down

"Let's save that as a last resort."

Ironically, Jack, you currently have the best Bluff modifier!

We can always hedge our bets slightly, using Bit of Luck to roll twice and take the better option, and show the letter I acquired at the start stating that we were acting as representatives of 'Lord Tullian'...?

Ryul thinks for a bit while digesting this new info and what his teammates are suggesting.

He finally speaks, ”Well, we have some new information to go over and discuss. The individual doesn’t appear to be a regular employee, as they are not entering during business hours or while any other employees are there. They also don’t appear to be breaking and entering. However, from our prior information gathering we suspect that less than legal activities are occurring here with sanction from the current owner. That simple fact may explain this individual’s entire reason for being here with a key. Thusly, I think it is in our best interest to go in and investigate. The individual may even be destroying the evidence that we seek, we may have not hidden our intentions in this town perfectly. There is also no need for lying if challenged, simply keep the information we reveal to a minimum. Additionally, there is no reason to fight, unless we are unjustly attacked. We can always apologize and leave.”

What are you going to do?

”Good Analysis, Ryul. Let's go in and investigate!”

If a person with Ryul’s amount of time spent trying to control his emotions could blush, they probably would have. Instead, the tall elf simply nods and heads up to the door, testing to see if it opens.

Jack follows Ryul, ready to back him up.

The door is locked.

Ryul points to Nal and mouths the word ‘locked’.

FYI, there are no lights inside the shop, but there are windows that can be used to see inside.

Jack goes to look in a window.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

It's a pity he picked one that really needed cleaning

While Nal works on the lock, Ryul checks the other window.

Perc: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

It is, as noted, quite dark inside the chandlery by now, and Jack can't see a thing. Ryul's elvish eyes tell him that they're taking the hobbits to Isengard the half-orc is sitting at a table, occasionally glancing towards the door.

The elf gives a quick stop motion to Nal and waves everyone back to their earlier spot before explaining what he saw.

He's waiting for someone?

”Looks like it. I figure we should wait too.”

An hour passes, and no one comes by. It's now quite dark.

How long do you intend to wait?

Ryul frowns, ”Its too quiet. I don’t like it. Let’s go look again.”

He slips back up and peeks in.

Maybe we're just going to have to go in there

Ryul goes to peer in the window and almost immediately has to back off--the half-orc is ambling towards the door. The party disperses in time (he's slow to open it) and watches as the half-orc locks the door behind him, walks around the building, and goes back inside. He shows no sign of having spotted anyone.

Local security guard?