DM Charles Evans's page

Clark:
Hmm, rolling on an appropriate table in my fiend folio reprint, you're advancing down a dungeon corridor, and 1d100 ⇒ 56 you see the skeletal figure of an undead wizard puff into view, staff raised, and a golden crown on its skeletal head. Darn. That was a waste of a random encounter, pitting a lich against Orcus. It makes a low bow and offers you tribute...

Happy birthday. :)

Lucinda Darkeyes wrote:

Nstrivaxon, the Cunning wrote:

Lucinda Darkeyes wrote:

I hope that Rob realises this means that he is going to be consigned to the torment and suffering of having his work critiqued and commented on like an unending RPGSuperstar contest for the next however many years of his life....

Soon he too will be put through the agony of having his every comment about hippogriffs, dwarves, flumphs, or clerics in heavy armour misinterpretted, overanalysed, be the cause of flame wars, or just generally be smurrrrphed upon that is the daily lot of the Paizo editor. Soon he too will need to send for an ice bath for his arm, after spending hours signing autographs at a convention, or groan at his expansing waistline as yet another lorry load of pizzas arranged by fans rolls up outside of Paizo HQ...

Yes but there are some down sides to his new position too.... Although one fewer if he actually didn't need that soul which he just sold.

<Jellyfish whips the fiend.>

<Fishslaps the insolent strumpet.>

<Clawing and lashing at one another, the fight between the pair of aliases proceeds elsewhere...>

(The girl, to Nim, in pigeon orc)

(The girl, to Nim, hesitantly in pigeon orc)

Seebo & Nim:

Seebo:
Diplomacy check? Although if you fail, you may be waiting for Mrs. Prestwick to arrive back, which will (coincidentally!) be round about when Ashan returns.
The intelligence check probably means Seebo knows that the Red Wizards of Thay are a group of magic-users whose elite rule their own country somewhere way out east, and who have a name for not being too scrupulous in how they get what they want. Occasionally one ostensibly trading in magic items wanders out west.

Ashan:

Being involved with PaizoCon UK, here in Birmingham, from the 10th-12th July this year (we may be going out the evening of the 10th, before the convention proper starts) I may be absent from posting for a number of days around that period.

looking at Nim,"You could be right, or someone else is controlling the fairys as well.

Turning to the maid, "can you get her to tell you her name?"
Then shaking his head, "Maybe then we can see if we can get some sort of message to her father"
"I can't help feeling like there's something else going on, but I'm missing something"

Seebo & Nim:

Ashan:

Seebo:
Waiting to see what you have to say to Nim.

If it's okay with you, Ashan, I'll skip things on to the inn where you were staying shortly.

Ashan sets off, leaving the others behind.

Ashan:

Seebo & Nim:

Anything Ashan or the others want to sort out before Ashan sets off?

My basic plan was to have a quick look about the inn where Aumbril may be, if there ask him to come with me as there is a serious situation arising. If unable to find him go to my room at the other inn and bring my gear back so that we are then together again.

If you think this would not be straight forward, I could simply write a note and pay for one of the serving girls to go get my equipment. I am expecting that Seebo will have to rest so that his spell list is restored once he has preyed / meditated the following morning, and I will then be able to apply my rise in level for my first level of sorcerer as well. As a group we will then be able to travel together again in a prepared way for the next day's activities.

If this is the plan, do you mind if I skip the in-depth wine-bar description in the event of the sage not being there?

It may well take me the weekend to think this one over, since based on previous experiences I foresee it being potentially awkward to find something for everyone to be doing and finishing with the party meeting up again at the same time and place if you split up now.
Unless you don't mind the alternative of one poster getting most/all the attention? (:-? emoticon inserted here.)

From a brief and not very descriptive account by Nim, a 10 isn't going to go very far, beyond, umm, yes it might have had some significance (and the relatively common knowledge that circles get occasionally used for calling/binding things)....
Don't know if any of the characters would make the assumption/guess or not, but I think the man from the garrison who delivered the message mentioned something about a cabin in the woods under investigation, too.

Nim/Raven:
I emailed you last night regarding where in the thread the description of the cellar is. Nim can probably remember general details about the cellar, and also that there was a matching circle upstairs. Maybe even that the woman in the cabin mentioned seeing something like this before somewhere else.

...Gather information skill attempt to see if that can help Nim's memory of events.

The Gather Information assists Nim in getting the events he described in approximately the right order. He also remembers that there was a woman in the cabin, but she got left behind when they were later attacked by nasty little fey on the way back to town.

Nim was there a short time ago at dinner when the Sable Bow man from the garrison brought that message from Bronx. Nim ought to remember that the man brought a message about Bronx, even if he can't recall what the man said!
As to the events of the morning, Nim probably remembers that it was snowing, so there was a cabin in the woods, and there were leaves on the floor in the cabin and a trapdoor and a cellar underneath with what looked to Nim like a magic circle, and the girl was down there. DC 15 Int to recall any more than that, I'd say.

The sage did say something about going out to look for plants this evening, although there was mention of a bar on his itinery too, if I recall correctly. (Apologies; bedtime here, and no time to go looking it up.)

I have checked and the sage Leafgreen has indicated to at least Ashan that:

The sage did say something about going out to look for plants this evening, although there was mention of a bar on his itinery too, if I recall correctly. (Apologies; bedtime here, and no time to go looking it up.)

The maid makes a small, frightened noise.
"Mrs. Prestwick gave me a potion... The girl says she's the daughter of a powerful wizard in Thay... That's the place where the dreaded red wizards come from. "

She backs up from Seebo as much as the bedboard allows, and says something in a language Seebo doesn't understand.
She's speaking Thayan...

Hmm, not sure if that's what's causing delays, but there seem to be a lot of temporarily disappearing posts around recently...
For if Seebo and/or Ashan move into the room, they can see a girl of eastern appearance (she looks to be of Mulan descent) huddled up in the bed in the room.

Yes, going into the room, Nim can see the girl. She's sitting up in the bed, huddled up, looking scared and confused.

"She's... she's... she's woken up, Mr. Murnig.", the maid glances fearfully into the room. "She's woken up and it's bad."

"Mrs. Prestwck. Is that... ohhh!"
The maid sitting inside the room, in a chair positioned as close to the door as is conveniently possible, gives a start, as Nim comes in.
She seems very nervous and jumpy.

Just going straight in, or any kind of knock or other announcement first?

Thread bump

"Three silver pieces sir, for dinner and the night.", the flustered maid responds to Ashan's inquiry, as he piles on the charm.
I posted the regular price was 8 back on Page 2 of the discussion thread.
Although Nim probably can't remember how much it was, and Seebo certainly doesn't, there might be a surprised look from someone at an adjacent table if they overheard that...

DC 13 Diplomacy check, Ashan, with regard to room inquiries?

Sorry about the delay; haven't been feeling too well since Wednesday morning here, and am only up to posting again now.
I thought I had conveyed that the meal would need to be paid for, and that the cost could later be taken off a room for the night, but that might not be what Ashan understood - I will go back and check what was said here at some point.
Which room exactly is everyone going back to?
Seebo & Nim had a room and Nim has been to another one, although if he ever heard the number, I don't know that he would be able to remember what it was.
Edit:
Hmm. I find Mrs. Prestwick said '...If Mr. Ackanya here decides he still wants to stay, I'll see that the price of his meal if he eats here tonight is deducted from the cost of staying overnight...'

Just checking what Ashan has done, if anything, with regard to payment for his meal?

Well I assumed there were 24 other participating tables/groups, and did check, just in case... *24 d100 rolls*
Tension builds around the room as accompanied by a couple of maids bearing a piece of death-cheese on a platter, Mrs. Prestwick arrives, and people begin to announce the numbers which they drew from the bucket.
Nim needs to get his brother to tell him what number to announce, but it is soon apparent that there are at least two tables with better numbers.
Once Nim has given the number this would be a perfect opportunity to slip out, at the risk of seeming slightly sore losers (as one group of sulky halflings has already done so).
Or you could wait for the presentation, and all the other cheese to start circulating...

At last the staff start to clear the tables of the plates and dishes from the meat and vegetables course, and bring in a bucket full of numbered ivory plaques for the cheese course.

Basically the table that has a diner who draws the plaque with the lowest number on it wins. Would you like to pick a champion to roll a percentile chance on Invisible Castle to see if you win, or would you like me to roll a percentile?
(The lower the roll, the better here.)

Seebo accepts the tankard, raising it it thanks to it purchaser although he doesn't know what he did to deserve it. He sits it down carefully in front of him, planning to make a show of drinking it without actually doing so.

" Nim be careful how much you drink, remember we don't want to get into trouble and we need our wits about us."

When Seebo raises his tankard, it raises a cheer from that table, and they raise their tankards back, in humorous salute.

Whilst the meat and vegetables course proceeds, some of the other guests begin to get slightly more jolly as drink starts to take effect.
A gnome on the other side of the room slips a maid a couple of coppers and directs her to supply 'those dem fine heroes' Seebo and Nim each with 'a tankard of Luiren's finest' with his compliments.

The man from the Company of the Sable Bow leaves the room.
A short while later, Seebo manages to catch the attention of one of the serving maids.
"The next course, sir? That would be the cheese course, with the special death-cheese lottery. Then there's the Year's End pudding course, then an apple for every diner, then the mulled wine."

Death-cheese, made from catoblepas milk, is a speciality cheese, very highly regarded and expensive. At year's end Mrs. Prestwick has a lottery whereby one table of diners get a piece along with their regular cheeses for the year's end meal.

"I don't know much about what went on at the Redstar offices this noon. There's a story that a pair of gnomes went berserk and killed everyone else there because they were all planning to assassinate the merchant, Greyfrost, and his escort; then there's another story that a cabal of half a dozen halfling friends of Jaego were amongst the assassins, along with a gibbering mouther. You end up not knowing what to believe. Probably fey pranks involved somewhere."
That's all he has/knows/guesses on that subject. The usual rumour and speculation are busily at work amongst those not in the know (and everyone's a little busy over at the garrison at present for those involved in particular investigations to stop and get the stories straight with everyone else...).

If Davkul is still posting off chance.

"Do you know where Davkul is now?"
If Bronx is still posting, off chance as well.
"Do you know how long Bronx is likely to be out?"
Other information enquired about.
"What did you find out about this mornings poisoning death?"
"I understand Seebo was helping the investigation."
Ashan will direct the conversation in a manner to get as much information as possible, as he is aware of Seebo's current lack of memory, and does not wish to tip the Sable Bow man off to his condition.

"I don't know where this 'Davkul' that Bronx mentioned is, no. Mr. Murnig's friend, Bronx, was just heading out with a tracking party to try to run Jaego down. Bronx reckoned Jaego had skipped town, and it depends how long they're out looking for him I guess as to how long Bronx is going to be out. Lieutenant Merruth Orcbane is handling the case of the poisoning this morning. I don't know much about it other than that the mine-owners are pretty angry about it. Seems the fellow was staying here at their expense. Maybe he was a merchant they requested specially visit town to talk private business with them." He shrugs. "We've been ordered not to poke our noses into the circumstances if we weren't part of Orcbane's group that investigated the scene of the murder this morning."

The man from the company of the Sable Bow is happy to leave unless you have any questions for him; he was asked by Bronx to update you on his status.
Ashan:

"Anyhow, he wanted you to know where he was, and what he was about...", the man trails off. "There was something about a mage called 'Davkul' as well, but he said it wasn't so important."

Staff begin to clear the soup course dishes from the tables, whilst others start to bring out plates of roast pork and vegetables and accompanying boats of rich gravy.

"Bronx seemed to have a pretty good idea of who it was - gave us a description of a halfling fellow who had claimed to be called 'Jaego' - and Bronx left town a short while back with a patrol to look for this halfling, since Bronx seemed to figure that Jaego had left town. The snow should make him fairly easy to track him if he has tried to skip town, too... 'should' I say. Bronx also thought there might be evidence that this Jaego was linked to whatever madness went down at the Redstar mining offices this noon, and maybe events at a woodsman's cabin a short way from town."

"Uhh, I, he... that is to say the gnome, Bronx, said something about Mr. Murnig being a gnome..."
He manages with some effort to recover himself. "A gnome hunter, by the name of Bronx madcap, arrived at the garrison a short while ago to report a break-in at a guest's room here, and his suspicions as to the identity of the one responsible."

The man proves difficult for Ashan to divert from his errand with small talk.
"If you'll pardon me, sir, but I have been asked to deliver the message to the named party only. A gnome with something of a wild look about him, and of the name of Bronx, needed the message conveyed, and was most insistent that it was to be for his comrade's ears only." He pauses before adding: "He said he was staying here, and that his comrade was unlikely to have left the premises since he last saw him."

This meal is a sort of 'big occasion' one, tonight being Year's End, with different courses being brought in at regular intervals; sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. Unless you make a specific request to the staff to 'hurry up' for you, or you skip some courses, it's going to take a while.
Nim has wolfed down his soup, finished his roll, and is waiting impatiently for Seebo to catch up with him when a human man with a red beard, balding head, and in a chain shirt with a tabard of the Company of the Sable Bow (which Seebo isn't currently familiar with) over that enters the dining room. He looks around hopelessly at the sea of gnome, dwarf, and halflings seated at tables, then makes his way over to the still standing Ashan. He bends down to address Ashan, in a lowered tone.
Ashan:

At present, if you want the opportunity to have in-character conversation, without pressure on, this is your chance. I can handwave through dinner if you like, but I thought your characters might have some things to discuss (plans for tonight if any, what's going on in town at present, etc), even if they might want to leave more secret matters for a more secure place.

Ashan doesn't notice anything else that particularly stands out as being unusual, and rejoins the others as the first course for the meal begins to arrive at the tables - a leak, onion and potato soup, steaming hot and served with poppy-seed bread rolls.