This might give us an opportunity to recruit not only a replacement GM, but another player maybe?
@Joana: Didn't you already have a new player lined up to join the game (a druid)? Did that fall through?
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Thanks for running the game as long as you did, Joana. I hope things improve for you ASAP (or at least level off and don't escalate). I'd be OK with trying to find a new GM. I'm finally getting serious about trying to learn PF2, so I don't want to wholly abandon the only 2E campaign I've ever tried. If other folks are interesting in trying to continue, count me in as well.
Darla frowns as her investigation begins to bear fruit, and that frown deepens the more she learns. The bard blushes in embarrassment when she realizes the outsider scholar likely knows more about Breachill's hero than she--a bard for whom Lamond Breachton is her very muse! Why have I never bothered to read the accounts of folks who actually met him, rather than just listen to recounted tales passed down through the years? Part of her brain replies, Because oral tradition is important, that's why! And because the people of Breachill are good folk, who wouldn't hero-worship a man who wasn't worthy of their esteem! Still, that didn't mean Lamond didn't have his secrets--most folk do. Nor did it mean he didn't have enemies...and the enemies of Breachill's founder could still be enemies of Breachill's present...if any still survived. "May I look at some of those accounts that Voz was interested in?" Darla asks the half-orc with a smile.
I know Darla has a list of things she wants to ask around about before leaving town. Yup. I looked it up and cut-and-pasted her list below. 1) Recent comings and goings around Voz's bookstore;
Darla's facial expression is closer to those of councilors Posandi and Sendari when the idea of having the goblin tribe as neighbors is first floated, but when Greta Gardania speaks the magic words, Darla instantly and genuinely echoes the toast, "The kindness of strangers!" And why not? the young woman thinks. They've been in the citadel for a while now and have offered no threat to the town. True, they hadn't proven themselves as an actual asset yet, allowing evil to stir in the keep's depths, but the tribe seemed to at least be earnest in their desire to live in peace with their neighbors. They deserved a chance to prove themselves....
As Darla delivers coffeepots around the room, she can't help but give a quick, "Hear, hear!" in support of her new comrades, Breachill's latest Heroes. Then she's back to the kitchen, returning moments later bearing the first platters of eggs, bacon, and sausages. "The griddlecakes should be ready in a minute or two!" she assures Trini Sprizzlegig.
"A drink served hot--usually in the morning--made from ground beans," Darla informs the goblin. "Perks you right up! You'll either love it or hate it."
"I can handle the coffee," Darla replies. "My mom's the one with all the cooking talent, though."
"Of course!" Darla replies. "She's always willing and grateful to host any sort of gathering."
"Good points...both of you."
One of Darla's eyebrows arched as Highness gave his speech. Once the goblin was out of earshot, she whispers to the others, "Is he really a king? Or just plain crazy?"
"Very true," Darla comments. "Well, let's make our report to the council and get you folks rightfully honored as heroes. Then I'll get to work asking around and digging into Voz's past in town. Chances are someone here knows something that might shed a bit more light on the mystery."
Sounds good to me. New blood!
Darla nods distractedly at the conversation between Highness and Jonagher. "The council might very well give us marching orders once we tell them all we've discovered." After a pause, the Breachill native opts to think for herself a bit. "But I agree: Warning the goblins of the undead Hellknights and checking on Neven's band seem to be the two most urgent items on our To-Do list at the moment."
Darla nods numbly, stunned by how many secrets some of the villagers in her hometown apparently kept.
Thanks for running the game, Joana! And Happy New Year to all! Seconded...on both points!
Darla's initially a bit disappointed when Jonagher doesn't seem to include her as a member of the party when he suggests heading back to town. When he subsequently singles her out and calls her the group's 'lucky charm,' she's so taken aback that she blushes and is rendered speechless for a few moments. "Of course," she replies eventually. "I'd be honored to speak on your behalf to the council and maybe even have a part in the ceremony when you're all declared true Heroes of Breachill. This mystery with Voz has me baffled and needs to be solved. Plus, I'm worried about Neven Deckard's team that went off to investigate the alleged bandits massing near Guardian's Way--there's more going on around Breachill than meets the eye! Neven may be...a bit of a jerk at times, but he's still one of us--a Hero of Breachill!"
Darla purses her lips but remains silent. The assigned task has apparently been completed, and that means her new comrades have earned the right to be honored as true Heroes at a town ceremony. Also, the tunnel has piqued her interest in Voz; a little investigating back in town might go a long way toward exposing the half-elf's secrets. "Yes, I think we should return to town. The elders may have some wisdom as to how to proceed with the Hellknight guardians or Voz. They might even want us to check on the other party of heroes as well."
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a general but heartfelt Happy Holidays to all!
Darla appears both incredulous and troubled. A necromancer?! Operating out of Breachill?! It seemed borderline ridiculous. Still, she had to admit that she'd never gotten to know Voz or Calmont well.... After finishing scanning the room for magic emanations, the bard gives a quick, possibly nervous, nod at Jonagher's final words and mentally prepares herself to face whatever horror might await beyond the door.
Darla looks a bit put off about being shushed by a goblin but nods her head and readies her rapier for whatever lies ahead. (Hopefully not a slavering mad dragon.)
Darla sticks her head into the small room, scanning for magical emanations. She appears a bit more apprehensive than she did back at the other end of the tunnel.
Darla drops into a defensive crouch, rapier at the ready.
"That may be the case," Darla whispers, "but I'm picking up no recent magical emanations yet."
Darla takes a middle position so her light will be well-distributed.
Darla votes to explore the tunnel. To hedge the bet a bit, she also suggests that someone already topside take news of the discovery to the town council.
Darla climbs down the ladder, bringing her glowing rapier with her. She holds the light near the hidden door for Jonagher, trying to keep herself as far as possible from the prankster goblin.
Darla winces at Jonagher's agony before reaching for a vial tucked into her bandolier. "This is the last of my healing," she tells him, offering the potion.
Darla stores the map in her backpack and then draws her rapier, ready to proceed into the hidden cellar. After Highness, of course.
Darla glares down at the goblin. "Well, if there's a 'story' here, I can't figure it out!" she huffs. "Maybe the whole 'throw-the-goblin-into-the-secret-cellar-and-see-what-happens' plan is worth a try...."
After examining the map, Darla reveals what she's noted. "I don't like that Guardian's Way is circled but not crossed out, and that just so happens to be where Neven's group was sent to deal with reported bandits. I don't believe in coincidences...."
Darla nods, takes the map from Jonagher, and starts to scan it for anything unusual. While she's quite thorough in her work, she still takes the time to occasionally glance in Highness's direction, just in case the goblin's up to more of his hijinks.
Darla peeks into the staff room and starts detecting for magic, surreptitiously including Alak in her scan. I don't know much about him; I ought at least know what magical gear he carries! she reasons silently. At the last moment, she trails her glowing rapier awkwardly behind her, hoping that some of its light can still spill into the tiny bedroom where Jonas and Highness remain.
Darla quietly calls out that there's a magical aura coming from the scrolls. Then she wanders to the staff room to see for herself what Alak's talking about. She voices the best theory she can come up with: "Maybe Voz used the smaller room as her bedroom because she didn't want Calmont--or anyone else--discovering that trapdoor?"
After telling Jonagher about the small window she noticed on her perimeter search, Darla takes an awkward step back when she feels something tugging on her bootstrings. "Hey! Cut that out!" she grumbles at the hidden goblin. She nods at Alak's words of wisdom before realizing that she's been negligent about scanning the bedroom for magical auras. Casting detect magic, the bard examines the room for unexpected auras before moving to the Staff Only door.
Darla waits her turn to peer through the cracked doorway into the cramped room beyond. A thought occurs to her. "Whoever goes in there...check underneath the old rug for a trapdoor in the floor. Pushing the bed against the door to access it makes a certain amount of sense." After a pause for a bit more logical thinking, the bard adds, "If my guess is right, whoever used the trapdoor can't have exited through this door; they're still below...unless there's another exit down there."
Darla steps back to allow Jonagher to work on the locked door. Not wanting to lollygag, the bard searches for any secret compartments or the like near where the empty till box was discovered.
"No stealing from the till!" Darla declares a bit harshly as she catches the interaction between Highness and Jonagher. Realizing her poor tone, she adds "Of course, if we find a bunch of coins minted in Absalom or Korvosa, that might be considered a clue" in a more kindly voice.
After scanning the room for magic, Darla switches over and begins to investigate the room's contents in more detail.
Darla instinctively takes a step back, a look of surprise and shock on her face as she falls for Jonagher's shenanigans. Those emotions are replaced by a mixture of anger and embarrassment as she realizes she's been had. She uses her glowing rapier to wave the others through the doorway after the half-elf, falling back into the role of rearguard Neven Deckard assigned to her after seeing her combat limitations in her last adventuring company. You knew darned well that there was no magical trap on the door and should've been able to guess that an introverted bookseller wasn't likely to also dabble in electrical science! Darla silently berates herself.
Is Darla Buying It?:
Darla nods at Shaserai, takes a deep breath, and then exhales. "I used up all my spells healing you folks when you got back to town," she reminds the others, "though I still carry a healing potion for emergencies." Turning to Ren, she adds, "You said that a wizard's home might be guarded by more than locks. I'll take a minute to scan the shop from the outside for magical emanations to see if I can detect anything inside the place. Forewarned is forearmed, they say...."
When the others arrive at the bookstore, Darla shares what she knows about both Voz and Caldmont. Fearing for the half-elf's wellbeing, the bard looks around to see if either the town guard or a key to the front door are present to expedite the impending search.
Darla rushes home to gather her gear, says a quick goodbye to her mom and younger brother at the Wizard's Grace, and heads for the Reliant Book Company, trying the whole time to recall what she knows and what she's heard about Voz and her new assistant, Calmont.
Darla winces at the sting in Jonagher's words, but her subsequent nod affirms that she seconds his opinion on how inexplicable the council's view on this dangerous situation is.
"Well, I...," the young bard stammers, looking to her mother to make sure she can run the Wizard's Grace without her daughter's help. When mom gives her a quick nod, Darla regains some confidence. "Sure! I'd be honored!"
Darla squirms in her seat a bit, trying not to beam in pride at hearing the title Hero before her name. Like the other residents of Breachill, she's at the edge of her seat to hear more details about the newest young folks' Call for Heroes mission.
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