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Folks I’m sorry to do this, and that we never really got a chance to get to know Benji: I have just not been able to get this going again for a variety of reasons, none of which even remotely involve the quality of players and characters, who are all excellent. I don’t think it will really be a surprise but I think it best to officially put an end to it rather than dragging folks along at less than a snail’s pace. It’s been a pleasure and I wish you all the best with your future gaming.
Gunnar finds the coach repairs complete: evidently Tomos suddenly found the time to make a thorough job of them. The Burgomeister raises an eyebrow as Gunnar steps inside the jailhouse. ”I vould not be thinking to be seeing your face here again so soon. Fortunately for you, cohortes rode off in pursuit of escaped bird. I hope for your sake he not start thinking you knew she could do such magics and not say varning.”
”While searching for your friend, Bonita, I ran into an acquaintance of mine: Philosthenus a wood giant. He often finds rare and exotic woods for me as basis for wands. He says a group of miners from Southface have been causing problems for his people, despite no history or provocation, and asked for my help in sorting out the source of the tensions.”
I am out for at least the next week due to Covid please bot me Blech! Covid sucks. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
@GM: Was my idea of the stepfamily acceptable? Should I write out my interaction with them, or would you rather take care of that? Stepfamily idea is great. Feel free to write it up however you like.
Elrithrathiel watches Maria impassively as she defends herself, waiting until she’s finished before asking, ”I assume you still have some left? Keep it, you may need it. I have an…assignment for you and your friends. A favour, if you will, in repayment of the wand.” Before she can lay out the “favour”, a tiny knocking at the door interrupts her. She returns momentarily with a bemused expression on her face. ”Apparently, you’ve been invited to Sir Eustus’ manor tomorrow for luncheon. Perhaps the good you’ve done this past week will help your star to rise and shine a little brighter.”
Elrithrathiel looks unimpressed with Maria’s blasé attitude. ”Saving lives is all well and good, but my inventory stores are not your personal lending library. We’ve had this conversation before: give your services for free once, you’re a hero; give them away for free twice, you’re an easy mark. Have these lives that were saved with my wand offered the fair market value as recompense, or am I now out 750 gold pieces?”
Gunnar finds his father in good spirits and on the mend, hobbling about on some crutches. He can easily settle up the bill (hand wave) and help settle him into a ground floor room at the inn.
With nothing else to do, everybody else accompanies Gunnar back towards the inn, which soon brings you face to face with the mysterious horseman and his wolf companion (oh the ironies). Fezzen would be the only one who could recognize him, though Gunnar would recognize the military uniform marking him as a member of the Taldane Phalanx.
Nobody bothers you (or even seems to notice) as you divide your reward money there in the street (it’s not that kind of town, after all). Maria heads past the cathedral towards the waterfall and home, where she indeed finds her mistress at home. Sitting at the desk in her study reading a book, Elrithrathiel barely looks up as she enters. ”Welcome back,” she says, ”I gather you’ve had some interesting experiences while I was gone.” She motions for Maria to sit in the other chair, where for some reason, the ill-fated fire staff from the magic wand and staff cupboard leans precariously.
Great! Confirming for a Hunter that that is 240 + 500 gp, so I'll adjust my starting wealth to 740 gp and ensure that I'm not coming in with any single item that is worth more than 370 gp. Sounds good
A commotion arises down the end of the street as Bonita is escorted out of the jail towards the wagon-cage. Tomos looks at each of you in turn, makes some sort of decision, and pulls out an odd yellow cap from his pack. Putting it on his head, he slowly saunters towards his half-sister. The cohortes leads the manacled druid up onto the wagon bed. Before he can close the door to the cage, however, Bonita nods towards her half-brother. A few members of the gathering crowd gasp as she suddenly morphs into a hawk, manacles falling to the wagon bed, and takes to the sky.
Come in with starting gold plus 500, which should put you even with the others. First adventure was treasure-light. Animals and horses can have max at first and then average or roll as you prefer.
Sorry, forgot to post that the recruitment had closed. Will definitely keep you in mind if we need any future spots filled however.
As Euda and Gunnar silently take in Leeka’s lengthy statements, she sips her tea and breaks off a piece of strawberry scone. ”I see your friends coming in to town. I guess I should make my way to the MacIntyre farm and tend to Benji’s wounds, that is, if they’ll still let a druid under their roof.” She finishes her tea and vacates the table as Maria and Fezzen make their way over. Before you can exchange any more than a hello, Tomos comes around from behind the cathedral and warily steps over to your group, a stuffed backpack over his shoulder. ”So…are we good or do I need to make a run for it?” he whispers, dispensing with any pleasantries.
We’ve had two applications so far and that seems to be it. Would folks like me to pick one or present them for voting. There’s no way to do that through the Paizo site where they can’t read us rip them apart (or rather, politely discuss pros and cons to each choice).
The Pride of Lyon’s Brook is a local, well-liked local youth, not even having to be particularly heroic. He or she is just one of those people that everybody likes, which implies high Charisma, but isn’t required to be if their local actions are the root of their universal popularity. As an example, the character being replaced is a shepherd boy known for being kind, following the rules, and always volunteering to help when needed, with chores big or small.
Leeka blinks under the verbal assault, a bemused smirk into her tea cup. ”The Church of Abadar has long held those of the Green Faith in contempt, so not surprising that one of their courts might railroad someone like Bonita. Don’t lose that optimism, Gunnar: you may be just now coming to realize the level of corruption within the Church of Abadar, but that optimism will be what you need to keep it from infecting you yourself.” ”As for destruction of property, a Druid’s wolf companion is much more than a pet: the two essentially share one soul, or rather, a construct of two souls intertwined. That being said, it is highly unlikely that her wolf was a simple dumb beast. Whether one approves of the ‘civilized’ notion of ‘keeping sheep’, one must obey the laws of the land, which I guess is my way of saying that that wolf was equally responsible for what went down.” ”Mallia never really understood what balance is all about. Sometimes I think she took the vows to the Green Faith more to annoy her parents than any true devotion to our beliefs, which is why I stopped mentoring her. I had hoped some time in the Verduran would straighten her out, but clearly she just embraced their xenophobic ways.”
We are recruiting for a new Pride of Lyon’s Brook. Our previous golden child has been forced to retire from adventuring to take care of his family after the small matter of his brother nearly being sacrificed by a mentally-unbalanced druid, and we are looking for his successor. PCs are at level 2 at the moment. Creation criteria are at the top of the thread. Feel free to read through the Rogue’s Gallery and build something that would fit the setting.
I can just reactivate the old recruitment thread: that way all the campaign info is there. We just need a new Pride of Lyon’s Brook, right?
Euda and Gunnar find Leeka at the same place you found her before: sitting at a table at Everbloom with a pot of tea before her.
Any thoughts on a replacement player someone would like to invite?
As the manacles clank onto her wrists, Bonita offers a small smile, then turns to Finchus and declares, ”Very well. I am now in your custody and your responsibility.” ”Indeed,” Finchus says, keeping his crossbow trained on the wild savage. ”Sheriff, please see to it that a wagon is readied as soon as possible to transport the prisoner on to Crossbridge. As for Sir Gunnar, your actions here will be reported to the magistrate, and we shall see what fruit they bear.” Finchus leads Bonita into a cell and slams the door closed behind her, as the Burgomeister heads out to prepare a wagon.
Mrs. Pumpherus peeks into the purse and exclaims, ”Oh my! How embarrassing! Brus, you brought the wrong purse! I could have sworn I put these coins in the purple velvet bag, not a wash leather. My you are such an honest young man!” Brus snatches the purse rather vehemently and soon returns with the same purse, this time holding 100 gold coins. Pumpherus reaches into her sewing bag sitting next to her on the ground and retrieved an additional 20 gold coins, which she presses into Fezzen’s hand. ”Here’s a little something more for your honesty and diligence, Mr. Fuzzy.”
Bonita moves to stand between the two men. ”Gunnar, are you satisfied that I have maintained my end of our agreement? I accompanied you, aided you where I could, and returned to be placed in the lawful custody?”
”And justice is not justice if one can simply flee to a neighbouring town and retry their case all over again. The issue of guilt and innocence has already been dealt with by another recognized court, and just because you think she is innocent of anything is irrelevant to your duty to uphold the decisions of the higher court!”
Fezzen’s whistle catches slightly as he sees platinum where he expected gold, and a bit more than 100 of them.
”The guilty always have a story to tell, and a paladin of Abadar should know better than to be fooled by such a tale. Her guilt is certain or she never would have been convicted by an Abadarian judge. Whatever extenuating circumstances she has engineered to curry favour will have no impact on that.” Finches reaches over to the table to grab a pair of manacles and tosses them to Gunnar. ”Now, are you going to obey an order issued from the upper levels of jurisprudence and clap her in irons, or are you going to be joining her on the gallows?” ”Sir Gunnar,” Bonita says, ”You have kept your word and I mine, and honour has been satisfied. Do not fret over what is beyond your control. One way or another, I will fly free.” She presents her wrists for the manacles.
”Oh I’m sure he’ll be right as rain, now that he has his pillows, and his rings, and his nummy-nums. Thank you ever so much for finding him and bringing him home. Brus? Brus, there you are man! Please step into my sitting room and bring out that purse I put together with the reward money I promised these good people for my dear Tricia’s safe return.” Brus knuckles his forehead and goes inside, returning a few minutes later to hand you a small leather purse with jingling coins inside. Sense Motive DC 16:
Brus seems smug as he hands you the purse. ”One hundred gold coins, as promised,” Mrs. Pumpherus says.
Euda and Gunnar make their way into town with their “prisoner”. She seems bemused by your insistence that the Abadar authority is the place to go for a fair shake, rather than the local law enforcement, but she doesn’t protest. It’s almost like she knew what was coming. It turns out, you end up taking her to both, as the cohortes and burgomeister are both back from their searches and found at the jail. As you enter, the two men look up from a map of the area spread on a table, with the cohortes raising and readying his repeating crossbow with alarming speed, alternately training it on Bonita and Gunnar. ”It would seem that you have spared yourself the headsman’s axe, at least,” the inquisitor says, clearly directed at Gunnar. ”But kindly explain how you came into the possession of a dangerous and wanted fugitive, and then thought it wise to allow her to wander the wilderness rather than locking her in the tightest cell possible. Explain carefully.” His finger tightens ever so slightly on the trigger.
Euda and Fezzen make their way up Mrs. Pumpherus’ drive to encounter Brus snoozing in a chair in the shade with a cool drink by his side. The lawns look immaculate, the hedges trimmed, and flower beds well-tended, a far cry from how they looked before. A yipping Tricia runs up to the gardener, startling him awake. He looks about, down at the dog, then back at the two of you with such hatred and malice on his face you’re glad for a moment he doesn’t have gardening tools close at hand. He continues to glare, silently and refusing all conversation, as he rouses himself and leads the way around to the rear gardens, also immaculate. Clearly Brus is a skilled gardener…when he has the time. Mrs. Pumpherus, sitting in her own chair in the sun with a pitcher of iced tea beside her, leaps to her feet to greet Tricia, and you. She floods you with praise and alternates between asking for the full story, ordering Brus to bring Tricia pillows, treats, and ice water, and showering the dog with an embarrassing amount of affection.
So the plan appears to be to split up your tasks. Robert escorts his family home, while Maria and Fezzen head to Mrs. Pumpherus’ manor house to deliver Tricia, and Euda and Gunnar head into town to locate Cohortes Mallond Finchus to hand over Bonita to justice.
Robert and his family can make their own way back to the farm (though plenty of folks will see you enter town with Benji so it won’t go unnoticed). You can head to Mrs. Pumpherus’ manor first however, as it’s on the way into town.
However, when I looked to see my inbox, there was already a message from him bowing out, so we’ll need a new golden boy. I would prefer not to advertise in general. I was running a second table of this game and ended it when I purged down to this one. If any of you have a player you know we could invite directly, that would be best. Robert will be sticking close to the farm, tending to his traumatized family and avoiding any further adventures.
Bonita resumes tending to the prisoner now that your conversation has come to an end. John still hasn’t really let his son go: Benji falls into a fitful sleep before supper is even ready, and your watch that night is interrupted several times by the teen’s night terrors. He seems rested however the next morning, Mallia is still bound and gagged (though now awake), and Bonita has not abandoned you. The dogs, now properly fed, begin to regain some of their usual demeanour. The journey back to town is no less tense than the journey out, as you don’t really know what to expect upon your return to town. A light rain is falling mid-afternoon when your party crosses the bridge and arrives at the sheriff’s office and jail. The sheriff, or Burgomeister as he prefers to be called, comes outside at your arrival.
He is still active in the boards, so I sent him a PM.
Despite your attempts at subtlety and quiet, Bonita apparently has exceptional hearing. Even from across the campsite as she tends to Mallia’s bonds, she stiffens at mention of her name.
I fear he may not be, though given my slow pace, it’s certainly understandable.
Roll or choose average is fine
On the way back to town, you will mysteriously awaken with an increased power capacity. Welcome to level 2.
Eudamonia tenderly clears a path through the vines for the group. John seems content to haul the Druid’s bound, unconscious form over his shoulder, though he seems not too gentle in the process. Meanwhile, others have been at work trying to tame the dogs with Bonita’s help, and while they don’t seem ready to roll over for belly rubs, they at least have stopped trying to eat you. It’s slow going, though, and you make it just to the edge of the forest before it’s time to setup camp. Mallia begins to stir just as you get the campfire going.
”I had to get the flock back. When I went back later, it was gone. Figured someone beat me to it.” The wolf has a nasty spear wound inside its mouth up into the brain. ”I’m really sorry if I killed her pet wolf and all, but can we get out of here before she wakes up?”
Benji shrugs. ”I might have,” he replies hoarsely through cracked lips, ”I did kill a wolf a few weeks ago. Might have been that one. It was going for the sheep. Normally, a wolf will just run off when you make enough noise and sling some stones at it, but this one kept coming. I thought I might be a goner, but I got lucky with my spear and nailed it right in its open mouth.” John hugs his son all the tighter.
You are able to surround the druid, and with enough drubbing she succumbs and collapses unconscious on the rooftop. Bonita arrives, her hands having morphed into bird talons. She takes one look at the scene before her and shakes her head, muttering a curse, and, pulling meat from a hide-wrapped package in her satchel, begins calming the conscious dogs. John drops his staff and rushes over to Benji and Robert, throwing his cloak over the boy, who winces in pain and the cloth touches his oozing cuts, though managed to keep a whimper stuffed deep inside. You appear to have won the day, though the circumstances leave you still with unanswered questions.
Knowledge Arcana 23:
The markings and layout of the crazed ritual remind you of a Druidic life-transference ritual you once read about, where a murderer is sacrificed and their life force transferred to their victim. If this woman were powerful enough to actually succeed at that kind of magic, you should probably all be dead by now. The druid staggers from the magical dart, clearly having trouble keeping her footing. She isn’t that wounded, but the drubbing she’s also taken is having its toll.
Mallia’s spell fizzles as Fezzen knocks her hands astray with his dagger. She growls and struggles to her feet, taking a 5-foot step towards the remaining sheepdog.
I’m here and fine with whatever.
”He’s a murderer!” the druid spits back. ”I come home for my father’s fiftieth birthday and Drugo, my one and only companion, butchered by that whelp as he hunts for a meal. He will pay for the blood he has spilt, and when my new companions spill his blood, Drugo will rise again.” She attempts to cast another spell: readied actions may be triggered.
Euda sends razor-sharp thorns at the woman, who is unable to avoid the magical foliage. Robert dashes over to his brother, who looks quite relieved at his arrival. Maria, unable to target the druid without getting Fezzen, alters her aim slightly to catch a pair of dogs, both of whom fall unconscious, along with the one Gunnar clubs, leaving one sheepdog and Tricia to growl and snarl viciously.
”No!! You cannot gave him! He must pay for his crime!” Mallia screams in protest, more than a hint of madness in her voice.
Fezzen dashes forward as the druid reaches for the dog’s rope lead, knocking her to the ground. Lying there, she casts a spell, not even trying to do it defensively. Fezzen can have an AoO to try to disrupt the spell.
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