Rob the GM's page

Hey guys, just checking in to see how this game is going. I'm sorry I had to abandon y'all, but it was better than me kinda being around and not keeping up.

A part of the life stress that was hitting me particularly in the Spring did in fact come to fruition. Westminster has been struggling financially for years, and starting last January they started telling us there would be cuts. Well, last May, two days before graduation, the dean told me that Westminster will be shrinking the size of the Physics department, and my position would be eliminated. The contract faculty has says that we get a buffer year, so I've got this year, and then I'm out. A job search in this field also much of the academic year, so I'm going to be starting that very soon. (I've seen a couple of jobs listed so far -- it's early days. One of them is at Carleton College; I'd love to get that, but it's a top-tier school, so will be very competitive. I won't be surprised if I don't even get a phone call from them.)

I wasn't surprised to be cut. Physics has a small number of majors, and if you're a bean counter, it becomes the obvious place to cut. (The fact that I play in the orchestra, participate in theater with the students, and teach interdisciplinary courses in the honors program is all irrelevant when you're looking at a spreadsheet of professors in department and majors in department.) It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be; early indicates were that they might not honor the buffer year that the faculty handbook said we were going to get, and as such I half expected that I'd be told the third week of May that I had two weeks left.

(When they cut non-staff faculty, they showed up in their offices one day and told them to walk out right then. This was particularly stupid, as, for instance, the person who worked for the Chemistry department taking care of their stock isn't somebody who can walk out without doing some transition. Westminster is a disaster in a lot of ways.)

Honestly, I'm not sure when I'll get to a convention in the near future. A couple of years ago, I figured out we hadn't really adapted to the pay cuts I took moving back in 2014. I went to both Paizo- and Gencon that year, but took the PFS offer of a free room for Tier 1 GMing. I'm too old and too much of an introvert to be able to cope with that. If I'm going to one of these on-all-day cons, I need my own escape space. (And there ARE some antisocial you-don't-want-to-hang-with them stereotypical yukky gamers in our community.) But, there's no way I could come close to affording that nowadays. (It used to cost probably $1k to go to PaizoCon each year.) (Even taking the PFS room offer, I'm probably outside my budget going to those.) So... I don't anticipate being able to do it any time soon.

One of the things in life making it hard for me to concentrate is much angst and uncertainty concerning the college where I'm on the faculty.
One possible side effect of this is that I might end up in a substantially higher-paying job (although it would mean leaving what I think of as my calling). If that were to happen, then perhaps I could consider going to one of the cons again.

Hey guys -- I'm really sorry about having flaked out and disappeared. There are reasons and extenuating circumstances, but you're probably not interested. In any event, Bret, thank you for jumping in after I flaked out.

I don't think I should continue either playing or GMing in this game sequence. I'm sad to let it go, but I think I need to. I'm not convinced that I'm able to keep up with PbP in any form any more; and, life stands the chance to get even more complicated in the near future.

Sorry, guys, life is just life.

Years ago, I used to really enjoy GMing PbP games. I'm learning that now it's more of "one more thing I'm supposed to be keeping up with" than it is fun. I will finish this game, but after that, I don't think I should GM any more of these. I'm way too damn slow, *and* I'm just not enjoying it.

I would like to GM some of our games in VTT, if we manage to have some of those in the gaps between PbP games. I still do GM that way regularly, seem to be at least vaguely competent at it, and enjoy it.

Honestly, I think I've demonstrated that I should *not* GM another PbP game. I'm just too slow. I can't keep things going. If I GM further games, they should only be VTT games.

Would it be OK if I didn't switch for this game? We're already into this combat, and I don't want to have to recreate everything.

(And, if you look at the speed at which I do things, you really don't want to be putting other obstacles in the way of my getting posts out....)

I figure the guy has a round or, at most, two to live at this point....

(Or, at least, to stay conscious.)

Iovo sneaks up to the front of the house and, looking around the corner, sees that a stealthy-looking man in black has appeared on the ground somehow! What's more, she recognizes him as the one who pointed out that the dagger used in the murders earlier was Garif's.

This is the man that Iovo sees.

Rees Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

In horror, she watches as the man moves up behind the unaware Rees, drawing a dagger as he does so, and stabs Rees in the back!

(Look, it was a trap after all!)

Attack roll: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Damage if hits: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Sneak attack damage: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) = 7

Rees feels a sharp pain in his gut as the knife slides in, doing 9 points of damage to him.

Combat Map 5

* Man in Black
* Shieara (up)
* Phinellippa
* Garif
* Daimar
* Kleines
* Iovo

Everybody can act!

Led by Kleines, Nico, and Garif, the group heads into the house. Getting to the end of the entrance hall and looking around, Kleines sees much of the rest of the first floor of the house, but does not see much else. Daimar continues her epic song, while Iovo circles around back looking for untoward things.

For reasons that may or may not soon become clear, we're going to go into combat rounds.

Combat Map 4

Action Order:
* Iovo (up)
* ...somebody...
* Shieara
* Phinellippa
* Garif
* Daimar
* Kleines

Iovo can act.

Heh. No, I also didn't post over the weekend, and y'all are waiting for me.

Posting shortly.

I love the song!

Iovo moves around to the side, looking through the window. She sees into the house, and does not see anybody lurking by the front door -- unfortunately, the way it's laid out, she wouldn't be able to. (You'll discover this is true for all of the windows, if you try them.)

She is perhaps a little bit surprised, as the tables and chairs she sees suggests that this is a nice little country bed & breakfast. However, there's no sign of occupation -- which is quite surprising given the number of visitors in town for the festival of execution.

What Iovo Sees.

Sensing nothing, Kleins kicks open the door -- and sees an empty house. There's an entryway with a nice rug, and a pair of staircases heading upwards on either side of the front door.

Combat Map 3 (#2 was Iovo's map above.)

Sorry about cutting off conversation with Ekira. I wanted to move things along. There's this issue in conversations with adversarial-but-not-fully-enemy NPCs where conversations can spiral into "but why would you think that way" back and forth that doesn't go anywhere. I wanted to avoid that (and just to move things along). Also, I figured that Ekira would have stalked off from Iovo and Rees before the folks talking to the Sheriff got back.

Looking at the letter, Iovo does indeed recognize the handwriting. It's exactly the same as the writing that the Pathfinder Society received, and that got you started on all of this in the first place. It is also the same as the testimony that the Sheriff received.

After performing some minor buffs (And feel free to do other things like Iovo's Mage Armor, as it'll take you a few minutes to get to the house), the Pathfinders head towards the ... well, it's a lead, or a trap, or both, but whatever it is, that's where they're going.

The house is unremarkable. It's got two stories, and is sided with wooden planks.

Combat Map 1. (I'll increment the number as things change. If you want to go somewhere, give me the coordinates of where you want to go, and how you got there if it matters. The front door is on the left side of squares H5-H6.)

Ekira has stalked away from Iovo, and doesn't seem to hear Rees' question. She's gone by the time the other Pathfinders have arrived back together.

The group shares information, and what's left of the day passes without further notable incident. However, right as dusk is approaching, something happens. A village approaches the group and hands them a letter.

For the folks coming back from talking to the Sheriff

Iovo and Rees

The frost returns to Ekira's attitude. "Perhaps," she says, "it is because you have never met a Desnan who has seen what the crusaders at the edge of the Worldwound have seen. Nor have you met a Desnan who has faced the kind of treachery from supposedly high-minded adventuring groups. The previous murders were committed by Pathfinders. If there are more in town..."

And her eyes narrow, and she says this next bit pointedly to the two of you, "or if there are any other adventurers in town, then it bears keeping a close eye on them."

She swirls her cloak imperiously and beings to walk away.

Now Ekira softens a little bit, because there's nothing a cleric or inquisitor loves more than telling others about their patron deity. (Well, OK, depending on the deity. Clerics and Inquisitors of Rovagug aren't happy unless they're burning s#!~ down.)

"Iomedae is the Inheritor, having inherited the mantle of Aroden. She ascended a millenium ago after passing the Test of the Starstone in Absalom, having performed 11 famous miracles during the Shining Crusade. She is the god of honor, justice, and valor. She and her church stand between the light and the darkness, defenders of what is good, holding back the hoardes that would destroy civilization. It is the church of Iomedae that bolsters the faith and inspires many of the warriors that make up the Mendevian Crusade, holding back the foul taint of the abyss that would otherwise spill out of the Worldwound and overwhelm Avistan."

With the Sherriff

Tobias Luin's brow furrows as Damiar mentions a shapeshifted demon. "I have not heard that rumor. If there is an actual shapeshifting demon in our midst, then that is quite alarming. I would suggest that you bring this rumor to the attention of the Inquisitor Ekira; she is likely the one best equipped to follow up on it."

He pauses, in thought. After a moment, he turns to Shieara, "You mean Ekira when you talk about a woman throwing shade, don't you? Have you had a run-in with her? She can be very severe... but she comes from the front on the border with the Worldwound. She has seen terrible things. And, she is sworn to Iomedae, which means that ultimately she is on the side of justice and life."

Speaking with Ekira

Rees is really not to get much of a read from Ekira. What's more, his attempt to stare her down in an intimidating manner seems to have no effect on her.

She turns her attention back to Iovo, her eyes narrowing again. "Iomedae does not sneak around and speak in deceptive whispers like the Reaper of Reputation! It's sacrilege even to suggest that if you are not serious, but trying to get under my skin! The god speaks to me because I am a loyal servant. Many gods operate in this manner; this does not make them secretive nor sneakers."

After Iovo's second question, Eikra pauses for a few moments, concentrating on Iovo again. Iovo suspects she's being scanned for alignment yet again. After the pause, her face sets itself into a pensive frown, and she merely says, "Hmmm."

In front of the Heath and Harvest

Ekira's eyes narrow at Iovo. "Do you question my faith?"

She turns her attention to Rees, and concentrates for several seconds, much as she did looking at Iovo earlier.

Iovo does not spot the man who earlier accused Garif... and who seemed to have buttons on his jacket matching the one you found out at Otto's farm. He seems to have made his accusation and then made himself very scarce.

With Sheriff Tobias Luin

The halfling says, "I believe you. I do not think you are a murderer. However, for the sake of stability and sanity in the town, I do have to take some measure of due diligence and follow due process."

"As for keeping an eye on you, you don't have to do anything. Please be forgiving of the townsfolk if they act suspicious, however."

Before Ekira showed up, you heard lots of speculation about what was going on. Some folks are speculating that Garif is a Pathfinder just like the previous murders.

Ekira targets Iovo with a laser-like glare. She pauses for several seconds.

"This is no time for jest," she says in the severest voice imaginable. You can see her teaching at a grade school where all of the kids are cowed into submission, and have bruises on their knuckles from repeated ruler-beatings. "The Voice of Iomedae herself warned me that Pathfinders were in town, and that the entire society is engaged in villainy."

She's clearly heard of the whole murderhobo thing.

Her eyes narrow. "You aren't one of them, are you?"

OK! Picking this up, and I will maintain momentum through the end this time!

Rees and Iovo stay behind to look around the crowd for clues.

Everybody else heads away with the sheriff. Rees and Iovo hear some grumbling that the sherriff seems to be treating Garif awfully gently for somebody who is very clearly a murderer.

With the Sheriff

As he gets you far enough away from the crowd, the halfling Tobias Luin says directly to Garif, "I know -- well, I'm pretty sure -- you aren't guilty, but it looks very bad right now. Either you've pulled the wool over my eyes, or somebody is trying to frame you. I'm not going to hold you right now, but my duty to the town requires that I keep eyes on you; I'm sorry for this, but it is what it is."

Back in front of Heath and Harvest

The inquisitor Ekira makes an appaerance, as a couple of Luin's deputies are cleaning up the body. "Stand back, and allow me to view the scene," she says imperiously. She stalks around the body a few times. A "helpful" townfolk points at Rees and Iovo, whispering "they were with the murderer, a dwarf".

One eye arched, the blond Iomedean inquisitor arches one eyebrow and stalks towards Rees and Iovo. "So." She says. "You are with the Dwarf who committed the murder. He visited me earlier. What are you plotting here, and why have you come to bedevil this town?"

The crowd's reaction is mixed. Some start calling for swift justice, some call to find Ekira. Others seem to be calmed by some of your words... although they do take note that Garif admitted it was his dagger.

It's not very long before the halfling Tobias Luin shows up. Some of you made a very good impression on the Sheriff earlier, so he immediately sets to calming down the crowd.

"Stand back, make room!" he says, as he approaches your group. "It's OK, everybody, I will take care of this."

Quietly to you, he says, "Come quietly with me to my house; let's get away from this mob so that we can talk. One or two of you stay behind to look around the scene."

After a pause, he says to Garif, "Not you, though."

You had some pretty awesome Diplomacy rolls when you met him earlier; that's paying off.

Let me know how you proceed.

At Orug's

Alas, Iovo's tale, while well-told, seems to hit a nerve amongst the local population, and people feel more creeped out than entertained. The result is subdued conversation not conducive to divulging rumors.

At the Fairgorunds

Shaieara makes an attempt at the mallet game, but it seems that somebody else wasn't playing entirely fair. As she swings the mallet, it slips in her hand-- she realizes belatedly that somebody seems to have rubbed some lard or other lubricating element on the handle. Not enough to notice, but enough to let it slip when she swings her mightly blow. As a result, her grip isn't quite good enough, and she hits the target a little off to the side, resulting in a mediocre rise of the puck.

Back together approaching dusk

The group gets together near the center of town. After Garif excitedly shares the knowledge he learned, he realizes that his dagger is missing, and speculates that somebody invisible lifted it off of him.

Just as he says this, you hear a scream and a commotion not far away. Rushing to see what's going on, you find a gathering crowd in front of of the Health and Harvest. Maneuvering your way towards the center, you see that there have been two more murders! Two men are lying dead on the doorstep of the Inn. With a sinking feeling, Garif recognizes the hilt of his cold-iron dagger sticking out of the chest of the younger man's body.

He has no time to react before a man on the opposite side of the small clearing in the crowd around the two bodies points right at the dwarf and shouts, "The dagger! It belonged to that one!"

All of you get a brief impression of a well-dressed tall and thin man with a short mop of black hair and a soul patch of beard below his lower lip. However, he melts into the crowd, and what's more, the crowd starts to surround you -- Garif in particular.

"Another murderer in our midst!" one person cries.

"It's the Pathfinders, come back to free their villainous friends!"

"Demons! Demons from the Wound!"

"Stop them! Don't let them escape!"

There is some shoving, but no serious violence. However, the crowd has Garif quite surrounded, to the point that he won't be able to get out without serious violence of his own....

"Somebody get the sheriff!" you hear a voice call.

Let me know how you proceed.

Nobody at either location notices the stork this afternoon.

Word on the street

Garif runs into another dwarf, discovers a shared love of geology, and spends the afternoon in a truly fascinating conversation. Only by the end of it does he realize that Kleines has moved on and is working the crowd somewhere else. While it doesn't help the investigation, Garif has a hard time shaking the idea that it was an afternoon very well spent.

Kleines and Phinepella, however, have a better time. Kleines makes some casual friends who share some gossip with him; Phinnellippa, meanwhile, keeps an eye on things, evesdrops, and overhears what people are saying, and. Between the two of them, this is what they are able to piece together:

Word on the Street Rumor #2: Ekira says that Iomedae began speaking to her directly after she arrived in Dawnton. She’s thinking
about setting down roots here, establishing a church, maybe even challenging Sheriff Tobias Luin for the title of mayor.

Word on the Street Rumor #3: Previous rumors of a jailbreak were fabricated. It turns out that a couple of people at the beer garden, pretty deep in their cups, were speculating the dirty rotten Pathfinders were going to do. Somebody else heard that, repeated it, and the rumor got out. But, it's completely baseless.

None of you are aware of having seen anybody wearing a coat with buttons like the one you found at Otto's. None of the Pathfinders in jail had anything like it.

It's currently early afternoon. You could go out and hit the streets again for the afternoon to look for more information. It sounds like Kleines wants to hit the street, and that Garif wants to try to confront the stork.

Other places where you think you might be able to pick up more information: the General Store has enough traffic that you may be able to get something there. There's probably more to learn at the Fairground. The twins have made a name for themselves there, but they reaped the result of that at the Beer Garden (which you think you've, ahem, tapped out). Finally, general word on the street still has something available.

Based on experience, you know that having multiple people working one spot is a mixed blessing. You have more people to work the crowd... but you also get a bit in each others way, and have to avoid being too conspicuous, it can make it a bit harder to get people to spill. From a mechanical point of view: the more people you have present, the more rumors you can get from one site. Also, multiple successful rolls will add up to additional rumors. However, the more people who are present, the harder it is to get successes. The sweet spot, based on your experience, is probably 3 people at one location.

Based on what you've learned: Orug witnessed something, but his story seems to grow with the telling. You suspect you could learn more there by telling your own tall tales with Bluff or (if they're true) Diplomacy, or (if you're trying to seriously one-up Orug) Intimidate. You might also win their trust with appropriate Cratf or Profession skills. If there's another approach you want to try, let me know; it might work!

Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) are the obvious skills for word on the street, but there's a lot of room for creatively coming up with ways to use other things to get information out there. Let me know what you're doing!

The twins have demonstrated some useful skills at the Fairgrounds. There are a bunch of competitions going on there, and doing well at them will win you friends, or at least people to talk to. Physical skills would be useful there for the sporting competitions.

Kleines judges that it's a little surprising that somebody could sleep through the likely screams of somebody being flayed; the house isn't right next to the tree where the body was found, but it's not that far either. Perhaps if somebody slept really deeply.

The Pathfinders all gather together back in town to swap notes and figure out what they've learned. It's early afternoon.

Let me know how you proceed. You probably want to discuss what you've figured out, and whether or not there are other things you want to investigate. Then, let me know what you do for the afternoon phase of this day (Day 4). The same locations are all available, although you don't believe there's anything more to be learned at Otto's farm.

At the Heath and Harvest

Ekira's eyes narrow as she looks suspiciously at Shieara. "What is your real motivation? Who are you really? I should warn you if you're trying to find a way to get those villainous Pathfinders off -- they're guilty. They will hang for their crimes. The Voice of Iomedae spoke to me directly, and the evidence bears it up."

After a pause, she adds, "You should also know that I am aware of the villainy of the entire Pathfinder society, and I will be closely watching anybody I suspect being an agent of that organization."

At Otto's Farm

"I didn't rightly hear the screams, but I can't imagine the pain of bein' put through that flaying."

"I did hear something about the folks they caught with it...."

Otto's Rumor #1: Ekira, the inquisitor who fingered the Pathfinders, was nearly elated when she learned it was Pathfinders who had committed the murders. Otto found this a bit unseemly, given the grisly state of the body he found hanging in his yard. She was also elated at the decision that the Pathfinders be murdered. The inquisitor hated Pathfinders even before they were fingered for the current set of murders.

Otto's Rumor #2: He's also heard that there's a witch in town who plans to bring the corpses back as undead. Otto figures that with Ekira on the watch, she'll be able to stop the zombies from slaughtering the town on the day of the execution....

You get the sense that there's not much more you can learn (except for the things in the spoilers above) from Otto.

This isn't a forest; it's Otto's farmlands, really. The checks aren't against a human per se. Ress did pass the Perception check, so you guys can open that spoiler; it will make what Phinellippa said make more sense....

At the Beer Garden

"Well, me, myself, don't rightly care where you're from! I just like to hear you sing and watch you perform your feats!"

At the Heath and Harvest

The woman regards Shieara intensely.

"Thank you, but I do not require favors for having helped apprehend the criminals responsible for the crimes."

Her eyes narrow. "Why are you so interested?"

At Otto's Farm

As all three of the Pathfinders speak with great eloquence and courtesy, and voice the word of reason, Otto looks noticably chagrined. "My apologies. We get lots of gawkers now, and most aren't so respectful. Don't come from the mayor either. I can show you what's what here."

Much more gracious now, he leads you on a tour of the property. He tells you that he'd come out before dawn to feed the chickens, and saw the young man hanging from a tree. "Naked, he was. Completely naked."

He shudders, as if in horror at the memory-- which perhaps surprises you, for the sight of a naked person wouldn't usually cause such a reaction. Seeing the questioning looks on your faces, he says, "I mean, not just no clothes, but his skin'd been torn right off him. I can just imagine the poor fellow screaming and suffering as the skin was flayed off of him."

At Otto's Farm

Kleines, Phinellippa, Rees

Otto's farm, a few miles down the road, is easy to find, as there's a large yellow octagonal sign. The farmlands are currently unplanted, about ten acres worth. At the center of the fields is a farmhouse, with a line of trees along the west side forming a windbreak.

As you approach the farmhouse, a man steps out and sees you approaching. At a distance of about 40ft, you see a powerfully built, somewhat squat, clean-shaven man in his thirties. "Don't want no visitors here!" he calls out. "You're trespassing! Get yourselves off of my land right now!"

At the Heath and Harvest

Garif and Shieara

The dwarf and the elf head down to the common room of the inn in town. The pub is has a few customers, but as the morning wears on towards midday, the number of customers pick up quite a bit. The festive atmosphere in town -- as noted before, there's hardly anything more exciting than an execution as an event for the whole family to attend -- has brought a lot of visitors, and the pub is happily doing a lot of business.

As the two of them walk into the room and look around, in a corner table, sitting by herself, they see a woman who matches the description of the inquisitor in town. She has a holy symbol of Iomedae, short blond hair, and the sternest looking face you can imagine. As you approach the table, she looks up at the two of you. "Yes?" she asks in a no-nonsense, serious tone.

At the Beer Garden

Daimar and Iovo, the Elf Twins. I can't help but be reminded of this. Probably not acrobatic enough.

It's the morning, so the crowd is still building... but the festive atmosphere (it's an execution, after all, so there's much party to be had) has more people showing up to the beer garden early in the morning than many might consider appropriate. (They're all saying, "We like beer, OK? We like beer!") The people are happy to see the elf twins, and indeed both of them end up with several free beers.

Suffice to say that as noon approaches, many in the beer garden are substantially more inebriated than they had been the previous day; something about the song, for whatever unfathomable reason, seemed to inspire people to buy more beer.

Drunk beer garden attendees make for wagging tongues. Indeed, as Iovo is a wee bit too obvious asking the questions one of the others present, a dwarf who has a jolly look on his face, complete with red bulbuous nose and rosy cheeks--- except when he catches himself, and then he looks dour, but only briefly--- says to her, "Ya know, you keep asking these questions, and some folks seem to be noticing it. This guy...."

The dwarf looks around a bit, but doesn't see the guy he's looking for. "Human fellow. Black hair, little tiny bit of hair under his chin in the most pathetic excuse for a wannabe-beard that I've ever seen. I mean, if you aren't gonna grow a real one, why not just shave it? This little sprit of hair just under the middle of your lower lip.... Anyway, as I was sayin', he seems to have notice you asking questions--- are you here with other people? He asked about... um, I forget. But, I heard him asking somebody about who you folk were and where you were from. Want another beer?"

Iovo and Daimar do pick up some jucy tidbits from the chatter around the beer garden:

Beer Garden Rumor #3: Orug Foram discovered the second victim in front of his general store. He says he fought the murderer before he escaped, but has been known to stretch a point in the name of a good story.

This comes as no surprise to you; you heard the story from him first-hand about how he found it... and you probably guessed from how he talked that he liked to aggrandize the truth a bit.

Beer Garden Rumor #4: Another stranger, this one tall and quiet with a patch of hair missing from the back of his head, has been in town for about as long as the Pathfinders have. He sometimes asks more questions about the accused than is considered seemly in these parts.

(This latter guy is the same guy that the drunken dwarf was talking to Iovo about.)

So, I fail to detect a consensus.... To help you decide. You believe you can get out to Otto's farm without being too conspicuous. However, you also suspect it'll be harder to get him to let things spill if too many people go at once. Folk are more likely to let rumors slip to a couple of people than to a whole collection of them all at once. (The guy at the bar vs. announcing to the room.) So, if you want to get some rumors out of Otto, you want to limit the number of people who go-- unless you think you're aid another's on the attempt to impress him can overcome it. HOWEVER, that's not all there is to it. This is the scene of one of the murders, and it's likely less trampled than the street out in front of the general store. As such, you might be looking for physical evidence, and it's probably a good idea to have as many eyes as possible there.

In other words: there are benefits and drawbacks to going all to the farm as a group. So, what do you want to do?

Sorry about the long silence. Picking things up again.

Wow, cool, thanks for that!

So far, I only have one roll to blend in, a Stealth-14 from Rees. Could the rest of you please give me a Stealth, Disguise, or Bluff check? The point of this is to reduce the obviousness that there are strangers in town asking a lot of questions.

So far, the town hasn't taken particular notice of you poking about and asking questions. Of course, the flamboyant performance at the Fairgrounds has attracted some notice, so some folks are definitely aware of some of your group, at least as performers. Doubtless busybodies in town will notice that three of you made a visit to the sherrif's house.

The day heads towards the afternoon of Day 4. You get the sense that there are still rumors in town to learn, if you find the right way to establish rapport with the folk there. As before, places where you could go to try to do this include the fairgrounds (tent city), the beer garden, the general store, and just out and about to get the word on the street. However, your most recent investigations have turned up a couple of other leads that might be worth investigating. One is the site of the first murder, which was the farm of a man named Otto. This farm is a few miles down the main road from Dawnton proper. (You can make the trip out there and back in one phase.) You've also heard in a couple of places about an inquisitor of Iomedae, named Ekira, who is in town and who was involved in the investigation and conviction of the other Pathfinder team.

Feel free to discuss as you wish, and when you think you know where each of you want to go, let me know.

The scenario doesn't actually provide the letter, alas.

"No contact at all," the halfling says in response to Kleines' question.

Heading back up to the ground level, the Tobias tells Sheiara that the letter didn't say anything about motive, it just identified the Pathfinders as the murderers. Together with the other evidence, it was enough to arrest them.

In response to what Garif says, Tobias blinks a few times before responding, "I think I catch your... vein. I agree that it's troublesome, and the Pathfinders are not acting the way you would expect criminals to act. And, while we seem to have them dead to rights, and while a lot of folk around here are suspicious of adventuring types-- adventuring types stir up demons-- you're right that the motive isn't clear. If you can find evidence that the Pathfinders aren't the murderers, please don't hesitate to bring it to me."

The three of you head back to meet with the others.

I am going to post this, and dig to see who already made a "avoid making too much of a scene" check... although the impressive performance at the Fairgrounds are likely to have attracted some notice, as is a visit to the sherrif's house. Another post coming shortly.

Corwin loses his lopsided smile and his face falls a bit. Shaking his head, he says, "As I told the sheriff, we don't really know anything, but nobody will believe us. We got here investigating a report of a Sarkorian ruin that had come to our Pathfinder lodge. We hadn't found anything, and were arrested in our beds the second night we were here. In fact, we were already in our beds when the second murder occurred, but as we were there alone, we don't have anybody to corroborate the story. I suppose there's a lesson in that...."

"We didn't resist arrest, nor have we tried to escape, because we knew that would just cement our guilt in everybody's minds. It seems that that has happened anyway. But, also, we don't want any innocent bystanders to get hurt."

He regards Shieara carefully, before continuing. "If you're asking, then you must think there's some possibility that we're telling the truth. Please, look into it more closely! We didn't do it. We were arrested after the sheriff got an anonymous letter; that's what finally convinced him, I think that we were guilty. See if you can see it; maybe you will see something in it that he didn't."

Let me know how you proceed.

As an aside: you can have brought the letters that Jorsal received with you. This will allow you to do a side-by-side handwriting comparison, now that Garif recognized it's the same.

At the Sherriff's House

"The murders were grisly," the Tobias Luin says with a grimace. "The first one, at Otto's farm, was hanged... and worse. Otto was the one who found the body; you might want to talk to him. The second one was less grisly; it happened on the street outside Orug's store. It was a stabbing, although the murderer did take the time to slice down the victim's front and allow some of the innards to spill out. Here, the murderer had to leave the scene quickly."

"The dagger was in fact bloodied."

"As for Ekira," Tobias says, "She's about. She's staying a the Heath and Harvest, the one inn in town. She cuts a striking figure; tall, red cape that has a tendency to swirl dramatically behind her, silver holy symbol of Iomedae, very nicely made chainmail armor."

The halfling stands up. "Come. If you wish to speak to the prisoners, I will take you to them."

He leads the three of you back out into the hall and through another door, which opens on to a set of stairs leading down into a basement (or, shall we say, dungeon).

It's dark. You might be eaten by a grue.

Fortunately, Tobias isn't a monster, and has some lamps burning downstairs so the Pathfinders aren't locked up in the dark.

There are three Pathfinder prisoners. They look healthy and well-treated, although they are locked up. When you come towards the cell where they're held, they stand up and look at you, a mixture of trepidation and hope in their eyes.

You recognize the three, and were given the names earlier by Jorsal (even if I didn't tell you that....). There's a halfling, Corwin Burke, and two dwarves, the male Torum Grunsch and the female Dakota spire. The two dwarves look like they could be sister and brother. Both have black hair worn in long braids, and thick eyebrows under furrowed brows.

The halfling, Corwin Burke, is short (even for a halfling) and thin, with a shock of red hair on the top of his head. As you appear, he stands and moves towards the edge of the cell. Despite his rather dire predicament, he cocks a half-smile and says, "Ah, Sherriff Luin, I suppose these fine folk are the real murderers, and we're now to be set free?"

Let me know how you proceed.

In the Market Square

Well, you could do whatever you wanted, but I did kind of telegraph Handle Animal there. I figured if you were out for a few hours, you might try to take advantage of a situation that came up that spoke to your skills. Alas, the dice hate you. (It's not personal. They hate everybody, except for, right now, the Elf Twins.)

Rees tries to get a hold on the donkey, but ends up with dirt kicked at him as the donkey gets even more ornery. Eventually, Rees, with the help of a couple of others, get the donkey calmed down and returned to the woman.

Chatting a bit with the folks who helped him get the donkey under control, Rees does hear this tidbit:

Word on the Street Rumor #1: When the Pathfinders were arrested, the accused halfling had blood all over his hands and clothes.

At the Fairgrounds

So, as Iovo was tumbling, Damiar was singing, and the whole thing was a gigantic hit with the crowd. Both of the Elf Twins are offered free drinks at the beer garden later in the day, and a couple of folks from other towns approach them asking if the sisters will come and perform in their town.

Mechanically speaking, Damiar and Iovo now get a +2 bonus on checks to learn information at the beer garden.

During the ensuing conversation, they are able to pick up this additional tidbit:

Fairgrounds Rumor #3: Some aren’t sure the prisoners are guilty, but it’s hard to get anybody to speak his mind with that inquisitor throwing accusations and the whole crowd screaming to see some necks get stretched.

At the Sherrif's House

"Well, truth to be told, we do have a decent amount of seriously incriminating evidence against the prisoners," Tobias says. "Holding them downstairs now, until the time of the election."

"First, the murders began the same night the Pathfinders got into town, and stopped as soon as they were locked up. Circumstantial, yes, but it is suggestive. And, it's not the only thing we have."

"Second, I found a dagger at the scene of the second murder which belonged to one of the Pathfinders. This is quite incriminating."

"All three of the Pathfinders were seen at Otto's farm just hours before someone found the first victim there. This places them at the scene of the crime at least close to the time of the crime."

"Finally, there is an inquisitor of Iomedae visiting-- Ekira is her name. Very serious and dour, but crusaders who follow Iomedae are often like that in this part of the world, for obvious reasons. Seeing as she follows the goddess of honor and justice, I would expect her to be quite reliable. She received an anonymous letter from a concerned but frightened citizen identifying the Pathfinders as the murders."

"In fact," he says, standing up. He turns and goes to a locked cabinet on a bookcase behind his desk. He gets out a ring of keys, unlocks the cabinet, and pulls out a piece of paper. He puts it on the desk in front of you. "This is the letter."

If the rest of you guys are OK with a pause, we'll probably want to continue what's going on at the Sherrif's house.

In no particular order:

Word on the Street

Rees watches several people moving around the streets, talking. One person catches his eye. It's a woman who's got a donkey leading a cart full of various fruits, which she is clearly intending eventually to get over to the fairgrounds to sell. However, she's not paying good attention to the donkey -- indeed, she's speaking conspiratorially with somebody else, evidently sharing a rumor of some sort (which you are not able to overhear).

The donkey starts to wander off, and when the woman notices, she starts shouting at it. "Oy! You! Come back here!"

The donkey seems stubborn, however, and picks up its pace....

At the Fairgrounds

Phinellippa tries to do some somersaults, but unfortunately ends up tripping over her feet, and nobody really seems to take much notice. In part, they are distracted by Iovo's impressive performance, as she tumbles and jumps and spins to perfection.

After her performance, a lot of people want to talk to her, and Damiar and Phinellippa join the frey, hoping to pick something up. A lot of the talk is not relevant to your investigation; indeed, a lot of it is praise and admiration of Iovo's acrobatic mastery. Others want to know where she learned how to do what she did, and want to share with her other performances they'd seen in the past. More than one invite her to come to the beer garden later in the day, where they will buy her a drink.

Another person recognizes Damiar as the one who had sung the previous night. "Are you two sisters?" he asks, looking back and forth between the two elves. Damiar is also assured that somebody will buy her a beer at the beer garden, if they are to go there later.

However, of course, the talk inevitably comes to the word of the day, and that, of course, is the pending executions of the horrendous Pathfinder murderers. And, as the talk turns, you pick up the following rumor, which may open up a new avenue for investigation:

Fairground Rumor #2: Otto, a farmer who lives just outside Dawnton, found the body of the first victim the morning the accused Pathfinders arrived. He’s still going about his business as though nothing had happened.

At the Sherriff's house

"Oh, I'm sorry, please pardon me," Tobias Luin says; you seem to have improved his attitude a decent amount. He still does look harried, but his demeanor towards yous oftens. "Rather a lot going on right now, I don't intend to be rude. Come in, come in."

He leads you back to his office, where there are only two chairs in addition to his. He perches his butt on his desk, but then realizes the chair behind the desk is too short for any of you, and awkwardly sits down in his chair before gesturing for the three of you to sit as you please.

"Most of the people who are coming here, there are coming here to gawk. The ones who think they are here to help, they come with stories of demons in the night and witchery and dark magics... all nonsense. I mean, I know that demons are real, and not far from here they're a constant threat, but everything I hear is just breathless speculation. I didn't expect folks who look like they might actually be competent give a genuine offer of help. So, tell me, what is it that you think you can do?"

One thing you have surmised is that with the guards around, somewhere in this building there's probably the town jail. It's likely that the Pathfinder prisoners awaiting execution are held somewhere on site.

Damiar, give me your check at the Faigrounds; it's possible you might hear a bit more there. Rees, let me know what you do on the street, and the three of you at the Sherrif's, let me know what you say to him.

Re: diplomacy checks and the sheriff:

One thing you can generally do with Diplomacy is try to improve attitudes. If this comes after just a few lines of speech, I generally think of it as representing non-verbal cues, tone of voice, etc. (and probably random pheremone emissions) that rub the person you're talking to the right way or the wrong way.

I will tend to give you small circumstance bonuses if you say the right thing (definite if the scenario says it's the right thing), or penalties if you say the wrong thing ("Like me, you piece of crap!" [rolls Diplomacy]).

[dice=Diplomacy (Aid)]1d20 + 5

That "Aid" was totally a typo, right? You meant just to say "Diplomacy", right? :D

You all get a good night's sleep, although it's a bit crowded in the two rooms. Also, when Garif snores, it sounds like rocks grinding. He wouldn't have it any other way.

DAY 4, MORNING

Word on the Street

Rees

More people are coming into town in hopes of seeing a juicy execution. The streets -- what few there are-- are fairly busy, and there's decent traffic back and forth to the tent city where most people are staying. You can see some locals out trying to hawk their garden products or other wares at tourist prices.

There is a buzz in the street. You pick up in passing some tut-tutting about Pathfinders and adventurers in general. "You know how they are..." You might even have heard the word "murderhobo" once or twice.

Conversation also quickly goes to hushed whispers with looks thrown over shoulders whenever topics like demons or dark magic are mentioned.

How do you want to approach this? You an each make a separate check if you like, or you can try to work together. You can do the usual social check to try to talk people, but if there's something else you want to try to do, let me know what it is, and throw in a relevant check.

The Fairgrounds / Tent City

Phinellippa, Iovo?, Daimar?

There's a lot of detritus about from the last couple of days of festivities, and the grass is quite trampled. In the morning, the buzz is beginning, but it's not quite as busy about as it likely will be later in the day. There aren't even very many people who are drunk yet (although the story may be different in the beer garden). People are emerging from tents; you get the impression that they huddled in them overnight, probably jumping at the slightest creaking of a nearby tree in the wind and thinking about demons and cultists lurking in the shadows. But, it's day now, and it looks like it will be another nice one.

Some food stalls are setting up. There are performers about, but by and large they haven't really gotten going yet. People are setting up friendly athletic competitions and sporting matches; there's a fair bit of noise coming from a barrel and a couple of stools where people are arm wrestling. Over in another field, people seem to have invented some sort of team sport; they've wadded up a bunch of stockings into a ball that's about 7 or 8 inches across, and they're kicking it around, trying to kick the ball between a couple of makeshift posts on either side of the field they've set up. You hear somebody suggesting that they should name the game in honor of the ball they've created, and are considering calling it "sock-ur".

There are even a few people standing on the bank of the river in their skivvies, boasting to each other about how fast they can swim.

You get the sense that you could loosen folks' tongues with any sort of athletic display, be it swimming, running, jumping, tumbling, lifting, or so forth. Let me know if you want to throw in something like this, or if you want to try a different approach, and throw in an appropriate check.

Sherrif Tobias Luin

Garrif, Klienes, Shieara

Tobias Luin's house is the one marked C on the map (linked under my name). (I bet you're disappointed that I lied to you about the C having no meaning whatsoever, huh.) It's the largest residence in town, perhaps no surprise given that the sheriff is also the mayor. As you approach the house, you can see that there are three of the town guards on watch around the house; they give you a wary eye as you walk up, but as you show no outward hostility, they don't intercept you. You do think it's a bit odd that the sherrif's house -- if that's all that it is -- needs town guards outside.

You knock on the door. After a few moments, you hear a voice inside. "Yes, yes, I am coming."

The door opens, and the halfling who opened it looks surprised to see you, as if he had expected somebody else. "Oh, I'm sorry. What can I do for you?" The halfling speaks in a guarded tone.

Iovo, Daimar: could you confirm that you are going to the fairgrounds, or let me know if you're going somewhere else?

Everybody: Let me know how you proceed, and put in any relevant checks if reasonable to do so.

Oops, typo. That Knowledge (Local or History) DC 2 above was supposed to be DC 20.

Are you guys cool with the style I'm using for calling out the rumors? It makes things a little more "gamey", and makes them not flow quite as well, doing that rather than integrating them into NPC dialog as you speak with them. However, I'm thinking with a PbP, where our attention spends more time during the day diverted away from the game than on the game, it'll be easier for folks to refer back to the rumors you've learned by having them called out in the text.

At the General Store

The half-elf Iovo as she comes closer.

"You said she what? Oh, that is too precious!"

She is quite taken with the bit of gossip Iovo said. (And, even if nobody other than Shevar Besnik talks about her, doubtless the adventures of Besnik and the Librarian have made their way around the Pathfinder Society.)

"Well, the news around here is the murders, of course! You must be in town with the others to witness the execution. I think the Sheriff has those Pathfinders dead to rights...."

General Store Rumor #1: When he arrived at the second murder site, Sheriff Tobias Luin found a dagger that fit a sheath belonging to one of the Pathfinders who was hiding nearby.

Tessa Greenagh begins musing about the Pathfinders who suposedly committed the murders, sharing a tidbit she'd heard from one of the other cities. "I haven't been to Neroysan, or any other city closer to the Worldwound myself, but what I did hear...."

General Store Rumor #2: When Kenabres fell, half the survivors got possessed by demons. Those poor Pathfinders most certainly killed those people, but it’s not really their fault.

Meanwhile, over near the barbershop, Orug can't help but regale Phinellippa with a bombastic tale of his own derring-do.

General Store Rumor #3: I witnessed the murder myself, I did! Happened right outside. When I heard the scream outside, I rushed outside there. Tried to help the poor fellow, but the murderer -- didn't rightly get a great look, he took a cowardly cheap shot that knocked me a bit askew, and the villain ran off into the dark before I could do anything more. Tall fellow.

At the Fairgrounds

"Where did I hear that?"

The human Damiar is talking to looks around. "You know, a few people are saying it. Somebody overheard them talking about their plans? But, you know, you can't trust those adventuring types anyway!"

At the Beer Garden

Garif is actually able to find some beer without any trouble. Kegs of it. It's not clear that it counts as beer to Garif's standards, but it's quite servicable.

Yeah, there will be other checks you can make. For instance, looking around, you realize that if you come back to the beer garden, you could get yourself involved in a drinking contest, in order to help, shall we say, lubricate the wagging tongues of others. This would involve a Fortitude save. Also, if you can think of things that fit well with what's going on -- e.g. the Knowledge (Local) check to come up with a great rumor for the rumor-mongering general store owner, or the Perform (Sing) check to entertain at the fairgrounds -- those are fair game too.

As the evening ends....

Surprisingly, the Inn has two rooms open right now; somebody just left. So, if you want to share rooms, you can get a room there. Alternatively, you can just go and pitch a tent at the tent city and sleep there. It looks like the weather's going to hold out at least tonight, so you could do well even without a tent, as long as you've got a bedroll or something to sleep on.

You think you did a pretty good job being circumspect. That is, you don't believe any of you (except for Daimar) convinced anybody with your attempt at disguise or bluffing, nor did you stay sufficiently out of sight with stealth, for a few not to take note of what just might be one of those dubious adventuring parties forming in town. However, your approach during the day didn't raise any red flags with people, sometimes getting rumors by deflecting suspicion by dropping other rumors. Asking direct questions, and mentioning scary things, is good at getting information, of course, but it also can raise folks' suspicions.

Still, it's probably just a matter of time before your presence as a group is noticed.

Tomorrow will be a new day, and we'll start the morning phase. The places you can go are as before: the fairgrounds (tent city), the beer garden, Orug's General Store, or trying to get the general word on the street. Add to that the Sherrif, Tobias Luin, whose name came up a few times; you might want to try to get in his good graces, and she what light he can shed on the matter.

You guys can gather together and discuss with each other as much as you want, to share information, speculate wildly, and think about what you'll want to do next. When you're ready, tell me where you're going for the next phase. I'll set the scene. In a place you've already been, you do have some idea what's going on there, so you might have a good idea what approach you might take (and thus what check you might instead of a social skill check). If it's a new place, let me tell you about it before you throw in a check, as it might prompt you to come up with something creative.

ASIDE: From now on, don't give preemptive checks. As you get to a place, you'll get a feel for what sort of checks might be appropriate. It won't be all diplomacy, all the time....

At the General Store

Phinellippa, Iovo, Rees

Orug's General Store is a sprawling business that occupies three storefronts. It looks too large for a village the size that Dawnton usually is, but the number of people that have descended on the town helps explain the existence of a general store this large. And, after all, it is at a crossroads.

As you get there and look around, you see that the center room is the general store; if you want to do any shopping, this is the place to do it. The eastern room is storage, offices, and apartments for the owners. The west room is the barbershop and baths. There are two chairs where Orug Foram, a half-orc man who is one of the two proprietors of the place, gives haircuts. Farther back in this part of the complex are three rooms with tubs for hot baths. The barbershop and baths look like they might be one of the main hubs for gossip in town.

The two proprietors of the store are Orug Foram (the half-orc), and his wife, the half-elf named Tessa Greenagh. As you come in, you see Tessa behind the counter in the main store deep in quiet conversation with a pair of humans who are standing in front of the counter. Orag is over in the barber shop talking more loudly with a human whose hair he is cutting, saying "All the folk that come, they'll see themselves a good execution, yessir they will. And they'll of course be wantin' to hear from the people who have first-hand knowledge...."

You get the sense that both of the proprietors are inveterate gossips.

You will probably want to talk to one of the two proprietors. You can approach with a standard conversational approach (Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Bluff, based on how you want to do it), but you could also try to find some common ground with the two half-humans by leveraging your knowledge of a craft or a profession.

Phinnellippa, followed by Rees, goes to talk to the half-orc barber. The half-orc doesn't seem to notice that Rees is there; indeed, it feels a little bit crowded. [Note for everybody: you get the sense that while you might learn more if you go to a place in a group of two or three, you will also make yourselves more conspicuous as an investigating group, and it could cause folk to clam up a bit and potentially taint the information. Of course, the least conspicuous number of people to send to a place is one.]

Iovo: Do you want to approach Orug yourself when the opportunity presents itself, do you want to aid Phinnellippa, or do you want to approach Tessa? Let me know what you want to do, and how you approach it.

At the Beer Garden

Garif, Shieara, Klienes

At the center of the tent city’s open area stands a broad beer garden with walls constructed of beer barrels and crates. It's evening, but not yet night, and festivities are active. Indeed, you have to push a little bit to get inside. It seems a bit morbid that an impending execution is the gathering reason for such a festive air.

Garif is quickly in his cups and rather forgets that he's supposed to be conducting an investigation. Klienes and Shieara, however are able to work the crowd, and before long have made some friends who are willing to talk to them. They didn't even need to buy the house a round! (Aside: I'm going to treat your rolls as separate individual Diplomacy rolls, rather than aiding each other. This turns out to be a better strategy, as there are lots of people here. Spread around and making friends is going to work better than concentrating together on a few people.)

During the idle discussions, they hear a couple of potentially-juicy rumors.

Beer Garden Rumor #1: The town sheriff (and mayor), a halfling by the name of Tobias Luin, himself wants to hang the murderers. He has a written testimony from a witness that says they’re guilty.

Beer Garder Rumor #2: There is a nominal inquisitor of Iomedae in town. In fact, the rumor says, she is a demon posing as an inquisitor. She’s used this trick to murder ten heroes up and down the countryside, and nobody is brave enough to speak up.

At the Tent City

Damiar

Dozens of tents of sundry sizes ring an open area where the visitors gather for games and talk. In the evening light, the place feels like a county fair, complete with food stalls, music, jugglers, and sports. Damiar quickly sees that perhaps the best way to get folk talking would be to participate in the various contests, many of which are physical tasks. However, she has very little trouble finding some other folks who are of a musical bent, and the next thing she knows, she's jamming with a pickup country band, throwing her voice in alongside them.

Afterwards, chatting with some of the musicians, she hears some gossip.

Fairgrounds Rumor #1: This is an especially breathless rumor. There’s going to be a jailbreak tomorrow night. The Pathfinder Society sent another gang of their adventurers to bust the first bunch out! (Presumably Damiar has been circumspect about showing Wayfinders or admitting that she's associated with the group that the convicted prisoners came from....) Those thugs all have orders to kill the sheriff and anybody who gets in their way!

Summary

You got a couple of rumors at a couple of places. I still need to hear from Iovo to finalize the results of the evening investigation at Orug's General Store.

You've figured out that while it takes more than one PC present to wring more than one rumor out of the folk at a given location, you have diminishing returns if you send too many people to any given location. You're probably generally better off making multiple independent checks than you are aiding each other, although it's not a slam-dunk.

Of course, rumors being what they are, they're probably not all true. Indeed, I suspect you have some idea about the truth of one of the ones you've already heard....

There is tension in town. Some people seem to think there are demons everywhere, and of course everybody is suspicious of the sinister Pathfinder Society. You really want to keep a low profile. At the end of each phase, if you want to try to keep a low profile, you can each make one of a Stealth, Bluff, or Disguise check. If enough people make it, it'll help prolong the inevitable backlash of your investigation making waves. (Disguse and Bluff would be, in different ways, trying to fit in and not seem at all extraordinary. Stealth is just trying not to be noticed.)

Once I've heard from Iovo and we've resolved the end-of-phase checks, I'll give you an update on the various places you might check out, and we can move on to the next phase.

This was a long post.

Pick a place, go there, and we'll roleplay there a bit. There may then be some checks you want to make; they won't all just be Diplomacy, necessarily.

So far:

Garif, Shieara, Klienes: Beer Garden

Phinellippa: General Store

(I know a couple of folks (at least) weren't able to post until either tonight or tomorrow, so I'll wait to hear from them before advancing.)

Oops, sorry -- it's your first day in town. But, since there is a time scheduled for the execution (which you will learn pretty easily as you talk to people), we do want to keep track of time. So, the numbering will be Day 3 for the evening you arrive in Dawnton.