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Verrix sighs. "Indeed. While it is possible to be blind to obvious information, I don't think that's what happened here. Marek was taking advantage of you and your family connections. You are not to blame. Nor are you a fool. Queens and armies have been brought low because of the treachery of trusted friends and advisors."
Verrix opens the box to verify that the McGuf^H^H^H^H^H Horn of Aroden is inside— but, realizing that he wouldn't be able to identify it, decides that a silver horn is likely it. Looking up, he says, "Thank you, Dame Lebeda. The Society appreciates your help. Hopefully, this will help us do some good in around Sarkoris, or what once was Sarkoris, as well." He stands and looks expectantly at the others.
Verrix says, "There is strong reason to believe that the 'M' who signed the note is in fact Marek. Here's what we have." "First. Marek's name starts with M. Doesn't mean much by itself." "Second, and more damning. The weapons used by the bandits had the 'eagle with arrows in its talons' maker's mark on them. Sure, they may have just bought them from him, or stolen them from somebody working with him. Still, it's a suggestion of a connection." "Third, and most damning, is the reference to the 'lordly ...[young man]... hanging around your shop'. This describes Lander and Marek's relationship. With the other two pieces of evidence, I think it makes it clear that at the very least, we need to take a much closer look at Marek."
I'm always cool with having the story go in a very odd direction. I ran one of the Season 9 scenarios locally -- In the Grandmaster's Name -- and the players managed to avoid even the one unavoidable combat as a result of really good Perception checks followed by careful planning and other good checks of various sorts. I played in a game of a 2nd season scenario where we were supposed to go in and clear out a Shadow Lodge HQ. Instead, we went in and convinced them to come back into the fold.... ("Guys! We don't have to fight any more! The Shadow Lodge was a faction, all you folks have been brought back into the Society! C'mon, we'll show you how we're better than we used to be!") Sometimes it's fun when things go off the rails. (I also ran a "From Under Ice" game where the party went back and fought somebody they'd already explicitly not fought, because they wanted to avoid fighting somebody else. This was online, and I very quickly had to improvise a map for where this new combat would take place.)
"If we are to fight them, then your tactics, Lander, are sound," Verrix Says. Looking to Garif, he adds, "Unless these birds can move through the water?" "I would prefer trying to lead them away from the bridge, so that they won't be a threat to others traveling here, rather than just killing them. Yes, you are right, the roads should be safe to travel on. These creatures, though, aren't bandits, they are just themselves. I think we should let Rees and Garif see what they can do before we attack them."
"You hit on the crux of the matter," Verrix says to Lander. "Indeed, sometimes hesitating in battle gives your enemy an advantage you will regret. But, sometimes, rushing in without knowing what you're rushing into gets you in more trouble than hesitating would have. The early bird gets the worm... but measure twice, cut once." "We don't always get it right. But we do our best. If a creature is obviously immediately hostile and a threat, then we do not hesitate. If a creature is not immediately hostile, then it is worth pausing to see if anybody in our group knows more, or can sense something about its intentions." "Myself, I try to follow a code. I don't demand that everybody follow this, of course, but myself I do. One tenet of that code is: I am the talon of Apsu’s wrath. I strike where I am needed, but only when evil has been unmasked and there can be no doubt of my enemy's malice.."
Teaching college, I can affirm what Oladon says: folks 18-22 run the gamut. Some are as grown up and mature as you could want. Some are fragile children unable to handle the world on their own. Most are fairly grown up, but aware that they're still forming. A non-trivial number of them think they are sophisticated and know everything, but are callow and short-sighted and prone to using what influence they have to make everybody around them miserable when things don't go the way that they know they should go.
Verrix adds to what Kleines has said. "My friend here speaks wisely, and he speaks from experience. I admire your enthusiasm, but I have had to learn myself that one must temper one's enthusiasm for fighting evil with plans that give one a good chance of success."
"Incidentally, my name is Verrix, and this is Kleines here. We are with the Pathfinder Society, and we were looking for you because your family was concerned about you."
I'm thinking I gotta GM a core game of Library of the Lion so Verrix can catch up :) It sounds like Divination is probably the right school choice based on Iovo's character. I will eventually take levels in Sorcerer myself (I'm working towards a Dragon Disciple). When I get near there, I will make sure the spells I pick are going to be ones that mix well with others.
Verrix says, "I concur. Let's go in directly, and try to convince them they're overmatched and that they should surrender. If they don't, we'll fight. One of us should focus on trying to find Landers as soon as we get there, to make sure that he's not in peril. I will do that, although it may be that I'm better used at the front of the fight."
Verrix says, "Indeed, if you help us now, and we mention this to the authorities back in Silverhall, we will ask them to be merciful. If you do not help us... we will just turn you over."
In any event, once the bandits have said or not said what they will do, Verrix will follow Garif's suggestion and tie them behind a tree. There is no doubt that they would run away given the chance.
Verrix says to the others, "Yes, it will be a pain to bring them with us, but I hesitate to administer summary judgement ourselves to prisoners who have surrendered to us. The right thing to do is to bring them back to town to face justice. But our mission may be urgent, and we don't have time to do that now. So, we should bring them with us." He looks sternly at Red and Yellow. "If you give us any trouble, such as trying to escape, we will deal with it accordingly. Remember that your lives were spared only because you surrendered." Back to his companions: "Let us be on our way."
Verrix says, "Very well. We said we would spare you, but we cannot allow you to run free and continue your depredations." To the others, he says, "Let's disarm them and bind them so they cannot threaten us or escape, and bring them with us." He gets some rope out of his pack and begins to implement his suggestion.
Does Verrix know of this Aldona, mistress of the moon? He steps forward towards the other two bandits, and says, "We will not like it if you don't tell people where your camp is, and you've already seen that we can do more than scar your arm!"
...however, he sneezes halfway through saying it, completely ruining the effect.
Re: 50 miles, if you walk 8 hours a day, and have a move speed of 30, the CRB says that you can cover 24 miles in one day. (3 miles/hour) Of course, this is optimistic; at least a couple of us must only have a move speed of 20. However, 50 miles isn't completely absurd according to the rules. (According to reality is another thing. I walk a mile, and, damn, I need like a week off.)
Verrix looks over at Shieara. "Is he faking his worry about Lander? Do you think he's leading us astray? From what we've heard from both his mother and him, I suspect he could be in more danger than he realizes. The wild countryside around here has all sorts of dangerous critters. We're not so far from the River Kingdom, and I've heard stories...."
Verrix had briefly introduced himself by name to Dame Lebeda, but let the others do the talking. Verrix steps into the smithy behind Kleines, and adds, "We're looking for Lander Lebeda, whom we understand has been friendly with you. His family hasn't heard from him in a couple of days, and is rather worried. Do you have any idea where we might look for him? When did you last hear from him, and did he give you any indication where he was going?" ()
I'm back in town, two weeks later than expected. It looks like we failed to find a time to run Horn of Aroden in VTT, so we should start it up here. Who wants to GM it? It says "Hmm?" on the spreadsheet. I started reading it in anticipation of running it as a VTT, and would be willing to GM it here, but I am a little worried that I won't keep the pace up to what's expected here.... As we approach The Wardstone Patrol, I would like to plan ahead enough so we can play *that* one in VTT with me as GM. I've already got a Roll 20 campaign created for it (though it's been long enough that the character sheets have probably changed so much that I'll have to redo them).
Hey guys -- how was PaizoCon? This was the first one I've missed in six or seven years. I'm AWOL until this weekend, driving home Sunday/Monday. I'm partway through prepping a Roll20 campaign for "The Horn of Aroden". I can be ready by the middle of next week. Is there an evening that would work to play that scenario? Wednesdays and Fridays are better for me, although I *may* have scheduled my Reign of Winter campaign for Friday the 8th. I'm off at a gameday all day on Saturday the 9th. -Rob
VTT is awesome. You'll love it. My life is very complicated right now because my mother-in-law is dying. I'm currently out of town with my wife dealing with that. These aren't the sorts of thing one schedules, and there will be memorial services and such. I don't know when I'll get home, and I might be able to run a game from here. I should know more by the end of PaizoCon; I'll update all of you then. -Rob
OMG. I need an atonement for getting servants to open that window. IT'S ALL MY FAULT. Re: delaying, this is good for me. I'm about to drive out to MN (Park Rapids, for those who know the area), where my wife has been staying with her ailing mom. I'll be gone 10 days. I'd be happy to run Horn of Aroden via VTT. Indeed, I would like, as much as possible, to do my GMing for the Moar Core Tour via VTT, as I fear that I'm really not going to be the best one at keeping up with a PbP (based on recent experience).
Verrix strides up to Rees in an attempt to help him. "Indeed, he does. You desire death; we offer you life... an abundance of life, all around you, celebrating its liveliness, and you trapped and unable to do anything about it. Do you want to exist long-term that way, separated from your mistress? Or would you rather be treated... in a manner more appropriate your station?"
"We can do both," Verrix says. "Find out what she knows here and now, in case somebody else is in imminent danger. Try to find out what happened to the real Umut. Then turn her over to the authorities." "There is also the matter of the Druma-minted coin. Almost certainly this reprobate deliberately used it to pay the assassins as a way of framing Temel Pasad for Metella's murder. But we should confirm that."
Verrix takes his AoO against the first skeleton trying to get by him ().
However, in his eagerness to destroy the undead, he swings a little early, and the skeleton is able to duck under his blow. He growls as the undead stream past him. He swings his warhammer at the bloody skeleton between him and Iovo. "This abomination needs holy water or positive energy to stay down once we smash it!" he says before swinging.
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