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Hmm... I have CON damage in my header, but I can't remember what that was from. If it was from another day, it should've healed overnight and I just forgot to update the header.

This is from the stirge encounter, I believe. You've rested since then, so this would be gone before the newly applied damage.

Ability damage, or permanent ability drain?

Bam's is ability damage. Sebastian's is, unfortunately, ability drain.

Sebastian and Bam start convulsing, hands grasping empty air as they fall to the floor. Bright red welts start to form and a sickly sheen covers their face. Patrons at other tables appear to be suffering from the same. One man falls face first into his bowl with a sploosh, spraying it's contents upward and outward. Manfri continues to cough uncontrollably, straining to get breaths in between, but is able to remain standing.

To be fair, I'll let Chuufa roll for himself...

Bam and Sebastian are currently unable to act. Manfri, what do you do?

I'll be in a similar situation this weekend, although I can't have anyone bot for me :P

I moved the game play up a bit, just to get a little more eventful before what looks like a holiday slow down. A cliffhanger would be appropriate for such a delay :)

Anyways, enjoy the camping Bam and to everyone, have a great 4th. Dig out the smoker, make some great BBQ, and pour the beer and sangria.

Sebastian peeks inside; Brucian is there, apparently paging through some books.

---

Evening arrives and the sky is black and blue. Hunger pangs remind you of the missed meal, and the Full Moon Inn offers a welcome break as well as food. Jerald gives a grim nod as you enter, mentioning that they're short staffed for the night as Renee never showed up, so he'll be helping out as well. After taking your order, he heads back to the kitchen. A handful of other patrons share the common room, most likely other villagers given their clothes. Jerald returns to deliver simple bowls of hearty stew that emanate a rich tomato and pepper base. As he places the last one down, the inviting aroma is replaced with a vile stench; rancid garbage that's been baked in the summer sun all day. The smell is over powering, and the urge to cough and retch replaces the hunger pangs.

I need everyone to make a Fortitude save.

As you fight down the urge, you see the rest of the room is suffering similarly. Jerald starts to fall to one knee, planting his arm forcefully on the table. The bowls rock and spill over, plopping sauce and various bits in large splatter patterns. He then grabs his apron, pulling it to cover his face as he runs back to the kitchen.

The group stakes out the church, hiding in odd poses akin to Japanese game shows before Sebastian gives up on the futility of the process. No one enters or leave the church during this time (we'll say 20 minutes?), nor do any of the villagers come to investigate the odd cry.

Feel free to allocate X time here if the 20 minute estimate is off. Otherwise, what does the party want to do next?

Hastened by urgency, the group heads back to town. The earthen streets are almost as empty as the plantation.

I'm assuming the group is going to hide somewhere around the church to wait to see if/when Father Brucian leaves? How long do you plan to wait?

Can I get stealth checks from everyone please, assuming you're trying to be discreet? With the little activity in town, standing around a corner is going to look suspicious or out of place quickly.

It was close to noon before leaving to Mordu's and then the plantation, so I'd say it's 1:30ish now.

@Bam doesn't appear to see any signs of movement. The house is well kept, like a hotel room awaiting arrival. There are no signs of perishables being left out, cobwebs, etc.

@All - assuming the party heads back to town to follow Father Brucian, what is the plan? Do you want to stake out the church? If so, from where? Or do you intend to cover the paths to the swamp? Split the party and do both? What time to you plan to start? Upon return, dusk?

Walking the perimeter highlights the difference in wealth between the homes in town and the founding family. Large windows reveal opulent rooms decorated in the Louis XVI style, adorned with dark wood furniture and intricate patterns. Wood molding frames the upper and lower walls and divides the room into equal spaces with rectangular shadow boxes. Furniture remains vacant, awaiting the return of guests to warm the currently hollow domicile.

There are two other entrances. Investigating them reveal the same level of security.

@all - Any leads on adding a 5th?

Fair enough. I was just trying to save a couple of rounds of posting.

Sure, it's worth a shot. Might as well see where that goes, although it's unlikely given the DC. If it fails, the party will have to decide if it wants to come back at a later time, literally break in, or break in under the cover of darkness (or something creative). I know having the battle map out there might trigger some player meta gaming, but it's mainly there to make distances and placement easier.

Note that an amazing lock has a DC of 40. I would have given it to you guys with a natural 20. That said, the difficulty is the usual game mechanic of saying "try again later" or "find another way" or "dead end". As a conversion, the RAW is a -60 to pick the lock, but 2E uses percentiles for thief skills, so it maps more to a -12.

Also recall what I mentioned about allowing timing...

As impressive as the total roll is, the door remains locked. The mechanism is just too complex for Chuufa.

So it looks like the PGRiS Discord isn't drawing any attention, so if anyone knows a good candidate, please let them know.

Sure, it's worth a shot. Might as well see where that goes, although it's unlikely given the DC. If it fails, the party will have to decide if it wants to come back at a later time, literally break in, or break in under the cover of darkness (or something creative). I know having the battle map out there might trigger some player meta gaming, but it's mainly there to make distances and placement easier.

The manor house feels eerily empty. The only signs of movement come from the swaying of tree limbs and shadows cast upon the gloomy grey walls. Approaching the front door comes a familiar feeling that all little kids know; that the knock will go unanswered, yet still, there are eyes watching your every move. The knock lets out a hollow, resonating sound that reverberates through the emptiness behind it. Grasping the ornate handle of the door, you realize that the mechanism is elegant yet complex, a subtle piece of complexity barring your way in.

"The way is shut. It was made by those that are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut." Maybe not, but it felt appropriate :P

As expected, Luc doesn't answer. He pauses and stares east with the road. Bam notices that his pupils appear to be slightly larger; was that a slight twitch in his upper cheek? After a few seconds, he turns and starts walking back towards the heart of town.

After checking in on Mordu, the group starts to head east from the village. The plantation looks impressive from afar, but signs of neglect become apparent as you get closer. Sugarcane and cotton are striated with withered tan; weeds and other vegetation have taken root in patches. A stately two-story manor house with impressive columns overlooks the abandoned field as thick clouds hover across the sky.

The slides have been updated.

First item of note - I don't see signs of another PGRiS session running, so is it worth polling someone in here? It might be a nice cushion for Chuufa to deal with RL stuff.

Second - I see Bam wants to check in on Mordu first, but the previous suggestions were to check out the plantation. If I say that you're able to see him talking to the constable when you near his house, would that be sufficient or did you want to ask for more questions/possible update? If the former, I'll transition you guys to the plantation...

@Sebastian - we'll say the time is close to noon, so yes, the party can do a bit more before nightfall. @Bam - yes, that's 18 copper.

"Magnifique. Dat'll be 18 toothchips. Lemme just dress the beignets and then I'll get that wrapped up to go. Nothin' like some sweets for a gloomy day, right?" she says with a soft laugh. Powdered sugar floats in a white haze as it's dusted over the beignets before they're wrapped in paper. The licorice is tucked into a separate bag as Louise brings them to the counter.

I'm assuming that wraps up this conversation, so where to next?

"No, I can't say I have. 'Tis a slow mornin'. Hmm... Mordu would be, yes... or maybe Jean. Oh, the Bordell children love'em as well. Did y'all want some as well as the beignets then? De oil should be hot enuff now."

"Uhh... I'm confused. If they didn't go to the plantation, how would Luc get it? Father Brucian has been buying a lot more lately. Is possible he brought some to Luc, yes. After all, he did say he was taking food to others that needed it."

...

"The Tarascons - Jean, Marcel, and Luc, are brothers, and own the plantation. Their ancestor, Pierre, started it and this town several generations ago."

"Baked goods for Luc? N'mam, don't know of any ding sent to the Tarascon's place. Jean and Marcel aren't politicians per se. They just own the plantation that makes of most of dis town. But I haven't seen any of them in awhile."

...

"Well Bam, nice to meet'ya. I'm Louise."

...

"No'sir, I can't help there. He's going out into the swamp?" she asks, shrugging. "I dunno, maybe getting some herbs for some remedies?"

"You mentioned Shaman Brucius. Is that the same persona as Shaman Brucian?"

RE: Brucian/Brucius - this is my bad - carrying forward a typo in copy/paste. Not intended to be an alter ego...

Ditto. Thumbs up! You're doing a great job of giving each of the NPCs their own personalities. No cardboard cutout copy/paste jobs here. :)

Just circling back to this - the main point in asking was to make sure that enough was coming through the dialog to indicate points of interest. If not, just let me know and we can circle back here for OOC dialog.

"Why thank you. Six beignets are 12 toothchips(copper), but y'all have to wait a bit. I fry'em up to order. I guess I can drop them off, if you mean here in town. Folks stayin at de Inn?"

Assuming you persist in small talk...

Location 4 is the bakery. A legend to the map has been added with known locations.

A warm, slightly sweet, yeasty aroma brings visions of Ustalavan huckleberry pastries. The smell leads to a cottage near the inn. The front window is propped halfway open, unleashing warmth and providing a view of the cooling baked goods. A wood engraved sign reads "d'Cann Bakery" in a bold, cafe style font.

A simple bell jingles as the door opens.

A woman in the back stops work, dusting her hands together and against her apron. Flour billows off in small clouds.

"Where y'at? How can I help y'all dis morning?"

It's a good thing Bam's batting cleanup :)

A little bit was lost with the poor diplomacy rolls, but it's nothing that won't come up again via more NPC interactions or time elapse.

Otherwise how's everything else about the game?

Could someone please move Yellow 25 feet north of the Red Portal in the south-east corner & mark him as 25' up, please?

Moved, but please check when you get the chance.

I just wanted to check in and open up a table top conversation of what you/your characters are thinking. What clues and leads do you think you guys have?

"That's just wishful thinking at this point. Someone's missing. More people have disappeared than we've found... scenes. Now maybe some of them have just got up and left, but sadly, I don't think I can say that's true for all. Sometimes there was more than just bone rattles. Usually just bits of clothes, but it was enough to suggest a few names. I'll follow up with Mordu after this, make sure he's allright and confirm your story. As for patterns, other than the bone rattles, no."

I didn't want to go too crazy with it. I just wanted to gain some knowledge for the safer items like cattails and hen of the woods mushrooms. No need to have an Into The Wild ending.

Taking half of the kids that are active in scouts. The others stay home with Bam :) (so she ought to be able to post during this time).

Know any good foraging skills? I've been trying to find a class locally but they're not really offered here. I can handle the fishing skills, but I think I'm done with camping. The last time I went, the humidity was so bad, a few of us had to sleep in a running car with AC on.

Take care of RL first. We won't hold it against you. Elderly issues are challenging and unpredictable, but certainly take precedence.

Update - And it looks like Manfri got a post in while I was crafting the above one...

The constable considers Manfri's offer.

"Looks like we're tied together for this. You can look for your quarry, but while you're at it, let me know what else you find. Maybe there's one, and maybe there's two. Either way, we have our work cut out for us. I'm afraid we can't really offer much... the people of this town barely get by as it is. 'Cept Luc's family, there... I can't speak for them, but maybe they can offer something from the plantation."

The constable slams the palm of his hand to his forehead and runs his hand back and forth in frustration, "So your escapee is a killer. Wonderful. Like our town needed more to deal with. And he's a copycat? So there's no way of knowing..." his voice trails off as he considers the situation.

"Mais yeah... this isn't the first time I've found bone rattles though. Always just one. Is this sumthin' your boy has copied before?" he asks.

The rangers pops his shield hand up to his mouth. “Oh but where are my manners? I am Manfri, a forester and tracker. My companions and I came to your village chasing an escapee from our own town. Though we fear the trail has gone cold.”

"What exactly is this escapee capable of? This?" he asks, pointing at the crusty brown covering on the ground. "When do you think this escapee arrived? You say it's cliché to blame newly arrived strangers but it sounds like you allowed this violence to escape your grasp into our town."

...

"So you think this is Mordu here? The man's not right in the head but he don't deserve this. Still, I better check..." he says, taking out a piece of paper and writing down notes.

I'll circle back to some of the other comments/questions in a bit. Conversation-wise, the Constable would have interjected with the former at the time it was mentioned.

Hello! This is an FYI that I'll be away in nature (and away from internet and computers) starting Friday (5/26) evening, until I return late Monday (5/30). I will catch up on posts that evening.

Sounds fun. Going alone or taking the fam along?

Getting a diplomacy would make a small difference here, but it's not a blocking point if you don't make it. It would just be nice to have a grudging acceptance of possible future actions as opposed to operating in the dark to avoid paranoia.

Hmm... I was kind of hoping Chuufa would get the chance to get a post in to add to the scene. I know he said RL has been busy lately, but you guys could probably use a 4th roll :)

A moment of awkward silence lingers as the Constable considers the party. "Greetings Bam. Who are your friends? I am Constable Gremin, but you might know that already," he says, standing up an dusting his hands on his pants.

"This here is dried blood, and lots of it. But why would an out'towner like yourself be interested in that?" he throws back. As he waits for a response, he adds, "And what brings y'all to Marais d'Tarascon? And where were you at last night?"

I forgot to mention this earlier, but it might save some time to roll diplomacy checks when talking to folks for the first time... please go ahead and do so now.

@Sebastian - you don't see any signs of a victim or footprints.

"Being framed? I do know what that means, but just what are you implying?" he asks Manfri.

The simple room seems like a luxury after several nights in the swamp. Dried mud crumbles off stiff clothes in the morning, leaving a dust cloud Pigpen would be proud of.

Breakfast is grillades and grits, a breaded slice of meat served on top of grits with a thick roux mixed with colorful diced vegetables. The food sits heavy, bringing a wariness that makes returning to bed seem the next best course of action.

Exiting the inn shows little change in the skies. Swollen clouds persist as does the lack of sun.

Exploring the village, you notice a man kneeling in an alleyway, peering at the ground. His leather duster drapes to the ground, concealing much.

As you approach, he looks up with bloodshot eyes. The Constable regards you sternly. Splattered all around him on the ground and walls are flecks of reddish brown. Before him is a large stain of the same substance, apparently dried blood. In the center of the stain is a single piece of bright red licorice.

Did you guys want to (1) talk to more NPC's in the room, (2) do some exploring after dark, or (3) advance to the next day?

I'm assuming (3) since that will expedite talking to the constable, but I didn't want to stop other activities.

The innkeeper makes a startled jolt at Sebastian's change. "Th-that's a neat trick and all. I didn't take you for a voodan. Is that a gift of the Maiden?"

Bam doesn't sense anything more.

The innkeeper nods, his beard flexing at the neck line, "Shaken. Worried. Some won't even leave their home. But we're still open for business, lucky you," he says, grabbing a simple iron key.

For clarity, I assume a single room for the party?

"The Constable - probably. He's one of the few still out and about. Determined, that one is. I can let him know you're looking for him if I see him," he offers.

"My name is Jerald and I'm sure we can help with that. Renee, can you go tell Junior that these guests need to stable their pet?" says the man, light reflecting off the top of his head.

A barmaid enters from the back, giving a slight nod as she steps outside.

"Were you looking for one room then, or did you want more? A room will be 2gp."

...

"F'sure. A true shame about Jeremiah. I didn't know he knew people from out of town. How'd you know him?"

...

"Unfortunate times. You can say that again. Things been mighty quiet in town for the past few weeks. Folks have been spooked by some unexpected deaths and we haven't had many out-of-towners 'til you showed up. Maybe when the storm passes it will wash our worries away. I'm not sure, what can you do? Constable Gremin might have an idea for something."

A fence surrounds the Full Moon Inn, a two-story building with an attached stable. The door opens to large common room with a bar and a dozen tables. Various homestead kitsch decorates the familiar cypress walls. A man with a long beard and balding head stands behind the bar, tidying up as he sees the group enter, "Welcome to the Full Moon Inn. What can I get you?" he asks.

The common room is almost empty. Only one other table has an occupant, conversing with a barmaid.

"Well, greetings Bam. You can call me Mordu. I'll dig around to see if I can find more information for y'all, so feel free to stop by tomorrow. I think I'll head in as well - the rain wouldn't be good for my books, after all," he says, as he starts to collect his things to go inside.

The man rubs his chin as he tries to remember, "Hmm, I think it was close to 2 - no, 3 in the afternoon. But for the Constable, like I said, I don't know. He could looking for clues around town, probably where some of the recently deceased were found. Or maybe by the fields."

Although the lack of sunlight would make it hard to tell, it is starting to push early evening at this point. The gaps between thunder cracks and rumbling feel like they're getting shorter.