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[pbp]Hunger of the Beast[ToA]

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Posts

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    The girl puts one hand on her chin. "Can't say I've seen a noble boy recently, but the only gallivanting worth doing around here is hunting or skiing up on Sopris. As for bandits," she pauses, her hand dropping from her face, "Pa never tells me much, and they steer well clear of here on account of all the guards. Feels like it's gotten worse recently; people are worried, all this before the winter."

    "But that's why you're here, isn't it?"
    she says, leaning over and looking into your eyes for a bit too long, her expression carefully neutral. She flounces away as a call for another round is heard from the raucous central table. A clatter of dishes and a cloud of jovial nonsense heralds her father's return. Soon enough, three spiced mutton sandwiches appear in front of you and your party, with a side of fresh, hovering innkeeper.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Victor smiles at Anne, an innocent look of general interest in just experiencing someone other than the other two or the ship crew finally. There wasn't something remarkable about her, but the general fact that she was someone new brought some amount of attention from the young man.

    And then that all changed. He was interested now, but for a very different reason. Where did that come from?. She had been a little too direct for his liking, almost as if she knew something about them prior to their arrival. Usually not a good sign. Still, the Radiant had enough sense to keep his smile in place and his voice silent as the innkeeper joined their table soon after. What he really wanted was a moment with his partners to discuss further, but it didn't seem like they would have that. So instead, he attempted to remain light and aloof. "Mmmmm. This smells delicious."

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    D'Aubigny smirked. Of course the locals know fresh faces would be popping up. She sees my blade.
    "By all reports, this area seems to be covered in brigands. I know a good deal on how to deal with those folk."
    D'Aubigny gestures towards the inn keeper, "There's coin in it for ya if you can help narrow our search."

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Har sits back down as the food arrives.
    Her posture remains pointedly fixed on the crowd behind them though.

    She nods at the next table to the innkeeper, "What are those lot up to then?"

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    @joshgotro , make a background check for information gathering, with advantage due to money.

    The innkeeper will say shortly that the big group are playing cards and gambling for small change. If anyone would like to engage in some gambling, make me 3 background checks and we'll see what happens.

    As a reminder, a background check is a flat d10 roll, with partial success/normal success/great success at 1-4/5-9/10. If you think your character would be particularly good at something that requires a background check, feel free to tell me a story about it and obtain advantage.

    Xagar on
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Edit:I don't know how to use Geth correctly.
    6
    4 from Geth and 6 from an actual die.

    Edit: attempt two

    Geth, roll 1d10.
    Geth, roll 1d10.

    Edit: good lord.

    and 1d10.:
    1d10 4 [1d10=4]

    joshgotro on
  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Did a little searching: for advantage, roll 2 dice and put a "k1" after the roll, or "l1" for disadvantage.

    Geth, roll 1d10k1 for test 1
    Geth, roll 1d10l1 for test 2

    test 1:
    1d10k1 10 [1d10k1=[10]]
    test 2:
    1d10l1 4 [1d10l1=[4]]

    Xagar on
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    Xagar wrote: »
    I think it's probably easiest if you just do 2d10. I know there's notation for advantage but I don't remember what it is.
    I'm going to use the it's too damn early excuse here because 2d10 never once ran through my brain.

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Yikes.

    Geth, roll 2d10k1 for test 3
    Geth, roll 2d10l1 for test 4

    test 3:
    2d10k1 8 [2d10k1=[8], 4]
    test 4:
    2d10l1 1 [2d10l1=[1], 2]

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    The innkeeper takes your 5 gold and leans in: "There's always been a few bandits out here, but it's really gotten worse in the last few weeks. This new batch's organized, and steals food over coin. Can't imagine what they could be feedin' except more men, which is what really worries me. His face scrunches into a scowl. "From how many've been having trouble in Davittsburg, I'd bet there's a camp in the forest out to the east of there, but the duke's not got enough men to go for it."

    "There's also one more thing - I've heard the court wizard left the castle around when this whole thing started, to who knows where." He shakes his head. "I dunno why. Aevis was always kind to us, and I can't imagine she'd bring bandits in or anything like that. She's a bit eccentric, and does leave from time to time, but..." he trails off. "Anyhow, you may wanna go ask up in the castle, or that lot over by the stove who work in it."

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    D'Aubigny looked toward her companions,"Who has the map?"

    The mutton sandwich, filled a hole in D'Aubigny's stomach, she didn't know was there. She relaxed a little bit more in her chair, deciding to enjoy the warm food, instead of charging off toward her next target.

    joshgotro on
  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Victor lays the map down in front of his companions. He points to Davittsburg. "There's Davittsburg". His finger traces a circle to the nearby areas "Which would leave all of this for a potential location of a camp. Probably need to be closer to investigate further."

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Har pushes her empty plate away.
    "Sounds like we have a bearing. How bout I go ask the loud lot for more details, and you talk to the others?"
    And with that, Har bails.

    Frankly, planning is and was never Har's strong suit.
    No, a good plan was an open invitation to be becalmed two days out with a single day's worth of supplies left.
    Thinking on your feet, and extracting the best out of every situation, now that was actually living.
    Of course, it helped having her unerring ability to see what the true situation was...

    And that was what she was using now.
    Seated at the table and swimming amongst the sharks.
    The quickening ripple announcing the desire to strike, whilst the slow pulse biding its time.
    Gliding across the Tides, Har tacks hard, letting the hand go past her, and then draws the other players in, after they've exhausted their good fortune.

    Feeling the storm brewing, as yet another slinks fleeced to the depths, she disarms them.
    "Another round on me!" she laughs, and passes the chair to the next contestant.
    Har can read the Tides. She uses this to dash in and out of trouble.
    It doesn't affect chance, but given the relation between everyone and their Wake on the Tide, she can easily call a person's bluff unless they're guarding themselves there.
    Most of the time though, it's a fair-weather warning. When the clouds roil in, it's either time to batten down and get ready for a fight, or chart another course entirely.

    .. Not that any of those advantages increased the rolls...

    Geth roll 3#2d10k1 for cheating at cards

    cheating at cards:
    3#2d10k1 3 # 5 [2d10k1=[5], 1] 7 [2d10k1=[7], 7] 10 [2d10k1=[10], 5]

    discrider on
  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Reading aetheric instead of physical tells is a good trick!

    Geth, roll 2d10l1 for did anyone at the table notice

    did anyone at the table notice:
    2d10l1 6 [2d10l1=[6], 9]

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Har deftly cleans out the locals, and somehow ends up both 15 gold richer and more popular than when she started. The other two have time to speak with another person at the inn or go look around.

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    D'Aubigny approaches the three surrounding the stove. "Good evening. My name is Aub, I'm here on business from Steward Edgar from Castle Liane. Your Duchy must be upset with all the attacks on the local folk. Are the eyes and ears of castle of use here?

    joshgotro on
  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Victor stays behind at the table, allowing the other two to approach groups to gather information. Instead, he watches the room, interested in anyone who might be interested in him or his companions. The three of them showing up and starting conversations with everyone is bound to attract attention, but he was more interested in seeing if there was someone who was more interested in normal, stares, whispers to a friend, something of that nature which might indicate someone worth talking to, or possibly avoiding.
    Do you want me to roll for this?

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    @AustinP0027 , make an Initiative check for counterintelligence.

    When Aub makes her introduction, only a thin man with a beak-like nose responds much, the other two sharing a quick glance and then looking back down to their meals. He bobs his head and rasps "Edgar?" His eyes widen and he breaks into a smile and another head bob. "You've arrived! He's been in quite the worry ever since the last group disappeared." He immediately makes a fluttering motion with his hands. "Ah, not trying to scare you off or anything - that's why we had to send up to the big city in the first place. Believe me, we need the help, and I'm sure you and your friends will be just fine."

    "But where are my manners? My name is Javier, and I'm pleased to be the Steward's assistant here, mostly in monetary matters, and I run the aviary, of course. If you'd like to know just how much it costs to field an acceptably-sized force on our budget, when our major exports are being blocked by banditry.."
    He shakes his head. "Now, inside the castle, I don't mind saying it, things are pretty grim. Especially since old Aevis left, the Duke's taken to going up to the tower, and the Steward is busy trying to hold this valley together." He leans back and slows his words. "When you go up there, I'd be careful mentioning the old bird in front of the Duke, if he's even out, of course. He really took that loss hard."

    "Anything you need about the duchy's finances or getting a letter sent somewhere, come see me at the Steward's offices during the day and I'll help any way I can."

    Aviaries enable long-range communication, using messenger birds that teleport in an instant between cities. Your characters might have a contact that you could send a letter to for 5 gold, and receive a reply in about a day. You might not have anything to ask at this point, since this is more of a local issue, but just so you're aware.

    If you'd like, anyone can preemptively make Initiative or Spirit checks for physical or aetheric perception when you think a roll would be required.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Geth, roll 1d10+1 for Initiative Check

    Initiative Check:
    1d10+1 7 [1d10=6]

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Victor, scanning the room, only sees the innkeeper's daughter poking her head out behind the bar, looking at the party (mostly Aub).

    Victor can still talk to someone and Aub can ask Javier a question or two if you'd like; otherwise, we'll go to the next morning.

    Xagar on
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    @Xagar Aub is good for the night.

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Victor is good as well. I generally don't expect him to be the Face at any point, so he won't be taking opportunities to talk to anyone additional at least to start (we'll see how that plays out as his character grows).

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Eventually, the singer stops and bows, the local revelers stagger out, and the innkeeper carries big tubs of steaming water up to your rooms. It seems you're the only ones actually staying at the inn, and it gets quiet very quickly after a certain point.

    The party wakes in the morning, feeling rested and actually clean for the first time in a while. There's a bit of clatter downstairs, along with a smell of eggs and bread. In the common room itself, there are only a few remaining locals, many of whom were in the card game last night.

    Where to, the castle or out to a destination?

    Geth, roll 1d100 for did anything happen in the night. Edit: That's a "no."

    did anything happen in the night:
    1d100 50 [1d100=50]

    Xagar on
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    Aub had spent plenty of time within the safety of castle walls. House Cadogan had it's crenalted towers and battlements. Castle Falk was much bigger but the familiar smells were there. Mud, fire, spices. The workers moving about. Aub checked her clothes, smoothing her vest and tightening her belt.
    "Guard! I'm here to speak with the Duke."

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Soon enough, you're being led through the stone halls of the small castle. The upper halls are mostly empty of people, but they are studded with lanterns and art pieces hanging on the wall: dull-colored quilts in regular, blocky patterns, tapestries depicting pastoral scenes and commemorating past dragon Awakenings, and occasional ornate weaponry.

    When you reach the midpoint of the castle, you are abandoned before a set of double doors, the guard leading you leaving through them and motioning for you to stay put. An open window shows the courtyard below, its rough stone cracked, and sending up smells of food and clattering sounds from a couple young men trading blows with wooden polearms.

    Several minutes later...

    The guard returns, leading you off to the right into a large office. Even before you step in, you can see golden light spilling out of the doorway, and feel the warm air seeping around the corner. The floor has a smorgasbord of different styles of carpetry, arranged for maximum coverage with little care for arrangement. Near where you come in, there are multiple plush couches and chairs lining the walls, with a few lamp-shrouded tables in between. The opposite side of the room is dominated by an old, simply carved desk with a large, mustached man sitting at it, wearing a dark green coat over a white shirt. In a corner near the desk, you can see a stove with its grate open, revealing a young red drake sleeping inside, merrily glowing and giving off waves of comforting heat.

    The desk itself is covered with papers that remind of the carpets on the floor, and above the mess you can see the man's face, glowering at an equally messy set of hovering, wispy figures and maps. As you enter, he looks up and waves a hand sideways to dispel the illusion, the floating lines burning away into ash. There is a soft thud as he shoves his chair back over the line of a carpet, moving around the desk. "Good morning, milady," he says to Aub in a deep voice, "and to you as well," extending a large hand to each of you.

    "First, I must apologize oh the Duke's behalf; he is...unavailable. Consider me your official contact for the time being." His glower intensifies, but he raises a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, which serves to dispel it for a moment. "Now. I know you have much ground to cover, but first I must preface with a warning: There is something unusual with this whole situation, and we need to uncover what these bandits' actual objective is above all else."

    He waves his hand, and a large map of the valley appears to one side, its corner cutting into a lamp. "As you know, these bandits are primarily stealing food. The only motivations I can see for this are to feed many mouths, or to destroy our local trade. I feel solely the second is unlikely, as our last local conflict was resolved many generations ago, and there are many places richer than us to strike." The map zooms out to view of the continent, with major rivers highlighted. "However, I believe they are laying the groundwork for capturing this castle, and its position above the river. Blocking the Liane would cause a major disruption for all the Confederation," he waves towards the wall behind him, "and the duchy would be devastated. This could be a gambit from another duchy, or from that damnable Empire to the north, but we have no way of knowing without better information."

    Another wave, and the map returns to show Falk as he continues: "From the reports we've gotten, I believe these bandits are coming upriver, passing by Baron's Hill. If they have any leadership here, it is likely is in or near that town - it has the only other aviary for hundreds of kilometers, besides ours here. The troubles out to the east of Davittsburg are also pressing, of course; the majority of our farms are in that area. It's up to you which you address first, but the moment you have any evidence of who these bandits really are, please have word sent to me.

    "Now then, is there anything else you'd need? I, unfortunately, must return to my numbers, if there's nothing else."

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    "Your name sir?"
    This man is putting on a show.
    "If horses and a cart are available, it would speed up our time in the field."

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Har musses her hair.
    It's not quite so wiry for once.
    No salt neither.
    "We also 'eard about a missing wizard?
    Any ideas about what she's up to?
    And we'd want to go over her quarters, if she's up to something."


    Har pauses
    "Even just lost, but itd be a mite coincident."

    discrider on
  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    "Ah yes, of course. I am Edgar; we have corresponded." He nods as if that should be enough for anyone. "We can spare two horses and a cart as well. Now. Regarding old Aevis-" he pauses, "been asking around a bit, have you? Hmm." He smooths each end of his mustache in turn. "I didn't want to mention it, because it's well out of scope of what I'd hired you on for, but we sorely miss her. She had some sort of argument with the Duke a bit before this whole thing started, and disappeared soon after."

    "I'm sure she's out in the valley somewhere, trying to help in her own way, but she never listens to anyone, from the Duke himself on down."
    He moves around the desk to the stove, and carefully reaches in, cradling the glowing drake in one arm, and motions with his head as he brushes past the party, a comforting warmth filling the air as he does. "Her quarters, then? No time like the present. Follow me."

    After a moment's word with the guard outside, Edgar leads you down to a spiral staircase in the corner of the castle. As you descend, his voice echoes back up to you: "We haven't found much in there, a number of papers that it's easiest to just show you. Not sure if any of you are familiar with evocation, or cryomancy in particular, but Aevis is a great ice mage. Can even summon a blizzard out of nothing, if can you believe it." He shakes his head. Around ground level, he pauses for a moment to unlock a metal grate, then the spiral continues. "Makes great ice sculptures too, for the festivals, mm, we do have one coming up..." he muses.

    The stairs abruptly stop at an almost featureless metal wall, only a keyhole betraying the presence of a door. One massive key from Edgar later, and it opens, revealing a large, vaulted stone room. Edgar snaps his fingers, and a large sphere of golden light appears near him, and he makes a tossing motion, moving it to the center of the ceiling. So lighted, you can see the closer half of the room has a number of simple bookshelves, tables, cabinets, and chairs, with papers mostly escaped from folders and dog-eared books strewn about everywhere. In the far right corner, there is a carpeted region with a large pile of cushions and pillows, with a similarly disastrous amount of reading material. The left corner stands in stark contrast, a shining, meticulously arranged row of metal devices and a spotless square table.

    Edgar moves to a wooden stool next to a table by the door, brushes some dust off it, and sits. You can see the creature in his arms has woken, and he sets it gently on the table. "Ah yes, before I forget." He waves again, and the light plays oddly across the room as it turns into the image of a woman holding a smooth white staff, wearing a cloak made from giant bird feathers as long as she is. Her face is deeply lined, her hair pure white, and her eyes sparkle with a brilliant blue. "Can't miss her, but just to make sure. Now. Look around if you wish, I'll be here." He waves, returning the light to a sphere, and absently runs a finger along the ridged spine of this drake on the table beside him.

    Everyone, make an Initiative check to try to perceive anything interesting, and a background check for comprehension of anything you find. Let me know if you're examining a specific part of the room or you want to try to find or reason out a specific type of information. @AustinP0027 @discrider @joshgotro

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Aub makes her way to the far right corner and examines the reading material.
    Geth roll 2d10 for looking through reading material.

    Initiative = 3 Background = 9

    looking through reading material:
    2d10 12 [2d10=3, 9]

    joshgotro on
  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Victor takes a look around the bookshelves and the papers that are found nearby.

    Geth, roll 2d10 for looking through the papers and books

    Init - 6 (5 +1 int mod), Background - 4

    looking through the papers and books:
    2d10 9 [2d10=5, 4]

    AustinP0027 on
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    @Xagar
    Not really sure how my Wake Reading ritual works, but can I pick up the wizard's wake here for use later at least, and perhaps look for traveling things, boots/cloaks/etc and see where they might have been?

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Kind of, wake-reading is for inanimate objects; delving is the one for living things (but she's not here to delve anyway). Go ahead and make your Ini check and we'll see if anyone actually manages to find anything worth trying to track later.

    Also, a reminder that Har and Victor do have Ini modifiers, though with these rolls it might not help much.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    Wake reading seems to do animate wakes that have been in the area?

    Geth roll 1d10+4 for initiative

    1d10+4 9 [1d10=5]

    discrider on
  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Sorry if it's unclear, there are living waves and non-living or dead wakes. Waves are aetheric presence/a reflection of that creature's reality/an ineffable stake claimed in existence/soul. Wakes are different in nature, they can be manipulated and examined in detail that is difficult to do to something alive.

    Wake-reading can definitely be used to sense past events within the time frame, and since you rolled well enough that shall occur!

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    Aub enters the pillow zone on the far side of the room, and sees a number of surprisingly current novels and biographies that wouldn't look out of place back in the big city. There's a single, ornate carpet underneath that she recognizes as fine work from Dusk. A pattern on the corner of the carpet catches her eye, and she recognizes as the trigger for a temperature control enchantment. Seems comfy.

    Victor starts looking through the mess of paper near the door. It doesn't take much effort to see, among the expected books on cryomancy, that there are numerous scrap pieces of paper marked with a peculiar symbol:
    fjd2zylcws03.jpg
    Many of these are stuck into books or sheaves of paper. On opening them, Victor sees similar, but not identical symbols on their pages. These papers are of all different sorts; many of them are magical diagrams, but there are histories and lists of political and religious symbols as well.

    Har combs the whole room, trying to find something touched by this missing wizard that she can use to track her. Looking over the papers proves difficult - every one has been picked up, examined for a moment, and set down in a completely different place. Har makes her way past the spotless alchemy table, and catches a dim impression that an empty glass cabinet used to be full of potions. Taking another pass around the corner of the room close to the door, she sees something promising - a map of the valley, held down on three sides by precarious stacks of books. Har concentrates on the map, her other senses dimming-

    a small hand sweeping down the left side
    a staff being removed from one corner
    the corner flops
    a book opened
    its cover pressing down
    "A ---to-y of Dr---n -ults, AE 1--00"
    the cover lifts
    a pause
    air flutters the corner

    -and the impression fades.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Har glowers.
    "Well, she's ate.", she mutters to no-one in particular.

    Turning back to the room, she attempts to locate that specific book, or anything else that might give insight into how one might temper a Dragon.

    Geth roll 1d10+4 for Dragons and where to not find them because this world got devastated by them what are you thinking

    Dragons and where to not find them for this world got devastated by them what are you thinking:
    1d10+4 5 [1d10=1]

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    @Xagar Aub wants to take a book.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    Not finding much else useful, she returns to the others.
    "Looks like our missing lass headed t'ward the manor.
    Can't say I know what she spects to do.
    Seems t'have been studying dragon cults.
    Hope she's not planning to take that on alone."

  • AustinP0027AustinP0027 Registered User regular
    Victor pockets one of the scraps with the symbol on it, and grabs another to show to the others as a means to draw attention away from pocketing anything. "Take a look at this. Might be something we'll need to remember if we go looking."
    @Xagar want me to roll for pocketing the scrap? If so, Init or Reflex? Maybe speed?

  • XagarXagar Registered User regular
    edited July 2018
    @AustinP0027 Edgar either doesn't notice or doesn't care you took a scrap.
    @joshgotro What genre of book? One of the casual reads from the Pillow Zone™ or something actually useful? Either way, make a background check for being stealthy, with advantage from Victor being distracting.
    Are you sharing your findings with Edgar, specifically the dragon cult thing?

    Stealth is a background check unless it's a sleight of hand kind of thing, which would be Reflex.

    Xagar on
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