plot-locked

[curlytop]

George's set up tonight is much the same as it was for the first game. Large table, stack of character sheets, bagful of dice, pizza, Doritos, Mountain Dew, and Red Vines. He's brought beer again, just in case, and a huge bowl of popcorn.

At least this time he's relatively certain everyone showing up will know it's a game. Progress.



[ooc: Plot-locked to the 2nd group of D&D players. Will have separate threads in the comments.]

Comments

Re: Campaign

[curlytop]

George is beyond pleased with everything that is happening right now. He couldn't be happier. He's beaming at all of them like he's coaching a youth soccer team and they're winning their championship match.

"Well, okay, excellent...ehm...hang on." He does some flipping through pages, some note scribbling, and then....

"So, Oswald is not impressed with the attempt at intimidation, but he's certainly flustered, and he's mindful of Thialaqui's history as a bareknuckle boxer, so he backs down. Some. 'Fine. Ten minutes. But do not forget that you work for me and not the other way round. This is my investigation, and you are here to assist me, nothing more.' I...think you wounded his pride there, Thialaqui."

As for the impromptu performance. "There's a scattered...confused applause? When the song ends. Then Sagh comes over because...well...yes." He clears his throat. "'Oi! You may be here with the coroner on official business, but George here was a good friend to this village, and he doesn't deserve to be mocked in his death.'" Maybe Aldrich should have tried interpretive dance...

"Now you two," George says, turning to Viv and Sunshine, "are clever little buggers, aren't you? When you examine the trail closer, near the start of the bloody trail, you find a deep gouge, scored into the earth, as though someone had been digging for treasure with a mattock. On a hunch, you ask for a shovel, and start clearing snow away. A cold dread prickles up your back when you find another... and another... all in a trail toward the body. They're footsteps, you're sure of it, but so deep and far apart as to suggest whatever chased the poor blacksmith down was running at a speed you can only describe as inhuman."

Re: Campaign

[quick_clean_pure]

"I very, very quickly try to appease Sagh," Graverobber says, looking very pleased overall with the reaction to his impromptu shouting match. "So I try asking her 'What should we do for him? We'd hate to just leave him like this. Is there anything that we can do to take care of his body properly so that he's laid to rest?'. Because that seems like it'll keep the peace around here."

"Annnnd I don't know if that requires a Persuasion check, but if it does..." He rolls his dice. "Uh, eleven, plus three, so fourteen."

Re: Campaign

[arkadia]

Eden gives a confused headtilt at that, because this is somewhat the first time in his life that he's run up against the concept of 'don't mock the dead.' Either way, Thialaqui seems to be dealing with it, so he'll just help with that.

"I say 'You should direct any concerns to Oswald, as far as taking care of the body goes,'," he says. "'And since Oswald's here right now, there's no better time than the present.'"

Re: Campaign

[dreamingofelectricsheep]

“These marks are very interesting,” Viv, as herself, muses. “Ember studies them, attempting to compare them to her experience of forest animals and monsters. I roll a 12, so if that’s Nature, it would be 15. Insight would be 14 as would Perception. If it’s be investigation, that would mean 13.”

Viv looks up to stare at George waiting for clarification.

Re: Campaign

[sunbaked_baker]

"Something very fast and very large, to make gouges like that..." Rae murmurs. She glances at Viv, then nods.

"Yeah, is there anything else in particular we can tell about the marks? Would either of us have come across something similar beforein our travels?"

She rolls. "A ten would be... twelve for Nature, Insight, Investigation, and Perception across the board." Rae peers at her character sheet. "Huh."

Re: Campaign

[curlytop]

"Well, Sagh's still not well pleased with Aldrich," George says, "despite Thialaqui's intervention, and she snorts a little dismissively. 'We don't need a tax man coming in to take care of our dead. We'll see to George's body ourselves.' She says a quick prayer to Selune over his body, and then says. 'Someone ought to tell his daughter, though. If you're looking to make amends," here George looks over his DM shield at Eden pointedly, "you could bring her the news.' Oswald's staying out of this for now. He's unimpressed with all the shenanigans and vastly regretting hiring any of you sorry lot to help him in this investigation." George sniffs, snootily.

"Ember and Aldeyr, despite their truly impressive skills, cannot connect the tracks to anything they've seen before."

Re: Campaign

[quick_clean_pure]

"We would be most happy to tell his daughter and definitely not pester her for clues," Graverobber quickly deadpans. "What is her name and-slash-or location so that we would be able to do that thing that I just said we would do?"

Re: Campaign

[arkadia]

"What he said," Eden chirps, jabbing a finger at Graverobber. "'Sensitivity' is our middle name!"

Re: Campaign

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine is grinning at Graverobber and Eden, and finding it hard to stay in character. "Once Aldeyr is satisfied that... Once I'm satisfied that I can't determine anything more about the tracks and the scene of the attack, I return to the group."

She looks over her character sheet for a moment. "I would like to try and reassure Sagh that some of the investigators don't intend to... make light of death. She may be a useful ally and future source of information if we don't piss her off completely."

But how to do so in a rather pompous way, a la an aloof, self-important half-elf sorcerer? And there's the situation with Oswald... "Slightly loudly, mainly for Sagh's benefit but also where Oswald can hear, I seek to reassure Sagh that if at all possible, we will determine who or what is responsible for the deaths of George Gilly and Quentin Nary. That the loss of such upstanding folk of this community will not be overlooked and cast aside as unimportant due to them not being some noble, and that Gilly's daughter will be provided whatever closure and solace we can bring her. The neighborhood will be made safe for honest folk to live and thrive in."

"... If I have to roll for that - persuasion?" she grins, glancing up from her dice and her plus-five modifier. "Twenty-three?"

Re: Campaign

[dreamingofelectricsheep]

Viv is very impressed with everyone’s roleplaying. “Ember is temped to try and follow the tracks but sees the wisdom in not splitting the party. So, she stands and nods along with Aldyr’s words, making eye contact with Sagh to attempt to show her sincerity.”

“Does any of that require a roll?”

Re: Campaign

[curlytop]

George is...well...sort of giggling? He's trying not to laugh outright.

"Hang on...hang on," he says, taking a moment to get himself together, having a sip of his beer, and consulting his notes.

"It's a damn good thing you've got these two," he gestures to Viv and Sunshine, "or you'd be pretty well buggered here. I hope you know that." He's grinning as he says this, though, because this way is more fun. "Sagh is satisfied with this, but she directs her comments to Aldeyr. 'Eryn'll be at their house. It's not far from town. I'd be grateful for your help, and I assume you'll be wanting rooms at the Bend when you return?' Oswald nods. 'Then I guess you'll be in my care while you're here.' She'll give Aldeyr directions to the Gilly home.

"Oswald huffs a bit about going out of the way, but he knows very well not to anger their hostess, so he just grumbles under his breath."

Re: Campaign

[quick_clean_pure]

"I try to make Sagh like me again by thanking her for the help and reassuring her that we are totally serious about helping and solving this," Graverobber deadpans. "And then I guess I turn to the rest of the group and say 'Should we head to Eryn's house all together, then, and give her the news?'"

Re: Campaign

[arkadia]

"Hopefully, she'll have some kind of idea of whether anything strange was happening with Gilly before he died. Or if he had any enemies," Eden says, nodding gravely. "I think all our leads here have dried up."

Re: Campaign

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine nods. "Sounds good to me. It'd be good to hear Eryn's perspective on this, if she's up to talking about it."

Re: Campaign

[dreamingofelectricsheep]

Viv nods as well.

"This is a good plan...assuming Oswald agrees. To that effect, Ember says, in a low voice for their group but directed at Oswald, Perhaps the good will of the townsfolk will add in our investigation of Ser Thames' death?"

Viv rolls, assuming George will ask. "I roll a 12, minus 1 for my Persuasion? So 11."

Re: Campaign

[curlytop]

"Oswald is not inclined to agree," George says with a sigh. "But he does know Sagh is their only choice for lodgings. 'We can make a quick stop at the blacksmith's home, but then I absolutely insist we continue on to Ser Thames' home.'"

As it's the agreed next step, George gets them all to the Gilly home with minimal fuss, where they find, "The doors and windows hang open, and the curtains shiver in the frigid wind. Snow has begun to creep onto the sills, and over the threshold, into the dark and empty home. As you enter, you find the floorboards in the kitchen have been prised up, and on the table next to them sits a small, artless lockbox."

Re: Campaign

[quick_clean_pure]

"...okay, so I know we want to talk to her, but before we do that, I want to examine the lockbox," Graverobber says quickly. "And if anyone else wants to grab a quick look at the floorboards, fucking go for it."

Quickly, he grabs his die for an investigation check and rolls. "...uh. Fuck. That's an eight, with a modifier of nothing at all."

Re: Campaign

[arkadia]

"This home isn't very habitable," Eden says, dubiously. "Still, I guess I should see if I can see anything interesting inside. I do have darkvision after all."

He rolls Investigation, peering at his dice. "Thirteen, with a modifier of plus four."