In reply to DM (msg # 155):

"Thank you, my friend. Let me know if I am getting this right:

"Someone, the hooded man?, escaped from the jail via the chimney. He then came back and climbed down before escaping again the next day?"

"If what the raven and the raven man have to say, caw, or pantomime is right, then the hooded man is our murderer! He was trying to take revenge on us by making it look like Thorfire was the killer.

"The bastard must pay!"

"Blackwing, if that is your name, do you know where the hooded man went?"

"And Dev, what kind of magic potion was it?"

"Mrawk," replies Mrawk, clapping his hands in the affirmative.


"It was a setup," Tyus adds excitedly. "You knew the location of his secret cave, so he needed you out of the way."
"And we fell for it," the mayor concedes with a shake of his head.


The raven flaps his wings from atop the chimney and caws. Mrawk nods, then caws himself and points to the north. Straight up the northern road from which they came a couple days earlier.

The answer to the final question is more difficult to get. The crazy halfling explains that while he can determine the exact nature of the potion, the material cost is significant. He fishes out a small pouch and from it a beautiful pearl. "Wi-will n-ne-ne-need this," he stammers. "A hu-hu-hundred gold."

"A hundred gold?" the mayor protests. "That's outrageous!"
The wizard only shrugs his shoulders as if to say take it or leave it.

In reply to DM (msg # 157):

"Pay him, Mayor Noir! My friends and I have some unfinished business to the North."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:24, Mon 22 Jan 2018.

In reply to Lazaret (msg # 158):

Mr. Mayor, we will travel back to the hooded man's cave.  If he is there, I will bring you his head.  The rest of the body we will likely feed to the giant rats.  I see no need to bring him to trial just so he can escape and kill again.  He mumbles to himself, that's what we should have done in the first place.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:51, Mon 22 Jan 2018.

"Very impressive game of charades, Laz, bravo!" Celador compliments the tabaxi.

"Although I am not looking forward to heading back to that cave, I do feel that this is unfinished business that requires our attention," he replies to Thorfire, "However we are not judge and jury in this town. Mr. Mayor, do we have your authority to handle this fugitive and murderer as we see fit?"

In reply to Celador Qiris (msg # 160):

Thorfire whispers to his pointy eared friend, I always find it easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

"if he denies me permission then, by all means, you can ask for forgiveness." Celador replies in a whisper to the half cocked half pint.

In reply to Celador Qiris (msg # 162):

Joining in the whispers. "This is personal. We deal with it our way. The mayor has no authority here while Sister Gwendelon is out. And I believe her authority barely stretches past the city limits."

In reply to Lazaret (msg # 163):

So we are in agreement, he hobo kill the bastard. Thorfire whispers back.

The mayor ponders long and hard the deal before him, running his hands through his hair and tugging at it several times before finally reaching a decision. "Fine," he sighs. "One hundred gold. If it puts this case to rest, then it's money well spent. Tyus, go down to the dungeon and pick up every last piece of shattered glass you can find."

He leads them back into the office, where they clean the papers from Enoch's desk and lay out the pieces of glass already collected there. Enoch protests, but his complaints fall on deaf ears as the mayor continues to put pieces of the case together. "So the potion might explain how he got out of the dungeon last night, but what of the night Merris was murdered? There was no broken glass on the floor then."

Tyus comes up from the basement with another handful of glass and adds it to the pieces on the table. The Wizard begins to mumble to himself while he arranges the glass bits on the table.

In reply to DM (msg # 165):

Lazaret makes his way to the stables and procures some horses in the name of Mayor Naar.

"Well, if we are headed back on the road again, I shall see if Mattis has some pasties to pack up as a quick lunch," sighs Celador as he heads off in the direction of the Trollop and the Troll.

"I will meet you at the northern road in an hour," he calls back.

The mad halfling wizard swirls his hands over the pearl, the glass pieces, and a feather produced from another of his many pouches and pockets. He mumbles quietly to himself at first, but then his tone sharpens, transforming into clear words, although they are meaningless to any but those well versed in the arcane arts. The air around the items on the table begins to crackle with energy and glow in a faint, red-orange light. At the height of the crackling, he places one hand over the glass pieces and closes his eyes while holding his other hand in the air above, manipulating his fingers as if sorting through a collection of pebbles.

After a few moments, the glowing light subsides, the halfling opens his eyes, and the pearl and feather have disappeared.

"P-p-p-potion of lllll-levi-lllll-levi-lev-lev... float in the air."

With the identification complete, Lazaret leaves the office and heads to the stable. There he finds a stable keeper in the process of feeding the horses. She stands about 5 and a half feet tall, is dark-skinned with short, jet black hair hidden beneath an straw hat.

"Well, you must be the long-winded tabaxi I've been hearing so much about," she states matter-of-factly while extending her hand confidently. "Janella Songsteel."

OOC: DC15 persuasion check to get free loaner horses from Janella.



Meanwhile, Celador heads to the Trollip and Troll in search of something better than trail rations for their upcoming road trip. As expected, he finds Mattis Bumbleford hard at work. She smiles and giggles as the elf enters, scurrying from a table and waving as she does.

"Good morning," she chirps. "I trust you slept well at the Stronghammer, free from imprisonment?"

OOC: DC2 persuasion check to get a good serving of food for the road from Mattis.

In reply to DM (msg # 169):

Thorfire can't wait to get on the road...finally a chance at more killing.  He is getting a little twitchy, he better kill something soon.   He joins the elf for a bite to eat.

20:44, Today: Thorfire Shortankard rolled 8 using 1d20+2, rerolling ones.
Persuasion
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Thu 25 Jan 2018.

In reply to Thorfire Shortankard (msg # 170):

"Firestar of the Lazaret. Pleased to meet you. I haven't much time. A sinister man has escaped from the jail and he intends to destroy this town. Mayor Naan has sent me to acquire horses. He will pay any deposit, rental, or replacement fee. When my friends and I have returned I will personally assist you in mending some of those saddles and reins over there. They have seen better days, have they not?"


21:08, Today: Lazaret rolled 12 using 1d20+8.  Persuasion - acquire horses.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:09, Thu 25 Jan 2018.

Janella furrows her brow. "Uh, I can't just give horses to anybody who needs them, even if that anybody happens to be a somebody like ...mayor Nann, as you call him."


Thorfire and Celador, meanwhile, have no such problems acquiring food from the Trollip's favorite barmaid. Mattis gladly bounds to the kitchen and returns a short time later with a bag of delicious food for the upcoming journey.

In reply to DM (msg # 172):

"My dear, you are not giving the horses away. The mayor is paying for them and I am here under his authority. Please. Time is of the essence. The survival of your town is at stake. This necromancer has threatened to return and he will destroy everything and you will no longer have any horses to refuse to give out!"


06:24, Today: Lazaret rolled 23 using 1d20+8.  Persuasion - acquire horses.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:25, Fri 26 Jan 2018.

Janella doesn't budge. "No money, no horses. If the mayor wants horses for you, I'm sure he can scratch up the required coin. 90 gold for a fully outfitted horse."

OOC: Sorry, can't let you roll twice for the same argument :(
But yes, horses would be nice.

She eyes the tabaxi cautiously and finally sighs. "Look, if you want to borrow them, I can do it for 30 gold each. Three days. That's the best I can do."

Upon coming out of the Trollip and Troll, Celador overhears the tabaxi browbeating the stable manager for a horse.

"Well, what have we here?" he says as he approaches.

"Do you know, my dear lady, that you are in the presence of the Firestar of the Lazarus? Why he is the personal valet and envoy for the fifth archduke of Aquataine. or something like that And I am Celador Qiris, captain of the guards for the elven army at Glenvendale. This is Thorfire Shortbritches, he is a deft hand with a blade and I would imagine a cheat at three dragon ante. Anyway, together we, and a couple others, have nearly single handedly saved this fair city from the evils of a necromancer and rape and plunder by a tribe of red moon ogres. All in the space of a weekend, I might add."

Celador continues, "and if you have the time, and the stomach, for it, my feline companion will sing an epic ballad of our heroics. Nevermind, the more time we spend in here the less time we spend out there, saving people like you in here from people like that....out there."

Does that count as an assist in the persuasion of Janella?

OOC: Make a persuasion roll to assist Lazaret's current 12 that needs to become a 15:
  1 to 9 means you didn't help.
  10 to 14 gives you +1
  15 to 19 gives you +2
  20 or greater gives you +3 (and a success).

Thorfire, too, could also assist with his own persuasion roll if needed.

18:25, Today: Celador Qiris rolled 1 using 1d20.  persuasion.

ouch. I guess she saw through my bullshit.

Thorfire, it is up to you now. You have to be more persuasive than that!

In reply to Celador Qiris (msg # 177):

My dear, time is of the essence.  We must capture the necromancer before he kills again.  You could be next!

Before I came in here, I saw Traitlin coming and he was carrying a pouch of coins to pay for the horses.  Let us be on our way,  we promise to treat them well and return them as quickly as possible.

19:16, Today: Thorfire Shortankard rolled 22 using 1d20+6, rerolling ones.  Deception
19:16, Today: Thorfire Shortankard rolled 5 using 1d20+2, rerolling ones.  Persuasion

Janella tries her best not to laugh out loud at Celador's attempt to cajole her out of horses and Thorfire's original try does no better.

She eyes each of them through a long, uncomfortable silence before finally conceding.

"If they have the money, then I suppose all that's left is to get you fitted to ride." She works with each of the heroes to equip them with a horse, saddle, a small set of saddle bags, bit, and bridle. She choose a smaller horse (not a pony) for Thorfire and a rugged pair for Celador and Lazaret.

It takes the better part of an hour, but they are eventually set.

"Good luck with your necromancer," she teases as the riders depart, still not entirely convinced of their story. "Watch out for his evil spellcastery."

OOC: Unless anyone has any other business to attend to prior to leaving, I'll assume the three of you are departing for the cave.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:36, Thu 01 Feb 2018.

In the words of the irrepressible Willy Nelson: