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2.1 the Misgivings.

Posted by DMFor group archive 0
DM
GM, 747 posts
Tue 22 Jun 2010
at 19:17
  • msg #6

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Don't forget to update your spell lists in the spells thread, thank you.

To save time, I am going to run 2 scenes at the same time, feel free to respond to both.
Scene 1
Everyone has responded and are assumed to be present

   The body is quickly cleaned up, but word has already spread and, despite the morning dampness and chill, a small crowd gathers.  When Zer-wedula is seen he finds people staring at him and muttering to each other.  There is a sudden bellow from down the street, "YOU, you killed my Katrine...sob...I'm going to kill you with my bare hands."  Ven Vinder is running down the street toward Zer-wedula, face contorted into a blood thirsty rage, fists clenched (he does have a reputation of anger issues and being VERY good with his fists).  As Ven runs by Talis, Talis almost casually sticks a leg out and trips him.  Thud, Ven hits the wet ground and several guards grab him.


Scene 2

   It is still early morning as the group leaves Sandpoint, the sky is gray and threatening.  The sky reflects the mood of the town.  Zer-wedula in particular recieves many fearful glances.
   You stop by the farm to return the wagon and the farmer greets you but has nothing to report.  He asks fearfully, "When will it be over?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:25, Tue 22 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 210 posts
Tue 22 Jun 2010
at 19:33
  • msg #7

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Scene 1
Talis says in a casual tone, "You can break Zer's nose later, good master Vinder.  I need him now to kill a ghoul lord.  You can deal with him later", with a wink and nod to Zer.

Scene 2
A grim Talis says, "Hopefully tonight.  Otherwise, next time you see me you should run, because I will be a ghoul.  Stay inside and keep your family safe and pray to the gods for us."
DM
GM, 748 posts
Wed 23 Jun 2010
at 18:35
  • msg #8

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Well, everyone has logged on since my last post, and I can but assume you have looked at the scenes and have chosen not to respond.  So onward...

Scene 1

   The guards pick Ven up from the ground even as he struggles to break free.  The man is obviously mad with grief.  "You brought this killer here...sob...", the rest is lost in his sobs.

Scene 2

   The group continues on as the clouds gather and the rain starts to fall off and on in a dreadful fall day.  The wind seems to say, "goooo baaack", but that must be your imagination.
   The route leading out to Foxglove Manor is a three-mile hike along a narrow path that follows the Foxglove river from the covered bridge where it flows under the Lost Coast Road to the dark sea cliffs overlooking the Varisian Gulf. Here, wild sea birds call out to a roaring ocean that churns hundreds of feet below.
   As you near Foxglove Manor, it almost seems as if nature herself becomes sick and twisted (Cat even begins to have trouble with Garious). Nettles and thorns grow more prominent, trees are leafless and bent, and the wind seems unnaturally cold and shrill as it whistles through the cliffside crags. The path slowly rises, turns a steep corner in the cliffs, and then Foxglove Manor looms at the edge of the world.
   The strangely cold sea wind rises to a keening shriek as Foxglove Manor comes into view. The place has earned its local nickname of the “Misgivings” well, for it almost appears to loathe its perch high above the ocean, as if the entire house were poised for a suicide leap. The roof sags in many places, and mold and mildew cake the crumbling walls.   Vines of diseased-looking gray wisteria strangle the structure in several places, hanging down over the precipitous cliff edge almost like tangled braids of hair. The house is crooked, its gables angling sharply and breached in at least three places, hastily repaired by planks of sodden wood. Chimneys rise from various points among the rooftops, leaning like old men in a storm, and grinning gargoyle faces leer from under the eaves. That the manor clings to the cliff is remarkable, as the whole far side is nothing more than a sheer drop down to the ocean below, a fall of over three hundred feet. Out front, the foundation stones of a long burnt outbuilding stand sentinel astride the weed-choked approach; a low stone well squats morosely amid these ruins.
   The place looks decayed and old.  Grime and mold encrust the windows which will make it difficult if not impossible to look inside.  Most seem to have curtains drawn anyway.  It is 3 stories tall, though the top story is probably considered an attic.  It’s impossible to tell how many floors the outbuilding hat stood here once had, for all that remains are the crumbling stones of its foundation.  The stones still bear scorches and cracks from the fire that destroyed the building long ago. To the east, a four-foot-wide stone well sits, partially collapsed, in the corner of the ruins.


what do you do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Tue 29 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 211 posts
Wed 23 Jun 2010
at 18:39
  • msg #9

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Scene 2
Talis looks at the uninviting place, "I have seen friendlier jails, not that I have been in any.  So, go in through a window or 1 of the doors?  We seem to have a key.  Or maybe one of or spellcasters has a better idea."
Tanrov
player, 63 posts
Wed 23 Jun 2010
at 19:22
  • msg #10

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Scene one, I will feel sorry for Ven.

Scene two, Tanrov is going to complain pretty much the whole way, it's the kid in him, he's just not used to big walks.  He states, "We're going in there" again the kid in him because of fright will say, "not me, you can't make me go in there"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:43, Wed 23 June 2010.
Glum
player, 410 posts
The world's least dour
dwarf. Hence the name.
Wed 23 Jun 2010
at 20:39
  • msg #11

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Glum sighs.  "We have to go in there... unless the place is struck by lightning and burns to the ground in the next few minutes.  I suppose I ought to pray for a miracle."
Catessa Fallowfield
player, 317 posts
Halfling Nature Priestess
...and Friend Garious
Fri 25 Jun 2010
at 19:16
  • msg #12

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Not sure if Cat is scene 1

DM:yes, I said everyone was present

scene 2
Cat is tired. Sleeping in the cathedral wasn't fully restful for her and wrestling Gae has been hard. She looks about, "Shall we knock?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:19, Fri 25 June 2010.
DM
GM, 749 posts
Sat 26 Jun 2010
at 18:21
  • msg #13

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Scene 1
...I was hoping for a little more roleplaying and character development...


Scene 2

   The group heads to the front door, disturbing a few sickly looking ravens are perched atop the foundation stones; they fly clumsily away.  The front door has a good lock (dc 30), but you don't have to worry about it because the key you got from the Rogers ghoul on the Hambley farm fits perfectly.  With a >click<, the lock opens and, with a deep breath, you open the door.
   The sound of the house straining and creaking gives this long, highceilinged room an additional sense of age and decay. The place smells damp, the unpleasant tinge of mold lacing the air as surely as it stains the wooden floor, walls, and furniture in pallid patches. A curving flight of stairs to the south winds up to the upper floor, while a pair of large stone fireplaces brood to the north and south. Heavy dark-blue curtains hang over the windows, and the frames above each
of the two doors are carved with dancing gargoyles and skeletons.  Trophies hang on the wall to the northeast: a boar, a bear, a firepelt cougar, and a stag, their glassy eyes staring from fur crusted with mold and cobwebs, yet they pale in comparison to the monster on display in the center of the room. Here crouches a twelve-foot-long creature with the body of a lion, a scorpion’s tail fitted with dozens of razor barbs, huge bat-like wings, and a deformed humanoid face.  The stuffed beast’s poorly maintained fur has fallen away in places, allowing the sawdust filling it to sift out into tiny mounds on the platform below.
[Private to Zer-wedula: Zer identifies it as a Manticore]
   A 15' hall leads to apparently a dining room with large stained glass windows.  The large amount of glass, not to mention stained glass, speaks of the wealth the Foxglove family had.  It's hard for the humans to see in the dim light (grime/moldy windows, curtains and heavy overcast).  You wonder, just how far along Aldern got with his repairs, the outside and this room don't look like they have been worked on in decades.
[Private to Glum: For just a moment Glum thinks he smells burning hair and flesh.  But a quick look around shows no smoke... he must have imagined it.]
[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; Tanrov: You hear what sounds like a brief set of sobs coming from somewhere upstairs.  It's very faint, maybe it was the house settling.]

what do you do?
-north door
-south door
-stairs
-explore the room
-hallway

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Tue 29 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 212 posts
Sat 26 Jun 2010
at 18:34
  • msg #14

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Talis moves over and carefully opens the curtains with his polearm, "Let's get some light in this place."  As a general rule, Talis will open all the curtains when he first enters a room (unless there are more vital concerns).
Glum
player, 411 posts
The world's least dour
dwarf. Hence the name.
Sat 26 Jun 2010
at 19:12
  • msg #15

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Glum sniffs.  "Does anyone smell that?" he asks as he looks around the room.  He begins, carefully, to explore the room.

DM:Everyone smells mold and decay.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Mon 28 June 2010.
Catessa Fallowfield
player, 318 posts
Halfling Nature Priestess
...and Friend Garious
Sat 26 Jun 2010
at 23:16
  • msg #16

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

scene 1 (OOC sorry my oops)

Cat goes to  the man, "Please sir, don't blame Zer. We believe this murder has been here for years. May even be responsible for some of the old murders before the Time of Troubles. But we must investigate."

scene 2

Cat holds up a hand, "Shhhhh. Hear that?" She doesn't say what she heard as she points upwards and rushes towards the stairs, "Come on ... Hurry." Not again ...


Yes, Cat's stretching there in scene 1. There are things I think I remember from early on in the game.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Mon 28 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 213 posts
Mon 28 Jun 2010
at 18:31
  • msg #17

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Talis opens 1 curtain and then follows Cat, "Slow down little sister, you don't want to go anywhere in this house alone."
Tanrov
player, 65 posts
Mon 28 Jun 2010
at 19:03
  • msg #18

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

"Hey I hear sobbing from somewhere on the second floor," states Tanrov before he investigates the room and continuing the war between the kid in him that is overly scared of this place and the adult in him that just walked into this place without a care in the world.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:29, Mon 28 June 2010.
DM
GM, 750 posts
Mon 28 Jun 2010
at 21:34
  • msg #19

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Scene 1
Ven focuses on Cat, "But the killer is writing to that halfelf bastard."  As he is led away by the guard (to spend more time in a cell) he yells at Zer, "This isn't over, my Katrine will be avenged."


Scene 2
I am going to assume the party is going to stay together, if you want to split up, please specify that in your post...
Who has what light out, if no one specifies then I will assume you are just using the light from the outside, which in places will be completely inadequate for everyone but Glum and his darkvision.

   The group heads heads upstairs following Tanrov and Cat.  The stairs creak, but seem strong enough.  Cobwebs (ordinary spiders), mold and neglect are evident on the next floor as well.  At the top of the stairs is a window and Talis carefully pulls back the curtains, providing a little illumination.  The stairs lead to a hallway with 6 doors.  The smell of mold and decay is just as strong here.  The floor creaks as you walk on it and the far away sound of the water crashing on the cliffs far below are the only sounds.


pick a door or continue down the hallway?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:58, Tue 29 June 2010.
Glum
player, 412 posts
The world's least dour
dwarf. Hence the name.
Mon 28 Jun 2010
at 22:06
  • msg #20

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

"Let's be systematic", said Glum, "And follow on to the end of the hallway then work backwards till we're outside."
Tanrov
player, 66 posts
Tue 29 Jun 2010
at 05:07
  • msg #21

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

"I like being systematic", say Tanrov as he gets lights his Eternal torch in order to see better.

DM:I will assume everybody has at least 1 Eternal torch (borrowed), and if you wish to carry them around, regular torchs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:02, Tue 29 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 214 posts
Tue 29 Jun 2010
at 19:05
  • msg #22

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Seeing Tanrov get his light out, Talis says, "Lead on."
DM
GM, 753 posts
Tue 29 Jun 2010
at 19:21
  • msg #23

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

The group turns the corner and finds that the hall ends in 2 doors.  Picking one, you open the door to find what was a bedroom.  This once-fine chamber has been destroyed. The bed is smashed, mattress torn apart, walls gouged as if by knives, chairs hacked apart, and paintings on the walls torn to pieces—with one exception. A portrait hanging on the northwest wall seems to be untouched, although it hangs backward, its unseen subject facing the wall.  The furnishings are newer, and not as old/decayed as the rest of the place.  Talis enters and opens the curtain.

Explore the room
Other door at end of hallway
other doors
downstairs

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Tue 29 June 2010.
Talis Revain
player, 215 posts
Tue 29 Jun 2010
at 19:49
  • msg #24

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Looks around the room and resists the urge to say, "Olly, olly oxen free, come out, come out wherever you are".

DM: All you see (other than what I posted) is that the ravens who flew off on your approach have returned to a tree outside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:51, Tue 29 June 2010.
Catessa Fallowfield
player, 319 posts
Halfling Nature Priestess
...and Friend Garious
Wed 30 Jun 2010
at 01:27
  • msg #25

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Cat heads towards the turned portrait. "Odd. Also, the crying seems to have stopped. Wonder if it was crying or just the house?"
Glum
player, 413 posts
The world's least dour
dwarf. Hence the name.
Wed 30 Jun 2010
at 09:32
  • msg #26

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Glum looks around the room at everything other than the turned portrait that Cat is investigating.  He examines the remains of furniture with the tip of his staff, sifting as carefully as he can.
DM
GM, 754 posts
Wed 30 Jun 2010
at 16:18
  • msg #27

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Next time you post, please tell me what you have out.

On closer examination you confirm that almost all of this furniture is new, and what isn't new was repaired prior to being destroyed.  Even the door to this room has been repaired.  As she turns the portrait around, it is obvious it is also of recent manufacture.  The portrait reveals a beautiful dark-haired woman in a thoughtful pose.  Both Talis and Zer-wedula gasp.  The woman is pretty, but their reaction seems...odd.  As she turns around Cat seems to be caught up in some internal struggle as she grips her weapon so tight that her knuckles turn white.  As you all look for a threat or seek to find out what is wrong, she relaxes.
[Private to Zer-wedula: Upon seeing the portrait you experience a sudden inexplicable wave of sadness.  It sweeps over you in an instant, and is gone just as fast.]
[Private to Talis Revain: Upon seeing the portrait you experience a sudden inexplicable wave of fear.  It sweeps over you in an instant, and is gone just as fast.]
[Private to Catessa Fallowfield: As Cat turns to ask the boys about their reactions, she hears a woman’s shrill voice say "What are you up to down in the damp below?”; for several seconds you feel this intense anger against woman and feel a desire to hurt the nearest one, which happens to be yourself.  But you will is strong and you fight this feeling off. (You made your will save)]
Glum
player, 414 posts
The world's least dour
dwarf. Hence the name.
Wed 30 Jun 2010
at 16:20
  • msg #28

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Glum, still with his staff in hand, begins tapping on the walls, seeking hollow places.  He doesn't do it long though and suggests, "Shall we move on to the next room?"
Talis Revain
player, 216 posts
Wed 30 Jun 2010
at 18:11
  • msg #29

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Talis looks at the portrait and considers it's age, "Iesha I presume.  Cat what happened?  I felt a momentary touch of fear."  When finished discussing, move on to the next room.

sword, light, force shield
Catessa Fallowfield
player, 320 posts
Halfling Nature Priestess
...and Friend Garious
Thu 1 Jul 2010
at 01:07
  • msg #30

Re: 2.1 the Misgivings

Cat has a spear in her right hand and unlit sun rod in her shield, left hand. She backs away from the picture. "She wanted to know what were doing 'down there'. And there was a rush of anger against women, so me." She is all for moving on. Maybe talking later.
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