Possibly it's not required, I don't really care either way, but would it useful to put a letter next to the above list that corresponds to the Tegel Village map at the opening of the same thread, so we know where some of the buildings are visually?  If it really isn't going to be that important, don't bother, it's easy enough to post without the visual clue, but since the map is there it might be helpful.  Just a thought.

It won't be. There will be no actual navigation of the city.


Huh, Barton Fink? You don't say. Day late and a dollar short, as they say.


As I'm running it, it will be the latter. There was no Emperor of Curd or Night Coach to Tegel Village in the module. Some encounters will be straight combat.


The clues were in the opening Emperor post. The food was not spoiled; it was cottage cheese which presents its own challenges to any man.

As for the village points of interest, you will need to go to each as a group. I'm not going to run multiple threads. Apologies.

I was actually suggesting the mere “hand-waving” of the individual party member meetings with the individual trainers for each class, if it is obvious who is a suitable trainer for each class and assuming there is no XP benefit obtainable or substantive Manor information to be obtained from the trainers/proprietors...

Was hoping we could just hand-wave a few hours or a half-day of time in game just confirming that we had those meetings so that the group as a whole could focus on the non-trainer NPCs info gathering meetings.  But, if the group needs to meet with everyone, we can do that systematically - we need some guidance from The Host as to whether that is necessary or recommended.

I recommend to the group that we start at the top and work our way down: Mayor, Baron Rump, and so on.

How is solving “Barton Fink” a day late and a dollar short?  The group deciphered your 2nd set of clues immediately after they were given.  If the puzzle is closed, why continue to give us more clues to research to continue trying to solve the puzzle?  You confirmed that The Shining was a good but wrong guess and gave us a cryptic picture clue to keep us trying to solve the puzzle. I love puzzles. But, once it is solved after the additional clues, you tell us the puzzle is now irrelevant?  I wasted an hour of time IRL, trying to decipher your new clues for a challenging puzzle, only to be laughed at for wasting time IRL.  Just trying to understand the “rules” of this world, so I can play the game effectively but without wasting time.  So far, the rules are: (1) explore and take on everything that has been described in every room or location if you want to advance; (2) no need to be cautious exploring or taking any action because you will be penalized for being cautious and apparently there will be no negative repercussions for charging ahead.  But I have a sinking feeling that rule 2 only applies, until it doesn’t, and one or more of us die for not being cautious.

Again.  I love puzzles and am enjoying this game.  But, to play and have fun in any game, the players need to know what the rules are. Else, the players are just puppets.

Sorry for the vent.  I know you have a lot of time invested in this adventure.  But so do I.  And we are only a few weeks in.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:09, Wed 18 May 2022.

Yes, let's do that. I'll update that list so you know where the known trainers are.


It's optional. I would probably hit those locations for variety after forays into the manor. That's what this game is ultimately about. Emperor was a puzzle-solving, RP opportunity.



This is a fair question. I think I would just say that the 2nd set of clues, the room description, was tantamount to providing the answer. In my estimation, they weren't a 2nd set of clues. The first set included:

Dusty palms
Ringing of the bell
Chester's entrance from below
Chester -> Chet
Trans vs. Res
Chester's card
Barkeep's label
Chester's purplish fingernails

Maybe others? I don't remember.

I was happy to see John Tururro in Severance until I realized how vapid and poorly written Severance was and stopped watching it.

This isn't the sort of game we will play all that often :).

Emperor of Curd is a play on "The Emperor of Ice Cream"
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:15, Wed 18 May 2022.

Nah. I didn't laugh at anyone. My "Dollar Late" quote was another BF reference of sorts. It's the kind of "every man" quote that the not-so-everyman Charlie Meadows might use.


I tried to be very explicit that you were under no threat at the Emperor of Curd -- that the threat lay in the swamp and in the fog-shrouded streets. Rule 2 will absolutely apply in the manor. I don't think this game works if you're under high threat all the time. There needs to be occasional alleviation of tension.

I did not pick up on that at all. It was only made clear to me that staying at the Inn was a better option than camping outside. (In fact, I started to wonder if Lotti was an NPC since she was so emphatic about it.) For all I knew, on a 10-pt scale of evil/danger, outside in the fog was a 10, and the Inn was a 9. A classic "lesser of two evils." It never occurred to me that it was a zero. At the time I actually thought it was brave of me to venture into the bar area. Not kidding.

But oh well. We're all still learning each other's personalities and styles. So far so good, and looking forward to further exploration of the town/manor.

We will wait for you to post an update to the game thread in response to the morning activities. If nothing else I'm curious to know what Cass learns. Then the party can decide where to go from here. Perhaps we should pay a visit to the mayor?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Wed 18 May 2022.

In reply to The Host (msg # 405):

Ok.  I’ve never seen “Barton Fink,” which Ereth solved after the picture clue.  I was going down The Ring and Twin Peaks possibilities.  But none of the list of clues had any meaning to me.  The picture of the women facing away from the camera triggered The Ring for me.

If the 4251 extension on Chester’s card is just another reference to Barton Fink, I will quit trying to decipher that puzzle. Not sure if we are doing a D&D module or an Escape Room.  Either or both is fine - just helps to know whether it was one big puzzle or 10 discrete and different ones to be solved.

I assumed the trans/res question by Chester was just an Emperor of Curd cutesy/quirky lingo thing - i.e., are we just a passing through or are we gonna stay.  I assume this is the only Inn option in town, and this will be our home “base” outside of the Manor - absent any other good Inn option, but we can’t afford to pay to stay here long term unless we replenish our treasure trove - adventuring or taking on routine day jobs at the local establishments.

Sorry I missed your “day late” reference as just another homage to Barton Fink.  I read that statement on its face for its standard meaning.

I was just excited that 1 of the 6 of us actually figured out the puzzle - I never would have.  Again.  I like puzzles as long as we know the game is afoot.

Should we still explore the private staff quarters of the break room or is that just a waste of time now? If nothing substantive (item or info) is to be gained or found, and since there is no need for all of us to tag along to visit every trainer in town, then I propose that the group wrap up in the lobby/lounge and join Lotti and Trevion outside to explore the Village while it is still daylight.  Agree with Ereth that the Mayor’s office is probably the first place to visit - unless someone else feels strongly about a different visitation (Baron Rump) to start.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Wed 18 May 2022.

Quite so. When I say I'm being explicit, it doesn't mean I'm being explicit. It means I've laid out some logic that can be deduced. In fact, Lotti did just that in OOC #313. That was an explicit detailing of the governing premise.

For my part, I've said I'm not going to present safe as dangerous or dangerous as safe. I guess that variety of trickery doesn't appeal to me.

@Trevion

Really good in-game post.

Thanks, Ereth! I really appreciate it!

Cass as village caller? That work for you folks?

No objections here. I’m certain Cassandra will do a fine job.

Ha!  Famous last words.

Turns out that the Mayor’s office is actually Asmodeus’ summer cabin, his earthly getaway for those times when administrating the ninth circle of Hell gets too stressful. And he just decided to take a few days off.

Excellent!  Perhaps he will be a suitable leveling trainer for several different party members and classes.  And perhaps he’d also be willing to part with some helpful potions and scrolls to aid in our services to the town. :)

With no 'now I own your soul' strings attached.

We would absolutely never, ever even think to agree to something like that.  Unless we were totally desperate and had no other choice, of course.

Cass- Soooo, absolutely never ever is more of a maybe then?

Ereth, Lotti's not trying to be a prick in nailing down the 'voices'.  I role play how I've been influenced.  I'm still feeling out the style of this game, as I've been in a game here on Rpol where one of the characters became possessed and we the players didn't figure it out for something like 6 weeks of RL.  We went on some wild goose chases during that time and not being any the wiser I'm trying to stamp out any possibility that Ereth is currently being influenced by another entity.

Lotti: We’re all being influenced by another entity. :).

Cass even had a nightmare the one night we spent sleeping in the inn - it was about some guy named “Barton,” who killed another guy named “Fink,” in the bed in the Murder Room. And the only witness was some lady facing away from the scene so you couldn’t see her face.  A little boy sat near the bed and chanted “redrum,” over and over again while a long dark-haired, wet girl climbed out of a well in the middle of a field.

It was a nightmare, I tell ya!

In reply to Lotti (msg # 419):

No worries! I am playing along with you in-game the best I can, while respecting the fifth wall.

In reply to Cassandra (msg # 420):

LOL.

Lotti: just waiting for you to question Chester and then lead us on the the Mayor’s office...

Lotti: this is a “normal” inn for this Village.  No one is comfortable with it, but we could be here in the Inn for years if you want to try to figure out what’s going on here.  We need to get to the Manor, but need to explore the Village and gather as much info as we can first.  Otis is absent but with us in spirit while we gather info in the Village.  If we wait for Otis to formally appear in the lobby before we head out as a group, we may be waiting a while.  But there doesn’t seem to be much “individual” action needed at the moment - the Host told us to stick together...

I feel like I'm not reading the same stuff you guys are, not that I'm overly worried.  How do we know this inn is normal for this place again?  How do we know we could be in the inn for years?

Lotti sees evil and right about now she has the Drowning Pool 'Bodies' soundtrack playing in her ears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04F4xlWSFh0

She will wait for other players/characters to come into the dining room though.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Fri 20 May 2022.