# IC The Thirteenth Moon: Night of the Blood Moon



## airwalkrr (Sep 3, 2012)

[sblock=Formatting Notes and Posting Guidelines]Anything you type up without formatting happens in-character, for better or worse. No editing, please. If you are a neat-freak like me and are concerned about spelling or grammar mistakes, preview your posts before posting them.

I will attempt to write in the present tense most of time. I would prefer you do the same. If it isn't natural enough for you, you may write in the past tense, however.

Out-of-character topics that have no direct bearing on the immediate situation should be posted to the OOC thread (this is also where the campaign introduction is located). I prefer use of spoiler blocks (tag sblock) for OOC conversation that DOES concern the immediate situation, but just make sure it is clear if something is OOC. Player characters and NPCs can be viewed in the Rogues Gallery.

I reserve the color Yellow for NPC speech. All NPCs will use the same color. I will do my best to refrain from carrying on conversations with myself. Most conversations with NPCs will involve only one character at a time. If, for some reason, I feel it is absolutely necessary to have more than one NPC speaking in the same post, I will delineate who is speaking by inserting the NPC's name before the text like so:

George: Well met, adventurer.

You may use any other color you like for your character. Just be consistent and pick something that stands out from the background well enough to read. If you do not wish to use a color for your character's in-character speech, please remember to use quotation marks.

Please use the integrated dice roller for all rolls. It makes it easier for me to spot math mistakes. If you are having difficulty with the integrated roller, please link your rolls from whatever online roller you use so I can check the math if I feel the need. Otherwise I use the honor system for dice rolls.

You may use action points on any d20 roll your character makes as described in the Eberron Campaign Setting. In the case of pbp, you do not have the luxury of immediate DM feedback, but if you decide to add an action point, please decide whether to do so quickly, in the event that I am online at the same time. You will often know the DC ahead of time (see below), but that is okay. It will just give the players an extra edge knowing when action points are going to be most efficacious; I am fine with that. I would rather action points result in success than be wasted.

This campaign uses the Players Roll All The Dice variant. Please familiarize yourself with this system and figure out the relevant modifiers for your characters then post them to your character's write-up in the Rogues Gallery. I will include the damage and effects of attacks, as well as enemy attack scores, save scores, and caster level scores when I describe the enemy actions.

NOTE: I will NOT describe the result of many dice roll outcomes in my own posts, particularly when it comes to combat and situations where you know the DC required. This is partly to engage players and get them to take a more active roll in describing the scenes and partly to ease my burden of tracking the outcome of things. As a general rule, if I call for a roll, I will provide you with a DC and leave it to you to describe your character's success or failure. In this way I also want to give players more narrative control over the events of the game. For example, you may be provided with the opportunity to describe how an opponent chooses to back down after a successful Intimidate check. I cannot predict everything players will want to roll against, however, so sometimes you will not know the DC ahead of time. In these cases, you may need to wait until you know the result.

The rules have been included in the campaign wiki. I will update the wiki to include space for players to add and edit things eventually as well.

I intend to post major updates on Mondays and Fridays. I will also try to post a major update on Wednesdays as well, but this will be somewhat irregular and will depend on my schedule. There will be minor updates throughout the week and into the weekend as time allows.

But most of all, let's all have fun and tell a great story![/sblock]Mandyran peered out the window and watched the nearly vacant streets of Sharn.

Mandyran: "Just about everyone's gone home," he mutters. "Not that I blame them. A dark omen like that! I might as well close up for the night. It is nice of you to stay, Dorius," he says to the gnome sitting at the table with him, "but there is hardly anyone left. Most of them them went to hide at home I suppose. Judging by the screams I keep hearing, there are still people just catching sight of it for the first time. That," he trails off for a moment, "or something more sinister going on. Anyway, I will start locking up the doors. I'll leave one open for the rest of the folks to leave."

Dorius had never seen his mentor so graven and distraught before. Of course, even back in Zilargo thirteen was an unlucky number. The gnomes were as superstitious as any, and had their own tales about the Thirteenth Moon. Its appearance was said to herald the rise of an opposition to enlightened ideals, as well as war and famine.

Across the room, Dorius crosses eyes with his friend, Berrent. He had met with the fellow a few times starting with his first missive back to Zilargo. Berrent had received an invitation from Dorius to attend the party at the Golden Horn, for which he was grateful. He was hoping to start building up a network of friends and associates to get his reputation as an inquisitive off the ground. A gathering such as this held promise, that is, until the arrival of the Blood Moon scattered almost everyone to the wind. He was beginning to think it might be best to call it a night.

Mandyran: "You can probably take the rest of the night off too, Bront," Mandyran says to his bouncer. "There just isn't enough business tonight to justify staying open."

Brad, the changeling who was moonlighting as his half-orc persona, Bront, could not help but reflect on the fact that Mandyran was right. There was hardly a soul left in the Golden Horn. Even some of the staff had fled in abject terror when the Blood Moon appeared. It did not frighten Brad, however. Within the changeling community there was a saying about the Thirteenth Moon: "All will be righted on the rise of the lost moon." For many it was a reference to the many years of persecution changelings had suffered at the hands of Inquisitions, purges, and other misunderstandings that had plagued their race, and perhaps a strong spirit of optimism, even if it was something most considered impossible. Yet Brad could not deny his eyes. The Blood Moon hung in the sky, clear for all to see.

Alise sat at a table with some fellow students from meditation class. They had agreed to meet in advance of the start of classes to get to know each other, but there were very few of them left and the last of them were just now deciding that going home would probably be best. As the other students rose, Alise was dejectedly nursing her drink and caught Brad's eye. He had noticed the human just the other day coming to the defense of a poor girl in the streets being accosted by guards making lewd and raunchy comments. He was not sure how she had managed to do so. It was clearly not magic, but obviously something that involved more than honeyed words.

Lt. Dane: "So much for a party, eh?" the knight of the Citadel says to Vigil as the two sit alone. The other members of the King's Wands had retreated to Ambassador Towers already on Lt. Dane's orders to prepare for a potentially busy night. "I figured this would be a great place to spend the evening. Such a pity. And Mandyran was happy to have more warforged like yourself around in recognition of the evening's theme. I was hoping you'd have more chance to socialize. I know acclimating to non-combat situations has been difficult for you. Well, I had best be moving along as well. It is quite possible the King's Wands may be called upon this night to deal with some dangerous threat. Things like this always seem to bring out the madness in people. Feel free to stop by the Citadel later if you have the need." With that, Lt. Dane rises to leave.

[sblock=OOC] Aside from the staff, your characters and the NPCs referred to above are the only ones left in the Golden Horn. Feel free to interact for a bit. You have a few minutes in-game before Mandyran finishes closing to introduce yourselves to each other. I will try to post an update tomorrow with a hook for adventure.[/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 3, 2012)

Dorius takes a moment to take in the scene for before answering Mandyran. So many strangers, so many potential sources... "I know I should be scared like everyone else, Mandyran, but I can't help but see this is strange celestial occurrence as the perfect subject for my first big scoop! Excuse me, would you?" 

Crossing the room to Berrent's table, Dorius hails the human and asks "Berrent, old buddy, how would you feel about being quoted in the Korranberg Chronicle as an eye-witness to this century's premier celestial event? All you need to do is provide me with your keen-eyed observations. Why don't you start with where you were when you first noticed the rise of the blood-red thirteenth moon?" Dorius produces a worn, leather-bound notebook and a sharpened stick of graphite from his vest, ready to record.


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## kinem (Sep 3, 2012)

Brad as the burly half-orc Bront heads over to Alise's table. _I'd prefer to be in human form for this, but you work with what's at hand._ As he's working tonight, he's clad in his scale mail and his greatsword clinks at his back.

"Hi. I'm sure you don't remember me but I think I've seen you before. You help people, don't you? This moon, it means change but that's not always bad."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 3, 2012)

[sblock=Knowledge DCs regarding the Thirteenth Moon]The following are applicable Knowledge check results that might apply in this situation regarding what your character knows about the Blood Moon. If you succeed at the listed check DC, you may open the spoiler block and reveal the information within (and nested within might be more difficult DCs). Of course, I have no way of preventing you from opening the blocks, so if you just can't resist the urge to take a peek, you will have to play as if your character doesn't know.[sblock=Arcana DC 15]Eberron has twelve moons, one for each month and also associated with each dragonmark. Some stories tell of a thirteenth moon which once existed, but if it did, it has not be around in ages.[sblock=Arcana DC 20]A thirteenth moon did indeed exist at one point in time, but it disappeared approximately 2600 years ago.[sblock=Arcana DC 25]The thirteenth moon was called Kharesk and was associated with the House of Vol, bearers of the dragonmark of death which no longer exists.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=History DC 15]Legends tell of a thirteenth moon which once circled Eberron long ago. It was said to hold special significance to some elves within Aerenal, the elven island.[sblock=History DC 20]The thirteenth moon disappeared approximately 2600 years ago. This event coincided with the end of one of the elven-dragon wars.[sblock=History DC 25]The most educated scholars have deduced that the disappearance of the thirteenth moon was actually coincident with the destruction of House Vol, an elven dragonmarked house which no longer exists. It is said that the elves and dragons worked together to eliminate the house after it encouraged cross-breeding of dragons with elves as a means to end the elven-dragon wars.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Nobility and Royalty DC 20]The "lost" thirteenth moon is said to be associated with a lost dragonmark.[sblock=Nobility and Royalty DC 25]The elven House Vol, now wiped out, once possessed the Mark of Death, which was associated with a thirteenth moon which disappeared over two thousand years ago.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Religion DC 15]The followers of the Blood of Vol consider the number 13 to be a sacred number.[sblock=Religion DC 20]The followers of the Blood of Vol have an obscure hymn which actually laments the disappearance of the thirteenth moon.[sblock=Religion DC 30]The symbol of the Blood of Vol has an antiquated meaning which is not commonly recognized in the modern age. The center of the symbol represents both a dragon's egg and a blood red moon.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 3, 2012)

Alise looks up startled at the burly half-orc, wondering where she could have possibly met someone like him without noticing.

"Oh, Hello.   I just try to be a good person that's all.  Do the right thing, that's what the Host would want us to do.   As for change, the moon, I know change doesn't have to be bad, but in my experience..."   she goes silent for a moment.  "No, it's not always bad.   But we have to take charge of destiny, I think, make choices that keep it from being bad.  My father showed me that."


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## pneumatik (Sep 4, 2012)

"It's exciting, isn't it, Dorius?" Berrent says. "Okay, so I was here, in the Golden Horn, when I heard the screams outside. So of course I ran outside. Everyone was looking up, like tourists or something. Then I saw the moon. It's a blood drop on black mirror just floating up there. I can understand why everyone was so scared. I sure was when I first saw it. But then I realized there's not much it can do up there in the night sky. If anything, it's a sign of exciting times. Something like that doesn't happen without _something_ big coming soon."

He takes a drink and looks at Dorius. "That good?"


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## airwalkrr (Sep 4, 2012)

Mandyran moves about the tavern shuttering the windows and closing doors, but as he makes it to the main entryway, he is startled by a lone figure who staggers into the room. The individual is cloaked and his features are masked, but the trail of blood he leaves as he hobbles several steps inward are clearly evident. He grasps a hold of Mandyran with his right hand, which is stained from blood while his left hand clutches his side in pain. He appears to be suffering from terrible wounds.

Lone Figure: "The mark..." he coughs, spurting blood and holding tightly to Mandyran, "Death has returned..."

With that, the elf collapses on the floor, and a pool of blood begins to flow around his torso beneath him. Mandyran kneels down hurriedly and tries to staunch the flow of blood with his hands using the elf's cloak.

Mandyran: "Is there a healer in the house?" he cries.[sblock=OOC]The elf might be saved with a DC 20 Heal check or the application of at least 5 points of healing. This healing need not come all at once.[/sblock]


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## pneumatik (Sep 4, 2012)

"Whoa! What happened?" Berrent rushes to the door and looks out for whoever stabbed the elf. He also looks for the direction the trail of blood comes from. His hand is on his rapier and his eyes dart about.


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 4, 2012)

*OOC: Dorius' skill checks for Thirteenth Moon knowledge*









*OOC:*


Flat +2 Int modifier bonus to each check as Dorius isn't trained in any of them.


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## Herobizkit (Sep 4, 2012)

Vigil nods to the parting lieutenant.  "Your company gives Vigil clarity.  May the Light shine upon you."

Vigil becomes eerily inert, save for his head which occassionaly pivots from side to side as he scans the tavern.  He focuses on snippets of conversation as he tries to understand the chaos of the revelers.

Upon hearing the mention of the Blood Moon, he reaches into his mind to find any relevant information about... well, about information.

Vigil is an introvert by nature, uncomfortable with cordial social interaction.  The Order of the Silver Flame... there are rules to follow, rituals to be observed and properly obeyed.  He does not know how to relate to the raw and unpredictable emotions of people.

With the entrance of the wounded elf, Vigil suddenly swings his legs about and stands.  "Vigil will assist," he says loudly.  He pushes his way through the crowd and prepares a healing litany, calling to the Light to share its life energy with the casualty.


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 4, 2012)

"Yes, yes! That's great Berrent!" Dorius scribbles excitedly, already imagining the headline: _"BLOOD DROP ON A BLACK MIRROR - Exclusive report from D. Del Dalian"_

He barely notices when the masked stranger appears on the scene, but when Mandyran calls for a healer, Dorius rushes forward with his cloak bunched up to serve as a pillow for the stricken stranger.


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## kinem (Sep 4, 2012)

[sblock=ooc]Berrent stole my voice color so I'm switching it.[/sblock]

"Looks like you're right: We have to act" Brad tells Alise. Seeing that the bloody stranger is being attended to, he goes over to the door, cracks it open, and peers outside, wondering if there's more trouble waiting there.


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 4, 2012)

Alise jumps up at notice of the wounded elf.    She runs to assist then cringes at the sight of the blood, running to the door she shouts out 

"Healer!, We need a healer here, someone of House Jorasco please help."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 4, 2012)

[sblock=Reminder about Knowledge checks and note on spoiler block access]An untrained Knowledge check can only be attempted if the DC is 10 or lower. However, as a bard, Dorius knows the same information as listed under History with a comparable Bardic Knowledge check. I had intended to include Bardic Knowledge with History originally, but it slipped my mind.

Sometimes I will include a spoiler block with a lot of potential information, such as in this post. If one PC unlocks part of the spoiler block, but is unable to succeed on further checks to unlock further parts of the block, that PC may bring the information to the attention of other PCs who may try to unlock further pieces of information within the block themselves. This use of spoiler blocks allows for a means to unlock keys to a mystery or puzzle through teamwork.[/sblock]As Vigil's curative magic works its way through the elf's injured body, color returns to his cheeks and the blood ceases to flow from his wound; however, he remains unconscious. "I suppose our elven friend here has the Silver Flame to thank for his life. He is lucky you were here," Mandyran says to Vigil as he picks up the elf and gestures over towards a booth with a moveable table. "Let's move him over here where he'll be more comfortable."[sblock=Hero Point Awarded to Vigil]For his dashing heroic action, Vigil has used a Hero Point. Hero Points can be used at any time to treat an action point roll as the maximum possible roll but must be expended before the roll is made. They occasionally have other uses, which will be revealed in play.[/sblock][sblock=Search DC 10 on the elf]The elf is carrying a bloody dagger and is dressed in dark clothing, leather armor, and a cloak.[sblock=Search DC 15]He has a great black wound upon his chest. He also has a tattoo on his left breast.[sblock=Arcana/Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The tattoo is a dragonmark.[sblock=Arcana/Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 20]The dragonmark is the Least Mark of Shadow.[sblock=Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 25]The elves of both House Phiarlan, which runs the Entertainers and Artisans Guild, and House Thuranni carry the dragonmark of Shadow.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Heal DC 15]The black wound is the result of magic.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 23]The black wound is the result of a necromancy spell.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 28]The black wound is the result of an inflict serious wounds spell.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]While Dorius and Vigil assist Mandyran in carrying the elf to the both, Mandyran directs a member of his staff to go out and seek the nearest healer from House Jorasco. He advises the waitress to move swiftly and be wary of danger, however.

Meanwhile, Berrent and Brad head to the door to see what they can spot.[sblock=Spot DC 10]The street outside is practically devoid of people. You see a drunken bum hobbling about singing merry songs to himself about the joyous new year.[sblock=Spot DC 15]The drunken bum is not the only thing of interest on the street. You also spy the blood trail left by the staggering elf. It reflects an eerie light from the blood moon and leads to a nearby alleyway.[sblock=Spot DC 20]Above the alleyway from which the blood originates is a shadowy figure, climbing nimbly along the towers.[sblock=Spot DC 25]The figure appears humanoid, and is using a rappel line to climb. There is a grappling hook hanging from an open window on Tain Tower.[sblock=Local DC 15]Tain Tower is named in honor of the noble ir'Tain family, whom many believe to be the wealthiest family in Sharn. The tower is owned by the ir'Tains, though many areas of the tower are leased to others for various purposes.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 4, 2012)

*OOC:*


Since Alise said she was running to the door as well to call out, I'm going to roll a spot.


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## pneumatik (Sep 5, 2012)

Berrent looks around outside the tavern. "He came from the alleyway," he calls back into the tavern. "If he's unconscious we should go look for something in the alley." He takes a half step outside, then stops to wait for everyone else to follow him.

[sblock=kinem]Sorry I stole your color. I went through the thread so far to look for a good color people hadn't already taken. If you have an attachment to it I'll switch to something else.[/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 5, 2012)

Once the stricken elf is being tended to by the warforged, Dorius steps away from the booth, and back into the shadow, where he pulls out his notepad and pencil to jot down a description of the scene for his article...


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## kinem (Sep 5, 2012)

"How do you know where he came from?" Brad asks Berrent. He follows, considering drawing his sword but thinking better of it.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 5, 2012)

"I will look after the elf until the healer gets here," Mandyran says. "Thank you, kind warforged, for your assistance here. I believe he will survive. The rest of you should go and see what you can find out there. Dorius, I am certain this mystery would make for a great story. The rest of you seem equipped to handle the dangers of this night. I know for a fact that some of you are quite talented. May the Host guide you."

Though you are not all very well-known to each other, most of you have met each other and everyone has a tie one way or another, so you feel you are in good company. The assailant who injured this elf is surely nearby. If you move quickly you can catch the individual. So after a quick discussion amongst yourselves, you decide to proceed out towards the alleyway.

As you walk warily across the street you feel the whoosh of wind that is common here in the upper towers. It feels refreshing and cool, but its chill adds to the eerie sensation of the red light from the blood moon bathing the city. You curiously note that the blood droplets of the elf along the way, still fresh, glow brilliantly in the light of the blood moon.

It does not take you long to reach the alleyway from which the blood trail originates. The alley leads from west to east. Here, you see signs of a brief scuffle. There are boot marks upon the ground, a spatter of blood upon the wall of the northern tower, and blood drops upon the ground. But aside from this, the alley is quite empty. There are no crates, no barrels, no debris that are immediately obvious. This alley is apparently merely a narrow passage between towers. It is curious that a struggle would occur here.[sblock=Search DC 10]You discern from the boot prints on the ground that the scuffle involved one unknown assailant and one victim, the elf.[sblock=Search DC 15]A cursory search is enough to realize that there are bits of masonry upon the ground that have not been here long. They clearly occurred after the struggle because they are on top of the blood, not under it.[sblock=Search DC 20]There are strange marks upon the wall of the northern tower. Could they be bootprints?[sblock=Search DC 25]There are indeed boot prints along the northern tower wall that go upward as someone were rappelling. The boot prints continue upward to an open window perhaps three stories up.[sblock=Search DC 30]The climber clearly climbed up AFTER the struggle, as there are smudges of blood on the left boot print as it goes upward.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 6, 2012)

Alise looks around at the scene of violence.      Violence was always common in High Walls but staring it straight in the face is a different matter.    And she certainly didn't expect to find it here in such a fancy neighborhood.

Her attention is drawn to something odd.

"Look, 2 different bootprints, one is the elf, the other must be his attacker.   And this dust came from these marks on the walls obviously after the blood pooled."


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## kinem (Sep 7, 2012)

"Perhaps the attacker climbed the wall somehow." Brad takes a closer look.


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## pneumatik (Sep 7, 2012)

Berrent pokes around the alleyway. "How the heck ... I don't see anything on the wall, Alise. I dunno, I guess running up the wall is no weirder than flying, and that's my best guess." He looks up the wall. "Anyone have a grappling hook, or at least some rope?"

[sblock=roll explanation]After three tries I finally got the die roller here to make my search check roll, except I hadn't put the description. Anyway, Berrent sees nothing.[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Sep 7, 2012)

Vigil quickly surveys the area, uncertain of the veracity of the others' observations.

Adjusting his bulk to the rear of the party, he announces, "The presence of masonry fragments suggests that one or both of the persons involved may have arrived from the rooftop."

Vigil pauses to allow the others to speak. He believes that his observation is helpful and waits to see who decides to take charge.

To Berrent's question, he states, "It is imperative to find the assailant before long. Vigil does not possess the items of which you speak."

Vigil gauges the direction of the bootprints and begins to advance in their general direction, readying his morning star and shield in one fluid motion.


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 7, 2012)

Alise looks down at her party dress, a dress that cost her a week and a half of skipped meals to be able to look the part tonight.   

"I'm not sure where'd I'd hide a rope in this dress."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 9, 2012)

[sblock=Brief Update]I had a very busy time studying Friday so I did not have time for a major update. The next major update will be tomorrow. Below is a brief update to answer some of your in-character actions thus far.[/sblock]The wall looks very challenging to climb. The masonry is fairly sheer rock. The mortar lines look to be the only place one might grab hold. Nevertheless, a more careful examination of the wall indicates that the marks are indeed boot prints. Stranger things have happened in Sharn. After all, the city is often said to reside upon a manifest zone that somehow enhances certain kinds of flying magic. The Skyway district, which floats overhead, could not exist without it. Still, the evidence seems to indicate that someone climbed the northern wall recently.[sblock=The Planes or Local DC 15]Sharn is built within a manifest zone with the plane of Syrania, a plane of air.[sblock=The Planes only DC 20]Magic that allows flight and levitation is enhanced in manifest zones with Syrania.[/sblock][/sblock]Vigil attempts to follow the bootprints out of the alleyway, but his efforts are stymied. Although it seems pretty clear only one person entered the alleyway from the east, at which point the trail becomes impossible to follow with all the foot-path from the main street, and only one person (the injured elf) exited from the west (towards Mandyran's), there are still two sets of prints upon the ground in the alleyway itself. Whoever the second individual was, that person most likely came from above.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 9, 2012)

Brad and Vigil glance around. There does not appear to be anyone nearby. However, Brad does notice a closed window looking out onto the alley about three stories up on the northern tower.


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## kinem (Sep 9, 2012)

"See that window? Maybe he let down a knotted rope, climbed down, attacked the elf, then climbed back up. Let's find the door to that tower."

Brad looks for it.


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## Herobizkit (Sep 9, 2012)

"That seems... elaborate," Vigil says as he returns to the group.


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 10, 2012)

Dorius hurries out to join everyone in the alley, still scribbling notes furiously. After listening to the discussion about how someone might ascend or descend a sheer wall, he casts _Detect Magic. _ He directs it towards the wall, with its cone shaped field taking in the masonry fragments.


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 10, 2012)

"I think I may be able to find out what's up there faster."   She reaches to her necklace and releases the clasp that holds the small crystal her grandmother gave her.

Using the lessons she has been learning in the school she reaches out her mind to the crystal.  [sblock="Telepathic to crystal"]_"Wake up, I need you now, Listen, I really need you to climb up this wall and look in the window.    And this is important, I need you to be truthful to me.   No stories not fibs, just what you really see.   Ok?   Can you do that, even just this once?"_[/sblock]

She holds the crystal out to the wall and it grows thin spider-like legs out of some clear wispy material that seems as though it's boiling away.     The crystal attempts to climb the wall.









*OOC:*


The crystal has a climb speed of 20ft. a bonus of +14, and is taking 10 on climb checks.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 10, 2012)

The psicrystal moves up and down as if nodding in assent to Alise's telepathic command, but she knows deep down its own tendency to mislead is bound to creep into its report. It moves up along the wall swiftly and effortlessly, like an insect creeping. About 30 feet up, it comes to the window and pokes its body up against the frame. The psicrystal relates what it sees telepathically:[sblock=telepathy to Alise]_I see a gathering of numerous flesh beings. One appears to be short and have pointy ears, like a gnome. He is drenched in blood from head to toe! The others are a mix of humanoid races. All wear robes of deep crimson as they speak to the one covered in blood. They are speaking in whispers so I cannot hear them well. But I do believe I heard one claim to be the murderer of the elf!_

Alise senses that the psicrystal is clearly exaggerating about the drenching in blood. But blood certainly seems to be present. Furthermore, she doubts the psicrystal can hear anything of substance, much less a clear confession of murder, attempted or otherwise. It seems to be more or less truthful about the other details.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge, Religion or Local DC 10]Crimson robes are well known to be the favored garb of the followers of the Blood of Vol. The Blood of Vol is a relatively common religion in Karnnath, though the faith of the Sovereign Host remains dominant. In Sharn, their followers are believed to be a small and silent minority.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge, Religion DC 15 or History DC 20]At various times in Karnnath's history, the faith of the Blood of Vol has waxed and waned in popularity and acceptance. The present time is a waning period. Followers of Vol call themselves Seekers.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Religion DC 20]The fundamental belief of the Blood of Vol is that death must be conquered, not endured. The undead are revered as champions in the struggle to conquer death and show mortals the path to godhood.[sblock=Religion DC 25]A number of undead take active roles in the rites and leadership of the Blood of Vol. The greatest center of worship is the Crimson Monastery, in the Karrnathi city of Atur.[sblock=Religion DC 30]Vol the lich is the active though hidden leader of the faith.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 15]In Sharn, the practice of the Blood of Vol religion is generally looked down upon, although it is not technically illegal. Few follow the Blood of Vol openly; those who do are typically shunned socially, politically, and economically.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 20]The followers of Vol in Sharn generally congregate in the Graywall district of Middle Tavick's Landing. They also believe in the existence of the gods of the Sovereign Host--and despise them. The core belief of the Sharn sect is that death is the greatest evil of all. There is no glorious afterlife, no rebirth. Death is oblivion at best, and eternal torment for a soul taken by the Keeper.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 25]It is rumored that the head of the household of a powerful smelting family, the Hazals, is the High Priest of the Blood in Sharn.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 30]There is a suspected to be a group of vampires lairing in the Ocean View district of Upper Tavick's Landing. These vampires are said to have ties to the Hazals.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=all players]If Alise chooses to relay this information in detail, you may all read the telepathy stat block so that DarwinofMind need not simply repost everything.[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 10, 2012)

*OOC:*


You may look at the telepathy block though i will also reword in her own voice below.







"My crystal sees a gathering of beings, one short possibly a gnome, may or may not be covered head to toe in blood.   They wear crimson red robes.     And are wisphering.   It claims to have heard a confession but I know from experience to doubt it's honesty.   I know when it is lying always.   So there are humanoids, and a gnome, and red robes, but no confession."


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 11, 2012)

*Bardic Knowledge check*

(Dorius doesn't know anything about red robes...)


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## pneumatik (Sep 11, 2012)

*Bennet*

Bennet looks carefully at Alise after her comment about hiding things in her dress. "I can think of ... actually, nevermind."

"No one has a rope? Dorius, could you make a note that I need to buy a rope?"

"Red robes, eh?" Bennet thinks. "Those guys might be Blood of Vol. There's not a lot of them in Sharn, but they're around. Oh, waitwaitwaitwait wait - the Blood sect in Sharn think death is the worst possible thing. If they tried to kill that elf they're really upset with him, like more than just mad he walked in on their secret meeting up there or something. Guys, this is bad. This is the real deal. The Blood in Sharn absolutely hate the Sovereign Host. They're bad news." He draws his rapier and looks up at the window nervously.

"Hey, if we go where we need to go and it goes bad, the Blood generally hang aroudn the Greywall district of Middle Tavick's Landing," Bennet says. "One of us needs to get word to someone that they're up to, uh, something. Crap."


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## kinem (Sep 11, 2012)

"That's quite a handy stone, Alise! So now ... do you think those creeps are conducting some kind of end-of-the-world ceremony that we need to stop right away? If not, perhaps we can bottle them up in the tower and summon the watch."


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## Herobizkit (Sep 11, 2012)

If it were possible for Vigil to appear more rigid and tense, he would perceptibly do so.  "Blood of Vol?  If the interlopers are indeed Blood of Vol, then by the Light of the Flame, they must be purged from this world."

Pointing to the window with his morningstar, Vigil grimly adds, "A way into the tower must be found, and it must be found NOW."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 12, 2012)

Vigil canvasses the tower looking for a means to enter. He readily locates several possible means of ingress. If he travels to exit the alley on the east side, he locates a large set of double doors made of solid wood with reinforced steel on the bottom level of the east side of the tower; this is the level where the party is presently located. There is a built-in lock upon the doors however. Two walkways lead up from both the east side of the tower and the west side. Each leads to a single door made of similar materials to the bottom door. Theses doors also have locks built in. The west door on the second level also has two paned-glass windows on either side of the door from which lamp light can be seen flickering within. There are no other doors leading into the tower which you can see. There are windows on the third level however on the north and south sides. And on the third level there is also a balcony leading out above the walkway to the west side door. The tower is enormous, and likely contains many rooms and segmented areas which are inaccessible depending upon where you enter. Whether or not the locks are open is a matter of speculation at this point, but given the atmosphere in the city, it is safe to assume they are locked.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 10]Breaking and entering is a crime with stiff penalties in Sharn.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 15]Crimes against the wealthy and nobility (which is likely in this case given the stature of the University District) often carry much stiffer penalties than usual.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 20]The right document can get you a pardon for a crime you haven't committed yet, such as a Letter of Dispensation.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Local DC 25]Such letters always closely detail exactly what permissions the bearer is given and are issued by high-ranking government officials only to trusted parties. The Citadel has the authority to grant a Letter of Dispensation.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 12, 2012)

Dorius sees Vigil inspecting all the entrances and finding them locked, and muses aloud "Well, breaking and entering is obviously a crime, and in a wealthy district like this, I think we'd be even _more_ likely to attract the attention of the local constabulary..."

Dorius moves to the walkway on the western side, attempts to slip into the shadows and peek in the window lit with the candlelight on the second floor.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 13, 2012)

Dorius can clearly see beyond the window a young man sitting at a table with pen and ink working feverishly on writing something. He occasionally stops to consult one of many of the books that are stacked upon the table, but focuses his main efforts upon writing. He does not appear to notice Dorius.[sblock=Spot DC 10]Some of the books he is consulting lie open and have indistinct pictures.[sblock=Spot DC 15]You make out circular and ovular forms on the pictures in the books.[sblock=Spot DC 20]One of the open books clearly shows a blood-red moon.[sblock=Spot DC 25]Beneath the blood-red moon illustration you can just barely make out the heading "Kharesk" and smaller letters beneath.[sblock=Spot DC 30]You can make out even smaller inscription below the heading, _Mark: Death, Dragon: Unknown, referred to as "Crya" in Giantish._[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## pneumatik (Sep 14, 2012)

*Bennet*

Bennet looks around the building hurriedly. "Yeah, we can't break in." He looks up to the walkway where Dorius is hiding.* "Depending on what Dorius sees in there, we may want to just go knock on the door and confront the Vol-ists. Vol-ites? Vol-ian? Bloods? Anyway, we shouldn't let them hole up forever or sneak out."

[sblock=* OOC]I'm assuming that since we could observe Dorius the whole time we can still see him where he's hiding from the guy inside.[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 14, 2012)

"I'm not sure we should be the ones handling this, shouldn't like the city guard or something, I don't know, but if we do I agree that we should just knock, We can talk our way into the buildng without committing any crimes."

[sblock="Telepathic to cyrstal"]_"Stay at the window there, be discrette, and tell me if they move, no, tell me if they leave that room"_[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Sep 14, 2012)

[sblock=Line of sight and other notes]yes, since you were observing Dorius the whole time, you can see where he is.[/sblock]the Sharn watch is suspiciously absent from the streets. You also recall Lt. Dane saying something about the Citadel being ready for dealing with a little mayhem tonight in light of the Blood Moon. This is undoubtedly a situation where heroes are needed. The trick will be going about it the right way. You have several options available. You could try to get permission from some authority to enter the house by presenting your evidence. You could try to break in so that you leave little trace. But important folks who live in the upper districts would undoubtedly be able to afford a skilled inquisitive to locate the culprits, so that may not be the best idea. You also have your mentors; they could prove invaluable sources of advice and counsel in a time like this.


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## Herobizkit (Sep 14, 2012)

"It is assured that Lieutenant Dane will give the required authorization once the situation is explained," Vigil says with a hint of urgency in his voice.  

"As a Templar of the Sacred Flame, Vigil's purpose this evening is now clear."


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 18, 2012)

Dorius' sense of self-preservation is momentarily overwhelmed by his desire for a good story, and he motions to Vigil to join him on the walkway. "Up here, golem! A suspect!"


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## airwalkrr (Sep 18, 2012)

The situation now is thus: you have come to find the scene of an attempted murder outside of Tain Tower. It seems likely that the chief suspects are holing up somewhere on the third floor, but it is unknown how long they will remain there.

There are three entrances that lead into Tain Tower. One is a set of double doors on the first floor on the north side of the tower. The other two are on the north and south sides of the second floor. There are no entrances on the third floor. However, to get inside, you would either need to commit a crime or seek permission. Vigil has hit upon a very keen idea: the Citadel may very well be able to grant you the permission you need to enter the tower. Vigil has an ally within the Citadel (his mentor) who could prove most useful in this endeavor.

You are presently located in the University District of Upper Menthis. The Citadel is in the Ambassador Towers District of Middle Central. The journey would take 3d6x5 minutes on foot. This time can be halved with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (local) check or DC 20 Gather Information check (normally the DC would be the same for both, but the lack of people out this night makes Gather Information more difficult). Because it would take time to get to the Citadel and back, you may wish to have someone keep watch over the tower.

You have other options, of course. Mandyran is very close by and he might be able to offer assistance or advice. You might also seek out a patrol of the Sharn Watch or visit the nearest Sharn Watch garrison. You could also seek out the services of an inquisitive; they generally have permits to engage in affairs that others legally cannot. However given the holiday, they might be unavailable. These are only a few possible options, however. You may have other ideas about how best to approach the situation.[sblock=Sharn Watch: Local DC 10 or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The nearest Sharn Watch garrison is in Warden Towers in Middle Menthis. A journey there would take 6d6 minutes, half that time with a DC 15 Local check or DC 20 Gather Information check.[sblock=Local DC 15 or Bardic Knowledge DC 20]The Warden Towers garrison has a reputation for keeping the streets of Upper and Middle Menthis very safe, but Lower Menthis and below are often ignored.[sblock=Local DC 20 or Bardic Knowledge DC 25]The commander of the garrison is an elf woman named Silaena Cazal. Her protection of her ward seems to come at a price however, as there are reports of widespread graft  and extortion throughout Menthis Plateau.[sblock=Local DC 25 or Bardic Knowledge DC 30]Commander Silaena Cazal holds a grudge against the dragonmarked houses. Her mother was expelled from House Phiarlan for possessing an aberrant dragonmark and she committed suicide shortly thereafter. Silaena has begun to secretly assist House Tarkanan, a criminal organization.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Inquisitive: Local DC 10 or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The nearest inquisitive is Thuranne d'Tharashk's Inquisitive Services in Warden Towers of Middle Menthis. A journey there would take 6d6 minutes, half that time with a DC 15 Local check or DC 20 Gather Information check.[sblock=Local DC 15 or Bardic Knowledge DC 20]Thuranne is a member of House Tharashk who specializes in criminal investigation and frequently consults the Watch.[sblock=Local DC 20 or Bardic Knowledge DC 25]Thuranne is reputed to have an extensive network of contacts within the Warden Towers garrison of the Sharn Watch.[sblock=Local DC 25 or Bardic Knowledge DC 30]Thuranne is not particularly favored in House Tharashkm since she prefers to run her own business than to take on jobs for the house.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Sep 18, 2012)

[MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION][sblock=OOC]Because Brad is a member of the Sharn Watch, he automatically knows the information under DC 10 for Sharn Watch: Local. He can also roll a Local check even though he does not have the skill to see if he knows anything more.[/sblock]


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## kinem (Sep 19, 2012)

Brad says "The nearest Watch Tower's in Middle Menthis. Getting there should take twenty minutes or so; could be less, could be more. Personally, I say we should get the watch. I know the way so I can go while the rest of you watch the tower."


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 19, 2012)

Bardic Knowledge check to help Brad remember the way to the watch house


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 19, 2012)

"I don't think you should go by yourself,  who knows what's going on out here tonight, but it does seem like a good idea.  Although some of us should stay here, too."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 19, 2012)

[sblock=OOC]Unless someone wants to drag this out by having an extended discussion with the Sharn Watch night officer, I am going to assume Brad and Dorius are the only ones going to the garrison. Since I do not really want to be running multiple scenes at once, I will make this quick, but I will leave it slightly open-ended in case someone else decides they want to tag along before I update tomorrow.

Again, Brad is an exception to the usual rule on Knowledge checks in this specific situation and may roll on these Local checks even though the DC is higher than 10 since he is a member of the Sharn Watch.[/sblock]Unfortunately, Dorius is as much a hindrance as he is a help. He has heard tell of the general location of the Warden Towers garrison several times, but never enough specifics to guide him through Sharn's many tower walkways, staircases, and lofts. After all is told, the journey takes Brad and Dorius twenty-three minutes.

The two arrive at the Warden Towers garrison to find that not all is quiet in the city this night. The garrison is abuzz with activity. Brad flashes his Black Arch garrison identification papers and Black Arch badge to the guard at the door, allowing him and Dorius quick passage inside. It seems many Watch officers are pulling double shifts and some have even been called in early to deal with a huge number of cases. Manacled prisoners cry out at you through the bars pleading for mercy or speaking gibberish as you pass through on your way to the Night Officer's office.

You hear a roar coming from behind the door to the office before you even approach. "I don't want to hear another word about it! Smash them together like sardines if you have to. We'll sort them out in the morning. Damned cults and their nonsense." A pair of young officers comes out of the office dragging a shackled prisoner who cries, "The Blood shall fall upon Eberron! The Seekers shall prevail over death!" as he is carried past you.

The Night Officer, an old dwarf with a frazzled gray beard wearing a worn breastplate stands behind a desk covered with papers, shackles, and a single ornate stein. He grunts as you enter. "And you!" he bellows pointing to Brad, "You don't work for my garrison. What in Khyber do you want?"[sblock=Bardic Knowledge DC 15 or Nobility & Royalty DC 12]The stein is engraved with the symbol of the dwarven clan of Droranath.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge DC 20 or Nobility & Royalty DC 15]Droranath warriors are known to be temperamental and have a passion for strong drink, not that it makes them that much different from most dwarves.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Bardic Knowledge DC 20 or Local DC 15]This is Lt. Commander Einkil Droranath, the second-in-command of the Warden Tower garrison. He is known for his ill-temper and generally foul mood.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge DC 25 or Local DC 20]It is widely known that Einkil has a drinking problem and has a soft spot for brandy, but he will drink just about anything.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge DC 30 or Local DC 25]It is not widely known but Einkil once challenged Commander Belew Yorgan of the Sword Point garrison in the Central Plateau to a duel after Belew insulted Einkil's clan. Dueling is illegal and Belew refused him on those grounds, but many believe Belew would have lost such a duel.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Negotiating with the Night Officer]The base DC for a Diplomacy or Intimidate check with the Night Officier is 21. This drops to 16 if Brad is the one doing the talking, since he and the Night Officer are considered allies. Decide how much you want to ask him for using the Risk vs. Reward Judgment as a guideline (although I will make the final determination of how much risk there is vs. reward). Bear in mind the hints I have given you above regarding the situation when thinking about what to ask for.

Negotiation is not the only option of course. You could try to Intimidate him or possibly use something against him. Or if you have a novel idea of your own, feel free to try that.[/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 19, 2012)

(Dorius is apparently completely out of his depth in this situation, so he'll leave the negotiations to the two cops...)


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## kinem (Sep 20, 2012)

"Good evening, sir. Tonight an elf was nearly murdered, but a small group of us saved him and the trail led to Tain Tower. It's in the University District of Upper Menthis. Evil cultists are conducting a ceremony there as we speak; you know the type. The rest of us are keeping watch there.

Though I'm off duty and the rest are civilians, we're willing to help make the arrests before they escape and make any more messes for you to clean up. If you can send some officers back with us that'd be best and keep the chances of a bloody mess to a minimum. If you really can't, what we need from you is a permit to enter the tower and make the arrests."


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## pneumatik (Sep 21, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

Berrent watches Dorius and Brad leave for the nearest Watch station. "Okay, guys, we need to watch these doors. I'll get up by the door with the window in the second floor. Someone needs to get the front door on the first floor and the one on the other side on the second floor. Try to act casual until the Watch gets here. Unless the cultists come out. Then yell for help and try to keep them from leaving, I guess."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 21, 2012)

The dwarf crosses his arms and glowers as Brad elucidates his request. Eventually he begins to nod as he sees the logic of Brad's thinking. "You make a good case, son," he says gruffly. "I'd be obliged to offer you a temporary waiver of jurisdiction provided you can take care of the matter in the next 24 hours. But I can't spare a single man to assist you this night. Too many zany cultists and anarchists taking to the street like the Prophecy has doomed Eberron to annihilation. I've already had more reports of looting and homicide tonight than I can handle.

"Oh, and if you're looking for compensation, you won't find any here. You'll have to put in for overtime with your own garrison Commander. I'm just not authorized to give you that."

The dwarf steps out and quickly orders his clerk to write up a warrant for the investigation of Tain Tower and a Letter of Dispensation authorizing Brad and his associates (who are referred to in the Letter as Conscript Deputies). The gnome clerk quickly prepares the warrant and Letter with a magical pen as the dwarf dictates the terms. The clerk and the Night Officer then seal the two documents in turn before handing them over.

"One last thing," the Night Officer says to you as you head out the door. "Don't get yourself killed. The last thing I need right now is more cross-garrison paperwork. That's an order."

Brad and Dorius gather the documents and head back to meet with the rest of their party. With the knowledge of the chaos that is going on at the Warden Towers garrison, the two notice things that they might not have considered before (see Spot and Listen, below), but they are on a mission and cannot be deterred. The journey back to the University District is much quicker, as you find the way a bit more familiar. It takes only 13 minutes. Thus, in less than an hour, Dorius and Brad are back at Tain Tower to meet the party, who have taken up a more stealthy observation point across the street so as not to stand out.[sblock=The Warrant and Letter of Dispensation]The Warrant issued grants Brad and his Conscript Deputies (each of whom is mentioned specifically by name) authorization to search the premises of Tain Tower without limitation, but does not authorize unnecessary damages. In the event that offending parties offer resistance, the law officers are not allowed to initiate hostilities, but are granted permission to use equitable force in response. They may also pursue and detain any suspects with reasonable cause. In other words, you can't use lethal force unless it is first used against you, and you aren't allowed to just tear stuff up.

The Letter of Dispensation grants Brad the authority to act outside his jurisdiction as an Officer of the Sharn Watch limited to the Menthis Plateau ward (which is a pretty large area) until midnight on the 1st of Zarantyr, just under 24 hours from now.

The documents are pretty loosely written with only a few exceptions. If you are concerned about any actions your characters might take, feel free to ask me. But for all practical purposes, you now have the law on your side. All you need to do now is decide how you will approach the tower. Remember that you have the double doors on the east side of the bottom floor and a door on both the west and east sides of the second floor. The window where the psicrystal spied the cloaked individuals was over the alleyway on the south side of the tower on the third floor. The man with the books was behind the west door on the second floor. (Hopefully that matches up with what I said earlier.)[/sblock][sblock=Brad and Dorius Spot DC 10]You spy a group of hooligans breaking into a small shop and hauling out furniture along the way.[sblock=Spot DC 15]You notice a group of shadowy figures in an alleyway with daggers drawn facing off against another group of shadowy figures on the other side of the alleyway. They appear to be at a stand-off.[sblock=Spot DC 20]You can faintly make out the shadow on a back wall several stories above which appears to be jabbing or hacking at someone or something. It is not clear what it going on until you see a spatter of liquid hit the wall, most likely blood.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Brad and Dorius Listen DC 10]Sharn is not as quiet as it was when midnight struck about an hour ago. You are now hearing more than the occasional scream. You are hearing indiscriminate shouting, cries, and hollers every minute or so.[sblock=Listen DC 15]You hear a woman's plaintive cry for help above the din, but cannot determine its exact location.[sblock=Listen DC 20]You make out someone crying "The Seekers take vengeance tonight!"[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 21, 2012)

When they arrive back at Tain Tower, Dorius takes it upon himself to address the group: "All hell has broken loose in the city, and it looks like we've been deputised!"

Dorius then begins to hand out the Warrants, and when he gets to Vigil, fixetruct with a serious look and says "Also, I have it on good authority that the felons within the Tower are engaged in highly, I repeat, _highly_ blasphemous activities." 

OOC (DM's eyes only)
[sblock]
Dorius is lying to Vigil in an attempt to get him fired up, hoping to inspire the paladin to some behaviour worthy of a news story. Should I roll a Bluff check? [/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Sep 21, 2012)

[sblock=Dorius/FloatingDisc only]I rolled your Bluff (16) against Vigil's Sense Motive (9). So I won't say anything. Of course, if he looks at the evidence closely he might figure out there is only circumstantial evidence to support your presupposition.[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 21, 2012)

"Deputized, Not exactly what I felt like I would get into this night.   Surely we can simply knock and try to talk to them peacefully.   Perhaps convince them to admit the truth."


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## kinem (Sep 22, 2012)

"Does anyone here know how to pick locks? If so, it could be our best chance to surprise them.

And remember, we're not allowed to use deadly force unless they start it. And I don't care what god they follow, so knock that crap off. Nothing will excuse you if you take it as an excuse to murder every guy wearing a red dress."


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## pneumatik (Sep 22, 2012)

"We're cops now, right? We can go wherever we see wrongdoing. I mean I think we should knock first, but if no one let's us in we'll just kick in the door. If I'm gonna get conscripted then I'm doing a forced entry."


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## Herobizkit (Sep 22, 2012)

"Your perception of Divine Right is flawed.  There is only one sentence that is due the followers of Vol.  If the interlopers find value in life, they will surrender.  Given that they have turned from the Light..."

Tightening his grip on his mace, he grimly adds, "Vigil expects otherwise."

Vigil stands ready, confident that it will take more than a door to prevent his deliverance of Argent justice.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 22, 2012)

[sblock=OOC]Gonna move things along here and make a few assumptions. I assume you attempt the peaceful entry method. No one appears to have Open Lock as a skill so we will go with Alise's suggestion of knocking. Since Brad is the OIC (Officer In Charge), he will be the one doing the knocking. And since you know already that someone is behind the west door on the second floor, that one will be your point of entry. If someone wants to stand watch over the east doors (which can be done from either the ground floor or second floor), just let me know; otherwise, I assume all of you will be coming through the west door.

There is a lot of information in this post. Much of it is redundant, but I wanted to give you multiple means of finding it. You may also come up with other ideas and/or uses for skills. Feel free to run with them as well.[/sblock]Brad pulls out the warrant to keep it handy and knocks on the western door where the man was seen with many books. He calls out, "Sharn Watch! Open up! We have a warrant for inspection of this tower."[sblock=Listen DC 10]You hear much scuffling and moving about inside.[sblock=Listen DC 15]You can make out what clearly sounds to be the moving of furniture.[sblock=Listen DC 20]There is whispered conversation behind the door, probably no more than two voices.[sblock=Listen DC 30]Voice 1: "Why is the Sharn Watch here?"
Voice 2: "How should I know? Hurry, let's conceal this passage. Maybe they won't find it."
Voice 1: "Move that bookcase in front of it."
Voice 2: "Remember, I was never here."[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]After waiting nearly a minute, you are preparing to break the door down when you hear the sound of a dead bolt being opened followed by the click of a lock being undone. A timid man in his late 40s opens the door. He is small of stature and dressed in night clothes. He carries a lantern with a strong and steady flame. Behind him is an office with papers, scrolls, and books strewn about in haphazard fashion. Several shelves hold numerous books, scrolls and velum folders. "My apologies, Officer, but you startled me half to death. I was just about to put away for the evening. You don't mind if I see that warrant do you?"

Brad hands the man the warrant as he steps inside. The man inspects the warrant with spectacles on over the lantern light and shows no signs of resistance as you enter the office to look around. Aside from the mess, you note that many of the books and papers lying about are texts concerning astrological phenomena, showing moon phases, constellation movements, and other such observations. There is a single exit from the office, a staircase which leads upward.[sblock=Arcana DC 10 or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]Much of the information lying about seems to correlate the full convergence event of the moon Zarantyr with the constellation Io and its zenith. This is apparently a rare astrological event.[sblock=Arcana DC 15 or Bardic Knowledge DC 20]Zarantyr commonly has a partial convergence with the constellation Io, but a full convergence is scheduled to begin in two days, on the 3rd day of the month of Zarantyr. The convergence will last for approximately 8 hours, arriving at its zenith in the 3rd hour, around 10 PM. The last time this happened was 47 years ago.[sblock=Arcana DC 20 or Bardic Knowledge DC 30]At the moment of the zenith of Zarantyr's convergence with Io, many astrologists predict a profound scientific or magical discovery will be made.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Search DC 10]There is literature covering every flat surface in the room. The place is extraordinarily messy. Many of the books appear closed and scrolls wound up, but you find one which lies open to a picture of a blood red moon. The book is written in a strange script. A note has been added and scrawled along the top in Common. _Kharesk_, is written in large lettering with smaller notes below, _Mark: Death, Dragon: Unknown, referred to as "Crya" in Giantish_.[sblock=If you can read Giantish or cast comprehend languages.]The text speaks of the moon Crya, which is said to no longer be in orbit around Eberron. According to the text, it was destroyed sometime during the Giant Wars with the Quori.[sblock=The Planes DC 15 or Bardic Knowledge DC 20]The Quori are natives of Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams. Quori spirits cannot manifest physically on the Material Plane.[sblock=The Planes DC 20 or Bardic Knowledge DC 25]Quori spirits typically possess mental powers relativng to a specific emotion, such as fear or rage. They can interefere with the dreams of mortals, creating horrible nightmares.[sblock=The Planes DC 25 or Bardic Knowledge DC 30]The Inspired have a strong tie to Dal Quor. Some believe that they deal regularly with Quori spirits--or even allow these spirits to possess their bodies in exchange for power. While Quori spirits cannot physically manifest on Eberron, they can possess willing humans.[sblock=The Planes DC 30]The "divine spirits" guiding the Inspired might actually be Quori.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Bardic Knowledge or History DC 15]The Quori invaded Eberron during the Age of Giants some 40,000 years ago. Although the giants ultimately drove the Quori away, the giant civilization was decimated by the war.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or History DC 20]The giants used draconic magic to defeat the Quori. There are stories of an artifact called the "Moon-Breaker," which was used to defeat the Quori.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or History DC 25]Many scholars believe the Moon-Breaker was responsible for the destruction of Crya, the thirteenth moon.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Search DC 15]Some of the closed books and scrolls have markers that open up to more information about the thirteenth moon and the zenith of Zarantyr and Io. Most of these texts are in Giantish with notes scribbled alongside in Common.[sblock=Search DC 20]Behind one of the bookcases you see signs of creases along the wall. There is a moveable wall (secret door) behind this bookcase.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Sense Motive DC 20]You get a hunch that the man is very nervous about something. There is something here he does not want you to find.[sblock=Diplomacy or Intimidate base DC 23 (may be modified by Risk vs. Reward judgment)]The man squeals as he reveals there is a hidden passage behind a bookcase on the wall. All he knows is that a group of five or six individuals led by a short elf with a strange tattoo on his face is using it to hide and he does not know why. Feel free to roleplay this man's reaction in your post if you succeed on this check.[/sblock][/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 23, 2012)

Alise listens at the door as Brad knocks but gets distracted by commotion in the distance.  

After the door has opened she listens to the older man speak.   

"That's not quite true is it?   Your hiding something.  I can tell.   We already have the warrant.   It either comes out in the investigation, or you tell us now.   Surely things will go easier on you if you cooperate."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 23, 2012)

The man briefly hesitates when Alise alleges he is hiding something, but regains his composure and states quite promptly, "Hiding? I'm not hiding anything. Go ahead. Look around. Feel free to go upstairs and harass my tenants even! You have my _full_ cooperation."[sblock=Sense Motive DC 10]The man is not so subtly insinuating offense at the very notion that he could be hiding something and even suggesting that your meddling could get you in trouble. You are in the wealthy part of town after all. This fellow and his tenants may have influence. Then again, they may simply be middle class folks and the thinly veiled threat could be completely empty.[/sblock]


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## pneumatik (Sep 23, 2012)

*Berrent*

Berrent steps inside with the rest of the party. He immediately walks across the office and starts looking up the stairs. "Full cooperation, eh?," He turns around and starts looking at the feet of the furniture around the walls of the room. "So how about we start with you telling us which furniture you were moving around after we knocked. Or you can skip straight to telling us where the secret door was that you moved the furniture to block." He looks directly at the man with the lantern. "Also, it will be helpful if you tell us the names of the people who were in this room when we knocked." He leans in close to the man. "_Full cooperation_, remember?"


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## FloatingDisc (Sep 24, 2012)

Dorius enters the room, scribbling shorthand in his notebook.


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## airwalkrr (Sep 30, 2012)

[sblock=ooc]Thank you everyone for your patience with my school schedule. Now to continue![/sblock]The man begins to slowly and purposefully step closer and closer in front of a book case. Berrent notes scratch marks on the floor in front of the book case curving outward from the book case's corner.

"Uh, hu... other people in the room?" the man quavers. "Why whatever do you mean? It is only me here, whiling the night away with my nose stuck in a book. My tenants have all long since gone to bed. Of course, you are free to peruse the ledger for their names if you wish," he twitters, pointing a shaking hand towards a large book sitting alone on a far shelf.[sblock=Sense Motive DC 10]The man is clearly very nervous about something and took a startle when Berrent mentioned the secret door and people being in the room with him before your party entered.[sblock=Sense Motive DC 20]You get a hunch that the book shelf in front of which the man is standing is the very piece of furniture that Berrent heard moving before you entered the room.[/sblock][/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Sep 30, 2012)

[sblock=Note about Risk vs. Reward Judgment]I just thought I might mention this since there seems to be a good deal of insinuation going on and it isn't really necessary to avoid being direct seeing as you have the legal documentation to conduct an investigation. There are a number of things you might offer this fellow to lower the DC via the Risk vs. Reward Judgment if you want to avoid an altercation. You could offer him a lighter sentence, maybe just a fine, in exchange for cooperation or perhaps complete immunity to prosecution. The latter you might not be able to guarantee (which may require a Bluff check), but there are other things you could offer aside from bribery. You might even offer not to report him at all (such an act would probably not sit well with lawful characters, but it is certainly within your means). Your characters seem to be holding most of the cards. There are a number of ways to approach this.[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Sep 30, 2012)

"Check the bookcase guys" 

Alise thinkings to her training in school, she reached out with her mind trying to find the little spot in this man's brain that rules over his perception of her.  All it would take is a subtle touch to make her seem friendly.









*OOC:*


Charm Person DC 13 will, or is this a players roll all I can't remember







"Look you know you can trust me, this isn't about you.   You've just got caught up in all this, look I'm sure there may be some minor charges or a fine but if you play along maybe not even that.    If you don't,  you'll be a co-conspiritor, you'll be just as much to blame as the people your hiding.   I don't want that, you don't want that.    Let's just try to get this evening over in the way that's best for all of us."


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## airwalkrr (Sep 30, 2012)

*OOC:*


Players roll all the dice. His Will DC is 15. Feel free to use action points!


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 1, 2012)

*OOC:*


Added Dice roll, Crited...


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## airwalkrr (Oct 1, 2012)

The man begins to sob as a subtle chime rings in everyone's ears. You are uncertain from where it came, as there are no chimes or metal objects from which it could have originated.[sblock=Psicraft DC 11, automatic for Alise]The chime was a psionic display, indicating the use of psionics nearby.[sblock=Psicraft DC 16, automatic for Alise]Alise just used a psionic charm upon the man.[/sblock][/sblock]As the man sobs, he steps closer to Alise and whispers, "Oh my, I never intended for anything bad to happen. I don't want to get into trouble, so I'll be perfectly honest with you. I have a secret room upstairs which is concealed by that bookcase over there. I have been letting the room to a short elf and several of his companions. I don't know anything about him, aside from the fact that he and his friends have been arriving for the last month every Wir and Sar. You see, the elf paid me a considerable sum to remain anonymous. They usually arrive together or in groups. I always suspected they were up to some silly nonsense, but I never expected them to be involved in anything illegal, until tonight that is. The elf arrived early on New Year's Eve with a purse full of 50 gold Galifars and told me to keep quiet should anyone come asking about him or his group. It seemed very questionable, but I took the money anyway. Taxes have just been so high recently! But I cannot keep the secret. I don't want to go to prison! You'll find the elf upstairs with his companions now. Once you've arrested them, I'll happily testify against them."

The man moves slowly over to the bookcase and pulls one of the books out. The book appears to be fastened to the bookcase and there is a small click as he snaps the book out. "The passage is open now," the man says. "All you need do is pull the bookcase back. But be warned, it makes a fair bit of noise. They might hear you."







*OOC:*


You may have until Friday to make plans to go upstairs. If everyone seems ready by Wednesday, I will make the update then.


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 2, 2012)

Dorius hastily copies down the man's words, then offers the notepad to him. In his best officious tone, Dorius says "If you'll just sign this statement, sir, we'll proceed with the investigation immediately. Now, is there any other way into the secret room upstairs?"


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## airwalkrr (Oct 2, 2012)

The man looks to Alise when the pad is thrust in front of him, clearly maintaining his distrust of the rest of the party besides the telepath. However, he does answer Dorius' question, "No, only one way in, aside from the window, but it's three stories from the ground floor."







*OOC:*


At the very least I will need a general idea of who is leading the way and who is following before Friday. No need for a detailed marching order, just let me know whether you want your character up front or in back. At least one person has to be in front.


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## kinem (Oct 2, 2012)

"Thank you, sir. 

I should lead the way" Brad says. 

"The window ... someone needs to go keep watch outside. They could try to escape that way."

When the others are ready, he'll pull back the bookcase.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 4, 2012)

*OOC:*


Is there a volunteer to go outside to stand watch? It might not be necessary, but if someone is willing to do it, it may be useful to cover another angle. Of course, you could rely on a shock and awe tactic and hope no one tries to use the window to escape.


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 4, 2012)

*OOC:*


 my Crystal is still standing near the window keeping watch over that.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 4, 2012)

*OOC:*


Okay then, Darwin.

So Brad is up front and everyone else is following behind? I will be advancing the plot with a major post tomorrow following that assumption unless I hear otherwise.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 6, 2012)

*OOC:*


This is the climax of our little adventure. I strongly urge you to use action points to get the most out of your rolls. Please describe one round worth of actions. No initiative needed at this point. You have until Monday to post your actions. Otherwise I assume your character will stay put using total defense.





Brad pulls back the bookcase which causes a good deal of creaking and moaning. After that all is silent, eerily silent. The landlord cowers in the back corner of the room as Brad leads the way up the staircase which switchbacks inside the narrow passage hidden within the wall. You take care to soften your steps, but the noise of the bookcase moving has likely already given you away. When you arrive at the top, you step out into a room oddly vacant. There is a circle drawn on the floor in brown smudges. Strange sigils are drawn at four equidistant points on the circle. Atop each sigil is a smoking black candle. The red moonlight coming from the window is the only source of light in the room, and it casts haunting reddish shadows upon the walls.

Lining the walls are several bookcases with various strange artifacts that barely reflect the soft red glow of the moonlight. You see a few books on the shelves, some parchment and gilded scrolls, a decanter, several flasks, and more than a few bones, including a humanoid skull. A few tables and chairs also line the walls, as well as a couple of cots and a chest of drawers.

[sblock=Spot DC 17]There are four cloaked figures hidden in various niches around the room. You can tell one at least of them is clutching a dagger by the faint glint it makes from the reflection of the moonlight.[sblock=Spot DC 23]You can make out a fifth figure hiding in a corner. The individual is short, not quite short enough to be a gnome or a halfling, but short enough to possibly be the "short elf" you have heard about. This one clutches a wand in hand. You can also tell that each of the others is armed with a weapon of some kind, mostly bludgeoning weapons such as clubs and a mace or two. One has a dagger, as noted above.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Alise]Your psicrystal speaks to you telepathically as you climb the stairs, Invisible! They have all suddenly gone invisible! You sense this is a falsehood, but not entirely inaccurate. More likely the individuals are simply hiding in the room.[/sblock][sblock=Religion DC 15]The circle upon the floor is a circle of some sort of divine magic.[sblock=Religion DC 20]The sigils are symbols associated with the Blood of Vol and represent "death," "blood," "power," and "favor" respectively.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Arcana or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The sigils are arranged in lunar cardinal directions which appear to associate with the blood moon.[sblock=If you also succeeded on Religion DC 20]The "blood" sigil is facing lunar north, the "death" sigil is facing lunar south, while the "power" and "favor" sigils face lunar east and lunar west respectively.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Spellcraft DC 21]The circle is part of a ritual which grants the recipient of the ritual the benefits of a _divine favor spell_ for 24 hours.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 24]As above, but you notice that the ritual also grants the recipient the benefits of a _divine power_ spell for 24 hours as well.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 25]This is perhaps the most horrifying revelation. The recipient of the spell is the subject of a contingent _slay living_ spell. The terms of the _contingency_ are not immediately apparent.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 26]You determine that if the recipient is attacked in melee at any time in the next 24 hours, it will trigger the _contingency_, targeting the attacker with a _slay living_ spell.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=detect magic round 1]You detect the presence of magical auras in this room.[sblock=round 2]There are four magical auras in this room, the strongest being moderate power.[sblock=round 3]The circle radiates several dim magical auras indicating recent magic has been discharged from it. In the corner is a short figure shrouded in the magic of four magical auras, one faint, three moderate.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 16]The weakest magical aura upon the figure in the corner is _divine favor_.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 19]The second magical aura upon the figure is _divine power_.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 20]The third magical aura upon the figure is _slay living_. This spell does not appear to have been discharged.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 21]The fourth spell is _contingency_. If the recipient is attacked in melee at any time in the next 24 hours, it will trigger the _contingency_, targeting the attacker with a _slay living_ spell.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Search DC 12]The smeared substance around the circle appears to be dried blood.[sblock=Search DC 15]The candles are of an unusual make. They are not wax, but some other sticky substance.[sblock=Search DC 20]There are a pair of elongated fangs in the center of the circle. They are not very large, and probably come from a humanoid of some type.[sblock=Local DC 12 or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]These fangs do not come from any normal humanoid.[sblock=Local or Bardic Knowledge DC 20 or Religion DC 15]These fangs come from a vampire![/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Hero Point!]You may expend a Hero Point to automatically gain a sudden insight which allows you to automatically open one spoiler block, but not sub-blocks beneath it. This choice may be made either before or after you have rolled any relevant skill checks.[/sblock]


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## kinem (Oct 7, 2012)

Brad drew his sword on the way up. He looks around cautiously (ooc: total defense).

"The window?"


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 7, 2012)

"Ambush!  My crystal says they're still hiding in here." 

Alise holds back behind someone and tries not to get hurt.









*OOC:*


 Total Defense


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## pneumatik (Oct 8, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

Berrent cautiously ascends the narrow steps with the rest of the party, dagger in hand. Once in the upper room he looks around carefully. "That magic circle's made out of blood. And I don't know what those black candle are made of, but it's not wax. This is all kinds of bad." At Alise's warning he looks around frantically. "What? Where!? How many?"


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## Herobizkit (Oct 8, 2012)

Vigil examines the circle upon the ground. He intones, "Death, blood, power, favor... the symbols are indicative and positive proof of Blood of Vol activity."

In response to Alise's warning, Vigil says stoically, "Ambush or no, the lives of the interlopers are forfeit should resistance be presented."

Vigil suddenly feels excitement and vindication all at once. He believes this to be the feeling of 'a rush' as described by youthful patrons of the festivities. He tightens his grip on his mace, eager to strike down the foes of his Guiding Light.









*OOC:*


Ready Action: Swing at any person wearing Blood of Vol robes who dares close with Vigil.


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 9, 2012)

Dorius keeps his back to the wall and draws his longsword, his quashing his instinct to record everything in his notebook.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 9, 2012)

[sblock=DM notes, not for PCs]Cultists
hp C1: 7/7, C2 8/8, C3 6/6, C4 8/8
S 13, D 11, C 12, I 8, W 10, C9
Init +0
AC 12, T 10, F 12
F 14, R 11, W 11
Mel 14 (1d6+1)
Rng 12 (1d4+1)
Feats: WF (club)
In +3
club, leather armor, throwing darts

Shorty
hp 29/29
S 14, D 17, C 12, I 12, W 10, C 8
Init +3
AC 17, T 13, F 14, uncanny dodge
F 14, R 19, W 13, evasion, +2 vs. enchantment/telepathy
Mel +5/+5 or +7 (1d8+2/19-20) (1d6+1/19-20)
Rng +7 (1d4+2/19-20)
SnAt +3d6, trapfinding, trap sense +2
Feats: Least DM Death (inflict light, 3/day), Lesser DM Death (inflict serious, 2/day), TWF
Ba +12, Cl +11, Hi/MS +12, Ju +11, Li/Sp +11, Tu +12, UM +8
mithril shirt, mw longsword, mw short sword, throwing darts, wand of glitterdust, grapple with rope[/sblock]







*OOC:*


Cultists Initiative: 20
Party Initiative 11
All party members are surprised and do not act in the surprise round.
Begin Round 1 of normal initiative





The cultists of Vol, clad in their crimson red robes leap out of the shadows, hurling wicked darts at you. Meanwhile their leader, a very short fellow with pointed ears and a strange tattoo upon his face waves a wand from the far corner of the room. When he has completed the incantation a brilliant flash erupts around Vigil and Brad, engulfing them with a flood of shimmering particles which cover them from head to toe. Then he makes a move towards the window, crying out, "Kill them, blessed Seekers! Their blood will make a noble sacrifice to Vol!"

The cultists then begin to close in with barbed clubs in hand to engage in melee. They swing with fervor, seeking to end your lives as a sacrifice to Vol. Their leader moves for the window, pulling out a grapple which is attached to a rope. "As long as the Blood Moon sits in the sky, the House of Vol shall thrive," he seethes through his teeth as he hooks the grapple on the edge of the window and he leaps over the side.[sblock=Combat Notes]Brad, Berrent, Vigil, and Alise need to make flat-footed defense checks against DC 12 for the throwing darts. Damage is 1d4+1 if you are hit (if you are hit, roll the damage yourself and apply it to your current hit points, remember the players roll all the dice variant and simplified combat rules on the wiki are in play). Brad and Vigil must make DC 13 Will saves versus the glitterdust or be blinded for three rounds (as a house rule, you may take a full-round action to try to shake off the blinded condition and make another Will save, much like hold person, if you choose). Finally, Brad (C1), Berrent (C2), Vigil (C3), and Dorius (C4) now have a cultist adjacent to them and must make DC 14 defense checks or take 1d6+1 damage if they are hit (C# indicates which cultist is adjacent to you). Because of his readied action, Vigil may make his attack pre-emptively to the melee attack of the cultist and if his attack fells the cultist, he need not make a defense roll against the melee attack, however that is the only action he may take this round. After the surprise actions and normal actions of the cultists have been resolved, the rest of the PCs may act. The leader, a short elf, has total cover as he has now leapt over the side of the window, but he is within close range.

_Special Note: You may use action points on defense rolls and magic attack rolls. I am giving you all the DCs and I do not mind if you use that information to your advantage when deciding whether or not to use an action point._

*Cultist defenses*
HP C1: 7/7, C2 8/8, C3 6/6, C4 8/8
AC 12, T 10, F 12
F 14, R 11, W 11
*Leader*
HP 28/28
AC 17, T 13, F 14, uncanny dodge
F 14, R 19, W 13, evasion, +2 vs. enchantment/telepathy[/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 9, 2012)

Dorius neatly turns aside the cultist's club, but his own attack is no better, striking the flagstones and sending up a stream of sparks.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 10, 2012)

[reserved for description of actions based on dice results]









*OOC:*


[MENTION=12460]airwalkrr[/MENTION]: I'm assuming that the darts were thrown before the possible effect of the glitterdust as that is the order it is written.  If you meant otherwise, so be it. 







Vigil is unsurprised though taken aback at the sudden rush of action all around him.  He reflexively raises his shield and hears several thunks from the other side.  A sparkling mist of golden dust settles peacefully over his metallic body, and he barely has time to acknowledge it as a Vol cultist lurches at him, club drawn.  Vigil's morningstar quickly lashes out, striking the cultist squarely in the chest; the cultist collapses (0 HP?)... without a word.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 10, 2012)

*OOC:*


Yes,  [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], you have the order of actions correct. You may also assume that enemies knocked to 0 hp or lower are out of play. We will only use the rules for being disabled and unconscious for Player Characters. For simplicity, NPCs are generally knocked unconscious if dropped to 0 to -5 hp and killed outright if dropped to -6 or lower (certain types of enemies such as constructs and undead are destroyed outright at 0 hp). If you want to ensure the taking of prisoners, it is advised you use nonlethal damage.


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 10, 2012)

Alise manages to barely miss being struck by a dart.


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## pneumatik (Oct 11, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

"What in the Host!?" Berrent yells as he dodges darts and cudgels. "I think this qualifies as being 'attacked'. Someone stop the guy going out the window!" He turns to the cultist who just swung at him. "But first, you got a nasty piece of business there, buddy." He draws his rapier and attacks the cultist but misses.


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## kinem (Oct 11, 2012)

Brad gasps in pain as a dart strikes him. He blinks and just barely manages to see through the cloud of glitter. A cultist's barbed club draws more of his blood. (ooc: Brad hp 5/12)

_So much for making the arrests peacefully._

He brings his greatsword around and performs a largely downward chop, striking down the cultist who clubbed him. (ooc: C1 hp -5/7)

"Surrender now, lawbreakers, or die!" Brad informs the suspects of their options.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


FloatingDisc,    [MENTION=33]DarwinofMind[/MENTION], and    [MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION], do not forget to declare your own characters' actions. Cultist 1 and Cultist 3 are on the floor in front of Brad and Vigil. Dorius (C4) and Berrent (C2) still have a cultist adjacent to them. Alise is unengaged and both standing cultists are within close range.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2012)

accidental double post


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


Something was wrong with the last post and I can't fix it.  [MENTION=72222]FloatingDisc[/MENTION], do not forget to post Dorius' actions.


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


Dorius' actions are described on the previous page.


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


 since I previously declared I was dressed for party I have no weapon or armor, leaving Alise a bit of a one trick pony.[/occ]

Alise reaches out with her mind and attempts to make a cultist friendly but the tension of being attacked makes it hard for her to focus.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


Okay, I guess that just leaves  [MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION]. Sorry, FloatingDisc. I must have missed the longsword attack roll.


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## pneumatik (Oct 12, 2012)

*OOC:*


Sorry. I was confused and thought PCs needed to wait for the bad guys to take another round of actions before we went.

Question: What kind of action would it be for Berrent to move into flanking with one of the cultists on his next turn? Could I five-foot-step into position or would I have to tumble?


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## airwalkrr (Oct 12, 2012)

[sblock=DM Notes, not for PCs]Cultists
hp C1: -/7, C2 8/8, C3 -/6, C4 8/8
S 13, D 11, C 12, I 8, W 10, C9
Init +0
AC 12, T 10, F 12
F 14, R 11, W 11
Mel 14 (1d6+1)
Rng 12 (1d4+1)
Feats: WF (club)
In +3
club, leather armor, throwing darts

Shorty
hp 29/29
S 14, D 17, C 12, I 12, W 10, C 8
Init +3
AC 17, T 13, F 14, uncanny dodge
F 14, R 19, W 13, evasion, +2 vs. enchantment/telepathy
Mel +5/+5 or +7 (1d8+2/19-20) (1d6+1/19-20)
Rng +7 (1d4+2/19-20)
SnAt +3d6, trapfinding, trap sense +2
Feats: Least DM Death (inflict light, 3/day), Lesser DM Death (inflict serious, 2/day), TWF
Ba +12, Cl +11, Hi/MS +12, Ju +11, Li/Sp +11, Tu +12, UM +8
mithril shirt, mw longsword, mw short sword, throwing darts, wand of glitterdust, grapple with rope [/sblock][sblock=ooc]I included both the surprise action round and the regular round actions in the NPC actions. Sorry if that was confusing. Under my simplified rules for combat, with an average speed (30-40) you can move to a flanking position either by a) making a double move or b) making a tumble check with a move action (failed tumble check means an attack of opportunity, which you should be able to resolve yourself by knowing the opponent's attack DC and damage, which I will be giving you for each combat). That's the simple way. I will allow for more sophisticated measures in the future, but this should suffice for now. No 5-foot steps though. That is a level of tactical play that really is hard to visualize in this format; NPCs won't use it either. Getting out of melee/flanked will generally require a tumble check + move or a double move (withdraw). 

As a rule of thumb though, if you feel it fits the narrative and is reasonable, I am fine with leaving these types of things to player discretion. I will only step in if I feel a flagrant violation of the intent of the rules is being broken. Remember this game is a little more focused on story and narrative than mechanics, so I am not going to be fussy about things. Just try to think of distances in the somewhat abstract terms of adjacent, close, medium, and long as described in the simplified combat system and come up with something that you feel fits the narrative.

For example, Berrent is engaged in melee with C2. He sees that Vigil and Brad have taken out C1 and C3. He can make a tumble check to move up behind C4 who is fighting Dorius and make an attack in the same round. But if he fails the tumble check, he provokes an attack of opportunity from the cultist he was previously engaged with, C2. Hopefully that is simple enough to understand. This battle probably won't last much longer.[/sblock]The two remaining cultists assume a defensive posture as they back slowly towards the window to keep you away from it. "You shall not take the Marked One!" a cultist cries. The other shouts, "The Blood is strong! It shall return!" They deftly attempt to parry blows and defend themselves as they give their leader time to escape.







*OOC:*


C2 and C4 fight defensively while moving back towards the window. Berrent and Dorius roll defense checks against DC 10 or take 1d6+1. Then Berrent and Dorius receive attacks of opportunity against AC 14 against C2 and C4 respectively. The cultists are now guarding the window, assuming they are still standing.

*Cultist defenses*
HP C1: -/7, C2 8/8, C3 -/6, C4 8/8
(temp): AC 14, T 12, F 14 (normal): AC 12, T 10, F 12
F 14, R 11, W 11
*Leader*
HP 28/28
AC 17, T 13, F 14, uncanny dodge
F 14, R 19, W 13, evasion, +2 vs. enchantment/telepathy


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## airwalkrr (Oct 14, 2012)

*OOC:*


bump
It's a new round everyone.


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 14, 2012)

Dorius parries the cultist's club again, then points with his other hand as a cloud of sparks shoot forth to engulf the cultist's head. 









*OOC:*


Dorius casts _Daze_ at the withdrawing cultist (C4) who attacked him.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 15, 2012)

The cultist is flung back by Dorius' skillful parry. However, when the gnome attempts to cloud the fellow's mind, his will proves too strong to break. He grits his teeth and stands fast by his fellow cultist guarding the window.







*OOC:*


pneumatik,   [MENTION=33]DarwinofMind[/MENTION],   [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] and   [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION] are all up. Sorry, not all the mentions are working for some reason.


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## Scott DeWar (Oct 15, 2012)

[MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION] - see above post


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## kinem (Oct 16, 2012)

Brad moves to attack, cutting down another cultist with a powerful swing of his greatsword. (closest; c2? hp -7/8)

He tells the remaining one "That guy is just using you. Lots of guys cast magic - doesn't make 'em gods, and even the ones that are, doesn't make 'em loyal to guys like you."


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## airwalkrr (Oct 16, 2012)

The cultist laughs maniacally, "You fool! You think our loyalty stops with the Marked One? We are prepared to die in service to Vol herself. The Mark of Death has returned, and when Vol rules over this world, I shall be granted the eternal reward of undeath for my unwavering loyalty!"

The last remaining cultist holds his ground, standing up against the window and blocking your way.







*OOC:*


  [MENTION=33]DarwinofMind[/MENTION],  [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], and   [MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION] are still up.


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## Herobizkit (Oct 17, 2012)

"Your fervor is misplaced," Vigil intones, "So long as the Flame burns, Vol shall never rule."

Vigil advances on the Volite and swings, striking the sternum of the crimson-clad occultist.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 17, 2012)

The cultist heaves as the blow to his side is poorly dodged. But he holds his ground. "Vol shall prevail," he hisses.







*OOC:*


  [MENTION=33]DarwinofMind[/MENTION] and  [MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION] are up. Let's finish this!


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 17, 2012)

*OOC:*


 My apologies, thought I had posted when i updated my other games.


Alise will go total defense.







Alise cowers back and tries to defend herself.


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## pneumatik (Oct 23, 2012)

*Bereft, human rogue*

"I'm not all that religious, but I'm not willing to let Vol prevail if its over me." Berrent swings at the remaining cultist but misses. 









*OOC:*


Sorry about the delay. I was afk for a few days and then ENWorld was down whenever I tried to post.


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## airwalkrr (Oct 23, 2012)

"I have served my purpose!" the cultist openly declares as he draws a strange curved blade. "Let my final prayer be to Vol that I might someday serve in undeath so that my soul will not rot in accursed Dolurrh!"

With that the cultist falls on his blade and crumples to the floor, his body twitching momentarily before coming to rest in a pool of blood. You rush to the window and look out. But in the dark night a fog has begun to set in and you can catch no sight of the short elf.







*OOC:*


Combat over. You now have several bodies and a mystery suspect who has evaded you. What will you do next?


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## airwalkrr (Oct 25, 2012)

*OOC:*


Ah, yes, one other thing. Everyone has gained 200 XP. In addition, you all receive 2 skill points which you may spend however you like. Because it can often seem like ages in PBP before players receive the rewards of leveling up, I have decided to add in some intermediate benefits as we go along.


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## Moon_Goddess (Oct 26, 2012)

"By the Host, he killed himself! 

Alise tries to catch her breath.

"What do we do, I never thought things would go this way."


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## Herobizkit (Oct 26, 2012)

"Celebrate," Vigil says as he stows his morningstar and shield, "Once the veracity of the Light's work is confirmed."

Vigil begins to check the cultists for signs of life, binding they who yet live.


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## pneumatik (Oct 26, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

Berrent looks around the room. "What in Xoriat were they doing here? I guess it's good that they're dead. This would be a pretty creepy room if they were still walking around in it. Though I suppose being a bunch of dead bodies instead doesn't improve it much."

He begins to search through the room. "I wonder what they have in here ..."


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## airwalkrr (Oct 26, 2012)

*OOC:*


Much of this is a repost from #78. I included it here to save you the time of looking for it.

  [MENTION=21087]pneumatik[/MENTION] since you have time, Berrent would be free to take 20 on a Search check.

  [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION] a Heal spoiler block is below to check the conditions of the cultists.

To all: you need not make all Knowledge checks on the spot. With some notes and possibly taking a few "souvenirs" you can research the information in other ways, such as bringing them to an expert, possibly a mentor or asking a mentor to guide you to an expert.





There is a circle drawn on the floor in brown smudges. Strange sigils are drawn at four equidistant points on the circle. Atop each sigil is a smoking black candle. The red moonlight coming from the window is the only source of light in the room, and it casts haunting reddish shadows upon the walls. However, even it is obscured by the rising fog and the room is darker now than when you first entered. The bodies of four cultists lie strewn about the floor in various conditions of injury and quite likely some are dead (see Heal below).

Lining the walls are several bookcases with various strange artifacts that barely reflect the soft red glow of the moonlight. You see a few books on the shelves, some parchment and gilded scrolls, a decanter, several flasks, and more than a few bones, including a humanoid skull. A few tables and chairs also line the walls, as well as a couple of cots and a chest of drawers.

Apparently having noticed the sudden quiet, the landlord pokes his head through the passageway into the room. "Sovereigns! What has happened in here? It looks like a butchery!"[sblock=Heal DC 10 NEW]Two of the cultists remain alive. The first passed out, likely from shock (0 hp), and will probably survive without any special care. The second is grievously wounded (-5 hp) and is unlikely to survive being moved without the aid of magic or very attentive care by a skilled healer.[sblock=Heal DC 15]The grievously wounded cultist can be stabilized and moved elsewhere.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Religion DC 15]The circle upon the floor is a circle of some sort of divine magic.[sblock=Religion DC 20]The sigils are symbols associated with the Blood of Vol and represent "death," "blood," "power," and "favor" respectively.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Arcana or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The sigils are arranged in lunar cardinal directions which appear to associate with the blood moon.[sblock=If you also succeeded on Religion DC 20]The "blood" sigil is facing lunar north, the "death" sigil is facing lunar south, while the "power" and "favor" sigils face lunar east and lunar west respectively.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Spellcraft DC 21]The circle is part of a ritual which grants the recipient of the ritual the benefits of a _divine favor spell_ for 24 hours.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 24]As above, but you notice that the ritual also grants the recipient the benefits of a _divine power_ spell for 24 hours as well.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 25]This is perhaps the most horrifying revelation. The recipient of the spell is the subject of a contingent _slay living_ spell. The terms of the _contingency_ are not immediately apparent.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 26]You determine that if the recipient is attacked in melee at any time in the next 24 hours, it will trigger the _contingency_, targeting the attacker with a _slay living_ spell.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=detect magic round 1]You detect the presence of magical auras in this room.[sblock=round 2]There are four magical auras in this room, the strongest being moderate power.[sblock=round 3]The circle radiates several dim magical auras indicating recent magic has been discharged from it. In the corner is a short figure shrouded in the magic of four magical auras, one faint, three moderate.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 16]The weakest magical aura upon the figure in the corner is _divine favor_.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 19]The second magical aura upon the figure is _divine power_.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 20]The third magical aura upon the figure is _slay living_. This spell does not appear to have been discharged.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 21]The fourth spell is _contingency_. If the recipient is attacked in melee at any time in the next 24 hours, it will trigger the _contingency_, targeting the attacker with a _slay living_ spell.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Search DC 10 NEW]Each of the cultists is dressed in crimson red robes embroidered with the symbol of a dragon's maw engulfing a spherical shape that bears resemblance to an egg or a perhaps a moon. Underneath the robes, each wears a suit of reinforced leather armor. Each cultist also carries a club or similar blunt instrument. One of the cultists has a curved dagger, now drenched in blood.[/sblock][sblock=Search DC 12]The smeared substance around the circle appears to be dried blood.[sblock=Search DC 15]The candles are of an unusual make. They are not wax, but some other sticky substance.[sblock=Search DC 20]There are a pair of elongated fangs in the center of the circle. They are not very large, and probably come from a humanoid of some type.[sblock=Local DC 12 or Bardic Knowledge DC 15]These fangs do not come from any normal humanoid.[sblock=Local or Bardic Knowledge DC 20 or Religion DC 15]These fangs come from a vampire![/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Hero Point!]You may expend a Hero Point to automatically gain a sudden insight which allows you to automatically open one spoiler block, but not sub-blocks beneath it. This choice may be made either before or after you have rolled any relevant skill checks.[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Oct 27, 2012)

Vigil administers his healing arts to the unworthy heathens. 

Once the Volites are properly secured, Vigil chants a litany to the Silver Flame and uses his healing power on the grievously wounded cultist.

Satisfied that no prisoners are in immediate danger, Vigil announces, "The prisoners are secure.  The flesh stands ready to be judged, though the souls are forfeit."


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## airwalkrr (Oct 27, 2012)

"There are two dead people in my private room!" the landlord exclaims. "How can you be so calm about this? And what is this! Implements of ritual strewn all about, and... is that BLOOD on the floor? Who is going to pay for this? I thought you were officers of the law, not murderers!"

The landlord is obviously quite dismayed at the whole incident.[sblock=Sense Motive DC 20]The landlord is genuinely shocked at what has happened. You get a hunch he had no idea what was really going on here.[/sblock]Now would be a good time to turn in the cultists you have captured to the proper authorities at Warden Towers and make a report of the incident. A mortician will need to be contacted as well to take care of the two dead bodies, but it is likely the officials at Warden Towers will take care of that. There is also the injured elf waiting at the Golden Horn. He may have regained consciousness by now and know something about the motive or nature of his attacker.


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## pneumatik (Oct 29, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

"We are duly deputized law enforcement officers," Berrent says to the landlord. "We had permission to enter the premises. We showed you all the appropriate paperwork earlier. While carrying out our official duties we ambushed by these men. One died in the fighting and another killed himself in a fit of crazy.

"We were pretty hurried when we came in here and didn't have much time to talk to you about what was going on up here. Now that things are calmer, is there anything else you can remember about your cultists up here? I really don't want to have to take you down to the Station to answer questions. It's just easier to answer them here. Less paperwork and all that. Dorius, would you mind writing down what the man says? I have evidence to collect."

Berrent begins gathering up as much of the cultist paraphernalia as he can manage. "Let's see here. Some of the dried blood on the floor, one of these absurd and sticky candles, these bizarre fangs that don't come from any humanoid I know of ..."


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## kinem (Oct 30, 2012)

airwalkrr said:


> "There are two dead people in my private room!" the landlord exclaims. "How can you be so calm about this? And what is this! Implements of ritual strewn all about, and... is that BLOOD on the floor? Who is going to pay for this? I thought you were officers of the law, not murderers!"




"I am sorry, sir. This did not go as well as we hoped" Brad says, sighing. _The paperwork this will cause!_

"Hold on a minute, Berrent! I don't know what significance this junk had, but it must have had some to the cultists. We should make a sketch of the arrangement before disturbing anything, or we should leave it as is and bring in some expert on crazy religions. Just because they're crazy doesn't mean their magic won't do anything. We should find out what it's for."


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## Herobizkit (Oct 30, 2012)

"As previously explained," Vigil offers, "The symbols on the floor are used exclusively by Vol priests.  The symbols represent death, blood, power and favor.  The arrangement of the candles is powerless without prayers, though no less offensive."

Vigil advances on the landlord.  He pauses directly in front of him and deadpans, "Consideration into the background of future tenants is recommended."


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## airwalkrr (Oct 30, 2012)

pneumatik said:


> "We are duly deputized law enforcement officers," Berrent says to the landlord. "We had permission to enter the premises. We showed you all the appropriate paperwork earlier. While carrying out our official duties we ambushed by these men. One died in the fighting and another killed himself in a fit of crazy.
> 
> "We were pretty hurried when we came in here and didn't have much time to talk to you about what was going on up here. Now that things are calmer, is there anything else you can remember about your cultists up here? I really don't want to have to take you down to the Station to answer questions. It's just easier to answer them here. Less paperwork and all that. Dorius, would you mind writing down what the man says? I have evidence to collect."



The landlord grumbles under his breath something about Watch brutality before responding. "I honestly had no idea this kind of thing was going on. Had I known, I would have reported it to the Watch myself. Cultists conducting blood rituals on my own property! I am a dedicated follower of the Sovereign Host. I would never abide such blasphemy. As I already told you downstairs, a short elf paid me a considerable sum for this room and asked to remain anonymous. He never really gave me his true name, said to call him 'Shorty.' He first visited me back in Vult (the last month of the year), said he was looking for a very private room and that he would pay handsomely for the utmost discretion. And as I said, he and his companions would show up every Wir and Sar evening over the last month for secret meetings. I never saw those crimson robes or any of these strange ritual objects. They must have brought them in satchels or something and stored them in the room. They always arrived and left in plain clothes. That's really all I can tell you."



pneumatik said:


> Berrent begins gathering up as much of the cultist paraphernalia as he can manage. "Let's see here. Some of the dried blood on the floor, one of these absurd and sticky candles, these bizarre fangs that don't come from any humanoid I know of ..."



Berrent manages to take a sample of the dried blood, provided he has an empty flask or at the very least a piece of parchment to wrap it in. Aside from that, there are four used black candles on the floor as well as the items on the shelves. In total there are four books, one written in Common called _On The Blood_, the other three in different languages. There are five scrolls, each of which appear to be copies of various figures and passages from the books. The scrolls have some handwritten notes in Elven in the margins. The chest of drawers contains some personal effects such as some purses and a couple of satchels. You find a combined total of 15 sp and 87 cp in the purses. There are also identification papers for all four of the cultists in the room. Three are human, one is half-elf. One of the humans was female and the rest of the cultists were male. Their names were Garrent Bock-human male, Dilvesh Saranthan-human male, Davia Menthis-human female, and Elrodar Feho-half-elf male. Their places of residence are also listed. They appear to come from all different parts of the city.

Then, of course, there are the fangs...[sblock=On The Blood]For anyone who takes the time to peruse its pages, this tome is fairly short, comprising only 64 pages of vellum and hand-written in Galifaran script. Its author is a Karnnathi named Drago Zecklin, who describes in brief detail a variety of rituals sacred to the Seekers of the Blood of Vol.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge, History or Religion DC 20]Drago Zecklin was a religious scholar in Karrnathi during the Last War who was a strong advocate of the use of undead forces in the armies of Karrnath. He was a respected individual in the Blood of Vol, but was executed for blasphemy and high treason when the religion fell out of favor in Karrnath in the later years of the war. Some whisper his corpse was recovered and he was reanimated to serve Vol in undeath, but there is no official corroboration of this story.[/sblock]Most of the rituals seem to be relatively benign rituals of observance for Seekers, including details of common Vol holy days. The one that draws your attention has several notes written in the margins and is described as the Rite of Kharesk. In passing, this rite seems as innocuous as the others. It uses an antiquated calendar which includes a month known as either Kharesk or Crya, depending on whom you ask (there is a note in the margin that the Giants of Xen'Drik called this month Crya), and that there was once a moon of the same name. According to the text, this rite is celebrated on a different day every year, and every thirteenth year it gets skipped entirely. This is because the ancient calendar uses the same number of days in each month as the Galifaran calendar and adds a thirteenth month. Apparently the rite of Kharesk is supposedly symbolic most years. But every thirteenth year, it is supposed to be particularly potent. The text declines to go into detail about this potency but references another text called _Iejir Welun_.[/sblock][sblock=Book 2, in Draconic]This text is titled _Iejir Welun_, or _Blood Moon_. It is longer than the first book, comprising 121 pages, but slimmer because its pages are made from paper. This is obviously a fairly recent tome and has been manufactured on a printing press. The book is claimed by no author, but whoever published it included a foreward which notes the text is a reproduction of a series of texts "borrowed" from ancient Seren scrolls.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge or Geography DC 15]The Seren are a barbarian tribe who live on an island of the same name in Argonesson, the continent of the Dragons.[/sblock]The Seren apparently still honor the thirteenth month as well, citing ancient dragon stories which tell of a blood-red moon which used to exist in ancient days. However the Seren remember the month not with reverence, but as a means of reminding themselves of the dangers of cross-breeding between dragons and humanoids. The foreward references a war between dragons and elves which occurred centuries ago after a faction of elves were discovered to be breeding with a faction of dragons. The mainstream dragons united with the mainstream elves to destroy these factions and slew all existing half-dragons. After this point, the blood moon disappeared. The text itself discusses many Seren rituals which are said to have particular potency every thirteen years. These are quite clearly rituals which are looked down upon even in Seren society for they attempt to invoke draconic powers that might produce a half-dragon. There are other rituals within that describe the means of becoming a Dragon Disciple, Dragon Shaman, and Dragonfire Adept.[/sblock][sblock=Book 3, in Infernal]This book, entitled _Dryndaar Zyyrk_, or _Thirteen Moons_, is positively ancient, and inscribed in what is most likely blood on parchment. The pages are very dry and delicate and have many notes scribbled in many different languages. The book is about 90 pages long and has thirteen sections, each describing one moon of Eberron in their ancient state as well as blood rituals that are associated with each. Each section is resplendent with dark symbols and diagrams of magic circles, ritual athames (one of which closely resembles the curved dagger possessed by the cultists), and other implements. The thirteenth moon, called "Rnio" in Infernal, is described as being blood red and the most important moon of Eberron to the Infernal armies of Shavarath. Apparently the devils from this plane associated the moon with death and believed that the most important war campaigns on the Material Plane should be conducted during this month.[/sblock][sblock=Book 4, in Orc]This text, entitled _Hanhahg u Phuut_, or _Rituals of Blood_, appears to bear some significance to druidism, as many of the rituals described within are nature-oriented. It is about 110 pages long and written by an orc named Kuruush Mar.[sblock=Bardic Knowledge, History, Local, or Nature DC 20]Kuruush Mar was an orc druid belonging to the Children of Winter who lived some 1200 years ago. He was quite a controversial figure even among the Children of Winter, and advocated the use of blood in many druidic rituals. It was even said that he used blood as his focus for casting druidic spells, as opposed to the traditional holly and mistletoe.[/sblock]Based on the contents, the writer seems to hold vampires in particular esteem, noting "They use the purist form of Blood Magic, that of ingestion. It is a marvel how they transform this vital fluid into raw negative energy." A section is earmarked which discusses a sacrifice to the Blood Moon, called "Zh'ha" in the Orc tongue. It requires the blood of an elf bearing the Mark of Shadow, though not specifically the elf's death. The blood must be taken from an unwilling subject through an act of violence and preferably subterfuge. It is said to imbue the subject with "immense strength" and "considerable foresight."[/sblock][sblock=Elven Notes on Scrolls]Most of these notes are references to one or more of the four books. You gather from the notes that the writer was attempting some sort of synthesis of rituals. The exact purpose and ultimate end of this synthesized ritual is still unclear from the notes alone.[/sblock]


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## FloatingDisc (Oct 31, 2012)

Dorius follows Berrent's lead and dutifully notes down everything the landlord says.


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## kinem (Nov 1, 2012)

"I still think we're missing something. They didn't pray here to confess their sins. They were trying to _do_ something, like summon a demon maybe. We should find out what."

Brad looks at the books. He looks at _On the Blood_, flipping some pages.

He can't read book 2 or book 3, so glances inside then puts them down.

When he comes to the book in Orcish, he looks a little embarrassed, and puts it down like the others. Though tonight he is a half-orc as far as anyone can see, he never actually learned the language. _I should take a class on that._

The scrolls in Elvish, on the other hand, he does read. "Looks like they were combining rituals. Why I don't know."


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## airwalkrr (Nov 2, 2012)

You have gathered much in the way of evidence. The cult is dispersed for the time being. You cannot be certain that the short elf will try to recruit more followers, but you have definitely set back his plans, whatever they may be.

Gathering the bodies and the living, you take them back to Warden Towers where you present the Night Officer with your report. The surly dwarf takes a short verbal statement and seems satisfied than things have been taken care of. He expects a written report presented in the morning by the officer in charge of the investigation (that would be Brad). You turn over whatever evidence you deem necessary for the case (you may return to investigate the evidence at any time), but chances are the surviving cultists will rot in their cells for weeks (if not longer) before receiving a hearing. The Night Officer says nothing if you choose to keep some of the cultists' personal belongings, such as their weapons and money for yourself. After all, the Night Officer was not paying you for this task. It's about the only thanks you get from him.

It is very early in the morning, about 4:00 AM according to the Artificer's Clock, by the time you return to the Golden Horn to check on Mandyran and your mysterious elf guest. When you arrive, you can see the House Jorasco healer is just putting away her things, she says she'll be back to check on him later in the morning, but for now he appears to be stable and is awake. As near as she can figure it out, he suffered an injury of magical nature. Someone inflicted a great wound upon him with necromantic magic, but that is all she was able to determine. Mandyran has put the elf up in a room for the night as an act of hospitality and invites you to come speak with him.

The elf's shirt has been removed and bandages cover the center of his chest. But the tattoo on his left breast is plain for all to see now.[sblock=Arcana/Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 15]The tattoo is a dragonmark.[sblock=Arcana/Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 20]The dragonmark is the Least Mark of Shadow.[sblock=Nobility & Royalty/Bardic Knowledge DC 25]The elves of both House Phiarlan, which runs the Entertainers and Artisans Guild, and House Thuranni carry the dragonmark of Shadow.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]"I suppose you want to know who it was who attacked me," the elf coughs a bit as he speaks. "It was trickery! I was lured into the alley under the false pretense of meeting an associate of mine for information. When my associate failed to show, I turned to leave and discovered a dark figure had leaped down from the wall above me, black energy crackling in his hand. He struck me hard with the dark magic and I could feel a great pain in my chest. Then, everything went black. I don't know how long I was unconscious, but as soon as I came to, I lumbered off in search of aid. It was at that point I arrived here."

"I must know. Did you catch my assailant?"


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## airwalkrr (Nov 5, 2012)

*OOC:*


Bump. You guys are free to speak with the elf. If not, I will assume you will rest for the next day.


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## pneumatik (Nov 5, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

Berrent turns over all of the evidence from the cultists except for the money, which he distributes out to the party at 3sp and 17cp per person. He makes a note of the cultists' names and addresses before leaving.

Back at the Golden Horn Berrent goes up to talk to the elf. "Well, I'm sure glad you're okay," he says. "It sounds like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it's hard to be sure whenever evil cultists are involved. Who were you going to meet in the ally, and what information were you going to get? Sometime tomorrow we should try to find them and make sure the cultists didn't get them, too. But don't worry about that now, you need your rest."


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 5, 2012)

Dorius notes down the elf's statement. 

"Good plan, Berrent." Turning to the elf, he says "Now, elf, you need to be straight with us if you want to continue receiving our help. I suggest you start by answering Berrent's questions as thoroughly as possible." 

(Dorius plans to go over his notebook before bed, and to begin writing his first article for the Korranberg Chronicle,  _"New Year's Nightmare!"_, detailing the appearance of the blood moon and the cult activity in the tower.)


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## airwalkrr (Nov 6, 2012)

*Sul, 1st of Zarantyr, 998 YK*



pneumatik said:


> Back at the Golden Horn Berrent goes up to talk to the elf. "Well, I'm sure glad you're okay," he says. "It sounds like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it's hard to be sure whenever evil cultists are involved. Who were you going to meet in the ally, and what information were you going to get? Sometime tomorrow we should try to find them and make sure the cultists didn't get them, too. But don't worry about that now, you need your rest."





FloatingDisc said:


> "Good plan, Berrent." Turning to the elf, he says "Now, elf, you need to be straight with us if you want to continue receiving our help. I suggest you start by answering Berrent's questions as thoroughly as possible."



Although you are in a private room, the elf looks around as if to make certain no one else is listening, then speaks, "Most certainly, my good Zil. You have all offered your assistance to me freely, but please understand that in my line of work, loose lips is a sure way to lose favor. I can tell you this much," he says with a bit of a cough, "I am a member of an organization known as the Serpentine Table. We deal in information. I had it on good authority that one of my contacts within the organization was going to meet me in that alley with some valuable intelligence. That is all I am at liberty to say. However, because you now know of me and my organization, I must have your word of honor that you will speak to no one of my involvement in this incident. You have my permission to write your story about the incident with the cultists so long as you leave me out of it."

"As a way of ensuring your loyalty, I would like to offer you employment with the Serpentine Table. We, my organization I should say, would be most interested in pursuing this matter of subterfuge to its logical end, if you understand my meaning. Seeing how you are already involved, it would be a most practical matter to enlist your assistance. A suitable reward for your efforts this night is also in order."

The elf rises and puts on his coat. "I will be leaving now; I am certain I can make my way to safety. I was only staying that I might speak with you. I will pay my respects to Mandyran on the way out. When you are ready to assist the Serpentine Table, come and ask for me at the House Phiarlan enclave in Dragon Towers. You may refer to me as Beige."

With that, the elf exits the room, leaving you the key. It has been a long night and you are all ready to turn in. Seeing how the room is apparently available for the night and you do not relish the idea of going out again so late on what has turned out to be a dangerous night, you find it prudent to stay here until morning.

When you awake, you find Mandyran has slid a sealed note under the door with Dorius' name on it.[sblock=Note for Dorius]_Good Dorius,
I thank you for your efforts last night. A dashing bit of heroism if I do say so myself. I have heard a rumor just this morning you might be interested in. Come and speak with me when you have the time._[/sblock]When dawn comes the next day, you feel as if the world has changed. The City of Towers goes about its noisy business as always, but the people have clearly changed their mood. As you move about the city, you hear many whispers about the events of the last evening.[sblock=Gather Information DC 5; 1 hour]The Watch garrison cells are full to the brim with miscreants and ne're do wells arrested for looting, burglary and even a string of murders![sblock=Gather Information DC 10; +1 hour]Several folks were found with slit throats in alleyways. I even heard a story about a fellow who was discovered in his room at The Drunken Dragon with his blood sucked dry![sblock=Gather Information DC 15; +1 hour]Most of the murders happened in and around the Graywall District in Middle Tavick's Landing. I tell you all those Karrns in one place; it's a rotten situation.[sblock=Gather Information DC 20; +1 hour]*Unlocked Party Plot Hook: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.*
I was in Silvergate in Upper Tavick's Landing and heard that the daughter of Denion, the wealthy owner of _The Crystals of Denion_ magic emporium, went missing. Seems she went to a party in Ocean View and never came home. I'm sure the Black Arch Garrison will be busy with this one for a while.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Vigil's Missive]When Vigil stops by the House Sivis message station, he has a letter waiting for him.
_
Good Vigil,
I would speak with you about an urgent matter. No doubt our enemies in the Blood of Vol have something to do with the events of last night. Seek me at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame in Sovereign Towers as soon as you can.
Brother Wayden_[/sblock][sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame.

Note: You may choose to pursue any plot hooks you wish. Mini hooks for individual players can be handled on the side with one or two posts. As for party hooks, I will judge once the group has reached a consensus on which hook to follow or until you appoint a party leader. And yes, there is only one _obvious_ party hook in this post. (hint, hint)[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 6, 2012)

Alise drops the silver in her purse and as frightened by this life she's gotten herself wrapped up in she is intrigued by the quickness at which she made so much money.   "This would have taken a week."  she softly whispers to herself.

She observes the others bedding down, and decides that going out at this hour wouldn't be wise, she finds a corner slightly away from any of the men and has a fitful disrupted night of sleep interupted by nightmares of cultists, and the man throwing himself on his sword.


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 7, 2012)

OOC:
[sblock] Dorius plans to spend an hour this morning writing his article for the _Chronicle._ [MENTION=12460]airwalkrr[/MENTION] would I send this via House Orien? [/sblock]

Dorius addresses anyone else who spent the night at the Golden Horn: "I plan to do a bit of investigative journalism in the city today, then I have a parcel to mail to back to Zilargo. After that, I plan to visit House Phiarlan to see what Beige's superiors might have to offer us."


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## Herobizkit (Nov 7, 2012)

Vigil sits quietly, watching the gentle rise and fall of the chests of the group.  He ponders about breathing and what it must feel like.  He has found that people breathe heavily when exerted and sometimes when aroused.  Though he will never feel aroused, he does wonder what will happen once his time is expired.  He has nothing to 'pass on' to the next generation... as far as Vigil is concerned, he is the sole progenitor of his line.

Pro-gen-i-tor.  An amusing word.

Vigil makes a noise that COULD be construed as chuckling.  Or choking.

...

Comes the morn.  

Vigil receives his letter and upon reading it, announces, "Vigil must find one Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame.  Should any person wish to continue the Flame's good work, there will be discussion regarding Vol cultists.  The company would be... welcome."


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## airwalkrr (Nov 7, 2012)

*OOC:*


The gnomes of House Sivis have message stations where documents and messages can be sent via _speaking stones_. While it would normally cost 5 gp/page to send a document anywhere in Khorvaire, Dorius is authorized to charge the cost to the Korranberg Chronicle. They have an account with the City of Sharn and Dorius' identification papers list him as an independent journalist authorized to use the account.


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## kinem (Nov 9, 2012)

Brad tells Dorius "I'll come to check out House Phiarlan with you".

He spends a couple of hours on the dreaded paperwork necessitated by the night's bloody events.

He also does some studying of the orcish language. He doesn't feel comfortable yet divulging his true nature to his new companions, and besides that, it's sure to come in handy some day, especially if he maintains the Bront identity. 

When he hits the streets trying to gather more information, though, it's as the "human Brad", not the "half-orc Bront". Even so he's only moderately successful, and judges the tale he hears as likely just a rumor.


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## pneumatik (Nov 14, 2012)

*Berrent, human rogue*

"Beige, eh? Well, I expect we'll see you in a day or two. Keep your eyes peeled like grapes on the way home." After Beige leaves Berrent says, "Great work tonight everyone. I was a little nervous going into a fight with people I didn't know very well.  It's too late to get to know you much better but I'd be happy to have any of you wit me in another fight. Get some rest. I propose we meet back here tomorrow afternoon to go to talk to Beige again. If you can't make it try to send word."

Berrent's knees are shaking when he heads to the washroom before going to sleep. He closes the door just in time to vomit in the washbasin. Then his legs give out and he collapses in a heap on the floor. When his body is calm again and his hyperventilating has subsided he washes up and heads back to the room for some sleep. "Yeah, we'll do this again tomorrow afternoon. Sure."

After a breakfast late enough to be called lunch Berrent spends some time trying to learn more about what happened last night before returning to the inn to meet the others.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 15, 2012)

*OOC:*


Apologies for the delay in posting. Real life and such.

We will begin with Vigil's short trip to the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. He can do this alone or with party members; either way should not make a difference. No combat expected.





Vigil makes his way to Sovereign Towers, the temple district of Upper Central Plateau. This district regales all things holy, or at least their representation in art and architecture. Statues, paintings, and mosaics of deities and saints are everywhere, and great temples stand out among the lesser buildings. The Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame is Sharn’s most important temple to the Silver Flame, named in honor of the church’s role in cleansing Khorvaire of the stain of evil. It is a grand, opulent structure which comprises the entire share of Flame Tower in the middle ward. There are stained glass windows depicting a couatl, a paladin, and several which feature the Silver Flame itself prominently displayed. Inside, Vigil has little difficulty tracking down Brother Wayden, who is in a communal study library within the temple. He is a middle-aged clergyman with a shaved head and a graying brown beard. He is dressed in a simple grey robe.

"Ah, Vigil. It is good to see you. Perhaps you do not remember me, but we met briefly when you underwent the sacraments and ordainment."

"I will cut to the chase. I have heard disturbing rumors coming from the Graywall district. I have reason to believe that there is an underground temple devoted to the Blood of Vol operating there and I would like for you to gather some intelligence for me. I believe the temple might be associated with the dark happenings of last night. I would like you to visit an informant of mine in Graywall and deliver a report to me on his latest findings. He is a Karrn, dark features, blue eyes, and goes by the name Vladar. He has dinner at a place called Slogar's every evening. He will know you are my agent when you ask him how he likes the curds and whey this evening. And you will know it is him when he responds they are surprisingly flavorful this night."

"Why you? Well, it's quite simple. Adherents of the Silver Flame aren't particularly welcome in Graywall, and you are not well-known to them. Of course, warforged are not generally well-received either, but in addition to being a restaurant, Slogar's also sells a variety of scented oils which many warforged use to keep themselves cleaned, lubricated, and smelling fresh. It's an excellent cover. The Graywall district can be found in the middle ward of Tavick's Landing. Report back to me when you have heard what Vladar has to say."







*OOC:*


Just so no one misses it, I am posting the new party plot hook that Berrent has unlocked by virtue of his excellent Gather Information skill. I am, of course, assuming that Berrent will share this information with the party at some point.

This is a quick post and all I have time for at the moment. I will try to post some more about the other hooks later tonight and introduce some mini-hooks for the other characters.

One last thing: everyone please include in your next post what you will be spending your 2 skill points on.





[sblock=Plot Hooks]_Unlocked Party Plot Hook: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter._
Rumor: "I was in Silvergate in Upper Tavick's Landing and heard that the daughter of Denion, the wealthy owner of The Crystals of Denion magic emporium, went missing. Seems she went to a party in Ocean View and never came home. I'm sure the Black Arch Garrison will be busy with this one for a while."

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame.[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 15, 2012)

[sblock=Berrent's meeting]As Berrent asks around for information on the latest rumors, he stops by Karr'Aashta's Investigations to see what his mentor knows about the happenings of the previous night.

"I heard all kinds of things," the grizzled investigative reports. "Most stories seem to point to some involvement of blood cultists. But there's one thing I am not hearing about, Cults of the Dragon Below. Seems mighty peculiar if you ask me. I can't imagine the Cults not being involved somehow. You said you were interested in working for me, so I have a job for you. There's a dirty little goblin named Skakan who lives down in the Cogs. You can usually find him in the Rat's Market hawking his worthless garbage to the dregs. Press him for information; rough him up a bit if you have to. Hardly a thing goes on down in the Cogs without that little rat hearing about it. Most of the Cults operate down there out of the public eye. See if he knows anything about any of them. And if he tells you anything about a group called the Darkest Depths, he's lying. I cleaned them up last month. They're all shackled up as we speak. Bring me back anything you find out and there'll be something in it for you."[/sblock][sblock=Brad's Visit]Brad fills out the paperwork for the prisoners at Warden Towers, which isn't too difficult. It seems the lieutenant on duty at the gaol is not too particular about details when it comes to locking up yet another bunch of cultists. After that, he goes to Black Arch Garrison to put in paperwork for payment for overtime for himself and his deputies. That turns out to be a little more grueling. The city of Sharn is full of penny-pushers it seems. When all is said and done, he receives 5 sp for himself and 5 sp for each of his "deputies."

While he is working on his payment request form, Commander Iyanna ir'Talan passes by. "Finish that paperwork and come see me in my office when you're done, Guard." It is not a request.

When Brad goes to see the Commander she in the middle of a meeting with a Sergeant, so he has to wait for a few minutes. When they are done, she ushers Brad in. "I heard about the work you did last night for Warden Towers. Good initiative, Guard. I like initiative."

"Since you seem to be interested in righting wrongs, I have a special assignment for you. I heard word on the street that there is a grifter moving around the Foundation district selling bogus "Apocalypse Insurance" policies. I hear its a young dwarf male dressed in a fancy suit and carrying around fake identification papers that associate him with House Kundarak. I'd like you to stop by Foundation and see if you can pick him up. Word is, he's small time. I doubt he's associated with the changelings of the Tyrants but this is their turf, so be careful."

Her words are artfully chosen. Brad realizes she isn't just warning him to beware of the Tyrants. Chances are the Tyrants won't take kindly to someone working "their" part of town without their blessing. So if you aren't quick about it, identity theft and fraud are probably the least of this dwarf's concerns.[/sblock][sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent Mini Hook: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below.

Brad Mini Hook: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do.[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 16, 2012)

*OOC:*


Just so Alise isn't left out...





[sblock=Alise's telepathic projection]Early the next morning Alise is struck with a strange sensation. It is as though her senses are temporarily suppressed and a single thought forms inside her head. _I can sense your anguish and trouble, my child. Seek me at The Gathering Light that I might focus your mind and help you make sense of the world around you._[/sblock][sblock=New Plot Hook]Alise Mini Hook: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation.[/sblock]







*OOC:*


At this point you have many avenues to explore. This campaign is heavy on roleplay so feel free to play out as many or as few of these plot hooks as you wish. The mini hooks are designed for individual players while the Party Hooks advance the main storyline. The mini hooks will generally be resolved within 2-3 posts and grant minor experience and treasure rewards.


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## kinem (Nov 16, 2012)

_Five silver apiece for risking our lives? It's an insult more than a reward. I'm a trained warrior and guardsman, but the others ... Still, coin is coin._

Brad heads to the Foundation district in the guise of a dwarven man, for which he'll give the name Dunkin if asked. He tries a busy tavern, asking if a dwarf by the grifter's description has been seen. If there's no luck, he'll try a few other places and vary his approach a bit. If asked whether he wants to buy apocalypse insurance, he admit he does; but he won't bring the subject up, as he doesn't wish to draw any unnecessary attention to the dwarf's activities.


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 16, 2012)

Alise gives her thanks to the others in the group and lets them know where to find her in the future.  Giving directions to The Gathering Light rather than her home for privacy.

She heads to the Gathering Light but stops by her apartment on the way to change out of her party dress.  After inspecting the dress for any stains, tears or damage she hangs it carefully and brushes it smooth.     

She changes into her normal day to day clothes and prepares to leave for the Gathering Light, but then freezes, struck by the mental vision of the man throwing himself on his sword.   She looks to the crossbow and spear her father had given her when she moved out, She had laughed at him telling him how where she was moving was so much safer than where she'd been.   She'd never needed felt the need for a crossbow in Highwalls, why should she need one in Dragoneyes.

Now she didn't feel safe anywhere in Sharn, and not even a crossbow would help that.   She just wanted to be a little girl again playing in her father's shop.   She remembered the smells and the warmth of the sun, she thought to her mother's fresh bread, and the handcrafted doll her father had made.  The doll with her left eye lower than her right.    How she wished she could go back, there, to just feel... Safe.

She snapped back to reality, That shop is not safe,   That shop doesn't even exist, and it's in the middle of the Mournlands.   "You are a grown woman, not a little girl, start acting like one"

She packed every useful item she could think off into her backpack including the armor and crossbow her father had given her.    She picked up the shortspear, but set it back again beside the door realizing how insane she would appear carrying a spear thru city streets.     "Lets not make more trouble for the guards today, considering."

With that she headed out the door to the School/Temple of The Gathering Light


[sblock="OOC"]







*OOC:*



Alise will spend her 2 skill points on 1 point each of Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (the planes)





[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 16, 2012)

kinem said:


> _Five silver apiece for risking our lives? It's an insult more than a reward. I'm a trained warrior and guardsman, but the others ... Still, coin is coin._
> 
> Brad heads to the Foundation district in the guise of a dwarven man, for which he'll give the name Dunkin if asked. He tries a busy tavern, asking if a dwarf by the grifter's description has been seen. If there's no luck, he'll try a few other places and vary his approach a bit. If asked whether he wants to buy apocalypse insurance, he admit he does; but he won't bring the subject up, as he doesn't wish to draw any unnecessary attention to the dwarf's activities.



The district of Foundation is solid and unremarkable, filled with low-income housing for the people who work the Cogs and the caravan districts of Terminus and Wroann’s Gate. There is nary a tavern in sight, only apartments and tenements. However asking around does glean some information. A woman with a bag around her shoulders and a foul odor about her eyes you with a wide, mostly toothless grin as you ask about the dwarf. "Aye, and I can tell ya where to find him too... but if you're so interested, seems the information is worth somethin' to ya." The woman demands five gold galifars before she'll tell you where to find the dwarf.[sblock=Diplomacy DC 15, Intimidate DC 12, or pay 5 gp]"Alright, I can tell ya. He's down in the Harpy Tenements right now. Must have seen him there not 5 minutes ago. He's been wandering around this district ever since the events last night peddling his Apocalypse insurance."[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 16, 2012)

DarwinofMind said:


> Alise gives her thanks to the others in the group and lets them know where to find her in the future.  Giving directions to The Gathering Light rather than her home for privacy.
> 
> She heads to the Gathering Light but stops by her apartment on the way to change out of her party dress.  After inspecting the dress for any stains, tears or damage she hangs it carefully and brushes it smooth.
> 
> ...



Alise arrives in Overlook to attend The Gathering Light and meet with Hanamelk. In Overlook, the spires of over a dozen identical towers rise to the sky. While the towers are drab gray granite, bits of color are scattered about—an occasional window of stained glass, a small hanging 
garden, a tapestry of Riedran design. When she reaches The Gathering Light, she can see that Selkatari, an elder kalashtar monk within these halls, is training several dozen students in the ways of traditional Adaran martial arts. She skirts her way along the side of the main gymnasium to go and find Hanamelk in the library.

The library of The Gathering Light is merely a collection of scrolls, all of them written in Riedran, the language of the people who live on the distant continent of Sarlona. It is an alien language to Alise, written in strange characters from top to bottom and right to left instead of using phonetic letters to form words left to right and top to bottom like the Galifaran Common language she has seen all her life. Hanamelk's kind eyes spot her from across the library where he has several scrolls upon the table. A shudder runs down Alise's spine when she sees one of the scrolls has a simple drawing of a red moon upon it.

"Welcome back, my child," Hanamelk says, bowing to her as a teacher does to a pupil. It takes a moment but Alise remembers to bow back in deference, as is the kalashtar way. "Your thoughts are known to me. I have sensed the distress you experienced last night even across the boundaries of this city. And the celestial event of last night is known to all. I can see this picture disturbs you. It should. It is an ancient scroll carried by my brother-ancestors to these shores which tells of a battle between the Quori and the Giants, one in which an artifact known as the Moonbreaker was used to banish the Quori back to the Region of Dreams. It is a harrowing tale. But that is a story for another time."

"I have need of your special skills. A student of mine has refused to come to The Gathering Light today. He resides just a few towers away in Highwater in one of the poorer tenements there. He is an elf by the name of Quarion. I believe he fears going out into the street for his life, as there are many wicked rumors surfacing about a part that elves may have played in the bringing of the Blood Moon; it is of course ignorance and foolishness. Please convince him of the error of his ways and persuade him to come to The Gathering Light that he might assist me in studying this phenomenon. I have use of his particular talents, but I am too busy to be drawn away from my work myself. I believe you will find this a most fulfilling task that will aid your soul in its pursuit of enlightenment."

Hanamelk provides you with Quarion's address and then leaves you to continue his work.







*OOC:*


I have Alise's skill points spent. Everyone else please remember to include where you spent your skill points in your next post.





[sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent Mini Hook: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below.

Brad Mini Hook: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do. (active)

Alise Mini Hook: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation. (active)[/sblock]


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## kinem (Nov 17, 2012)

airwalkrr said:


> The district of Foundation is solid and unremarkable, filled with low-income housing for the people who work the Cogs and the caravan districts of Terminus and Wroann’s Gate. There is nary a tavern in sight, only apartments and tenements. However asking around does glean some information. A woman with a bag around her shoulders and a foul odor about her eyes you with a wide, mostly toothless grin as you ask about the dwarf. "Aye, and I can tell ya where to find him too... but if you're so interested, seems the information is worth somethin' to ya." The woman demands five gold galifars before she'll tell you where to find the dwarf.[sblock=Diplomacy DC 15, Intimidate DC 12, or pay 5 gp]"Alright, I can tell ya. He's down in the Harpy Tenements right now. Must have seen him there not 5 minutes ago. He's been wandering around this district ever since the events last night peddling his Apocalypse insurance."[/sblock]




It wasn't so long ago that Brad was on the other side of the law, shaking down shopkeepers for protection money. Though not proud of it, sometimes projecting a menacing demeanor still comes in handy. It doesn't hurt that his scale mail's dents and scratches attest that he's seen combat, or that he always carries his greatsword when on duty. He approaches to within five feet of the old woman.

"If you don't tell me where he is, someone's going to have a _really_ bad day. It won't be me." He neglects to mention that it will be the dwarf he seeks.

It's too much for the old woman so she spills the beans.

Brad heads down to the Harpy Tenements, on the lookout for the dressy dwarf as well as any signs of trouble.

ooc: Spent 1 skill point on Intimidate and 1 (half rank) on Gather Info.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 17, 2012)

*OOC:*


Brad confronts the dwarf grifter.

And by the way, everyone feel free to follow along with the activities of others. I assume the stories will be told over drinks later at some point so this allows us to forgo the details of individual escapades. (Although I wouldn't stop you if you want to role-play them anyway.) 





Brad doesn't have to poke around Harpy Tenements for long before he sees a dwarf in a flashy red suit with a frilled white cravat that complements his neatly trimmed beard well. He is going door to door, mostly getting no response or being turned quickly away, but he is a good salesman. Brad catches the tail-end of his spiel: "Blood Moon in the sky! Cultists of Blood wandering the streets! House Kundarak can keep you safe with 100% coverage for your family and possessions. For a mere down-payment of 10 coppers you can receive full coverage starting today. House Kundarak will reimburse you for any and all property damage as a result of cataclysmic events and a life insurance policy is included which covers all funeral costs. If really is a fantastic deal. When the end of the world comes, you want to be protected and my house can guarantee that."

The dwarf seems mostly oblivious to Brad's presence, clearly an amateur (that or he is overconfident).[sblock=Good cop approach; Diplomacy base DC 21; may be modified by risk vs. reward]"Ok, well if you promise they'll go easy on me, I'll cooperate. I don't want to cause any trouble. You think you might just let me off with a warning though? I promise I'll never do it again!"[sblock=Sense Motive DC 20]You get a hunch the dwarf is only acting repentant because he got caught.[/sblock][sblock=Forgery DC 12]The identification papers he is carrying that identify him with House Kundarak are clearly cheap forgeries.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Diplomacy Failure by 5 or more]"Wait, you're a guard! You'll never catch me!" The dwarf sprints off down the narrow alleyways.[sblock=Dexterity check DC 7 to catch him]"Ack! Alright, alright! I'll cooperate. Just don't hurt me please!" You shackle the dwarf and haul him back to the Black Arch Garrison for processing.[sblock=Forgery DC 12]The identification papers he is carrying that identify him with House Kundarak are clearly cheap forgeries.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Bad cop approach; Intimidate base DC 21; may be modified by risk vs. reward]"Ack! Alright, alright! I'll cooperate. Just don't hurt me please!" You shackle the dwarf and haul him back to the Black Arch Garrison for processing.[sblock=Forgery DC 12]The identification papers he is carrying that identify him with House Kundarak are clearly cheap forgeries.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Intimidate Failure by 5 or more]"Wait, you're a guard! You'll never catch me!" The dwarf sprints off down the narrow alleyways.[sblock=Dexterity check DC 7 to catch him]"Ack! Alright, alright! I'll cooperate. Just don't hurt me please!" You shackle the dwarf and haul him back to the Black Arch Garrison for processing.[sblock=Forgery DC 12]The identification papers he is carrying that identify him with House Kundarak are clearly cheap forgeries.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## kinem (Nov 17, 2012)

Brad approaches the dwarf. "You're under arrest for fraud. You'd better come along quietly, if you know what's good for you."

The dwarf takes off before Brad can grab him. Brad tries to pursue; unfortunately, his scale mail slows him down to a dwarf-like pace.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 18, 2012)

Unfortunately, it seems the dwarf knows the back alleys of Foundation better than Brad and he loses sight of him as he steps back out onto a road crowded with pedestrians. The good news is the dwarf looked pretty spooked and probably won't be back again for a while, at least not to the Foundation District.

As Brad is catching his breath, he notices the same haggard old woman nearby. "Didn't catch 'im eh? He's a sly one. Been keeping our eye on 'im, we have. No matter. I'm certain he's findin' 'imself a cozy quiet pipe to be thrown down in the Cogs as we speak. I don't think he'll be a bother for us anymore. Now as for you..." she steps forward, the sack she was carrying and her limp which Brad previously noted being gone. He also spies a conspicuous pair of figures in dark cloaks approaching from behind. They each have an arm hidden within their cloaks; it does not take a genius to guess they are concealing daggers or possibly shortswords underneath.

"As for you," the woman continues, "you had best be on your way. I don't think the people of this district like being harassed by your kind. The Black Arch isn't welcome here. WE are the law here and we do not take kindly to being threatened, least of all by the likes of you. You tell your Commander that. Now, off with you!"[sblock=Sense Motive DC 10]Brad is clearly outnumbered and probably outmatched.[sblock=Sense Motive DC 16]The figures behind Brad step lightly and move with agility through the crowd. They are skilled rogues and one alone would constitute a tough challenge to Brad, let alone two, and that is nothing to say for the woman.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Spot DC 10]There are no other Black Arch guards within sight.[sblock=Spot DC 15]The two figures and the old woman are not the only ones paying close attention to what is going on. There is also a man by a parked sausage wagon who is keeping a keen eye on what is going on. There may even be others...[/sblock][/sblock]







*OOC:*


Brad receives 25 xp for effort, and he can roll a Profession check for his day's work. Sometimes the bad guys get away.





[sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent Mini Hook: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below.

Brad Mini Hook: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do. (resolved)

Alise Mini Hook: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation. (active)[/sblock]


----------



## kinem (Nov 18, 2012)

Seeing that he's outnumbered, and with nothing more he can accomplish here today, Brad walks away without comment.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 19, 2012)

*OOC:*


I wanted to mention that you can still pursue party plot hooks as a group while the mini hooks are being played out. So if the group is ready to meet with Beige or investigate the missing girl, we can begin one of those. The mini hooks are short, usually should not take up resources, and take place during free time. So we can do mini hooks and main plot hooks simultaneously. Just be sure to note which story you are posting about if your character is doing a mini hook at the same time as the main story.


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 19, 2012)

airwalkrr said:


> "Welcome back, my child," Hanamelk says, bowing to her as a teacher does to a pupil. It takes a moment but Alise remembers to bow back in deference, as is the kalashtar way. "Your thoughts are known to me. I have sensed the distress you experienced last night even across the boundaries of this city. And the celestial event of last night is known to all. I can see this picture disturbs you. It should. It is an ancient scroll carried by my brother-ancestors to these shores which tells of a battle between the Quori and the Giants, one in which an artifact known as the Moonbreaker was used to banish the Quori back to the Region of Dreams. It is a harrowing tale. But that is a story for another time."
> 
> "I have need of your special skills. A student of mine has refused to come to The Gathering Light today. He resides just a few towers away in Highwater in one of the poorer tenements there. He is an elf by the name of Quarion. I believe he fears going out into the street for his life, as there are many wicked rumors surfacing about a part that elves may have played in the bringing of the Blood Moon; it is of course ignorance and foolishness. Please convince him of the error of his ways and persuade him to come to The Gathering Light that he might assist me in studying this phenomenon. I have use of his particular talents, but I am too busy to be drawn away from my work myself. I believe you will find this a most fulfilling task that will aid your soul in its pursuit of enlightenment."
> 
> Hanamelk provides you with Quarion's address and then leaves you to continue his work.




Alise begins to speak about the things she saw and how much it's troubling her, not the moon so much as the violence she found herself in afterwards, but Hanamelk leaves the room.  Leaving her feel just as alone as before.  Alise is very welcoming of the instruction she has received at the school here but often finds Adarans to be emotionally cold.  She never thought she would find herself wrapped up in violence or deputized, but at the same time she didn't regret her actions.  Someone had to help that poor elf.

After walking out of the hall, her stomach growls, and she realizes that she had walked the width and height of this city twice this morn and has not eaten since the night before.  It was drawing closer to high noon now and she felt at the silver coins in her purse.  She ponders for a moment trying to find Hilatashka the restaurant the other students speak highly of but doubts she could find it without their help.  Spying the red bricks of the neighboring district she knew she could find some food there. 

Walking thru the shops and markets of the Redstone district she longed for the fabrics and dresses found there.  But knew she would need to save the money, "Growing up is so hard."  She found a shop keeper with fresh food that smelled good and purchased a piece of crusty flat bread and some smoked fish for a few copper.   She made her way into adjacent building winding her way up a spiral staircase and out a door she found herself on a bridge passing to the neighboring temple district.
This district of Hope’s Peak was alive this morning, people of all faiths praying and seeking guidance after the appearance of the 13th moon.    The smell of incense hung in the air and the sounds of prayers.  Alise made straight for the Citadel of the Sun.   The golden colored temple shined in the sun as parishioners ran about excitedly praying for peace or preparing to make the best for themselves in the war of the blood moon they saw coming.
Alise waited her turn and knelt at the shrine.   “My Lady, Dol Arrah, I do not know what I have taken part of here, but I can only hope that I am doing your work.   I ask for your blessing in my actions and ask that you send me a sign to let me know I’m doing the right thing.   Bless you”
She finished her prayer and left the temple heading straight to the Highwater district and the address provided for Quarion.      She knocked on the door.


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 20, 2012)

OOC:
[sblock] So can Dorius have written his article in the morning that everyone is out and about investigating? Should I make some sort of check to see how good his article is? (I don't have time to write one IRL, unfortunately ). 

I basically want Dorius to spend the morning writing up his article, then go post the article to Korranberg via House Sivis. After that, he will return to the inn to ask Mandyran about the rumour. [/sblock]


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## pneumatik (Nov 20, 2012)

*Berrent, Human Rogue*

After stopping in to see Karr'Aashta's Investigations, Berrent heads down into the Cogs. As he descends lower and lower it becomes clear he doesn't belong. His clothes aren't extravagant but they aren't covered in patched holes from a life a physical labor. He's a little too clean and stands a little too straight and non-threateningly. He is, if you look closely enough, a little nervous.

He eventually finds the Rat's Market and begins looking around for a goblin selling garbage.

...

Later he returns to the Golden Horn. He goes straight to the bar and orders a shot that he quickly knocks back. After a couple of deep breaths he turns to whichever party members are present. "I'm glad you made it," he says. "Once everyone's here we can head out for the House Phiarlan enclave to talk to Beige." While they're waiting he starts talking about what he learned earlier in the day. "So it seems the owner of _The Crystals of Denion_ magic emporium, up in Upper Tavick's Landing, lost his daughter. She's grown up, or at least grown up enough to go to parties on her own. And that's the problem, see. She went to a party last night and never came back. What with how busy the Watch must be after all the mayhem last night, Mr. Denion may be looking for help finding his daughter."

[sblock="Skill Points"]One skill point on Search and one on Sense Motive.[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 20, 2012)

DarwinofMind said:


> Alise begins to speak about the things she saw and how much it's troubling her, not the moon so much as the violence she found herself in afterwards, but Hanamelk leaves the room.
> 
> ...
> 
> She finished her prayer and left the temple heading straight to the Highwater district and the address provided for Quarion.      She knocked on the door.











*OOC:*


Excellent roleplaying post! 25 XP for Alise.

Note: if you have a run of bad luck with rolls, you can always go for roleplaying. Or you can try to improve the risk vs. reward judgment by offering him something. Whether you use Diplomacy or Intimidate is up to you; it should influence the way you roleplay the situation though. There may be other ways to approach the situation as well. Remember the spoiler blocks are only a possibility.





The door opens just a crack. Alise can see the narrow profile of an elf male inside. There is just enough light to reflect the deep green in his eyes. 

"Wh...who's there?" a stuttering voice comes from behind the door. "If Hanamelk sent you, tell him I'm n...not coming in today. T...t...t...too dangerous."[sblock=Convince him you are a friend, Diplomacy/Intimidate DC 15 or charm person DC 16]The elf opens the door a bit more. You can see his face calms a bit. "I s...s...suppose you can come in."

The elf's flat is an absolute mess. Dirty dishes are stacked on a counter. Old laundry is piled on the floor. There is a straw mat in the corner with what looks like mold growing in the corner. The elf does appear to have a collection of scrolls on a shelf however, and they appear well-used. Several of these are on the floor as well. He may be well-learned.

"I am sorry, I am not a very good host. I d...d...don't have time for t...t...tidying up much. I really cannot come to see Hanamelk today though. As I said, t...t...too dangerous."[sblock=Ask why it is dangerous; Diplomacy/Intimidate DC 20 or Charisma check (with successful charm person) DC 10)]"Okay, the truth is... I am one of the dragonmarked. But not in a good way. I could never join H...H...House Phiarlan or House Thuranni with my mark. It is a...a...aberrant. If my secret is discovered, I will be run out of town. The assassins of House Thuranni will hunt me d...d...down!"[sblock=Arcana DC 5 (untrained possible)]Dragonmarks are magical marks that appear on the skin and grant powers to their bearers.[sblock=Arcana DC 10 (untrained possible)]Dragonmarks are tied to specific bloodlines. The people bearing these dragonmarks joined together to create houses, which use the powers of the mark for economic gain. Some marks are unassociated with houses however, and are generally considered a product of mixed blood. These are known as aberrant dragomarks.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Convince him he will be safe; Diplomacy/Intimidate 25 or Charisma (with successful charm person) DC 15]"Well, I suppose you make a good point." The elf is ponderous for a moment and seems to have a renewed spirit.

"Very well, you've convinced me. I will go to Hanamelk. There is no use hiding here all day. I have to come out some time."[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Nov 20, 2012)

FloatingDisc said:


> OOC:
> [sblock] So can Dorius have written his article in the morning that everyone is out and about investigating? Should I make some sort of check to see how good his article is? (I don't have time to write one IRL, unfortunately ).
> 
> I basically want Dorius to spend the morning writing up his article, then go post the article to Korranberg via House Sivis. After that, he will return to the inn to ask Mandyran about the rumour. [/sblock]











*OOC:*


You may roll a Profession/Craft check for a daily roll if you don't have time to write up an article. You get half your result in sp. Typically the money would take a week to arrive, but for simplicity we'll assume you receive it immediately so we don't have to keep track.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 20, 2012)

pneumatik said:


> After stopping in to see Karr'Aashta's Investigations, Berrent heads down into the Cogs. As he descends lower and lower it becomes clear he doesn't belong. His clothes aren't extravagant but they aren't covered in patched holes from a life a physical labor. He's a little too clean and stands a little too straight and non-threateningly. He is, if you look closely enough, a little nervous.
> 
> He eventually finds the Rat's Market and begins looking around for a goblin selling garbage.











*OOC:*


As always, feel free to come up with your own novel approach if the dice don't roll your way or change tack and switch to a different skill.





The tunnels and corridors at this level of the tower are narrow and dark. An occasional window slit looks out upon the crowded walls and foundations of other towers, and infrequently placed torches sputter here and there, giving off pallid pools of light and clouds of smoke. Even so, rough and dirty people crowd the narrow corridors, and the smell of sweat and sewage permeates the stale air. One tunnel opens onto a large chamber, where a mix of goblins, humans, and shifters gather around a small pile of garbage spread across three rotting blankets. One of the goblins shouts, “No pushing! No pushing! There’s always enough for everyone at the Rat’s Market!”[sblock=Gather Information DC 5; 5 minutes and 5 cp]"Aye, that goblin there selling things is Skakan."[sblock=Ask Skakan what he's heard; Diplomacy DC 10]“I’ve got a rare stick of sealing wax, only partially used, for a mere sixty coppers,” the goblin merchant says. “Or maybe you could use this fine woolen blanket with just a hint of mildew? Only thirty-nine coppers. How about a skewer of boiled rat meat? For you, just five silver. Or, perhaps, if I could tell you the latest news about the Cults of the Dragon Below, what would that be worth to you? One hundred silver?”[sblock=Diplomacy DC 15 and purchase something of Skakan's OR give him 100 sp]"I respect a fellow with a keen eye for value," the goblin says with a gold-toothed grin, "so here is whats I know. The cults been real quiet lately to be sure. I haven't heard so much as a peep out o' most of them. But I do know a group known as the Celestial Cycle has been meetin' regularly in Ash Tower. That's all I can tell you."[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Demand to hear what he knows; Intimidate DC 10]"Eek! Please put the pointy things away! I tells you what I know. The Darkest Depths are holed up in Wheel Tower working black magic! That's all I can tells you. Honest!"[sblock=tell him you know he's lying; Intimidate DC 15]"Alright, alright! Please let me keep me ears! I needs them for hearin'. So the Darkest Depths haven't been around fer a while. True that. But there is a faction callin' themselves the Celestial Cycle meetin' regularly in Ash Tower. And that's Dol Arrah's truth!"[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]

[sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent Mini Hook: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below. (active)

Brad Mini Hook: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do. (resolved)

Alise Mini Hook: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation. (active) [/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 21, 2012)

airwalkrr said:


> The door opens just a crack. Alise can see the narrow profile of an elf male inside. There is just enough light to reflect the deep green in his eyes.
> 
> "Wh...who's there?" a stuttering voice comes from behind the door. "If Hanamelk sent you, tell him I'm n...not coming in today. T...t...t...too dangerous."[sblock=Convince him you are a friend, Diplomacy/Intimidate DC 15 or charm person DC 16]The elf opens the door a bit more. You can see his face calms a bit. "I s...s...suppose you can come in."
> 
> ...




"Your acting stupid, clearly it's not dangerous I'm standing out here.    Don't be an idiot."   The door slams in her face.  "Ok, that was the wrong approach."


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 21, 2012)

*OOC:*


Dorius takes a skill point each in Knowledge (Arcana) and Craft (Journalism). 







Dorius writes an article for his employers at the Korranberg Chronicle and entrusts it to House Sivis to deliver. He hopes it will be the first in a brilliant series of first-hand accounts of the drama unfolding in Sharn. 

Dorius then returns to the Golden Horn and asks for Mandyran. 









*OOC:*


Dorius gets paid 9 sp for his article. See attached


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## airwalkrr (Nov 21, 2012)

DarwinofMind said:


> "Your acting stupid, clearly it's not dangerous I'm standing out here.    Don't be an idiot."   The door slams in her face.  "Ok, that was the wrong approach."











*OOC:*


Does Alise give up after that? Or will she attempt to sway the elf by some other means?


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## airwalkrr (Nov 21, 2012)

FloatingDisc said:


> Dorius writes an article for his employers at the Korranberg Chronicle and entrusts it to House Sivis to deliver. He hopes it will be the first in a brilliant series of first-hand accounts of the drama unfolding in Sharn.
> 
> Dorius then returns to the Golden Horn and asks for Mandyran.











*OOC:*


That's fantastic! We're gonna have to make sure we keep these articles for posterity. They are great! 25 XP for Dorius.





Dorius arrives at the Golden Horn later that night where he meets with Berrent and the others. But before he sits down with his new friends, he seeks his mentor. Mandyran is in the kitchen supervising and Dorius is invited to go and find him. The gnome discovers his mentor singing an old war hymn with the chef as the two work together on a marvelous smelling duck soup.

"Dorius, my lad, how good to see you!" Mandyran exclaims. He is in an overly cheerful mood. Perhaps he has been into the cooking sherry. "Come over here and taste this soup. It's absolutely fabulous!"

It's almost as if Mandyran is a different person from the somber fellow who was watching over the inn last night. This kitchen is one place at least, where it seems the Blood Moon never appeared. After a taste of the soup, which is a bit salty for Dorius' tastes, he and Mandyran go sit at a corner table in the kitchen.

"Ah yes, the rumor," Mandyran remembers. "I figured you'd find this story interesting so I saved it just for you. I presume you've heard of the Sharn Inquisitive, the local newspaper. Well it is put together just a few towers down by a fellow named Haftak ir'Clarn. He is actually a friend of mine. Well he stopped by this morning and told me of a terrible tragedy. His correspondent for Cliffside went missing last night and is presumed dead. Someone found his knapsack along with his identity papers along the edge of an overlook. The authorities are presuming he fell off the side of the cliff down several hundred feet and are calling it an accident. Hardly possible for him to have escaped with his life."

"Anyway, Haftak is looking for a replacement, and I told him I knew of a freelancer who might be interested in some extra work. If you are, your first job is to investigate the disappearance the Sharn Inquisitive reporter. Haftak wonders if it might be foul play and suspects the authorities are writing it off because they are too preoccupied with other things. If you have any questions, you can visit Haftak at Haftak's Books and Binding in Quartz Tower just a few towers east of here."[sblock=Plot Hooks]Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter.

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius Mini Hook: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor. (active)

Vigil Mini Hook: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent Mini Hook: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below. (active)

Brad Mini Hook: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do. (resolved)

Alise Mini Hook: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation. (active)[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Nov 21, 2012)

*OOC:*


Dice rolling isn't working for me right now i'll check this post again tonight


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 22, 2012)

"The _Sharn Inquisitive,_ eh? That rag..." Dorius mutters disdainfully. 

Dorius is about to refuse the offer, but another thought pops into his head, and a sly grin crosses his pointy gnomish face. _It sounds dangerous - this could be a good opportunity to enhance my reputation as Sharn's premier adventuring reporter... if I can just get some of the muscle around here to come along to protect me._

"I think I'll go meet with this Haftak. Thanks for thinking of me, Mandyran." Dorius reaches up to pat him on the shoulder. "I'll go see if any of the others are interested in making a little money on the side."


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## airwalkrr (Nov 22, 2012)

*OOC:*


It has been brought to my attention that at least one player is having difficulty keeping track of the main plot. So I felt a little clarification is in order, and perhaps a formatting change. First, a recap:

*Main Plot Arcs*
*1: The Serpentine Table.* Beige was attacked by cultists of the Blood of Vol. You interrupted their ritual, at least partially, and saved Beige's life. He works for the Serpentine Table, a clandestine organization within House Phiarlan and has offered you work. Go and visit him at House Phiarlan at your leisure for further employment.

*2) The Daughter of Denion.* One of your party has learned that the daughter of a wealthy business owner in Upper Tavick's Landing has gone missing. The business owner is a man named Denion and he owns a magic item shop called the _Crystals of Denion_. Not only would it be a good idea to get on his good side for the prospect of magic item access, his daughter also went missing the night of the Blood Moon. It might not be a coincidence.

_You'll notice you have currently two main plot hooks. This is something of a "sandbox" campaign. You guys don't have to follow one path. There are many adventures that are possible in the City of Towers. But you will only be able to follow one main plot line at a time._

*Side Plots*
*Berrent: * Berrent is doing a job for his mentor to investigate whether the Cults of the Dragon Below had any involvement in the night of the Blood Moon.

*Brad:* Brad was charged by the Black Arch Garrison commander with arresting a dwarf grifter in the Foundation district before the Tyrants (a changeling gang) got to him for working their "turf." Unfortunately the dwarf got away and probably capture by the Tyrants.

*Vigil:* Brother Wayden of the Church of the Silver Flame believes the Blood of Vol is operating out of the Graywall district and has tasked Vigil with retrieving information from a spy residing in the district on Seeker activity.

*Dorius:* Mandyran has told Dorius that a reporter for the Sharn Inquisitive went missing and that the owner of the Sharn Inquisitive is looking for a replacement. Dorius' first mission: find out what happened to the missing reporter.

*Alise:* An elf named Quarion is vital to Hanamelk's work, but he refuses to come to The Gathering Light for some reason. Alise was tasked with convincing him to leave his home and assist Hanamelk.

So that's a quick run-down of what is going on. From now on, let's try to keep side-quests in sblocks and treat them as flash-sideways events. They are going on either concurrently or before the events of the main plot but shouldn't influence the main plot in a significant way. They are more for character development and the building up of contacts and relationships within the city.


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## FloatingDisc (Nov 22, 2012)

*OOC:*


I'll confess to not paying a lot of attention to the other PCs' side quests. I like the idea of running them alongside the main quest.







Dorius thinks that the most pressing item on the group's agenda is finding Denion's daughter, in case she is still alive. Not sure if we're all in the same room at the moment.


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## Herobizkit (Nov 23, 2012)

[sblock=Desperately Seeking Slogar's]"This mission is accepted. Vigil will seek the Karnn with blue eyes Vladar at Slogar's and inquire of his meal."

Vigil marches on to the Graywall District, curious as to the efficiency of oils and perfume on his performance as Templar.









*OOC:*


One last thing: everyone please include in your next post what you will be spending your 2 skill points on.





What two skill points now?[/sblock]


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## kinem (Nov 23, 2012)

FloatingDisc said:


> Dorius thinks that the most pressing item on the group's agenda is finding Denion's daughter, in case she is still alive. Not sure if we're all in the same room at the moment.




Brad (back in half-orc guise) returns to the inn and will join Dorius.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 29, 2012)

pneumatik said:


> After stopping in to see Karr'Aashta's Investigations, Berrent heads down into the Cogs. As he descends lower and lower it becomes clear he doesn't belong. His clothes aren't extravagant but they aren't covered in patched holes from a life a physical labor. He's a little too clean and stands a little too straight and non-threateningly. He is, if you look closely enough, a little nervous.
> 
> He eventually finds the Rat's Market and begins looking around for a goblin selling garbage.
> 
> ...











*OOC:*


I'll be getting to the side quests soon, but school is hectic right now with finals coming up. Let's proceed from here. You can currently pursue one main plot arc at a time, so Chapter 1 of the Daughter of Denion plot arc is currently underway.


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## airwalkrr (Nov 29, 2012)

*8:00 PM, 1st of Zarantyr, 998 YK*

[sblock=Current Main Plot Arc: The Daughter of Denion, Chapter 1]Berrent has learned that the daughter of a wealthy business owner in Upper Tavick's Landing has gone missing. The business owner is a man named Denion and he owns a magic item shop called the Crystals of Denion. Not only would it be a good idea to get on his good side for the prospect of magic item access, his daughter also went missing the night of the Blood Moon. It might not be a coincidence.[/sblock]As you gather at the Golden Horn that evening for drinks you discuss the events of the day with each other. You talk about going to meet with Beige sometime soon; he didn't seem to be in a great hurry to have you come visit him, but there was the prospect of some reward. However, when Berrent brings up the case of Denion's missing daughter, Dorius proclaims that this case should take precedence over any job for Beige. At any rate, the idea seems profitable. A wealthy businessman like Denion is likely to offer a hefty reward, and it would certainly behoove an adventuring party such as your own to get in good with a magic item dealer.

"Denion eh?" Mandyran says, stopping by your table to greet Dorius. "Apologies, but I couldn't help but overhear the last bit of your conversation. I've heard of him, Denion, I mean. Owns the Crystals of Denion. Has a fantastic array of magical art. There was moving painting of a ship crashing over a stormy sea that I used to have my eye on before some House Lyrandar fellow outbid me. Has a lot of charm-related items that might be useful to adventurers too. Didn't realize he had any children, not that I know him very well. I believe his shop is on the north side of Silvergate in Upper Tavick's Landing if I'm not mistaken. Very wealthy part of town. Lots of luxury inns and exclusive drinking clubs. They are also pretty strict with things like weapons and spellcasting. I hear they require a license for those things there, and such things can be hard to acquire. But if you can be of any assistance to Denion, I highly recommend you seize the opportunity. Friends in high places like that are good to have."


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## Moon_Goddess (Dec 1, 2012)

[sblock="Alise SidePlot"]








*OOC:*


Really a 1, she supposed to be good at this







Alise begs Quarion to open the door a touch and let her explain herself.   But she realizes she is definately off her game today.    So she begins looking for a window or some alternate way into his apartment.[/sblock]


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## Moon_Goddess (Dec 1, 2012)

Alise meets the others in the Golden Horn.   It's obvious she's had a tiring day.  


She listens to Mandyran talk about the rules in Upper Tavick's Landing but she knows these things already living in Lower Tavick's Landing she's used to feeling like the cast off filth of the rich people living high above her.   
"Friends can be useful in any kind of place."


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## airwalkrr (Dec 1, 2012)

DarwinofMind said:


> [sblock="Alise SidePlot"]
> 
> 
> 
> ...



[sblock=An Elf Estranged]







*OOC:*


Don't forget you can always take 10. You might even be able to take 20 in this situation since there isn't any hurry (such a check would take 20 minutes).





"Please go away!" Quarion shouts from inside. "It's too dangerous out there... for folks like me... I don't think I could take it."[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Dec 1, 2012)

*The Daughter of Denion Chapter 1*

"So it seems settled that you'll be investigating the disappearance of this woman," Mandyran says with a smile. "Good on you. Not many folks willing to stick their neck out for noble causes. I can help you along the way. Although Denion is only an acquaintance of mine, I do happen to know a good friend of his and it just so happens she is here this evening. She is an elf named Cassa Faer, owner of The Art Temple here in Upper Menthis. If you like, I could make introductions..."


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## airwalkrr (Dec 8, 2012)

*OOC:*


We're back! Time for more adventure. Hope we didn't lose anyone after EN World being down for so long. Let me do a quick role call. Chime in with a quick OOC post so I know everyone is on track before we continue. In the meantime, feel free to roleplay your plans to assist Denion or any types of information gathering and such. Anyone who wishes to go and visit with Denion should be advised that Upper Menthis does indeed have a strict weapons and spellcasting policy. No weapons, holy symbol foci, or spell component pouches are allowed without a permit (which can be difficult to get). Armor of any type is generally fine, so long as it is not a weapon itself (such as spiked armor). You may also wish to contact your mentors for advice or assistance, depending on the situation.


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## kinem (Dec 8, 2012)

ooc: Good to be back 

As a member of the Sharn Watch, would Brad be allowed to carry a weapon in Upper Menthis? If not, he'll ask Commander Iyanna ir'Talan about getting a permit for it, and possibly for deputizing others to be able to carry weapons as well.

He will inform the rest of the party of the situation.


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## Scott DeWar (Dec 8, 2012)

*OOC:*


the lurker still lurks in the dark


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## Moon_Goddess (Dec 8, 2012)

*OOC:*


Ok, just discovered we're back on my way out to a party right now, so talk later[/occ]


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## airwalkrr (Dec 9, 2012)

*OOC:*


Brad would only be allowed to carry a weapon if he were on duty. It is a good idea you might want to investigate though. Perhaps Brad could try to strategically switch shifts. Unfortunately, part of the problem with this is that these shifts are considered cushy, and rarely traded for shifts in other parts of the ward, as most security in Upper Tavick's Landing is private leaving the Watch with a leisurely job. But Brad could always talk to Commander ir'Talan. They might be able to come to some form of agreement.


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## airwalkrr (Dec 9, 2012)

*OOC:*


It looks like I will need to pick a new default NPC text. Yellow on white is not gonna work. Anyone using green?


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## kinem (Dec 9, 2012)

Brad asks Commander ir'Talan about it. He offers to work an extra shift or something if that will help.


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## FloatingDisc (Dec 9, 2012)

*OOC:*


Wow, we're back! Sorry I didn't realise earlier, everyone. Can't wait to get back into this story! I've chosen a darker orange for the new look ENWorld - let me know if anyone has difficulty reading it and I could switch to red or brown?







Dorius makes notes as Mandyran speaks, then gratefully replies "Yes, it would be very helpful if you could introduce us to this elf. Tell me, Mandyran, do you know how one might go about bearing arms in Upper Menthis? I'm not particularly handy with a sword, but it really completes this outfit, you know?"


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## Scott DeWar (Dec 9, 2012)

airwalkrr said:


> *OOC:*
> 
> 
> It looks like I will need to pick a new default NPC text. Yellow on white is not gonna work. Anyone using green?












*OOC:*


 lower left corner you can choose blackened for a better background to contrast with lighter color speech


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## airwalkrr (Dec 10, 2012)

*OOC:*


Ah, yes. Blackened works well and allows for more colored text options IMHO. I will continue using yellow for NPC text. I hope that is okay with everyone. Thanks  [MENTION=49929]Scott DeWar[/MENTION].

For the others, I will pick up the pace after Thursday. This week is finals.

I also note we have lost the EN World dice rolling functionality. Until it returns, make your rolls on http://invisiblecastle.com/ or use another dice roller and link your rolls at the bottom of your post or integrated into your post using url tags like so: evil cultist attack hit AC 10. If you already have an invisiblecastle account, you may use that. Otherwise use either your character's name or your EN World screen name.

The wiki is also still around, but less user-friendly and no longer integrated into the campaign system near as I can tell. I'll have to experiment a bit over the next week.





"I'd be happy to introduce you. Come this way," Mandyran says, leading you over to a private booth where a single elf woman sits daintily eating a salad and drinking sparkling wine. She has dark black hair, deep green eyes and wears an ornate gown of green cloth with gold trim. It is highly fashionable.

"Miss Faer? How are you doing this evening? Is the food to your liking? Splendid. I just wanted to introduce you to a few friends of ours. They heard about your friend Denion's missing daughter and they want to help. They come most highly recommended. Oh, and your meal is compliments of the house."

The elf woman nods with what is not quite a smile, but not a bland gesture either. Mandyran smiles and pulls a few extra chairs over to the table for you before leaving you to your business.[sblock=Brad]







*OOC:*


This meeting will occur shortly after the meeting with the other PCs at the Golden Horn.





The Commander is none too pleased to see Brad. She looks sternly at him as she asks him to close the door to her office. "I hear you couldn't catch the dwarf. A patrol found him hanging by his toes in an alleyway in Foundation earlier this evening. His throat was slit. Likely the work of the Tyrants. I don't appreciate failure, Guard. We can't let the Tyrants be the law of Foundation or any other district under my command and your failure has undermined our authority. If you thought you might need backup you should have requested it in advance. As such, I'm not inclined to do you any favors right now. Your next rotation for Upper Menthis is in three weeks and that is the way it will stay."

This is not entirely out of character for the Commander. She is known to be fair, but stern and has exceptionally high expectations for all guards under her command.

Commander ir'Talan is not inclined to be swayed from her position. (The base Diplomacy DC is 26, which can be reduced to 21 if you offer to work an extra shift with no pay.)[/sblock][sblock=Alise]Quarion seemingly unwilling to cooperate, Alise is forced to walk away. Hanamelk is disappointed, but not disapproving. "Very well, my child. If he does not wish to come, he does not wish to come and it cannot be helped. In the meantime however, perhaps you could assist me. You are not so... adept as Quarion at augury, but you can be of use to me nonetheless."

Alise spends the better part of the afternoon assisting Hanamelk with his divinations. It involves a lot of sitting around and meditating. Alise doesn't feel like she is of much help sitting on the floor silently in the lotus position for several hours, but Hanamelk seems to glean something from it, although he does not inform her of his progress. He merely bows to her at the end and thanks her for her assistance. "Perhaps tomorrow Quarion will return, after so much of this chaos has died down."









*OOC:*


Alise receives 25 XP for effort.





[/sblock][sblock=Vigil]The people of Graywall are somber and serious, and outsiders receive a cold welcome. A visitor with a good ear notes the predominance of Karrn accents and spots Karrn features among the inhabitants of the district. The folk of Graywall are a bit suspicious of Vigil, owing to his warforged nature.[sblock=Ask around about where to find Slogar's; Gather Information DC 5]Folk are generally suspicious of a warforged asking questions in their district. Most give Vigil the cold shoulder. However, after an hour he does come across a street vendor willing to point him to Slogar's in exchange for 5 gp.[sblock=Gather Information DC 10]While most people are suspicious of him, Vigil does come across a more approachable woman who is willing to tell him how to get to Slogar's for only 5 sp.[sblock=Gather Information DC 15]Vigil speaks with a young boy who is friendly enough, but asks for some spare change (5 cp) or some candy before he tells Vigil how to get to Slogar's.[sblock=Gather Information DC 20]Vigil has a short conversation with a gentleman who appears quite sympathetic to the Warforged cause. He says something about how terrible it was the way the Five Nations treated his people and is happy to point Vigil to Slogar's, no cash requested.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Slogar's]The Slogars were one of the ﬁrst families to settle in Graywall, and their restaurant has served the community for hundreds of years. The food isn’t fancy and the ambiance is rather gloomy, but the prices are quite reasonable. If you like traditional Karrn peasant cuisine—which, truth be told, is usually an acquired taste—it’s hard to ﬁnd better. At present, there is only a single customer, a human man of dark features who seems to know the Slogars well. He sits at a table in the corner of the restaurant, reading the latest copy of the Sharn Inquisitive as he casually eats from an assembly of plates and bowls containing a variety of stewed meat, bread, and soup.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Plot Hooks]*Party: Speak to Denion at The Crystals of Denion about his missing daughter. (active)*

Party: Find and speak with Beige at the House Phiarlan enclave.

Dorius: Speak to Mandyran about the rumor.

Vigil: Find Brother Wayden at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. (active)

Berrent: Visit the Rat's Market and press the goblin Skaken for information on the Cults of the Dragon Below. (active)

Brad: Find the dwarf grifter in Foundation before the Tyrants do. (resolved)

Alise: Seek Hanamelk at The Gathering Light for his counsel and meditation. (resolved)[/sblock]


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## kinem (Dec 11, 2012)

"Hello, Miss Faer. I'm Bront" Brad says. "We'd like to help Denion find his daughter if we can. I'm in the Watch, though not acting in an official capacity on this case."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, at the meeting with Commander ir'Talen: "Commander, he literally slipped out of my grasp. I'm sorry to hear what became of him. I will be more careful from now on.

In any case, I fear that thanks to our recent success against cultists my friends and I may be targeted for revenge. I can disguise myself easily enough but the others can not. Yet we are trying to help out a friend and need to go to Upper Menthis.

I'd be willing to work an extra shift without pay to get the Upper Menthis slot."

Commander ir'Talen shakes her head. (diplo = 8) "Sorry."

ooc: Would carrying tools such as a crowbar or hammer be considered illegal in U.M.?


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## airwalkrr (Dec 11, 2012)

*OOC:*


Tools are generally allowed if your identification papers indicate you require them for your profession. Forgery anyone?


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## Herobizkit (Dec 17, 2012)

*OOC:*


Vigil remains vigilant.


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## Moon_Goddess (Dec 17, 2012)

"Hello there, My name is Alise, I don't have much to offer but I hope that I can assist in helping to find Denion's missing daughter... 

Her voice softens a bit, "I know what it's like to not be able to find a loved one."










*OOC:*


Sorry everyone, ever since ENworld went down I've had trouble remembering these games.


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## airwalkrr (Dec 18, 2012)

*OOC:*


Cassa Faer portrait below.












Cassa Faer looks to Alise and sees the empathy in her eyes. "Denion is in great anguish," she says, running her finger around the tip of her wine glass sorrowfully. "His daughter Feliss was attending a party in Ocean View with a male friend who was courting her, and she never came home. Of course, Denion was not expecting her to be home until after midnight, but when the Blood Moon appeared in the sky he grew concerned. I was with him at the time, celebrating the New Year as many others were. He quickly disbanded the party he was hosting at his home with apologies to all attendees and went to look for her after grabbing his sword; clearly he was fearing the worst. But when he arrived in Ocean View at the address where she was to be, neither she nor her suitor could be found and that party also had been disbanded. He has been distraught ever since. He immediately reported it to the Watch, but as I understand it they are overly busy with many missing persons at the moment. He does not hold much hope that their investigation will be resolved quickly."

"I know little about her suitor, save that his name was Callan, and that he was from somewhere in Northedge, Crystal Bridge I believe, a respectable neighborhood. When I called upon Denion this morning to see how he was fairing, he said the young man has not been heard from since either. Denion closed his shop today and said he would do everything he could to look for Feliss. I believe he has been going door to door in Ocean View to ask if the residents have seen her. She is Denion's only daughter, and after his wife died during the Last War, she is the only family he has left. It hurts me to see him going through so much pain."

"I wish I could do more for him, but my job running the Art Temple is too demanding to take any time off. However, you seem a capable lot, and if Mandyran recommends so you much the better. I would be willing to recompense you monetarily if you could find Feliss. I am certain Denion would be similarly grateful, but he is undoubtedly difficult to track down at the moment since he has been canvassing Ocean View. If I can help him in this small way, then perhaps something will come of your investigation. What do you say?"


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## airwalkrr (Dec 25, 2012)

*OOC:*


Do I need to post a summary to get people back on track? There hasn't been a lot of activity recently.  [MENTION=49929]Scott DeWar[/MENTION], are you ready to join in? I think we may need an extra to re-invigorate the campaign. Maybe it's just the holidays or the fact that [notranslate]EN World[/notranslate] was down for so long, probably a combination. I'd like to get our game back up to frequent posting soon.


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## Scott DeWar (Dec 25, 2012)

I would call it a combo of both holidays and hack. Have you looked over the little witch? Is she ready?


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## Moon_Goddess (Dec 26, 2012)

*OOC:*


I'm here, I just didn't want to post again so soon after my last post didn't seem right.  Was waiting for others.


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## kinem (Jan 8, 2013)

"Hello. I am Bront. For my part I'm certainly willing to help" Brad declares. "Though there isn't much to go on as of yet. Do you know anyone else who was at the party where she was last seen?"


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 8, 2013)

*Somewhere else in the city*

Nadia is working on a Whale tooth, carving carefully to create a Creature of fey: That known as a Centaur armed with a two handed sword.


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## airwalkrr (Jan 9, 2013)

"I am afraid all I have is an address in Ocean View, Mr. Bront," Cassa states. "That, I acquired from Denion before he went to look for Feliss this morning. The address is unknown to me, and I do not know what sort of people live there. I imagine it was a gathering intended for more youthful folk. But if Denion were to allow his daughter to go there, even escorted, he must have trusted them. Chances are it was a lively party of a great many people. The absence of one or two was not likely to be noticed so readily, especially in the chaos that ensued following the appearance of the Blood Moon."

Cassa calls for a waiter and asks him to bring her a pen and ink as well as a bit of paper. When he returns, she writes the address on the paper and hands it to you. "You may have that, so you don't forget. Not that I am sure much will come of it. Denion told me himself he'd already been there and no one recalls seeing her before at least 11 PM."

The address is 42 West Toven Tower, Ocean View District, Upper Tavick's Landing.

[sblock=for Nadia: meanwhile...]"You're going to have to do a bit better than that if you want me to put it up for sale in me shop," Reina says as she carries forth newly-acquired pieces from the back-room (where Nadia is working) to bring them to the store-front. The elder woman drops what she is doing and takes a harder look.

"His chest is too bulgy. Centaurs have more slender chests," she says plainly before carrying on with her business.

"Say," she begins as soon as she returns again from the storefront, "do you remember that nice young lady I introduced you to last week when she came by the store? A Miss Feliss Del'Denion, she was called. Think she was looking for a necklace for a party. Right proper lady. Knew her colors anyway. Wore a beautiful gown of blue accented with white truffle and a bit of jewelry. Good taste. Anyway, I hear the girl's gone a'missing. Disappeared along with all the rest on the night of the Blood Moon. Bloody shame. Mr. Denion is such a nice fellow. Sells beautiful little trinkets and such."[/sblock]


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 9, 2013)

"I was thinking of making a set of Kings and pawns, perhaps the centaur would be the knight. *sigh* A more slender chest like a normal man? not so horse like?" 

She listens about the missing lady and her bordom is shooed away as her curiosity is piqued. "I am sure he has half the watch looking, however, I wonder if an extra set of eyes would help in searching . . . . ."

"I need to find someplace with drawings of the fey folk for a better set of game pieces anyway."


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## airwalkrr (Jan 12, 2013)

Cassa finishes her salad and takes the last drink from her sparkling wine. "Well, I must head home now. Come and see me at the Art Temple, just a couple towers away from here as soon as you find anything."

It is night now and you have a lead on Denion's daughter. You know the address where she was last seen.

[sblock=Nadia]"Now that you mention it," Reina says putting one hand on her hip and another scratching her chin in thought, "I do recall that fellow who owns the Golden Horn... what's-his-name... Mandyran, yes! He said that he knows a bit about it. Maybe you should go ask him. Golden Horn's not far from here. Only a few towers away o'er in the University District."[/sblock]







*OOC:*


I found the post with Vigil's last position,   [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION]. Click here. Also re-posted below.





[sblock=Vigil]The people of Graywall are somber and serious, and outsiders receive a cold welcome. A visitor with a good ear notes the predominance of Karrn accents and spots Karrn features among the inhabitants of the district. The folk of Graywall are a bit suspicious of Vigil, owing to his warforged nature.[sblock=Ask around about where to find Slogar's; Gather Information DC 5]Folk are generally suspicious of a warforged asking questions in their district. Most give Vigil the cold shoulder. However, after an hour he does come across a street vendor willing to point him to Slogar's in exchange for 5 gp.[sblock=Gather Information DC 10]While most people are suspicious of him, Vigil does come across a more approachable woman who is willing to tell him how to get to Slogar's for only 5 sp.[sblock=Gather Information DC 15]Vigil speaks with a young boy who is friendly enough, but asks for some spare change (5 cp) or some candy before he tells Vigil how to get to Slogar's.[sblock=Gather Information DC 20]Vigil has a short conversation with a gentleman who appears quite sympathetic to the Warforged cause. He says something about how terrible it was the way the Five Nations treated his people and is happy to point Vigil to Slogar's, no cash requested.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Brute Force Method: Spot DC 10, takes 6 hours of wandering the district]After wandering the district aimlessly for many hours, you finally spy a sign labeled "Slogar's." A milky, yeasty aroma fills the air nearby.[/sblock][sblock=Once you learn the location of Slogar's]The Slogars were one of the ﬁrst families to settle in Graywall, and their restaurant has served the community for hundreds of years. The food isn’t fancy and the ambiance is rather gloomy, but the prices are quite reasonable. If you like traditional Karrn peasant cuisine—which, truth be told, is usually an acquired taste—it’s hard to ﬁnd better. At present, there is only a single customer, a human man of dark features who seems to know the Slogars well. He sits at a table in the corner of the restaurant, reading the latest copy of the Sharn Inquisitive as he casually eats from an assembly of plates and bowls containing a variety of stewed meat, bread, and soup.[/sblock][/sblock]


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 12, 2013)

Scott DeWar said:


> "I was thinking of making a set of Kings and pawns, perhaps the centaur would be the knight. *sigh* A more slender chest like a normal man? not so horse like?"
> 
> She listens about the missing lady and her bordom is shooed away as her curiosity is piqued. "I am sure he has half the watch looking, however, I wonder if an extra set of eyes would help in searching . . . . ."
> 
> "I need to find someplace with drawings of the fey folk for a better set of game pieces anyway."






airwalkrr said:


> [sblock=Nadia]"Now that you mention it," Reina says putting one hand on her hip and another scratching her chin in thought, "I do recall that fellow who owns the Golden Horn... what's-his-name... Mandyran, yes! He said that he knows a bit about it. Maybe you should go ask him. Golden Horn's not far from here. Only a few towers away o'er in the University District."[/sblock]












*OOC:*


 fyi, Kings and pawns = Chess 







Suddenly, like being dropped in a tub of perfumed bath water - not totally unpleasant, but a definite change - the all smiles switches to puzzlement.

"Komrad Reina, Is this for the drawings, or somehow Little me can help find this missing daughter?"


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## airwalkrr (Jan 14, 2013)

[sblock=Nadia]Old lady Reina winks and smiles and Nadia. "You didn't think the Host blessed you with such magical powers so you could sit around doing scrimshaw all day did you? I imagine there are a good many things that could be done with abilities such as yours. You ought not to underestimate yeself. Go talk to Mandyran. I suspect if anyone 'sides the Watch is looking into it, he'll know."[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Jan 14, 2013)

Vigil marches up and down the streets of Greywall inspecting every building as he passes.  He recalls that that the general populace in this particular district are distrustful of Warforged - perhaps distrustful enough to send him in the wrong direction or force him to pay for useful information.  Still, he is in no rush, and after a quarter of a day has passed, he eventually finds the building labelled as Slogar's.

As he enters, Vigil sees the lone patron quietly eating.  Eating must be quite a pleasant experience, he muses, as humans and other races seem to indulge several times daily on foodstuffs.  Animals, too.  His patron explained that living beings require food to give them strength.  Vigil wonders why Warforged do not have their own type of food for regaining strength. He imagines that gems would be a likely source of Warforged food, as wizards often use powdered gems in potions.

Vigil soon realizes that he was directed to approach his target and speak the proper command phrase.  He clomps over to the dark-featured man and announces, "Sir.  Vigil has been directed to inquire about your satisfaction with this evening's curds and whey."  He then stands expectantly for an answer.


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## airwalkrr (Jan 14, 2013)

*OOC:*


I believe this is what you are looking for,  [MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION].


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 14, 2013)

airwalkrr said:


> [sblock=Nadia]Old lady Reina winks and smiles and Nadia. "You didn't think the Host blessed you with such magical powers so you could sit around doing scrimshaw all day did you? I imagine there are a good many things that could be done with abilities such as yours. You ought not to underestimate yeself. Go talk to Mandyran. I suspect if anyone 'sides the Watch is looking into it, he'll know."[/sblock]




Nadia, who had been studying her horse chested centaur knight, puts down the figure and stands so fast one may think she was away from her seat before the figure is on the table. If you look close it seems it was laughing at her too.

"If mom or dad asks I am looking at drawings butdon'ttellthemIamatMandyran'stolookfor . . . . " _**SLAM**_

The rest of the breathless comment is lost as she is out the door.


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## Graybeard (Jan 15, 2013)

Soranda

The young monk had spent the day wandering around the Temple District admiring the many statues of the gods. They were quite impressive. She admired the craftsmanship and the esthetics of each one. Without realizing it, she had spent hours just looking at all the wonderful statues in peace. 

She took time out from admiring the statues to gaze upon the city. It was so large and imposing. She had difficulty in understanding how the residents could find their way around. She had read some of the history of the city at the temple. Sharn was a very old city. From what she had read, the economic classes followed closely with the height of the towers. The lower to the ground someone lived, the lower their economic status. In some ways, it made sense. 

She sighed deeply and turned back towards the massive towers of the temples. It was getting late and she really should return to the temple for the nightly meal and prayer. There would be plenty of time to explore this massive city when she wasn't busy with her training.


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## airwalkrr (Jan 15, 2013)

[sblock=Vigil]The man lowers his paper and looks querulously at the warforged for a few moments, one eye in a half wink but eyebrow raised. Vigil notes his eyes dart quickly left then right before focusing back upon him. Then a tiny hint of a grin forms on his face. "They are surprisingly flavorful tonight," he says dryly before folding up his copy of the Sharn Inquisitive and setting it to the side.

"Please, have a seat," he gestures to the chair on the other side of the table. After a brief pause from Vigil, he mentions quietly, "Oh I know you warforged don't tire and therefore have no need of seats, but do indulge me. You stand out enough in this district as it is. I can't help but wonder what Brother Wayden was thinking sending _you_ here. No offense intended, of course. It's just that a warforged in Little Karrnath is rather like an orc in a dwarven clanhome. Would you care for some scented oil? Slogar's is the only place in this district that sells it and I hear it is quite popular among your people."[/sblock][sblock=Nadia]Twenty-two minutes later, Nadia arrives at the Golden Horn, a well-known destination for those in Upper Menthis. The atmosphere inside is somewhat subdued. The gloominess of the night of the Blood Moon still pervades and the clientele here is small for a place that is usually as busy as the Golden Horn is. A half-elf man with gentle green eyes and long dark hair comes forward to greet you. "Welcome, Miss, to the Golden Horn. I am your patron, the owner and operator of this establishment. I am guessing by your lack of luggage that you are not here to stay for the night so the restaurant is it?"[/sblock]







*OOC:*


I am still working up a mentor for Soranda and a way to get her into the story,  [MENTION=21705]Graybeard[/MENTION]. Of course, if you have an interesting idea, feel free to float it by me. We don't have to have a mentor set up for you just yet.


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 15, 2013)

_"Da_, I mean yes. I am here for food, but um, . . .also I have a couple of other reasons."

She pauses, "I hear you may have drawings, specificly of the Fey kingdom . . . .um . . . .could I veiw this?"

She balks on the other reason for now, but she has no idea how to ask about _kaotanud ühe _, the lost one


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## airwalkrr (Jan 16, 2013)

Your characters see a young woman (Nadia) enter the inn's tavern hall just as Cassa is leaving. She passes the elf art dealer on the way in. It being a slow night, Mandyran goes to greet the young woman personally. She seems flustered and a little out of sorts.

"Well, yes, I do have some drawings of fey upon the walls," Mandyran begins. "Perhaps you'd like to take a seat and have something to drink while you examine them. Might I recommend our house Brelish mead? It is quite popular this season."


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 17, 2013)

With a flippant hand gesture, she says, "Sure, sound perfect." She jumps up and skips over to the nearest drawing, labeled Sprite: Grig and her eyes light up and she squeals with joy, streaks of color shoot all along the wall, floor and rafters like streamers of rainbows. She covers her mouth as she turns and gives an apologetic look at the gentleman who is bringing her ale.

"Nii kahju Inn Master. So sorry."

She continues on: nixies and pixies, Asrai, spring healed jack and finally she stops at a Centaur. "Oooooo, His chest, just like my da's. Not like horse chest. So many . . .", her voice trails off as she stands there.


Suddenly she turns around and skips back to her table is waiting with a mug of mead. She sits and takes a sip and closes her eyes as she savors the flavor. After a few moments she stands with her mug and walks to  Mandyran. "So. Last night. Crazy, Yes? Blood moon."









*OOC:*


whew. This character is a challenge. All that she is I am not. Not cricious, not non-chalant, not female. There, got that off my chest!


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## airwalkrr (Jan 28, 2013)

*OOC:*


I haven't posted in a while because classes just started and I had a big workload from day one. I will be updating tomorrow.


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 28, 2013)

I just started getting settled in my new home In Nashville, Tenn. so the break was perfect for me.


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## airwalkrr (Jan 29, 2013)

*OOC:*


Scott DeWar, would you mind picking a color for IC speech, or at the least putting it in Bold, please?





Mandyran looks up to Nadia, "Oh yes, the Blood Moon. Quite a strange thing. I wonder if it is still up there. It's overcast tonight so hard to tell. Odd, we rarely get overcast nights here in Sharn."

"So tell me, aside from the paintings of fey, what brings you to my humble establishment tonight?"

As he speaks, Mandyran casually glances at a warforged over by a corner booth where the elven woman Nadia passed on the way in was sitting.[sblock=Soranda]"Thank you for coming, Novice," Lorsanda says as she lights candles before an altar to Dol Dorn. The chamber is sparsely decorated and generally used for meditation in the Pavilion of the Host.

"I am certain you are aware of the events last night. It has caused a great stir within the city. I have an assignment for you which I believe may require your martial talents. One of the faithful, a man named Denion, has discovered his daughter is missing and clearly the Watch is overburdened at this point. Desperate times call for heroes to answer the call. I do not know many of the details, but Denion is a generous member of our congregation and he deserves assistance in this matter. The last I heard, he was combing the district of Ocean View in Upper Tavick's Landing where his daughter was last seen. I doubt you can locate him at this moment very easily. But I have it on good authority that a half-elf man named Mandyran who owns the Golden Horn in Upper Menthis is working on putting  and independent group together to investigate the matter. Please go visit with him and see if you can provide any assistance in this matter. I am certain Denion, and more importantly, the Church will be well-served by your endeavors."[/sblock]


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 29, 2013)

Relaxing a bit Nadia looks to the man and says, "*Well, blood moon, it makes the people act crazy. A Man's daughter - She is now missing. If my father were to lose me in madness of blood moon, He would dig to the foundations of Sharn to find me!*" Her slavic accent slips out a bit while she speaks with concern.


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## Herobizkit (Jan 30, 2013)

> Please, have a seat,"






> he gestures to the chair on the other side of the table. After a brief pause from Vigil, he mentions quietly, "Oh I know you warforged don't tire and therefore have no need of seats, but do indulge me. You stand out enough in this district as it is. I can't help but wonder what Brother Wayden was thinking sending _you_ here. No offense intended, of course. It's just that a warforged in Little Karrnath is rather like an orc in a dwarven clanhome. Would you care for some scented oil? Slogar's is the only place in this district that sells it and I hear it is quite popular among your people."



"Vigil will acquiesce to the request but must not tarry long, for the information sought is most vital."

Vigil awkwardly adjusts his massive frame to place himself on the chair.  The chair groans in protest but holds its own.

It is customary to purchase a beverage or nourishment at such establishments, Vigil ponders.  He scans the room, locates who he perceives as the help, then yells "ONE SCENTED OIL!"


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## airwalkrr (Jan 30, 2013)

[sblock=Vigil]An older gentleman with a long, wispy, salt and pepper goatee and simple yet elegant clothing approaches the table at Vigil's request. 

Slogar: "Ah yes, sir. Velcome to Slogar's. Vould you prefer ze primrose pine or ze Shadowmount syrup scent?"

After taking his order, the elder Karrn rushes over to the back room, making the appearance of hurrying, but in actuality taking a good deal of time before the order is delivered. While awaiting the scented oils, Vigil's contact, Vladar, begins his explanation.

Vladar: "The Church of the Silver Flame has been pursuing a great many rumors of the existence of a temple devoted to the Blood of Vol right here in Graywall. Ever since the arrival of so many Karrns, it has become one of our chiefest concerns. I am one of the few Karrns who is a devout follower of the Silver Flame, when the price is right anyway. And I have uncovered some interesting stories about the Hazal family. Their patriarch, a man named Lan Hazal, seems to be an important figure in the community, and I believe if anyone knows anything about the Blood of Vol, it will be him. However, getting access to him is difficult at the moment. He is so highly regarded in this community that he is considered above reproach and access to him is limited to his close friends and confidantes. I have observed one thing of great importance however. Lan Hazal's estate is a focal point for the community. There are many meetings there. He seems willing to take in anyone, so long as they are a Karrn. Keep this information closely guarded. It would not do well to go spreading rumors about such a powerful man. This information should be for Brother Wayden's ears only."

"That is all I can think of to tell you for now. Of course, if you have any specific questions, I shall be happy to answer them, but you should not tarry long here. Your extended presence might attract much unwanted attention."[/sblock]


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## airwalkrr (Jan 30, 2013)

Mandyran's face shows a hint of recognition when Nadia mentions her purpose. "Ah, then you know of Denion's plight. Interesting." He strokes his chin in thought, which is covered with the lightest touch of facial hair, which half-elves seem to grow rarely if at all. "Well, young lady, I know little of you and might be able to point you in the right direction of those who are seeking to help, but how do I know your intentions in this matter are honorable? And for that matter, the seeking of Denion's daughter might be dangerous indeed. How can I be certain I would not be sending you to your doom? Many bright-eyed individuals yearn for adventure yet lack the capacity for it."


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## Scott DeWar (Jan 30, 2013)

Nadia sighs, her mouth twisted in a thoughtful pose. She looks the man in the eyes and says, "*What you speak is truth, you know nothing of me. I have no way of proving to you I mean nothing but good for the girl. What can I do to prove my intentions*?"

She shrugs her shoulders but maintains her eye contact with the half elf.


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## Graybeard (Jan 31, 2013)

Soranda

Soranda's demeanor was serious as she listened to the instructions from her teacher Lorsanna. She had just been given an assignment on behalf of the church. She was determined not to fail. 

She nodded curtly to her mentor.  "I will do my best. I will not bring shame or dishonor to the church in my endeavors."

The young monk bowed respectfully before turning and leaving the room. 

It took her some time to locate The Golden Horn. This city was so large and she had only been here a short time. Her daily duties left very little time for exploring the city. She had gotten lost more than once even after asking strangers for directions. Eventually she had located the place and stepped inside. She knew she was supposed to ask for a half-elf named Mandyran but once inside, she realized she had no idea what he looked like.

This was no time to be shy so she found someone that looked like an employee.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a man named Mandyran. Would you be so kind as to point him out or introduce me to him?"


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## kinem (Feb 5, 2013)

Brad listens with interest to the exchange between Mandyran and Nadia. Just as he is about to walk over, a new woman enters the inn and asks for the man, so he waits to see what develops.


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## airwalkrr (Feb 6, 2013)

"Well, aren't I the popular fellow tonight!" Mandyran exclaims, clearly having overheard Lorsanda's query. "Right over her, my friend," he calls to Lorsanda.

When Lorsanda approaches, he offers his hand as a gesture of politeness for a handshake, saying "Mandyran, at your service. Innkeeper, bartender, and, when it suits me, purveyor of information and giver of quests. Which one would you like me to be this evening?"

However, before Lorsanda can say anything, he holds up his finger, "Oh, wait. I almost forgot. This young woman here was about to demonstrate her abilities to me. Come now, give us a show!"


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 6, 2013)

Nadia looks about and sees a rat crawling near tgthe door
"*Die te roppus kott*!" A bolt of light and force shoots from her hand and strikes the rat unerringly.
1d4+1=4 [magic missile]

she then looks around and seeks out what is enchanted [detect magic]


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## Graybeard (Feb 8, 2013)

Soranda

Soranda politely shakes the man's hand. Before she could introduce herself, the man watched another young woman cast a spell of some sort. 

"I am Soranda. I was sent here by the church of the Sovereign Host to assist in locating a missing person. I was instructed to inquire of you any information that may be useful in the search."


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 8, 2013)

"*I am told of Miss Denionich by my dear friend Comrade Reina who tells me of kaotanud ühe, The lost one*_._"


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## airwalkrr (Feb 11, 2013)

Scott DeWar said:


> Nadia looks about and sees a rat crawling near tgthe door
> "*Die te roppus kott*!" A bolt of light and force shoots from her hand and strikes the rat unerringly.
> 1d4+1=4 [magic missile]
> 
> she then looks around and seeks out what is enchanted [detect magic]



[sblock=Nadia]Nadia detects the presence of several faint auras around the room. A slightly stronger aura comes from a necklace being worn by Mandyran under his shirt. Another comes from the ring of a male human patron. You note several very similar auras emanating from pins worn by several patrons all about the room.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 16]The auras around the pins are identical. All radiate faint transmutation magic.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 18]The ring of the make human patron radiates faint abjuration.[sblock=Spellcraft DC 20]Mandyran's necklace radiates moderate abjuration.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]"Fantastic display! Those things are always trying to get in. Doesn't seem to matter how high up the towers you get. I've heard some have even managed to sneak into Skyway. Well, I suppose that makes you qualified to at least handle yourself in a pinch. But I'll get to that in a moment."

Then, turning to Soranda, "The Sovereign Host, you say! Well that beats all. It seems that Denion must have some impressive connections to have so many allies willing to assist. Perhaps you will allow me to make introductions to another party who is working the case as we speak. You can decide whether or not you want to work with them after you've met them yourself, but they come highly recommended. They did a nice bit of work New Years' Eve."

Mandyran walks you over to Vigil and Brad, making a bow as he approaches in his usual flamboyant manner. "Allow me to introduce, what was your name? Ah yes, Soranda of the Sovereign Host and um... I don't believe I caught _your_ name young lady. You were a bit excitable when you first arrived.

"Anyway, this fine fellow is Bront," he says, pointing to the half-orc (Brad OOC), "and the warforged is a templar of the Silver Flame named Vigil if I recall correctly."


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## Graybeard (Feb 12, 2013)

Soranda looks directly at the Warforged with a quizzical look on her face.

"I was not aware that Warforged were anything except bodyguards or warriors. Are there others like you?"


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 12, 2013)

The young lady waits for a chance to get a word in edgewise, though with her it is more they trying to get a word edgewise with her, then curtsies and says in her thick Slavic accent, "Nadia Stratanoffski Ivanovich". and she smiles a beaming smile.

1d20+1=16 (spellcraft check)

I notice several of you wear pins. They are of *identisch* *magie*, er, " she struggles with a word, her hands spinning like she is flipping pages in a book, "Ah! identical enchantedments, *Da*?" she indicates those wearing pins.

Then subtlety she winks and traces on herself where it corresponds to be worn on where Mandyran's necklace hangs on him and mouths the word *nice*.


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## Herobizkit (Feb 13, 2013)

Vigil immediately rises, gives a curt bow, and about faces back to his Temple.

The scented oil sits lasciviously on the table behind him, untouched.


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## kinem (Feb 13, 2013)

ooc: The above post for Vigil does not refer to the situation here in the Inn.

"Hello, ladies. Pleased to meet you. We can certainly use some additional help in the missing person investigation. We were going to check out the address where the party Feliss was at was on the night she vanished. Do you have any leads?"


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 13, 2013)

Nadia thinks for a few moments recalling what Lady Riena told her
[sblock=recall]
"Say," she begins as soon as she returns again from the storefront, "do  you remember that nice young lady I introduced you to last week when  she came by the store? A Miss Feliss Del'Denion, she was called. Think  she was looking for a necklace for a party. Right proper lady. Knew her  colors anyway. Wore a beautiful gown of blue accented with white truffle  and a bit of jewelry. Good taste. Anyway, I hear the girl's gone  a'missing. Disappeared along with all the rest on the night of the Blood  Moon. Bloody shame. Mr. Denion is such a nice fellow. Sells beautiful  little trinkets and such."
[/sblock]

"Comrad Riena introduced me to Lady Del'Denionilich When the lady look for necklace for new year's party. She wore blue gown with white truffle, little jewlery." She nods her head to affirm herself that she had it right.


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## airwalkrr (Feb 15, 2013)

"If I am not mistaken, then Denion's friend, Cassa Faer has offered a reward for the safe return of Feliss. Friends in high places are good to have I know she had the address of the last place Feliss was seen and I imagine she gave it to you. You might wish to start your investigation there. Or perhaps you could visit the home of her suitor in Northedge." Mandyran explains


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## airwalkrr (Feb 20, 2013)

*OOC:*


I was hoping for a little more in the way of character introductions before proceeding, but I will assume for now that your characters have a basic level of trust in each other based on Mandyran's recommendation. Since you have yet to designate a party leader, I put it to a vote. Will you investigate the scene of the crime first or visit the home of the missing suitor? In the event of a tie, Mandyran will offer his personal recommendation.


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## kinem (Feb 20, 2013)

"It might be better to check out the suitor's home first" Brad muses. "If the two were captured, he may have been the target."


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 21, 2013)

"Hrm. Who is this suitor you speak of? What is known of him?"


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## Herobizkit (Feb 21, 2013)

Graybeard said:


> Soranda looks directly at the Warforged with a quizzical look on her face.
> 
> "I was not aware that Warforged were anything except bodyguards or warriors. Are there others like you?"




Vigil slowly turns his head to face Soranda, a motion that is made eerie by the lack of animation from any other part of his body.

"The Silver Flame is united in the pursuit and destruction of evil.  No other Forged serves this purpose." 

To the group discussion, Vigil adds, "Efficient procedure requires careful examination of the crime scene before it is compromised."


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## Graybeard (Feb 21, 2013)

Soranda

Soranda nods at the Warforged.

"I mean no insult. I was merely curious. I have spent the past several years in a monastery so my knowledge of current events is somewhat limited. I believe we need to look at the crime scene first before it is disturbed more than it already is. Then we should talk to this suitor to see if they have any thoughts on the reasons for the disappearance."


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## Moon_Goddess (Feb 22, 2013)

"I agree we should search the crime scene before asking question, otherwise we might not know the right questions to ask" says Alise


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## airwalkrr (Feb 25, 2013)

Scott DeWar said:


> "Hrm. Who is this suitor you speak of? What is known of him?"



"Well, my young lady," Mandyran begins, "Perhaps you were not present for the conversation, but Denion's daughter was being courted by a young man from Upper Northedge. I don't know a whole lot about him, aside from the fact that his family is considered respectable. He was apparently escorting Miss del'Denion* to the party where she was last seen. He has also apparently gone missing. Perhaps a coincidence, but I am doubtful such is the case."

"In any event, it seems most of you believe it to be well worth your time to investigate the scene of the crime first, and I must concur," Mandyran continues. "However, it might be best for you to wait for morning as it is getting late. Please come back and meet here on the morrow. In the meantime, I will see if I can scrounge up some basic supplies to assist you."







*OOC:*


For those of you recently joining the party, you may assume the following information here has been shared with you by other members of the party. That's all I have time for tonight. If you have any special preparations to make before heading out, shopping to do or mentors to consult, post them now. I will take care of that in the next post and introduce you to the scene of the crime as well.


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 25, 2013)

airwalkrr said:


> *OOC:*
> 
> 
> For those of you recently joining the party, you may assume the following information here has been shared with you by other members of the party. That's all I have time for tonight. If you have any special preparations to make before heading out, shopping to do or mentors to consult, post them now. I will take care of that in the next post and introduce you to the scene of the crime as well.












*OOC:*


if the word "here"was supposed to be a link, it seems broken


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## airwalkrr (Feb 25, 2013)

*OOC:*


Try this


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 25, 2013)

*OOC:*


that one worked!





After the details of the dissapearence are given, Nadia sits thinking.

Though it is very important to return to the party, with there being a party there, the scene is already been compromised. Still, there may be some person who has seen  detail now erased. Come, we go!!


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## airwalkrr (Mar 11, 2013)

*OOC:*


I just don't have the energy to expend on running this campaign at the moment. It seems I was overly ambitious with trying to run the various sub-plots and I think people have gotten confused or distracted from the main plot. I will try a simpler Eberron-based campaign again in the near future.


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## Moon_Goddess (Mar 11, 2013)

airwalkrr said:


> *OOC:*
> 
> 
> I just don't have the energy to expend on running this campaign at the moment. It seems I was overly ambitious with trying to run the various sub-plots and I think people have gotten confused or distracted from the main plot. I will try a simpler Eberron-based campaign again in the near future.




I have been here in the wings kinda waiting but I will admit I did get confused.


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## Scott DeWar (Mar 11, 2013)

*sigh* 
*whimper*


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## airwalkrr (Mar 12, 2013)

[MENTION=49929]Scott DeWar[/MENTION], I know you've been keeping up with the campaign very well, but I just felt like things have gotten too discontinuous. We lost a few people after EN World went down, and it seems others got lost in the details. If there is interest, I might reboot the campaign, not from the very start, but from the beginning of the current story arc, to give all characters a chance to speak with Cassa Faer. I may need to do a little more "railroading" than I initially intended with this campaign though to help keep people apprised of what is going on. I was hoping to run this as more of an open world or sandbox campaign, but I am not sure that was working out the way I had hoped.


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## Herobizkit (Mar 12, 2013)

I'd say if you were running a solo or "buddy"/2 player game, it would have worked fine.  I've found that sandboxes require entirely too much back prep and almost never work with more than three players.  Add in the infrequency of posts and just the way the boards don't keep optimized organization of posts... it was a valiant effort. 

In the future, if you'd like to try this again, I'd suggest running an off-site wiki to keep track of things.  Having a visual map, fr'ex, with little counters on who's where would have been of massive help in this run.  Maybe a little calendar and clock, too.


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## Scott DeWar (Mar 12, 2013)

calender and clock for this game would have been great for this particular game!


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## Moon_Goddess (Mar 12, 2013)

Well then the question is, would airwalker be interesting in Saving this game, take time off rebuild with what we think is needed, streamline and start over


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## kinem (Mar 12, 2013)

ooc: airwalkrr, thanks for running the game. I hope it will continue in some form. I understand about trying something overambitious; I have done that myself.

To help keep track in a multi-arc game it might be helpful to state the location of the action at the beginning of each post along with a list of who's present.


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## Scott DeWar (Mar 12, 2013)

You can talk with Mowgli about hcow he did his multi arc game for advice too: Pathfinders of Pellegrew's panache


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## Graybeard (Mar 12, 2013)

I think the basic idea of the game has potential. I thought it was a little difficult trying to figure out who was where and what to do/who to talk to next.


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## airwalkrr (Mar 12, 2013)

Well if you guys want me to take some time to reconstruct the campaign, I would be up for it. I will send a PM to mowgli after I take a look at his game. Perhaps an Obsidian Portal site would help. I use it for some of my tabletop games. A map would probably be a good idea too. I have high quality images of the city of Sharn's various levels somewhere. I could possibly layer that with tokens so I could easily move characters around or possibly set up the map on a wiki so players could move their own characters around.


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## Scott DeWar (Mar 13, 2013)

!!!!


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## airwalkrr (Mar 13, 2013)

Looks like Mowgli uses Obsidian Portal as well. Nice site. I can't see everything though, perhaps because Mowgli has restricted access to only players. But it is instructive.

I had enjoyed using EN World's old Campaign Manager system but that is no longer an option for us, at least for the moment. Since you guys seem to be interested in keeping this going (and I am too!) I will start putting together an Obsidian Portal site for the campaign and update you with progress on the OOC thread. I will likely start a new thread for the IC once I have everything laid out and just keep this thread available for archive use. For campaign canon purposes, we will pick up things from post 127. I will figure out a way in the meantime to do the side quests, unless you all feel they are too distracting, in which case we can focus on the main quest only, or I can incorporate the individual side quests one at a time for the whole group to participate.

I have already got the bare bones up. No details yet. I will need everyone to send me their emails linked to their Obsidian Portal account (yes, this means you will need to create one or use an existing Google, Yahoo!, or similar account to get in) so I can add you as players.

All further discussion will take place in the OOC thread.


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## Scott DeWar (Mar 13, 2013)

[MENTION=12460]airwalkrr[/MENTION], I am Tetsubo63 on obsidion portal


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## Graybeard (Mar 13, 2013)

airwalkrr

My Obsidian Portal username is CharlesGiles


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