secret of the dragon emperor ... part 12!

the gang wakes up in the town of outskirt!

GM Elle: All right. Somewhere down the street, a rooster crows with the coming of dawn and we're off to the races again here in Outskirt. What's everyone going to do this morning?
MSG: I'll go down to the common room and shell out for whatever porridge or oatmeal they've got going for breakfast. I know the book says I've only got to eat one bowl of stew to last me all day, but I really don't think Dolora's the type to go hungry all day.
Claire: Maybe that's what makes her dour.
MSG: No, she's dour enough without starving herself.
GM Elle: Five coppers. But it's worth it ... very fortifying.
MSG: Great.
Claire: I'm headed for the bakery to pick up that mince pie. Are you coming, Dilfriida?
Hettie: Yes, but don't we want to get that jug of mead before we go?
GM Elle: Five silver for the mug, and I'll say it holds the equivalent of four tankards of mead, which is another 16 coppers.
Claire: I'm going to try to sweet talk them into a better deal than that by saying it's for the nice old man up the hill, and wouldn't they want to help make his day? But I roll a 19 on my Bartering, so no go.
GM Elle: Vagnhild says, "That wizard's just a crazy old man. I don't see much reason to discount his drinking."
MSG: Is he really a wizard? Am I close enough to hear this?
GM Elle: Make an Awareness roll. 
MSG: Nope.
Claire: Filvius obviously takes note of that comment, though, so he'll ask her if the old man is really a wizard.
GM Elle: Vagnhild replies that he's known to have healing powers, and that she knows some passers-through have consulted him for magical training.
Claire: Nice, this is getting better and better. I'll tell Dilfriida that once we're headed to the bakery.
Ariel: I'm sleeping in, by the way.
Sasha: Quackenscrump too, since he drank quite a bit last night.
Akane: Zedeja was awakened by the crowing and can't return to sleep. She insists everyone wake up for productivity.
Hettie: Well, I'm glad Dilfriida was already up and out of there, then.
GM Elle: Five coppers each for anyone who wants porridge.
MSG: Dolora recommends it to whoever comes downstairs.
Ariel: Fidu will whine a little about getting up but I guess knowing Zedeja she won't drop it, so he goes downstairs.
Sasha: Quackenscrump pretends he's not waking up, no matter how much she shakes or yells at him. He'll just say something in a drunken mutter like, "Mmbl ... more ale ... bbbbrtender ... brin more ... ale ..."
Akane: This requires a bluff check, yes?
GM Elle: I'd say so.
Sasha: I roll a 12, and my Bluffing is only 6.
Akane: Aha! Fakery! Up, you faking duck knight!
Sasha: I guess I'll get up then.
GM Elle: Filvius, Dilfriida, when you get to the bakery, you smell the delectable aromas of a variety of different baked goods wafting down the street toward you ... although the effect is taken down a notch when you pass by the halflings' house where those piglets are running free in the yard with the toddlers.
Claire: I'll hold my nose passing the house.
GM Elle: Once you get inside, you find the shelves of the little sales room packed with all kinds of tarts and pies and loaves of bread. It's also quite busy -- you don't get in until after you've stood in line a bit.
Claire: I guess I'm glad we paid up-front yesterday.
Hettie: Dilfriida is annoyed that you reminded her of the way the baker wheedled you into that. She admits it turned out all right, but grumblingly.
GM Elle: Suddenly, as you're waiting, you hear cries of alarm from down the street. "Troll! Troll in old man Mifaldor's barn!"
Claire: Oh, great.
Hettie: I'll peek back out the door, but sneakily, because if there's a troll out there, I don't want it seeing me. My roll is 13 against a skill level of 16.
GM Elle: The people in line behind you are scrambling out of the way in all directions -- some trying to get in past you, some fleeing up the street, one hopping the fence into the yard with the piglets. You see a huge creature rushing toward you with enormous tusks and eyes that glow a sickly yellow. It's got one arm up over its eyes as though pained by the sunlight. It clearly doesn't see you, but it's roaring and lumbering right at the bakery. Let's draw initiative cards.
Claire: 8. Yech.
Hettie: 1 for Dilfriida.
GM Elle: The troll gets 3 and 10. Dilfriida, you're up.
Hettie: Is there any chance I can get the door closed?
GM Elle: No, it's too full of customers in here and some are still trying to cram themselves in.
Hettie: All right, then I'm going to grab whatever looks tastiest from the shelves that I can reach and throw things out the door, yelling, "Here! No one wants any trouble! Take these wonderful baked goods and go back to the barn!"
GM Elle: You can make a Persuasion roll with a boon for the delicious baked goods.
Hettie: I'm not optimistic even with a boon. No, it's a 12 and a 10, both well above my 4 in Persuasion.
GM Elle: On initiative 3, the creature grabs up whatever loaves or pastries you threw and continues in your direction, growling, "Too bright! To far! Let Gorknoh in out of horrible sun!" You also hear the baker crying, "No, my croissants!" Claire, you're on 8, but both of you make a Spot Hidden check first.
Claire: Barely made it with a 7.
Hettie: Safe by a slightly better margin with a 9.
GM Elle: You both notice that the troll's skin appears to be reddening and even smoking slightly in the sunlight. Claire, you're up on 8.
Claire: Is anyone within 2 meters of the troll? I'm wondering if I should Lightning Flash it.
Ariel: Gosh, Claire, it sounds like the poor guy is just hungry and wants to get out of the sun.
Claire: Does it take an action for me to use Beast Lore and see if I know anything about trolls, Elle?
GM Elle: No, you can make a roll.
Claire: Nope, 14. Tell you what, if there's room, I'm going to Lightning Flash the ground between us and him if there's at least 5 meters between us, just Power Level 1. And I'll yell, "Everybody stop acting crazy and just get out of this troll's way!" But I roll a 17 and blow my spell. Can I yell something different since I didn't get my intimidating magic to work?
GM Elle: I'll let you this time, but next time be sure you roll the spell before you say you're yelling.
Claire: Thanks. So instead, I'll say, "I'm a mage, and I can heal that sunburn as long as you don't attack us!"
GM Elle: You can try a Persuade roll with a boon too.
Claire: Yeah, I'm in the same 8 Charisma boat as Dilfriida there ... and I roll even worse.
GM Elle: The troll is too maddened by the sunlight to listen. It rushes up to the door and spews out a vomitous stream of swamp water and bile to clear the way. Everyone in the room is drenched and suffers a condition of their choice. All the NPCs are now Scared.
Claire: I'm going with Disheartened, because that was really not the kind of knowledge I wanted to learn about trolls.
Hettie: Dilfriida's Angry now. That vomit had better not have hit our mince pie.
GM Elle: It's a new round, new initiative.
Claire: 6.
Hettie: 8.
GM Elle: 4 and 1 for the troll. On 1, it tries to grab Filvius and use him as a club on Dilfriida. Do you dodge?
Claire: A hundred percent. Especially since I read the rule that says dodging lets you move 2 meters. I'll be moving past him toward the street if I make it ... and I do, with a 3 on my Evade skill.
GM Elle: It roars in anger as you elude its grasp. Then it opens its foul smelling maw and tries to make a repulsive bite on Dilfriida, gnashing at her with a mouthful of rotten teeth and bits of gravel set into dentures. 
Hettie: My dodge roll is 18, sadly.
GM Elle: Ten points of damage, and you're stuck in its teeth. You'll have to make a strength check each round to break loose.
Hettie: Exceptional.
GM Elle: New initiative.
Claire: Can you have it draw first? Maybe our luck will be better that way.
GM Elle: Sure. Whoop, it gets the 4 and the 1 again.
Claire: And I get the 8 this time.
Hettie: 10 for me.
MSG: Are you sure you shuffled those right, Elle?
GM Elle: That does seem kind of suspiciously similar to last round. Sure, I'll call it a bad shuffle and let you draw again. Still want me to go first?
Claire: Clearly that didn't help. I get ... 7.
Hettie: 6.
GM Elle: 3 and 9. On 3, the troll does a Troll throw. Dilfriida, it's going to take you out of its mouth and throw you in a random direction ... looks like toward the halflings' yard. You fly 6 meters for the same amount of bludgeoning damage when you land.
Hettie: Bludgeoning damage ... my leather armor has a bonus against that, right? I am barely above 0 hit points.
GM Elle: You're up on 6, then.
Hettie: Considering that I'm both Angry and Thin-Skinned, I'm going to shoot the damned thing with my shortbow. Whiff. 19.
GM Elle: Claire?
Claire: I'm going to hop the fence and try healing Dilfriida. Power Level 1, since we're rolling so badly and I don't want to blow all my willpower points. Yep, yep, yep. 16 is another fail.
GM Elle: The troll does a Sweeping Blow, doing 2d6 to everyone who's blocking his way into the bakery. Three of the Chubbycheeks' customers take 8, 10 and 6 points of damage. New initiative.
Claire: 9.
Hettie: 6.
GM Elle: The troll gets 8 and 2 ... and inside the bakery, the baker and his wife come to the defense of their customers on ... 1! Baryton attacks with a dagger and misses, and Semolina attacks with a club and also misses. With the door into the mill area now open, the customers start flooding that direction. On 2, the troll does a Troll Throw, hurling Baryton 6 meters out into the street, where he lands with a thud and an "Oof!" The way is now clear enough that the troll can get into the bakery and out of the sun. Hettie, you're up.
Hettie: I don't want the troll killing the baker's wife and making him too sad to sell us a pie, and I'm pissed at it anyway, so I'm going to switch weapons, move up, and backstab it ... assuming the baker's wife is still within 2 meters of it.
GM Elle: Yes, she is. Go for it.
Hettie: Great. This gets a boon and does an extra die of damage if it hits. And I needed the boon, because that's a Demon and an 8. The 8 hits. Do I get the advancement mark for the Demon?
GM Elle: Sure.
Hettie: Nice of you. That's 16 points.
GM Elle: Ouch. Troll's turn on 8. Rending attack. Dilfriida takes 4 points of damage. Also, it heals 3 points of damage now that it's no longer in sunlight.
Hettie: That puts me at 0. Things are looking better and better.
GM Elle: Filvius is up now. 
Claire: I don't think I have much choice but to go try to heal Dilfriida. That's a 4. Oops, I didn't say what Power Level. Will you trust me that I meant to do level 2 since she's down so many hit points?
GM Elle: You guys are really relying on my good graces tonight, you know. I'll say yes this time, but I'm all out of effing good graces now, so that's the last benefit of the doubt I'm giving for this session.
Claire: Ten points, Het.
Hettie: Thank you.
GM Elle: Initiative. The Chubbycheeks get 10. The troll gets 1 and 7.
Claire: 5 for Filvius.
Hettie: 4 for Dilfriida.
GM Elle: On 1, the troll spews its horrible vomit again. Pick your new conditions. This round it heals for 6 points.
Claire: I'm pretty tired of getting puked on, so I'll say Exhausted.
Hettie: Disheartened for me. But not too disheartened to backstab again on my round. 19 and 15 with my boon, so that's a hit, doing 10 points.
GM Elle: Claire?
Claire: Looks like I'm hitting it with my staff. Or, actually, like I'm missing it with an 18.
Ariel: This is almost too painful to watch!
Sasha: Not for me. I'm just wishing we had popcorn.
GM Elle: Troll's turn. Rending attack on Filvius. 3 points. And I didn't mention it before, but getting damaged by its filthy, fungus-ridden claws carries a disease of Virulence 10. The troll heals for 4.
Claire: Awesome.
GM Elle: The Chubbycheeks get a turn ... Semolina hits with a 3 for 3 points of damage. Baryton hits with an 11 for 8 points of damage. Fortunately, that's enough to kill the beast. The two halflings express their deepest gratitude for your help in defending their business ... but also woe as they look around and see that everything in their display room is ruined by troll vomit. Oh, and let's roll for that disease. It's opposed by your Con. Mm-hmm ... Mm-hmm ... all right, I've noted the results.
Claire: Anybody else think those were very ominous Mm-hmms?
Ariel: Kinda.
Sasha: Definitely ominous.
GM Elle: The good news is, Baryton says that your pie was in the back because he'd set it aside, so it wasn't ruined in the fight.
Claire: Great. Let's get it and go pay off this hermit.
Ariel: Ew. Don't you think you're all stinky from the troll yark?
Hettie: Dilfriida has established that she's not especially worried about odors, given that she's been wearing this rank goblin leather since ... is it since that very first encounter when we were coming down into the Misty Vale through the pass?
GM Elle: I think so.
Claire: Filvius is itching too much for knowledge to go all the way back to the inn and get cleaned up before going to see the old man. We already need to go in and poke around the ruined temple to make sure we're ready to ask the right questions before we can head to the hermit hut. If we didn't already have a deal with him, I'd maybe have to think about it. But a bargain's a bargain, and he'd better not try to weasel out of it just because we saved some villagers from a troll.
Sasha: That sounds like a pretty FAFO attitude.
Claire: Which is exactly what I think my "craving knowledge" weakness is all about.
GM Elle: Okay. Then if the two of you are heading up the hill, let's check in and see what the other characters are up to.
MSG: Is that barmaid around? I'd like to check in with her and see if she's got any info we might benefit from.
GM Elle: You don't see her, and if you ask Vagnhild, she says Annabelle doesn't usually come in until noon.
MSG: All right. In that case, I'll ask Vagnhild if she knows where that Glinssa woman from last night usually hangs out when she's not in the bar.
GM Elle: Vagnhild looks at you a little sidewise and asks why you're interested in "one of that ruffian crew."
MSG: I'll tell her Glinssa seemed a little out-of-place with them, and I thought I'd offer her a job helping us transport all the treasure we're expecting to find on our journeys.
GM Elle: Vagnhild laughs good-naturedly at that and says, "Quasimund and his scum usually hole up in a boarding house down on South Street. They'll likely be sleeping it off there."
Akane: Zedeja must interrupt. "Bard! Who told you to do this recruiting? I have not approved it!"
MSG: Dolora will try to make the case that we already agreed we need someone to tend the donkeys while we go inside ruins and crypts and dungeons, and Glinssa responded surprisingly well just to being bought a couple of drinks. She might be willing to work for cheap.
Akane: Or she is drunkardly and will sell our donkeys for her own inebriation!
Ariel: Well, when I did my advancement rolls last time, I got my Bartering up to 18, so I got to pick a new Heroic Ability, which I chose "Insight" for. I can spend WP to see if somebody's lying now.
Sasha: Nice!
Akane: Very fortunate. Zedeja's skills lag several sessions from 18, unless the advancement dice become more cooperative.
Ariel: So I guess what my character will be saying is, "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to tell if she's lying to us about being a good worker."
Akane: Hmm. Persuade me of your capability.
Ariel: You mean, like, roll a Persuade skill? Or actually demonstrate it?
Sasha: I vote for the second one. That sounds a lot more fun.
GM Elle: I'll allow either one.
Ariel: Okay, then I'll ask Zedeja to tell me something and I'll say whether its true or a lie.
Akane: Now the Mage of Mind must determine a good statement to test. It can't be too obvious, like, "If Glinssa is truthful, we should ask her to replace our troublesome halfling instead of minding donkeys," anyone would know this is true to Zedeja. Same with, "This group is becoming more responsible. I trust them to make at least some decisions without guidance now." Okay, how about this one? "Boiled cabbage has a smell I detest."
Ariel: I spend 2 WP on my Insight. And then say whether it's true or not. Is it true, Akane?
Akane: No. Zedeja is old and very practical. There's no sense having strong opinions about cabbage smells. But she is unconvinced when you tell her she is lying. "It may be a lucky guess. Try again. Both my knees have aggravation when weather changes, but the right knee is much worse." This Zedeja claim is also false. The left knee is worse.
Ariel: I go ahead and spend 2 WP to tell her she's fibbing again, then.
Akane: Zedeja says, "You have proven yourself! How did you acquire this astonishing gift?"
Ariel: Oh, well I guess when you do as much bartering as I have, you kind of get this second sense about ... wait a minute! Are you trying to fool me? I spend 2 WP.
Akane: Yes. Of course Zedeja remains unconvinced.
Ariel: I tell her she's lying again, then.
Akane: Possibly still luck. "My favorite animal sound is the moo of a cow. Sometimes when I hear it, I must smile."
Ariel: 2 WP.
Akane: False again. Secretly, Zedeja does prefer the moo of a cow. But what a ridiculous thing to smile about! She wouldn't allow herself to. She says, "I think now you are just saying 'Lie!' every time as a pattern. Nothing is proven."
Ariel: Do I really have to keep spending WP? Fine, 2 WP. I assume that she's telling the truth this time?
Akane: No, it's another lie. The part saying, "Nothing is proven," obviously is true. But she is uncertain whether you are just repeating, "Lie, lie lie." She concedes you are making your claim plausible.
Ariel: Sigh. I still have to spend 2 WP because she might be lying about that too. So once I figure out she really does think that, I'll say, "Finally, that's a true one!"
Sasha: Shouldn't Akane have been rolling Bluffing checks all this time though?
Akane: Oh, it's true. Now we must redo the entire experiment.
Ariel: No we don't! Fidu would still use his Insight even if she failed a bluff, because what if she was actually telling the truth and making it seem like a lie by using Performance?
Akane: True. Now we are ready to test the truthfulness of this Glinssa, then.
Ariel: No, now I need a nap because I'm all out of WP. Fidu goes back up to bed after breakfast ... boo -- I only roll 3 for my Stretch Rest.
Hettie: Speaking of Stretch Rests, perhaps Filvius and I should do one when we get to the rocky path up the hill.
GM Elle: If Claire agrees, you can roll it.
Claire: I can probably be convinced of that ... I'll use my Inner Peace too, to get an extra d6 of recovery and heal an extra condition.
Hettie: Dilfriida ends up in pretty good shape after the rest.
GM Elle: At this point, then, I need to know whether anyone is actually going to that boarding house on South Street.
MSG: That's my plan.
Ariel: Are you waiting for me to finish napping?
MSG: No, if Glinssa agrees to our offer, you can test her later.
Sasha: I'll go with you and hang around outside, just in case you need backup.
Akane: Zedeja also attends this mission.
GM Elle: In that case, I'll say the three of you walk past the path to the temple ruins while Dilfriida and Filvius are resting. You two can roll Awareness to see if you notice them walk past.
Claire: Actually, I can't because I'm zonked out on Inner Peace.
Hettie: I make my roll quite precisely with a 10.
GM Elle: You notice your companions passing the foot of the path.
MSG: Do we get to roll too?
GM Elle: No, your attention is drawn down the street, where you see a bunch of locals rolling a troll corpse out into the street so it can be hauled away by a team of horses.
MSG: I'll roll Beast Lore to see if I recognize it as a troll. Oof, no that's a Demon.
GM Elle: In that case, you're convinced it's an ogre, not a troll, and anyone else who succeeds on a Beast Lore role in your presence will also have to make another Beast Lore roll opposed by your Persuasion, because you'll defend your opinion to the best of your ability.
MSG: In my view, it's knowledge, not an opinion. And of course I'll make a proud declaration identifying the creature.
Sasha: I blow my roll.
Akane: It's a Dragon for Akane.
GM Elle: Dolora will need a Dragon too, then, just to force a tie-breaker roll.
MSG: No, I get a 17. I'll assume Dolora is once again worn down by Zedeja's relentless insistence on her position. Do I end up believing she's right, or do I just eventually shut my mouth to stop her from arguing any more?
GM Elle: With that Demon roll, I'm going to say the second. You're very dubious that Zedeja's knowledge exceeds yours here. And with her Dragon roll, Akane knows all of the abilities the troll has, including the fact that its scratches can cause a disease.
Akane: Zedeja will keep eyes open with Spot Hidden to examine all for scratches.
Hettie: As a player, I'd normally hail my fellow party members when I notice them, but I'm certainly not going to do so if I see Dolora and our mage caught up in a strenuous argument. I don't need any of that to come my way.
GM Elle: The other three reach the troll-hauling endeavor, then. Are you going to do anything there?
MSG: No, I'm convinced I know all I need to know about this ogre.
Sasha: Quackenscrump stops to tell these people that if he's in town, they really ought to yell for him whenever a monster like this appears.
Akane: Zedeja tells Dolora, "Ask someone which building houses the boarding."
MSG: Sure, I'll ask someone that.
GM Elle: You're told there are actually several boarding houses, since this is a town where adventurers regularly hole up between their expeditions, and paying the inn's rates is a bit rich for anyone staying in town more than a few nights. There's also the fact that the inn only has two private rooms.
MSG: All right, then can they point the different boarding houses out to me and we can start checking one by one?
Akane: A better idea: ask also if they know which one has the most rooms, due to our many party members. A boarding house full of cultists cannot sustain plentiful extra roomers, so we can avoid the most empty one.
GM Elle: Is that your approach, MSG?
MSG: Sure. Dolora agrees there's solid logic behind it.
Hettie: Actually a very good plan, Akane. I'm glad Dilfriida isn't there to complain about it.
GM Elle: The first person you talk to points out three houses along the street, but just shrugs about which one currently has the most vacancies.
MSG: I'll ask someone else once we get a bit farther up the street.
GM Elle: You're eventually told that Miss Hentwerd's boarding house is usually the least popular. "That Miss Hentwerd's entirely a priss. Much too strict on her housekeeping rules for most of the rough-and-tumble types who come through here wanting a place to stay."
MSG: I'll thank them and then we can go on to one of the other two houses.
GM Elle: Number one or number two?
MSG: Number one.
Akane: Wait! Zedeja has input. She is old with aching knees. We must check the nearest first. Is that one or two?
GM Elle: That's also number one.
Akane: All right. It's allowable to check there, then.
GM Elle: What do you do next then, Dolora?
MSG: I'll just knock at the door and if it's answered by anyone who isn't a member of the gang from the tavern last night, I'll ask if Glinssa is in.
Sasha: I'm hanging back a bit, but not so far I couldn't get to the action pretty quick if something goes south. Or if there's a monster.
Akane: Zedeja awaits with our duck knight.
GM Elle: The door is opened by a rotund fellow of middle age wearing tweed. He's balding, with neat red-brown hair that encircles his head and meets up with mutton-chops in front of his ears. The mutton chops meet up with a well-groomed and curled moustache, though he doesn't wear a beard on his chin.
MSG: I'll ask him if Glinssa is in.
GM Elle: He rubs his bare chin. "Hmm. Not currently hosting anyone by name of Glinssa, I'm afraid. But if you'll describe her, I might be able to say if I've seen her going out or in of the Graminger House across the street there."
MSG: I'll describe her.
GM Elle: He frowns and mutters something about her being one of "Quasimund's scum," and he's not sure what you'd want with any of them. "But they do keep rooms at Graminger's place."

rpg interruptus! sorry folks ... there's more to this session, but i've got to take care of something and it's already a pretty long blog post, so i'm ending this one here. more soon, i promise!