secret of the dragon emperor ... part 13!

as promised, here's the next part of our latest dragonbane session! (a boarding-house owner has just told Dolora where to find a member of Quasimund's Scum that she's looking for.)

MSG: Okay, well, I guess I'll say, "Thank you very much, Mister ..."
GM Elle: He holds out a hand for a handshake and says, "Smeet. Albemur Smeet." Then he looks past you and sees Quackenscrump and Zedeja waiting, and he says if you're looking for rooms at any point, Smeet House is the friendliest and most esteemed boarding house in town.
MSG: I'll thank him and I guess give him a couple of coppers for his time.
GM Elle: He accepts them graciously and turns back into the house.
MSG: Time to go across the street go Graminger's place, then.
Ariel: Let's stay at Smeet house if we decide sometime that we want to be in town for a while.
Sasha: We're not going to do that. Too many monsters out there to kill.
Akane: Zedeja points out that a monster was just in here this morning.
Ariel: Wait, I didn't mean I was saying that. Fidu isn't even there.
Sasha: Doesn't matter. Sir Q would probably have said something like, "Why are people wasting time hanging around in boarding houses when there are monsters out there that need killing?
Akane: Yes, same response from Zedeja no matter who begins the subject.
GM Elle: When you get across the street to the Graminger house, you notice the knock isn't answered quite so promptly. Instead, you hear muffled voices inside Dolora is close enough to make an Awareness check to see if she can make anything out, but the other two characters are too far back.
MSG: 17. I remain very unaware.
GM Elle: A few moments later, then, the door is answered by Imvir from last night. He scowls at you suspiciously and asks what you're doing here.
MSG: Well this is awkward. I guess I'll say I made a wager with Glinssa at the inn yesterday and I'm here to see if she can pay up. I roll a 17 on my Bluffing check, though, and my skill is only 14.
GM Elle: He scowls even more suspiciously and says, "Wait here." Then he pushes the door to and you hear footsteps going into the house.
MSG: If it looks like he's just giving it a push so that it will close the rest of the way on its own, I'll put the toe of one boot forward to keep it from latching, and then ease it a smidge more open to see if I can hear anything.
GM Elle: Awareness?
MSG: Dragon!
GM Elle: You hear the footsteps go around a corner and then Imvir's voice along with the mallard, Quasimir. Imvir says, "Hey, boss, that dwarf and her pack from last night are here asking after Glinssa. Says she owes them money, but I'm not buying it." Then Quasimund says, "Hgh-Hgmm."
MSG: Hey, that was a pretty good duck sound.
GM Elle: You hear the mallard say quietly, "Go get her and send her to the door -- but wake up Vlort and Tetsda too. Might be another chance for us to test their mettle like Leanara said." Imvir acknowledges that, and then, even more quietly, says, "Glory to Sathmog." Then you hear the sound of boots going up stairs somewhere inside.
MSG: I'll pull the door back to where it's just open a crack, so it's not as obvious it was open enough for me to hear anything.
GM Elle: You hear more muffled voices, probably from the second story. Then after a bit, more footsteps on the stairs, as well as a muted knocking sound and still more second-story conversations. The door opens, revealing Glinssa in nothing but a long tunic, with her hair a total mess and her eyes squinting against the daylight. She says, "Agh, what are you coming round here for?"
MSG: I'll say I just thought we might finish up our business from the night before.
GM Elle: She says, "Our what?" Then she blinks a little and her eyes widen and she throws a quick, nervous glance over her shoulder. "It's too early," she says loudly. "I'm not even dressed."
Sasha: I'm looking to see if I can catch any sign of that tattoo on her forearm. But even this 8 I rolled isn't under my Spot Hidden.
Akane: It's a 12 for Zedeja, against her skill of 14.
GM Elle: You definitely see the tattoo.
MSG: I'm not bothering to look -- I don't want her to catch me at it and get any more nervous. So I'll respond to her with, "All right. I just didn't want you to forget about it. We'll probably be in town at least until tomorrow morning, so you know where to find me to discuss wage-rs." I put just a little emphasis on that first syllable and wink to make sure she understands I'm giving her cover by saying "wagers" and not "wages."
GM Elle: She's pretty hung over and distracted by the sound of more boots on the stairs behind her. Make a Performance check to see if you get that across.
MSG: Damn it. That's a Demon.
GM Elle: Roll a die. Odd, she really thinks you're talking about wagers. Even, she's still clueless, but someone else listening catches what your real meaning is.
MSG: Whew, 5.
GM Elle: She just gives you a baffled look and shuts the door quickly. Awareness check.
MSG: Fail.
GM Elle: You hear voices inside, one of them hers, one of them the mallard's. But you can't tell what they're saying.
Sasha: Sir Q says, "Well, looks like that was a bust."
Akane: No, Zedeja indicates that she saw the cult tattoo on Glinssa's arm.
MSG: And I caught two different names -- Leanara and Sathmog. The "glory to Sathmog" part sounded almost religious. Can I make a Myths and Legends roll to see if I know who, what, or where that is?
GM Elle: Sure.
MSG: 7 succeeds.
Sasha: I'm rolling too, but I got nothing.
Akane: The mage fails as well. But I think this name is familiar. We've heard it other times.
GM Elle: Yeah, several different people have mentioned Sathmog. The three adventurers you first came into town with, the goblin you rescued from those cultists, and those weirdly transformed guys standing guard at the portal in the Temple of the Purple Flame. 
MSG: I think that's coming back to me now.
Ariel: I remember those guys. They were creepy.
GM Elle: But since this is the first time anyone bothered to do a Myths and Legends check on it, Dolora's success yields some additional information about Sathmog being an ancient demon who has tried numerous times to break into our world. You think you've heard of some historical connection between him and the Misty Vale. A powerful priestly servant of Sathmog was banished here after being deposed from 200 years of tyranny in the demon's name: Azrahel Koth. 
MSG: I'm going to assume I'm equally as certain of this as I am of identifying that ogre.
GM Elle: Well, you know it's knowledge arising from legends nearly a thousand years ago, so while you think you've remembered it well based on what you heard or read, the accuracy of information that old is always questionable.
MSG: Got it. Well, I guess I'll share that with everyone on our way back to the Three Stags. Unless there's somewhere else we want to go?
Sasha: Quackers suggests maybe there's a sage of some sort in town who could tell us more about this stuff ... Sathmog and Azrawho Koth and the Dragon Emperor statue ...
Akane: No paying for saging until we have asked ordinary folk to enlighten us! Good information is equally good if it is free, and free information is equally free even if it is bad. With saging, it is cheaper to refine knowledge than acquire it with breadth.
Hettie: I think I followed that, but Dilfriida certainly wouldn't have if she were present to hear it. Heading out early has definitely paid off, Claire.
Claire: I agree ... your certainty is infectious.
Ariel: Haha!
Sasha: What? Oh, right, the troll scratches.
Akane: Where are we on our map? Is it closer to continue clockwise to the inn, or return as we came?
GM Elle: In terms of distance, clockwise. But you haven't explored this western quarter of town, so you can't be certain there's a direct connection.
MSG: I'll just ask someone which way is the closer way to get back. And maybe ask if there's any interesting scuttlebutt going around town these days too.
GM Elle: Go ahead and make a Charisma check.
MSG: Damn. 18. Dolora's Charisma is good, but not that good.
GM Elle: Whoever you stop points gruffly to the north and says the stairs that direction lead up to the Three Stags, but he's busy and hasn't the time to entertain strangers with idle gossip.
MSG: I'll thank him, but I'm glowering while I do it.
GM Elle: So are the three of you doing anything besides heading back to the inn?
Sasha: I'm going to ask people if they heard about the troll and if they know whether there might be other trolls around that need killing.
GM Elle: You can make a Charisma check too.
Sasha: 11. Easy peasy.
GM Elle: Somebody you talk to tells you they don't know about trolls, but they heard about a different monster that might need killing.
Sasha: Awesome! I ask what it is.
GM Elle: The person says, "A monstrous beast has crawled down from the mountains and attacked Blind Hildi’s farm southeast of Outskirt. There are whispers about a cave full of torn-out eyes, but also great treasures and powerful weapons from ill-fated adventurers who met their fate in the Dead Eyes Cave."
Sasha: Wait, what? That sounds really familiar.
Akane: This is the cave of the basilisk with poison that requires an herbalist's antidote to repair. We're equipped for it now.
Sasha: Fine. Whatever. Sir Q is taking this as a sign that we need to hit the road for Blind Hildi's farm right away. Let's go back to the inn and see if everyone else is ready to head out.
Akane: Zedeja has pessimism for the readiness of our halfling.
Hettie: Just the halfling? What about your fellow mage?
Claire: Mages have to stick together.
Akane: Also, Filvius the mage has fewer rude comments about the wisdom of Zedeja.
Hettie: I don't suppose I can argue with that, although Dilfriida certainly would.
MSG: Dolora is fine with going back to the inn, although she'd rather wait a bit before leaving and see if Glinssa shows up to be our donkey-wrangler.
GM Elle: If that's all you three are doing, then, let's get back to Dilfriida and Filvius, who've finished their rest. What's next for the two of you?
Claire: The ruined temple!
Hettie: Indeed. We'll be going over it with a fine-toothed comb for anything all the ages of other searchers and researchers might have missed.
Akane: No combs in the equipment list. Dragonbane is a game of unkemptness.
Hettie: You could go for a haircut. That's listed.
Akane: Wildness of hair is a sign of intellect. Zedeja accepts it.
GM Elle: As Filvius and Dilfriida climb the steps to the ruined temple, you find that it exudes an aura of ancient mystery and bygone glory. It appears to have been a larger compound at one time. Sections of crumbling walls surround the central building, which is somewhat more intact.
Claire: I guess we can check out the building first.
GM Elle: The inside is empty of real contents. There appears to be little other than dust and debris, inhabited here and there by a spider or two. There's a very large image in the ceiling, though. It shows some kind of crown. You can both make a Myths and Legends roll. Dilfriida gets a Boon -- I won't say why unless you make the roll.
Claire: Hurray, I roll a Demon.
Hettie: I roll a 9 and a Demon, so I'll take the 9.
GM Elle: Filvius, you're convinced that there must be some hidden message in the image, if only you could decipher some of the symbols, or puzzle out which directions the horns of the crown point. You definitely think there's knowledge to be had if you can solve the picture's riddle.
Claire: Awesome. I'll spend hours trying to figure it out, then.
Hettie: I suppose I'll go out and search around the grounds, see if there's anything of note in those ruined walls.
GM Elle: Roll Spot Hidden. You can have a Boon for the amount of time Claire's puzzling gives you if you keep waiting for her to be done.
Hettie: 18 and 13. Those both fail. I'm getting pretty frustrated and fed up. I think I'll take the pie and candy and jug of mead to the old man up the hill. Since Filvius is so hung up on the ceiling picture, I'll try not to disturb him.
GM Elle: Roll Sleight of Hand if you're actively trying to sneak the goods from wherever they're sitting. You can have a Boon for how absorbed Filvius is in the puzzle.

Hettie: Boons haven't been paying off too much for me today ... aha, but now they have, because I roll an 11 and a Dragon.
GM Elle: You easily pick up the old man's bribes, and because of the Dragon, I won't make you roll Sneaking to get out with them unnoticed.
Hettie: Fabulous. Up the hill to the hermit's hut, then.
GM Elle: When you knock, there's a bit of shuffling from inside, and then the door opens.   Pretty much instantly, the prune-skinned old man gives a grimace of shock and holds his nose. He asks what in the world you're doing, coming to his door in such a state.
Hettie: Dilfriida holds out the pie and says, "Bringing you your pie."
GM Elle: He gives a coughing fit and turns his head to one side with his eyes watering.
Hettie: I'll go on, "I've also got your candies and this jug of mead."
GM Elle: He's already closing the door. "Set them down on the doorstep and I'll get them after the wind has taken the smell away."
Hettie: I'll complain that the deal was, we would bring him the goods, and he would answer three questions for us. Then I'll add, "Just who do you think you are, anyway?"
GM Elle: The door closes the rest of the way and his muffled voice reaches you, saying, "If you really want that to be one of your questions, I'll answer it when you come back after a bath!"
Akane: It's good Zedeja is not there to say, "But that could be weeks for this halfling! Possibly never!"
Hettie: I like how you stay in character even when your character isn't there, Akane. Elle, if I knock on the door again, is there any answer?"
GM Elle: He just yells for you to go away.
Hettie: I suppose Dilfriida will go and let Filvius know we won't get our questions answered until after we've had a bath.
Claire: Am I still positive there's knowledge to be had from puzzling out this painting?
GM Elle: Roll Myths and Legends again.
Claire: Aha! 4.
GM Elle: That's good enough for you to decide that the key to deciphering it isn't to be found in your current store of knowledge.
Claire: Damn. All right, then I guess I'll switch back to my original obsessive goal of getting the hermit to give us knowledge. If that takes a bath, so be it. Let's get back to the inn.
GM Elle: As soon as you enter the door, Vagnhild pinches her nose in disgust and tells you to get straight back out.
Claire: Filvius says, "Look, lady, we're paying customers who need a bath. How are we supposed to get one from outside?"
GM Elle: She tells you the bathing room is between the stables and the kitchen. "Go in through the stables. I'll meet you there."
Claire: Fine, I suppose. I'll go around through the stables.
Hettie: I'll follow her. But on the way, Dilfriida points out that Filvius was the one who was so dead-set on getting the old man to answer questions. So she's not sure it's good money management for both of us to get baths.
Claire: From the sound of things, though, if you don't get one, Vagnhild will make you sleep in the stables.
Hettie: All right, all right, I guess I can spare it.
GM Elle: The innkeeper meets you in the bathing room, which is basically like an oversized mud room with a tub at one end well away from the door. There's a curtain that can be drawn for privacy. It's six coppers for the bath, and she says another silver for her or Annabelle to wash your clothes. "Which by the way, you're not coming in my inn wearing without them being laundered."
Claire: I tell her I have someplace to be and I can't wait for my clothes to dry.
GM Elle: She shrugs and suggests she can send someone to Master Ulvar's to buy you some new ones. That will be 5 silver for the clothes and another for the service fee.
Claire: These seem like really outrageous prices to me. I'm going to haggle over them.
Ariel: But ... I think they're pretty exactly what the book says ...
Claire: Book, schmook. My Bartering roll is ... 3.
GM Elle: She says she'll come down half a silver on the service charge just so she can get out of your reeking presence quicker. And you can share the bath, considering how small Dilfriida is, so that will save you another 6 coppers.
Hettie: Whatever. Dilfriida isn't particular about modesty. Maybe even a little curious about how elves look down there.
GM Elle: Then she shows you a pump that will draw water up from the well and tells you to knock on the wall when you've got the tub half full. There's a spigot there that you can open, and she'll have the cook pour the bath tank full of hot water at your signal. She warns you not to put any body parts under the spigot while the hot water's coming out or it will scald you. Soap and towels are in a small cabinet against one wall.
Claire: All right, I don't think we need to roleplay all the way through this bath, if you want to switch back to the other characters.
Ariel: We're just waiting for you guys, I think.
Sasha: You're not even doing that. You're just napping.
Ariel: Oh gosh, that's right. I should probably get up at some point.
GM Elle: For simplicity's sake, I'm going to say Filvius finishes his bath and gets his new clothes around the same time Fidu comes down from napping and the rest of the group returns from their boarding house tour. Dilfriida has finished bathing too, but has nothing to wear because her clothes are drying.
Hettie: I'll wear a towel. Like I said, Dilfriida's not modest, and a human-sized towel should be entirely large enough to make a fully covering toga for her.
GM Elle: All right, then everyone can reconvene in the common room --
Claire: Whoa up there! Filvius is lighting out for the hermit's hut as soon as he's dried off and dressed. I'm hungry for knowledge and that guy owes me three question answers.
GM Elle: I stand corrected. Anyone else have a character-based reason not to rejoin the others?
MSG: Not I.
Ariel: Me either. Fidu's all napped up.
Sasha: I'm already there and ordering my first tankard of mead for the day.
Akane: Zedeja insists that we gather and plan.
GM Elle: All right, the everyone who's there except Dilfriida should roll Awareness.
MSG: Just missed it with an 8.
Ariel: 4!
Sasha: 12 fails for Sir Q.
Akane: Zedeja is a Dragon of Awareness, according to this die.
GM Elle: All right, then Fidu notices that Dilfriida seems to have some nasty scratches where her skin's revealed by the towel, and on top of that, Zedeja catches a faint whiff of some sort of swampy, vomity smell.
Akane: Scratches plus swamp vomit equals evidence of trollery. However, Zedeja might be too lacking in interest to think much about why a halfling would be scratched and have vomit stink.
GM Elle: Make an Intelligence roll with a bane, then.
Akane: Sigh. Both dice are easy with success.
GM Elle: Then considering you knew Filvius and Dilfriida were headed for the bakery, right where you saw the troll being hauled away, you definitely conclude there's a likelihood that the wounds and smell are from the troll.
Akane: Actually, no. Remember, the thief and the lesser mage left very early. Zedeja was forced to roust other party members from slumber.
GM Elle: True, but Dolora was up when they left, so she could have informed everyone else.
MSG: Right ... but I wasn't within easy hearing distance of them talking to Vagnhild, remember? I blew that roll to see if I heard her telling them the old man was a wizard.
GM Elle: Hang on ... all right, the notes confirm it. Sounds like nobody knew where Filvius and Dilfriida got off to this morning, so it's a pretty thin set of connections to make. Still, you rolled two successes with the bane, so pretty much any mention of them fighting the troll will remind you that troll scratches can carry disease.
Akane: Only a mention that Zedeja foolishly fails to ignore because it comes from the mouth of a thieving shortster. Troll talk must be very prominent from our halfling for the mage to attend to it.
Hettie: I do believe you're in luck, then, because Dilfriida would absolutely brag about how she and Filvius saved the town by killing that troll.
MSG: Dolora says, "What troll?"
Hettie: The one by the bakery.
MSG: That was an ogre.
Akane: Silence, bard! This argument was settled already.
MSG: Sure. Right.
Sasha: Quackers is pissed to find out it was the two of them. "What's the big idea, killing a monster without coming to get me first?"
Hettie: Dilfriida doesn't take that kind of response well. "Put a sock in it, Ducky. Or whatever you mallards wear on those webbed feet of yours in place of socks."
Akane: Zedeja announces this troll fight to be a problem. "Our lesser mage may have been scratched, and troll scratches are foul with disease."
Hettie: I say, "Hey! I got scratched why are you only worried about Filvs?"
Akane: Because our elf has healing talents also. If I do not make sure he is healthy, who will heal you from your disease?
Hettie: Maybe you're right, because from Dilfriida's perspective having to listen to Zedeja while being treated would be worse than the disease. Although someone please hand me the book so I know how bad diseases are in this game.
GM Elle: They're pretty bad.
Hettie: Egad. You get one roll a day to try to throw it off, and failure means you take a d6 of damage. So three bad days and I could be dead. And if someone tries healing me, it's really only a help if their skill is better than my Con, which is relatively high at 14.
GM Elle: They can use an herbal concoction to get a boon, though, and if they fail and push the roll, they keep the boon for that roll too.
MSG: What about healing magic?
Hettie: It's not very clear about that. Which is to say, it says nothing about it at all.
GM Elle: I would probably let you use the Treat Wound spell to cure the hit point loss, but it wouldn't cure the disease. You'd need Heal Wound or Restoration for that.
Akane: Additional reason for Zedeja to tend our sickly lesser mage.
Claire: I mean, we don't actually know that we caught anything yet though, right?
Ariel: Well, right ... if you don't count those ominous "Mm-hmm"s Elle made while she was rolling.
Sasha: Maybe she's just trying to get us to waste a bunch of money on herbal concoctions.
Akane: It's unnecessary for her to. There is so little gold in this game. In Old School Essentials and Dungeons and Dragons, gold by the hundreds! In Dragonbane, I have only 25 on my sheet.
Hettie: You have 25? My net worth has increased, on average, by less than a gold piece per session. Although I suppose that might change if my thief actually did any thieving.
MSG: That does generally help.
Claire: I feel like the actual in-game discussion is being neglected enough for me to ask if Filvius has made it to the hermit's hut yet.
Sasha: Ooh, burn.
GM Elle: We can jump to that if no one objects.
MSG: Fine by me. The sooner Filvius gets back, the sooner I can start trying to pry some of his new knowledge out of him.
Ariel: I'm good!
Sasha: Me too.
GM Elle: Sounds like consensus ... except that I just looked at the time and maybe we should save the hermit encounter to start next session with. It's a bit late. 
Akane: Truthful. And now I am yawning.
Hettie: Me too.
GM Elle: All right, experience questions ... everyone participated. Dilfriida and Filvius explored the temple, and everyone but Fidu explored the boarding house street.
Ariel: Dang it, my sloth cheated me out of that one!
GM Elle: The only dangerous foe was the troll, so only Dilfriida and Filvius get a mark for that. Who wants to make a case that they overcame an obstacle without using force?
Ariel: I spent all those WP proving my Insight ability to Akane! Does that count?
GM Elle: I'll count it for the entertainment value alone.
MSG: We got some good information out of overhearing things at Glinssa's boarding house.
GM Elle: Sure, that works. And I'm satisfied everyone played to their weakness. By my count that's four marks for everyone.
MSG: Five would be better, but I'll take four.
Akane: I would take three or even two, if my rolls are good this time instead of poor.
GM Elle: Everybody do your rolling, then, and we'll pick up at the hermit's place next time.

we're speeding along now! already to part 14 next session!

dayyummm, ladies and gents!

just your regular reminder that strange new worlds totally 100% rocks.

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!

chilly!

winter is here! well, central texas-style winter anyhow. it's been in the high thirties the last couple of nights, which is extra-blanket, double-up-your-socks-at-night weather for us here at worthy acres.

there's been some grey, there's been a pretty good amount of rain. it'd be pretty easy for the turn of the seasons to get some people down. (i won't name names, but it's msg.) only it was clear today, and the sun was out, and it felt actually kind of nice to be on the cold side, and even an unnamed gloomy-pants type (msg) had to admit ... things are good, winter or not.

we don't get all that many just-right temperature days around here. a whole lot of the year is either too cold (by which i mean, weather a northerner would really laugh at us for bundling up in) or too hot (by which i mean, the kind of weather humanity was forced to evolve a big enough brain to invent air-conditioning in order to deal with it). what that means is, if you wait for it to be the goldilocks zone around here in order to be happy with things, you're going to spend a lot of the time super unsatisfied.

cold has to be good, sometimes. hot too! you've got to be able to chillax whether it's sweaterville or sweatyville ... or else your chillaxing opportunities will be pretty few and far between.

i hope wherever you are, reader friends, it's the right kind of cold to be a good cold for you.

the kind you can be happy in!

xoxo,
claire

dragonbane ... secret of the dragon emperor part 11!

so where to next, if we're just about done with this temple, hmm?

GM Elle: Morning dawns in the herb garden at the Temple of the Purple Flame.
Sasha: Do we wake up dead because the monster-eyes elf dude herbs us to death in our sleep?
GM Elle: No -- Hafarmal is there, awake before you with a pot of herbal tea on the fire. Everyone should mark off a ration for breakfast. The elf expresses some melancholy over the fact that he'll be closing off the portal that makes his herb garden grow so well, but says it's probably for the best.
Sasha: Damn straight it is. That thing's a monster-maker. 
GM Elle: At any rate, he hands you over the poison antidote he promised you for running off the cultists. He was able to make 3 doses.
MSG: Great. I'll tell him he has our thanks.
GM Elle: Anyone else have any parting words for Hafarmal? No? So where do you head next, then?
Ariel: I think we should go back to Outskirt! We've got a bunch of stuff we could sell off, right?
Sasha: I mean, some scimitars and battle axes from those cultists. Still lots of room in the wagon, though.
Akane: Produce the map! We must see if landmarks of promise are nearby before we rush back to sell a few scimitars.
Claire: I'll get the map out of my backpack. I'm not seeing any wagon-friendly roads to any of the castles or villages marked near us, though.
Akane: Let Zedeja's wiser eyes examine it. Hmm. Yes, it's a liability to take a wagon any of those places. Especially if we don't know which might have treasure. We should return to Outskirt and purchase more donkeys instead. Also a donkey-minder. No more donkey escapage while we explore dungeons!
MSG: Makes sense to me.
Claire: All right, back to town it is.
Ariel: I call shotgun on the cart! Or maybe crossbow I guess since there aren't any shotguns.
Akane: Zedeja will pilot the cart again.
GM Elle: It's a day and a half back to town. On the first shift of day one, you're passing through the Magna Woods. Through the trees, you notice something you didn't spot on your trip northward. It looks like the ruins of a small tower or keep.
MSG: Is it obvious enough that we're suspicious about it appearing out of nowhere?
GM Elle: No, it's back a bit from the road. You could easily have overlooked it ... in fact, I'll roll a die and say that even this time, it's only Zedeja who spots it.
Akane: Of course. The awareness of Zedeja is great. I halt our donkey cart. "Look! Ruins! Someone should go investigate! A responsible type, not a halfing."
Hettie: In a fit of pique, Dilfriida insists on going.
GM Elle: All right, who else?
MSG: Sure, I'll go. Might be some knowledge hiding in there.
Claire: Filvius will definitely go along too, then.
Ariel: It seems like a lot of work to Fidu. I'll stay with the cart.
Sasha: Everybody knows why I've got to go. A monster-slayer never rests.
GM Elle: All right. You proceed through the trees and underbrush until you round a small hillock and see the ruins clearly. It's an ancient tower, all right, mostly intact but also obviously in shambles. A beam has collapsed across the door in, and the building is large enough you think it will take a whole shift to search, basically.
Sasha: Well, we have to at least get the beam out of the way and make sure there are no monsters to kill inside. I'm thinking if we're doing that, we might as well stay a little extra and search.
Akane: What? This decision requires consultation!
Hettie: I suppose Zedeja might have specified before we left whether we should return to consult her and under what circumstances.
Ariel: Don't give her ideas, Hettie! Now she's going to do that on top of bossing us around all the time.
Akane: The suggestion is a good one, but Zedeja would probably have discovered it herself while awaiting impatiently the return of the explorers.
Hettie: Which is why I said anything.
MSG: I guess Quackers and I can get to work shifting this beam. Filvius or Dilfriida want to go let the cart couple know what we're up to?
Claire: I'm guessing Dilfriida would rather not, so I'll go.
Akane: There is consternation and argument, and suspicion for this idea falls on the thievingness of the halfling, but we do not need to enact it all if others do not wish to.
Hettie: Gracious of you, Akane.
GM Elle: Getting inside and searching the place takes a lot of work, but near the end of a shift's time, you find the entrance to a hidden cellar. There's a chest inside that contains two treasure cards worth of loot.
Sasha: So no monsters, is what you're saying.
GM Elle: Right. Who wants to draw the cards?
MSG: I'll draw one. Looks like ... silver coins to the tune of 2d6 x 10. Hah! I roll an 11, so 110.
Claire: Which is what, a whopping 11 gold? So far this treasure deck is not turning out super-generous.
Hettie: Here, I'll draw the next one. Perhaps Dilfriida will be luckier. No, it's a silver necklace worth 2d6 x 5 silver coins. I roll a 9 for 45.
Ariel: On the bright side, that more than pays for our next donkey!
GM Elle: The time spent searching does mean you only get one shift's worth of travel in for the day, so the second day will be a full day's trip.
MSG: I'll set up the tent using Bushcraft, I suppose.
Claire: And I'll help so you get a boon.
MSG: Thanks! One of the two dice comes up a dragon.
GM Elle: You all sleep like babes, then. I'll say it's restful enough to put a spring in your step the next day, and if I don't roll a delaying encounter, you'll get into Outskirt by late afternoon instead of early evening. I'll also skip rolling for nighttime encounters.
MSG: Nice.
GM Elle: You do wake hungry, though, so mark off another ration each for the next day. No encounters for the morning shift ... but in the afternoon, you come across three dead humans hanging from a tree. They're wearing black robes similar to the ones you've seen on those cultists, and they look to have been killed by sword wounds.
Hettie: I will search the bodies to see if there's anything to loot.
GM Elle: You don't find anything, but you do notice that each of the three has a tattoo on the inner forearm. The mark looks like this:

MSG: Very culty.
Ariel: I'm watching out for people with that tattoo from now on!
Sasha: Are you going to ask everybody to roll up the long, black sleeves of their black robes? Cause I'm kind of thinking the black robes will be a giveaway.
Ariel: Or maybe the guys who wear the black robes wear them so everybody thinks all the cultists wear black robes, and then nobody checks anybody for tattoos. No way I'm falling for that.
Akane: It's accurate. All party members should heed the words of the wise old wolf.
GM Elle: Nothing else of note happens on your travels for the day, and as the afternoon winds down, you see the palisade of Outskirt come into view as you crest a hill. To refresh everybody's memory, here's what you've seen of the town:

You're coming in through that north gate, and to the west is the town square with that armless old statue.  The buildings along that north wall are the general store and the smithy. Across the way is the Three Stags, which is the inn run by Vagnhild, who seems to be sort of the mayor or town elder or something. That's also where you met Annabelle, who told Dolora the Truth Society is looking for Dragon Emperor relics and offered 50 gold pieces for each chunk of the 4-piece statuette that can be used as a key to open the vault under the ruins at the center of town, where there's a magic sword that once belonged to the Dragon Emperor.

MSG: This is all coming back to me now.
Ariel: What's coming back to me is, we have loot to trade! Fidu wants to head straight for the smithy to sell off these scimitars and battle axes we have. I roll a ... boo, 18 on my bartering to sell them.
Sasha: Geez, Aers, you haven't even given Elle a chance to say whether the gabby dwarf chick is even there.
GM Elle: She's there, but the 18 means she says she's stocked up well enough she can't give you anything extra, so they'll get you half of book price.
Ariel: What the ... the table says that's only 40 gold for all of them. That's barely more than we paid for the donkey and the cart! How are we ever going to make a profit at this rate?
Sasha: Well, we did find some silver pieces and jewelry bits and bobs, right? How much did those come to?
Akane: Zedeja recalls exactly! Gold bracelet equals 60. Emerald equals 10. Silver pieces are 110.
Hettie: Well, I'm looking at what's written on our cart inventory, and it says 155 silver pieces. Are the 110 part of that?
MSG: I have the 110 written on my sheet. Maybe the 155 are leftover party treasure from when we were stocking up? That's only the equivalent of 15 gold.
GM Elle: I don't think it will break the bank if we assume the 155 doesn't include the 110 on Dolora's sheet. My math says with six characters, that total comes to the equivalent of 96 gold and 5 silver, which is 16 gold and eight coppers each, with 2 coppers left over.
MSG: Well, I'm using some of mine to buy an open helm and get my armor rating up.
Akane: Zedeja shops for donkeys. The book says, so expensive! Especially when saddle-bagged twice for maximum item carriage. Hmm. Suppose this: buy one donkey, plus four saddlebags. Keep the cart, and when we reach a road's end, hide it and any unneeded items in bushes. Journey on with two donkeys. If anyone steals our cart and hidden items, we track them down with bushcrafters and teach them a lesson against such thievery. I summon the wise hound to barter for this donkey plus bags.
Ariel: Um ... I roll a 15, so I make it.
GM Elle: You get the donkey and saddlebags for 20% off.
MSG: Still pretty steep ... 28 gold, 8 silver. If we split it 6 ways ... 4 gold, 8 silver each.
Sasha: I'm swapping out my broadsword for a longsword. I'll give it a shot with my own bartering ... 2! Got it!
GM Elle: It takes two rolls to do the whole transaction, though, one to convince Okald that your broadsword is worth more than she'd normally pay, another to convince her you deserve a discount on the longsword.
Sasha: All right ... well ... watch this! Hah, another 2!
GM Elle: Okald is impressed by your smooth talking --
MSG: I think for a mallard it's called "quackery."
Claire: Haha
Sasha: Whatever. Gimme the calculator. Looks like I'm out 12 gold and 8 silver on that deal.
Hettie: While it's still light and those hilltop ruins aren't quite so creepy, I want to go look into them.
GM Elle: Everyone but Filvius is shopping or swapping ... are you going to let him know where you're going?
Hettie: Better than that, I'll invite him along. It certainly can't hurt to have a mage with healing and lightning bolts in my corner while exploring.
GM Elle: Does Filvius want to go, Claire?
Claire: You bet! Who knows what kind of knowledge I might dig up in some ancient ruins?
GM Elle: All right, so as you climb the weathered stone path up the central hill of Outskirt, you find yourself in an area of crumbling stone walls loomed over by a decrepit temple much smaller than the one in the Magna Woods, but an impressive centerpiece for this small town anyway. There's an open terrace strewn with rubble to the southwest of the circular main temple, and a small hut at a slightly higher elevation to the northwest of that, smoke issuing from its chimney.

Claire: Hmm. So somebody's apparently living up on this hill by the temple ruins?
Hettie: Curious.
GM Elle: It does look that way.
Claire: So do we want to go poke around the temple ourselves, or maybe go ask whoever that is what they know about the place? I mean, the ruins have obviously been here forever. Maybe this person in the hut already knows more than we could find out looking around on our own.
Hettie: Dilfriida wonders whether second-hand information could necessarily be trusted when we can have a first-hand view ourselves.
Claire: That's a good point. But if we know what someone is willing to tell us, and then we find something different when we look for ourselves, it's a good bet that difference means we should pay extra attention to whatever it is, right?
Hettie: Dilfriida is no sophisticate, so she bows to your argument.
Claire: Okay, let's head up to the hut, then.
GM Elle: After climbing a steep path to the upper part of the hill, you find a simple dwelling with a grass roof and walls of stacked granite. There's a connecting garden surrounded by a low fence. Herbal-smelling smoke billows from the rough chimney.
Claire: I guess we'll head up to the door and knock.
GM Elle: There's a brief delay and some muttering. Then a shriveled old man opens the door. He's utterly hairless, and wrinkled as a prune. His feet are bare. You're not sure if he's wearing a robe that looks like a sack, or an actual sack. He asks what he can do for you.
Claire: I tell him we've come seeking knowledge.
GM Elle: His creaky, low voice says, "What kind of knowledge?"
Claire: Filvius struggles to avoid saying, "What have you got?" Actually, no, with my 8 Charisma, I guess I do just say that straight out.
GM Elle: He tells you he's far too old and has seen far to many things to even attempt an answer to that question. "If you haven't any specific reason for being here, I should just get back to my meditation."
MSG: Tough crowd.
Claire: I ask him what he's meditating about.
GM Elle: He scowls and it makes his wrinkles even wrinklier and he says, "I meditate on many things. For instance, right now I am going inside to meditate on the importance of calm and composure and their ability to wear down the rough edges of aggravation." Then he starts to close the door.
Claire: Oh well, we tried. Come on, Dilfriida.
Hettie: Dilfriida waits until the door is closed and then steps by Filvius and knocks again repeatedly.
GM Elle: You hear grumbles and footsteps return to the door and it opens again.
Hettie: I ask him where precisely he finds the nerve to rebuff the questions of brave adventurers on a quest to solve the mysteries of this foggy little valley. Not, obviously, in exactly those words, but Dilfriida has her dander up over being dismissed.
GM Elle: He squints at you with his brows so furrowed an accordion would be jealous. Then he says, "You desire knowledge? Bring me a mince pie from the baker, a jug of mead from the tavern, and a tin of those little candies from beyond the valley that Master Ulvard sometimes has on his shelf of luxuries and nonessentials. For each one, I will answer you one and only one question to the best of my abilities."
Claire: I ask him where the baker is, since we've already been to the tavern and the general store.
GM Elle: He says he could tell you, but it would count as one of your three questions and then you'd have only two left.
Claire: Sheesh, what a grump. I don't say that to his face, but I do say it to Dilfriida once he's closed the door and we're walking away.
Hettie: Dilfriida agrees and asks if we should spit in his pie when we bring it.
MSG: You two are really leaning into this 8 Charisma thing, aren't you?
Claire: I mean, "role" and "playing" are two of the three words in the name of this kind of game, right?
Hettie: Dilfriida says, "Now we need to find someone who won't force us to do errands in exchange for telling us where the bakery is."
GM Elle: Is that your next move, then? You see the ruined temple ahead as you're coming down from the old man's homestead.
Claire: Hmm. On the one hand, I'm now on a mission to earn the for-sure knowledge of prune-grump answering three questions. But on the other hand, I might want one of those questions to be about something in the ruins, so I probably want to have a look inside before we cash in our questions.
Hettie: Dilfriida is most likely still peevish about the old man's disrespect, so she would just as soon get away from this area for a while. She proposes we have a look in the temple when we return.
Claire: Sounds good to me.
GM Elle: All right, while the two of you head out to find the bakery, let's switch back to our shoppers, who have probably finished up by now. Where are you each going next?
MSG: Might as well be the inn for some mead and food.
Ariel: I'm beat from all the traveling and haggling.
Sasha: You were riding in the cart the whole time.
Ariel: Did you listen when Elle was describing the road? It sounded way too bumpy for riding in the cart to be very restful.
Akane: Zedeja thinks a meal will be good for her very aged stomach, after these travels and the donkey dickering.
Hettie: Hmm.
Akane: What? Why is there giggling? It's an adequate substitute for bartery, isn't it? I've referenced the thesaurus because Zedeja of Mind must have a more English vocabulary than Akane from Japan.
Ariel: Sorry, those were just a couple of funny words to use together.
Sasha: Yeah it's a perfectly good word. Be sure you always say, 'dickering' and not 'dickery,' though.
Akane: More vocabulary to look up. Role-playing enwisens me.
GM Elle: How about Quackenscrump, Sasha? He heading to the Three Stags too?
Sasha: Sure. Probably overdue to get out of this armor.
GM Elle: When you get to the inn, then, you find some unsavory looking characters making a drunken racket at one of the tables in the common room. There's also a darkly mysterious woman in plate armor sitting in a corner, eyeing the boisterous table narrowly. They look like this.

MSG: Mysterious, hmm? Sounds like the kind of person who might have some knowledge. I'll go over and ask her if I can buy her a drink.
GM Elle: Go ahead and make a Charisma check to see how she responds to you.
MSG: Dammit. 19. 
GM Elle: She says she only drinks wine, and then she points to the mostly full goblet on the table in front of her and says she has plenty for the time being and would just as soon be left to her own thoughts.
MSG: Sheesh. Friendly type.
Claire: Want to try your luck at the unsavory table? Maybe they're more amenable to being bought a drink.
MSG: I get the impression they've had plenty already, and I don't get the impression they're the knowledgeable type. I'll just go get a table of my own and wait for any of the group who want to join me.
Sasha: Quackers is up for a drink.
Akane: Zedeja must eat, then rest.
Ariel: Fidu has that same idea.
GM Elle: The serving girl, Annabelle, takes your orders and brings them out when they're ready. While you're waiting, you see a rough-looking mallard come in and sit with the table of rowdies. They seem to pay him some deference, and raise their mugs toward him as he sits.

MSG: Definitely not buying that guy a drink.
GM Elle: When Annabelle returns with your food and drinks, he squawks at her to come over. She waves brightly and says she'll be there in a minute. Then she leans close to you, Dolora, and asks if you found anything 'interesting' on your adventures.
MSG: I tell her we found lots of interesting stuff and I'd be happy to tell her about it when she's got a little more time.
Claire: You're not going to blab about us finding the next statue piece, are you?
MSG: Maybe. She's a 'Truth Seeker' after all, so I'm inclined to butter her up in search of knowledge. But I didn't tell her about the other one before ... we'll just see how it goes.
GM Elle: She says she's excited to hear more, and that she'll come and look for you if the tavern quiets down, or once it closes for the evening regardless. After that, she goes over to the disheveled mallard and his companions and asks if there's anything else she can get them. The rowdy ones start roaring for more drinks and the mallard says something that's lost in all the noise.
Ariel: I do not trust that guy!
Sasha: Yeah, he looks like a spooky wizard.
Akane: Or possibly that hood is cultish garb.
GM Elle: Is this table talk, or are your characters saying these things?
Ariel: Well, I did say I was going to be on the lookout for those cult tattoos, so if the duck guy is wearing culty robes, probably I would be eyeing him and saying what I thought. Not super loud or anything. I'm too old and slothful to be loud about it.
Sasha: I figured it was our characters talking.
Akane: Agreed.
GM Elle: Okay, then you notice one of them spots you looking their way -- the big hefty bald guy.
MSG: I'll raise my tankard toward him in a friendly way.
Ariel: I'm looking at that tattoo on his head to see if it looks like the one on those dead cultists. But I roll a 16 on my spot hidden.
Sasha: I mean, from the picture it doesn't look very hidden to me.
GM Elle: It's not, and you can tell it doesn't look the same, other than just being a tattoo with a pointy, symbol-y look.
Ariel: It didn't really look like it to me either, I guess.
Sasha: Then why'd you roll?
Akane: It's devious from our innocent Ariel, I think! She hoped for a Dragon or Demon roll to mark the skill for advancement.
Ariel: Um ...
Sasha: Shame on you, Aers!
GM Elle: Yeah, I'll let it slide, but it's really better if you ask whether you need to roll or not before you just do it.
Ariel: Okay, sorry. So can I spot hidden to see any tattoos peeking out from under their sleeves?
GM Elle: Sure, but I'm counting the 16 you already rolled as the roll for that.
Ariel: Poop.
GM Elle: Anyway, the bald guy sees you still staring and says something to his buddies and gets up. The mallard says something back, but all the others are still making rowdy noise and you can't make out what.
MSG: I'd ask if I could Spot Hidden to read lips, but my Spot Hidden stinks and mallards don't have lips.
GM Elle: The bald guy is stomping aggressively in your direction, taking a last swig from his tankard along the way and then letting it dangle empty in his hand.
MSG: Do you really mean dangle, or do you mean he's got it clenched in a fist like he might smack somebody with it?
GM Elle: More the second one. He reaches your table and demands to know what you all think you're looking at?
MSG: I say I was just tipping my glass to some fellow patrons of this fine establishment.
Ariel: I don't say anything. Definitely not, "We think we're looking at cultists!"
Akane: Zedeja says, "Two of us are young and easily distracted by enthusiastic activity. Two of us are old with weak eyes and must peer carefully to see what occurs around us."
GM Elle: He doesn't seem to buy it and leans in and says, "Well, we don't like bein' stared at!" You notice the others are scooting their chairs like they're thinking something might happen.
Sasha: Quackenscrump says, "Sorry, why don't you let me buy you all a round of drinks to make up for it." I make sure I say it loud enough for the other ones to hear. Can I make it a Persuade roll?
GM Elle: Sure. Since you asked.
Ariel: Why are you looking at me like that, Elle!
Sasha: I roll a 2.
GM Elle: He looks like he's considering your offer. The others yell at him. "Come on, Vlort! Free drinks are free drinks! Don't let your dander spoil it for the rest of us!" He looks grumpy but stands back up instead of looming over you.
Sasha: I'll wave the serving girl over and give her, what's that, 3 coppers a mug?
GM Elle: Four.
Sasha: Dammit. So 2 silvers for all 5 of them to get another mead.
GM Elle: The bald guy points a finger at you and says, "That's all right this time, but don't think a few flagons means you can keep givin' funny looks at us."
Sasha: I'll say we'll be sure not to. Then I'll say if it will help show we're not up to anything, I'd be happy to play some darts or have an arm-wrestling contest once we're done with our meal.
GM Elle: He kind of harrumphs and goes back to his table.
MSG: I like this arm-wrestling idea. If you keep them occupied, that will give me time to chat with Annabelle.
Sasha: If they take me up on it. Or darts. Is there a darts board?
GM Elle: Not that you see.
MSG: Well, while we're finishing our meal and waiting to see if they take Quackers up on his offer, I guess you can cut back to Filvius and Dilfriida.
GM Elle: Sure. As you're coming down from the hill, you can each make an Awareness check.
Claire: 14 blows it for me.
Hettie: I roll a 9, which is a success.
GM Elle: Dilfriida, you think you smell a scent of fresh-baked bread from down the street to your right as you exit the stone path that leads up to the ruins.
Hettie: Excellent. I'll tell Filvius and strike off in that direction.
GM Elle: You soon see smoke rising from that windmill structure along the south side of the street. It seems to be the source of the mouth-watering smell. As you get closer, you see that the mill is attached to a log house with piglets, chickens, and carefree toddlers running about the fenced yard. The children appear to be young halflings, so they're quite small.
Sasha: I'm glad it's not me that has to clean the pig shit off those kids' feet.
Akane: We have practice, though, from cleaning harpy excrement.
Sasha: Yechh. Thanks for reminding me.
Akane: You're welcome!
Hettie: I'll ask the kids where to get a mince pie around this part of town.
GM Elle: They laugh and say their dad is the one who gives them mince pies, but you can't have theirs since you're strangers and you're not invited to dinner.
Hettie: I make a rude gesture at them and look for a door into the mill.
GM Elle: It's not hard to find. As you walk that direction, though, you see all the halfling kids copying your gesture and giggling.
Claire: Let's ignore them and find the baker, okay?
Hettie: Fine, but I've got it in for those little miscreants now. Dilfriida probably calls them "shits" instead of "miscreants," I suppose.
GM Elle: The front part of the mill tower turns out to be a small shop. Inside behind the counter is a plump but elegant halfling with a head of handsome curls and a winning smile. You see shelves of baked goods as well as stacks of bagged flower all about the little room. He asks what he can do for you.
Hettie: We need a mince pie, ASAP.
GM Elle: He looks a little downcast and says they're all out of them for today, but then seems to force himself to brighten. He says he can hold one for you from the batch he makes tomorrow morning, if you care to come back then.
Hettie: Dilfriida figures he's regretting letting those sty-wallowing kids of his gobble down all the mince pies, but she has the sense to avoid saying so.
GM Elle: Probably a good move.
Claire: I'll give him our names and say we'll be back in the morning.
GM Elle: He clears his throat awkardly and asks if you might be willing to pay up front or at least leave a deposit. "They're very popular, our mince pies. Our regular customers might be a bit ... put out, if they saw we'd held one back that wasn't paid for."
Hettie: I say he should tell them to jump in a hole if they get bent out of shape about it.
GM Elle: He looks a bit taken aback and stressed again.
Claire: I'll go ahead and get out my coinpurse and pay anyway. I mean, we'll be out the money one way or another. No reason to make this guy anxious by not paying now. How much is it?
GM Elle: A full-size one is 3 silver and will count as 3 rations. A one-serving one is 1 silver.
Claire: Well, the prune dude on the hill didn't specify what size, so I'll shell out for the single-serving version.
GM Elle: The baker thanks you for patronizing the Chubbycheeks bakery and says he looks forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Claire: Okay, candies from the general store and then back to the Three Stags for that jug of mead.
GM Elle: At Master Ulvar's store, you find that those candies are a luxury item and will cost you five silvers.
Claire: Hmm. If the knowledge that buys me is good, it's cheap at the price. But there's no guarantee the pruney guy will come through with anything useful, so I'll try to haggle for a cheaper price. I get a 15, though, which is nowhere close to the 4 I have in bartering. I fork over the 5 silver.
GM Elle: After fending off your counteroffer by saying these come by long-distance caravan from far beyond the mountains, he makes the exchange and says he's sure you'll enjoy them. He can hardly keep them on the shelves.
Claire: Great, that's nice for him. Ready to get back to the inn, Dilfriida?
Hettie: Very much so.
GM Elle: When you enter, you see your companions finishing off a meal at one table, a handful of other customers scattered about the place, and that table of rowdies in the corner.
Claire: If there's room at our table, I'll go sit down and order a meal.
GM Elle: Unless the group specifically chose a smaller table, there's room.
Akane: Is there a table that fits only five? If yes, Zedeja would insist on that one. Then, "Sorry, halfling, no room left here."
GM Elle: No pentagonal tables at the Three Stags, I'm afraid. Of the tables available when you arrived, the choices would seat 4 or 6.
Akane: Suppose the table is for 6, but I moved one chair elsewhere.
GM Elle: In that case, Annabelle or Vagnhild would probably move it back when they saw Dilfriida and Filvius come in. Most likely saying, "Now how did this get here?" when they spot the extra chair over by a table where it doesn't belong.
Akane: Foiled! Still, it's good to see this quick service from inn employees.
Ariel: Even if it had worked, I'm probably going up to the room for a snooze as soon as I'm done eating, which I'm guessing won't be long.
Akane: Rooms! We haven't secured them, have we? Oldsters must lodge together again. I summon the innkeeper.
GM Elle: Vagnhild puts in an appearance regularly in the common room, so you see her relatively quickly. 
Ariel: Ooh, I'll see if I can sweet-talk her into that same deal we got last time. Is it okay to roll my Bartering?
GM Elle: Go for it.
Ariel: I roll a 9, easy peasy.
GM Elle: Same total as last time, then: 17 silver, 6 coppers for the two rooms and two spots in the dormitory.
Claire: I'll shell it out this time, but somebody else needs to get it next time.
Ariel: Thanks! Anyways, off to bed for me now, in that case.
Akane: Zedeja also will retire for rest.
Sasha: I think it's about time for me to remind the maybe-cultists about my friendly arm-wrestling offer. I'll go over and ask how they're doing and see if any of them want to take me up on it.
GM Elle: The mallard says, "I think Imvir should give it a try." The guy he indicates is the scrawniest looking one, and seems caught off-guard by the suggestion, but says, "Uh, sure, Quasimund." We'll do this as best two of three using opposed strength rolls. Lower roll wins, as long as it's a success.
Sasha: I'll take off my, uh -- what's the word for the forearm parts of the armor?
Hettie: Vambraces.
Sasha: Hot damn, you just knew that?
Hettie: I looked it up early on in the game when I learned one of the party had plate armor.
Sasha: Nice, thanks. So I'll sit down opposite this Imvir dude and start by taking off my left Vambrace.
GM Elle: He frowns and starts rolling up his left sleeve, but says, "Hey, maybe we use our right arms? Left is my off one."
Sasha: Did he get his sleeve up far enough I could see if there's a tattoo in sight?
GM Elle: Make a Spot Hidden check.
Sasha: Nope. Got an 8 and needed a 6.
Hettie: I would have been looking too if I'd known that was part of what's going on. But since nobody clued me in, I'm just watching for the entertainment value.
MSG: I would definitely be watching for tattoos.
Claire: Me too.
Ariel: Me too! If I wasn't in bed.
GM Elle: MSG and Claire, draw initiative cards. Winner is positioned at an angle that will let you try a Spot Hidden check.
MSG: 2.
Claire: 5.
MSG: My check is a 7, but I needed a 6.
GM Elle: So no one sees squat.
Sasha: I tell the guy it's fine, I was just taking off both vambraces for comfort.
GM Elle: He looks relieved and starts rolling up his other sleeve. Roll Awareness, Sash.
Sasha: Aha! 5 makes it!
GM Elle: You notice one of the others elbow him before his sleeve gets too far up, and he stops unrolling it. He puts his elbow to the table and signals that he's ready. Go ahead and roll the first opposed check.
Sasha: Oof. 17 is a success, but just barely.
GM Elle: He rolls an 8. Looks like he gets you the first time. The others hoot and cheer drunkenly, and Imvir grins. Next try.
Sasha: Dang, 16!
GM Elle: He rolls a 7. Others in the common room are watching too. Some of them laugh, and somebody calls out, "Ooh, big strong mallard knight, huh?"
Sasha: They're really lucky I didn't get that "thin skinned" weakness Dilfriida has.
MSG: Dolora says she'll give it a shot.
GM Elle: They make room for the dwarf. The same guy is up against you.
MSG: That's a 3.
GM Elle: He gets a 6, so you pin him. Next try?
MSG: 7.
GM Elle: Against his 10, you win again.
MSG: I'll look around at the others challengingly.
GM Elle: A dark haired woman takes Imvir's place. Her companions start saying, "Glinssa, Glinssa, Glinssa!"
MSG: Dragon this time.
GM Elle: You smack Ginssa's hand to the table almost instantly, and she says "Ow! Okay, I'm done with that." She gives up her spot, shaking out her pained hand as she rises.
MSG: Anybody else?
GM Elle: Vlort sits down, glaring at you through narrowed eyes. He rolls up his sleeve, and everybody can make a Spot Hidden check.
MSG: 17.
Claire: Dragon!
Sasha: 11, fail.
GM Elle: Claire, Filvius sees just a little corner of a tattoo sticking out from where he's rolled his sleeve. Looks like he was trying to be careful to uncover as little of it as possible, if any. But you're convinced it's the same tattoo you saw on the strung-up cultists. Something about the angle and the curves you can see just looks like a dead-on match.
MSG: Well, that's a win even if the arm-wrestling goes south. I get a 15.
GM Elle: He gets a 4 and roars victoriously, standing up and punching his hands in the air over his head.
MSG: Great, nice, congratulations.
GM Elle: He sits down again and squares off with you for the next go. 
MSG: 10 this time.
GM Elle: Another 4 for him. Dolora goes down. There's general celebration amongst the rowdies. Quasimund's head nods slightly within the depths of his hood.
MSG: Hmm. If they're sizing us up for some reason, maybe it's a good thing we didn't totally thrash on them.
GM Elle: Vlort is pumped up from his win, and says, "Anybody else? Who wants to try it against me?"
Claire: Filvius will pass.
Hettie: Dilfriida too. She's not a weakling, but not a strong-woman either.
GM Elle: Are you sure about that? Because Vlort glares and grins at you both and says, "What's the matter -- the rest of you a bunch of chickens?"
Claire: Filvius says, "Yes, pretty much."
Hettie: Sigh. Dilfriida obviously doesn't take to being called a chicken and tells him to take that back.
GM Elle: Vlort laughs and says, "Well, obviously I wasn't calling you a chicken. I'd never expect a wee child like you to step into a man's contest like this."
Hettie: Damn it. All right, I get up from my seat and stomp over to try it.
GM Elle: He says not to worry, he'll take it very easy on you. Okay, make your Strength check.
Hettie: Aha! This time I get the 4.
GM Elle: Vlort's roll is 12. He looks shocked and a bit angry that you've bested him. Roll again.
Hettie: Even better -- that's a 2.
GM Elle: It's a tie ... but ties go to the player. You win. Vlort shoves back from the table muttering something about "conniving halflings" and storms out the front door.
MSG: If the contest's over, I'm going to offer to buy Glinssa an extra drink, to make up for smashing her hand so hard.
GM Elle: All right, she definitely accepts that.
MSG: I'll try to pal up with her some then, and see if I can get on her good side. I'm not trying to convince her to do anything, just being sociable. Dolora's very staid and serious, so I'm not being the life of the party, just making interested, respectful conversation.
GM Elle: I'll call that a straight Charisma check at the end of the evening. How many drinks are you going to buy her total?
MSG: Let's say two since she's already had at least one, right? The rules say anything more than three gives you a condition, and I don't want her getting Angry.
GM Elle: All right, I'm giving you a Bane for her starting off indisposed to take a shine to you, but a Boon for the second drink, so that makes it a straight roll. She'd had more than one drink earlier, though, and she becomes Disheartened as a result of the second one.
MSG: I make my roll with a 15, which is close but still under my Charisma.
GM Elle: You put her at ease enough to let her guard down a little. Since she's disheartened, she starts talking about how losing the arm-wrestling so quickly made her feel bad, because Quasimund already treats her like she's the lowest member of the gang, and Vlort picks on her all the time.
MSG: I'll tell her that if she ever feels like her group isn't doing right by her, we might have an opening she could fit into.
Claire: Do you tell her that the opening is for a donkey handler?
MSG: I do not.
GM Elle: Quasimund sees that the two of you have been talking a while and comes over and squawks at Glinssa that it's time to go. She looks even more downcast and starts to get up.
MSG: I'll tell her it was nice sharing drinks with her as a parting comment.
GM Elle: You can make an opposed Charisma check against Quasimund, then.
MSG: Ooh, Dragon!
GM Elle: Quasimund fails with a 12. You see Glinssa give him a resentful look. Then she nods quickly at you with a weak smile, and they leave. Imvir and the fourth guy lift whatever's left in their flagons and follow the two of them out.
MSG: Think I'm ready to turn in, then.
Claire: Me too.
Ariel: Chasing rabbits in my sleep already!
Sasha: Quackenscrump's going to close the place down.
Hettie: Dilfriida will go up with Filvius and Dolora.
GM Elle: Sash, mark off however many more coppers you spend on drinks, and then we'll skip to the morning next session. Wrapping this one up with experience ... participation, yes for everyone. Exploring a new location ... those ruins you found. Defeating a dangerous enemy ... I'm saying no for that one, since I don't count arm-wrestling. But I do count all the social stuff you did as solving problems without violence, which makes three marks for everyone, and another for whoever thinks they gave in to their weakness.
MSG: Filvius and I both went into those ruins for knowledge. I think we should count that.
Claire: No argument from me.
Ariel: Fidu went to bed early 
Sasha: If knowledge-searching in those ruins counts, I'm counting monster-hunting there too.
Akane: Plenty of domineerance from Zedeja, I believe.
Hettie: I think Dilfriida displayed a sufficiency of pique as well.
GM Elle: Okay, everybody make your advancement rolls then, and we'll see what happens next time.