[Adventure] A scholar in need (DM:Someone, Judge: Renau1g)

[Someone]

"Yes, you come and we take you to him now. Then we make sure you're all safe. Then Sound of Stone try to find his clutchmates again."

"You can talk?!?"

Bones looks around, "Where is Domenicos? Did we leave him back up on the street?" He gathers his (daggers?) that are strewn about the battlefield.

OOC: I asked that before. Did you make him come with you, or left him somewhere safe? I'm assuming he's not with you

Ya! Your friend Domenicos sent us. the Elf said with a smile, as he shifted into a Human form. He was very worried for you. He seems like a good friend.

"Domenicos sent you? I find hard to believe he managd to organize a search party in so little time. Domenicos is... well, we all love him. Anyway, you seem curious about what happened, so I'll repeat what I told him." says looking at Epigenes.

"It indeed has to do with the mage you mentioned, though I don't know how you found out. First, as you may know, Theotocopolis lost recently the whole royal family at sea. No direct or indirect descendants, so as you can imagine there's an increasing risk of civil war right now. I don't think it'll take too long as the news coming from there are increasingly worrying. You may be thinking, it's not possible that no branch of the famly survived. Well, they surely did, but because of the destruction of the records one century and a half ago, we can't tell for sure."

"I had a theory, however. The court mage left very soon before the records were lost. Also I found out that he was obsessed with history - a bit like myself and Domenicos. So what if the record weren't destroyed in a fire? what if the mage copied, stole or took them first? Then they could have survived, we could find someone related to the royal family, and the war could be prevented. However, there was no way to find those hypothetical records now."

"Then I stumbled upon a 80 years old captain's log or diary. He spoke of a faraway land, a small island where, almost 70 years before, an old man arrived. He built himself with magic an underground... thing, like a mausoleum or crypt, where he isolated himself and forbid access to anyone else. What's remarkable, is that every ten years, a humanoid cloaked from head to toe appears at the island's town and leaves a list: artifacts from the past, documents, history books ancient and new. A year after leaving the list, the figure reappears and pays good money for every item recovered. I confirmed from other sources this happens and it's not just a legend."

"So my theory is this. The dates when the court wizard left Theotocopolis and the crypt guy appeared match. They were both obsessed with history. It's not unreasonable to suppose he may have, or remember, data about my homeland's royal family, data that right now could avoid a war. The tricky part is, it look like the wizard locked himself in a tomb and extended his life by unnatural means in pursuit of obscure knowledge, so I suppose he must be a werewolf."

"That's what I told him" says, talking about Epigenes. "As a member of the seagull clan, newcomers and mercenaries, they have no hope of being related to the royal family and, if that information falls on their hands, they could make a lot of money just hiding it and profitting from the war, or sell it for a large sum o money, or both."

 

[Otakkun]

"No wonder I don't like politics" replies Ianward an then looks at Epigenes with a scowl.

"I don't look kindly at those who torture for fun or money. What do you have to say for yourself?" he continues as he looks at the Theotocopolian man as a hand slowly goes over the scar on his face.

 

[orkish_blade]

"A crypt-dweller! How extraordinary!" Bones says enthusiastically. He tucks the last of his daggers inside his boot and then looks toward Thogorious, "Do you know where this mage is? Do you mean to go looking for him?"

[sblock=OOC]
I did omit "daggers" on my last post. Bones also spends a healing surge... assuming he can because we're out of combat.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Quick Stats]
Bones, level 1 human rogue
hp 24/29, surges 6/7; AC 16, Fortitude 13, Reflex 17, Will 12;
available: easy target (daily), second wind, torturous strike; 3 daggers
expended: action point
[/sblock]

 

[FourMonos]

Artemis runs up and gets Domenicos from the alley where they left him. When he returns and hears the tale, he nods his head in agreement, "Aye, Thogorius, we could venture to this island and get the information you seek. It could save the whole kingdom of Theotocopolis from civil war. What do you think?"

He looks over at the mage. "I'm not sure what to do with the mage. It seems he has aligned himself with mercenaries and a war is exactly what they want..."

 

[Someone]

Bones also spends a healing surge... assuming he can because we're out of combat.

GM: The whole adventure is over. As I said, I expected it to be a bit longer: short combats, failed skill challenge and fast posing rate reduced it's duration to half of what I calculated at first. I warned you several times before we started that this would be a very short adventure and I understand that you may want more. Actually I had in mind to continue it with a full blown adventure (which I have almost ready) if things went well, but it turns out that I got finally a job after a long time unemployed (yay me). As I have to move to another town and I foresee that I'll be working a lot I don't even know how soon I'll have an internet connection: I doubt I'll have problems posting as a player, but DMing requires more time and stability, so I won't be starting that adventure soon. Any of you, or any other player that wants to take this plot hook and write his own adventure based on it is welcome to do so. So, I'd like to wrap this up in the next few hours or couple days. All that it's left to decide is what to do with Epigenes, the remains of his henchmen, or what they could be carrying or wearing.

 

[FourMonos]

OOC: Oh its cool, Someone! Congrats on the new job! That's great and I hope the transition goes well! We will have an outlying adventure hook out there if someone anyone wants to take it on later. It was a fun short adventure and rb780's Sound of Stone kicked too much @$$ to be accounted for . Thanks for running the game and hoping we can play together in the future. As for the PC's, I don't favor killing the mage, but I do vote we take anything of value

 

[orkish_blade]

Bones takes a moment to frisk Epigenes for anything of value. "I'm sure the authorities here don't take kidnapping lightly--when the malefactors are delivered straight away to them. Let's lighten the purses of the dead--they're not going to need it--, and then drop this troublemaker on the local constable's doorstep."

[sblock="Streetwise check"]
Streetwise check to find the local constable, 1d20 + 6 = 13.
[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]
[MENTION=5656]Someone[/MENTION], congrats on the job! Best of luck, and thanks for running this adventure!
[/sblock]

 

[rb780nm]

OOC: Congratulations Someone. Thanks for the fun run. You should throw your background for the adventure on the wiki so that its available for a later quest (Or one of us could do it if the new job is too pressing Sound of stone is happy to kill Epig. or not, He'll go along with the party. He's especially keen to see if any one was wearing any sort of protective item, so he can fall down slightly less often

 

[Fyrm]

OOC: grats on the job Someone. also, Merc is happy to let the mage live.

 

[Otakkun]

OOC: [MENTION=5656]Someone[/MENTION]: Congrats on the job! There's nothing better for the spirit than ... having more money Regarding the mage, well, I'd say stripping him of anything of value and giving him to the local authorities should be enough. Or just 1, since it should be about the same. He hasn't really broken any laws after all.