[LPF] Ryall's Estate

[jkason]

OOC: Gabbiano, awesome!

GM:

At this remark, Quioan interjects the two mens' bickering. "So you purchased this house off of a woodsmen, then? It would be helpful if you told as much as you could about this fellow - how you met him, what he said about the house, anything you can remember may be of use."

And yet you say a dirty woodsman sold you Mr Ryall's fine house with purple stained windows you say Mr Rogue? Or did I hear you say hut? Why don't you be a little more explicit with your description of events when you bought ... the ... err ... hut. How much did you pay? And be so kind as to describe this shabby hut that you bought, if you'd be so kind. And this dirty woodsman? Did he have a name, a face, a race ... come Mr Rogue, think! You are lucky to be alive! And if it can happen once it can happen again. For some reason someone wants you dead, and right now only we stand between them and you!

He patiently waits for Roug's response.

"Hut, house. Same difference," Roug says with a shrug. "I mean, I'm proud to finally own one and all, but I ain't got no uppity sense that it ain't a tiny little house, ya know?"

Roug frowns a minute, trying to remember the seller. "He was human. I think. Leastwise he was too tall ta be any of the little folk, and I didn't see no points on his ears. Had one o' them composite bows, what's made for given' an arrow more oomph. I remember that 'cause I was right jealous o' that."

"I 'member that bow!" Ryall interjects. "Fella who sold me mine had one o' them. Fancy, those. Prolly cost more'n the house, I thought. Was he sorta broad-shouldered but not big as you?"

"That. Built so's you knew he could take care of hisself, but sorta like he did more walkin' or runnin' than heavy liftin'."

"And scruffy, too, like he didn't need ta be 'round civilized folk much," Ryall adds, not seeming especially mindful of his own unkempt appearance.

Now, Mr Ryall, my simple farmer friend ... you mentioned knowing a bandit with a stash ... of what exactly?! Daylily, perhaps you'd like to show Mr Ryall the blood on your sword, it might help him refresh his memory ... and loosen his simple peasant tongue. Why is it you know a bandit at all Mr Ryall? Speak ... let loose with tight lips and tongue before tongue is loosened from head!!

"These people are your friends?" Roug mutters to the farmer. Ryall, for his part, takes a step back from the implied violence.

"I never said I knew any kind of a bandit," Ryall insists. "I was calling him a bandit!" he points to Roug. "On account'a I thought that gem was part of what he used ta pay folk to steal my house, only now I'm all sorts of confused 'cause he saw that same bloke who sold me mine."

OOC: Yes I have a feeling this may be something I have to get used to (virtual dice hating me that is) ... when something starts that way ... it often continues that way. I think the wise thing to do is just RP and only roll when jk asks me too. Lesson learnt. As for Ryall ... so far only me and you have even been remotely interested in reading into his motives, and have rolled what two 1s and a 2 ...? I reread Ryall's statement and have finally understood it properly. He was cut off as opposed to falling silent, suddenly. Duh. Still, things that contradict each other between Roug and Ryall: Ryall said he built himself a wonderful house, even staining the windows purple. Roug said he was sold a hut. May or may not have meaning.

GM: You should roll whenever you want to use a skill you feel is appropriate, I say. Especially since I won't always predict what skills you might find a legitimate use for (that probably goes double in the case of a mystery). If you think you want to do something but aren't sure what skill it would be, feel free to ask, but if everyone's waiting for me to tell them what skills to roll, I'm not sure rolling your own checks saves us any time. That said, I would like to make a brief comment about IC vs. OOC knowledge. If Relic doesn't trust Ryall because he's dottering and curmudgeonly and he just doesn't trust anyone with this wacky disappearing house nonsense and get off my lawn you bloody kids, that's certainly a valid character choice. If Relic doesn't trust Ryall because no one's made a decent Sense Motive check, I think that might be meta-gaming a bit. I'm not going to shoehorn anyone into trusting folks or eliminating suspects. This is a (sloppily constructed) mystery, after all, and it's no fun if you aren't allowed to suspect every bit player you encounter. Just pointing out that there sometimes has to be a line between what you as a player may know and what your character has the ability to know. We now return to this episode of Scooby Pathfinder.

 

[Qik]

"Hmm," Quioan grunted at the two mens' comments. "Well, it certainly sounds like you both have been had by the same individual." Turning to Roug, he added, "Hopefully this proves to you that you've no need to fight us; looks like we're on the same side."

Turning to the others, Quioan laid out his thoughts. "The way I see it, we have two choices. One, we try to follow those tracks by the house - they were made by a single individual who could very well fit the description given by friend Dane and Roug. As Daylily said, were the man able to adjust the house's size via magic, he could have easily carried the house off to a new location to pull this stunt again. Those tracks might lead us there. The only other option I see is to try to inquire about this Gabbiano family. But that could take days, and if they are involved, they'd likely throw everything they could at us once we start asking questions."

"Personally, I'm inclined to follow the traps. I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea, since a woodsman who leaves tracks is either sloppy, arrogant, or setting a trap for would-be pursuers - I'm more than happy with the first two of these options, but the last one seems the most likely - but at the same time, we don't have much else to go on, and I'd be willing to bet those tracks will lead us to this infamous mobile house of ours. Any thoughts?"

As the rest of the group discusses things, Quioan asks Kazanto if he can get a closer look at the gem she found. He looks it over, trying to judge its material and its worth, and then he begins to search it with his arcane eyes, trying to discover if it's more than just a precious stone.

[sblock]Know.(Nature) to determine what the stone is 1d20+6=14
Appraise to determine its value, etc 1d20+2=3 (Well that isn't going to help)
Know.(Arcana) while detecting magic 1d20+6=26
Spellcraft to identify magic properties (if present) 1d20+6=10[/sblock]

OOC: PS - Now that you've referred to this as "Scooby Pathfinder", I'm going to be disappointed if we don't get to de-mask the bad guy at the end, who the chides us for our melding.

 

[jbear]

Relic looks as confused as the two peasants as they respond to his questions. There may even be a slight blush to his cheeks, its hard to tell with such weathered leathery skin. He coughs and mumbles into his beard a bit. It's possible to make out something about being a relief, just testing you and being awake.

He gives Ryall a friendly pat on the shoulder, and then proceeds to clean out his ears while listening to Quioan's proposal.

The tracks seems like a far more sensible first step. I concur with Master Scorchsong. The Gabbiano's house is a days march back towards town. Actually, don't even know that hey live in town, come to think of it. The tracks on the other hand are here and probably fresh. How long have you been away from the house Mr Rogue? Well that is the head start this rather crafty and magically talented woodsman has on us. Let's fall into the trap ... I mean follow the tracks! If we meet a dead end, and by dead end I mean the tracks lead nowhere, as opposed to us all dying, then we can follow up on the Gabbiano clue.

Relic searches for the next most intact hawk amongst them still wearing the distinctive jesse. He kneels down and mutters arcane words as a ray of ice fires from his finger and freezes the bird into a block of ice. He scoops it up and drops it into a sack and then puts the sack into his back pack for a later date in case accusations need be made.

I'm sorry, Mr Rogue, my memory seems to have slipped me again, can you remind me what colour you said the window shutters of your hut were? And how much did each of you you pay for the hut in any case?



As he gathers himself together and orders his thoughts he comments out loud:

Hawks and Woodsmen fit together. Making a house ready magically ready for transport and shafting peasants ... seems a strange mix of petty, cruel and bizarre use of one's arcane talent. However if it was made to float, or light enough, trained birds could be used to move the house. I do wonder why someone would hustle a few coins out of a peasant for a house worth less than his bow and then leave a gem behind that is worth probably the same or if not more. This happened to Mr Ryall out in the baronies, if my befuddled brain serves me correctly. Now, where on earth did the Gabbiano's live again ...?

Relic struggles with his memory, trying to recall more details about the Gabbiano Family while he waits patiently. Staff in hand, pack on back, he is ready to leave whenever the group is ready.

OOC: Re Metagaming: My suspicion of Ryall was based on a misinterpretation of what I thought he said when he saw the gem which I thought associated him with bandits, and I thought he hushed up mid sentence as he realised what he was saying. The low detect motive rolls are not in any way the reason for this suspicion. If anything the second 1 on my part reflects perhaps the unwarranted suspicion of a slightly deaf old man towards an innocent peasant whose house has been stolen. I do think whatever the roll my character can be suspicious no matter what the dice say. They can also reflect an inabilty to detect anything about the person that can affirm those suspicions. Actually, I think Relic may now incorrectly (I think incorrectly at this stage) suspect Ryall is being dishonest to better reflect Relic's complete lack of ability to read truth in words or actions. He's just getting things a bit wrong at the moment. He bites his lip as the words the peasants speak seem to make sense, and he is aware he is a bit hard of hearing, but (probably incorrectly) he has a nagging doubt about Ryall's involvement. Edit: Dice Text was cut, I guess too long; It's a history check to try and remember if the Gabbianos live in New Jersey ... I mean the Baronies as opposed to Vezna city. P.S Is InVinoVeritas' reaction to Gabbiano for something in particular? Anything to do with the Sopranos?

 

[Qik]

OOC: If I recall correctly that jbear is from Europe, I have to say, I love that even in Europe, Italian Americans, the Sopranos and New Jersey are all synonymous. Just an observation.

 

[jkason]

[sblock=Quioan]

OOC: heh. So I shouldn't be surprised if Quioan starts tugging on people's faces? FYI, Identifying stones and minerals is technically Know: Dungeoneering. But it's a DC 10 check, so Quioan can make it untrained and would have made the DC anyway with that roll, so we'll just go with it.

The stone appears to be a mundane sapphire, though Quioan vacillates between thinking the cut is exceptionally rare and therefore amazingly valuable, and thinking it's really just chipped poorly and nearly worthless. [/sblock]

"How long have you been away from the house Mr Rogue? Well that is the head start this rather crafty and magically talented woodsman has on us."

"Been a couple hours," Roug says. "Was out to the farmer's market to pick up some supplies, then I come home to no home at all."

"I feel your pain," Ryall says sympathetically.

I'm sorry, Mr Rogue, my memory seems to have slipped me again, can you remind me what colour you said the window shutters of your hut were?"

"They was stained purple," he says.

"Just so," Ryall says with a bit of pride in his work.

"You did that? Good work, gotta admit. Liked it so much I painted the door purple ta match."

And how much did each of you you pay for the hut in any case?

"Hundred gold," the pair announce in unison, both clearly distraught at the funds they're out.

[sblock=Relic]Relic knows the Gabbiano name is associated with Venza, and doesn't recall hearing that any of the noble houses had left its home city; he's pretty sure that would have been historically notable even outside the more esoteric Noble scholars.

Never having paid much attention to the workings of the aristocracy, though, ((ooc: he's untrained in Know: Nobility or Local)) he doesn't know much more about the noble house other than its home city-state.[/sblock]

OOC: P.S Is InVinoVeritas' reaction to Gabbiano for something in particular? Anything to do with the Sopranos?

GM: IVV created House Gabbiano for use in a previous adventure in Living Pathfinder, and was in turn inspired to do so from a stray bit of treasure from an adventure previous to that, so I believe he was just amused that the communal toys are still in play.

 

[Systole]

Turning to the others, Quioan laid out his thoughts. "The way I see it, we have two choices. One, we try to follow those tracks by the house - they were made by a single individual who could very well fit the description given by friend Dane and Roug. As Daylily said, were the man able to adjust the house's size via magic, he could have easily carried the house off to a new location to pull this stunt again. Those tracks might lead us there. The only other option I see is to try to inquire about this Gabbiano family. But that could take days, and if they are involved, they'd likely throw everything they could at us once we start asking questions."

[sblock=Elvish]"Mate, I could nae ken the first fair word out your gob. What in the stinkin' black deeps of the Stonefather's arse is a just house? Or a bleedin' via? If ye be offering that the bonnie course is tae follow this purloinin' piece o' work, I'm with ye, and let's away alack.

"An' I reck you said 'twere not as fair a choice tae track the birds, an' I'm with ye there as well. If them that had caught their dinner did not see fit to eat it when they had the chance, I've no slant to share the pickings."[/sblock]

 

[Qik]

Quioan smiled at Daylily's clear displeasure with his common. Turning to his companion, he replied:

[sblock=Elvish]"Apologies, friend - common is a coarse language, isn't it? Or better put, a right pain in the ass. Aye, you ken correctly - all I was saying was that this woodsman is clearly f*cking with the house's size with magic so he can carry it off quick-like, on his own two feet, and while I'm uncertain what it means when a man of the woods can't keep his tracks hidden in his own land, I think the only way to find out is to follow those tracks, catch up with the bastard, and see what kind of man he is for ourselves. I know ye ken that, Daylily Falshenaya."[/sblock]

Turning to the group, with a slightly wicked grin on his face, Quioan said, "Right - Daylily thinks it's time to move, and I'm in agreement with him. Unless anyone objects, let's set out in the direction of the tracks and see what lies at the end of them. Hopefully it's a house."

 

[jbear]

Relic looks from farmer to farmer and his face softens and warmth flows back into it.

Curse these deafened ears. I've misheard your words and misjudged your meaning Mr Ryall. I beg you forgive this old fool and accept his humblest of apologies. Come now then, lets hurry on, and return you your house, and the money with it. With that money perhaps you can build a second house next to the one stolen, and share each others company.

He turns to his companions.

And forgive me my muddling. I searched the recesses of my somewhat resentful memory and can find nothing about the Gabbianos having ever left Vezna, which indeed a noteworthy event it would have been. So, I think its safe to say, it has never happened, and in Vezna they remain. Which means they are a day a way, and the tracks here but an hour old. We should follow them before they grow any older. And whoever made them moves any further away.

Lead the way Daylily, slayer of hawks and huntmaster of rats.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

[sblock=ooc]
In Frog Hunt, the PCs ran across a corpse in a bog with a signet ring for House Gabbiano. I ran with that and created Umberto Gabbiano ask the PCs to track down the death of his brother.

Yeah, I whacked his brother.

Our illustrious GM played in both adventures, and now he's giving us the third chapter in the sordid tale that is House Gabbiano.
[/sblock]

Kazanto asked, "Is there anything special about the stone? I like it, it is quite pretty."

She smiles and follows Daylily.

 

[Systole]

OOC: Looks like we're heading out, barring a veto by Hlaalen. Please tell me you don't need a Survival check to follow, because with the whole group behind me, I know I'm going to start rolling like jbear. Assuming we're following, are Roug and Ryall coming with, or staying behind, or what? And do the tracks lead into the woods or along the road? Last question: I know it was afternoon-ish, but how much daylight have we got? And does anyone want to inquire with Roug about local points of interest before we head out? Are we heading toward a town? Also, I'm extremely hurt that no one picked up on "I no think I wants him lickings my hammer." I worked really hard on that line.