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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 9418373" data-attributes="member: 82106">OK, so I think the opening move would be to establish ourselves as legitimate trustworthy people who share the Padraig's values and with whom they would therefor entertain as allies and confidants. I'd rely on Terjon here to at least have some basic understanding of 'how things are' in Winterhaven, so he can give Starn a bit of a line to work with. I don't think we need any checks for that, we'll just launch the situation on something like:Starn turns to Terjon and they exchange a look; "It would seem that evil has preceded us into this place" Starn remarks.He continues: "We will need to rally these people against what is coming next. The authority of the Lord of this place will be critical. You hail from this town, whom may we most reliably approach?"_Terjon's response, after seeing the casket and tracing the six points of Pelor's radiance across his own chest:"On days like this we have a tradition: Speak not to the grieving without an offering to the Raven Queen. Through her, misery is made sacred. If we can provide a gift, the parents will be compelled to listen—at least for a moment."Starn thinks, "we need to find a pair of the coins which are offered for the dead!"It is common knowledge that the priest of the Raven Queen provide these specially blessed coins in return for major donations, and that they are thought to be effective blessings and good wishes for the dead. Starn notes that a small temple to the dark Goddess abuts the graveyard, and makes his way there. Within the gloomy confines of the temple, a chapel really, he is fortunate to encounter the priest, recognizable by his dark cloak and mask. Starn approaches him "Sir, may I procure the coins for the little one? I will happily donate this precious elixir to the temple in return." The priest silently examines the flask, containing a Potion of Resistance Terjon had thought to recover from the Kamroth Estate. He then motions Starn and Terjon to the back of the temple, where a rough hewn block of stone apparently serves as a sort of altar. Moving past this the priest opens a small box set on a side table, and removes two coins of a dark lustrous material. He hands them to Starn and declares "Beware!"Starn trades his Potion of Resistance and receives the coins, which when presented grant success and represent retiring the HARD DC for this Challenge.Starn naturally accepts the objects and solomnly retreats back into the graveyard. He and Terjon then approach the mourners, who are now gathering around the grave site, preparing to inter the deceased child. Approaching in a dignified manner with downcast eyes, Starn carefully presents the coins to the presiding priest of Avandra, without saying a word. The woman accepts them with a quiet murmer, and procedes to place them in the child's palm, before finishing the prayer for the dead. Afterwards, as the family stands by, men lower the casket into the ground and many tears are shed. During this exchange Starn makes eye contact with the Lord Padraig, and Terjon beside him signs to the old man. As people begin to disperse, he waves the two of them over. Almost immediately the Lord's eldest son moves to place himself in a position which forces Starn and Terjon to halt, his face appears hard and his expression is not exactly friendly.Complexity 3 SC, Level 2 (DCs 9/13/20)Goal (staged): Rouse the Padraig family from their grief and muster them (5) and Winterhaven itself (8) against Cardinal Erban's heresy and impending coup.1/8 Successes/0 Failures/1 Hard DC Available/3 Secondary Skills Available/2+1 Advantages available due to beating Erban's posse to Winterhaven and arriving with Sir Terjon, Knight of Pelor/Primary Skill Training exhausted; None</blockquote>

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