Break

 I'm on holiday right now which makes updates a little tricky. The story will continue in a week or so.

Managal Campaign, Part 11

 38th Day of Last Rain (wet season).

Urban Adventure in progress.

Scene 2, Afternoon: Investigation. Stake = 1VP and a Clue.

The PCs decide to investigate Mistress Tavie’s house. They thoroughly check the gardens, then the basement levels before moving up through the house a room at a time. After a thorough search top-to-bottom, the group decide that while the odour is stronger inside the house, there is no sign of its source. There is no graffiti, and no magic detected in the house. Night falls and the frustrated group return to their town-provided lodgings.

Clue will be in Garden, Cellar, Attic, Sewer, Normal room (concealed), Roof. 1d6 = Roof.

Is it Magical in nature? 50-50 = No, but “Duty” (a guardian of some sort).

Rooftop Creature = Bird, Snake, Lizard, Insect. 1d4 = Snake.

Clue = rotten vegetation shoved under the tiles/eaves on the rooftop.

Spot Rolls to identify source of smell as the roof:

Ghost/Five/Morgan/Tavie 1 in 6 chance (high INT/Expertise), rolled 5, 6, 2, 4. All failed.

PCs (lose) 0 VP, 0 Clue.

Enemy (win) +1 VP. 2nd Inv/Act scene, (1d10=1) +1 VP.

Result. VPs 1 / 2 (Clues 1).

39th Day of Last Rain (wet season). Food 7.

Encounter 1 in 20. 19, No. 

Event 1 in 20. 3, No.

Urban Adventure in progress.

Scene 3, Morning: Investigation. Stake = 1VP and a Clue.

The PCs now investigate Governess Mae’s house. They enlist Mistress Tavie’s help due to her familiarity with the odours, and follow the same routine as before, checking gardens, cellars, and rooms top-to-bottom. The graffiti is very abusive and targets not just Mae but the whole “Nobility” - calling them “honourless scum” and “snakes, vipers” amongst other foul language from the gutter. Again there is no magic source in the house, however while Ghost and Tavie are searching the attic they both wrinkle their noses and look up … they call Naki to scramble up to the rooftop and he confirms - there are bundles of dead or dying vegetation packed under the tiles, and the damp rot is causing the awful stench.

Graffiti message (Oracle) = Debt (revenge for a slight? menaces for payment due? etc)

Graffiti provides a clue to “debt”? Likely = Yes.

Smell easier to pinpoint in Mae’s house? Likely = Yes.

Spot Rolls to identify source of smell as the roof:

Ghost/Five/Morgan/Tavie 2 in 6 chance (easy+high INT or Expert), rolled 1, 5, 4, 2.

PCs (win) +1 VP, +1 Clue (means and motive)

Enemy (lose) 0 VP. 3rd Inv/Act scene, (1d10=3) +1 VP.

Result. VPs 2 / 3 (Clues 2).

Interlude, Early Afternoon.

At Mistress Tavie’s house, Naki immediately climbs up to the roof and confirms the same mode of fouling the house. “Hang on a minute, there’s something else here - argh!”. There is the sound of Naki’s axe chopping against the roof tiles, then suddenly two halves of a 3-foot-long snake slide off the roof and splat onto the front garden path. Naki clambers down a trellis and thunks his axe into the grass to clean the blade, while Mistress Tavie looks on with a frown.

As this is essentially a repeat from before this does not count for Scenes, Clues or VPs. I did roll the 50-50 chance of “facing a fight” (i.e the snake) and rolled No, but I felt it was a cool thing to reveal rather than simply have no encounter. In hindsight, I would have made this a Conflict scene (Rooftop battle vs the Snake).

The group decides the next step is to spend a clue for an Action Scene - Guide the Target out of the foe’s reach. 50-50 to face a fight as well as a skill check.

Scene 4, Mid Afternoon: Action. Stake = 2VP (spend 1 Clue).

The group decide to hide Mistress Tavie and claim that she has suffered a deadly snake bite. She refuses to be used as bait to lure the enemy, but will go into hiding until it’s all cleared up. The group decide to cover her in a cloak and gallop her to the Temple Quarter where she will later be declared dead - but they will sneak out to a safe-house during the announcement of her demise. By nightfall there is no alarm, and the PCs are convinced their plan has worked - for now.

Mistress Tavie allows herself to be the bait in a trap? Very Unlikely = No.

Does the plan work? Likely = Yes, but “Mystery” (the Enemy will question the facts, and act)

Face a fight? 50-50 = No.

PCs (win) +2 VP, -1 Clue.

Enemy (lose) 0 VP. 4th Inv / Act scene, (1d10=2) +1 VP.

Result. VPs 4 / 4 (Clues 1).

40th Day of Last Rain (wet season). Food 7.

Encounter 1 in 20. 6, No. 

Event 1 in 20. 12, No.

Urban Adventure in progress.

Scene 5, Morning: Investigation. Stake = 1VP and a Clue.

The PCs decide to look into the plantations and brewery buildings, figuring these are the most likely places to get hold of significant amounts of fermentable vegetation. They poke around the crops, the presses and vats, and question the workers - who are surprisingly reluctant to talk about anything except the most basic facets of their jobs, and mentioning Mistress Tavie usually has them clamming up faster. Naki and Morgan decide to try the “good cop, bad cop” approach on the overseers of the plantation and brewery. They strike lucky as the Gaffer at the eastern croplands reveals that one of the farmhands who was laid off recently, a (50-50) Mr Aric Asqlan, has been seen hanging around the fields. “Aric had some sort of seizure in the fields, and couldn’t work. Tavie herself turned him away at the gate the very next day, she said he weren’t trustworthy to do the work any more. If Aric is messing with her house, she deserves it, the heartless bitch”.

Is Mistress Tavie well-liked enough that answers will be forthcoming?

50-50 = No, and “Seizure”. Medical or Theft? 50-50 = Medical.

Can Naki get anyone to talk about anything? 1 in 8 (Hard due to “no and”) +1 for “Blends in” and +1 for assist from Morgan’s “Terrifying Mien”. 1d8 = 1, success.

Who talks? Plantation overseer, farm hand, brewer, brewery labourer. 1d4 = Overseer.

What do they primarily learn? Seizure, Suspect, Debt. 1d3 = Suspect.

PCs (win) +1 VP, +1 Clue (Suspect).

Enemy (lose) 0 VP. 5th Inv / Act scene, (1d10=9) 0 VP.

Result. VPs 5 / 4 (Clues 2).

Managal Campaign, Part 10

 

31st-37th Day of Last Rain (wet season). Food 0. Rest in town.

Encounter 1 in 20 (3x per week). 11, 11, 19, No.

Event 1 in 20 (3x per week). 14, 1, 1, Yes. (Weather)

Urban Adventure Available (Tide Event last week).

The Weather Event is “2d6 day’s food has rotted”. The people of Managal have to tighten their belts for the next week as prices increase and availability plummets. The Cleric recruited earlier with Purify Food is diverted to the town crisis, along with others, and rangers are sent to hunt and forage further afield.

The PCs gain 176xp each for their last excursion. Morgan is only 1 hex exploration away from level up, which will give the party their first cure. Naki is one good treasure away.

Are the Oakhills able to persuade Vasily to retire? Unlikely = No.

The party donates 100gp to the volunteers for their time, healing, prayers and so on. They  also plan to buy another week’s provisions and animal feed (120gp). With 1gp/day housing for each person and animal (84gp) the party will be pretty much skint at this point (11gp left!)

However, Duke Rolf approaches the PCs:

“Friends, you have had a rough time out in the wild lands - perhaps I could interest you in staying a while and looking into a small matter for me … in exchange for your accommodation in town and re-stocking your provisions for your next trip?”

Scarlet Heroes Urban Adventure:

A Target belongs to a Group that is suffering problems from an Antagonist.

Target = Thief, Scholar, Guard, Priest, ‘Noble’, Oakhill. 1d6 = Noble.

Nobles = Headman, Housing, Social, Brewing, Worship, Thief. 1d6 = Social.

Governess in charge of Social Events: Governess Mae

Group = Race, Class, Status, Oracle. 1d4 = Status.

Tide Event from earlier: Smell/Nose (misleading):Sun/Moon.

Duke Rolf outlines the problem:

“You know Governess Mae of course, the Noble lady, head of our social events. Her house has been … defiled … over the last few nights. Nothing of value was taken, even the prize won from the bugbear monstrosity was still under lock and key. But she reports awful smells, getting worse and worse each night. And graffiti … awful words that I won’t repeat, heaping abuse upon her position as a Noble. We’ve opened up the windows to try and air it out - the neighbours aren’t happy to say the least! I will announce that the heroes of Managal are to investigate, and that will set everyone at ease.”

The set-up was based on the prompts, and:

Mae’s house closed up or not? 50-50 = No.

Any valuables taken? 50-50 = No, but “Abuse” (from the Oracle).

The reward is worth at least 300gp of goods and services, let alone factoring the current shortages of food, so the party accepts the quest, keeping their cash flow at 315gp.

38th Day of Last Rain (wet season). Food 7.

Encounter 1 in 20. 13, No.

Event 1 in 20. 1, Yes (Weather) Mudslide, Lose an important Non-Magic Item.

Urban Adventure in progress.

When will the mudslide occur? 1d2 + 1d12 = 9am.

Is it connected to the Quest? 50-50 = No, and will not directly affect the PCs.

Urban Adventures are essentially a race to 10 Victory Points, where each Scene is an opportunity to win VPs and Clues (which can be spent for better scoring Scenes) If anyone has any info or a clue, a roll on the Oracle will see what it suggests. Once things get rolling I will show prompts after the narrative to keep some secrets from the reader.

Where will the PCs start first?

Question Mae/Nobles, Question Neighbours/Guards, Investigate House. 1d3 = Nobles.

Will the Nobles co-operate? Likely = Yes, and eagerly. No skill rolls required.

Scene 1, Morning: Investigation. Stake = 1VP and a Clue.

Duke Rolf (Headman), Governess Mae (Social) and Mistress Tavie (Brewing) are available to be interviewed - due to a mudslide this morning, Lady Irina (Housing) and Sir Conordon (Worship) are otherwise occupied. Needless to say, the mysterious and possibly non-existent Master Thief “Grey Wolf” does not make an appearance.

“Governess Mae, can you think of anyone that wants to harm you?”

50-50 = No.

“Has anyone else noticed any similar problems recently?”

Nobles = Likely = Yes (Tavie, Conordon, Irina. 1d3 = Tavie).

Same problem? Likely = Yes, and she recognises the smell.

Mistress Tavie snaps her fingers. “Now you mention it, I noticed the smell of fermentation in my own domicile recently. You understand I am around these odours a lot, and merely thought the smell was clinging to my robes. I daresay in a day or two my house will start to pong something rotten!” She immediately rushes off to air out her own house.

PCs (win) +1 VP, +1 Clue (Connection to Nobles and Brewing).

Enemy (lose) 0 VP, 1st Inv/Act scene, (1d10=7) 0 VP.

Result. VPs 1 / 0 (Clues 1).