An Inn on the Borderlands IC

[WalkingTheShade]

This starts in a roadside inn, without a signboard, on the borderlands.

Its been days since the last town you went through.

At day, you've been following an ancient road, overgrown with briars and weeds, supported by in your venture by the lukewarm light of an early spring sun. Under the thin light, you've seen scarcely inhabited farmsteads and huts, afar, scatered over low hills and meadows. The region suffered much during the war. You even passed a couple torched towns and ransacked farms.

At night, a rampant chill often forced you to seek shelter between the walls of a ruined home, lighting a fire, if not only for warmth, also to keep the dark at bay.

Dusk has come for some time when you notice lights on the roadside. The inn itself is surrounded by earthen walls, five feet high, with a ditch on the exterior and a talus on the inside. One passage, large enough for a carriage leads from the road to what passes for a courtyard. A wagon, laden with tens of barrels and kegs, big and small, is parked here, next to a well. On the right, a barn. On the left, a two story wooden building. You take a couple steps up, first, to a covered terrace and, then, through a large door, you get inside the inn's common room.

A few notes of music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBLyXh-7YkQ) tickle your ears as warmth from the hearth seeps slowly into your bones. In the middle of the room, stands a long table on which reigns a steaming iron pot. On the opposite side of the room, you see a counter, hiding a few kegs and barrels, and stairs to the floor above. At smaller tables, half a dozen patrons are sitting, a few playing games of chance, another singing and strumming a small string instrument, another lost in haze from his pipe, yet another visibly passed out in front of a spilled wine cup. Two young aproned maids go around, bringing plates, refilling glasses. Looking more closely, one of the maids is still a child, brown-haired and freckled, albeit a little tall and lanky for her age. The other one is fresh as a vernal flower in bloom, with long lazy curls whose shade reminds you of a fox's coat.

As you take notice of the room, a fleshy matron comes towards you, looks you up and down, as if appraising cattle, and finally barks: "Seems business's pickin' up tonight. Two silvers a night, four if you want t'eat. Rooms are that way", she points to a door on your left, "just pick an empty one. Food's on the table, meat soup, just sit there and help yourself", she points to the long table. "Ask ma girls for drink. For that you pay extra. All clear?"

You arrive in order of posting and meet around the long table at the center of the room.
It's a draft and not up to any kind of scale.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Map_01_zpszdlohayg.png?t=1452349211

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a sigh and a smile, Stephen makes his way to the long table. Once there he carefully removes his backpack, slipping it underneath the bench where he can feel it with his booted feet. Then, taking a seat, he looks around at the common room, taking in the atmosphere. With a wave he gets the attention of the red-haired serving lass. "Good evening, miss! I would like the meal, mentioned by the matron just now, along with a light ale, please. How should I address you? I would be sad to not learn the name of such a lovely young beauty!" he says, with a friendly ease of many, many times asking the question of serving ladies.

[WalkingTheShade]

Stephen

"Oh my, you're a flattering one, aren't you? Name's Marta and welcome here, dear," says the serving-girl, with a mischevious smile. Stephen notices right away the matron looking at both of them, with a displeased expression, from the other side of the room; yet incoming travellers get her attention. "Food's in there," she says, pointing to the steaming iron pot waiting at the middle of the long table, "and I'll get you a bowl, a spoon and ale right now."

[DarkOne-Rob]

As Marta smiles back at him Stephen's smile turns into a full grin. "It is only flattery if it isn't deserved, Marta. In your case, it certainly is deserved!" he retorts before noticing the older woman's scowl. With a flirtatious blush he looks from (presumed) mother to daughter and hides his smile with his hand as he coughs to hide his laughter at the woman's response.

He sits back and carefully pulls a gold coin from his pouch. He then flips it into the air, entertaining himself with the flash of the yellow metal in the firelight as he waits for the young woman to return. "Desna bless this day and the travels of it," he mutters, the smile never leaving his face as he thinks back over the miles he has walked that day. With a prayerful seriousness he visualizes the roads and paths, committing them to his memory in silent worship of his goddess.

Once done he waits patiently, smiling and thinking of the lovely redhead as she gathers his utensils. "Lady Luck bless this inn, the travelers here, and the services given them by our hostesses...especially the red-haired one. It would be a lovely evening were I to spend it in her arms..." When Marta returns he thanks her before digging into the meal with the gusto of a man who has walked a long way that day.

Deliberately finishing his ale quickly he makes eye contact with Marta again, motioning to his glass and winking enthusiastically. "How late will it be before you're able to sit and join a tired traveler with a drink of your own?" he asks.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak simply followed on, almost muttering "four silvers it is". He tried not to stare at the pretty redhead while Stephen did all the talking. Without ceremony, he grabbed a bowl and a spoon, helped himself to some stew, and plopped himself down in a seat at a vacant part of the long table.

[daelrog]

Illy Carver stepped in. At first there was nothing to see but a traveler's cloak with a large cowl that covered her face, but as she entered she pulled it back. She was a little on the tall side for a young woman, but not overly so. Dirty blonde hair that had seen its share of travel was unkempt, but in a way that seemed to unfairly accentuate her cheekbones and chin. Hard green eyes nodded. "Yes, food would do me good. No drink though." Illy's voice was soft and timid. Her eyes glanced around, and she deiced to take a seat at the large table.

As she sat down she clasped her hands together nervously rubbing her knuckles with her fingertips. She licked her dry, chapped lips, and any looking could see that as she sighed her shoulders dropped a couple inches as the young woman relaxed. "I... did not see a sign out front." Her voice held a sliver more strength than before.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen looks to his new companions at the table, a genuine smile on his face. "Good evening," he begins. "I did not see a sign either, but that did not keep me from finding this inn. It looks like a nice enough place to spend a night to me, and I suspect it will do good for you both as well.

They call me Stephen. Since we will have the pleasure of dining together, what names do you both use?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Kolrak
When he enters, the look the matron gives Kolrak is one he is too used to. Scorn, mistrust or fear? or all of them together? A few of the patrons give him looks too, most of them of curiosity it seems.

Illy
When Illy comes in, she notices the red-haired serving girl frowning at her for a short instant, from behind the counter (from where she's fetching bowls).

Stephen, Kolrak, Illy
Both serving girls bring you bowls, spoons and a ladle. Now, the stew in the iron pot. The stew looks... Well, the stew... The stew smells, but nobody can quite place it. There's some kind of meat. Onions probably, there's always much onion. Some spices? Some local herbs? To plunge the laddle in the iron pot, one must first vanquish a scandalous layer of fat and gristle that's coalesced on top. Beyond that, the stew looks... it looks, well dull grey-brown. Probably over-cooked. It's not that it looks bad. After a couple days without food it certainly would look like a king's meal. It's just that it looks... underwhelming?

To Stephen's invitation, Marta answers first with a pout then high enough for the matron to hear: "aw, I'm sorry dear, still gotta work to do, and if I laze away, Ma's gonna smack me on the ear so hard 'till I roll over to the ditch." Yet, with her back to the matron, she gives Stephen a discreet wink.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak had seen all those looks before, and ignored them. The stew was underwhelming, but hell, he'd eaten worse.

At Stephen's question, he introduced himself simply as "Kolrak". The gruff word was almost grunted. "You looking for work too?"

[DarkOne-Rob]

At Marta's response Stephen looks appropriately modified, though the hopeful look and mischievous gleam in his eyes does not fade.

"Well met, Kolrak. And no, I don't go looking for work deliberately. When it finds me I do my best, appreciate the pay, and then move on to the next horizon. I am a traveling minister of Desna, Starsong, and my worship is expressed in the many miles my feet travel," he replies before chuckling. "Truth be told, I have been lost for so long I don't even want to find my way home to the land of my birth. There is more to see and experience on the broad avenues of life, anyway..."

[daelrog]

Illy at first didn't seem to want anything to do with Stephen. It wasn't that she was repulsed or anything so strong, only that she seemed intent to keep to herself. She noticeably became more interested though as he spoke of being a minister. "...Illy. That's my name." Her eyes glanced between Stephen and Kolrak. She decidedly did not look towards the serving girl, feeling that perhaps the best way was to pretend she had seen nothing.

It usually worked.

Illy ate the stew thankfully. She did have some food packed away in a sack she held close to her. However, a hot meal was a welcome change, even if the taste was poor.

[sithdrummer]

The door to the inn opens with a jarring scrape on the floor as Aloetta opens it. She pulls the pack from her shoulder and holds it in both hands while scanning the room for a moment. She settles her eyes upon an available spot at the center table nearest to the pipe smoker, and saves her spot with her pack. She is finally able to relax! She stretches her arms and her legs, briefly massages her neck, and even cracks her back a little. At a little over 3 feet tall, she is fully immersed in the pipe smoke coming from behind her; wisps of blue-gray smoke curl around her ears and over her shoulders. Aloetta, rather than being bothered by it, seems to relish the smell of it and inhales deeply through her nostrils. This produces a contented grin. Now satisfied and far more comfortable, she catches the eye of the younger maid, who is still carrying several tankards to tables around the room. Once the drinks have been delivered, the maid returns to Aloetta, who says, "I'll take a bowl and spoon for the stew, if you don't mind. And even if you do, for that matter! Ha ha! Oh, uh, do you have any red wine also? It would pair well with it, and honestly, I could really kill for some right about now." She finishes the request with a genuinely warm grin.

Once the maid leaves, Aloetta takes her seat and looks to the table - and if you were watching closely, you might have caught the slightest indication of disappointment as she looks more closely at the stew. Whatever sentiment of disapproval was there vanishes within a blink. She looks down the table at the others. At a short lull in the conversation, she clears her throat and interjects, "Well, good evening, hello, and all that! I'd be pleased to make your acquaintances. You can call me Aloetta. How do you all do?"

[WalkingTheShade]

Aloetta

The pipe smoker is sitting right next to the hearth, at one end of the room. The pipe smoke smells of pungent herbs and something else Aloetta can't exactly place.

The younger serving girl seems intent to look at her feet. She answers only twice with nods, once to request for bowl and spoon, once for the one about wine; then she is off without even waiting for Aloetta to finish her sentence.

At the long table

The younger girl is fast back putting bowl, spoon and cup before Arloetta. She takes a bottle she was akwardly holding under her upper-arm, intent on uncorking it, when— "Hold there, lass! You ain't gonna open a bottle of that piss on my watch or I ain't no Paulander no more!"

The man speaking is sitting not far from Illy, at another table where three other patrons and him are playing cards. The Paulander seems fit and well built, wears a crimson doublet and black leather. On the back of his chair are suspended a whip and a wide brimmed black hat. Clean shaven, rough features. Short sword, in scabard, set on the side of the chair. "Say lass, why don't you open up a bottle of the good stuff, the one I brought? These ladies and gents are world savvy travelers, parched, I'm certain, ladies and gents who, I'd venture to say, appreciate every rare and fine thing life can offer. My friend here particularly," the man nods to Stephen. "My other friend is built like an ox," he nods towards Kolrak, "and will need strong wine to keep healthy. What says you, friends? The next bottle's on generous Yvan Paulander! Bring, say, a bottle of white lass, yes, the white for starters." The serving girl gives a shy nod. Without a word, she goes back behind the counter to fetch another bottle.

"Friends, in your travels, be certain to mention my family's name. Wherever you're offered whatever that is they call wine in these parts, mention Paulander wine. My brothers and I, each on his own, we go through this country selling the best wine there is, southern wine, from where the sun shines on all days, springs are sweet and even winter is mild."

Three other men are sitting at Yvan Paulander's table. Two are clearly soldiers, wearing mail hauberks, matching tabards of blue and red, their steel helmets left on the side of the table. One looks absorbed by the playing cards he has in hand. The second seems impatient with Paulander, staring at him and grinding his jaw. The third man is dressed in fine clothes, sports long hair and a trimmed beard, holds his cards with gold ringed fingers, and is staring with intense curiosity at Kolrak.

Earlier, Stephen noticed that both the long haired man and the impatient soldier intently watched Illy while she crossed the common room. The lewd smiles they exchanged let Stephen guess there's nothing more to it than regular male gaze.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Map_04_zps56wssfqd.png

[Farmerbink]

A slight man with a large-ish, bulbous nose tugs at the sleeve of the red-haired serving girl. "Pardon, miss. Have you a high seat for yonder table? I'd be more than happy for a bite to eat." His eyes twinkle at the familiar sight of unfamiliarity- she didn't notice him enter. Of course, likely no one saw me through that cloud of pipe smoke the other wee one let off, either....

As a chair is acquired, Galton hops atop it with the nimble ease of someone used to climbing into oversized furniture. On his left sits the talkative Varisian youngster- perhaps Chelish? that garb would be recognizable anywhere on the content! I wonder what he's doing, so far from home....? Galton offers an amusing-looking smile and a nod. Scooping stew eagerly into his bowl, he crams the solid into his cheek cavity before meeting Aloetta's eyes across the table. "Mush be'rr now ere's worm fud head'n fur th'bully, thnksh!"

[daelrog]

Illy only gave a slight nod in agreement when Yvan said to mention his family name wherever they went. Otherwise, she didn't look back, instead keeping her eyes mainly on her food. She wasn't much of a drinker. She had tasted ale, mead, and wine before, but she didn't like how it made her dizzy, and she certainly didn't appreciate the headache in the morning. Still, she'd at least sip what she was given, not wanting to offend.

Though Galton spoke to the the barmaid, Illy found herself a bit startled when the gnome appeared seemingly from thin air. As well traveled as she was, Illy didn't interact with others often, and so many of the other races, gnomes included, were still very odd to her. She stared at him a couple moments longer than polite before digging back in. It seemed as she ate more of the stew, the faster she ate, and the bigger each spoonful was. A little bit of gravy started to dribble down her chin, but she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak was curious, and a little hesitant, but he decided to play along and see where this led. "That sounds a swell idea, friend. Who are your companions over there?"

[Farmerbink]

Galton looks at the loud-spoken man without turning his head to face that direction. interesting one, that.... His eyes sweep the table, as the pace of his consumption lessens. Still spooning the stew fairly hungrily, the odd-looking man says nothing of neither wine nor Paulanders...

[DarkOne-Rob]

"...Illy. That's my name."
With his ever-present smile, Stephen reassures Illy of his friendliness when he reacts to her quiet statement. "It is good to meet you, Illy," he says, loudly enough for the whole table to hear before gently making eye contact and continuing, more quietly, "I don't bite - if you want to speak more, you are welcome, but I won't push you. A smile on your face would do you some good though...it always works for me." Then with an earnest look of encouragement he returns his attention to the rest of the common room.


"Well, good evening, hello, and all that! I'd be pleased to make your acquaintances. You can call me Aloetta. How do you all do?"
Stephen replies with a welcoming gesture and flashes a quick grin at her cheerful demeanor. "The end of a long day's travel is always a good moment. Welcome to our table, Aloetta."


"...My friend here particularly," the man nods to Stephen. "...What says you, friends? The next bottle's on generous Yvan Paulander!"
As he is addressed as 'friend' by the large man Stephen's smile twitches for a moment in suspicion. "Free wine, huh..." he mumbles. "It isn't every inn that has such friendly folks..." His eyes flick between the man's companions, their armor, and weapons for an instant before his smile returns (a bit woodenly). As Kolrak asks about the group of men Stephen settles onto his bench, content to watch and listen for a moment before deciding how to react to Yvan Paulander and his offer...


On his left sits the talkative Chelish youngster...
"Oh! We are developing quite an interesting table tonight! Welcome to you! I am called Stephen - often with the phrase, 'the Lost,' tacked onto the end. Who are you? These lovely folks are Illy, Kolrak, and Aloetta," Stephen says, taking the lead socially as he greets the gnome to suddenly appear at his right hand.

When the younger server returns, this time with Paulander's bottle of wine, Stephen addresses her, quietly. "Sweetheart, what is your name? And do you have any idea why that nice gentleman would offer his own wine to a bunch of complete strangers?"

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa enters as discreetly as he can manage. He keeps his hood up, but the shape of his horns can still be seen beneath it. To his disappointment, he finds none of the tables empty--the largest would have to do. He nods at the others already sitting as he fills his bowl, but does not attempt to join their conversation.

[daelrog]

Unfortunately for Stephen, or perhaps in truth unfortunately for Illy, his kind words and friendliness seemed to push her away even more as she couldn't look him in the eyes, and she seemed to have no smile to give. Whoever she was, it seemed that she was either lacking in trust or happiness, perhaps both.

When a horned, hooded figure came in, Illy's eyes grew a bit wide. Her hand reached inside her cloak. Her body instinctively leaned a little bit away. She stopped there though, she didn't do anything else, but kept her hand inside her cloak and kept one eye on the newest guest of the inn. Illy didn't hide her discomfort that bordered on fear.

[Farmerbink]

The Gnome nods at Stephen. "Galt'n," he chokes, around a bite of... meat? much too big to facilitate speech. His wide-set hazel eyes pause suspiciously on the human girl, and follow her own gaze to a hooded figure with... rather particular bulges in the hood. Hmmmm....

He swallows, turning back to Stephen. "Sorry 'bout that. Galton." He smiles, though the expression doesn't quite reach his eyes.

[DarkOne-Rob]

As he notes who makes eye contact and where everyone is looking Stephen sees the last figure enter. The man's heritage is plain, but Stephen decides to make no mention of it. "Good evening, traveler. Desna bless you this day and bring you safely to the end of your road," he says, invoking the blessing of his deity upon the horned man without judgement or accusation in his voice. Then he gestures to an open spot at the table for the horned figure to sit.

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa keeps his gaze away from Illy. Perhaps there was a better way to deal with fear and distrust than pretending not to notice it, but he'd long since given up on trying to find one.

The Desnan, on the other hand, was not content to be ignored. At least he seemed friendly. "Good evening yourself," he replied as he took the offered seat, his voice low but clear. "And the same to you."

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

"What you mumbling in there," says Paulander to Stephen, "or never mind. You're drinking what? Cheap ale? Do yourself a favor and get a taste of some Paulander wine."

Paulander smiles to Kolrak's question. "This gentleman here is named Rickard," says Paulander, indicating the long haired man, "and here i—"
"Damn you Paulander, stop with the niceties, stop... just stop stalling and play your card!" yells the impatient soldier, slaming his fist on the table, shaking coins, cards and helmets.
"Hah, can you believe that man, friends? Why such a rush? See, my three opponents have been a tad unluck—"
"You won every round!"
Paulander coughs, "—a tad unlucky, but by being patient, and giving it time, I'm sure Lady Luck will smile to them again."
Paulander turns back to the card game. It's apparent that most of the coin on the table are in front of Paulander. Rickard, the long haired man, must be second, with a far smaller heap of coins. Both soldiers seem as unlucky.
It seems that Paulander is not being needlessly either chatty or generous. He's clearly trying to play on his opponents nerves. It's their money (that he just won from them) with which he's offering wine; and Paulander stalls by chatting around.

When the younger server returns, she gives a shy look towards Stephen as he whispers to her. She uncorks the bottle and with a frown leaves on the table next to him, before going back to her errands. A few paces away, the older server shakes her head, making her red curls dance. She comes to the long table and sighs as she puts a cup in front of each guest. "I'm so sorry, my sister isn't as well raised as we'd like. Let me make this up to y'all." She starts going around the table, pouring drinks in each cup in turn. When Stephen's turn comes, as Marta bends to fill his cup, her bodice brushes against his shoulder. She whispers into his ear.
"Ma, she doesn't need know everything... maybe when every one's asleep... leave your door slightly open..."

Tezaa

Tezaa's entrance attracts even more attention than Kolrak's. You all hear the matron talking to him. "Good night for ya freaks t'come in 'ere. As long y'got coin, I ain't one to mind. Make sure y'pay what y'owe, hear me?" As Tezaa crosses the room, the singer stops singing, interrupted by a fit of coughing. He drinks from his cup of wine to make it pass.

At the long table

After Tezaa exchanges greetings with Stephen, Paulander turns back. "Ah, a new friend, please have a drink with us!" Paulander raises his glass.

Paulander is going to keep the wine flowing as long as you drink.

Who drinks? How many cups? For each cup, take a cumulative -1 on one mental stat, player's choice.

Fluff effects, if you wanna roleplay them:
-1 INT: memory is... is... is... what was I saying? What's your name again? Where's my boot?
-1 WIS: discernment is for the weak, I tell you... tell you ALL, I AINT DRUNK and I CAN juggle with knives.
-1 CHA: f*** sociability, stop lookin' at me funny, leave me alone, I ain't in a mood for fun and talk.

Of course, you could go any combination: -2 WIS and -3 CHA giving something lacking both discernment and sociability, like insulting every patron present then moving out and climbing on the barn roof to continue drinking there by yourself (well, maybe an extreme example, but you get the gist).

Starting at five cups, FORT save DC 5+number of cups already drank to avoid being graphically sick or passing out, player's choice. You can use the [rollv] tag to roll an array of saves at once.

One cup's effect disappears after each hour spent without drinking. Two cups for each hour spent sleeping or passed out. FORT save DC 5+number of cups on the morning after or be sickened for the rest of the day.

That's just for fun, don't bother with the bookeeping if it's too annoying: in that case, your character drinks as much as they're fine with and wakes up fresh the day after.

You can keep track of the mechanics in the OoC thread so we don't alcoholize pollute this one.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen watches Paulander and his men silently, many encounters with loudmouthed braggarts suggesting it to be the wisest choice. When Marta mentions her sister he returns to his jovial self, though. "Your sister looks a bit overawed by the many different faces tonight. She must be what, twelve? Working as hard as she is, I am impressed with her efforts!" he says, loudly enough for the compliment to be heard by Marta, her sister, and her mother. When the redhead makes her way to the other side of the table Stephen raises his wineglass in her direction before making a toast. "To this fine inn, its varied patrons, the wine provided by Mr. Paulander, and especially our hostesses! Cheers, everyone!"

Taking his time to first inhale the aromas (and watch his companions' reactions to the wine) before drinking, Stephen is pleased to smell strawberry notes and a hint of summer honey. "Mr. Paulander" he calls. "This wine is quite good. Is your vineyard nearby? I would not have expected these war-ravaged lands to be capable of growing such excellent grapes. Thank you kindly for your generosity!" He then slowly drinks his glass, savoring it with an appreciative look on his face.

It takes Stephen several minutes to finish his glass, during which he time he realizes that he and Aloetta are by far the most verbose of the guests at the table. As the minutes pass he does what he can to engage everyone, though, showing no sign of concern for whatever haunts each of them. By the end of the meal he has had several glasses of the wine and finished his bowl of stew and bread. As she passes he asks Marta for a mug of black coffee. "...if you have it - I wouldn't want to fall asleep early tonight!" he quips with a smirk. Turning to the others, he asks, "Would anyone else like a cup of the bean's bitter drink?"

Stephen will have three glasses of wine, earning a -3 penalty to his Intelligence. Should any of the other PCs wish to try the coffee (assuming there is any to be had) he will pay for their mug (coffee (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/gear/foodAndDrink.html#coffee) is 1 cp per cup on the SRD).

[Athaleon]

"Sure, I'll have a glass, thank you," Kolrak replied somewhat stiffly, though his smile was genuine. "But it sounds like you better be a gracious winner and pour some drinks for your other friends there," he indicated the agitated card-players.

He nursed his glass, enjoying the flavor immensely. He'd never had wine this good before, in fact he'd been under the impression that all wines were vile stuff. But it was just that vile, vinegary swills were the only wines he'd ever tried. He considered asking about another glass when Stephen mentioned the coffee. "Why not?" he shrugged. He had no idea what 'the bean's bitter drink' referred to, but then, the wine had pleasantly surprised him.


Kolrak will take one glass of wine and -1 CHA

[daelrog]

As the minutes went by, Illy began to loosen up just a little. It seemed like half the time she brought the glass to her lips she sipped it, the other half she merely let the liquid wet her lips before putting it back down. As she saw Stephen be friendly with everyone, and as she saw that Tezaa was another guest she stopped acting defensively. She was no talker though, and only answered in one to three word responses.

As Illy pulled out four silver coins from her belt pouch, she decided to brave speaking to Marta. "How much for a bath?" She looked slightly sheepish as she glanced back to her glass of half full wine. "And for some soap?" She hadn't bathed since the last town, and even then had only used water. She dared to glance back up at the barmaid.

[sithdrummer]

To Galton, Aloetta smiles and nods in agreement as she begins to fill her own bowl from the pot, and to Stephen, she merely smiles.

After Paulander deflects her wine order to push his brand, Aloetta's eyes narrow, and she peers closely at him through the thin haze of smoke surrounding her. After determining his offer to be genuine*, she gives a brief nod to the server and to Paulander, acquiescing to the change in beverage. "I always like to experience something new. Cheers!" She pulls out a long pipe, catching the eye of the other smoker as she does so and giving them a friendly wink. Her pipe has tiny inscriptions carved along the sides, and the bowl is carved in the shape of a bear's head. She begins to smoke, thickening the small fog around her head.

Through the course of the meal, she drinks two glasses of the Paulander, finding that, although it does not pair well with the stew, it is nevertheless rich and flavorful. Aided by the wine and smoke, she finds her mind wandering to simpler times and early memories - walking through strawberry fields untouched by the destruction of war. A relaxed smile plays over her lips. When Stephen offers the coffee, Aloetta politely refuses.


I assume the spoiler you posted was for Sense Motive.
The glasses induce a WIS -2 effect. Aloetta remains as sociable as ever, and she values knowledge too much to drink her intellect into a stupor.

[Farmerbink]

As the matron of the establishment barks her "greeting" at Tezaa, Galton takes in another larger-than-necessary mouthful of the stew. He nods along, gesticulating his agreement, as he struggles to put the meaty broth away. He raises the offered cup, allowing the cute red-haired serving girl to fill it, and swallows it down in two quick gulps. A sigh carrying distinct notes of meaty aromas and contented attitudes escapes his lips as he settles into the short back of his chair. His eyes narrow slightly, as he allows the glass to be refilled. This time, he only sips, but does so with a certain gusto that belies any sense of patience.

After the second glass has been emptied, Galton finds himself nodding along and agreeing with Stephen. "It is good wine! Nothing at all like that sour excuse for the stuff they try to peddle in the southlands. Why, I could drink this all night!" At the bemused expression and nod of assent from his unlikely patron, Galton's eyebrows rise. "Why, certainly, ma'am!" For the third time, his glass is filled.

It isn't long at all before Galton has put away a full half-dozen glasses of the sweet delicacy- all the while growing more and more talkative as the liquid courage works its inexorable magic.

[Cyclopean]

Not wishing to offend, Tezaa accepts the offered wine with a polite smile. He drinks only one cup--any more and he might not be able to resist tirading against such a boring intoxicant with such pedestrian flavors.

As the evening wore on, he could help but become more comfortable. There was the initial pall when he'd first walked in, sure, but even that shy girl seemed to have calmed down. The half-orc seemed a decent sort, and he appreciated that he wasn't trying to force conversation. And though at first he'd wished that blowhard Stephen would just shut up, Tezaa couldn't help but feel there was something genuine behind his chatter. Acceptance was an intoxicant all its own, after all.

At the mention of coffee, he couldn't help himself any longer. "A fascinating drink, isn't it?" he says, retrieving a bean from the pack at his feet. "Sharpens the senses, focuses the mind, quickens the body. What if I told you I could brew a drink more potent than any cup you've ever had? A drink with the power of ten, twenty cups of coffee, all from this single, ordinary bean?" He sighs. "Sadly, it won't work for you." He produces a glass vial filled with brown fluid and sets it on the table. "The drink is attuned to me, and I lack the...preservative compounds that would allow another to reap its benefits. You probably wouldn't even appreciate the taste. Alas. Such is alchemy."

Tezaa will take -1 Wis, shown here by loosened inhibitions leading to unabashed snobbery. He's talking up his extract of Heightened Awareness, which does, in fact, have a coffee bean as a material component.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen looks at the horned man with interest. "That is quite interesting! I have heard of magical potions before, but never understood the difference between them and alchemical creations such as yours, um...what did you say your name was again?" he responds. From the expression on his face it seems clear he cannot remember if anyone had received the tiefling's name from him yet or not...

[Cyclopean]

"Tezaa." He makes a motion as if to offer his hand, but appears to think better of it. "In the case of my extracts, there is little difference, truth be told. You could consider them liquid spells. Where some wave their arms and recite magic words, I mix, distill, and so forth. Of course, I can use the same methods to make all sorts of mundane wonders." He looks again at the coffee bean in his fingers. "For example. Potion-brewing aside, I could still brew you the strongest coffee of your life. But I would need more than one bean. Though it may feel otherwise, there is no magic to coffee."

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Yvan Paulander seems happy to answer Stephen's questions. "Our vineyards are to the South, as I was saying earlier. It's actually my sister-in-law's side of the family who works the land, but my brothers and I travel the realms to sell it. We've also started trading in other wines and spirits we find on the road, but the wine you are drinking, friend, is our wine."

When Aloetta turns towards the other pipe smoker, she can't quite make his face out, hidden as it is by melting smokes, both from his pipe and that from the hearth left undragged by the chimney. Yet, she distinguishes what she thinks to be a nod, in response to her wink, as the man exhales some pungent smoke. He wears fur and leather that doesn't look like local garb, nor peasant clothing.

Soon, the younger girl comes to the long table, a bowl in hand and fills it with meat stew. She then goes behind the counter and takes the stairs up, bowl in hand.

For a time, the guests at the long table keep conversing. The man by the hearth goes on smoking and silently observing the room. The singer finishes a song, takes a drink and starts a new one. The card players go on with their game, with a few hurrahs, rising bets and a lot of teeth grinding. The man passed out in front of his cup stays still, giving a snore from time to time.

The younger serving-girl comes down from the stairs, bowl in hand, and goes to the Matron.
The bowl is steaming, it must be still full.
Tezaa and Illy both overhear the girl talking to the matron, "still won't have any", then the matron's reply, "can starve 'erself for all I care. Bring that to th'boy."
The younger serving-girl exits the common room by the main door, into the evening dark.

Marta answers Stephen's call for bean's bitter drink with a smile and a: "sure, lemme ask for a pot." Marta goes to a door, on the side of the common room, and through the door forwards the request. She comes back when Illy calls for her. "I'm sorry dear. The kitchen's busy an' we can't warm the water just now. What little soap we've left, we use for ourselves, not for trade. Maybe we can warm you some water tomorrow after noon?"

After a few minutes, Marta comes back from what can be summarized to be the kitchen, with a somewhat rusty metal kettle smelling strongly of coffee. She goes around the table filling mugs. As she bends not far from Illy, her kettle bumps against a cup, the cup tips over and wine spills; some of it on Illy. "Gods, m'lady! I'm so very sorry. I'm such an idiot sometimes."

[daelrog]

Illy's hands went up in reaction to the wine spilling on her. She could already feel it sink into her clothes, and dampen her skin beneath. "I... it's fine. It's fine. This has been a long night, perhaps I'll just go to sleep now." She stood up, her back straight, her fingertips pressing hard against the table. Strands of Illy's hair were blocking her eyes, but rather than brush the hair away, she actually brushed more to cover her face.

She glanced towards, but not directly at, the others at the long table. "Thank you, you all seem nice." She then tried to quickly make her way towards where the rooms were, if no one stopped her.

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa pauses his rambling as he listens to the conversation between matron and maid. "Hmm," he mutters, looking contemplative. A moment later, he shrugs. None of his business.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Well met, again, Tezaa," replies Stephen. He makes no move, nor does he show any sign of taking offense at the tiefling's rescinded hand. It does not appear that he is one to create conflict when there doesn't need to be any.

When Marta spills wine on Illy and the girl rises to find a room Stephen stands, politely, as she leaves. "Goodnight, and sleep well," he says to her as she leaves, before returning to his seat and shrugging towards the others.

Stephen spends the rest of the evening enjoying his coffee, talking with the others at his table, listening to the music, and continuing to subtly (he thinks) flirt with Marta. Several times he looks wistfully at the card game at the other table, but then returns to his coffee instead of acting upon his interest. Otherwise he seems content to remain there until the common room has emptied, as he makes no move to leave until things quiet down.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak called after Illy, "Oh, miss, I have some soap." He fumbled in his pack and retrieved a block of soap as the coffee came around. He broke off a chunk over the corner of the table and held it out for her.

[daelrog]

Illy spun around, surprise on her face. Her brow furrowed for a moment processing the words, then recognition coming on her face as she saw him break off a piece of soap for her. "Thank you, Kolrak." She took the piece with both hands. "Thank you."

For a moment she looked like she wanted to say more, but thought better of it and scampered off, now looking less like a broken thing and more like the actual girl she was.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta remains for a little while longer after finishing her second glass of wine, taking the time to enjoy her pipe and relax from her traveling. She engages in idle chatter with the visitors at the long table while she does so. After about an hour, she makes her excuses and leaves the table to find a room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid I now have some things I must attend to this evening. Thank you for a colorful dinner and engaging conversation. May you all sleep well tonight."

She stands up and puts on her backpack, which had been resting next to her. On her way to talk to the matron, she passes by Paulander's table and says, "Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep the Paulander name in mind for the next time I'm parched."

She then finds the matron and tells her she'll be in the last room on the left, if it is not occupied. When she gets there, she's going to read for a while before going to sleep.

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa downs his own concoction as the others sip their coffee. He seems to become more lively, but no more talkative--lost in his own thoughts, perhaps.

"I shall retire as well, I think," rising as Aloetta leaves. "Good night, Stephen. Kolrak." He didn't bother trying to recall if he'd heard the name of the sloshed gnome. Before going to his room, he stopped by the bar to count out four silver coins for the matron.


Tezaa's extract gives him +2 to all perception and knowledge checks, but only lasts for 10 minutes. Probably the duration has run out on it, but I'll let Shades make the call if need be.

He'll take room 6--as far from the noise of the common room as possible.

[WalkingTheShade]

Tezaa

Marta happens to be fetching something behind the counter when Tezaa gets there. "You need to see with Ma' for payment," she says, after noticing coin in Tezaa's hand. Marta waves the matron who comes, and pockets the money. "Can't say I like that look o' ya, but you at least y'got manners, not like all these ruffians who're waitin' for th'last moment t'pay. Have a good night." With this, the matron gives what is in all probability a genuine affectionate smile, but ends up looking more like a snarl than anything else.

Illy, Aloetta, Tezaa

Behind the door the matron pointed to, earlier in the evening, is a corridor with wooden doors on both sides. Tezaa's eyes swiftly accomodate to the half light. Some doors are ajar, others closed. Maybe a dozen small rooms in total. Through the open doors, one can see that each room has a hay matress on the ground, heavy blankets and a solitary chair. Yet, the rooms look clean enough and don't smell. The doors have no lock on them.

At the long table

The card players finish yet another hand. Yvan Paulander gets up to get a couple more bottles from behind the counter. Coming back, he pauses at your table. "Say friends, isn't there one of you who wants to play with us? That game is way more interesting with five players than four."

New blood joins the card players and soon a hand is dealt. Yet, before the game can actually begin, it is interrupted by an unusual entrance. The man in the dorway is not tall, but heavily built. On his shoulders, he carries a dead fawn, throat cut, bleeded, two broken arrow shafts extruding from the flank. As the matron goes towards him, he growls. "Not dealing with you, woman. Where's your man?" There's a heavy silence, as even the minstrel stops singing.

From the kitchen comes a yet larger man, with thick muscular arms, a thick neck and a huge gut. He carries a cleaver and wears an apron that might have been white in another age, but is currently covered in fresh blood, as are his hands up to the elbows. With a swift flick of the arm, he slams the cleaver in a nearby table where it's stays upright, stuck in wood, before moving towards the deer hunter. "Usual price", says the hunter, dropping the fawn on the floor. The bloody man searches in his pockets, and without counting them, gives a handful coins to the hunter. The hunter examines the dirty money, nods then leaves the inn.

The bloody man picks up fawn and cleaver before going back to where he came from.

All those of you who took a meal have finished eating. There's time for a couple rounds of cards, let's suppose a little under an hour. After that, the matron will yell that she's closing for the night and the guests should go to their rooms. Unless you have some crazy idea, here's what's left for your characters to do.
Participate in the card game. As many as four of you can play, as all the players other than Paulander may be persuaded of leaving their seats. Rules have been posted here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21067523&postcount=26).
Go to sleep. You need to pick a room. Just give me a room number (see the map posted in the OOC thread) other than the ones already picked.
Stay some more in the common room and get drunk on Paulander's tab. Give me a summary, in the OOC thread, of the various topics you'd like to discuss and with whom, and I'll give you a summary of what (if anything) your PC learns.

[daelrog]

The room may not have smelled, but Illy knew she did, a scent of travel and a bit of wine. She removed her cloak and boots, but left her other clothes on as she stumbled onto the hay mattress. She had been on the verge of tears, yet again finding a reason to see herself as little more than a freak, stepped upon by decent folk. However, the others at the table had been nice enough, and one had even given her a small gift, however trivial it was. Certainly it was more than she was used to, and as she closed her eyes she looked forward to the idea of a nice, hot bath.

As sleep took her, Illy wondered what the inn's name was.

[Cyclopean]

"I'll play a hand," says Tezaa, who had still been within earshot as Paulander made his invitation. "Gods know I'm not about to make coin at anything else."

Tezaa tenses as the hunter conducts his business, and does his best not to attract his gaze. He had dealt with enough violent and unpredictable men to have a sense of when it would be prudent to avoid notice.


Int: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]
Sense motive: [roll2]

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a hunger in his eyes (that has only been matched when looking towards Marta) Stephen nods and joins the men playing cards. "I must warn you all - Desna is a goddess of luck and games of chance! It may be unfair to include me in your game, but I would be thrilled to join you for a couple of hands..." he says, following Tezaa towards the table.

Listening closely as the rules are explained, Stephen nods and does his best to play, relying solely on the blessings of his goddess to win...

Round 1:

Intelligence [roll0]
Perception [roll1]
Sense Motive [roll2]

Round 2:

Intelligence [roll3]
Perception [roll4]
Sense Motive [roll5]
After the games are over Stephen makes his way to the matron of the house where he pays her and thanks her for her hospitality, saying, "May the Goddess of the North Star bless your house this night. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. Goodnight." He then makes his way to a room (#4) where he settles down with his holy book and a candle to read until Marta joins him...

[Farmerbink]

In the suddenly awkward silence that follows the hunter's entrance, Galton approaches one of the younger serving maids. "Pardon, miss. Might you direct me to the privy?" He smiles at the girl fondly for her answer, and sneaks out the door behind the hunter- pointedly leaving his small satchel at his place on the long table.

A short time later, Galton reenters, distinctly noting the tension still hanging in the room. He approaches the matron, casually flipping a single gold coin. "The stew was quite good, miss. Let me thank you again for the hospitality you've shown us tonight. I do so hope we've not inconvenienced or upset you somehow." With a friendly smile, he reaches out to drop the coin into her hand. Does an expression of relief flicker across Galton's face as the woman pocket's his coin? No, the flickering light of the torches and fireplace must just be playing tricks in the smoky common room. The round-faced Gnome bows eloquently, and takes a few small steps back, before shambling towards the card players.

Room #7, gonna go ahead and roll the fort save else sickened tomorrow: [roll0] vs DC 11

[Athaleon]

The scene with the hunter was tense, but fortunately nothing seemed to come of it, and Kolrak wasn't about to disturb anything. He declined the card game—Paulander looked like a skilled player and Kolkrak was a novice—and just sat and sipped at his coffee. Must be an acquired taste, he thought as the bitterness hit his tongue. He slowly finished his cup out of courtesy, but by the end still hadn't acquired a taste for it. Since the wine was still coming, he requested another glass, drank it, said his good nights, and headed up to bed.


Drinking another glass of wine for another -1 CHA, and off to bed.

[WalkingTheShade]

A card game

The impatient soldier is more than welcome to leave his place at the game table. "Lost enough for one night already," he complains sourly. Tezaa and Stephen end up sitting next to each other. In front of them, sit Paulander, the long-haired man and the calmer soldier.

Paulander, who refills cups continuously, tells about his home country and his travels. He is an unending spring of anecdotes, news and hearsay.

The long-haired man is mostly silent. He smiles from time to time at Paulander's stories, yet doesn't add much. From his manner of speech and his general demeanor, Tezaa and Stephen gather that the long haired man, Rickard (they soon learn his first name), must have been raised as a nobleman. Rickard often glances at Tezaa, neither afraid or hateful, but very curious it seems.

The soldier could be mute, it wouldn't change much. Any questions asked of him are answered by nods or grunts.

The card game goes for some time. It soon becomes clear that Stephen is too drunk for anything demanding concentration. He makes mistake after mistake. Tezaa fares better, but not by much. At one point, everyone notices the soldier's clumsy try to draw from the discard pile. This vain attempt is met by a rolling of eyes from Rickard and a few friendly jibes by Paulander.

During the game, the singer retires to his room, as does the pipe smoker. The lone drunk is still passed out in front of his spilled cup. A boy, smelling strongly of stables, comes in and silently goes next to the hearth where he falls asleep on the ground.

Paulander affects a bumbling drunk persona; after all, he's been drinking and refilling cups the whole evening. Yet, in the end, Paulander ends up luckier than anyone. He wins by far and proposes a last drink, to celebrate a great game.

Some moments after the game, the matron calls out. "Lights out. We're closin', go t'your rooms y'all."

Paulander is first. Rickard second. Tezaaa is third, and gets his stake back. The guard is fourth, and Stephen last.

[Farmerbink]

Galton enjoys several long minutes sitting at a stool overlooking the game. More than a few times, he squeezes his eyes shut and scowls in a vain attempt to refocus and glean some clue what the hell is going on. For most of the evening, however, it's abundantly clear that the quiet Gnome hasn't the foggiest clue what's going on. Finally, as the matron makes last call, he all-but falls off his stool. Looking distinctly worse for the suppression of his mental facilities, he garbles something nonsensical that vaguely sounds like "take my leave," and wanders towards the guest rooms.

Turning to the left, he stumbles into the first door he sees, fumbling stupendously with the handle before unlatching the empty room. The door is well weighted, and gently closes behind him. Anyone nearby might notice him flopping unceremoniously onto the straw mattress and snoring almost immediately.

[Cyclopean]

Before going to bed, Tezaa moves the chair against the door in an attempt to hinder anyone trying to enter his room uninvited. He uses the weight of his armor, pack, and cloak to reinforce the obstacle. Not much of a barricade, but better than nothing--and he had learned to be careful.

Tezaa sleeps with his bandolier beside him and his knife beneath his pillow.


[roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

The smell of smoke wakes Illy up. No, she was here, she's been here for long, she wasn't sleeping, she'd just stopped minding herself. Illy feels hunger. Smoke clouds her sight. She tugs on her wrists, still bolted to the wall behind her. It's getting warmer. Not that she feels warm; she somehow recognizes warmth. The place must be on fire. She felt only hunger. Now she feels a primal sort of fear. Her body is convulsing like a mad animal's. She feels one bolt giving way. One hand freed, her claws dig her other hand free. Through the smoke, she climbs towards an exit. A trapdoor is in her way. She pushes on it. It is latched. She starts madly clawing at it. She hears the latch being removed. The trapdoor opens. Mother is behind (the matron, recognizes some other part of Illy's mind). Mother has freed Illy. Illy is hungry. She looks at mother with craving. Mother is choking from the smoke. "Run," mother manages to bark in between her coughing, tears in her eyes. Illy runs through the flaming inn.

Galton is woken up by the sound of hinges. Someone is entering his room, a candle in hand. When Galton's eyes adapt to the lighting, he recognizes Marta. "Am I in the wrong room?" She kneels next to his mattress, putting her candle down next to Galton's lute. As Galton sits up, she passes a gentle hand in his hair and starts kissing him. We take what is given, thinks Galton, not believing his luck. She is slow and tender, somewhat resilient; he's somewhat in a rush. Yet, as Galton has finally gotten her on her back, as he is fumbling with his belt, he feels something sharp run coldly against his throat. Only blood comes out when he tries to scream.

Kolrak is half woken by muffled sounds. He turns on his mattress. Groans? Sighs? People moving around in the next room? It goes on for some time before Kolrak his fully awake. He finally gets to his door, opening it slightly. In the corridor, through the darkness he spies Marta slowly closing a door to another room. Marta then silently goes towards the common room.

Tezaa is instantly woken up by a conversation; and just then, a slap. Tezaa gets to his window. Through night's darkness, he sees the huge man from earlier, still in his bloody apron. The younger serving girl, looking all the smaller in front of him, is teary eyed, nursing her cheek. The huge man points away from the inn, "I don't care," he adds, "y'go get it". The man walks back to the inn's entrance. The girl stays in place, crying silently for a moment, then runs in the direction indicated earlier. Against all caution, Tezaa's curiosity gets the better of him. He opens his window, and slips out behind the girl, positive that the humans can't see him in the darkness. From a short distance away, he spots her going up a talus and disappearing behind it. Tezaa climbs the talus in turn. Tezaa recognizes the stink of body filth and rotting meat. In the ditch beyond, cadavers have been thrown, half a dozen of them. The girl is among them, searching one body. She removes a purse or parcel from it. She suddenly starts running back up the talus and Tezaa has to hug the ground not be seen against the night sky. As he looks back on his morbid discovery, one body starts moving, getting up. It shambles towards Tezaa, who finds his wits fast enough to throw a bomb towards it. Fire lights briefly the ditch and Tezaa notices other bodies twitching. It is enough for Tezaa to run back through his window, close it and move his barricade in front of it, heart pounding.

Aloetta is lurching on the old road, surrounded by woods. (No, not me, thinks the oracle, a vision.) Aloetta's vision-self is clutching her (his?) stomach; holding on a protruding crossbow bolt. Gut shot. Not going to last long. Aloetta's sight becomes blurry. Her vision-self stumbles to the side of the road then drags himself next to a tree. He's healed as much as he could of his wounds, but he has no more strength for this. He tries to pull the bolt out, but the pain makes him faint. Aloetta's vision fades out and comes back. Metal clangs, horse whinnies, soldiers on the road. Soon an armored knight is kneeling in front of Aloetta's vision self. She (he?) starts telling the knight about the inn, before death comes to take him.

Stephen

Stephen must have fallen asleep in front of his book. The sound of his door opening wakes him up. Marta deftly slips through. She kneels next to his mattress, licking her finger to pinch his candle out. As Stephen sits up, she passes a gentle hand in his hair and starts kissing him. She is slow and tender, somewhat resilient; maybe a lack of experience, after all she is quite young. Gently, Stephen gets her on her back. Yet, as he is fumbling with the lacing on her bodice, he feels something sharp run coldly against his throat. Only blood comes out when he tries to scream. In the darkness, Stephen can't distinguish who his assailant is, but he feels a couple more stabs in his ribs.

In the morning, Stephen wakes up. He's in shock for a moment, not realizing what happened. As he gets up, there's no trace of blood or anything on the mattress. Stephen feels suddenly reassured. Yet, he feels weak and his ribs are throbbing with pain. As he passes a hand on them, he realizes he has scars there. Pulling his clothes up, he notices new scars. Yet, from the look of them, suture marks and all, Stephen could swear the wounds date from at least months, if not years ago. He passes a hand on his neck and finds another, longer scar.

Stephen takes 1d3 CON drain. I mean it, drain, not damage.

Galton, Aloetta

Galton and Aloetta wake up each in their own room, as they left it yesterday night before going to sleep. They both feel tired, maybe a little weak, but it might only be the after effects of morbid dreams and good wine.

Aloetta and Galton takes 1 CON drain. Again, drain, not damage.

Kolrak, Illy, Tezaa

Kolrak, Illy and Tezaa wake up each in their own room, as they left it yesterday night. All just a bad dream. But Tezaa garners very important doubts, when he realizes his barricade is now in front of his room's window.

[daelrog]

It wasn't the first bad dream Illy had ever had, yet despite how many restless nights the young woman had endured there was always ways to make it worse. This dream had been worse. The claws... the motherly way the Matron was... the fear. The fear was real enough, she knew all too well what that kind of fear was like. Hopeless, maddening, savage.

Illy felt a cold sweat on her body, odd given how in the dream she felt only the heat of the burning inn. She rolled out of bed, collecting her things, not trusting to leave anything unattended in the room. She'd get a bath, clean her clothes, and then be on her way again. She opened the door, and headed back to the main room.

[WalkingTheShade]

Illy

Back in the common room, only the matron and the younger girl are present, sweeping the place with a pair of old and tired brooms. The matron raises her eyes from her dirt mound and says to Illy, as she'll do to every next guest: "bread an' blood sausage for breakfast. Five coppers a plate."

[Athaleon]

Kolrak was not sure what to make of the goings-on of the previous night. Marta snuck away to have some fun with one of the guests? Not his business, he decided. He gathered up his things—easy since he hadn't even bothered to unpack them—and headed back to the common room for breakfast. "Whew," he remarked seeing Illy, with his characteristic lack of tact, "you look like you haven't slept well."

[Farmerbink]

Galton wakes up, mentally and emotionally refreshed. What a night! Can't believe my luck! He hops out of bed and lets out a huff. Something like fatigue seems to have set in to his bones. He shrugs. Good wine, great company, what's a bit of a hangover to a night like that?! Whistling a jolly tune, he ties the band on his loose brown breeches and steps into the hallway.

In the common room, he comes across Illy and Kolrak- perhaps not the most sociable of his drinking companions the night before, but beggars can't be choosers. A winsome smile flashes Galton's face as he flips the matron a silver. "Much obliged, miss. If the food's anything like last night's meal, I'll gladly take double portions!" With a plate piled high, he sidles up to a chair and heartily sets into the meal.

Only the faintest twinkle of disappointment marks the older serving girl's absence.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen wakes with a start, notes his new(?) scars, and grows immediately concerned. It doesn't take him long to figure that something real happened the previous night, and that it was really bad...

As the realization comes upon him he kneels in the center of the room, facing the window, and begins to fervently pray for several long minutes. Then, gathering his light pack he steps out the door, intent on leaving the inn that very morning. "Better to flee and live than stay and...well...whatever happened last night won't do good to experience again," he mumbles to himself.

[roll0] Constitution Drain

"bread an' blood sausage for breakfast. Five coppers a plate."
In his weakened state the sound of such a heavy meal nearly makes Stephen vomit on the spot. Instead he barely controls his gag reflex and sits next to his companions from the previous night, an unusual look on his face - a haunted, frightened expression completely without mirth.

[daelrog]

"Mm." Illy nodded in affirmation to Kolrak. "It's all right, I don't normally sleep well." She rubbed her hand across her face, trying to hide that last night had actually been worse. Illy put out a silver coin, she didn't have have coppers in her coin bag.

"Just need food and a bath is all." She had just said about as much to him in those two sentences as she had said to him the entirety of the night before. "Did you sleep any better?"

Illy wasn't sure what to say to Galton and Stephen, the two seeming to have two very different nights.

[Athaleon]

"Hmm, that one looks to have slept even worse." Kolrak waved at Stephen. "Wasn't your room I saw Marta sneaking out of last night, was it?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

[Cyclopean]

No, thinks Tezaa, as fear jolts him into wakefulness. It didn't make sense; he'd have smelled the bodies in the talus. It couldn't have been real...and yet, he was short a bomb. Not to mention that the barrier was now in front of the window.

He armors up and refreshes his bombs. No sense going forward unprepared. Extracts could wait for later.

Tezaa shakes his head at the offer of breakfast, doing his best to maintain his composure. "In a moment. I need to dispose of some expired reagents right now." This was true enough, but it wasn't really why Tezaa was striding out the door and towards the Talus.

He had to see.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta wakes with a horrible pain in her stomach. The details of her haunting vision grow a little fuzzier in the process of awaking, so she replays the images over in her head several times (as she usually does when struck by oracular visions, in order to hold onto as many specifics as possible). The pain in her stomach subsides gradually during this time and, within a few minutes, turns into a stomach rumble. She hears the sounds of bustling activity in the hallway, at which point she gets dressed and comes out to have breakfast. To the matron:

"Hello, and thank you. However, I don't believe I'll be having any blood sausages this morning - a bit too heavy. I'll be glad to pay you three coppers a plate, if you've got some butter or honey. Both would be best."


Diplomacy
[roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

The matron bellows towards the kitchen and soon Marta is coming back and forth with plates, each containing a piece of bread and a grease-fried sausage.

Galton's happiness at seeing Marta again is improved by the looks of the double portions deposited in front of him.

The matron replies to Aloetta. "Finished all our honey over winter. But there oughtta be some butter left." The matron pockets Aloetta's coin and goes to the kitchen's door to forward the order. Soon Marta is back with bread and butter for Aloetta.

Unless Stephen wears a scarf or anything hiding his throat, any character may notice his scar. It's however easy to disregard its sudden appearance on account of it not being as obvious the prior evening, in a dark and smoky room.

Tezaa

"Sure y'don't wan' nothin' t'eat first?" answers the matron to Tezaa, "do as y'fancy."

Outside, Tezaa goes around the inn and climbs the talus. He is pretty certain that he is in the right place. Yet, there are no bodies or traces of anything being carried or thrown down in the ditch.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen makes an effort to avoid looking in Marta's direction, the fear in his expression evident. He makes no effort to hide the sight of he new scars, nor does he mention them. In fact, his continued silence is totally out of character from last night...

[daelrog]

When Kolrak mentioned Marta's foray last night, Illy made a face. She misinterpreted Stephen's silence for guilt after the fact, and turned away from him as she ate. Any looking at her would notice she didn't have the best table manners. She used her hand to pick up the blood sausage, and her fingers started to shine with grease.

She seemed genuinely curious when Tezaa walked out, but it was on Aloetta she settled on. "You... don't feel well?" It came out awkwardly, trying to start small talk, but having nothing else to say.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak, for his part, ate his sausage breakfast heartily. As he looked around, he remarked "Looks like most of you had bad nights. What, did you stay up and drink too much?"

[Farmerbink]

Galton all-but physically dives into his plate of sausages. With a fervor unparalleled in the room, he tears pieces from the larger link and devours them- sighing contentedly through his nose. At first, Stephen's uncharacteristic silence is lost of the Gnome, so enamored he is with his breakfast. After a few bites, he allows his pace to lag- though it's even odds whether the goal is the savoring of the meal or the attention paid to his companions.

"Oy, sh's roigh y'know." gulp! "You look like hell, man- Stephen, was it?" The portly Gnome lets out a low, knowing chuckle. "If the wine upsets your humor so, you'll have to remember to lay off a little earlier, next time!" A thoughtful expression settles over Galton's face. "I, for one, found the taste simply delightful!" He sighs, and stuffs another piece of sausage into his face. "N' I k'nt say mush abou' th'game you w'splayin' but fer m'self-" gulp! His eyes subconsciously shift towards Marta. "I much enjoyed the accommodations. More than a damn sight better than another night alone, beneath the stars!"

He turns fully to Marta, and offers the red-headed serving girl a strikingly broad smile- his mouth appears about two sizes too big for his face. "Lass, be a doll and fetch me an ale? I need something to wash this-" he gestures to the half-empty plate- "down with." Tossing the girl a silver, he takes a brief break from the meal- ostensibly waiting for his breakfast drink.

He turns to Kolrak, his expression warring between amused and confused. "You know... I don't remember much of last evening, come to think of it!" He chuckles. "That wine, though..."

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Marta seems taken aback by Galton's smile. It is hard to say if it's out of surprise or something else. She fumbles the silver out of the air and into her apron pocket. She gives a smile. "Aye dear, one washin' ale a-coming," she adds, with a somewhat dramatic note. On her way to the counter, she stops and comes back. "But y'know there's some of that merchant's wine left if you fancy it more than ale?"

The long haired man from yesterday (Rickard, as Tezaa and Stephen know) enters the common room. He sits at another table nearby, actually the one where he played cards yesterday, and orders venison, beans, bread, a couples eggs and some wine. He also asks for some food "to eat on the road" and for his horse to be prepared. The matron sends the younger girl to the barn, with a simple order, "tell th'boy to brush an' saddle m'lord's horse".

Nothing much (outside of PC actions) is going to happen this morning. Most guests other than the PC have already left. Of course, you can take as much time to discuss IC. Whether each of you decide to prolong their stay in the inn or move on with their travels is up to you. At this stage, don't hesitate to split if it makes sense to you more than staying together. Once it's clear who stays or leaves, the action will pick up again.

[sithdrummer]

[Illy] seemed genuinely curious when Tezaa walked out, but it was on Aloetta she settled on. "You... don't feel well?" It came out awkwardly, trying to start small talk, but having nothing else to say.
"Oh no, I feel fine now," Aloetta says. "Just looking for lighter fare this morning, and I could never turn away bread and butter." She smiles, but unlike last night, it seems a bit forced and uncomfortable. The look in Aloetta's eyes is less present, more distant. She's not quite looking through you, but she is definitely distracted. In spite of this, Aloetta's recognizes an impending onset of awkward silence when she sees one coming, so that as her manners kick in, she tries to fill it with conversation.

"Where will you be off to today, Illy? I didn't really have the chance to speak with you last night, between the general clamor of dinner conversation, and oh- that incident with the wine! I sure hope it comes out of your clothes without any trouble."

[Farmerbink]

"But y'know there's some of that merchant's wine left if you fancy it more than ale?"

Marta's question draw's Galton's attention away from Kolrak, and elicits a distinctly thoughtful expression. After staring vaguely into the ceiling beams for several seconds, lips pursed in thought, Galton shakes his head. "No, I think ale is for the best. As I recall, that wine did a number on the old brain box last night. Seems prudent to keep my wits about me- until later, at least.

Speaking of which, I assume the same offer of lodging applies for another night? These old boys-" he gestures to his legs, swinging listlessly on the high chair- "are still a bit stiff from the last couple weeks. I think I could use another night of rest and recuperation..."

[daelrog]

Illy shook her head to Aloetta. "I'll keep moving. I'll get clean, rinse out what stains and dirt I can from my clothes and be off. I don't need to trouble the inn any longer than need be." She didn't shout the words, but said it loud enough for hopefully Marta to hear. Illy didn't want any confrontation with the redhead. She'd learned through her travels that she could at least get most people to be civil if she'd promise to be out of their hair. It gave people who wanted her gone a common cause with Illy.

The young woman paused. "I'm not entirely sure where I'm going yet. Somewhere with more people maybe."

[Cyclopean]

Having dumped out his old bombs and readied new ones, Tezaa returns to the inn. Wordlessly, he lays five copper on the counter for his breakfast. He eats in silence as he tries in vain to make sense of last night's madness.

But y'know there's some of that merchant's wine left if you fancy it more than ale?"
Tezaa's eyes light up with an idea. Perhaps there had been something in the wine? A slow-acting poison? He retrieves the empty waterskin from his pack. "It is too early for wine, I think, but I would like to take some with me. How much would it cost to fill this skin with it, Miss Marta?"

When he was at the talus, did Tezaa find any trace of his missing bomb?

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen doesn't look any better as the conversation continues, and seeing Galton and the others eat causes him to look positively green around his ears. "I think...I think I need to just go," he says, quietly, before standing and making his way to the door. He looks at the unusual company and the inn - where so many mixed and different emotions have transpired in one night - and then shakes his head resolutely. As he leaves he makes a symbol reminiscent of a butterfly against his chest, turns his face towards the road, and begins walking. It doesn't take him long before the fresh air and feeling of the earth passing underneath his feet begin to lift his spirits. As he starts to feel better he begins singing quietly to himself, only a little more than a hum, and begins to try and put the whole night behind him...

[Athaleon]

Kolrak finished up his breakfast, paid for his meal, and began to address the other travelers at the table. "I don't know where you all are headed, but if we're going in the same direction, seems to me we'd be safer traveling together—ah, hell", he broke off to run to the door and call out to Stephen before he got too far. "You're not thinking of traipsing off alone, are you?"

[Farmerbink]

Galton looks only slightly disappointed that so many of the new acquaintances from the night before are making an early start to the day. For a moment, he flashes an apologetic glance at Stephen, but shrugs when the larger man steps out into the early morning sunlight.

Graciously accepting the tankard of ale with a polite smile, Galton liberally washes down the grease and grime of blood sausages before returning to his breakfast with a more delicate, timely pace. Aloetta seems unsure of her immediate future, and there are few enough others in the common room, so Galton gives the Halfling a neighborly smile. "If you've a mind to stick around, I'd be pleased for the company. You know, they say our kinds have more in common than it seems- I'd love to hear about your life and family."

[WalkingTheShade]

Aloetta, Galton

Aloetta and Galton stay at the inn, chatting the morning away, as the inkeepers clean-up the inn and prepare for another business day. The rest of the day passes like a lazed bank of fog over a snow-melt river. None remember precisely when the curtain fell, but slowly, a daze lifts and actors come back on stage. Soon enough, it is evening. Aloetta and Galton find their way back to inn's common room.

Illy, Tezaa, Stephen, Kolrak

Alone or together, Illy, Tezaa, Stephen and Kolrak leave the inn behind them.
A last glance back, however, reveals a pale and dark haired woman, at an upstairs window, watching the travelers as they go away.
Travel days pass in a slow and uneventful haze. One evening, Tezaa sits down with his wine skin and alchemical reagents but finds nothing dangerous with the wine. After some time, each traveler parts way and soon enough, as evening falls, something ominously familiar guides lone travelers back.

At the long table

It feels like that moment between sleep and awakening; like that moment if it could stretch and bend.

A few unseemly gargles hang in the air as warmth from the hearth seeps slowly into the guests' bones. Illy, Tezaa, Stephen, Kolrak, Galton and Aloetta are sited at the long table, at the same spots as last time. The waning light, at the windows, indicates evening. On the table, reigns a steaming iron pot. At a table nearby, Paulander, Rickard and two soldiers are playing cards. The singer is here too, looking very pale, gaze dull and empty. His throat is slit, his side punctured and dried blood mars his colorful doublet. From time to time, the split throat of the once-singer let's out a bloody gargle from its gash, as the being's fingers pick random and discordant chords. Near the hearth, sits a figure with a bolt extruding from his guts. He holds an extinguished pipe in a desiccated hand. Another guest is visibly passed out in front of a spilled wine cup. Two young aproned maids go around, bringing plates, refilling glasses. A fleshy matron stands at the door, watching over the whole business.

Before anyone asks: except CON drain (and scars for Stephen), you're here in the same state as you got on that first night. (Upside: meaning Tezaa has all his bombs now!)

Also, yes, time didn't subjectively pass the same for each of the PC. Galton and Aloetta felt only one afternoon pass. The travelers felt a few days pass. (Of course, you don't know that yet IC.)

[daelrog]

Illy was open to traveling with others, though the girl was shy company. She did not want to talk about her past, did not want to talk about herself at all. She could listen though, and as she traveled longer was more and more willing to smile, frown, and even laugh a little at what others would say.

-

As Illy came to full consciousness, as she regained full control of herself, her eyes went wide. Her head moved around taking in the madness around them, watching as some of the guests were in the same state as she was, others were acting normally as if nothing was amiss, and a couple were...

Illy's hand trembled as she reached into her cloak, just as she had the night she'd been sitting at the same chair. Her hand felt the grip of her axe, just as she'd also done before. Only now her grip was much tighter. Only now she felt like she'd need to use it.

Otherwise she said no words.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"You're not thinking of traipsing off alone, are you?"
"I cannot imagine doing this any other way..." replied Stephen to himself without turning to respond to Kolrak.

"All right - I may not be the bravest, nor the wisest of men, but this is definitely not normal..." says Stephen, his eyes wide and his movements stiff. "There is no way to know this for sure, but we are going to need to find someone to trust here, and I am willing to go on a little faith for a moment - are all of you really here and mortal, or am I just being plagued with madness?"

With the same green look on his face that he had during breakfast several days ago Stephen looks around and sees the two mortally wounded men, and goes greener still. He doesn't touch his plate or cup, too terrified to really move before hearing the response of his companions to his question...

[Cyclopean]

"I've known since something foul was afoot since I first awoke here," murmurs Tezaa. "I am here, mortal, and present as yourself, but I fear madness plagues us all. When we slept here, I...dreamt...I saw the cook from the other night, speaking with the young serving girl." He glances at her if she is present, and continues with his tale.


Tezaa is instantly woken up by a conversation; and just then, a slap. Tezaa gets to his window. Through night's darkness, he sees the huge man from earlier, still in his bloody apron. The younger serving girl, looking all the smaller in front of him, is teary eyed, nursing her cheek. The huge man points away from the inn, "I don't care," he adds, "y'go get it". The man walks back to the inn's entrance. The girl stays in place, crying silently for a moment, then runs in the direction indicated earlier. Against all caution, Tezaa's curiosity gets the better of him. He opens his window, and slips out behind the girl, positive that the humans can't see him in the darkness. From a short distance away, he spots her going up a talus and disappearing behind it. Tezaa climbs the talus in turn. Tezaa recognizes the stink of body filth and rotting meat. In the ditch beyond, cadavers have been thrown, half a dozen of them. The girl is among them, searching one body. She removes a purse or parcel from it. She suddenly starts running back up the talus and Tezaa has to hug the ground not be seen against the night sky. As he looks back on his morbid discovery, one body starts moving, getting up. It shambles towards Tezaa, who finds his wits fast enough to throw a bomb towards it. Fire lights briefly the ditch and Tezaa notices other bodies twitching. It is enough for Tezaa to run back through his window, close it and move his barricade in front of it, heart pounding.

"But when I awoke, certain it had been a dream, I saw the barrier remained in front of the window, and I was short a bomb." He grimaces. "I found the talus bare when I checked that morning. I suspect we'd see something very different if we went to look now." He looks around at the other confused and fearful faces at the table, as contrasted by the blithely ignorant innkeepers and gamblers. He hoped he had not been overheard by anyone not sitting at the long table.

[Athaleon]

"Madness, or some sort of spell," Kolrak muttered. His nerves ached with adrenaline, and he wanted nothing more than to draw his greataxe and barge his way back out the door. But he knew it would be useless. He kept his cool and forced down his butterflies, opened his eyes to the second sight, and examine the scene around himself. One hand closed around the handle of his cold iron shiv.


Casting Detect Magic and studying things in-depth until he's interrupted:

- The pot on the table
- The throat-cut singer
- The dead man with the pipe
- The passed-out patron
- Paulander and his companions

Taking glances at the matron and maids when he thinks he can without being noticed.

[Farmerbink]

Galton blinks once... twice... The Halfling was pleasant-enough company, if a little shy. They converse amicably enough, and before he knows it twilight begins to fall over the inn. He turns aside, intent on finding Marta and ordering a drink when he first sees the singer- blood seeping from an open wound. Galton's eyes widen, and he slowly turns back to face the table and Aloetta- and everyone else?!


""[COLOR="#808080"]All right - I may not be the bravest, nor the wisest of men, but this is definitely not normal..."
Galton almost responds with a short quip before recalling the horrors he's just seen. Dumbstruck, he looks down at the table, to see that food and drink has been arrayed- exactly as it was the night before.

"No wine, tonight..." He mutters. "That's for damned sure, at least..."


"Madness, or some sort of spell,"

Galton's eyes widen. His eyes defocus, and he passes his glazed vision over the room, searching for arcane signs and hints of what might be taking place in the realm of the invisible.

Detect magic. I'm gonna start with the dead singer, and then the gamblers. If I have time to pick up all of the auras (6 total rounds, assuming they're not in the same cone relative to me), and move on, I'll look for Marta and the matron next.

[sithdrummer]

"If you've a mind to stick around, I'd be pleased for the company. You know, they say our kinds have more in common than it seems- I'd love to hear about your life and family."
"I, uh, yes. I will be staying an evening. Truth be told, there seems to be something familiar and strange about this inn, though I can't quite put my finger on it."

She pauses a moment, then chuckles softly to herself.

"Truth, heh. I suppose I've always been obsessed somewhat with finding out the truth. My mother always told me that it was my mission from an early age. She and my father were both minor bureaucrats in Erandal, you see, and had hopes for me to continue in their stead. When I apprenticed at a library, my mother hoped it would be to learn more political theory and statecraft, but I could not restrain myself to a single subject. I learned of history and the material elements, but also the supernatural, magical, and planar. As the people's actions clamored for war, they could not see it - I love them, but they were hopelessly optimistic when it came to the opinions and welfare of citizens. I didn't rely on people's alleged good natures, and didn't count on their ability to act or vote in their own best interests. But my knowledge protected and aided me in the horrible years that followed."

As the day passes, Aloetta and Galton continue to converse about family history and times before the war.

---

It almost feels like one of those moments where you're nodding off and you catch yourself "falling." Aloetta's eyes snap back into focus, and the last several minutes (hours?) are suddenly hazy and irretrievable. She looks around - why is she back in her seat from last night? - and notices that Galton, Stephen, Illy, Kolrak are all back as well. She remembers conversing with Galton today. Didn't the other three leave the inn?

She takes in the room, still unsure of what she's seeing. Across the long table and the steaming pot, her eyes stop on the singer, and grow in horror as her brain recognizes what she perceives to be a dead man strumming. After a few minutes, she tears her focus away to discover the rest of the room. When she settles her vision on the pipe smoker, her stomach drops - fast - and she lets out a sudden exclamation involuntarily - however, it comes out in a language that likely none of you have ever heard (though you may recognize some vague resemblance to Gnomish)*. Internally, she wonders (in between a series of curses) why on earth she left her stuff in her room. She takes a mental inventory - only her daggers, belt pouch, spell component pouch, pipe and tobacco are on her person. She takes a moment to steel herself and calm her nerves, until she is able to understand the speech of those around her once more.


"All right - I may not be the bravest, nor the wisest of men, but this is definitely not normal..." says Stephen, his eyes wide and his movements stiff. "There is no way to know this for sure, but we are going to need to find someone to trust here, and I am willing to go on a little faith for a moment - are all of you really here and mortal, or am I just being plagued with madness?"

Aloetta responds slowly and deliberately. "I know I'm alive - at least as much as I am aware of it. It is impossible for anyone to gauge his or her own madness, but one must still presume sanity until the evidence saying otherwise is overwhelming. Still," (this part is said aloud but mostly to herself) "the connection to my dream last night is striking, and dreams are children of the mind. This connection is extremely troubling."

With that last line, she noticeably looks at the pipe smoker once again.

*The exclamation is spoken in Aklo, a language found in remote pockets of the Darklands that is thought to have otherworldly origins.

Aloetta is going to cast Detect Poison on the soup, and on the wine if it is offered again as it was last night.

Also, regarding the singer and the pipe smoker, would the smoky haze last night have been enough to conceal their wounds? In other words, could those injuries have been there last evening, and Aloetta just failed to notice them?

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Kolrak and Galton both mutter a strange incantation, before starting to watch over the room. "Hey you," barks the matron to Galton, "dontcha go 'round thinkin' y'can stare our guests down like this!" Yet, as Galton averts his arcane gaze from here, the matron seems satisfied.

The only auras Kolrak and Galton perceive are those of each others spell, that they both recognize. Then, they also shortly feel the aura of a spell around Aloetta. They both recognize that spell as a similar, but not identical, divination.
Aloetta, on the other hand, mutters something and starts gazing at the food and drinks available on the long table.

Aloetta doesn't feel the presence of any poison.
Seeing her gazing over the food and drink, Paulander turns in his seat towards your table. "My reaction, exactly, when I beheld what passes for drink in this inn!" Paulander let's out a chuckke, then calls out to the younger serving girl. "Say lass, why don't you open up a bottle of the good stuff, the one I brought? These ladies and gents are world savvy travelers, parched, I'm certain, ladies and gents who, I'd venture to say, appreciate every rare and fine thing life can offer. My friend here particularly," the man nods to Aloetta. "The lady seems pickier than me and will need fine wine to be satisfied. What says you, friends? The next bottle's on generous Yvan Paulander! Bring, say, a bottle of white lass, yes, the white for starters." The serving girl gives a shy nod. Without a word, she goes back behind the counter to fetch another bottle.

"Friends, in your travels, be certain to mention my family's name. Wherever..." goes on Paulander, giving the same salesman speech as you've already heard once.

The younger server returns, uncorks the bottle and leaves it on the table, before going back to her errands. A few paces away, the older server shakes her head, making her red curls dance. She comes to the long table and sighs as she puts a cup in front of each guest. "I'm so sorry, my sister isn't as well raised as we'd like. Let me make this up to y'all." She starts going around the table, pouring drinks in each cup in turn. When Stephen's turn comes, as Marta bends to fill his cup, her bodice brushes against his shoulder.

Aloetta has the presence of mind to stay concentrated on her spell until the wine ordered by Paulander is brought to the table. It isn't poisoned either.
"Anyone need anything else? Who wants to eat? We can bring bowls and spoons."

[Farmerbink]

"I know I'm alive - at least as much as I am aware of it. It is impossible for anyone to gauge his or her own madness, but one must still presume sanity until the evidence saying otherwise is overwhelming."

At this, despite the apparent horror all around, Galton cannot help but stifle a snort. "We're all bloody bonkers, then..." he mutters, just before his spell takes hold.

Somewhat subdued by the matron's bark, and left oddly unsatisfied by his own inspection, Galton starts when the neighborly merchant begins speaking. "That's..." His eyes widen, as he looks across the table at Aloetta. "What in the nine hells is going on?!" he whispers.

Distinctly uncomfortable, Galton nonetheless finds himself nodding along with the man's offer. "Yes, a white sounds... lovely." As the wine is served, Galton's eyes wander from face to face, looking for something- anything to hint that they're equally uncomfortable by the... unusual turn of events.

Bloody damnit. I knew sense motive was gonna come up. [roll0] to get a hunch about... anyone.... (I'm pretty sure that actually can't work, as typical hunches are DC 20, but if someone's bluffing, maybe I'll figure something out...)

[daelrog]

Illy stood up, her chair almost falling to back. However, just as the chair seemed ready to tilt all the way backwards, it rocked forward, the front legs hitting the tavern floor. "No. Not this. Not again. I'm leaving." Her hand still was tucked inside her cloak, ready to defend herself, perhaps ready to attack someone as well.

"I... I w-w-won't play a-along." The poor girl began to stutter and she shifted her body, trying not to show her back to anyone for too long. "No f-food. N-n-no w-wine. I'm leaving." She slowly tried to step towards the front door.

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Illy makes hesitant steps towards the exit. The matron looks at her with a surprised expression. "Leavin' already darling? Somethin' wrong?" The matron's expression becomes harder as she turns towards the guests still sitted at the long table. "If 'nyone o' those unwashed ruffians is givin' you trouble, he'll hear me." She slaps a hand on the card players' table, making heaps of coin ring and jitter. "Y'all in here, y'all leave the girls alone, understand?" belows the matron, warning each and all suspected ruffians possibly in the assembly.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen watches Illy go, not willing to intervene but without any sign of hope in his expression. "Desna guide you, young lady," he offers in blessing, respectfully standing as she leaves. Then he sits again before looking about at those left at the table.

"I can tell you all this - the night I slept here I was plagued with a horrible nightmare and cursed with horrible, new scars that appeared overnight. Since that time I have not been well, and I can only imagine it has something to do with this inn. Especially since we are back here tonight with a phantasmagorical scene repeating the events we saw before.

I am not prepared to flee yet, as I am worried that it will not matter, but I loathe the idea of sleeping here again. Shall we try and...well...'poke holes' in the inconsistencies we are witnessing? For example - no one but us seems to be upset by the slain men animated as undead over there..." he nods in the direction of both the smoker and musician. "...It is likely to upset any of these other people who might be innocent of this horror, but we might learn something. What do all of you think?"

[Athaleon]

"Hell, I'm up for whatever you think will help. Just wish I knew exactly what was going on first," Kolrak growled softly. "Some kind of magical devilry, that's plain, but it's too subtle or well-hidden for me to spot."

[daelrog]

Illy stopped when the Matron spoke to her, and her eyes moved to Stephen and Kolrak when they both spoke. As she shifted her gaze back to the Matron, the words came out softly, but still carried across the room. "I am wrong." She looked back to the others, shaking her head. "And so is this place."

Unless anyone physically tried to stop her, she left the inn to head to the barn.

[Cyclopean]

"I'm game for such a plan," says Tezaa, "but perhaps we should be more subtle as we begin our inquiries. It's clear that we are the only ones to see anything amiss, but what is it that the others see? One of us could feign concern over the...late...singer or smoker to the matron or Paulander, see how they respond."

[WalkingTheShade]

Illy

Illy exits the inn and, under a darkening dusk, gets to the barn. Hinges of the heavy door give a long lament as she pushes it open. Under lantern light, a boy is brushing horses. In addition to Illy's donkey, three horses are tethered here: two larger plow horses and a swifter looking courser. Not far from it, a nice saddle is deposited in the hay.

The boy turns to Illy, but doesn't make eye contact, eyeing the ground. "Y'want th'donkey prepared, m'lady?"

At the long table

Conspiring at the long table pauses for an instant, as everyone notices the younger serving girl comes along, a bowl in hand, and fills it with meat stew. She then goes behind the counter and takes the stairs up, bowl in hand.

The girl seems to be sulking even more than her usual. A pout of the mouth, an increased stoop in her shoulder and a deepened frown all point to the fact that she resents her current task even more than all her usual ones.

Paulander turns away from the card game once again. "Not many of you seem to be enjoying the wine, friends? Is anything wrong with it? Has it turned sour? I'll ask for a replacement bottle right away."

[daelrog]

Illy stared at the boy for a few seconds. "I don't know." She tried to read him, tried to see if maybe he might know something. "Do you know what's happening? Is it because of me? Am I doing this?" Her eyes didn't stay in one place, unable to focus.

Away from everyone else she let her guard down a little more. She was desperate for an answer.

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

Galton looks about, masking his nerves with the steady ease of a practiced charlatan. "No, Master Paulander. The wine is quite nice." As a show of confidence, he takes a gentle sip- easily and obviously enjoying the same sweet taste as the night before. He's careful to not drink too much, leery as he is of the mostly unremembered night before.

Instead he turns back to his companions. With only a quick wink- deliberately facing away from the matron and merchant- he spreads his hands. "Come now, calm yourselves. I cannot speak to what may have upset the young woman, but we're all well here, no? The company is pleasant, the food is fine. Relax! Enjoy resting your heels for a time, won't you?" Urgently, Galton attempts to bring some semblance of calm back to the situation.

The last thing they need is more attention while they try to figure this out.

I don't know if this is bluffing for a secret message, or just bluffing. At any rate: [roll0]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen, still a bit wide eyed, but seeming to calm down slowly, nods at Galton's words but does not raise his glass to drink. Turning to Marta as she passes, he asks, "My dear, your sister looked quite perturbed - is something wrong? She did not seem happy to bring the meal upstairs...is someone ill? I am a cleric of some small merit, and might be able to offer my healing skills if there was a need..."

[Cyclopean]

"The singer, for one, is not," Tezaa whispers to Galton. "Can you see that? Or perhaps you'll be the next to end up like him..."

[WalkingTheShade]

In the barn

Illy's stare seems to make the boy really nervous. He freezes in place, his chin and eyes moving side to side, like a wounded animal looking for an escape. Though, Illy knows this kind of reaction. The boy is certainly shy and fearful of adults. To her question, he looks at Illy briefly, brow furrowed and eyes open wide in confusion. "I... what d'you mean? You're doin' what?"

Yet, somehow, she can't say why Illy feels that's not all. Maybe something she recognizes in his posture or tone of voice, something familiar she knows herself: some kind of shame or a diffuse sense of guilt. Illy doesn't feel it necessarily has to do with her line of questioning, but there may be something here.

At the long table

When Galton compliments the wine, Paulander seems reassured and answers with a smile. Soon enough, just like last time, Paulander is interrupted by accusations of stalling from another player and let's out a few complaints before going back to their game. The matron seems mollified enough by Galton's intervention and goes back to the door, waiting for unlikely customers.

Marta on the other hand seems taken aback by Stephen's questions. "Oh, nah, she just actin' as her usual mopey and moody self. I mean it's nothin'... really, I mean, she's not ill. My sister-in-law's upstairs. She's just been, huh, tired, for a few days, that's all, nothin' t'worry yourself about." Marta finishes with her routine smile but fools nobody. "Nice of you t'ask, dear," she finally adds, perhaps too enthusiastically.

[sithdrummer]

Stephen watches Illy go, not willing to intervene but without any sign of hope in his expression. "Desna guide you, young lady," he offers in blessing, respectfully standing as she leaves. Then he sits again before looking about at those left at the table.

"I can tell you all this - the night I slept here I was plagued with a horrible nightmare and cursed with horrible, new scars that appeared overnight. Since that time I have not been well, and I can only imagine it has something to do with this inn. Especially since we are back here tonight with a phantasmagorical scene repeating the events we saw before.

I am not prepared to flee yet, as I am worried that it will not matter, but I loathe the idea of sleeping here again. Shall we try and...well...'poke holes' in the inconsistencies we are witnessing? For example - no one but us seems to be upset by the slain men animated as undead over there..." he nods in the direction of both the smoker and musician. "...It is likely to upset any of these other people who might be innocent of this horror, but we might learn something. What do all of you think?"
At this, Aloetta's ears perk up. In a low voice: "I don't know if you heard me, but I also had a terrible vision of injury and death last night. In it, I was wandering along an old road holding my stomach, and when I looked down, I saw that I was bleeding, and a crossbow bolt was sticking out of my belly. I collapsed next to a tree off the road, and fainted. When I came to, a knight was kneeling over me. In the dream, I told him about this inn, and-"

She stops, suddenly, and a brief shudder wracks her body.

In the same low voice, she asks Stephen, "What did your dream entail? If you are willing to tell us, anyway."

[daelrog]

Illy gave the boy a bittersweet smile that was heavy on the bitter. She looked at her hand as if it was an alien thing. "I don't know. Something happened a long time ago, and I've been running from it. I don't know if it's caught up to me or not." She looked back to the boy. "I want to leave this place, but I don't think the donkey can take me far enough away, can it? Something wants me to stay, to come back, doesn't it? Please... I just want to leave. That's all."

[Farmerbink]

Galton eyes Tezaa, his eyes betraying obvious discomfort. "obviously!" he whispers, harshly. "Look, I'm trying to make sure we don't get killed here, alright? At least, not yet! Just play along. See what you can figure out, but don't be so blasted obvious about it! You gotta know something is watching us!"

He nods along with Marta's obviously false explanation, and locks eyes with Stephen. "So thoughtful. Gods forbid it, should any of us get hurt, I for one would be happy to have you by my side, friend." His pointed look seems to convey both honesty and something akin to expectation.

As Marta leaves, and Aloetta shares her vision, Galton nods slowly. "Indeed. Sadly, I recall no particular warnings in my dreams, but anything you know could help, Stephen..." He absently picks at the food, beginning to suspect that whatever ill has befallen them has less to do with tainted drink and meal and more to do with malevolent magic...

[Athaleon]

At this, Aloetta's ears perk up. In a low voice: "I don't know if you heard me, but I also had a terrible vision of injury and death last night. In it, I was wandering along an old road holding my stomach, and when I looked down, I saw that I was bleeding, and a crossbow bolt was sticking out of my belly. I collapsed next to a tree off the road, and fainted. When I came to, a knight was kneeling over me. In the dream, I told him about this inn, and-"

She stops, suddenly, and a brief shudder wracks her body.

In the same low voice, she asks Stephen, "What did your dream entail? If you are willing to tell us, anyway."

Kolrak butted in, "his dream entailed getting his throat cut, I'll wager. Maybe it was just too dark last night, but I'm sure that scar wasn't there before."

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa nods, reassured. He did not agree they were necessarily being watched, but the gnome appeared to be taking the right approach. He keeps quiet for now, letting the information flow in.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen looks at Marta with a smile that is every bit as genuine - or not - as her explanation. Then, he turns to the others at his table and says, "Well, I waited up for some...company...fell asleep, and the company showed up. At least I thought she did. As things started to heat up someone slit my throat and began stabbing me all over. It seemed real, and deadly, and then I woke up with scars where I never had them before. For what it's worth, I don't think that Marta is the one who did the deed, but there is certainly something wrong and she knows something about it..."

[Cyclopean]

"I don't know if it's relevant," says Tezaa, "but the person upstairs is not simply tired, as Marta claims; she has been refusing meals. If this night continues as before, the young girl should come back down with a full bowl and tell the matron as much."

[WalkingTheShade]

In the barn

The boy looks at Illy with a gaping mouth, like she is a madwoman. His face becomes pale. "I... I can't give an horse, m'lady, they kill me if I give ya an horse away!" The boy's eyes move from Illy's face to her axe, half hidden under her cape. "Please! M'lady, please!"

At the long table

Just on cue, the younger girl comes back down, bowl in hand. It is still steaming, probably full. She goes to talk to the matron. Without attracting any attention, the guests at the long table hush their own conversation, to hear the discussion. "Still won't have any", says the girl. Then the matron replies: "can starve 'erself for all I care. Bring that to th'boy." The younger serving-girl exits the common room by the main door, into the evening dark.

[daelrog]

Illy's eyes shifted. The back of her teeth clenched. Frustrated, scared, she turned to anger. "I want no horse." Her hands gripped the boy's shoulders. "I want to know what's happening here. Why was I brought back? Why are two of the guests dead? Who is the pale woman living upstairs? What is happening here?"

She was stronger than a girl of her small frame should have been.

[Farmerbink]

Galton's eyes continue to scan the room. In a whispered voice, he mutters to Stephen, unerringly seated at his right. "Gods willing, when it comes time to head to the rooms, I plan to see what's upstairs. Be ready to help me out when I come back down?"

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen nods as the table hears the rote repetition of the boy and matron's words. When Galton enlists his aid he says, "Of course, though I think it might be worthwhile for several of us to share rooms tonight - I for one am not that thrilled with the idea of sleeping here again, especially without someone awake nearby. I mean, I almost considered joining Illy just now, and if she is able to escape by leaving before dinner, then I won't be here tomorrow night..."

[Athaleon]

"Can't say as I had any dreams last night. Just woke up to see Marta leaving someone else's room. Don't know whose it was, or what to make of it now. Anyways, I'm gonna ask that girl who the 'boy' is out there, soon as she comes back in," Kolrak declared softly.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the barn

The boy seems utterly confused by Illy's series of questions. "What?" His eyes become wet and he lets out a quiet muffled sob. "I dunno what ya mean, I swear," he repeats weakly, as Illy goes through her questions. And then, his face lights up. "Oh I know that, she's wife to th'master's son. She's ill, I think." The boy snorts. "She stays upstairs. I heard Marta say she cries an' sleeps all day. It's 'caus—"

As the boy is going through his explanation, a short squealing of barn door hinges gets Illy's attention. She turns to see the younger serving girl behind her, in the shadows cast from the sole lantern. In one hand, the girl is holding a steaming bowl of stew. Her other hand was fishing under her apron for something. Illy has turned fast enough to notice the metallic gleam of a dagger's handle. The boy stops talking.

"That's for him," she says, slightly raising the bowl in the boy's direction. The boy wriggles out of Illy's grasp, wiping his face on a dirty sleeve. "Leave him alone," says the girl in a flat monotone, yet all the more threatening for it. Her hand is still on her dagger.

The girl has succeeded on an demoralize intimidate check. Unless Illy has some ability I'm not aware of, Illy is Shaken (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Shaken) for now. Any kind of threatening action will require a initiative check. Talking (including trying to demoralize her in turn) does not require an init roll.

At the long table

The card players finish yet another hand. Yvan Paulander gets up to get a couple more bottles from behind the counter. Coming back, he pauses at your table. "Say friends, isn't there one of you who wants to play with us? That game is way more interesting with five players than four."

[daelrog]

Illy took a step back, both from the girl and the boy. It wasn't the little girl's words, or even the dagger in her hand. I was the way she said it. Like it wasn't even her, but something else talking. "I just want to be left alone too." Illy was scared, agitated, and started to feel corner.ed Her fingers twitched a little.

"Will you let me go? What do I have to do so this place doesn't bring me back? Please."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"They probably have someone who watches the stables and guests' animals," replies Stephen to Kolrak's thoughts. "Of course, that means there is at least one more...player...?...in this situation. There is just too little known, and too much at stake here."

When the offer to game is made Stephen's reaction is something between relief and the hesitation of an addict faced with their drug of choice. "Thank you kindly, Mr. Paulander, but I think I will pass for now. Perhaps another time," he replies with a gulp. When the merchant returns to his table Stephen says, "Part of what is so upsetting about all this is that I really enjoyed the evening here, but the terror of the night and our mystical return has me terrified! I am not a strong man, nor much inclined for confrontations, and being unable to see the threat hanging over our heads is just too much!" He finishes with a passive whisper, his expression one of a hunted animal caught in a trap...

[Cyclopean]

"We saw the boy come in during the game, remember? I suppose you might not...you and Galton were both too drunk to notice much of anything. By the way he smelled, I'd say you're right about him working the stables. Curious that he slept curled up by the hearth, like a dog--I suspect he's no kin of the innkeepers."

Tezaa ignores Paulander's invitation and listens to Stephen's outburst with a furrowed brow. When he's finished, he pulls the ink, pen, and book from his pack and turns to the blank parchment in the back. He downs the elixir he drank in place of coffee before, and begins to write and draw, working to develop a useful theory regarding their predicament.

I think this is either a spellcraft or knowledge (arcana) roll? Tezaa gets +7 to the former and +9 to the latter, thanks to heightened awareness.

[Athaleon]

"It might have been the stable boy, but in this ****ed-up situation you never know." Kolrak sighed. He politely turned down Paulander's invitation. "No thank you, gambling's just not my thing, and it looks like you've just about got the game in the bag."

[Farmerbink]

Galton loudly declines the merchant's offer. "Oh, no. Thank you. My luck has never served me well in games of chance. In fact, I think I'll go check on our friend..." Without more explanation, Galton rises from the table and waddles to the door. In the late evening twilight, he has no trouble finding Illy in the barn.

"Ho, there! Illy, was it?" he calls from outside the door- deliberately alerting them to his presence before cautiously moving to the opening. "Just wanted to see if you were alright?" He calls again.

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Paulander first gives a disappointed "oh, well" after hearing the negative answers. However, after hearing Kolrak's and Galton's answers, he gives you a half-smile. "Luck is a fleeting thing my friends, it comes and it goes. I've had my share tonight but it's not bound to stay." He then turns back to the card players.

Galton

Outside the inn, Galton meets a large man carrying a dead fawn on his shoulder. The man lets out an scornful snort when he sees Galton, but doesn't react otherwise letting Galton pass around him.

In the barn

As Illy takes a step back, the girl takes one towards the boy. He snatches his bowl of stew, and goes to sit on a hay bale, content to eat and suddenly oblivious to whatever else is happening around him.

The girl nods when Illy states she only wants to be left alone. Yet the girl, and also the boy, raising his eyes from his soup, seem confused by Illy's questions. They look at each other and the boy shrugs.

"I don't understand. Just take your animal," clearly, the girl doesn't know which one is Illy's, "and go."

Then, all three hear Galton calling from outside the barn.

At the long table

Just like last time, the deer hunter comes in and barters his day's catch with the cook.

[daelrog]

"How can I be all right?!" Illy yelled back towards Galton. She looked to the girl, and then to the boy. She rubbed her eyes, then ran her hand through her hair. "This can't be happening. Not like this. Do you even hear the singing? Do you smell the smoke from the pipe?" Although the question was directed at the serving girl, Illy didn't make it obviously so, not even looking at anyone. She was tired, and felt out of options. She didn't want to return to the madness inside the inn, nor did she want to brave the night.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"May the Dreamer return our luck to us..." mumbles Stephen as Paulander mentions luck fleeting. Then, shaking his head in frustration, he says, "Alright, we need to do something...and I just don't know, but this cannot hurt anyone still alive, so..."

With a prayerful look Stephen grips his plain, wooden holy symbol and closes his eyes. In response, those in the common room can feel a gentle pressure - not quite wind - flow from him. The feeling passes over everyone without effect, instead seeming to gravitate towards the dead entertainer and smoker across the way...

Channel Positive Energy [roll0] Positive Energy damage to all undead, DC 11 Will Save for half damage
Without opening his eyes, he asks, "Did that do anything?"

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Both creatures squirm on their seats. The smoker let's his pipe fall and the singer throws his lute away. They both get up menacingly. "Rrrrrrrrrrggghhh..."

Combat starts. Everyone inside the inn needs an Init roll. Those outside the inn have heard nothing yet. They can go on their conversation for now.
I'll rolling Init here first, for everyone, then I'll shake things up a bit to get into block init mod.

Aloetta, [roll0].
Tezaa, [roll1].
Kolrak, [roll2].
Stephen, [roll3].
Singer, [roll4].
Smoker, [roll5].

So, that's not too bad. Kolrak and Stephen will need to post first. Then the bad guys, then everyone, etc.

Oh, and other people in the inn might want to participate, but for now they're not aggressive.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_start_round_1_zpsanfp4wvb.png

[DarkOne-Rob]

At the sound of the undeads' reaction, Stephen opens his eyes and looks around. "Um, alright - that may not have been the smartest idea..." he says, before calling out, "Galton, Illy! If you are still nearby, we could use a hand in here!"

He then grips his holy symbol more firmly and asks, "So, who wants some luck? Either that, or I can pray for Desna's power to hurt the undead again..."

Delay action until Kolrak, either giving him Bit of Luck (For the next round, any time the target rolls a d20, he may roll twice and take the more favorable result) or Channeling Positive Energy again ([roll0] Positive Energy Damage, DC 11 Will save for half).

I will let Athaleon choose and won't edit this post, to keep me honest. As for keeping him honest, well, that is on him... :smallbiggrin:

Edit: Move four squares north (over the bar) and one square west (away from the bar entrance) after performing his standard action.
After blessing the half-orc with luck, Stephen dives behind the bar, trying to keep clear of the approaching undead!

[Athaleon]

"****! Gonna need all the luck we can get now," Kolrak growled as he sprung to his feet, snatching his enormous axe from where it had been leaning on the table. He spun round to confront the nearest undead, the gurgling singer, and raised his axe threateningly. These people don't know, he suddenly remembered. "Back off, I'm warning you!" he roared, knowing the creature wouldn't be swayed; the display was for the other patrons, not the undead.


Asking for the Bit of Luck from Stephen.
Readying an action to swing at the undead singer when it comes in reach.

Attack (choose highest):
[roll0]
[roll1]

Damage:
[roll2] Slashing

[WalkingTheShade]

In and around the barn

There's noise inside the inn.

Perception, DC 15 for Galton and DC 20 for Illy. Success means the character notices something is up inside the common room. Success by a margin of 5 or more means they make out the specifics of Stephen's and Kolrak's cries for help.

At the long table

The singer moves towards Kolrak. As he is taking a step back for balance, Kolrak feels Stephen's hand on his shoulder and immediately swings, taking the the dead singer's head off in one clean blow. Marta screams as the headless body takes a couple steps back and falls in front of her. The head falls on the long table and rolls a few feet, leaving blood in its wake.

As Stephen deftly jumps behind the counter, he notices the dead smoker getting up from his chair, his legs tangling in it, stumbling, then getting back up and shambling towards him and Kolrak. It's hard to make out what else is going in the room, as more than one guest are fumbling for their weapons, bellowing or shouting for peace at the same time.

The singer is out. The smoker is still up. Nobody from the innkeepers or the patrons is aggressive for now. Tezaa, Aloetta (round 1), Stephen and Kolrak (round 2) can post combat actions.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_Map_middle_round_1_zpswfwzgylz.png

[Cyclopean]

"Desna damn you!" Tezaa cries, furious at the interruption and Stephen's recklessness. "I almost had it..." Rising to his feet, he downs the contents of the vial at the top of his bandoleer. He begins to change, his limbs lengthening and plates of chitin spreading across his body. Letting the vial fall to the floor, Tezaa climbs onto the table. With a swift motion of his ratlike tail, he draws his dagger and places it in his left hand.


Tezaa drinks his mutagen (+4 Dex, +2 natural armor, -2 Wis), moves one square north (onto the table), and uses his prehensile tail to retrieve his dagger as a swift action.

[Farmerbink]

Galton walks into the barn, hands spread wide, open palmed- a gesture of peace and good intentions. "I know, I know. This is all way too screwed up to be normal. -And I plan to figure out what's going on, but for now, we have to be careful. I don't know who or what might be causing this, but I think we're all caught up in it together"- he gestures to the serving girl and boy- "including them. I don't get the impression they even know what's happening- maybe they've been stuck in it too long, or maybe they don't even remember last night. I don't know. What I do know is that someone or something is upstairs, in there, and it could be our first step to getting out of here for good." He tries to smile disarmingly.

"I'm scared too, but I think we're going to need all the help we can get- and that includes you."

[Athaleon]

Kolrak moved around to the end of the table nearest the smoking man, feet planted firm and axe at the ready. "Stop! Don't come any closer!"


Moving around to the top left corner of the table (I think that's as far as Kolrak can get) and again readying an action to attack the zombie if it gets within reach.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[sithdrummer]

"Oh dear, oh no..." Aloetta watches the events since Stephen's channeling unfold with fearful eyes. She notices Tezaa's transformation and his leap onto the table. "Perhaps this will help," she says, as she begins moving her right hand in small, fluid circles. A moment later, she touches Tezaa's tail gently, and he feels a surge of competence.

Aloetta will cast Guidance (gain a +1 competence bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check used in the next minute) on Tezaa from her seat, then stand and back up towards the hallway to the bedrooms, eyeing everyone in the room (including the card players). Next turn, unless combat finishes, she will run to her room to get her crossbow.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the barn

The girl at first looks at Galton with the same confused look she gave Illy earlier. As he keeps talking, she looks starts looking hesitant. As he finishes, she gives Illy and him a wide berth while going towards the barn's door, her eyes never leaving Illy's axe.

At the long table

Tezaa gets on top of the table and feels both the elixir and something else running through his body. After blessing Tezaa, Aloetta takes a few steps back towards the rooms, looking around her all the time.

Rickard has drawn a longsword and is yelling: "Everyone! Stop! Now!" Paulander is scrambling towards the wall, weapon in hand, to get out of the way. The two guards are standing on Rickard's side, lowering polearms. Marta has stopped screaming, and has flattened herself against the wall. The matron is yelling something nobody can make out. (Face on his table, the drunkard is still peacefully sleeping.)

Stephen mutters another prayer and Kolrak feels emboldened. As the dead smoker takes another step towards him, Kolrak's axe neatly opens him from shoulder to belly.

The scene is silent for a moment, as everyone looks at everyone. The lull is broken when the huge cook, having just exited the kitchen, angrily slams his cleaver into the nearest table, splitting the wood with great fracas. He looks at everyone in turn, including both patrons and innkeepers, a silent challenge in his small eyes. Nobody seems willing to return his gaze.

Unless someone has the next good idea (i.e. challenging the cook) combat is over.

[daelrog]

"Careful?" Illy sputtered the words. "I don't know how to do that. I only know how to run from my problems." As she spoke she seemed to calm down a little, open herself up more. She was terribly vulnerable in that moment, realizing Galton was right. "I'm just afraid that this is all..." she shook her head. "...wait, what did you mean by last night? I was here three nights ago."

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa sheathes his dagger and gets off the table. This could get ugly, but he wasn't the one holding the gore-streaked greataxe.

[Athaleon]

"I warned 'em," Kolrak muttered loud enough for all to hear, even as he dropped his axe. Then he announced more clearly, but quickly now, "Gave 'em fair warning. Look there," he motioned towards the smoker. "Crossbow bolt in his gut, that weren't any of us. You all saw. Something not right—he should have been long dead already." He looked to the beheaded singer next, and squinted at its remains. If his one clean slice didn't erase the pre-existing cut in the singer's throat, he could point to it as well.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta scans the room for any other threats to her well-being. Her eyes settle on the card players, and stay locked until she hears the angry *thunk* of the cleaver into the table. Her gaze shifts to the cook, and she begins to move her right hand in small circles, chanting softly to herself for a few moments. Breaking an angry and uncomfortable silence, she looks to the matron, and in the most righteously-angry voice she can muster:

"What in the nine hells is going on here? Is it customary for an employee of this inn to threaten its patrons? We all saw that singer advance on our devout friend here -" as she gestures toward Stephen, behind the bar - " and when Kolrak recognized the aggression for what it was, he interposed himself to defuse the situation. Even with the threat of violence close at hand, he still issued a warning before striking in defense. We all heard that too."

She casts Guidance on herself, and rolls a Diplomacy check (with the Guidance bonus) to calm the room, and "get in front of the story" by pushing this angle on the events of the previous moments. Unless it is addressed openly by an NPC in the room, Aloetta is not going to bring up the undead/divine magic aspect of what happened.

[roll0]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen remains still, not trusting himself to speak for several moments as he looks around the room at the faces of the other occupants of the common room. He watches their expressions and reactions closely, his mind racing. "Someone else has to realize that they were zombies, but who?" he mumbles to himself...

Perception [roll0] to spot reactions
Sense Motive [roll1] to interpret reactions
As Kolrak and Aloetta speak the cleric approaches the nearest zombie-remains. Once adjacent to it, he looks closely to try and determine what the original cause of death was (prior to reanimation)...

Heal [roll2]

[WalkingTheShade]

In the barn

The boy finishes his stew and sets back to work brushing horses and feeding them.

No event is going to happen in the barn for now. You're free to take as long as you'd like for Galton and Illy's discussion, then choose where to go from there.

In the common room

Satisfied nobody is challenging his authority over the inn, the cook removes his cleaver with a flick of the wrist and goes back to his kitchen.

After Kolrak's justification, Rickard chips in. "You gave them ample warning, aye, I can witness to that. Drawing a blade on unarmed people isn't honourable, but I guess it is their fault." Rickard sheathes his longsword. Seeing that, both guards relax, raising their polearms and stepping back. That's when Aloetta finishes her prayer and says her piece. The matron replies to her. "Am sorry fo' this. People get drunk mo' than they can handle, then these things happen." She gives a sigh, then continues mumbling to herself. "Sure gonna be hell to clean up." This all finishes convincing Paulander and Marta everything is under control.

Rickard approaches and gives a look at the now-restfully dead smoker. "Crossbow bolt? The fight must have turned your blood sour and dulled your vision," he says to Kolrak, "there's no such thing here."

The matron seems more annoyed than suprised by the turn of events. But Stephen is also certain such an inn would have seen a few other fights already. Marta looks scared out of her wits and cringes every time the word crossbow is pronounced. The cook went out and back inside his kitchen, mostly expressionless. Rickard seems to have some kind of social status here; Stephen is now sure he's some kind of nobility. The guards are protecting and obeying Rickard, that's for certain too. Paulander didn't look afraid that much. A lone travelling merchant must see much on the road, and must now how to protect himself; however, Paulander got out of the way, not wanting to risk his neck for anyone.

Stephen

Stephen has time to inspect what remains of both bodies. Putting aside the greataxe blow, the smoker seems to have indeed died from a bolt to the guts; bolt that not everyone seems to be able to see. The wounds on the singer have a more dire significance for Stephen: he noticed before the throat was cut, but Stephen realizes only now there's an exact correspondance between the punctures on the Singer's side and the location of his own stabbing scars.

In the common room

The younger serving girl comes back to the common room. She throw a glance at one of the bodies, then immediately stops in her tracks, takes a second longer lasting look at the singer's headless body, before hurrying towards the kitchen.

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a deep breath Stephen looks to Kolrak and Tezaa. "Perhaps we should help move the bodies outside..." he says before turning to the matron and asking, "Where shall we carry them? Is there anyone nearby who enforces the law, or will they just need to be burried outside...?"

The look on his face has gotten a bit less green and more concerned after the sudden explosion of violence. As he begins to prepare to drag the remains of one of the zombies outside, he looks at the others at his table and hisses, "Come outside with me!"

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

The matron seems surprised and pleased by Stephen's suggestion. "Ah, you good with that?" she asks but immediately goes on before Stephen can reassess his proposal: "Just throw 'em in the ditch, we can do some proper buryin' on t'morrow under daylight. There's a wheelbarrow t'carry 'em in the barn, just ask th'boy."

"As far as th'law goes, if m'lord's fine an' good with it, then it's fine," she adds, looking at Rickard, who in turn gives a single nod as his sole answer.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta hears Stephen's whisper and responds to the matron: "It seems only fair to help clean this situation up. Give me a moment to grab some things and I'll go get the wheelbarrow."

She goes to get the rest of her personal effects from her room. They're all in her pack, so she puts it on, returns to the common room, and then walks out to the barn.

Where is the deer carcass that the hunter brought in? Did Aloetta see it when it was brought in? Is it already in the kitchen?

[Farmerbink]

Galton shakes his head sadly at Illy's remark of fleeing. "I can't well fault you for that, but it doesn't seem to be- wait... you said three nights ago?" He falls into an uneasy silence, searching Illy's face for some sign of an unspoken joke. Convinced none exists, he reluctantly continues.

"For my eyes, it is but the next night. I never left the inn, thinking to spend another day in pleasant company. I cannot explain exactly what happened this afternoon and evening, but when I came to, I sat at the same table with the same company as the night before. Only a day has passed, as I can recall..."

"At any rate, something seems distinctly out of the ordinary. You and Stephen are back, when by all accounts you both claim to have fled. You saw the two dead men in that room, I assume? Somebody here has to know something... but who?" It is then that Aloetta comes into the barn, seeking a wheelbarrow. Galton uses her presence as an excuse to invite Illy back inside.

"Look, I don't know that I want to be in there any more than anyone else, but I think it's in our best interests to stay together... Aloetta, how are things in the common room?"

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta walks into the barn with wide eyes and a grim expression.

"I think you guys need to come back. There's been a little bit of an incide-" She stops as she notices the boy brushing the horses, then composes herself when she realizes he likely didn't hear anything. Continuing in a lower voice:

"I don't know exactly what happened, though I can hazard a guess. Stephen projected some divine power to "test" the room for undead, and the singer and smoker tried to attack him. Thanks to Kolrak, they are now dead. That is, uh, I mean dead dead now. I made an excuse to come here for the wheelbarrow to cart the bodies out, but also to bring you both up to speed on what's happened. Did you really not hear the noise of the fight? They were shouting for the two of you to come back to the inn."

She looks at the wheelbarrow, the handles of which are at her eye level. "It was a poor excuse, now that I think of it. Illy, do you think you could wheel it back?"

As they are walking back to the greatroom, Aloetta is going to make a Perception check to see if she notices anything unusual that is visible from outside the inn.
[roll0]

[Cyclopean]

Come outside with me!"
Tezaa has already returned to scrawling in his book. He looks up at Stephen, annoyed. "Five minutes!" he hisses in return.



"Just throw 'em in the ditch [...]""


Tezaa shudders as he recalls his "dream" of the ditch, brimming with rotting bodies.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak retrieved his axe once things had calmed down. "All right, let's get them out of here," he said quietly. "Soon as the wheelbarrow arrives..." Frowning, he made for the door to check on the people outside.

[Farmerbink]

Galton frowns. "He did what!?" he hisses in annoyance and surprise. "So much for avoiding making a scene..." His lips curl into a smirk as Aloetta mentions the wheelbarrow. Shrugging, he nods.

"Guess I'd better stay in there with you all."

On his way back in, he makes a dedicated effort of memorizing the general locations of the upper floors of the inn proper.

For what it's worth, Galton has dark vision. Dunno what else you would want, but he's trying to figure out where in the inn has an upper floor(s?), and if they're meaningfully accessible from the outside.

[sithdrummer]

As we walk back, Aloetta mentions to Illy and Galton how Stephen had surreptitiously suggested that we try to all find ourselves outside together.

[daelrog]

Illy looked at Galton with disbelief when even time made no sense. Aloetta's news gave her a little comfort though. Unlike Galton, Illy was less interested in being subtle compared to her relief that the two undead patrons were gone now. "All right. I'll bring the wheelbarrow." For now, her thoughts of abandoning the inn were put to rest as she headed back to help collect the bodies.

[WalkingTheShade]

Right outside the inn

Kolrak notices Aloetta and Galton come out of the barn, followed by Illy with the wheelbarrow. Soon, both bodies (plus severed head) are dragged out of the common room and loaded unto the wheelbarrow. As that ghastly business is underway, Tezaa scribbles frenetically on his piece of paper, surprising himself with a satisfied grin.

The reluctant guests all gather out of the inn. Illy pushes the loaded wheelbarrow far enough for everyone to be certain they won't be overheard. Tezaa catches up, paper and pen still in hand.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Once everyone is outside, Stephen exclaims, "Did you see? None of them can see the undead for what they are, or how they died! Worse still, they don't even seem that upset to have had to people seemingly die in their common room! This place must be enchanted or worse, cursed! But someone, or something must be making it happen..."

Taking a deep breath, he continues, "You see these scars?" He displays the new injuries sustained several nights ago and the marks they have left on his body. "The wounds on the late-singer match them...Was someone shot with a crossbow in their dream? Maybe that is a clue..."

[sithdrummer]

"Indeed! Stephen, just before the violence started inside, I was describing my nightmare from last night. I was staggering along an old road while holding my stomach, and when I looked down, I was shocked to discover a bloody crossbow bolt sticking out between my fingers. In the dream, I sank down next to a tree just off the road, where I passed out. In a moment, I awoke again with a knight kneeling over me. I told him about this inn, before I passed back into unconsciousness, and presumably death."

She shakes off the chill that comes over her when she mentions her dream-death.

[Athaleon]

"Didn't have any sort of dream, no new scars when I woke up, nothing. Heard some noise, don't even recall what exactly, and got up. Spied Marta sneaking out of someone's room, but I don't know whose. At the time I assumed it was Stephen 'cause of the way you were talking her up," Kolrak shrugged.

[Farmerbink]

Galton looks around the gathered group, eyeing the speakers warily in turn. "Not meaning any disrespect, Mr. Stephen, but are we sure they were true undead? I err... I can comment, with fair certainty, that the sense are easy to magically fool. Much easier than actually laying a curse over an entire inn, for example..." He waits for Stephen to describe his channeling, which Galton was not present to witness.

Frowning, Galton nods in understanding. "Perhaps - well, almost certainly the matron and her kin have been so ensorcelled... But why?"

He falls into an easy, but heavy silence, considering the implications of what few certainties have arisen. Sheepishly, his dazed staring shifts into a smirk at Kolrak's comment. "I wouldn't go so far as to say it was intentional, but I'm not ashamed to admit that it was my room you saw Marta departing." He offers something of an apologetic shrug to Stephen. "The minds of women, no?"

[Cyclopean]

"I doubt very much that either enchantment or illusion is at play here," says Tezaa, shaking his head. "Or at the very least, if there is, we are not the ones affected by it. It's by no means impossible to create and sustain such an effect, but it would take vast amounts of magic. Why would anyone or anything bother expending such resources on a simple inn? More likely, we're caught in something...well, not natural, but spontaneous.

"As you know, there are other planes of existence, realities separate from our own and governed by different natural laws. When there is bleeding, or a conjunction, or some other manner of catastrophic instability between the planes, one finds situations like this--and people like me, for that matter," he continues with a wry grin. "A curse is another possible cause, as Stephen said, but I'll get back to that.

"Now, as we know, there are two kinds of people in the inn: those of us who are aware of our predicament, and those who are not. You could argue there was a third category," he continues, gesturing at the wheelbarrow, "but if we are fortunate, the undead presence has been eliminated for now. I have no idea what has caused these distinctions. Perhaps, if my planar theories are correct, the others in the inn remain partially in normal reality and continue to perceive what would be expected there. I suspect we may draw closer to this other world, or worlds, in our dreams, and it recedes after we wake." He turns to Stephen and Aloetta. "Count yourselves fortunate that you woke at all. I imagine that the singer and smoker had 'dreams' not unlike your own."

[Athaleon]

"Guess there's nothing else for it but to check upstairs. I can have my raven fly up and peek in the window, maybe?" Kolrak shrugged.

[sithdrummer]

He turns to Stephen and Aloetta. "Count yourselves fortunate that you woke at all. I imagine that the singer and smoker had 'dreams' not unlike your own."
Her eyes widen, and she nods somberly. She had not considered that possibility before.


"Guess there's nothing else for it but to check upstairs. I can have my raven fly up and peek in the window, maybe?" Kolrak shrugged.
At this suggestion, Aloetta makes her own offer: "I would be happy to scramble up onto that terrace to have a look as well."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Well, I don't have the powerful magic that would enable us to learn more, so someone has to get more information so we can figure this out. If we don't figure it out soon I am afraid we will not be leaving here alive..." Stephen replies.

[WalkingTheShade]

Right outside the inn

Kolrak's familiar soon takes flight and comes back. It comes back with the following report. "Three windows... three rooms... no lights... two empty rooms... one human sleeping in last..."

Sorry for taking control over your character, Athaleon, but sending the familiar in was totally riskless, and not exclusive with sending someone afterwards. Doing this will hopefully speed the delibarations up.

[Athaleon]

Right outside the inn

Kolrak's familiar soon takes flight and comes back. It comes back with the following report. "Three windows... three rooms... no lights... two empty rooms... one human sleeping in last..."


"Hmm," Kolrak grunted, "at least it means there's no one else up there. If we're to go up ourselves, we might as well do it before the innkeepers retire for the night so we don't risk waking Mr. Cleaver."


No problem. Better that than bring the game to a standstill while I micro the raven.

[Farmerbink]

Galton nods slowly, clearly maintaining some level of discomfort. "Well, I suppose we're not getting any younger. Who wants to give me a boost?

Given the time, Galton will thoroughly inspect the two unoccupied rooms, before looking in on the last one, stealthily.

Mechanically, I'd like to take 20 (for a 19, total)- and then be all sneaky sneaky for a [roll0]

If someone else wants to come with, I won't complain.

[daelrog]

Illy had merely shifted uncomfortably as the others spoke. Finally she made a noise that was half a cough, half an "um". "It's not just an illusion that affects the others. The little girl... she saw me holding the boy trying to ask him questions. She changed a little, she had a dagger. I think she killed the singer." At least in Illy's mind, the threat of the knife had made her think of the gaping slit in the singer's throat.

"I don't want to fall asleep tonight."

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta climbs up to the terrace after Galton, and peers into the darkened windows one by one. Satisfied that she has found an empty room, she slips in through the open window and makes her way silently to the door to listen for anyone coming. After a few moments, she is satisfied, and begins to search the room for clues as to the inn's mysterious occupants and owners, as well as to what is going on.

Once she and Galton have checked the two unoccupied rooms, she signals to him that she will not be coming with him into the third room, but will instead stand watch at the stairwell. She slinks just a little bit into the shadows of a doorway that overlooks the stairs and (possibly?) the door to the occupied room.

Like Galton, she will take 20 for the searches (time permitting), for a total of 23 on the Perception roll. Entering/moving about requires a Stealth check as well, which comes up [roll0].

[Athaleon]

"Sneaking and such is not something I'm good at. I could go back inside and be ready to charge up the stairs to back you up," Kolrak suggested.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

After helping lift his smaller companions of misfortune, Kolrak makes his way back to the common room. He takes a sit with a good view of the stairs.

On the inn's roof

Aloetta and Galton make their way to the windows. From each of them, a room, with door closed, is visible. In the third room, someone is sleeping. Sliding her dagger between the panes of one empty room's windows, Aloetta manages to unlatch it, wood cracking drily. As both enter and look around that first room, .

In the common room

As Illy, Tezaa and Stephen join him, Kolrak sees the younger serving girl come down from upstairs and nonchalantly walk to the kitchen. She must have been upstairs already when Kolrak came back in.

I'm supposing that while Aloetta and Galton were breaking and entering and Kolrak was acting as lookout, the three others went to the ditch, threw the two bodies overboard and left the wheelbarrow there.

[DarkOne-Rob]

As Stephen helps dump the body he asks, "Anyone have anymore dreams of note? This experience will likely play a part in my nightmares...I never thought I would be dumping two bodies so callously on the other side of a mound..."

Once back inside he asks Kolrak, "Have you seen anything down here?"

[Farmerbink]

As the trio trudges away with the wheelbarrow of corpses, Galton has to stuff down a gag on top of the terrace. "I must admit," he begins with a whisper. "I much prefer this to their task. Come on, we've only got a few minutes before we're likely to be missed." He turns to the windows, and prowls forward- his soft-leather clad feet falling almost silently on the rough wood.

The first glance confirms what they heard from Kolrak- the first two rooms appear unoccupied. Galton and Aloetta share an awkward glance as both defers to the other to pry open the window, just long enough to realize that neither of them really have much experience with such tasks. Shrugging and smirking, he works on unlatching one window while Aloetta works on the other. Before long, they're both able to shimmy over the windowpane and gently alight on the floor. Now, what's going on in here... Galton wonders.

Given time, Galton will attempt to listen at the door and sneak around to the occupied room from inside the building. It seems daggering the windows open is likely to be too noisy for the third, occupied room. (If Galton's perspective is otherwise, he'll stick to the windows, but that's my impression).

[Cyclopean]

"A shame I've lost my old library," Tezaa mutters. "I never did get through those cosmologies." He looks up at Stephen. "I imagine you are no scholar of the planes, priest. A shame--it would be invaluable to know which spheres have behavior like what we're seeing, what the logic behind their alien rules is. Perhaps you're better versed in curses? Can you imagine any deity who might have afflicted us so, and why?"

Tezaa is encouraging Stephen to make a Religion check, hoping a divine perspective might allow him to strengthen his theory. Tezaa has no idea that Kolrak is more learned than he is, but hopefully this inspires the Witch to make a Planes check.

[Athaleon]

As Stephen helps dump the body he asks, "Anyone have anymore dreams of note? This experience will likely play a part in my nightmares...I never thought I would be dumping two bodies so callously on the other side of a mound..."

Once back inside he asks Kolrak, "Have you seen anything down here?"

"Nah," Kolrak grunted. In a quieter voice, he continued, "the younger girl came down from upstairs just now. Either the raven missed her or she was only up there for a short time."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Well, I am not the most studied of priests - most of my efforts have been focused on Desna and the faiths that interact with her church. Curses aren't our focus, but we do combat them at times..." Stephen says, unconfidently.

Knowledge (Religion) [roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

Kolrak notices the cook barge out of his kitchen and rush towards the stairs, cleaver in hand. The younger girl is following him, but the matron catches her by the arm. Marta, who was tidying the common room, stops in her tracks and shoots them a questioning glance. The remaining guests all look up from their cups, feeling something is wrong. Again.

On the first floor

As Aloetta goes on searching that first room—two mattresses (good ones, feathered ones) on the floor, a wickerwork box containing clothing for two different sized girls, an old cabinet with combs and scissors and oil lamp on top—Galton puts his hear to the door. He hears loud creaking of stairs under heavy footsteps.

[Farmerbink]

Galton's eyes widen, almost comically. He gestures, frantically waving his hands towards the window. "We've got company! Go! Go!" His own waddled footsteps move to follow, as he hurriedly makes a beeline for the window.

As his steps carry him to something resembling safety, his thoughts tear by at a mile a minute. How did he know we were here?!

If possible, I would like to ready an action to cast vanish if/when the door latch is released. I figure it would be an audible enough signal. Ideally, we'll have enough time to make it out the window, proper before he's in the room- at least, but if not, I'd rather not die to an angry cleaver-man.

[daelrog]

As Illy saw the man start to go upstairs she spoke again. "Fire. In my dream I was chained to a wall. I... I escaped and the matron, my mother in the dream, was telling me to get out."

She gave the others at the table a look, showing she also knew something had gone wrong, and stood up to head towards the Matron. "Excuse me but... who were the guests at this inn before us? Before this crowd gathered here tonight?" In part she wanted t distract her, but in part she wanted to know if the Matron could even remember.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak tried to pretend the cook rushing upstairs had nothing to do with him. Just in case, he whispered for his "pet" raven to start cawing loudly—as though startled by the cook rushing in their general direction—before promptly calming it down. "Shh, it's okay," he murmured, hoping his companions upstairs had gotten the hint.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"That cannot be good..." Stephen mumbles as the cook stomps up the stairs. "Should we do something? Maybe start another bar-fight?"

[sithdrummer]

As soon as Galton gives his warning, Aloetta immediately drops what she's doing (figuratively - she doesn't want to make even more noise than she already has) and dashes to the window in a handful of desperate strides, just behind Galton. Her eyes wide and her mind racing, she vaults out of the open window, one hand grabbing the frame to control her momentum. She uses this leverage to land on the terrace next to the wall, rather than launching herself somewhat unceremoniously off the ledge to the ground below. After she lands, Aloetta orients herself and closes the window quickly and quietly, then moves to a spot on the terrace that is out of sight of the windows and offers a good place to drop to the ground below.

edit:
I assume I need to roll Acrobatics for the vault-and-landing maneuver. Do I need to roll anything else?

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

The matron turns to Illy. Pointing to the younger girl, she answers with a question of her own. "She says there're thieves up there. Where're your lil' friends? I hope they ain't up to no good." The matron speaks loud enough for everyone to hear her.

Hearing that, Marta swiftly goes behind the counter. She bends down, looking for something. Rickard and his guards stand up once again. "Easy now, there's already been too much ado for a sole evening." Paulander very slowly retreats towards the rooms, careful to make no sudden moves.

On the roof

Aloetta and Galton jump through the window. As they close it behind themselves, the old latch luckily falls into place by itself. Surprisingly light-footed, Aloetta leads Galton over the covered terrace, around the first floor's exterior. Beyond a certain angle of the building, where they believe they can't be easily seen, they freeze and wait, their back to the wall. They hear noise from inside the rooms: heavy footsteps, doors opening and slamming. The noise suddenly stops. Silence lasts for a moment. Both Galton and Aloetta are pretty certain that whoever is inside is waiting silently for them. Then they hear footsteps again, windows opening and closing. Finally, the footsteps sound progressively farther away; probably going back down those stairs.

The roof is not so thick, and people downstairs are talking loud. With a listen DC 10, Aloetta or Galton may overhear the conversation occurring under them, starting with the next PC posts.

[daelrog]

"I don't have any friends. I'm alone, and I'm not responsible for them, or them me." Illy's voice rises a little bit as well, not as much as the Matron's, but everyone in the room can hear llly. "Who were the last guests of this inn, and how long ago did they come? At least tell me if you can answer it to yourself." Illy's eyes searched the Matron, pressing her question again. She puts her hands up, palms forward in a gesture of pacifism in case Marta was searching for a weapon. "Please."

Sense Motive on the Matron, however she answers: [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

Galton favors the "slow and steady" approach, alighting nimbly on the terrace while Aloetta vaults through the opening. He hurries around the corner, and stands with his back flat against the upper level, heart racing as he takes odds mentally on the chances of their staying hidden. As the footsteps recede, he exhales, and locks eyes with Aloetta with something of a rueful grin. "That was closer than I would have liked. Did you see anything noteworthy in there?"

I'm assuming the answer to that is a decisive "not yet," and have equal interest in going straight back in and waiting until after the matrons and them go to sleep.

@DM: my bloodline affords me a +1 caster level when in dim light or darkness. I'm assuming that will apply to the duration of vanish, and that we're *in* dim light, at this time of night. Sorry I failed to mention it earlier- and if it doesn't apply, please let me know. I don't have any other spells known that have variable effects based on CL, so I'd like a different bloodline if my arcana isn't going to do anything :-\

[sithdrummer]

Listening intently, Aloetta hears the footsteps dwindle away, and lets out a quiet sigh of relief. How long had she been holding her breath?


"That was closer than I would have liked. Did you see anything noteworthy in there?"

"Nothing extraordinary, if that's what you mean. Everything seemed normal for two sisters' shared bedroom," she whispered.

Speaking quickly, Aloetta apologizes. "I'm sorry about the noise I made coming in the window; I'm sure that's what caused this mess. Unfortunately, I feel like we missed our window, no pun intended. It's been a few minutes since the others went inside, and our continued absence is going to draw attention. Speaking of which, it occurs to me that it wouldn't be a bad idea for the two of us to have our alibi straight for why we didn't come in with the others. Since I was the one who originally left the common room to get the wheelbarrow, it would be believable that I was returning it just now, and you were helping me. Then again, that means one of us has to actually go and wheel it back to the barn.

You can help me with the wheelbarrow, or you can try exploring the next room while I take care of it - but you won't have more than a minute or two at most."


[roll0]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen watches with held breath for the cook to come back downstairs, silently praying for things to calm down and more violence to be avoided.

[Farmerbink]

Galton purses his lips. "It'll be more believable that it took both of us, and we still struggled with it." He stifles a snicker. "C'mon, I'd better help you get it done so we can get back inside quickly. I've got a solid guess who's feet fall that heavily on the stairs, and I'm not so sure I like the idea of him not believing us. Push comes to shove, let me do the talking, alright?"

The drop from the terrace is far enough to be awkward and uncomfortable, but not far enough to hurt, so a few moments later the unlikely duo dust themselves off as they return to the common room. Galton, for one walks in the door beaming, proud of himself as can be.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta follows close behind Galton, with a somber face she hopes will be attributed to the recent deaths.

[Athaleon]

"Offered to help 'em with the wheelbarrow, but they waved me off. Small 'uns, you know?" Kolrak affected a grumble, followed by a wink.

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

"How's that matters?" asks the matron from Illy. "Had just a couple idiots 'ere yesterday, nobody 'xcepts Ol' George day before," she points to the passed-out drunk, "an' just 'nother bunch o' tramps an' hoboes day afore that." The matron pauses. "You think one o' them come back t'steal from us?"

Marta fetches a crossbow from behind the counter. She stands up, one foot in the stirrup, and actions the cranequin to load the weapon.
Stephen had noticed earlier (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21110374&postcount=129) that Marta seemed disturbed by the use of the word crossbow.

Stephen winces when Kolrak delivers his lie. Kolrak's expression betrays him. It's clear it won't fool everybody, but at least neither the matron (looking sternly at the younger girl) neither Marta (cranking her crossbow) were looking at his face. The younger girl starts yelling. "He's a liar! I know they're up there! I know it I know it I know it..."

As she goes on, the cleavered cook comes back down the stairs. He stops, and looking at the matron, gives her a shake of his head. The younger girl's eyes start glittering. "I swear! I told the truth. He's the liar. Please!" The cook silently goes back into his kitchen. The matron slaps the younger girl with the back of a heavy hand. She grabs her by the ear, twisting it. "We're all tired o' your lyin'! Give your 'pologies to 'vryone 'ere!" The whelp let's out a whine of pain, but manages to wriggle out of the matron's grasp and make a run for the exit, into the night.

Seeing the situation is seemingly resolved, Marta unloads her weapon and puts it back in place. Rickard and his guards back down and take to their sits; Rickard looks at Kolrak with narrowed eyes; he doesn't seemed fooled by the half-orc's lie. Paulander is nowhere to be seen, probably gone into his room.

You still have a rounds of post before the common room closes. Galton and Aloetta can come back into the common room with their next post.

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa fails to suppress a grimace. He had wanted to pick Kolrak's brain--he seemed a simple warrior at first, but his raven betrayed him as something more. Now, it would be too risky to associate with him further. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

"For the room, ma'am," says Tezaa as he hands the matron two coppers. He excuses himself and goes to his quarters, where he eats from his pack. Perhaps I can escape the curse by refusing the food, he thinks without real hope. He spends the next hour brewing another dose of mutagen.

[daelrog]

"I..." Illy found herself struggling to find her words. She hadn't expected the Matron to be able to answer so easily. She'd hope it might put a crack to the illusion, curse, or whatever madness had taken this place. "I suppose it had nothing to do with anything." She retreated back to the long table.

"I'm staying up tonight. I dreamed of fire and smoke and chains when I was here, and I don't want to dream of it again. Any of you are free to stay up with me."

[Athaleon]

Kolrak winced inwardly at the girl's accusation but didn't challenge her. She was right, after all, and Kolrak knew he wasn't the greatest liar in the world. "I've no appetite tonight, after these goings-on. I'll retire early," he announced quietly to his companions at the long table. "But perhaps we should share rooms... to save on coin, I mean? Times are tough despite the peace."

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

The matron seems to have overheard Kolrak. "Don't care where y'all sleep, long as th'ladies are left in peace. Y'all sleep in th'same room fo' all I care. The price's the same 'nyways. Or if you're greedy, y'can sleep in the common room fo' half a silver each."

[sithdrummer]

The situation seemingly neatly defused, Aloetta takes a seat at the table nearest the fireplace and lights up her pipe. After a few moments, she meets Stephen's eyes and subtly shakes her head back and forth, hoping to indicate that she and Galton had found nothing of note. She then pulls out a book to ostensibly read, but continues to listen. She tries to overhear the conversation going on at the gaming table first.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen looks morose, his dread of the coming night palpable. "Though I dread it, I think I must sleep tonight as well. Tomorrow I will petition Desna for spells that might help us pierce through the mists that cloud and conceal the cause of this dreadful mystery. I see no reason to sleep alone, and would welcome companions who might stand watch and take turns sleeping...Is anyone else willing?" he asks. Looking to Kolrak, his expression makes it clear that he will join the man tonight...

[Athaleon]

Kolrak grunted his assent. "Fine by me. If there's nothing else, I'm retirin' for the evening."

[Farmerbink]

Galton sits about with something of a resigned expression. As the hour for sleep inexorably approaches, he seems to move less and less, until he more resembles a small statue than a living creature. As the gathered patrons complete their piecemeal departure to find rest in whatever context they choose, Galton slips into a room with Stephen and perhaps a few others.

"I think it is perhaps best to wait another hour, and then I will be heading upstairs. I would be happy for anyone who wants to be around, but wouldn't dare ask you to join me. There's not too much sense in kicking that anthill any harder than necessary...." He settles into a curled position by the door, none to eager to explore, but rather almost pessimistic in his perspective of the necessity.

[daelrog]

Illy nodded to both Stephen and Kolrak. She too didn't want to be alone. Strength in numbers.

Sadly, she didn't do the same with Galton. Illy was hedging her bets with hoping their dreams were somehow the culprit, and thoughts of the innkeeper's cleaver spattered with fawn blood also kept her in place.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta comes over to Galton, sitting silently. "I'm so glad you overheard the cook coming upstairs earlier. Our goose would have been cooked! Do you really want to go back up there tonight? There's not a whole lot I can do to help, and I certainly don't want to risk getting caught red-handed a second time. Is there anything you can think of?"

[WalkingTheShade]

At the long table

After she's back from her errand, there's nothing much for Aloetta to overhear. Paulander has already left the game table; Rickard and the soldiers don't seem in a mood to go on playing or talk. All three silently scrutinize Aloetta and her companions. Finally, Rickard rises up and retires to his room. Both guards follow.

The only other guest left is that drunk passed out in front of his cup. After the barn boy has come to the common room and curls before the hearth, the matron calls for closing down.

The remaining guests get into Tezaa's room. They are cramped in such a small place, but fill safer for it. They even manage to put Tezaa's barricade in place. It's soon clear it won't be possible for more than two persons to lay down at the same time, but it should be enough to permit Stephen, Kolrak and Tezaa to sleep in turns. Aloetta and Illy try to stay awake, while Galton, after waiting for some time to pass, motions towards the door. After convening about a signal, three short knocks, a pause, two short knocks, the barricade is lifted and Galton gets on his way towards the upper floor.

Galton

It's easy enough for Galton to get upstairs. Listening at the doors of both rooms (the one of both the daughters that he visisted earlier, then the one he deduces to be the innkeepers') Galton hears nothing but breathing or loud snoring.

He nimbly tries the handle of the third door and it silently opens. The room behind is slightly lit by star and moonlight. There's a person asleep on the bed.

Visions

Tezaa is sitting at the long table. The red-haired girl comes from the kitchen and puts a plate of wildfowl and mushrooms in front of him. He could have asked for coin but he feels hungry tonight. He thought he could at least taste his own catch from two days ago. He growls his thanks to the girl. Tezaa doesn't use the offered spoon, but simply grabs the cooked meat with heavy hands. (Not my hands, thinks Tezaa.) He raises his eyes and throws a look at the innkeeper's fat little wife. Damn this woman makes him uneasy. Tezaa coughs a bit. The plate is way too peppery. The matron looks back with her small greedy eyes. There's just something about her. He can't say what, but she does make him uneasy. That's what happens to people who settle down. Now, he regrets staying. The room is too hot, too cramped. Should have spent the night outside. That look from the innkeeper's wife spoiled his appetite. He coughs some more. He tries to ask the girl for something to drink, but his voice doesn't come out. His throat is burning now. He grasps at it. He can't breath. He claws at his throat. There's nothing to do. As he falls from his stool, he sees the matron staring at him, expresionless. Behind her, the innkeeper is coming, cleaver in hand. He tries to crawl away before everything goes black.

The rain is blinding. Stephen finally distinguishes the shape of both inn and barn. Fortunately, the boy isn't late to come fetch his mare, taking her bridle as Stephen dismounts. Stephen runs towards the inn's entrance, careful not to slip in the mud. He removes his cape, gives it a good shake to remove as much water as possible before hanging it to dry near the hearth. The woman looks at him with a lopsided smile. She means well, Stephen knows. "Welcome t'you, m'lord. What's it gonna be?" Stephen orders (with an unfamiliar voice) warmed and spiced red wine, before sitting near the fire. The common room is sadly empty. Stephen is disappointed. He hoped the rain might be bring in some joyous company. He sighs as the innkeepers' older daughter brings his wine from the kitchen. Her smile is a lot more charming than her mother's. Stephen lowers his head to pass a hand in his wet hair. Blood on the floor's planks. Still red. Not brown. Still fresh. "There's been a fight, in here?" asks Stephen (with still that voice, that is not his own, but that Stephen knows he's heard it before). The matron tries to look surprised, but instead manages to look suddenly more suspicious. It seems the older girl hasn't heard him as she's going behind the counter. The younger one has a hand under her apron, and is ever slowly backing towards the kitchen. Something's definitively wrong.
"What's going on, here?" asks Stephen.
"Nothin', m'lord, everythin' fine," answers the matron.
The younger girl knocks on the kitchen's door. The inkeeper comes, with a meat hook in hand. As the older one raises a crossbow from behind the counter, Stephen has already his longsword drawn. He slips the tip of his blade under the arc of her weapon, disarms her and sends the crossbow astray without wounding the woman. Before he can try to defuse the situation, the innkeeper is on him, stabbing left and right with that hook. Stephen dodges smugly. The commoner is clearly untrained, too slow and lacks reach with such a weapon. It's not hard for Stephen to nick him twice on the arms, thinking he'll soon dissuade the bigger man from pressing his luck. He sees the dagger thrown from his left too late. It slices at the side of his head, disorienting him. The innkeeper tries to use the distraction too push him towards the hearth, but Stephen dodges again, circling around the long table. He kicks a stool into the innkeeper's legs and cuts him, this time seriously, on the left arm. Yet, the big man is far more determined and thougher than Stephen anticipated. He hears something in his back before he sees it. The small innkeeper's wife is trying to stab him, but Stephen twists so that the blade catches only his arm. It doesn't go well from there. Meat hook and dagger come from both sides. From elsewhere, blades are thrown at him. Stephen loses any notion of the fight, reacting on pure instinct and training. Until yet another cut on his sword arm sends a jolt of pain through him. He drops his sword. Meat hook and dagger come from both sides.

Illy comes into the inn, covered in muck. The weather wasn't too unpleasant. Sunny and all. But the fact is, roads were muddy and walking through all that, without rain to clean you up. Well, Illy is pissed. She puts her bardiche against the wall and sits down, busy cleaning her mail the best she can. Piotr starts asking the small fat woman the same questions they've been asking for days. "We're lookin' for the young lord Rickard. Have you seen him recently hereabout or heard anything about him?" The matron shakes her head: "can't say I've heard or seen anything." Piotr asks again and again, in different ways, just to make sure. Illy is pissed. It's been the same for days. Either nobodies seen the lordling, or they say they've seen him but they're actually lying about it in hope of wrangling some coin out of it. Illy keeps cleaning her mail. Piotr finally comes and sit in front of Illy. "So," she asks, with an unusually deep voice. "Nothing, they ain't seen him. Whatever. She's offering us a drink for the road." Illy shrugs. She gets back to her mail, removing the muck. She hears a twang and air flows right next to her ear. When she raises her eyes, there's something jutting out of Piotr's face. He's moving his mouth, trying to say something. Illy feels something heavy land against her back and projects her fast towards the table. She's dazed. She distinguishes the glint of a blade but it's too late.

Tezaa, Stephen and Illy each take one point of CON drain.

[Farmerbink]

Galton sneaks to the upper floors without incident. Indeed, it seems the whole world is asleep, or... No. Don't think like that. A quick shake of the head dispels his self-chastisement, and he carefully leans his ear to the first doorjamb.

Only one set of breaths... A rueful frown flickers across his face. Hate to see her mistreated like that, but what was I supposed to do? He wonders aimlessly for a moment, recalling the backhanded blow delivered to the youngest serving girl. The frown deepens.

He hears what he thinks are two sets of breaths at the second door- one snoring uproariously. He nods to himself. At the third door, the one occupied this afternoon, he listens only for a moment before carefully nudging it open. Without a sound, it swings plenty wide enough for his narrow frame to slip through. The girl tosses and turns in fitful- no? Perhaps she's awake? After a quick perusal or the room, nothing seems out of order, except.... Unable to ignore the quiet, stifled sobs, Galton quickly returns to the doorway. He knocks gently to announce his presence....

Shades and I rand this dialogue in Hangouts, and it is entirely too long for me to take the time to copypasta into colored thread-lingo. Perhaps in the next couple days I'll feel suitably inclined.

Creeping back down to the ground floor, eager to share his newfound information, Galton stops only to verify that the large man still slumbers. The snoring is easily audible through the doorway, so with the relative ease of confidence, Galton makes for the kitchens... and almost throws up. The overpowering stench of meat in various states of decay pervades the area. After what she said... seems... small for a deer, don't it? Galton shudders, and all-but dashes back to the room, careful to avoid the slumbering drunk.

knock, knock, knock...

knock, knock.

The door opens, and Galton bursts in, whispering harshly, "Hey! Wakeup! I've got news you're gonna want- well, maybe not want, but need to hear! I spoke with the lass upstairs- she says they're killing and cooking people here! I can't right be sure, the hanging carcasses are... well, I'm no butcher, nor a veterinarian, that's all I'm saying. She don't know anything about why they seem stuck on the same day over and over, but it's right wrong, it is! I bet that butcher knows more than he's letting on, too!"

[Athaleon]

"Grisly as it sounds, I want to see this with my own eyes. If it's true, then there's nothing else for it but for us to get together and confront our gracious hosts." Kolrak whispered back. "No talking around it, no pretending everything's normal, just the direct question. Anyone coming with?"


Unless no one agrees to go, Kolrak will try to sneak out to the kitchens. He will send his raven to the top of the stairs to come warn them if anyone upstairs leaves their room.

Stealth: [roll0]

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta looks aghast at Galton's claims, but does not doubt them. "It would appear that the younger girl may also be involved somehow. It would be a good idea to find out where she went and what she may be up to. She was in the barn when I came out earlier, no? I wonder if she is there now..."

[WalkingTheShade]

In the kitchen

Grime, insides, guts and drying blood cover the stony ground and the many broken tools littered on it. Barrels, crates, a stone oven and a metal stove adorn the room. Many meat hooks dangle from the ceiling. Many carcasses, some more decayed than others, all unrecognizable, dangle from them. Also a couple sausages. Flies buzz around, and the smell is nearly enough to make anyone retch.

What seems immediately strange is that the overpowering stench doesn't extend beyond the door to the common room.

Just to push things a little forward. The description is here for anyone wanting to go check the kitchen with Kolrak and Galton.
Identifying for certain the carcasses takes a Heal or Knowledge (Nature) check.

[daelrog]

Illy had tried to stay awake, she truly did, but the stress and the fear took its toll. It was only a minute, but when she was woken up her eyes wide. She felt a little weaker, and stood up shakily.

Illy covered her mouth and nose when the stench hit, her watery eyes trying to figure out what the bodies were, if any of them were indeed people, both dreams swimming around in her mind.

Going to do a heal check: [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

Galton waits just outside the door, having already experienced the kitchen more times than he cares to. He hooks a thumb at the door. "t's just in there," he whispers.

[daelrog]

Illy left the room. Quickly. As she stumbled out she fell to her knees, nails scratching at the floor.

"The dream I had last night. It was something... something hungry for flesh. They're feeding it."" Did they feed them all human flesh as well in the stew? "Tonight I dreamed of two knights murdered by these... people at this inn."

On her knees she was still much closer to Galton's height. "We need to burn this place down. This place shouldn't be standing."

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

As she finishes talking, Illy notices the barn boy sleeping, curled up in front of the hearth. The boy moves around in his sleep, probably disturbed by the sound of Illy's voice. He doesn't wake up, however.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta, now visibly frightened, says, "I- I agree, Illy. Between all your visions, my own vision from the first night takes on a new light. In it, I was stumbling along a road near the inn, with a crossbow bolt sticking out of my stomach. I died telling a passing knight about the inn, though I could not make out all of the words I was saying. At the time, I didn't know what it meant, but now, it seems likely that the person in my vision was not traveling to this inn, but rather escaping a murder that was attempted here."

She pauses a moment. She then asks Galton, "Did the other person upstairs tell you her relationship to the owners of this inn? Why is she here, and why does she never seem to leave her room? Did she tell you any of these things? Before we burn down this wretched place, it would help us to know such things."

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa also braves the foul stench of the kitchens to examine the bodies. Curious, that we can't smell it from the common room. He wonders whether the "curse" or more mundane magic is responsible.


[roll0]


As the others speak, Tezaa gestures at the boy in front of the hearth. "Back to the room!" he whispers. "We can make our plans there."

"I, too, dreamt of being murdered," Tezaa says once the group has reconvened behind closed doors. His thin expression and hoarse voice speak to the truth in his words. "I was a hunter--perhaps the one we saw earlier tonight. The matron served me poisoned meat, peppered heavily to mask the taste. The last thing I saw was the innkeeper, coming at me with his cleaver.

"One more thing. We will probably burn this place down. But for the love of all the gods, let's think this through first! We're up against murderers, and perhaps a monster as well--not to mention the forces at play which we still don't understand. One misstep will cost us our lives."

[Athaleon]

Kolrak examined the charnel room and its curious scent-barrier with his arcane sense before returning to the room.

"Two of the bodies in there were human, for sure. The third was an animal, and there was that fawn the hunter brought in today. No fawn from yesterday, no surprise there," Kolrak sighed. "I had no dreams nor visions, but I wonder if that would change next time I go to sleep."


Examining the abovementioned room and doorway with Detect Magic before returning to the room.

[Farmerbink]

Galton nods to Aloetta, but gestures towards the room before answering. Back in the relative safety- at least from prying eyes and ears, he begins speaking quietly. "Aye. She's their daughter-in-law. Said something about a husband named 'Ben,' though he wasn't upstairs with 'er. Said he was never the same after comin' back from the wars, but didn' seem to think 'e was involved in the... uh..." He nods his head towards the kitchen, unable to finish the thought aloud.

"As much as burnin' this place down appeals to me, I think I aughta at least try to get her an' the kid out. Can't well see 'ow she could be involved an' still wanna spill the beans, eh?"

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa nods. "Yes, yes. Doubtless the stable boy is innocent enough as well, and perhaps the mystery woman upstairs. We'll also probably want to get Rickard and his men on our side, or at least wait for them to clear out. I doubt he'd be sympathetic if we slaughtered the innkeepers on our own initiative. And who knows? Maybe he could get some answers out of them." He turns to Illy. "You said they're feeding something? Can you tell us anything more?"

[daelrog]

Illy shook her head in frustration. "The first dream... vision. I was chained to a wall, and... broke free when I sensed there was a fire. The matron was there, and I knew she was my mother, telling me to get out, to save myself. I was hungry in that dream, hungry for human flesh, whether mother's or anyone else's." For the very first time Illy looked straight at Tezaa, directly into his eyes. "In my dream tonight I was guard looking for Rickard. I don't know why."

[WalkingTheShade]

Illy

Tezaa's mention of Rickard's guards triggers Illy's memory of her last dream. She's pretty sure the men in it where those very same guards: same weapons, same mail hauberks, same blue and red tabards.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta nods her agreement to Galton. "Yes, we should avoid needless bloodshed of people who aren't involved. I have to say though, that I'm quite curious about Illy's first vision. Illy, can you tell us anything else you remember about where "you" were in the dream after you broke free from being chained to a wall? Were you underground, or in a hidden room?"

[Athaleon]

Kolrak just stood and listened to the others' stories. "My first instinct is to go up and confront the innkeeper, unarmed and out of sorts, after being woken in the middle of the night. But after that fight in the common room, I wonder: If we took anyone else to the kitchen, would they see only deer? I wasn't the only one who saw human bodies hanging amid the animals, right?"

[Farmerbink]

Galton shakes his head in dismay. "I couldn't be sure, but it doesn't all seem like game to me. Not that I have any such desire, but I suspect if you were to show me any of the obvious distinctions, I would be able to voice more certain agreement..."

He turns to Illy, hoping to hear a response to Aloetta's query.

[daelrog]

Below ground. Under a trapped door. I remember climbing up, it was locked. Mother... the matron opened it for me." She buried her face in her hands. "I think they're all dead. The other guests. The men killed in my dream tonight... they're the very same who are with Rickard now. We can't trust any of them."

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa inhales sharply. "No, that can't be...can it? Perhaps our visions are of grim events yet to be, granted to us that we might prevent them?" He runs a hand through his sparse hair. "But the undead guests, their injuries matching the dreams..." His eyes widen. "The drunk! Why didn't the innkeepers rouse him, try to get him in a room? I need to check something..." With that, he creeps out the door, intent on seeing if the passed-out patron still drew breath.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak crept out of the room too, just to the point that he could watch Tezaa. His knuckles were white on his axe-haft, as he half-expected the passed-out patron to be another zombie.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen's sleep is fitful, plagued by terrifying visions and made difficult by the noise of his companions. In spite of that, he sleeps well enough to prepare new spells and does just that, praying desperately for wisdom. "Desna, there is great evil here that is preying upon your blessed children - an accursed inn that has trapped travelers from all walks of life and threatened their very hearts and minds. Please empower us to look into the dark pit here and resist its power. Guide us to find the truth and set free the innocent. Finally, help us all return to your blessed road from which we can continue our lives in peace..." he says, his voice shaking with passion and faith.

As he rises and listens to the stories of his companions, he relays the vision that intruded upon his dreams. "I suspect I experienced the death of some knight, perhaps one we have met in the common room. All of the family participated in the killing except the boy, who was outside stabling the man's horse. Regardless of anything else, none of them are innocent here..." he says with a shudder. "I have prepared new spells today, including some divination magic. It is limited in scope, however, and I am afraid it may not help us much to be able to detect the presence of the undead...

Though it pains me to say it, I think we need to act decisively. By that I mean that we may need to attack this foul excuse of a family before they can do us more ill. If that does not allow us a chance to find the haunting force in this place and dispose of it, then it is possible that nothing will..."

Stephen is suggesting that at the least the party explores the rest of the inn, searching for a demonic presence and fighting any of the family that gets in the way. He doesn't think the stable-boy is part of this, nor the sleeping girl upstairs, but believes that all of the other members of the innkeeper's family are corrupted. The remaining guests are all likely dead already - the PCs might be too for all he really knows. Acting while the rest of the inn is "asleep" might be the most expedient way to resolve this.

He has prepared the following spells today: 0th level - Detect Magic, Guidance, and Purify Food and Drink
1st level - Detect Undead, Sanctuary, and Protection from Evil (Domain Spell)

[WalkingTheShade]

Teeza, Kolrak

Teeza creeps out of the room, under the watchful eye of Kolrak. There's nothing much to say about the drunk. Up close, he stinks of cheap booze and vomit. Tezaa feels a pulse on the man's throat and hears the sound of this breathing. He seems to be peacefully asleep, drool of spit and vomit dried on the side of his mouth.

[daelrog]

Illy looked at Sephen with a hard look. "You liked this family well enough when it was only me Marta was being ugly towards." She looked to the others. Outside I tried to question the little boy, but the other girl, the smaller one saw me. She had her hand on the knife, and she changed, like she was made empty. They're cursed too. I can't say whether they were cursed because they murdered, or murdered because they were cursed. I can do it though. I don't want to, but if burning this nightmare down is what it takes, I can do it. I won't pretend I'm a hero though. I'm not. I just want to get out of here.

"I'm going to find this trapdoor. Someone should probably get the crossbow from behind the bar, just in case they wake up. The guilty tend to be light sleepers." With her piece said, she looked for the trapdoor, trying to recall from where around the inn it was.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen looks at Illy incredulously, and seems as if he is about to defend himself. Then he shakes his head and appears to come to a decision internally. Instead of speaking he waits quietly, his face anxious but his desire to support the rest of the party clear when he follows them as they quietly search the inn.

[daelrog]

Illy starts with the back area with the bodies, then moving around the kitchen. She searches under anything that can easily be lifted, the girl stronger than she appeared. She couldn't remember where the trapdoor was, the vision not enough to give her an exact location. It had been fire, fear, the matron, and little else.

Perception 1d20+5

[Athaleon]

Kolrak searched with Illy, to spare the more squeamish from having to search the kitchen.


Perception: [roll0]

[WalkingTheShade]

Illy, Kolrak

As Illy and Kolrak start rummaging around the kitchen, they first notice that, under the filth and grime, the floor here is made of hewn stone, whereas the rest of the inn is parqueted with wood. Illy moves around a couple barrels and cauldrons, gives a look to the oven, before finally noticing two large buckets filled with overflowing innards in a corner. Flies are swarming on the contents and when Illy approaches, a stench of human filth and rotting flesh assails her. The content of the buckets is spread out of them, but not enough to entirely hide what appears like wood under them. Illy and Kolrak manage to hold their breaths long enough to move both buckets out of the way, then clear the filth of it with their boots. Under is a latched wooden trapdoor. Illy imagined it to be larger; it's only a few feet wide. The rusted latch is closed now but could be easily opened from the kitchen's side.

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta listens intently as Illy tries to remember as much of her dream as she can. She finds herself nodding along as Illy talks about the little girl's "emptiness" and the family's possible curse.

"This family is clearly hiding something, and they seem a bit unhinged as well," she says, picturing the scene earlier with the enraged cook, slapping the younger serving girl while holding a cleaver in his other hand. When Illy mentions retrieving the crossbow, Aloetta nods vigorously. "I'm not about to get shot while sneaking around the inn, and I'd just as soon the same doesn't happen to any of you, either. Do you remember how quickly Marta grabbed and cranked that crossbow? As Ulrich Longfellow wrote in his Treatise on Patterns of Behavior, um, let me see..." She thinks for a moment.

"Ah yes, that's right: 'Master thieves guard their pockets, habitual liars trust no one, and murderers see attackers around every corner.' A guilty conscience prompts paranoia about the very thing of which the person is guilty. Now, this doesn't exactly imply guilt directly, but we should certainly play it safe. I'll grab the crossbow - I know how to use one, after all."

When Illy leaves the room to go search for the trapdoor, Aloetta creeps behind the bar, grabs the crossbow, and carries it to gamblers' table, so she can keep an eye on everything: the stairs, the boy sleeping at the hearth, and the hallway to the rooms where the guards, Rickard, and Paulander presumably are. Aloetta has used crossbows frequently in her travels, and knows how to load and crank them quietly. She loads both the inn's crossbow and her own, and places one in her lap and one on the chair next to her.

[daelrog]

Illy looked up to Kolrak when they found the trapdoor. "If our dreams really are true, then whatever is down there is the one eating people. It also might have claws." She looked away when she said the last word. It became clear she was saying it more to prepare him than to get his opinion when she unlatched the lock, and pulled out her handaxe.

[Athaleon]

Illy looked up to Kolrak when they found the trapdoor. "If our dreams really are true, then whatever is down there is the one eating people. It also might have claws." She looked away when she said the last word. It became clear she was saying it more to prepare him than to get his opinion when she unlatched the lock, and pulled out her handaxe.

"One sec." Kolrak murmured some incantation and for a few seconds, contorted his fingers with surprising deftness. held his axe at the ready, and nodded. "Ready."


Casting Mage Armor, raising AC to 15 for 1 hour.

[Farmerbink]

Galton speaks up as Illy and Kolrak venture into the kitchen. "Wait- what do you expect to find in there?" He nods solemnly as they describe the dreams again, and shakes his head in apprehension. "I think I'll wait out here, in case you get the wrong kind of attention from upstairs..." He takes up a seat, several feet away from Aloetta- no sense in both of them being too close together- and sits trying to master his fears. His crossbow is loaded, in his hands, and his eyes focus on the end of the stairs.

Something about the darkness offers meager comfort, it's always easier to go unnoticed in the dark...

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen follows quietly, drawing his own light crossbow and watching the party members as they ready themselves for battle...

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa frowns. "Are we certain we wish to deal with..." Tezaa whispers, gesturing at the trap door as he trails off, "before we confront the innkeepers?"

[daelrog]

Illy looked up to Tezaa with a small smile that held no joy in it. "I'm not certain of anything. All I know is this place is cursed. What I think is that all the other guests have already been killed, the innkeepers don't even know it, and that down here is a monster that might be able to explain it all. Explain it, or at least be the end of it." She looked at the edge of her axe. "I'm the one who saw this thing down below, and no one will miss me if I die. What of the innkeepers though who have each other, the travelers they've met? If you confront them, are you willing to defend yourself? Kill them if need be? I'm not... I'm like..."

Something was on her mind, but she wouldn't say it. "I'd rather face whatever's down there than that little girl."

[Athaleon]

Kolrak drummed his fingers on his axe-haft as he pondered. "Illy has a point. We don't know how exactly the innkeepers are mixed up in all this. Even if the matron and her husband are up to no good, the kids don't deserve any part of this. We just might get some answers down there, and if not, well, my gut tells me we'll have to face what's down there sooner or later."

[WalkingTheShade]

Below the inn

As Tezaa and Stephen look on, Kolrak unlatches the trapdoor and opens it. Illy waves a lit torch above the opening, revealing a ladder of rusted iron rings leading to, a few feet below, some sort a platform from where Illy can make out some stairs. As all hold their breath, there's no noise coming from inside. Illy gives a look to her companions of misfortune and, handing her torch to Kolrak, she lowers herself to the landing.

The smell of decay is overwhelming. Illy feels her stomach heaving. After Kolrak gives her the torch, Illy bends under the trapdoor's frame to descend a few steps. The stairs lead into a small cellar.

Illy hears a sound of metal scraping against stone. Turning her head, she notices a hairless humanoid form, one clawed hand bolted against the stone wall. It has just freed the other; a rusted metal binding falls to the floor. Its skin is bloated and decayed. Its clothes are bloody. Broken and gnawed bones lay around its feet. It looks at Illy, with something between a smile and a snarl. "A͔̟͓h̳̼̣,̼͕͙̳ ̣͕̜͕͙̼ͅf̪̮̩̬r̠͔͎̥es̙h ̖̳̰̪me̮͎͍a͉̫̲̖͇̗t̬͍."

Does Kolrak follow Illy? There's enough room right behind her for one other person.

Anyone entering the cellar has to succeed a Fort Save or be sickened. For now, that's only Illy, but if Kolrak (or someone else) decides to follow down, they'll need to roll a Fort.

[daelrog]

As Illy came down, she steeled her heart, but her stomach was another matter. She turned to the side, her chest convulsing as she wretched a little, feeling the bile in her throat. She'd have spent more time focused on how awful this place was, but the fear of the thing getting loose took over.

"We can get out of here and lock the door before you free yourself, or we can make a deal." She paused. "Maybe I'm just talking to mindless thing? Do you not even remember your mother?" To emphasize, she put on hand on the ladder, ready to climb if it kept clawing at its other restraint. It was awful, for a moment she thought that perhaps that she was no different from the cannibal, the... was this thing even alive? She couldn't tell. Tears came to her eyes, part from the smell, part from the fear. She wasn't like this, she wasn't anything like what her eyes beheld.

For a moment she considered switching to her bow, but she remembered how fast the thing was. At most, she'd get a single arrow off. Better to have the ax... her ax or something else...

[WalkingTheShade]

For all answer, with its free hand, the thing starts clawing at the last bolt restraining it.

"I͈͔̲̗̗'͖̤l̦̘̟̱̫̹̬l̲̗͕͚̤͙ ̙̙t͔̬̙͈̺͍e̥̦͕͉̫a̪̼͙͍͔͚̗r̰̹͎̘ y͔̟̺̭͙͙̺o̮̺̜̺̪u̱̳̻̟͈r̦̦̜ ̼he͚a͍͎̣̩rt͕̜̼͖ ̖̖̯ou͍͔̺t ̟̠̬ͅa͇n͈̮͔̦ͅḏ̫ ̻̜̼̪̤̙͎d͇͕͉̘e͉̖v̯̮o͎͕u̫͇̥̝̲r̰̯͔͓̣ ͉͙̩͕i͎̤͓͙̻t!"

It is not clear if the thing tries to say anything else, as its speech quickly degenerates into animal growls and yells.

Yes, it is starting to make a lot of noise.

[daelrog]

If only they'd gone down a minute sooner it would be at their mercy. If only they'd come a minute later, they'd hear it clawing on the trapdoor and know it was there. Illy cursed herself for thinking it could be reasoned with, whatever it was.

Her hand tightly gripped the ladder and she pulled herself upwards to go through with her threat.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak waited for Illy to vacate some space on the ladder before following. The smell upstairs didn't prepare him for the smell beneath, not by a damn sight, and he was too queasy to consider staying to confront the... creature down here.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the kitchen

Both Illy and Kolrak manage to get out of the cellar, followed by screams from the still bound thing.

Despite noise from the kitchen, Aloetta clearly hears the ceiling of the common room creaking under footsteps on the floor above: some of the innkeepers must be awake. She also hears doors opening, but that comes from the direction of the guest rooms.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen listens in on the scene in the kitchen, before starting as he notices noise from above him and down the hallway. "We either need to start something soon or get out of sight! People are waking from all the noise!" he whispers urgently as he readies his crossbow and looks around the area for potential threats (especially from the innkeeper's family).

[Athaleon]

"Go into the common room, and if anyone comes downstairs, squawk a bit." Kolrak instructed his raven, while he himself was looking around frantically for something heavy to put on the hatch.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the kitchen

Kolrak then Illy swiftly climb out of the trapdoor. When Kolrak closes the door, Illy locks its latch right away.

There's a lot of junk littered around the kitchen. However, the metal stove looks like the heaviest piece of furniture readily available.

Before we roll initiative, everyone gets time for a couple short actions. I expect a post from every PC. So, you can also roll your Initiatives for combat in that post.

Illy & Kolrak

I estimate the stove to be 150lbs. Going by the rules for lifting and dragging (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/alignment-description/carrying-capacity), you'd need both Illy and Kolrak to lift it and put in position. (Dragging it would be too slow, and there's a lot of litter obstructing the way.)

Doing so would prevent Illy and Kolrak to take any other action before combat starts.

Other options are:
1. Trust that latch.
2. Barricade the trapdoor with various pieces of junk less heavy than the stove.

[Farmerbink]

Galton jumps only slightly at Aloetta's announcement of impending company. He looks around the room, clearly uncomfortable, before settling on a course of action. In a hurried whisper, he turns to the Halfling oracle and anyone other friends in the common room. "I'm going to make an image of the huntsman from earlier. Don't be fooled, it's just an illusion, but maybe it'll buy us some time!"

Almost as if on queue, the huntsman, previously seen with a deer over his shoulders appears just inside the main doorway. The sound of the door slamming fills the air, along with his boisterous voice. "Old man! We've got unfinished business!"

Galton slowly backs towards a dark corner, hoping to go unnoticed by the inn's ownership.

So Galton will do what Galton does best- make distractions. The Silent image is DC 16, and lasts until he stops "concentrating." His 1st-level feat is "effortless trickery, (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/effortless-trickery)" so the illusion will effectively last indefinitely. In the meantime, he will also cast ghost sound (at CL 2, for dim lighting), to help bolster the believability of the silent image (Ghost sound DC is 15- immediately applicable upon hearing the noise). As long as it seems he's creating a believable distraction, and hindering the innkeeper or the matron, he'll maintain the silent image, and re-cast ghost sound every two rounds. Move actions will be spent primarily to hide. :smallbiggrin:

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta hears muffled footsteps from above and whispers to Stephen and Galton, "We're about to have company!" She checks the crossbow in her lap and on the seat next to her nervously, making sure they're ready to fire, and trying to keep them as concealed as possible. A door is heard opening in the direction of the guest rooms. "... and not just the innkeeper's family. We will need to handle the next few moments carefully to avoid loss of innocent lives, especially our own. I might try to get someone in the family to admit what's been going on."

As Galton creates his illusion of the huntsman to buy time, Aloetta pulls out one of her books, so that at first glance she appears to be reading. One hand remains in her lap, on the crossbow. She's trying not to seem threatening.

[daelrog]

Illy goes for the metal stove. She looks to Kolrak. "Please... help me." It's almost as if the question is more philosophical in nature than the more pressing issue of keeping a monster from escaping the basement. Her muscles tense as she single-handedly is able to slide it an inch, but alone it'll take her too long.

[Athaleon]

Kolrak hurried to help Illy move the stove to cover the hatch.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen sees the chaos developing and says, "As unpleasant as it is, we should all retreat to the kitchen - there they can only come at us one at a time!" He then turns, takes a deep breath, and runs into the kitchen to help Illy and Kolrak move the heavy metal stove...

[Cyclopean]

Tezaa wrests the deer corpse off of the meat hook. Just before Illy and Kolrak slam the trap door closed, he hurls it into the darkness below. "Hopefully that will keep it occupied," he mutters.

As he moves to help drag the stove, Tezaa downs his mutagen, shuddering once more into a stranger form.


[roll0]

[Farmerbink]

Without interrupting either his chant or the bellowing of the illusory huntsman, Galton shakes his head. He tilts his head towards the kitchen, as if to say 'go ahead,' but makes no effort to follow the instruction himself. Instead, he all-but disappears into a shadowy corner- relying on the sounds and sights of his magic to mask his own retreat.

I'm sure there are plenty of dark corners with tables, chairs, or other obstructions to hide behind. Galton will find one, using his move action, and attempt to remain unnoticed.

[roll0] stealth

[sithdrummer]

Like Galton, Aloetta nods her head to Stephen to indicate her acknowledgement of his message, but pointedly remains in her seat. Her eyes return to the stairwell, peering out over her book.

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

As Galton recedes in the shadows, Stephen noiselessly closes the door, leaving a slight opening through which he can spy Aloetta at her mock reading.

The barn boy is woken up by all the noise, but doesn't get up. He yawns on the ground and rubs sleep away from his eyes. "Wanna sleep, leave me 'lone." He turns with his back to the noise. The drunk is still deeply asleep, not far from the kitchen's door.

Soon, the innkeeper comes down the steps, with no rush, the matron in tow. He's got his cleaver in hand, but looks confusedely at the hunter. The innkeeper gives a grunt, shakes his head, signaling for the hunter to go on.

That's when Rickard comes lurching into the common room. Aloetta, Stephen and Galton immediately notice something is not right. Tens of gashes split Rickard's face, flesh and clothes; yet no blood drips from his open flesh. His dead eyes turn to Aloetta.

In the kitchen

Noise from below stops not long after the stove (still hot from cooking tonight's dinner) is put on the trapdoor.

Only Aloetta, Galton, Stephen and Rickard act in the surprise round. Rickard is clearly both dead and hostile. Dead!Rickard is holding no weapon, but his blade is in the scabbard at its side.

The order is:
Galton > Aloetta > Rickard > Stephen. (So Rickard is flat-footed for both Aloetta and Galton, but not for Stephen.)

Nevertheless, Farmerbink, sithdrummer and DarkOne7141981 can all post now, without waiting for me to resolve Dead!Rickard's action. Other players need to wait for round 1 to act.

The innkeepers are flat-footed and won't act in the surprise round. Whether they are hostile or not (and if so, to whom) remains to be seen.

Other things to note:
Terrain: reddish squares are difficult terrain. All the kitchen is difficult terrain. (Movement in difficult terrain costs twice as much.)
Lighting: we'll suppose Aloetta put a lantern on the table she was sitting at. (She wasn't pretending to read in the dark, was she?) Illy also still has her torch in the kitchen.
http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_2_Map_start_surprise_round_zpsqvile4av.png

[Farmerbink]

As the obviously dead Rickard enters the room, the Huntsman reacts in a near perfect mirror of Galton's surprise. Oddly quiet, to the canny observer, the hunter dashes across the room, drawing a pitted blade. He comes to a stop before the zombie, and seems to fight defensively- saving his blows for a better opportunity.

Galton Fizzwick (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=820919)
M CG Gnome Sorcerer, Level 1, Init +2, HP 9/9, DR nil, Speed 20
AC 13, Touch 13, Flat-footed 11, CMD 9, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1, CMB -3, Base Attack Bonus 0
Light crossbow (10 bolts) +3 (1d6, 19-20/x2)
Dagger -1 or +3 (1d3-2, 19-20/x2)
No armor (+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 18
Conditionsorcerer spells per day: 3/4
Cloak of shadows: 7/7
Constitution Drain: 1

Swift action to concentrate on the silent image, which engages the zombie, but makes doesn't actually attack- only "fights defensively."

No other actions

[DarkOne-Rob]

Stephen the Lost (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=890171)
Male Chaotic Good Human Cleric, Level 1, Init 1, HP 10/12, Speed 40 ft.
AC 11, Touch 11, Flat-footed 10, CMD 5, Fort 3, Ref 1, Will 6, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus 0
Light Crossbow (10 Bolts) +1 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
No Armor (+1 Dex)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 12, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 12
Condition None
Stephen's eyes go wide as he recognizes another undead guest of the inn, remembering vividly his last nightmare. The sad look on his face is impossible to miss, followed by a silent plea to his goddess to aid and protect Aloetta from the undead's attacks...

Use Blessing of the Faithful (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/archetypes/paizo---cleric-archetypes/ecclesitheurge) on Aloetta. This is a Supernatural Ability, and thus has no verbal components to it...

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta stifles her panic as best she can, though the sight of Rickard's gored face tests the limits of her self-discipline. Her hand betrays her shock by dropping the book almost involuntarily. As the undead creature turns its hateful gaze toward her, she reacts immediately by raising the crossbow in her lap and firing a single shot.

Aloetta makes a Knowledge (religion) to determine what type of undead creature Rickard has become, and to try and determine how he became this way.
[roll0] (not applying Stephen's Blessing of the Faithful yet since she acts before him)

For the attack, I'm assuming her light crossbow is in her lap. I don't know what type of crossbow the one behind the bar was.
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] piercing


Edit: Natural 20 on the Knowledge (religion)!

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

The phantasmal hunter rushes in front Aloetta, causing her to reflexively jerk her hand thus over-compensating her shot for its presence. The bolt goes astray and thuds in a wall not far from Galton. The sudden noise breaks the concentration of the gnome for an instant, during which Rickard, growling, manages to land an open-palmed blow close to the illusory hunter's face.

Still trying to register exactly what happened, Aloetta feels the comforting presence of Desna reaching for her, through the dark night.

In the kitchen

Still no noise from below, but some noise coming from the common room seems to point to fight breaking out.

We're moving to block Init.
Aloetta and Galton get to take their round 1's action. Then I post for NPCs. Then everyone else posts.

Rickard managed to hit the illusion with a clear hit. I used 10 + Galton's INT + his DEX as AC for the silent image. The image being hit through triggered a save for disbelief by anyone watching. Whether they passed the save or not will become clear later.
EDIT: I meant 10 + DEX + casting stat. Not INT. Also counting a +4 for Total Defense, that nets a 20 AC and means Rickard actually missed the illusion.

Please keep in mind the following conditions:
Kolrak and Illy are still sickened (and they're going to be for long enough not to need to take the precise duration in account).
The kitchen door is closed. Meaning all of you (except Stephen) in the kitchen don't exactly know what's happening. But you hear the crossbow thud, Rickard growl, etc. You know a fight has started. There's a good chance nobody has noticed you're all in the kitchen yet.
Terrain: reddish squares are difficult terrain. All the kitchen is difficult terrain. (Movement in difficult terrain costs twice as much.)
Lighting: we'll suppose Aloetta put a lantern on the table she was sitting at. (She wasn't pretending to read in the dark, was she?) Illy also still has her torch in the kitchen.
http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_2_Map_start_round_1_zps3zfoizxa.png

[sithdrummer]

Aloetta curses as her bolt flies wide. She opts to leave Marta's crossbow where it is - A hidden advantage is worth three visible ones. -Haribald Dippold, she remembers the quote suddenly - and instead stands from her seat, backs up a few paces, and reloads her own crossbow.

"Dear gods, get him, you bloody fools! Can't you see what he's become?" she bellows to the room, though unfortunately it comes out entirely in a foreign language.

Aloetta uses her first move action to leave her chair and move two spaces (1 space to the right and 1 space up, keeping the table between her and Rickard). Her second move action is used to reload her light crossbow.

[Athaleon]

With the hatch apparently secured, Kolrak took a deep breath to try to clear his head—a mistake given his current location—and hefted his axe. Head still spinning, he pointed at the door and looked to his companions to see if they had some other idea, before barging into the common room.


Kolrak delays. If the party members in the kitchen decide to join the fight in the common room, he will too, otherwise he will sit tight until something else requires action.

[Farmerbink]

A wince mars Galton's features, unnoticed in the dark inn, beneath the table. Gonna have to be better than that! he chastises himself, silently. The hunter recoils, perhaps a second too late, and backs away from the zombie, a wary expression on his face and blood dripping from a broken nose. He puts his arms up in a defensive gesture as he slowly tries to put some space between himself and the zombie.

Galton Fizzwick (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=820919)
M CG Gnome Sorcerer, Level 1, Init +2, HP 9/9, DR nil, Speed 20
AC 13, Touch 13, Flat-footed 11, CMD 9, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1, CMB -3, Base Attack Bonus 0
Light crossbow (10 bolts) +3 (1d6, 19-20/x2)
Dagger -1 or +3 (1d3-2, 19-20/x2)
No armor (+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 18
Conditionsorcerer spells per day: 3/4
Cloak of shadows: 7/7
Constitution Drain: 1

Swift action to concentrate on the silent image, which steps away from the zombie (into the room 5 feet).

[WalkingTheShade]

In the common room

The innkeeper looks upon the scene with a frown of deep confusion. "Dontcha just stand 'ere, DO SOMETHIN' 'BOUT BREAKIN' THAT FIGHT!" yells the matron. The inkeeper runs down the steps and through the common room, with the matron in tow. He brandishes his cleaver menacingly. "STOP FIGHTING!" yells the matron towards Rickard and the hunter, to no effect. Behind them, Marta is running down the stairs, an eye on the counter.

At the same time, Galton, Aloetta and Stephen notice two new arrivals into the common room: Rickard's guard shamble out of the corridor. One has a crossbow bolt jutting out of his face. The other's face is also broken by a deep gash, brain matter leaking out of it.

In the kitchen

There's no noise coming from the trapdoor. The matron's shouts, for their part, are clearly audible. "More undead are coming," Stephen whispers to his companions, "and the hunter is just an image from Galton."

So, now every player is free to post a full round of actions. That's end of round 1 for Tezaa, Stephen, Illy and Kolrak; beginning of round 2 for Aloetta and Galton.

Please keep in mind the following conditions:
Kolrak and Illy are still sickened (and they're going to be for long enough not to need to take the precise duration in account).
The kitchen door is closed. Meaning all of you (except Stephen) in the kitchen don't exactly know what's happening. But you hear the crossbow thud, Rickard growl, etc. You know a fight has started. There's a good chance nobody has noticed you're all in the kitchen yet.
Terrain: reddish squares are difficult terrain. All the kitchen is difficult terrain. (Movement in difficult terrain costs twice as much.)
Lighting: we'll suppose Aloetta put a lantern on the table she was sitting at. (She wasn't pretending to read in the dark, was she?) Illy also still has her torch in the kitchen.
http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y346/walkingtheshades/Combat_2_Map_middle_round_1_zpstfyhaflx.png

[daelrog]

Illy moved forward, putting her back to her side, and dropping her torch so she could pull out her shortbow. "Then we destroy them." She staggered as she walked. For how concerned she'd been about cleaning herself on their first night at the inn for the dirt and dust from the road, she was far worse now with smears of sweat, blood, and bile that could be from her boots to her hair.

Of their group of six, only the two little ones were out their to face whatever undead Stephen spoke of. Wanting nothing more than to kill the horrible thing she'd just met, she was more than willing to put down another monster in its stead. However, she didn't try to get out the door, not yet. Still stammering, still sick to her whole body, she made way behind Stephen, to try to look around him.

Moving Illy to the space diagonal to Stephen to his upper right. Otherwise, just getting her shortbow ready to fire.

[Farmerbink]

The hunter continues to stagger away from his foe- still trying to protect himself and his already damaged face rather than fight. He moves away from Aloetta this time, leaving an obvious opening for the cleaver-brandishing chef to demonstrate his intentions.

Galton Fizzwick (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=820919)
M CG Gnome Sorcerer, Level 1, Init +2, HP 9/9, DR nil, Speed 20
AC 13, Touch 13, Flat-footed 11, CMD 9, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1, CMB -3, Base Attack Bonus 0
Light crossbow (10 bolts) +3 (1d6, 19-20/x2)
Dagger -1 or +3 (1d3-2, 19-20/x2)
No armor (+2 Dex)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 18
Conditionsorcerer spells per day: 3/4
Cloak of shadows: 7/7
Constitution Drain: 1

Hunter moves "Northwest" this time, two diagonal squares (like a withdraw action?). Hopefully he will keep the zombie's attention by accident, and we'll get to see how the cleaver-man wants to play this.