Past the Goblin Wall IC

[Xihirli]

Verdammte has been in a state of decline. It is losing its war to the south, and its orchards and farms every year yield that much less grain. Such has been the case ever since the goblins were driven north into the wood and the hedgewitches drowned. It is said that the Dark One has cursed the land for striking against his servants, as even drowning one hedgewitch managed to flood her town with her final breath just as the measures were beginning.

The König's appearances grow less and less, and grumbling about corruption in the Hierarchy is common among the gentry and farmhand alike. Times are difficult, and trust a precious and rare thing.

It is perhaps bizarre to some of you that you would be summoned before the Papst in the capitol city of Stadt, at a tent well outside of his church no less. Papst Feuer looks more clerk than holy man, excepting his robes, and in his old age sits despite there not being enough room for the three of you to have chairs. His desk is simple but of expensive wood.

"Greetings, my children," he said. "I hope the road was kind to you."

[JNAProductions]

"They weren't the best, but we made it," Daisy says. She's fiddling with a small, springy wand, made of young wood. "Have the people been doing okay? Anyone injured, or in need of urgent assistance?"

[Corey]

Peter makes a polite nod, a little deeper than he would make to almost anybody else. "The road is usually pleasant to me, Sir. This time was little different."

Peter's body looks calm, relaxed, and still. His mouth bears a pleasant smile. But his eyes dart around, gauging the others present.

[ShinyCowbird]

David's tone is vague, but his deep bow has the practiced ease of a noble education."A very pleasant ride, Your Holiness, thank you."

[Xihirli]

The Papst opened up a map of Verdammte. Much of the south was shaded in red, and the vast, open lands extended uo north to its narrowest point bordering the Goblin Wall.
"Are you aware," Papst Feuer said slowly, "of the war in the south?"
As it was a rhetorical question (for of course you all were), he continued:
"We’re losing. Badly, though not quickly. The Meridionali warriors just do not die like ours. The only hope for our continuation is to catch them at the walls in a narrow point." He jabbed the Goblin Wall of the map.
"We are badly situated for this. No defenses up until our northernmost borders... but we have begun relocation. It was our only hope." He scowled. "And then... the sorceress."

[Corey]

The Papst opened up a map of Verdammte. Much of the south was shaded in red, and the vast, open lands extended uo north to its narrowest point bordering the Goblin Wall.
"Are you aware," Papst Feuer said slowly, "of the war in the south?"
As it was a rhetorical question (for of course you all were), he continued:
"We’re losing. Badly, though not quickly. The Meridionali warriors just do not die like ours. The only hope for our continuation is to catch them at the walls in a narrow point." He jabbed the Goblin Wall of the map.
"We are badly situated for this. No defenses up until our northernmost borders... but we have begun relocation. It was our only hope." He scowled. "And then... the sorceress."

Puzzled, Peter asks a clarifying question.

"Sir, are you suggesting a national evacuation to north of the wall?"

He also looks around to assess the guards or apparent advisors the Pabst has present.


I'm gearing up for some Insight checks -- not necessarily just on the Pabst himself, but also on those whose faces SHOULD be schooled in bland support of whatever he says. Peter is also curious as to how open or secret this meeting appears to be. Most likely there's no secret it's being held, but the location is designed to foil eavesdropping, including of the magical kind. Which suggests at least one of the guards is savvy enough to try to detect magical espionage.

[Xihirli]

There were no advisors or guards present.

"I am not proposing it, I am enacting it," the Papst explained. "Were it not for the sorceress, we would be half-done. Tell me, what do you know of sorcery?"

[JNAProductions]

"It... Depends," Daisy says. "I've powers that could be called sorcery, but I get the feeling we're not talking about that."

[Corey]

There were no advisors or guards present.

"I am not proposing it, I am enacting it," the Papst explained. "Were it not for the sorceress, we would be half-done. Tell me, what do you know of sorcery?"

Peter fidgets a bit, clasps his hands behind his back, bows his head before lifting it again, and generally tries to look as deferential and trusting as possible.

"The old, the young, the weak, the sick, the homes, the farms, the businesses, the memories ... food, water, roads ... It would seem that such a thing would be a calamity even if it succeeded, and would fail anyway. Surely you have considered all these things, and understand much, much more than we do, but please give a hint -- why is this not total madness?"

He openly casts a spell. (Owl's Wisdom)

"Forgive me, please, but for matters of such import I must strengthen my mind as best I can."

[If the Pabst is worth anything, he won't mind what Peter is doing.] Rolling for Insight, to try to get a sense of how sincere and straightforward the Pabst is being, hopefully with Advantage.

[roll0]
[roll1]

There are some questions in the OOC thread.

[Xihirli]

On goblins: Unseen would be a good description. It’s entirely possible that Peter has never seen a goblin.

Detect Thoughts is fine.

Extra cantrip is not.

The Papst’s neck twitches, but he does not object to the spell. From watching him speak, Peter discerns an intelligent individual who genuinely believes he has arrived at the correct conclusion.

"Houses," he corrected. "Houses are being left, homes are being moved. People are being saved. The relocation efforts have been seen to, and planning for these difficulties is in place. Our main obstacle," he returned to the subject at hand forcefully, "is the sorceress. When the Dark One is particularly desperate, he elevates one of his servants past the power of a hedgewitch. In those cases, we send seven priests to defeat them, as the Seven Bright Ones will one day overcome the source of the Sorcerer’s power. But this seven... one was stoned to death, another his holy symbol burned, two more coated in tar. The goblins, the sorceress has whipped them into a frenzy. They are now more violent, more bloodthirsty than ever. Our priests are not able to get through them... that is why you are here."

Daisy, David, please make me insight checks as well.

[Corey]

Peter doesn't actually know Enhance Ability. Sorry about that. Fortunately the two rolls were close.

I was asking about a replacement cantrip, not an extra one.

I was hoping to take goblin-speak as one of Peter's languages. I gather that won't be possible?

(More later, but my wife wants things right now.)

I suggest adding Perception and/or Investigation rolls to judge the oddly empty tent, and later the area outside the tent as well. Checking for illusions, invisible guards, sensors set by his enemies, etc., etc. Peter's bnnuses are +4 for Perception and +1 (from Jack of All Trades) on any Intelligence skill.

Even more to the point, I suggest a repeat Insight roll after Peter after the Pabst answers Peter's question about governmental unanimity.

Please advise.

Peter responds, still in the tone of a deferential advisor. "I find it very hard to imagine how an entire country can be evacuated to hostile territory while transporting enough food to feed its people. As you probably were advised by whoever selected us to meet you here, I have traveled widely, and I have a knack for making bland food tasty. But there needs to be enough bland food to start with. ... I find it even harder to imagine if the government is not working together with one hugely energetic purpose. ... So please forgive a blunt question, which might help lift some of my confusion -- why are we meeting here seemingly alone? And who in the government supports or opposes this meeting?"

[JNAProductions]

Daisy frowns. "This seems... Well, I mean, I'm happy to try to help, but this seems foolhardy. Is there really no other option?"

[ShinyCowbird]

David is still a step behind in the conversation. "I seem to recall something in Kalixto's Origems do Poder on the nature of hedge witches and sorceresses."

[roll0]

[Xihirli]

Looking about the tent, the party takes in white cloth normally kept spotless, but this one has dirt on it. Judging by that, it seems it's been seeing travel lately without much time for cleaning. The priest's desk is sized to have a hidden compartment in it, though one would have to get onto the other side to judge more.

Hedgewitches, as all present were aware, tended to be women, with not as much magic as priests. They were common enough that there would likely be one per village and five per city. Around the same time as goblins were being driven out, the Kirche also declared hedgewitches' power to come from the Dark One and, seemingly overnight but truly over a matter of months while messages spread, villages and cities chained their hedgewitches to rocks and drowned them. Their duties prior to this included healing, midwifery, brewing potions, and a few other minor magical feats, as they never were quite so powerful as priests.

"There is really no other option," the Papst insists. "And while the political dimensions to this may be fascinating to you, it is merely another obstacle that has been bypassed. While the council was not uniformly in favor of the relocation, this is an order from the König himself. Now, if we may return to the reason I have summoned you:
"We do not expect you to defeat the sorceress. Were it not for her wards, we would be able to send a squadron to her and her goblins' base camp and they would be no threat. The issue is that any scouts we send are continually turned around in the forest until they stumble back without food, their armor, their horse... We cannot scry on the sorceress. We have conducted a great ritual to search out powerful dark magic within the wood, but came up empty-handed. That is why you shall need this." He opened a drawer and pulled out... an ordinary rock.

[Corey]

Peter takes a deep breath, nods politely, and returns to an earlier thread in the conversation.

"Apologies for not answering your earlier question, Sir. To catch up with it: I know a variety of minor magics, but understand little of how I came to have those particular abilities. I just hear from others -- or simply sense -- what might be possible, try to do it, and sometimes succeed. And if I do, I practice until it becomes more reliable.

"So please understand that the next questions arise from that ignorance. If we are to face the forces of goblins and a sorceress, it might be good to know more.

"Hedge Wizards seemed helpful, yet the Kirche determined them to be such a threat that they were efficiently murdered. What was the danger from them, and what was the specific danger that required the manner of their death. Goblins, even if less so, seemed to be sometimes helpful as well. What was the danger from them? And how has it worsened since they were expelled to the north?

"And how does that rock help against such dangers?"

Peter's voice and smile indicate that the last was, if not exactly a joke, at least meant in a lighter vein.

Persuasion or Deception rolls as needed to assure the Pabst it wouldn't possibly occur to Peter that the Kirche might be genocidally evil. Insight rolls as needed after the Pabst gives more specifics. The CHA rolls would be at +5, Insight at +4.

[ShinyCowbird]

"As you might have figured, I'm mostly a theoretician myself. I have picked up a few minor tricks to supplement my martial talents. Oh, what an interesting rock."

[roll0]

[Xihirli]

"Any power that does not come from the Bright Ones comes from the Dark," came the standard, curt reply. "Any help they may have been would have been a ploy to tempt more people over to the dark or get us to lower our guard before a day like this came."
"The rock," he said, emphasizing how he was returning to the matter at hand, "is from the realm of faerie. To those who know how to find it, it is easy to do so. Find out where the goblins rest their heads, leave the stone there, and get out in one piece."

[Corey]

"Any power that does not come from the Bright Ones comes from the Dark," came the standard, curt reply. "Any help they may have been would have been a ploy to tempt more people over to the dark or get us to lower our guard before a day like this came."
"The rock," he said, emphasizing how he was returning to the matter at hand, "is from the realm of faerie. To those who know how to find it, it is easy to do so. Find out where the goblins rest their heads, leave the stone there, and get out in one piece."

Peter spreads his hands in a sign of acceptance, and speaks in a little bit more clipped and efficient manner himself. "Your meaning seems generally clear from that metaphor, Sir. But what exactly would you regard as a successful placement of the stone?"

[ShinyCowbird]

"You know I had been curious about the theological ramifications of that interpretation of canon. I am not very well read on the subject, but I think there was something in Shleiermacher's theory of free will... apologies Your Holiness, I am sure you have better things to do than educate me on theology. Perhaps you could tell me some more about the nature of this Fey stone, though? How does one find it? And, for that matter, how do the Fey fit into all of this?"

[roll0]

[JNAProductions]

"What will the rock do? When it's left there," Daisy asks.

[Xihirli]

"Anywhere within one mile of where the sorceress lays down her head. Because of its unusual magical signature, myself and the other priests will have no trouble finding it. The fey themselves are irrelevant," the Papst explained crisply. "Is there anything you need to begin?"

[Corey]

"Anywhere within one mile of where the sorceress lays down her head. Because of its unusual magical signature, myself and the other priests will have no trouble finding it. The fey themselves are irrelevant," the Papst explained crisply. "Is there anything you need to begin?"

Peter conceals his reactions as best he can. "Thank you for your patience, Sir. One final question: How will you know that we've stopped traveling and placed the stone?"

[Xihirli]

"We will check it periodically," the Papst said briefly. Something in his drawer shifted and he shoved it closed.
"May the Bright Ones bless your every step."

[Corey]

Peter acknowledges the dismissal with another respectful nod -- "Thank you, Sir." -- and leaves the tent. Once outside he strums a few bars on his lute while doing a little dance, walks around the tent, does another micro-dance, and waits.


He is not spellcasting at this time. But he wants any observers to think of him as somebody who makes hard-to-interpret gestures, in the hope that they won't notice if he spellcasts very soon.

Two things we didn't cover previously:

1. Who brought them to the tent, who else is around, etc., etc.

2. What does Daisy look like?

[JNAProductions]

Daisy nods. "We'll... We'll do our best," she says, as she steps out.

Daisy is short-about three feet tall. She looks humanoid, similar to a halfling in appearance, but with chlorophyll green skin. Her "hair", as much as it is, is reminiscent of her namesake, being bright yellow. She's dressed in a simple tunic and pants, but no shoes.

[Xihirli]

They were asked firmly, given directions, and allowed to go to the tent themselves. The Goblin Wall is about a mile and a half north of where you all are.

[Corey]

Peter pauses in his pacing and, while continuing his probably pointless martial arts fakery, casts Detect Thoughts.

He's close to the tent, about 90 degrees clockwise from its opening.

Officially, there are three sentient creatures present whose presence he will detect. But he's expecting there will actually be more, although of course there could also be invisible attendants beyond the spell's range.

[JNAProductions]

Daisy stands by Peter. She's not really sure what he's doing, but is deep in her own thoughts and doesn't want to bother the man.

[ShinyCowbird]

David takes his leave of the Papst with the same air of practiced formality viewed through a haze of distraction. He follows his new allies, though he seems lost in thought until Peter starts casting his spell. Then his attention snaps to sharp focus on the casting.

[Xihirli]

When you cast the spell or as your action during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks you. You can’t detect a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or lower or one that doesn’t speak any language.

Peter detected only one creature inside of the tent.

[Corey]

Peter smiles tightly at Daisy and David.

Obviously, we need to talk. That looks like a good place, unless you think we should get further away from here first, which would be fine with me. He strides off.

The place is the edge of the clearing, or a single big shade tree, or something like that. As per the next spoiler, his mount may be tethered nearby.

He's maintaining the spell as he goes.



Unless instructed otherwise, I'm going to assume:

1. Peter's mount is located whereever makes sense to move the story along (preferably whereever he's striding to.)

2. He has enough rations and utensils to be hospitable to the other two when they do sit down together.

[JNAProductions]

"What's up?" Daisy asks. "You seem a little worried, friend."

[Corey]

"What's up?" Daisy asks. "You seem a little worried, friend."

OK. I'll assume Daisy came along, and presumably David too, and that this time she got the first words in edgewise.

Sorry for the multi-subject monologue, but that now seems best to advance the game.

Peter had intended to offer food/drink, get acquainted, etc., but it also makes sense to rush right into the discussion.

This whole situation seems very, very weird. The Pabst's plan seems like national suicide. You called it "madness", and you weren't wrong. I'm guessing this rock is meant to kill large numbers of creatures, including this sorcereress, all the goblins in multiple square miles of area ... and us.

And why is the Pabst telling us about this, while having no visible attendants with him? Even though it seemed we saw something moving in his desk -- could you see it too? -- I wasn't able to detect any other intelligences when I tried.

But if he really has need to keep plans a secret from his own forces, how can he expect a whole nation of peasants to obey him to what they will surely and rightly think will likely be their deaths, and at best a reduction to subsistence poverty?

Why not, if it's time for desperation, instead rally everything we have for the war to the south?

And by the way -- can that rock listen in on us?

[ShinyCowbird]

David takes the stone and turns it over in his hands, examining it closely. "It's possible that this does any number of things. Give me some time to look it over." He settle at the base of a tree with his new project.

The general rule for magic items says I just need to handle the rock for the length of a short rest,
but since there's probably supposed to be a little more mystery here, I'll include an Arcana in case that's needed. [roll0]

[Corey]

1 Bardic Inspiration to David for use on that knowledge roll. That's a 1d6 to be rolled with quasi-Advantage (the latter is a College of Creation feature). In the interest of PbP speed, I'll preemptitively do the rolling.

1d6
1d6


The reroll in the OOC thread gave a +4.


Peter smiles.

Thank you, new friend. While we're waiting -- what do the two of you most like to eat or drink?

[Xihirli]

While in direct sunlight, the rock’s hue takes on a slight pink.