[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 3)

Jul 28, 2020 1:29 am

Nera & Tronus

OOC:

Remnant said he wanted to get to Short, and the difficulty you rolled is correct for that distance. Roger that on the advantages. 2 boosts it is.

Tronus barrels toward the lit cottage with no regard for the villagers following close behind. Nera, perhaps a bit ill-at-ease with the bull-in-a-china-shop approach, strides along to keep up. As the duo approach the cottage, getting within a stone's throw away, they see that the building is guarded by four bored-looking villagers. Through a window, Nera spots a burning buzzard effigy, which wafts incense throughout the house.

"Hey! What are you trying to pull?" asks one of the guards from behind the pair of outsiders. The four villagers around the house stand up and begin to draw various weapons. "Stand back!"

OOC:

Y'all get one shot at a social check. I will upgrade with a SP, of course. ;P Any social check is going to be average upgraded (RP) with five setbacks (the mayor ordered you to stay away, there are two of you, it's nighttime, and the cottage is off-limits to pretty much everyone right now).

Bruv, Hildar, & Nekurr

The woman seems unsure how to interpret Bruv's dodge of the moonshine, but she stops to answer Nekurr's question. "Nothing that regular, Love. Sometimes folks just don't want to stick around anymore. You never know when the pageant's gonna go to someone's head." Up at the stage, the mayor seems about ready to start the competition.

OOC:

Can Bruv give me a Deception check to see if he hides his avoidance of the pipeleaf? Nekurr, too, if he's avoiding it, as well. Average (PP) with two boosts (for her drunkenness, and for the high level of distractions), but also setback for the fact that she's insistent you drink up. (BB x PP+K).

Tronus Granitebreaker

Jul 28, 2020 11:58 am

"I didn't see any lanterns with the lot of you, since you're all standing and vigilant there's no spiders coming out of your mouths right?" Tronus states looking at the house guards squinting, "Oi they're acting normal right?" asks the people behind him giving a glance behind before looking at the guards.

OOC:

I forgot I have Knack for it for leadership but a lot of those Setback die were blank anyway. So a pass with 2 threat, for the Triumph how about they or one of them realizes I don't really care about what I should or shouldn't be doing but I am concerned about them getting bugged and rampaging in the darkness of night. Maybe one'll let us know if something happens that's odd since we're closer then the festival.

Last edited July 28, 2020 12:05 pm

Rolls

Leadership Check

5 Success, 1 Triumph, 4 Failure, 2 Threat

Total: 1 Success, 2 Threat, 1 Triumph

Jul 28, 2020 12:09 pm

Nekurr will try to avoid eating anything that could be suspicious for as long as he manages to!

OOC:

He ends up eading his and Bruv's food -_- though his cat physiology can make him imunne to side effects?

Last edited July 28, 2020 12:10 pm

Rolls

Feline deceptiveness

6 Advantage, 4 Failure, 1 Threat

Total: 4 Failure, 5 Advantage

Jul 28, 2020 1:20 pm

CESN says:

Nekurr will try to avoid eating anything that could be suspicious for as long as he manages to!

OOC:

He ends up eading his and Bruv's food -_- though his cat physiology can make him imunne to side effects?

OOC:

LOL. No, just means she notices you not eating the pipeleaf stuff. 5 advantage, though. Thoughts on that?

Jul 28, 2020 1:31 pm

OOC:

Not really. Maybe something related to the pageants? and recover strain from the nice meal?

emsquared

Jul 28, 2020 3:09 pm

OOC:

Bruce's Also Bruv's... Deception

Lotta Advantage... I'll use 3 to recover Strain, 2 to maybe even make her and/or anyone else paying attention believe I have consumed some?

Last edited July 28, 2020 3:13 pm

Rolls

Deception

3 Success, 7 Advantage, 1 Failure, 2 Threat

Total: 2 Success, 5 Advantage

Jul 29, 2020 2:16 am

OOC:

Been a loooong day. Update tomorrow.

For the party-goers, you can both use as much advantage as you need to represent the hearty meal restoring your strain. I like the idea that Bruv is able to surreptitiously pour out his moonshine while no one's looking, too. That's enough advantage for Hildar to get some strain back, too, if he's suffering any.

Somebox: Any input from Nera? Or is she waiting to see what happens with the guards first?

Jul 29, 2020 6:38 am

Feeling so much more refreshed and unstrained, Nekurr takes the chance to offer a prayer to Fortuna thanks her for the luck of arriving during the festival.

OOC:

I'd suggest Hildar's as the extra target since bruv didn't eat, but any of them seems ok to me :D

Last edited July 29, 2020 6:39 am

Rolls

Augmenting cats + 1

5 Success, 3 Advantage, 2 Failure, 3 Threat

Total: 3 Success

Vanya Tabbins

Jul 30, 2020 1:25 am

Nera, Tronus

OOC:

Somebox, hope all's well! Please jump in when you're back. I think using the Triumph to make them assume good intentions is a good use of it. The 2 threat indicate that your own escort won't let you ask any other questions. But feel free to try another social check on them if you wish, with 2 additional setbacks (7 total before any Knacks for It).

The guards outside the cottage relax a bit and lower the various farming implements the've brandished. "Appreciate the courtesy check, outlander. We've got the lights out sos the old lady can go to bed and we can head home. All's calm here."

One of the villagers following behind nudges Tronus with the butt end of a scythe. "OK, folks, off we go."

Bruv, Nekurr, Hildar

"That's nice, dear," Tabbins says after Nekurr's prayer. "Nature's Lady and Fortuna are said to be comrades, I'm told. But surely a man of Fortuna knows not to miss a good spirit when he meets one, eh?" She again tries to get Nekurr to drink some of the moonshine—Nekurr and Hildar notice Bruv's glass is mysteriously empty—but then the mayor clinks a glass and speaks.

OOC:

More...

Mayor Castor Wayland

Jul 30, 2020 1:39 am

"Listen up!" Mayor Wayland calls. "Listen up, everyone!" Once the rowdy festival-goers quiet down, the mayor addresses the village. "Friends, neighbors"—he looks at Hildar, Nekurr, and Bruv—"distinguished guests, welcome to the Buzzards' Ford annual Founder's Festival!" The crowd erupts into cheers. The speech continues and goes on at some length. The mayor's a natural glad-hander. He talks about matters mundane, legal, and ceremonial, from how many bushels of grain were harvested this year, to how many poachers were apprehended and turned over to the baron and how many effigies of Nature's Lady will burn tonight in her honor. He's good at making people feel special—he calls at least a dozen villagers by name—and the people seem happy to hear him talk.

Then, he turns to the three outsiders sitting at his table. "Now these, three—there's actually five of 'em, but a couple had to head back after they had a bit too much fun—these three are here on special baronial business. I want to assure them that we the people of Buzzards' Ford will do everything in our power to help them accomplish what they need to do. As for what that is, I'll let them explain." Then, in a slightly lower voice, "You all want to tell everyone what you need here?"

OOC:

Here, I'd like a combined social check. I'm thinking Leadership or Charm are the most likely choices, although Deception is fine, too, if you want to try to lie to the whole village. It's going to be a Formidable check (PPPPP), but you get several boosts: 1 for the mayor's introduction, 1 for helping Pippin, 1 for Nekurr jumping the fire, 1 for Nekurr betting on the races, 1 for Hildar saving the effigy, 1 more since the effigy is still "alive" on his shoulder I presume, and 2 more for the fact that Hildar and Bruv seem to be partaking of the good stuff. 1 setback for Bruv roughing up the kid, 1 setback for being outsiders (Tronus and Nera would have contributed bonuses and setbacks, too, but they left.)

With Nekurr and Hildar augmented, looks like you're GGGG for Deception +BB for unskilled assistance (in addition to the boosts noted below); YYYG+BB for Charm (plus the boosts noted below), or GGGG+BB for Leadership (plus the boosts noted below).

Total difficulty is PPPPP, but 8 boosts and 2 setbacks.

Jul 30, 2020 7:17 am

OOC:

In summary:
Deception/Leadership: GGGG+BB + BBBBBBBB + PPPPP + SS
Charm: YYYG+BB + BBBBBBBB + PPPPP + SS

Not sure if Hildar is the most baronial looking amongst us, being elven and wizardly smart ;)

Last edited July 30, 2020 2:17 pm

Tronus Granitebreaker

Jul 30, 2020 11:16 am

"Alright, Outlander thought would be if I was going to do something I'd wait until the guards are gone to do it... you probably checked the area where she was keeping the hog to see if there were more bugs about or something odd to report in since you seem to know what you're doing besides just bringing her back and waiting for her to go to sleep or at least imply it, hope she didn't offer you food or drink and something happens to you tonight... I'd hate to have to cave in your skull when you come at me like the hog." Tronus states with a shrug after being poked. Tronus eyes Nera before heading to the barn to check on their things and the horse, "Word of advise though if you poke someone with the end of the scythe... Be prepared to piss them off and get it shoved up your arse if it's to cover for cockiness or fear... You're good people of the earth... don't act foolish enough to have to be buried in it too soon." Tronus warns while he goes about his business in the barn.

Jul 30, 2020 1:52 pm

OOC:

If Tronus expects an answer to any of those questions, he'll need to make another check. Current approach sounds like Coercion. If not, I'll move y'all to the barn.

CESN: Correct. Hildar's the least face-y of you all, so not sure if he'd be comfortable addressing everyone. If we don't hear from mcneils5, feel free to have Nekurr do it!

Jul 30, 2020 2:22 pm

OOC:

Sorry I meant the most baronial... not sure where the "not" come from :(
Hilder probably looks the most serious and knowledgeble, so I guess the one that would best describe our legal authotity in a baronial and official manner. But I'm just passing the ball to see if mcneils5 wants it :D

Jul 30, 2020 2:55 pm

OOC:

Rolls...

OOC:

GM edit: Plus a boatload of setbacks (mentioned above)....

Rolls

Avg Coercion?

2 Success, 2 Advantage, 1 Failure, 2 Threat

Total: 1 Success

setbacks

2 Failure, 3 Threat

Total: 2 Failure, 3 Threat

emsquared

Jul 30, 2020 3:33 pm

mcneils5 Inactive for 9 months

OOC:

RE: addressing the village, we have no reason to lie about why we're here, so long as we don't speak to our suspicions which I think we still wish to conceal as any investigator would while an investigation is on progress...

So, Charm? And flip a Story for it?

Jul 30, 2020 3:55 pm

somebox Inactive forever!

OOC:

Hildar would stay sat where he is unless one of you you prompts him to speak, public oration is not really his thing....as for the effigy he would have just kept the spell running to animate it if he didn't find it too taxing.

Jul 30, 2020 10:02 pm

OOC:

I was actually waiting for your response you had planned, every time I get to check Remnant has already responded! I'm on a weird work schedule for a bit.

Jul 31, 2020 2:36 am

somebox says:

OOC:

I was actually waiting for your response you had planned, every time I get to check Remnant has already responded! I'm on a weird work schedule for a bit.

OOC:

Sorry if we moved along too quickly. I do want to make sure Nera gets to take part in the scene. You want to take one shot at de-escalating the situation with a social check? Average with five setbacks for all the reasons outlined above, but let's say two boots because these guys really don't want to have to fight you. Don't forget the Story Points if you'd rather not face down six villagers. ;)

Jul 31, 2020 12:30 pm