[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 4)

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Mar 3, 2021 6:57 pm
Tronus keeps pace with the fleeing person. Meanwhile, time and distance give the two frightened Night Creepers another chance to pull themselves together.

The first stops in his tracks in the field and shouts, a terrible sound that resembles the cawing of a diseased crow. Tronus hears him start back toward the clearing.

From inside the earthen dome that Bruv has conjured, Jacey Tabbins seems to be crying, muttering something about "sacrifice" and "the future" that it's difficult to make out.
OOC:
Nekurr's go!
[ +- ] Initiative & Status Conditions
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Rolls

Discipline (Rival 1)

3 Success, 4 Advantage, 2 Failure, 1 Threat

Total: 1 Success, 3 Advantage

Discipline (Rival 2) + SP

3 Advantage, 1 Threat

Total: 2 Advantage

passed boosts from first guy

1 Advantage

Total: 1 Advantage

Mar 5, 2021 8:18 am
SavageBob says:
OK, so as far as I see it, there's no need to play this encounter out any further ... Maybe an opposed Athletics check .... Difficulty would be PPPP.
OOC:
I guess I'll try athletics to get the one who's running away then... :D
Nekurr see all the villagers giving up and looses interest in these madmen. Tronus, Bruv and Hildar will know what to do with them. It is the one running away that triggers his hunting instinct. The feline quickly runs on all fours and jumps to catch up with its prey. In no time, the night-creeper finds himself under a big cat/bird thing,
OOC:
He has a bl against Nekurr so I guess that is either another B for me, or one less P for him.
Result 1 (+B) : 3 successes
Result 2 (-P) : 5 successes + 1 Threat
Last edited March 5, 2021 8:22 am

Rolls

Athletics 0/2+1 (+B) upgrade SP

5 Success, 1 Advantage, 2 Threat

Total: 5 Success, 1 Threat

optional dice

1 Advantage, 2 Failure

Total: 2 Failure, 1 Advantage

Mar 6, 2021 2:15 am
OOC:
3 successes version is right.
Nekurr bounds through the fields on all fours, nearly barreling over the Night Creeper as he turns around. Seeing his Bird God before him, the hooded figure falls to its face in worship. A gruff voice, slightly muffled by the mask, calls out, "Our Lady! Why are have you turned on us? We need your blessing! Why do you refuse our sacrifice?"

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Mar 8, 2021 8:16 am
"Mister Tabbins?" Nekurr growls at the night creeper. "What in the bird's name are you doing here?"
Mar 8, 2021 2:48 pm
At mention of his name, the man rips the mask from his face. Tears stream across his cheeks. "My Lady! You do know me! I'm a member of your sacred order! Why do you refuse our sacrifice? What have we done wrong? Your blessing is all that keeps the curse of the barony away from our village..."
Mar 8, 2021 3:49 pm
Bruv moves to secure the other supplicant cultists, unmasking them at the least, and subduing any who resist if needed to do so.

He asks for Hildar's aid in noting any faces they know and to note the description of those they don't.

As he finishes with the cataloguing of each one he roughly shoves them away.

He growls at them, "Go back to yer homes, and families... I suggest you pack what you can and leave this cursed place forever, before the barons men come to cleanse you all from the face of Terrinoth."
OOC:
What percentage of the population of the village would we estimate is here?

Also, I'll take another 2 Strain to maintain the some until we're done "processing" cultists?
Last edited March 8, 2021 4:04 pm
Mar 8, 2021 4:01 pm
"Do these people not know they do this not in the name of the goddess they speak of but in fact a dark god that corrupt and hinders her?" Tronus asks the man and Nekurr the godcomelately once hearing things and catching up still curious if people get it.
Mar 8, 2021 5:11 pm
OOC:
We're out of structured time, so Bruv doesn't need to suffer strain to maintain the dome over Jacey.
The Night Creepers are a mixture of people you've seen before and others you haven't. In addition to Gaius Tabbins, you recognize his wife, Vanya, and a couple of the men who were playing cards outside the healer's shop. Including the dead, there are about 15 of them, perhaps a fifth of the town's total population.

Now Vanya Tabbins begins to plead with you. "You don't understand! You know of the curse of Cailn Barony, don't you?" You do. everybody knows. Ever since the Third Darkness, agriculture has been impossible in Cailn. "Don't you find it odd that our town has been spared that fate? If we don't offer Our Lady her sacrifice for the year, we'll be doomed. Dawn is just around the corner! You tell us to leave here? If we don't spill that witch Anzila's blood by dawn, this entire town will be forced to leave!"

Her pleas seem sincere, but they fail to win your sympathies per se.
OOC:
Average Forbidden check if you want to confirm or refute the idea that a dark god might make a bargain such as this: Annual sacrifice in return for escaping a wider curse—regardless of whether or not they are mistaking the dark god for another one.

Creative use of her 2 threat also welcome.

Rolls

Charm

4 Success, 2 Advantage, 5 Failure, 4 Threat

Total: 1 Failure, 2 Threat

Mar 8, 2021 6:54 pm
"Den dat is jost one more reason, fer whoi you should prepare for leavin'... Dere will be no sacrifoice! It's over.

We found da body of our Tax Man - murdered, jost yonder. And your Mayor tried to kill us for it. He has died in dat foight, as have others now.
", he gestures about at the bedlam, "Da ritual is broken! Oi suggest you go - IMMEDIATELY - unless you intend to sacrifoice yerself for your strolen god's rites by continuing on 'ere...", he snarls, and lifts his hand before himself, and channels a small strand of primal energy into it, causing it to become corded with sinewy muscle and beastially-clawed.
Mar 8, 2021 11:13 pm
Hildar ponders Vanya's words about the sacrifice, trying to draw together the dots.....
OOC:
Think it might be best to bank the threats to use trying to convince her to change her opinion of things, maybe to play on some existing doubts that she has.

Rolls

Knowledge Forbidden

3 Success, 2 Advantage, 3 Threat

Total: 3 Success, 1 Threat

Mar 9, 2021 1:46 am
OOC:
I like CESN's idea about having a bit more information about the death of Kellis Isle, as that still seems to be a point of doubt for all of you.

For Hildar's 1 threat, I'll cause him 1 strain as the realization of what he's remembered sinks in.

(By the way, everyone can make Cool or Discipline checks to recover strain if they haven't already).
"Your man Isle... The witch drove him from town," Gaius Tabbins says, looking at the ground. "Anzila isn't one of us. She came from the swamps promising to... to help the mayor with a... problem he's had... Poor lad can't conceive an heir. She promised to change that. But when your man Isle showed up, throwing his weight around, Anzila said she could take care of it. Like I said, we assumed she drove him out of town. That's what Skeeter Zymph, the ferryman, said she did. Maybe she killed him instead and the mayor knew? We didn't. But then she let loose her spider-pig at the festival, and the mayor wanted her gone. She is—was—to be our sacrifice for the year."

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Mar 9, 2021 7:09 am
Nekurr looks big, strong and fairly confused. Anzila fed Isle to the spider-pig to get the mayor pregnant in the swamps. The swamps have evil lizards of Demon Gods. Is she eviler than the evil villagers? His head hurts as he points to Jacey "Pageant sacrifice?"
Mar 9, 2021 12:05 pm
"No, my Lady!" Vanya Tabbins sobs. "Bringing another member into your loving embrace through initiation..."
Mar 9, 2021 3:19 pm
As everyone speaks the colour seems to drain from Hildars face "This is bad.....very, very bad. We....we need to let them complete the ritual. The consequences if they don't are staggering....these kind of pacts, especially given how long it has been going for, if the terms aren't met it could lead to hundreds of people dying. Even if that doesn't come to pass the best case scenario is probably that all of the crops for miles about here will fail and this entire region could become unliveable and all of the people who live here would flood into other areas.". A look of grim resolve passes across his face "We need to let them have the weaver"
Mar 9, 2021 3:52 pm
"How do hundreds die? The REAL vulture god comes down? Den let her come. Our focus becomes getting everyone out, and den making her wish she hadn't come...

Let da crops die. Foighting nature is wots lead to who knows how many decades of innocents being sacrificed 'ere. And facilitating dat now, will ensure it continues.
", he shakes his head.

"It ends tonight."
OOC:
Adding Strain recuperation Discipline check...
Last edited March 9, 2021 3:57 pm

Rolls

Discipline, simple

2 Success, 1 Advantage, 1 Triumph

Total: 2 Success, 1 Advantage, 1 Triumph

Mar 9, 2021 6:17 pm
"We all know this is a venom it either poisons them now or later... it's still a bitter pill regardless of the time. We don't know where in the swamp the witch comes from and what their actual objective is. Was a mayor trying to double cross her and she let loose her spider pig outbreak to shed light in the dark? In hind site... we're Wayland's 'brother' or next of kin... or is that large guy his kid?" Tronus muses aloud.

"Besides letting the sacrifice go on will put us in as colluding with dark magic... even for some idea of the greater good we'll still get burned eventually it's going to have to stop... might as well be now. Let the dark magic crops wither nothing good ever comes from dabbling with dark magic."
Mar 9, 2021 8:28 pm
"Boatman" Nekurr points back to where the witch is "He knows?" he asks Tabbins, pointing and nodding to the house, almost as if ordering him to stand up and get the Anzila and Skeeter. The cat beast then turns to Bruv "Innocent? Who is innocent?" he asks, unsure of who is already caught up in this nightmare. He then turns to listen to Tronus "Dark magic" finishing eyes locked on Hildar, waiting for his reply.
OOC:
We have both suspect arrested with Nera, maybe we can get them while hildar explains?
Last edited March 9, 2021 8:53 pm

Rolls

Cool

2 Success, 1 Advantage

Total: 2 Success, 1 Advantage

Mar 9, 2021 9:08 pm
Hildar frowns "I appreciate the point but is it worth the risk? If a plague or blight is unleashed across this land then it's not just the people of this village that will suffer. How many lives are worth putting a stop to this? 10? 100? More? The weaver apparently claimed she drove Isle from town but we know he was killed, based on the testimony we have she would likely face the hang man anyway. Letting her die here and now may actually do some good, balance the scales somewhat. I will tell you all now if you do not wish to be part of this then walk away and I will take the burden of what happens next here, make whatever report you wish to the Barron about what happens and I will face whatever judgement comes my way"
Mar 9, 2021 9:18 pm
Bruv only shakes his head.

"Doing wot dis dark power wants, and possibly even machinated, is not the answer. Giving in to evil is not the answer.

Many of dese people didn't know dey had been worshipping and empowering a dark god for these many many years.

If we allow dem to go through with this... if YOU
", he gestures to Hildar and Nekurr, "go tru wit dis... you will be knowingly. And willingly. Worshipping and empowering a dark god. I will not stand by, whoile 'at 'appens...

So, we can eider work togedder to save as many lives as possible while we still 'ave some time, or you can choose to go tru me, on your way to worshipping and empowering a dark god. In which case I will do everyting in my power to make sure this evil power does not receive one more soul to fuel it's fires.

Even if it's the soul of a murderous witch.

She will know mortal justice. But this vulture demon will not have one single additional soul out of dis tragedy, if there's anyting Oi can do to stop it.
"

And with that he flexes his body inward and down, drawing upon the primal energies of the world about him...
OOC:
Try to cast my Signature Augment. Can I Aim it at myself for a Boost? :P

Rolls

Primal, Augment+Fury (Signature Spell) v. PP

2 Success, 3 Advantage, 1 Failure, 1 Threat

Total: 1 Success, 2 Advantage

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