RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Longman's hex-based exploration PBP campaign

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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Longman »

The results are quite conclusive this time. The little mouse begins nibbling Talin's finger almost as soon as they get near the jail cell. That's the signal to leave.

Once they are back with Tiana, in the elves' rented farmhouse, the mousegirl transforms at once and is quivering with fear and excitement.

"Oh, that man is the devil himself! A vision of death, a fetch, a taker of spirits! Can you not sense it? It is as clear as day!"

Your doppelganger theory may be correct. The mouse-girl is pretty sure the man in the cell is a "fetch" shapeshifter - of a different kind to the evil lycanthropes, or the regular cruthy (the good animal spirits like herself). She believes them to be very rare. They only take human form.

Now what?
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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Woe »

Interrogate Abigal for more data. How does a fetch 'take a spirit' and how are they different from nisha?
Freya HP 24/24 AC 16 (17 two weapons)
Kilian HP 20/20 AC 19 (18 no shield)
Talin HP 29 AC 16
Tiana HP 11 AC 12 SP 8/8
Fido HP 9/9 AC 16
Anna HP 12/12 AC 15 (19 defensively)
Bruce HP 20/20 AC 16 (15 no shield)

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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Longman »

She doesn't know. That's just what she has heard people say, that some very rare shape-shifters can take other people's spirits, and then resemble them afterwards. Elder lucha at the monastery might know more.
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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Woe »

Two threads, not done independently:
1. Would the ROR be able to loan out some horses so the party can ride to the monastery? This discussion with the elders can be done quickly and hopefully back in town before sundown. It's official ROR business; hopefully Emlin agrees.
2. We should sweep the town as well. Maybe Prester Will was not a nisha, but displaced by one!

First things first though -- horses? The retainers can either have the day off or come along if they are interested. Translation: it's a day off and if they want a ridealong, they can come for free.

3. Buy wine. :)
Freya HP 24/24 AC 16 (17 two weapons)
Kilian HP 20/20 AC 19 (18 no shield)
Talin HP 29 AC 16
Tiana HP 11 AC 12 SP 8/8
Fido HP 9/9 AC 16
Anna HP 12/12 AC 15 (19 defensively)
Bruce HP 20/20 AC 16 (15 no shield)

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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Longman »

Horses = 40, a move of 16 EP per day. Yes, you could manage to head out on a day and be back by sundown. The monastary is accessible along the old human road.

The Horsemaster at ROR wants to know what this is about. Where are you taking his horses? He assumed you would be going to the watchtower, not on some other mission.

Town - consider it swept, as much as you can. You can't get to see everyone of course. The new priest os not a nisha. Nor is anyone else the mouse-girl sees. She doesn't see any more magic items either.

Anna will come for a rideout. Bruce not so much.
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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Woe »

I should have described this better. Once outside, Talin will inform the guard that the prisoner is very dangerous and not to be released. Then, he'll discuss borrowing the horses with Emlin. He'll tell Emlin the whole story (probable shapeshifter; need to get something nearby that may help further along the plot line; if pressed, he'll explain more when he's back). He's hoping to avoid telling everyone that he's riding into Boldenwald because it's a Secret Mission approved by Emlin. Day trip, just a short ride south.

I was serious about buying wine (or other gifts) for the luchan. Hopefully they drink when large and not small!
Freya HP 24/24 AC 16 (17 two weapons)
Kilian HP 20/20 AC 19 (18 no shield)
Talin HP 29 AC 16
Tiana HP 11 AC 12 SP 8/8
Fido HP 9/9 AC 16
Anna HP 12/12 AC 15 (19 defensively)
Bruce HP 20/20 AC 16 (15 no shield)

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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Longman »

OK so you got horses, and leave behind nothing but a few suspicious stables boys when you head off southward.

Who's going? All 4 plus Anna and Abigall?

You pass through Carr territory and then get to the Lucha Moot hex (near the monastery).

You get met by Brother Alfyl, the most senior mouseman, and you think there's a few more out there too in mouseform. Abigall greets him warmly.

Info on the Fetch:

As far as brother Alfyl knows, the Fetch are another kind of shape-shifter, very different to the Ilcruthy (animal people) and the lycanthropes. But like the lycanthropes, he thinks they also must have originated in a pact between humans and evil forces, in the days of arcane magic before the kingdom of Sader fell. They originate from the south of this continent, in the great estuary of the river Severin. He doesn't exactly know how they 'steal souls', but he does know they can take many different human forms. He says they are also possessed of great cunning.

He doesn't know anything about them being in a league with the lycanthropes (nisha) but suggests that you should kill your prisoner.

Cross off money for wine. How much did you spend, out of interest?

Unless you have good reason, Abigall will probably leave you here.
Woe
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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Woe »

Wine: one gallon (about 5 bottles) for 5gp.

Abigal: no! She is both my nisha and my magic detector! Not good reasons for her, but I was definitely benefitting. Oh well. Back to collecting everything or nothing. ;). Tiana wishes her well and thanks her for coming along.

Elders: can they teach Tiana how to expose the shapeshifter as a shapeshifter? Westerners have lost the ability to detect evil magic, and killing him would be viewed as murder without cause. If the group could instead force him to shift shapes publicly, the execution would not be viewed as an evil act.

Also, does the elder suggest how to detect evil Cruthy in the future, without Abigal's assistance? Magic too but one thing at a time.


Let me know if you want me to RP up some of this.
Freya HP 24/24 AC 16 (17 two weapons)
Kilian HP 20/20 AC 19 (18 no shield)
Talin HP 29 AC 16
Tiana HP 11 AC 12 SP 8/8
Fido HP 9/9 AC 16
Anna HP 12/12 AC 15 (19 defensively)
Bruce HP 20/20 AC 16 (15 no shield)

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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Longman »

Learning the innate art of magical detection: I've decided that would be a matter of spending a background skill slot to get something like that. Then I'd have to make up some kind of mumbo jump ceremony to go along with it.

Re: Abigall remaining with you while Tiana is miles away. That would only make sense if you had someone else who could speak Sylvan. Which would also be a background skill point.

Anna has a background skill point from 3rd level she never spent. So does Bruce. I find the thought of Bruce learning either thing highly incongruous, and was going to spend his one on blacksmithing. Anna, on the other hand, could possibly learn either.

I'll let you pick. Being able to detect shapeshifters is actually a product of animal senses and no human or elf or dwarf could learn that.
Woe
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Re: RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

Post by Woe »

Longman wrote: Re: Abigall remaining with you while Tiana is miles away. That would only make sense if you had someone else who could speak Sylvan. Which would also be a background skill point.
Aah, now I understand why Abigal wants to leave. She'd be lonely. Makes sense. She's welcome to go to Brant but I can see how that'd be too far for her to be happy. Brave, yes. Very brave. But not happy.
Anna has a background skill point from 3rd level she never spent. So does Bruce. I find the thought of Bruce learning either thing highly incongruous, and was going to spend his one on blacksmithing. Anna, on the other hand, could possibly learn either.
I don't see Anna picking up either skill either. She's mostly been acting thiefy, scouty, archery, and cute romantic foil for Talin. She didn't go out of her way to learn Sylvan with Abigal's presence (unless done in super secret) and unless there's some latent necromancer blood in her veins, she doesn't seem like the magical type. I could probably argue that she's pilfered so many trinkets that she's learned which ones have magic, but that's such a stretch even I wouldn't accept it if I were GM, and I'm biased!

As for Bruce, I agree. Blacksmithing, engineering, brewemastery (he can make beer for the party!) all seem like better picks than Slyvan and detecting magic.
I'll let you pick. Being able to detect shapeshifters is actually a product of animal senses and no human or elf or dwarf could learn that.
How many skill points does Fido have left? :lol:


For the shapeshifting detection, I wasn't hoping for "detect shapeshifter 60' radius" but rather, "mix morning glory petals with honey mead when the sun is highest in the sky (noon not summer solstice)" to concoct an elixir that causes a shapeshifter to lose control of his shifting abilitynd have it frantically shift shapes uncontrollably for one turn. Not usable in combat, not usable easily, but allows suspicions to be confirmed/denied when enough trouble has gone by. Comes in Nisha and (what is the name of the doppleganer species?) varieties. Maybe the doppleganger variety is mixed with ale instead of mead.

Is anyone else getting due for a skill bump? I recall having Talin learn Salenish, but don't think we were pursuing any others.
Freya HP 24/24 AC 16 (17 two weapons)
Kilian HP 20/20 AC 19 (18 no shield)
Talin HP 29 AC 16
Tiana HP 11 AC 12 SP 8/8
Fido HP 9/9 AC 16
Anna HP 12/12 AC 15 (19 defensively)
Bruce HP 20/20 AC 16 (15 no shield)

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