The children (pending Barnaby’s Persuasion roll) are reluctant to open up to you hardened adventurers. But you do notice they all show signs of sleeplessness and some of them are lightly bruised.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
If it seems like he is hiding something Barnaby will recast detect thoughts and dig deeper. Slight of hand to cast covertly 11. The child rolls a 9 (portent) on his save, DC 14.
The children relate well enough to the grandfatherly gnome.
In their different ways they talk about nights of bad dreams and sleeplessness. They don't know where their bruises came from, and they think the headmistress is mean but it's hard to tell if that opinion is grounded in reality, or grounded in general child disgruntledness.
Lucento scratches his head. If I were a gambling man, which I am, I would bet that the bad dreams and sleepless nights began about a week ago when the remains were taken from the temple. But even if that were true, we're still no closer to finding the remains, discerning the nature of the boy's illness, or the identifying the source of the evil presence in that room. I'm running out of patience, and Milijav is running out of time.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Føpé will poke, prod, and examine the sick boy.
Honored Matron,
I am Doctor Føpé and I specialize in alchemicaly heuristic illnesses. (Deception:13) My compatriot would have you believe that his god can help, and he can, but this calls for a hand experienced in the metascience arts as well. (We have something of a competition to see who can help more people. he whispers. I’m winning, so we decided he could have first crack at this one.)
I believe we can help the boy. But to do that, we will have to hunt down the source. Has he consorted with any sinister characters of late? Anyone out of the ordinary?
Does he have any additional personal effects? If so, we will need to see them.
Afflictions of this nature can often be connected to the bodies of the dead. If we recover the body, one with altered psychic lucinations, I may be able to reverse engineer the illness and concoct a cure philik. We will need to sort through any bodies he’s dealt with in the last, oh, … I’d say ... two weeks.
Surely he has had contact with such things, either that or Gronian Toads, but probably not many active volcanoes around here, eh?
You and she are alone in Milijov’s room. She looks at you respectfully throughout this presentation. She does not, however, respond to you. “Master Lucento! Kindly come and join us.”
Lucento, presumably (he can say otherwise if he pleases), obliges. “This person,” she says, gesturing at Fope, “what is his trade? You may as well speak plainly, you and your friends have been trying my patience long enough.”
Based on your Perception roll earlier, you did not hear anything of what Fope said to the headmistress already.
She drags all four of you into the room with Milivoj. She does not have to wait for Lucento to answer her question. Once you are all in the room, she slams the door shut.
You, she says, pointing her finger at Lucento, come here with promises and speeches and you say you want to help. And then you cast spells under your breath, as if I do not see them, and as if I am one of these children, here to be trifled with. So you go and get your imbecilic friends.
THIS ONE, she says, pointing at Fope, who is no older than Milivoj, claims to be some kind of doctor or professor or some nonsense, as if I do not have children lying to me all day and he thinks I cannot tell. THAT ONE, now jabbing a finger at Kif, who is OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER, comes in with more nonsense.
The ONLY REASON I have not yet gone to the Burgomaster with all of your foolishness, is that I think you are not from here and you might actually be able to help. And I think you might even want to, but your lies and your ridiculousness are making it very hard for me to keep tolerating your presence in these walls.
Now. I am giving you one chance! One of you tell me the truth about what you want and what you think is happening. One of you TELL ME THE TRUTH or you will all be in the stocks by nightfall.
I know some of you wanted closer looks at this room. It really doesn't look like there's anything here, other than a few articles of clothing, a shovel, and a sick teenager.
Føpé cuts in, As I explained to you madam, I am a doctor of ...What did I say? Never mind, it doesn't matter. We're here to help, but we can't do it without you. Lucento, he says turning to his friend, It looks like she'd sooner turn to your divinity than the meta sciences. Why don't you take lead on this one.
“Headmistress, I’ve been honest with you since the moment I stepped into your orphanage, but perhaps I’ve not been as forthcoming as I might have been, and if I’m to ask candor of you it seems fair you should demand it of me. Hopefully by the time I’m finished you’ll understand my apprehension."
Lucento gestures to Milijov. "The temple where this young man works as a gravedigger was recently desecrated, and a sacred relic was taken. It’s location was known to only a few, including the lad himself. If what you say about the onset of his illness is accurate, I fear that whatever the nature of his involvement, the disappearance of the relic and his affliction may be related."
Ma’am, what lucento says here is true. What you say, that we are fools, is also true. But it is as you say, we are strangers in this land and we have quickly learned that we don’t know who we can trust here. But it is also true that we truly want to help. Please, let us help.
Headmistress Belasco considers these words and purses her lips. She appears to come to a decision. She looks sternly down at Fope and scolds him: You, young man, have much to learn. You, dwarf, directed at Kif, must be a better role model.
Come to my office.
She leads the four of you through the main room - all the children are staring, now - and back out into the main hall. She heads back toward the main entrance, and, at the locked double doors, produces a simple key. She unlocks the doors there and leads you into a spacious office. She moves around a large desk to her own stiff chair behind it, and gestures at other chairs throughout the room for you to sit, as well.
The room itself is large, with many books lining its shelves.
A theft from the temple is serious business, and I certainly understand your wish to question young Milivoj. Ask your questions.
Discretion.
persuasion 17
do you need new perception or is the one above good?
Your old one is still good.
The children (pending Barnaby’s Persuasion roll) are reluctant to open up to you hardened adventurers. But you do notice they all show signs of sleeplessness and some of them are lightly bruised.
Persuasion with inspiration: 2 or 13.
Insight to see if the boy is hiding something (presuming he doesn’t talk): 7
If it seems like he is hiding something Barnaby will recast detect thoughts and dig deeper. Slight of hand to cast covertly 11. The child rolls a 9 (portent) on his save, DC 14.
The children relate well enough to the grandfatherly gnome.
In their different ways they talk about nights of bad dreams and sleeplessness. They don't know where their bruises came from, and they think the headmistress is mean but it's hard to tell if that opinion is grounded in reality, or grounded in general child disgruntledness.
Lucento scratches his head. If I were a gambling man, which I am, I would bet that the bad dreams and sleepless nights began about a week ago when the remains were taken from the temple. But even if that were true, we're still no closer to finding the remains, discerning the nature of the boy's illness, or the identifying the source of the evil presence in that room. I'm running out of patience, and Milijav is running out of time.
Barnaby will go into the boy’s room and attempt to look for a trail of dirt leading to the shovel.
Perhaps he buried the bones.
Survival: 13
Føpé will poke, prod, and examine the sick boy.
Honored Matron,
I am Doctor Føpé and I specialize in alchemicaly heuristic illnesses. (Deception: 13) My compatriot would have you believe that his god can help, and he can, but this calls for a hand experienced in the metascience arts as well. (We have something of a competition to see who can help more people. he whispers. I’m winning, so we decided he could have first crack at this one.)
I believe we can help the boy. But to do that, we will have to hunt down the source. Has he consorted with any sinister characters of late? Anyone out of the ordinary?
Does he have any additional personal effects? If so, we will need to see them.
Afflictions of this nature can often be connected to the bodies of the dead. If we recover the body, one with altered psychic lucinations, I may be able to reverse engineer the illness and concoct a cure philik. We will need to sort through any bodies he’s dealt with in the last, oh, … I’d say ... two weeks.
Surely he has had contact with such things, either that or Gronian Toads, but probably not many active volcanoes around here, eh?
You and she are alone in Milijov’s room. She looks at you respectfully throughout this presentation. She does not, however, respond to you. “Master Lucento! Kindly come and join us.”
Lucento, presumably (he can say otherwise if he pleases), obliges. “This person,” she says, gesturing at Fope, “what is his trade? You may as well speak plainly, you and your friends have been trying my patience long enough.”
Based on your Perception roll earlier, you did not hear anything of what Fope said to the headmistress already.
Kif and Barnaby both hear it, too. You guys can respond to the gathering crowd in Milivoj’s room, if you want.
Kif will rush into Milo's room, brandishing the 3 moss agates in the black cloth.....
Master Føpé, you forgot these healing stones, perhaps they would be useful
Then Kif will roll what will probably be a terrible deception roll, jinxing everything 15
You, too???
She drags all four of you into the room with Milivoj. She does not have to wait for Lucento to answer her question. Once you are all in the room, she slams the door shut.
You, she says, pointing her finger at Lucento, come here with promises and speeches and you say you want to help. And then you cast spells under your breath, as if I do not see them, and as if I am one of these children, here to be trifled with. So you go and get your imbecilic friends.
THIS ONE, she says, pointing at Fope, who is no older than Milivoj, claims to be some kind of doctor or professor or some nonsense, as if I do not have children lying to me all day and he thinks I cannot tell. THAT ONE, now jabbing a finger at Kif, who is OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER, comes in with more nonsense.
The ONLY REASON I have not yet gone to the Burgomaster with all of your foolishness, is that I think you are not from here and you might actually be able to help. And I think you might even want to, but your lies and your ridiculousness are making it very hard for me to keep tolerating your presence in these walls.
Now. I am giving you one chance! One of you tell me the truth about what you want and what you think is happening. One of you TELL ME THE TRUTH or you will all be in the stocks by nightfall.
I know some of you wanted closer looks at this room. It really doesn't look like there's anything here, other than a few articles of clothing, a shovel, and a sick teenager.
The young person's name is Milivoj. I regret periodically confusing everything by spelling it otherwise.
Føpé cuts in, As I explained to you madam, I am a doctor of ... What did I say? Never mind, it doesn't matter. We're here to help, but we can't do it without you. Lucento, he says turning to his friend, It looks like she'd sooner turn to your divinity than the meta sciences. Why don't you take lead on this one.
Edit: Looks like I cross posted.
Lucento drops his head with an exasperated sigh.
“Headmistress, I’ve been honest with you since the moment I stepped into your orphanage, but perhaps I’ve not been as forthcoming as I might have been, and if I’m to ask candor of you it seems fair you should demand it of me. Hopefully by the time I’m finished you’ll understand my apprehension."
Lucento gestures to Milijov. "The temple where this young man works as a gravedigger was recently desecrated, and a sacred relic was taken. It’s location was known to only a few, including the lad himself. If what you say about the onset of his illness is accurate, I fear that whatever the nature of his involvement, the disappearance of the relic and his affliction may be related."
Ma’am, what lucento says here is true. What you say, that we are fools, is also true. But it is as you say, we are strangers in this land and we have quickly learned that we don’t know who we can trust here. But it is also true that we truly want to help. Please, let us help.
Headmistress Belasco considers these words and purses her lips. She appears to come to a decision. She looks sternly down at Fope and scolds him: You, young man, have much to learn. You, dwarf, directed at Kif, must be a better role model.
Come to my office.
She leads the four of you through the main room - all the children are staring, now - and back out into the main hall. She heads back toward the main entrance, and, at the locked double doors, produces a simple key. She unlocks the doors there and leads you into a spacious office. She moves around a large desk to her own stiff chair behind it, and gestures at other chairs throughout the room for you to sit, as well.
The room itself is large, with many books lining its shelves.
A theft from the temple is serious business, and I certainly understand your wish to question young Milivoj. Ask your questions.
Shades of Sister Mary Stigmata
Please Ma'am, I apologize for our filthy mouths and bad attitudes. We would appreciate any help in setting things to right