Wayward Expeditions - Rise of the Runelords - Episode 15 
 	Intro: For much of written history world events followed chartered routes. Oracles and seers mapped out the future in the stars above and their prophecies always gave a reliable view of the ages to come. Until a god died a century ago. No one saw that coming. And now the old prophecies are failing, oracles go mad and seers desperately tried to account for the loss of the future. While some cry out that the world is at an end, they've been doing so for a hundred years now and the world is still here, it's just unclear where things are going. The future of Golarian is open, ready to receive the triumphs and failures of a new generation of heroes. Welcome to Rise of the Runelords!

GM: We left off with a lot of things coming to light, a lot of emotional roller coaster up and downs, and Markus had just walked in to the Curious Goblin bookstore. So we will reconvene there, Markus.

Markus: Yes, as I remember correctly, there are various seating areas and desks and the like available inside this bookstore?

GM: Yes.

Markus: Markus will find one of those that doesn't have anyone else and hopefully something that's fairly out of the way, and sit down and pull out some writing implements. He jots out a quick note, a short letter and then he seems to take time to actually draft something else out, making some notes, thinking about it, and then writes a second slightly longer letter. Actually, a fair bit longer. And he's getting, if anyone was there to see it, he would definitely be getting emotional as he's writing it.

GM: Alright. As you're getting close to finalizing writing the letter, the proprietor will come up to you and tell you, "The shop's about to close."

Markus: "Oh, of course, I'm nearly done here, thank you."

GM: "Sure, sure, sure." He stands there and brushes his eyebrows with one hand waiting on you.

Markus: Markus takes a moment, composes himself, writes the last line of the letter that he's been working on and signs it. "There, I'm done. I'll get out of your hair now".

GM: "Hmm uhm uhm, come again, anytime." He waves goodbye as you leave, locks the store up behind you.

Markus: "Ok, thank you."  Markus will call as he's leaving. And please excuse the silence for a moment while I DM something.

GM: Certainly... Interesting.

Loyal: Ah? 

Fenwarin: Oh, yeah.

Taury: That's not a word you want to hear him say.

GM: Um, hmm, I'll allow it.

Taury: I don't like that, I don't like that one bit.

Loyal: I don't like that either.

GM: Ok, I think all that's taking care of then.

Markus: Ok are we doing the first part or?

GM: I don't, I don't think you need to be in the scene any longer. I think all of this is-

Markus: So all of it happens off camera, as it were?

GM: I believe that's for the best.

Markus: Yeah fine, one second then. So yeah, he would be trying to deliver that without mentioning anything that's written down in that, out loud.

GM: Ok. When you deliver this, do you hand it off and then leave immediately? Or do you stick around?

Markus: It would depend partly on whether or not anyone else was in the store.

GM: Percentile, high or low?

Markus: Let's go low this time.

GM: Low. Low it is. There is currently no one else in the store with you.

Markus: Then he would be deliberately keeping it brief.

GM: Alright.

Markus: Basically I'm going give the appearance-

GM: Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, say nothing.

Markus: Ok, ok.

GM: I will, I will text you.

Markus: Ok.

GM: Alright. So, the rest of the party, you finished playing your games, having your evening meals, drinks, all that stuff for the night, you turn in. As you wake up the next morning and you notice a letter has been slipped under a door or two, for those that are getting a letter, go ahead and send that to them.

Loyal: Ok.

Markus: Ok, so they get delivered the following morning rather than that  evening? Ok.

GM: Yes. And I will go ahead and handle yours for you Loyal.

Loyal: Yay.

GM: At the top of the journal section, you should see that letter. And then I believe there will be DM's of the other letters.

Loyal: Cool.

Taury: This just as like a campaign of DM's, how many times has that been a thing? Where it's like- 

Loyal: [Laughs] In the past couple episodes a lot.

Loyal: -everyone's like "I'll do a thing, but I'm sending it to a DM."

GM: I enjoy that personally.

Loyal: I do as well.

Morana: Yup.

Taury: It's great, it builds so much tension. Or like suspense I should say, rather than tension.

Loyal: Yeah.

GM: While letters are being read. So those of you are waking up, you have these letters, you've read them. What are you doing? We'll start with Fenwarin. You wake up, you have no letters.

Fenwarin: I'm just getting ready to go down and wait for the others to join me at breakfast.

GM: Alright. As you leave your room and you're walking down the hallway to go downstairs, you pass by Loyal as he's slipping a letter under Taury's door.

Fenwarin: "Hey Loyal, what are you doing?"

Loyal: "Oh. Uh, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. If not, uh, personal business."

Fenwarin: "Well, I see ok, well ah, keep at it then I'll, I'll see you down at breakfast table then."

Loyal: "Yeah, I'll be down shortly."

Fenwarin: "Ok." And I look at him questionably and walk slowly down the stairs.

Loyal: Loyal will finish up and gather his things, head down stairs.

GM: And then Morana and Taury, between the two of you, who wants to react to this first? Who would be the first up and leaving their room?

Taury: Well, I'm still reading.

GM: Ok.

Morana: Morana would have probably already been awake, she would have been doing her morning "conversation" as it were. But she notices it under the doors, she kind of stops and just looks at it before picking it up and reading it, raise an eyebrow, sigh a little bit. Finish what she's doing and then eventually make her way down stairs.

Loyal: Loyal at the breakfast table was just kind of quickly preparing his infusions for the day.

GM: Bethana is trying to get you to stop doing that.

Loyal: "It's fine really, it doesn't take very long and there's nothing dangerous I'm mainly preparing curatives."

GM: "But you could do that in your room, it's-"

Loyal: "Fine, I'll take it up to my room and finish it up there. It takes like three minutes."

GM: "Thank you."

Loyal: [Grunts]

GM: As you're sitting down at the table Morana, Bethana is flapping a towel, trying to air out the the fumes of the reagents cooked.

Morana: Morana kind of quirk's half a smirk and says, "Breakfast smells delicious."

GM: "Thank you, thank you."

Morana: [Laughs] She kind of looks at her for a second and shakes her head, goes back to what she's doing.

GM: "I'll bring you a plate in a moment."

Morana: "Of course."

GM: She finishes flapping the towel and then rushes back to the kitchen, brings out a bowl of grits with a side of grilled fish.

Morana: "Thank you." And she sits back to eat and wait for the others.

GM: Fenwarin is there too, I'm sure correct?

Fenwarin: Yeah. 

Morana: Well of course there's a meal, of course he's there.

GM: Yeah, food yes. Might have already been eating, yes.

Fenwarin: Hmmm 

Morana: [laughs].

GM: Might have already been eating, yes.

Fenwarin: In the middle of it yup.

GM: So Taury, you finish reading these letters.

Taury: Yeah, so Taury would be up beside the window where she has moved her bed. The first letter she considers she probably it reads it a few times, probably scratching certain parts of it, thinking about it.

GM: And which letter is that?

Taury: That is a letter from Markus.

GM: Ok. 

Taury: And she keeps her's for a moment and then she places it over a candle and burns it.

GM: Alright.

Taury: The second letter. She tucks into her, inside her sort of jacket pocket or I suppose, her cloak probably.

GM: Alright. And that's the letter from Loyal?

Taury: That's the letter from Loyal.

GM: Ok.

Taury: And then she prepares herself and walks down for breakfast.

GM: Ok, ah based on timings, I'll probably say that you come out of your room just as Loyal is passing by again, having finished brewing his ingredients for the day.

Taury: She would give him a look, but she wouldn't say anything to him and she would walk past him.

Loyal: Loyal kind of gives a look back to you Taury.

GM: Sense motive from both of you.

Loyal: Oh, God.

GM: To correctly identify and interpret each other's looks.

Taury: Ok.

GM: That's a pass for both of you. So feel free to describe the intent behind the look and how it's conveyed to each other.

Loyal: Loyal's is a bit of like a kind of a curious, confused, curious and somewhat confused or just like of, a look of not knowing what might happen. And then after nothing happens, just kind of like a bit of neutrality, just kind of -I don't know how to put it- an understanding look, that's the best way I can put it.

Taury: Yeah, Taury's would be sort of mildly vacant, like she's considering you, she's thinking about you, she's sort of trying to figure you out. I wouldn't say shifty, because shifty sounds a bit more malign. But it's like, you know, and you you kind of give someone a second glance, you sort of like what's their deal kind of thing? That's the sort of look that you would get. Maybe a very brief look, you'd have to be looking for it to catch it, which you were.

Loyal: Yeah.

GM: Alright, both of you get down to their breakfast table. Fenwarin and Morana are both eating their breakfast. Fenwarin is probably almost finished.

Taury: Second breakfast or first breakfast?

Fenwarin: Haven't had time.

GM: Have you ordered seconds?

Fenwarin: [Laughs] No, not yet.

GM: Ok, not yet [laughs].

Taury: Time for elevenses. So we've entered that room yeah?

GM: Yep, moments after sitting down, Bethana brings out breakfast for both of you.

Fenwarin: "Oh thank you."

Taury: Taury is just gonna eat it silently.

Loyal: Loyal starts eating, and says, "Everyone sleep well?"

Fenwarin: "Really good." Fenwarin just keep slurping and eating everything.

Taury: You get a shrug from Taury.

Loyal: "Fair enough, what about you Morana?"

Morana: "It was a night."

Loyal: "Oh. Doesn't seem very positive per se?”

Morana: "It was neither positive or negative it was, it existed."

Loyal: "Fair enough. I slept relatively well, myself."

Taury: Could Taury do a Sense motive on Morana? 

GM: Sure. 

Taury: Just sort of see what's-

GM: At anytime you guys want, you can attempt a Sense motive or a Perception check, to notice anything about either eachother or your environment. I don't need to ask for those, just feel free when you want or it feels appropriate. If there's something that I feel you should know and you haven't already taken that initiative, then I will ask for it. But those two specifically feel free to just declare. Alright, success.

Morana: There doesn't seem to be much out of the ordinary, she's just eating, seems moderately relaxed.

Taury: Cool, because Taury is just trying to see if uh like, I don't know, something happened because you remember like the last time Morana was being weird, she like had collapsed. So that's all Taury was looking for, to see if-

Morana: Yeah, no there's nothing like that going on.

Taury: Proceed to eat breakfast. "Has there been any word from Markus?

Fenwarin: "I've received none."

Taury: And Taury looks to Fen to sort of see if Fenwarin has any reaction to that.

Fenwarin: "No, nothing."

Taury: "It's quite unusual."

Fenwarin: "Should we maybe search for him?"

Loyal: "That'd be a good idea now, it's been a day." 

Fenwarin: "Uh hmm."

Loyal: "Have any of you heard from him?" That will be at Taury and Morana.

Taury: You'd get a head shake from Taury.

Loyal: "I see."

Morana: "Potentially, but it's not something I will discuss in public."

Loyal: "Should we retire to a room, discuss this in private then?"

Morana: "I believe it may be better to do it elsewhere."

Loyal: "Very well."

Taury: "Where might you suggest?"

Morana: "Outdoors, somewhat secluded. Some things tend to have ears around here."

Loyal: "Very well, where would you recommend, I'm not very familiar with the area?"

Taury: "Sandpoint is full of ears."

Morana: Do a Knowledge local on a place that tends to be out of the way, not many people go to.

GM: Just outside the north gate would be the most secluded place nearby, the north of the Lost Coast Road.

Morana: That was about what I was thinking and she says "Well we'll, head just outside the gate, I mean things in town, there can be issues."

Loyal: "Very well, so finished here, we should probably head out."

Taury: With that Taury would stand up and empty her tankard of milk and stand up, readying herself to go.

Loyal: Loyal will finish whatever he has left, probably just has water in the morning no alcohol, and he'll just gather up his things, his giant, this big ass backpack.

Fenwarin: And Fenwarin is also ready, just wipes his mouth and stands up.

Taury: Is he like frantically grabbing croissants on the way out?

Fenwarin: [Laughs]

Morana: Morana will eventually stand up and make her way out the door. 

Loyal: "Off we go."

GM: Alright, your walk through town is uneventful. There are a few whispers and murmurs as you pass by the few citizenry that are out and about. So far this morning, most of them are in awe of your presence, the new heroes of Sandpoint, admiring you.

Loyal: What are they saying?

Taury: Yeah, I was going to say can we do a Perception to see what they're saying.

GM: Yeah.

Loyal: If there's anything other than just admiration?

Morana: My Perception was also to see, notice if we were being followed at all.

GM: Ok, you don't appear to notice anyone following you, though you are garnering attention just by being who you are. No one's making any efforts to stick by you for very long. Most of what you overhear is just admiration and quandary on whether or not you're all single or available. A couple envious mentions of your abilities and how they wish they were so capable.

Loyal: I kind of mention to everyone, "Seems word travels fast."

Taury: You get a pretty grim look from Taury when you say that.

Loyal: "Something concerning?"

Taury: "Not at all." 

Loyal: "Alright."

Taury: She'll sort of shrug that off and keep walking. 

Loyal: I'll keep walking

GM: Alright. You're outside the gates.

Morana: Eventually, after walking a little ways away from the gate, Morana will sit down on a nearby rock and think for a moment. Before saying, "I got a letter this morning purportedly from Markus?  Um, I'm not sure." Actually, no she probably wouldn't have seen like enough of his writing to try and determine if it was from him, or would there be a check for that, that would probably be Sense motive, wouldn't it?

GM: Linguistics.

Morana: Oh, Linguistics. That's not trained. Shit.

GM: Everything you know, it points that it was from Markus.

Morana: "So most likely it is from him saying that there may be a plan by the Sczarni to steal the dagger that we were trying to sell, or that you had taken to the shop to sell."

Loyal: I immediately look at Fenwarin. He has the thing.

Fenwarin: Fenwarin, assures Loyal right away. "I still have the receipt on me, don't worry."

Morana: "Well this doesn't say anything about a receipt, it specifically says the dagger itself."

Fenwarin: "Interesting." 

Loyal: "He said he was going to try to warn the shopkeep, told us to be on our guard and that he was not sure if they had decided to do it or not, but there were discussions in that direction. How he came across the information, I have no idea. And how he got the letter to us with no one noticing that he was there."

Fenwarin: "Well he does know magic, so what do we do?"

Morana: "Apparently we be careful. Did anyone see you selling the dagger, hear you talking about it or anything like that?"

Loyal: "Selling the dagger probably not, talking about it, possibly. We discussed it for a little bit outside of the shop as we were determining what we wanted for the dagger, we decided on coin."

Morana: "Since you're relatively new here, I'll give you a copper's worth of free advice. In towns where there is a moderately active criminal element, speaking about large transactions in the open, generally not a good idea."

Loyal: Would I have, I would probably know, would I know who the Sczarni are? Slash have heard of them?

GM: Knowledge local.

Loyal: Nope I have not, that's the answer. "I'm not very familiar with the Sczarni, who are they? Criminals, as you say, but?"

Morana: Morana will give him a basic rundown.

GM: Alright the Sczarni is a criminal organization of thieves, thugs and other brigands, all unsavory types that's run all manner of illicit activities. If it makes money, they're involved in it somehow. They're spread all across the inner sea region. It's a large network of criminals, almost like a thieves guild, but there are other thieves guilds. This is just one organization of criminals that happens to be far reaching and well-connected yes, they are very much like a mob.

Loyal: Gotcha. "That's certainly concerning."

GM: They're almost always comprised of Varisians. They don't tend to like outsiders much.

Loyal: "Great, well it seems I would probably at least if, if anyone, I would have a target painted on my head if I'm not from around here."

Taury: And Taury nods like smirking to herself.

GM: Give me a flat Intelligence check Loyal.

Loyal: Ooh, I have a high score in that.

GM: Alright. As all this information is coming to light to you and it's being discussed, you recall when you first arrived in Magnimar, the Varisians you beat up, might have been most likely were Sczarni.

Loyal: You mean the ones that beat the shit out of me?

GM: Yeah. 

Loyal: Ok. "Yeah I think I've met them before." And he just kind of has a look of like grimace, just like recalling the painful memory.

Morana: At that Morana is just staring at Loyal. It doesn't take a Sense motive check to notice that there's kind of a 'go on' expression on her face.

Loyal: "I was in Magnimar for about a year before this.  On the first day or so -it's hard to remember - I arrived, I was attacked in the streets and almost killed. I suspect that these folk who attacked me were Sczarni."

Morana: "Well that bodes fantastically, because they are the type to hold grudges. Hmm, what must be done now is keep an eye on things. Um apparently Markus is trying to do what he can from his direction, I'm not sure what that entails."

Loyal: "Be nice to know where he is, did he mentioned that?"

Morana: "He did not."

Taury: "Of course he didn't, why would he be helpful?"

Morana: "Well, I would take attempting to warn the shopkeeper and find out more about what they may be planning to be helpful, regardless of if he's in direct contact or not. It may actually be better in this case that he not be in direct contact. So they don't know that we know what they're thinking about, which is also why I came here."

Taury: "Abandoning us in our time of need is hardly helpful."

Loyal: "He probably has reasons, like everyone."

Fenwarin: "Could you please share that with me? You said you received letters from Markus, I received no such thing."

Loyal: "I did not receive anything either."

Morana: Morana will shrug and pass the letter around.

Fenwarin: Yeah, Fenwarin just grabs it from Morana.

GM: The letter reads, "Dear Morana, the Sczarni are apparently planning on stealing the dagger that you are selling, or at least they have actively debated on such plans. Not sure on their final decisions. I'll be trying to warn the shopkeeper directly, indiscreetly. Be on your guard. Markus."

Fenwarin: [Sighs] "Well, that's just fantastic."

Morana: "As I said, not a whole lot to go on, but at least we know there's potentially a problem occurring."

Loyal: "Yeah, so what do we do now? Do we go about our business or do we try to find these Sczarni and deal with it?"

Morana: [Laughs]

Taury: "I would highly suggest against that."

Morana: "No, we don't do that."

Loyal: "Just trying to offer suggestions."

Taury: "Yeah one rarely goes looking for the Sczarni, the Sczarni tend to find you."

Loyal: "Let's be ready when they do."

GM: Give me a flat Intelligence role, Fenwarin.

Fenwarin: Oh ok.

Taury: Well, does Fen know what's going on at all? [Laughs]

GM: Alright. You remember helping carry a large chest or box with Deadeye.

Fenwarin: Yes, I do.

GM: Within the first few days of being in this town, and that the word Sczarni was mentioned by the man that hired you to do this. You're pretty sure he was a Sczarni, and thus know that if you want to go find them, you could go talk to that guy who seems to always be hanging out in the Fatmans Feedbag.

Fenwarin: "I just remembered something. Ah when me and Deadeye did that delivery we were gone for a while. There was something fishy about the whole thing. I think there was a body in the chest we were carrying all that way. I think the person I talked to might have been connected to the Sczarni or something, maybe in some fashion."

Loyal: "Something to go off of."

Taury: You get a distinct eye roll from Taury.

Loyal: "So what do we plan to do? I not feel comfortable going back down that ruin if we may be tailed and attacked."

Morana: "Well, from the sounds of it, they want to try to steal the dagger before it's even sold."

Taury: "Well, perhaps we could guard the shop."

Loyal: "I was about to say, should we visit shopkeep, perhaps?"

Taury: "Might I suggest not telling the shopkeep?"

Morana: "Where did you take it to sell?"

Loyal: "It's the Feathered Serpent. There's a lot of magic items there, he seems very capable at the very least.”

Morana: That's a Knowledge local on it.

GM: The Feathered Serpent is a very popular destination for adventurers and traders from Magnimar, for all sorts of magical items and whatnot. He does a great business. And you also know this little gnome, though he is a little peculiar, is an excellent sorcerer.

Morana: Ok, any known connections to anyone having to do with the Sczarni? 

GM: None that you're officially aware of, but because of his connections to Magnimar. If the Sczarni were to do anything to him or his shop, he has powerful friends. And if justice didn't find them, it would be amazing.

Morana: "Hmm. He does have connections that would potentially dissuade them, unless they're at a point where they no longer care about such things so I don't -"

Loyal: "They might be desperate."

Morana: "- well there's potential." Another Knowledge local, ah shit I was going to ask what their current situation in town was. 

GM: The Sczarni?

Morana: Yeah, how active they've been.

GM: Oh ok. The guardhouse, in the cells, there's almost always at least one or two Sczarni down there. Sheriff Hemlock has a grudge against them and is doing his best to weed them out of the city, but is never able to get the organizer of the Sczarni. He knows there is a leader in town, but they are very good at falling on their own swords as it is, to protect that person.

Loyal: "Take out the leader, cut off the head of the snake."

Morana: "Well good luck with that."

Loyal: "Slice the tumor at its source. Perhaps, a bit of a loss at what to do here. You all don't seem to want to take on these Sczarni, they do seem quite dangerous."

Taury: "'Want' is no not the question, 'should' is the question. Do you go poking hornets nests, often?"

Loyal: "If you're going to get stung regardless then."

Morana: "It all has to do with probability of success."

Taury: "It is likely you'll wake up dead."

Morana: "There is less than zero. Well, maybe not less than zero. But at least less than one percent."

Loyal: "So what do we do then?"

Morana: "For now, I would say we monitor the situation for any developments. Keep an eye on the shop from a distance, and the rest is apparently up to fate at this point."

Loyal: "What do we do about Markus then? Should we be trying to find him? Should we leave him to his own devices?"

Taury: "How would you propose finding him?"

Loyal: "Good as question as any." 

Taury: "My suggestion is that he doesn't want to be found."

Loyal: "Perhaps."

Morana: "There is that potential, yes."

Taury: "Well, some men are born deserters, there's not much you can do about it."

Fenwarin: "Well, I hope he's not fleeing, I just think maybe he found out too much and Sczarni are onto him or something?"

Loyal: "Perhaps."

Taury: "Perhaps, but he has deserted us."

Loyal: "And maybe with good reason."

Fenwarin: "Hmm. Maybe unwillingly."

Loyal: "If he knows things about the Sczarni, he could, he could know things that put him in danger, perhaps he didn't want to endanger us?"

Taury: "I highly doubt that, it is my suggestion that he got a fright and ran along home."

Morana: "If he is trying to get in contact with the shopkeep, then he hasn't run anywhere."

Loyal: "Its true."

Fenwarin: "I guess we can just assume he found a good hiding spot or something?"

Loyal: "I hope so. What do we plan to do for the day then?"

Morana: "Well, there were people talking about some weird occurrence on one of the cliffs, and with all of the other strange things in town, it might be worth looking into?"

Loyal: Is the market open today?

GM: Yes.

Loyal: "Perhaps we could stock up on supplies as well. I might be able to buy some things to make some alchemical items that may help us, more of that antitoxin especially, it's quite useful."

Taury: "Yes indeed, more shopping."

Loyal: "What else do you plan, what else do you suggest we do?"

Taury: "Well, I don't know, there are tunnels with creatures in them, need removing."

Loyal: "I feel it's best not to go down there if we're down a member. You saw what happened with that quasit of-"

Taury: "Yes you mean the demon that befriended Markus?"

Loyal: "Befriended? Markus attacked it."

Taury: "Yes, after having an extensive conversation with it."

Loyal: "Well you know how he is, he probably just wanted to learn more about the ruins-"

Taury: "Yes and in turn nearly got us all killed!"

Morana: "I don't follow your path of logic on that. Whether or not he had attacked the thing immediately, things would have gone mostly the same way."

Loyal: "None the less we had to kill that thing, it was creating those creatures."

Taury: "Yes well, who knows what it said to him?"

Fenwarin: "No one knows except Markus."

Taury: "Precisely"

Fenwarin: "But I won't go as far as to mistrust him. Maybe he was just trying to squeeze out some information, whatever that was?"

Loyal: "I feel like we don't have enough information to mistrust him at this point."

Fenwarin: "No."

Morana: "That's about where I stand."

Taury: "Yes, we don't have any information on him and he is now gone! What does that tell you? It tells you that he doesn't want you to have any information."

GM: Sense motive.

Loyal: Who?

GM: All of you on each other right now.

Loyal: Hah!

Taury: Ah, talk about tension.

Loyal: Nice.

Fenwarin: Yeah.

Loyal: Hell yeah! 19.

GM: On everyone but Taury, it dawns on them at this very moment that, none of you really know much of anything about each other at all.

Loyal: I was about to say the same thing.

Morana: Yeah, I was just about to point that out.

Fenwarin: [Laughs]

Loyal: Like we all have secrets.

GM: Yeah, you all are acutely aware, again except Taury, that all of you have secrets, and have gone to lengths to keep each other from prying into those things. Not that you haven't opened up any, but it's been very, very minute.

Loyal: "Taury, none of us know anything about each other. We all have secrets."

Morana: "I was going to say that he, we knew as much about him as we know about any of us."

Taury: "Perhaps, then why are you so drawn on protecting him?"

Loyal: "Because we don't know if he's done anything wrong."

Taury: "I'm not saying that he's done anything wrong, I'm saying that we don't know him."

Fenwarin: "And we hardly know each other."

Taury: "I know that we have protected each other up until now. Healed each other, fought alongside each other. That is all I need to know."

Morana: "As did he, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have caught Tsuto."

Taury: "Yes well, he who is now gone, he who has now left us vulnerable."

Fenwarin: "Yes, but we don't know if he had to do that."

Loyal: "Perhaps we would have been even more vulnerable if not for him leaving."

Taury: "There is no reason to abandon your team. You are always weaker without your crew members fighting alongside you."

Loyal: "If he put the others in danger I could see his reasoning."

Fenwarin: "Maybe something stopped him from getting back to us?"

Loyal: "That's possible, you haven't considered that option."

Fenwarin: "No."

Taury: "You're not suggesting more body snatchers Fen?"

Fenwarin: "No not bodysnatchers, just maybe they were converging on him and he just couldn't take that path. So he did what he could to hide."

Loyal: "Perhaps he was fleeing?" 

Fenwarin: "Yes precisely."

Taury: "Well hardly if he felt the need to send a letter to Morana, he clearly had time."

Loyal: "Might have had time to drop off the letter, but not necessarily to stay with us?"

Taury: "Yes dropping off a letter and drawing them to us, telling them exactly where we are sleeping."

Loyal: "They would know that anyway."

Morana: "Perhaps he sent someone else to deliver the letter?"

"It's possible."

Taury: "I highly doubt he is hiding, I highly doubt he's on the run, I think he just decided to go-"

Loyal: "He is clearly hiding as we don't know where he is."

Morana: "You can highly doubt all you want, but if you don't know, then what point is there in speculation?"

Taury: "Well precisely, that is why I suggest we continue."

Fenwarin: Can Fenwarin check the letter to see if it was hastily written?

GM: It is not hastily written.

Fenwarin: Ok.

Taury: "What is it Fen, what are you looking at?"

Fenwarin: "Well, I just I just wanted to take another look at the letter and see if you know, maybe he wanted to tell us something else but couldn't in words. I don't see anything that stands out, sorry."

Taury: "Precisely. If he wanted to be found, he would have told you where he was to be found. Obviously doesn't trust Morana very much or perhaps the rest of us. Otherwise, he would have told us where he had gone."

Loyal: "Perhaps he couldn't tell us where he's gone."

Taury: "Couldn't, wouldn't, it doesn't really matter. Either way we don't know where he is and what use is talking about it? We can do nothing."

Fenwarin: "Agreed."

Loyal: "There's not much we can do at this point." 

Taury: "We must carry on." 

Loyal: "Except keep a watchful eye."

Taury: "If he wishes to contact us he will I'm sure, as such is proven by that letter."

Fenwarin: "We have to look over our shoulders now as well."

Taury: "And you are not doing so already?"

Fenwarin: "Well, more so now, of course."

Taury: "Well, what would everyone like to do?"

Loyal: "Well we do still have that orange liquid to deal with. I could try some tests to see if I can get rid of it, if we can find out more about it."

Taury: "Alright, it sounds like a solid idea. And the rest of you?"

Morana: "I want to check out the cliff where some people saw whatever it was that they saw."

Loyal: "Agreed, we can check that out on the way, at the very least."

Taury: "And what did they see? Did you say?"

Morana: "Someone apparently glowing blue. I think there was some kind of things floating around them. Maybe they weren't blue, but there were blue spheres. I don't remember offhand. But it's a strange occurrence in a town where strange occurrences have been happening daily. So I believe it bodes looking into." 

Taury: "Yes, well, that doesn't sound good. Well, let's go there then."

Loyal: "Alright. Keep an eye out, we don't know if these Sczarni could attack us in the streets or not?"

Taury: There's a smirk from Taury at that, like a 'ah that's cute you think that.'

Morana: Morana will say again, at this point, "attacking us directly would serve no purpose, they're not after us, they're after the dagger."

Loyal: "Yes"

Taury: "So we're all walking to the cliffs?"

Loyal: "Guess so." 

Fenwarin: "Yeah"

GM: Give me Perception checks.

Loyal: Yes!

Fenwarin: Oh, my God!

Loyal: Yes yes!

Taury: Oh lads let's go!

Fenwarin: All over 20.

Loyal: Nothing below 23.

Taury: Let's fucking go!

Loyal: 23 or higher only.

GM: Would you like high or low?

Loyal: Oh!

Fenwarin: Oh, no.

Taury: What was the last percentile roll, it was low, wasn't it?

Loyal: There's a low.

Fenwarin: It was low, I wanted to go high anyway.

Taury: I kind of want to go high,

Loyal: Yeah lets do high.

Taury: I feel like it's going to be low but yeah.

Fenwarin: [Laughs] With our luck. Oh nice!.

Loyal: Hey! It's very high!

GM: It is high.

Taury: Yes.

GM: As you walk back through the north gate and make your way directly towards the cliffs, behind the White Deer, you see a figure standing on the cliffs, arms spread wide, looking out over the ocean, the breeze blowing through their robes and quickly identify the back of Markus.

Fenwarin: Fuck ok.

Taury: That's awkward.

Loyal: "Well, that was easy" 

Everyone: [laugh] 

GM: The fates demanded I guess.

Fenwarin: Where's Mark-, oh, there he is.

GM: Based entirely on where he told me that he would be, and what he would possibly be doing, and where you went and then directly decided to go. Yes it wound up being easy, however, he didn't have to be.

Fenwarin: Nice well.

Taury: "Well, there you go, Loyal. Hardly hiding, at least not very well."

Loyal: "At least we can ask him stuff now."

Taury: Taury would be hanging towards the back.

Loyal: Is anyone showing like they're going to take the first step forward?

Taury: Absolutely not Taury.

Morana: I mean, has he noticed that we're approaching or?

GM: Give me a Perception check, Markus.

Markus: Yes ok.

GM: Hmm. He seems, he seems to notice you as you're approaching, just as you're saying, like- as you're discussing amongst yourselves who's going to go talk to him first or if you're going to go as a group, that's when he realizes you're there. Markus, you don't overhear exactly what they're saying, but you do hear some commotion and just, you are aware of their presence, whether or not you turn to look at them or not is up to you. But, you know someone is there with you. However this is going to play out, please continue.

Markus: Ok, he would turn and look and see who it was, and then would return to what he was doing.

Loyal: Keep posing on a cliff.

Taury: Salty! There's more salt over here than there is in the fucking ocean next to us.

Morana: Morana will walk over next to him and slightly behind him and just kind of lean, look over the cliff and say, "It's a wonderful view." 

Markus: "Yes hmm. It's also one of the best places to think, at least for me." 

Morana: "Understandable, that is a portion of the town I highly enjoy myself." 

Markus: Morana, you would notice that the air is moving around Markus. It happens occasionally when he's in normal life that there's a slight breeze associated, particularly when he's casting spells. The only time you've seen it be anywhere near this strong is during the fight with Tsuto. 

Morana: Huh.

GM: It is running counter to the ocean breezes that are spraying the salt airs, almost a cyclonic type force around Markus.

Morana: Can I do a Knowledge arcana to see if she can figure out what could be causing something like that?

GM: You may. You've heard tales of wind spirits. That give birth to mortal children.

Morana: Morana will kind of put a hand in the space where the air current is moving and say, "Well that's an interesting, not really condition, effect? Situation? No it's not the word I'm looking. What's the word I'm looking for?" she looks at her doll. "I don't know, it's unusual, isn't it yes, unusual, that's the word." 

Markus: Markus sighs, his arms go down and he turns to face Morana. As he does so, the wind quietens. "What are you talking about?" 

Morana: "Talking about the breeze running in the opposite direction to the wind." 

Markus: "Oh, I was just talking to the wind."

Morana: "You know, some would probably find that unusual." 

Markus: "Yes, we discussed this though." 

Morana: "Yes, yes, yes that's-"

Markus: "I talked to the Spirits, yes?"

Morana: "Yes. I was, I was going to say some would find it unusual, but I speak to a doll so."

Markus: "Ah. Quite."

Taury: Can we all roll Perception checks, see if we can hear all this.

GM: Sure, it does depend on how close you are. How far away are they from you?

Taury: I kind of imagine is beside the group, but just behind them. How far is the group away from Morana? Because Morana is like right beside him.

Loyal: Probably not too far honestly.

Taury: Yeah, that's what I was thinking. So like, but it's windy though, right?

GM: It was.

Taury: Or he's windy.

Morana: Fucking beans!

Taury: Yeah, I'm gonna do a Perception check on this, because she would be listening to try and hear all this.

Loyal: Yeah Loyal would be definitely listening as well.

Taury: Even if it is far away she's definitely trying to hear it all.

Fenwarin: Ooh! Nat 1!

Morana: [Laughs]

GM: Fenwarin, those large pointy years are catching nothing but wind right now.

Loyal: Fucking knife ear!

Taury: He's got the food sweats.

Morana: Fenwarin is thinking about the bakery schedule.

Fenwarin: Yeah. The only thing working is my nose.

Markus: So the new loaves should be out in five minutes, my god!

Taury: Yeah he's trying to hear the baker  like ring a bell to be like, we're done.

GM: [Laughing].

Markus: You can just hear Fenwarin sniffing the air like [sniff sniff] ooh!

Loyal: Oh my god he's like a fucking hunting dog.

GM: The rest of you can hear the conversation fine. There's intermittent wind gusts and you lose like a syllable here or there, but it's not indecipherable for you.

Taury: We get the gist.

GM: Yeah.

Loyal: Loyal will approach, just look at him and say, "Is everything all right?"

Markus: "What do you think?"

Loyal: "Judging by your letter, I'm guessing no."

Markus: "Which letter?"

Loyal: "You sent multiple?" Kind of look at the rest of the group.

Markus: Markus, will go to speak and then stop?

Morana: "Well, I know of the one that I received."

Taury: Taury would be looking equally as surprised.

GM: Sense motive.

Loyal: Yeah I was, gonna, Loyal has read and Sense motive for now.

GM: Taury, would you like to make a bluff on this or?

Taury: Yeah.

GM: Alright.

Taury: Oh hoo!

Loyal: I win!

Taury: By 1.

GM: Yeah, ah Morana you genuinely only know of your own letter. Based on what's going on Loyal, it seems Taury received a letter.

Loyal: He just makes eye contact with Taury, thinks for a second, says nothing.

Taury: Would she be able to see you looking at her or would it be like a very quick glance?

Loyal: Oh, yeah yeah said eye contact so.

Taury: Yeah, you'd be getting a look like 'shut the fuck up'. But that's sort of her usual facial expression anyway.

Loyal: Yeah, yeah, but he doesn't say anything.

Taury: But she's glaring directly at you so it's like for a millisecond, that's the look that you get.

Loyal: "Perhaps the letter got lost or stolen or something?"

Markus: "I doubt it, Morana's arrived."

Loyal: "So yeah, well we were just discussing this," he lowers his voice, "Sczarni situation."

Markus: "Good luck with that."

Loyal:  "You don't want to help?"

Markus: "Why don't you ask Taury that?" and Markus will turn and start walking away.

Loyal: Oooh.

Morana: Morana will follow him.

Taury: Taury looks surprised.

Loyal: "We should talk Taury." 

Taury: "Should we?"

Morana: Before she follows him, she'll tell the rest, "You stay here, give me a few moments."

Taury: You get a nod from Taury.

GM: Fenwarin. Which group are you more interested in following and learning what's going on from?"

Taury: Pick a side damn it!

All: [Laugh]

GM: Right, right now you're the most innocuous to what's going on so.

Markus: Yeah, exactly it's like 'what?'

Loyal: That's the story of all of this.

Taury: Switzerland, Switzerland over there.

Loyal: [Laughs] He has no idea what's going on!

Markus: Exactly.

GM: Yeah.

Fenwarin: Where's the bakery? No I'm just kidding.

GM: Would you be following Markus and Morana or would you be staying with Loyal and Taury?

Markus: Yeah I think I would be following Markus and Morana, because I want to find out more.

GM: Oh, ok. So as you walk away from Loyal and Taury as Loyal is approaching Taury and saying we need to have a talk. You catch up with Morana and Markus.

Markus: Markus won't say anything is as he's walking up a hill, being notably putting space between him and Taury.

Loyal: Easy enough because Taury is not following.

Taury: Yeah she wouldn't give a shit dude.

Morana: Morana is following at a close distance, but not saying anything yet. Whenever Markus stops walking Morana will just take a seat on a rock next to him, and just finally simply say. "All right. Talk to me."

Markus: "You don't know?"

Morana: "I'd rather hear it directly. Enough of this messages back and forth letters." she's waving her hand in all this. "Enough of all that. firsthand, what's going on?"

Markus: "You mean Loyal didn't tell you either? 

Morana: "Again, firsthand, things can be passed between go betweens, all they want, but you never know the actual happenings until the person going through them talks about them."

Markus: Markus nods slightly. He starts to talk and then pauses again.

Morana: Morana just waits.

Fenwarin: Fenwarin intently waits for an explanation too.

Markus: "You want the long version or the short version?"

Fenwarin: "We've got time Morana, right?"

Morana: "I have nothing pressing at the moment."

Fenwarin: "Neither do I, go ahead."

Markus: "Of course. [Sighs] I don't trust her, I can't, I think."

Morana: "And why's that? What specifically is the cause of this thought?"

Markus: Markus closes his eyes for a moment. Takes a deep breath and then opens them. "You know what she's like, the other morning, that was important, and she flat out rejected it. She acted selfishly. And it's not the first time I've seen her do something like that. Deliberately put herself before the rest of the group and make no apologies for it."

Morana: "And this is uncommon in your life?"

Markus: "Oh people can be selfish, people can be greedy. But when we work together, when we literally have to trust our lives, perhaps even our souls to each other, to working together, to cooperation? When I have doubts about whether or not she will be there if she chooses a selfish option?"

Morana: "In situations where life and death has mattered there has been no question from any of us. Some disagreement tete a tete in a tavern is not indicative of how someone behaves when things are on the line."

Markus: "Really? The fact that she can take what she wants? And she believes that none of us can do anything about it, none of us will do anything about it? There's a word for that, I have worked with people before, granted not anywhere near most perilous circumstances, and there have been differences of opinion, but-"

Morana: "You also fail to take into account how possible is it that she's had to be self reliant for extended periods of time? Perhaps she's used to having to be like that to survive? Just because we've, the rest of us have dealt with", she seems to struggle for a moment, for a word, "more comfortable situations? I don't know, wouldn't use that word for all of us but, the point stands. Sometimes people learn to be that way due to things they've gone through. I'm not the most gregarious people person there is either, admittedly§ mine lies in a different direction. However, that doesn't change the baseline of what I am saying."

Markus: "At least you have better arguments than Loyal does." 

Morana: "Loyal has his own unique perspectives due to things he's probably been through, as do we all. The fact of the matter is, in the end, having each other's backs doesn't really delay the inevitable. You just work with what you have and let chance handle the rest."

Markus: "Not all of us believe in chance the same way you do."

Morana: "Not overtly, but underneath people understand. We try to, to deny it, to pretend that there's some grand design. But in the end it's, there isn't. In the end things happen and you react to them. And that's all you can do. But there is a way to react to them that minimizes your downside risk."

Markus: "Hmm."

Morana: "And to be perfectly blunt at this point, considering everything that's happening in this town and the surrounding areas, you my friend are attempting to maximize your downside risk, which is an odd decision to me."

Markus: "Maximize? I'm leaving, there aren't going to be downsides beyond having to find a new place."

Morana: "Oh yes your, your yes, of course. You're leaving and all of these things that you've interacted with and interfered with that go beyond the normal understanding of the population, now know your face, your name, who you are and probably considering the powers behind them and know where you will go. Like it or not, you're as wrapped up in this as the rest of us."

Fenwarin: "I'm afraid I have to agree with Morana on this Markus. You're not safe if you're leaving. I mean, you should, you should stick around with us."

Markus: "When you speak of the powers behind them, you talk of the deities, the gods? Or something else?"

Morana: "Potentially, I don't claim to have an understanding of things that we found down there. I can only speak to the things that I do understand, and that's the dark deities that they're worshiping, the demons that they brought over, they're not just limited to here. Well, the one that we killed was, which, whatever the one that we killed served. Whatever sent them here, probably knows that it's dead, probably knows that some portion of its plan has been interfered with. Common sense says that interference of the plan will result in a restructuring of the plan and that a reaction is imminent. That reaction will take into account that you were involved and the fact that if you leave, you will be on your own, would make it that much easier for that reaction to remove you from potentially interfering in the future. That's just logic."

Markus: "That also presupposes that there is a larger force at play above and beyond Nualia, and she is a worshiper of Lamashtu and Lamashtu is apparently answering her prayers, granted. Does that mean this whole ploy is a play by Lamashtu? Now that's a stretch."

Morana: "I'm not claiming that it is. There could be other forces at play. I'm not saying that we know all of the factors that we need to take into account yet, which really makes it all the more dangerous."

Markus: "What other factors could there be?"

Morana: "Because as I've responded to questions like that before, to know that I would have to be a seer."

Markus: "Fair point but the only sign we've seen of anything else are the ruins of ancient Thassilon. The powers of that era, yes they bound a demon to serve in a location, powerful magic certainly, but they're dead, gone. They haven't been seen in centuries. The millennia. Starfall destroyed them. Yes, they may have put plans in motion that spanned that length of time. Well let's face it, the Azlanti were a long lived people. So they might have been thinking long term, but for those plans to survive unchanged to the modern day, ten thousand years later? I don't see it. So who else could be involved?"

Morana: "You know, if they are or were that long lived, and that powerful I can't logically discount the fact that- Suppose for a moment that you were nigh immortal and wanted to lay some kind of plan. Why wouldn't you set the plan for some unknown time in the future when you're almost forgotten?" And as she's saying that she's trailing off almost as though she's saying that more to herself. "That no, that could hmm... Those things that we fought down there, what did you say that were called?"

Markus: "I thought you recognize them? I know the name we were using was Sinspawn."

Morana: "I couldn't remember who recognized them, everything's happened so quickly since then. I just think that there's too many things coming in that, they're not your- does it seem like they're not standard threats? Like demons yeah, you run into demons now and then. Dark gods, they come in now and then but the- And then there's things from the Underdark coming into play. Something strange is at work. I mean, you don't get that feeling that something really weird is going on? And even yeah, adventuring you run into that sort of thing that you think about the reactions of the town. We tell the sheriff we killed a  demon underneath your town. And the sheriffs like 'oh ok, cool, carry on.' And that doesn't bother these people?"

Markus: "Oh that one I will definitely agree with, that is a reasonable point certainly."

Morana: "And then their, their biggest lead on all of the things going on that we bring into custody, commit suicide in his cell. And they're just like 'oh, shit happens.'"

Markus: "Yes, at another-"

Morana: "Even the paladin that they brought in, we tell a paladin we killed a demon under this town and the paladin doesn't bat an eye?! Something here is fucked up. And if it does have something to do with this ancient stuff, you're the only one of us that really knows a damn thing about it! Which again, if you think about it, with everything that you know about this civilization, if you do leave and take off on your own, who do you think the first one they're going to want dead is?"

Markus: "You really believe there are such malevolent greater powers at work in here?"

Morana: "I can not definitively say that there aren't. And that's enough for me."

Markus: "But there are so many, so many other ways you can apply that same logic."

Morana: "Indeed and I'm going to apply it to all of them until I can definitively say that it's not."

Markus: "Ok so how do you plan on proving that the town is not thoroughly infested with invisible blue fairies?"

Morana: Morana looks at Fenwarin, and looks back at Markus and back at Fenwarin and says, "What the hell is this about blue fairies anyway?!"

Markus: "I think that because they're invisible, you can't prove it's not present. You take my point?"

Morana: "No, because there has been no evidence that blue fairies are behind this." 

Markus: "There's been no evidence that greater powers are at work."

Morana: "The evidence that greater powers of ancient civilizations might be at work is that there are fucking ruins of ancient civilizations that greater powers might be working out of! You show me a blue fairy nest in the middle of town I'll say 'hey, there might be blue fairies,' all right, I'm not going to discount that. I haven't seen a fucking blue fairy, so I'm not going to worry about that right now! What I am worried about is ancient ruins that things from the Underdark have taken up residence in and apparently demons have been summoned into them by followers of Lamashtu!"

Markus: "Point of clarification, it's not entirely clear that the demon was necessarily summoned by followers of Lamashtu, but I see your train of thought. I don't necessarily agree with you, I think these ruins are just that, ruins of a civilization dead and gone. If you want to believe there are great conspiracies, feel free."

Morana: Morana just stares at Markus for a minute, blinking.

Markus: "That said, you have made points quite eloquently about shady things going on in town."

Morana: "All I'm saying is that until we can definitively say that there is no connection with these ruins, we need the person that knows about this civilization looking into them. Especially when you consider that there are more of these ruins where this stuff is still happening. Whether or not there is a connection there, the possibility exists. And you can sit there and say, oh, 'dead civilization' all you want, but if their stuff keeps popping up everywhere, that there are these problems?!"

Markus: "I appreciate that, but I'm not the only one that studied them."

Morana: "You're the only one that studied them that right now has been useful to us."

Fenwarin: "Precisely."

Markus: "I will, I will concede that point but-"

Morana: "Unless you think ah what's his name, is actually going to go down there and actually do something?"

Markus: "No, he definitely isn't. He might visit after the fact if you manage to persuade him enough."

Morana: "You know, that doesn't help us in dealing with it at the time."

Markus: "But am I really more useful to you than someone who can actually fight? Because in my mind, that's what it came down to, you needed someone like Taury as a front line."

Morana: "That's why we have her there."

Markus: "And the fact that I have this giant doubt over who she is, about whether or not I can even trust her and carry that with me into situations where we absolutely must trust each other?"

Morana: "Ok look, you have had extensive conversations with me. I have helped you with a lot of things."

Markus: Markus nods.

Morana: "Put aside the question right now of whether you trust her and ask yourself if you trust me,  when I tell you that she is not a threat in that way."

Markus: I think you need to make a Sense motive after that. Ok. Is Fenwarin, are you making a similar roll? 

Fenwarin: Yeah. 

Markus: Ok, something about those words hit home, and Markus is actually really surprised by that. "You would vouch for her?"

Morana: "Knowing what I do? Yes."

Markus: "That doesn't makes sense."

Morana: "Neither does life." And at that she stands up, dusts off her robes.

Markus: "Why? Why would you, why would you trust us so much?"

Morana: "Because thus far, I have no reason not to. Every situation where I've needed to was handled the way it needed to be. And I'm not one to quibble over coin."

Markus: "It's not even that. Can she actually work with other people?"

Morana: "Aside from being a bit standoffish and boorish, she has so far. You're going to run into abrasive people in this line of work. Getting used to it is kind of mandatory."

Markus: "Then maybe I'm in the wrong line of work."

Morana: "No, I think you're quite good at what you do."

Markus: There's a slight smile on Markus' face.

Morana: "You just, well, both of you need to work on understanding people."

Markus: "I tried to understand her."

Morana: "And then you attempted to give up at early signs of resistance. Maybe you're approaching it from the wrong angle?"

Markus: "She doesn't want to communicate, she doesn't want to communicate that she wants to work with anyone."

Morana: "Doesn't want to communicate in the way you are trying to. Try to find a different way."

Markus: "I thought I had."

Morana: "Then you keep trying."

Markus: Markus just closes his eyes for a few moments.

GM: Alright. As the others are walking away Loyal, you've approached Taury and said, "We need to talk."

Taury: And Taury had said, "Do we?" or something to that effect.

Loyal: "What was on the letter? What did it say?"

Taury: "What letter?"

Loyal: "You know what I'm talking about."

Taury: "I really don't."

Loyal: "Why do you do this? You realize Markus wants to leave yeah? You're the reason, he feels like he can trust you."

Taury: "And? How is it my fault? I can't change that, if he doesn't trust me he's not going to trust me. Nothing I say is going to change that."

Loyal: "Make an effort."

Taury: "Is he making an effort to come back? No, where is he now? The person he has an issue with is me and where is he? Somewhere else. Where am I? Here with you, exactly where he was and he's not here."

Loyal: "Why don't you like him? You seem to have a problem with him?"

Taury: "It is not a matter of liking him or disliking him. Which would appear he never liked me, that is not an issue to me, I don't need to be liked."

Loyal: "I'm not saying you have to. It's just, you realize whether anyone likes it or not, we're a team, we're working together."

Taury: "Of course." 

Loyal: "And like I explained in the letter that I- not sure what you did with it but, without you, we would probably die."

Taury: "A fact I am well aware of. And do I not stand before you? Do I not stand before you, is that not?"

Loyal: "Markus is very well aware of that too. I am not questioning your loyalty."

Taury: "That's good, because you shouldn't."

Loyal: "I never have, Markus on the other hand, has."

Taury: "Markus has whispered chattered, he has done nothing more."

Loyal: "Without any one of us, we would be significantly weaker in any fight. I feel that without any one of us, we wouldn't have survived that fight with the quasit."

Taury: "Yes you maybe correct."

Loyal: "He doesn't feel like if the situation were to arise, that you would protect his life."

Taury: "Well, where has he been for the past week?"

Loyal: "Debating leaving because of that fact."

Taury: "What did I feed him to a demon? Did I leave him to die?"

Loyal: "I'm not saying his logic is strong, it's just what he thinks. You can't exactly change someone, what someone thinks immediately."

Taury: "Precisely, then why are you saying it to me, what am I to do?"

Loyal: "Please just make an effort. Why did you lie about the letter? I know you got one from him."

Taury: "I didn't lie about the letter, I just failed to mention the letter.

Loyal: "And what did it say?" 

Taury: "I don't remember. It was something haughty, something about not trusting me, I don't know."

Loyal: "If as a group who can't communicate, we won't last a minute in the span of things."

Taury: "I don't doubt that is true. We are communicating just fine, we have all communicated just fine. Markus has disappeared and failed to communicate correctly. And it causes a ruckus, again. He's not even here and he's causing drama. It's senseless, and it's distracted from the cause that we have. His personal quandaries are irrelevant. The grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter if you'd like someone, it doesn't matter if you don't agree with them personally, there is a bigger cause at play. But if he fails to see that, that is not my fault."

Loyal: "What is this bigger thing at play? You seem to know a lot."

Taury: "For one, the Sczarni."

Loyal: What do you know about them? Markus seemed to claim that or, hint that you may know things about them."

Taury: "I know that not knowing about them is probably safer than knowing about them."

Loyal: "Wrong answer." 

Loyal: "Well it is an answer, it is not the answer you were looking for. People who know about the Sczarni don't tend to live very long, unless they agree with the Sczarni, is that enough of an answer for you? Would you prefer that I spell it out? Put it this way, if Markus thinks that I am his biggest problem, he has seen very little of the world."

Loyal: "I don't think he considers you his biggest problem, he just considers you a possible, not threat but endangerment per se."

Taury: "What? What does that mean? It's ridiculous."

Loyal: "He thinks that you may not protect his life, and from what I've seen so far, I might believe him."

Taury: "And what have you seen so far to make you think such a thing?"

Loyal: "you dismiss everything he thinks. Clearly don't like him, you outright refused when we have that conversation in the Rusty Dragon."

Taury: "No, I didn't refuse, I disagreed with him and he threw a tantrum and disappeared for two days or day and a half whatever it was. I proposed a different opinion and he disagreed, and he likes to seemingly be agreed with, and I don't agree with him on everything. It is not a personal matter for me. I care not for his personal life, nor do I care for his personality very much. That is not relevant to me. It is actions that I care for and his actions have proven to me that he is foolish."

Loyal: "I think what he, his current actions, yes I agree, I think they're foolish as well. Doesn't discount what he feels."

Taury: "What does his feelings have anything to do with it?"

Loyal: "Feelings could mean a lot."

Taury: "Feelings do not protect you from demons, feelings do not protect you from danger. They serve only to get you in trouble."

Loyal: "So you're saying you don't have feelings?"

Taury: "That is not what I said, I said they get you in trouble. That's what I said."

GM: Make a Sense motive on that Loyal.

Loyal: Ok... god damn it!

Taury: Oh Jesus.

GM: Alight um yeah.

Loyal: Nat 1. Of course.

Taury: He thinks she's a heartless bastard [laughs].

GM: I'm not going to tell you how to play this or what your reaction should be, just keep in mind that you did fail, but you are aware that what she is saying right now, there is a story behind it. You're aware of that much, it's very poignant that there is a story that is causing her to say what she's saying right now. How you go about handling that as you've realized it with a nat 1, your interpretation.

Loyal: "Everyone has a reason for things they do and say, Markus' reasons may be his, yours may be yours, mine are mine. So what's your reason for thinking this way?"

Taury: "Does it matter?"

Loyal: "You'd be surprised."

Taury: "A life of experience."

Loyal: "I don't even know what to say, I'm talking to you because you've- you hide things from the group. Why? A letter from Markus could have been useful, could have told us where he was going."

Taury: "It did not, if it did, I would have told you so."

Loyal: "Perhaps you didn't think it was, but maybe one of us could have picked that up."

Taury: "What manner of inquisition is this, am I being accused of something? Why, why is it that I am on the stand here as if I have done something wrong, whilst everyone else carries on? Unchecked, unquestioned? Yet my motives are somewhat questionable, I've done nothing but protect you, listen to you."

Loyal: "Again I don't, I don't question your loyalty, you're a great fighter, I think you'd protect us all. I just want to know why you do some of the things you do."

Taury: "Well, perhaps you do not deserve to know."

Loyal: "Perhaps I don't." 

Taury: "I didn't ask you personal questions, I didn't ask anyone here a single personal question."

Loyal: "It does not mean that we have not answered."

Taury: "Yes well I feel like I'm on trial. I don't pertain to answer questions that could get me in some kind of, I don't know, personal quandary."

Loyal: "I don't want to pry, I don't, I'm sorry. I don't mean to act as if things are your fault. They're not, it's no one's fault. Everyone's the way they are for a reason. Sometimes knowing that reason lets you understand their motives and why they operate."

Taury: "And why did you not follow Markus?"

Loyal: "I've already talked with him. I know why, not fairly well, I'm hoping Morana does better. This isn't doing very well either if you haven't noticed."

Taury: "I hadn't noticed. What do you mean it hasn't gone well? We are not at odds, no one is sticking anybody with the pointy end."

Loyal: "Does not necessarily determine if the conversation is gone to whether or not. It's just, I was hoping to learn more, as to why you think the way you do."

Taury: "And what would help you do that? What would you ask of me to tell you? If I can tell you and I would like to tell you then I shall."

Loyal: "Why is it... I guess I should ask, why is it you haven't visited your brother? That's one thing to start? I talked to him, he had no idea you were in town."

Taury: "I had no idea he was in town until I arrived."

Loyal: "Hmm." Can I Sense motive that?

GM: Yeah. She seems to be telling the truth.

Loyal: "Well, he is. He is at the monastery."

Taury: "Yes, I heard he was working somewhere unsightly. I only found that out when I came in to town, some innkeeper told me such."

Loyal: "And the next question, since Markus never actually asked why. Why is it you don't wish to share wealth that we find on our adventure amongst the party?"

Taury: "I was not asked to share. It was demanded that I do such, it was requested, but it wasn't asked." 

Loyal: "I understand."

Taury: "My money is my own, that is something I've learned through the years."

Loyal: "I understand that. And I agree Markus can be a bit- he jumps to the point a little bit, he assumes many things, that's for sure."

Taury: "That he does. Well, are there any other questions pertinent that you would like answered?"

Loyal: "What did you do in that time after you ran away from home?"

Taury: "You think that I ran away?"

Loyal: "Well driven out. It matters not, you left home."

Taury: "You think that I was driven out? What did you think I would do to be driven out of Sandpoint, of all places?"

Loyal: "I don't necessarily claim anything, I don't know why you left, but you did."

Taury: "I left because I had no place here. It wasn't home to me and I felt a calling of sorts, and I followed it where my feet went."

Loyal: "you mention this calling, what is, what is the calling you have?"

Taury: "Oh it does, it doesn't matter what it was, but I followed it and I visited many places, found my god."

Loyal: "Who is your god?" 

Taury: "Gorum, he protected me."

Loyal: How do you spell that?

GM: Knowledge religion.

Loyal: Ah.

GM: Very nice roll. Gorum also known as our Lord in Iron. He is a god of battle. He cares not for who, or which side, or what cause, only that there is battle. He has fought both against and for evil. And his followers do likewise. The simple primary tenant of Gorum is a basic question: Will you fight? Not can you fight? Are you willing to fight? Will you fight?

Loyal: "Certainly an interesting god. Well since I suppose I'm asking you questions, is there anything you would like to know from me? Communication is also from both sides."

Taury: "I need know nothing, unless you wish to share."

Loyal: "Not do you need to know things? Do you want to know the things? I don't mind."

Taury: "All that I need to know is that you fight alongside me, you have proven that, and that is all I require. Your personal matters are your own."

Loyal: "That's fair. I suppose I've already told one person this, might as well tell another." Lifts up his shirt again, pulls away the bandages and you see that, as I described earlier, it's like corruption almost, its like this black wound that's like spiders out through veins around it. And, yeah, it's pretty much what you see, the lower left abdomen stomach area. "I guess the simple issue is that I'm dying."

Taury: "Aren't we all?" and she pats you on the shoulder.

Loyal: He starts reapplying the bandages, puts the bandages back on and kind of reapplies a few. "It's um, I found no cure, I don't expect I will in my lifetime but, might as well do some good before that."

Taury: "That is why you mess around with those potions and things?"

Loyal: "Well, I started that before, and oddly enough the potions and things are what caused it. And then I began to look into more curative alternatives."

Taury: "Was it your own fault?"

Loyal: "Yes it was. I ah," and he actually pulls out this like pretty relatively big tome, he flips to a specific page, but essentially there's, you and see there's a bunch of, like, alchemical diverse, etc. and then he seems to essentially turn to the beginning of another section, here it is, "Creation of a mutagen to infuse you with magical essence to produce more potent formulae." And then you see below it, it was essentially with a bunch of just like almost like gashes through the paper, as if someone has angrily scratched it. "Warning do not attempt without supervision of a certified alchemist."

Taury: Is he reading this or is he just pointing this out?

Loyal: He's just pointing it out essentially.

Taury: I assume it's written in Common.

Loyal: Yes, it is written in Common. "I um... I Disobeyed the instructions believe it or not and well, you can imagine what happened next."

Taury: "Well perhaps you are trustworthy then." and she laughs.

Loyal: "Perhaps. But since then, it was spreading fast, I had managed to stop it but it's still spreading albeit slowly, I don't know what it is. And have gone to different places, temples have scorned me." and he almost like catches himself on that word. "I've checked every book I could find, nothing."

Taury: "Yes well, we all have wounds that are incurable."

Loyal: "Hmm. I suppose so."

Taury: "Some are more vacant than others and some of the more obvious."

Loyal: "Yeah. But I guess that's the reason I became a healer, was to try to heal myself. It hasn't worked clearly."

Taury: "Well, it has aided us."

Loyal: "Yes, since I can't heal myself, I might as well heal others right?"

Taury: "Yes well perhaps that is why you were sent here?"

Loyal: "Maybe."

Taury: "Other forces at work?"

Loyal: "Perhaps. I wouldn't necessarily know, I'm not much of a religious person myself." You get a blank stare as he says like 'not religious', just kind of like staring off as if he's thinking about something.

Taury: She would just nod, shrug her shoulders like-

Loyal: "Nonetheless, sorry that I snapped a bit at you at the beginning there."

Taury: "I suppose that'd be acceptable."

Loyal: "It's just been a bit of a stressful couple of days."

Taury: "Perhaps. You should perhaps run along and go fetch Markus and the others?"

Loyal: "Yes. Should probably catch up with them. And at this point if Markus is determined to leave, I don't think we can stop him."

Taury: "Perhaps not, we shall see. I'll be at the Rusty Dragon, you can find me there." 

Loyal: "Alright."

GM: Ok. You part ways. Taury, do you go around the building to avoid Markus' line of sight? Or do you not really care and take the most direct route?

Taury: Probably just walk by them. I mean, she would walk the most direct route, you wouldn't really care if she walks past them or not.

GM: Alright. So you'll head down Cliff Street and then across to Church Street and yeah. Alright, so you make your way to the Rusty Dragon.  Loyal, you wind up meeting up with Markus, Morana and Fenwarin as they were just finishing up their conversation from previous. 

Loyal: "Well, that was an interesting conversation."

Markus: Markus will open his eyes as you say that. And I think at that point, Perception checks from everyone.

Loyal: Oooh. Yah! Damn it.

GM: I'm not sure exactly what you're going for, but anything that would be considered obvious is a DC10, so Loyal may have passed?

Markus: No, this would, Loyal I think is the only one that failed.

GM: Alright.

Taury: God damn it, Markus and his fucking secrets yo, like what? 

Loyal: [Laughs]

Markus: If everyone had passed, I was going to say it out loud, but.

Morana: Yes, the DM's!

GM: Yes.

Fenwarin: Secrets.

GM: Well done Loyal, because of your failure, even the audience doesn't get to find out yet, everyone blame Loyal.

Loyal: With a fucken like 3, yeah.

Taury: Yeah, all of us in the blame Markus camp are now shifting to the blame Loyal camp.

Loyal: Come on! [Laughs]

Taury: Grabbing our pitchforks.

Loyal: Oh the pitchfork thing is even more, it's a lot more relevant than you think. With that comment. 

Taury: Ah hum.

GM: Morana will just put a hand on Markus' his shoulder briefly.

Fenwarin: Yeah, Fenwarin pats Markus on the back.

Markus: Markus looks at Morana in particular and yeah, he's giving her a nod and turns to Fenwarin and does the same. Deep breath and then, "So productive conversation?”

Loyal: "I'd say so. I think I know why she, why she denied your request to share the wealth amongst us. She doesn't seem to like to be pushed around or anything like that, that's for sure. I think she, she saw your request as more of a demand, whether you intended that way or not."

Morana: "Everyone has quirks in how they communicate with people. You just have to learn to work around them."

Loyal: "She's heading back to The Rusty Dragon by the way, thought I should mention that."

Markus: "Ah. And Morana, you really shouldn't say things like that."

Morana: "Like what?"

Markus: "Well, things that suggest responses that are perhaps not diplomatic."

Morana: "Not everyone deals in nuance."

Markus: "Yes, that was to be my point, I wasn't going to make it that politely, though."

Morana: Morana just looks at him.

Markus: "Never mind, it's not important."

Loyal: "I think from now on, we should, if communicating with each other, Markus if you want to stay, I'm not, I won't try and tell you what to do. But if we're communicating with each other, we should just say things straight, but be open to other viewpoints of course, probably the best."

Markus: "I'm not averse to being open to other viewpoints but, for me to receive other viewpoints, they have to be shared."

Loyal: "Exactly, communication needs to be clear, but- and to be fair, Taury did share her viewpoints, albeit very, not very nuanced as Morana said. But a viewpoint nonetheless."

Markus: "Fine, I will acknowledge that much, yes."

Loyal: "And after that conversation, I can say that wholeheartedly, she can be trusted."

Markus: "Forgive me if I don't take your word for it." and he'll look at Morana."

Loyal: "That's fine."

Morana: Morana stares back at him impassively, but still with that slightly wide eyed look.

Markus: "Taury had no interest in talking to me then, I take it?"

Loyal: "Ah to be fair, she didn't express one way or the other. I can say she probably isn't very fond of you right now."

Markus: "I can imagine."

Loyal: "But, I think a conversation would do good."

Markus: "Are you sure of that?"

Loyal: "I think so."

Morana: "You just need to get on the same page with each other."

Loyal: "Agreed, I think we all need to get on the same page, that's for sure."

Markus: "You have suggestions?"

Loyal: "Guess my suggestion would be, lets go back to the Inn."

Morana: "Some people are more focused than others. I'd start by sticking with the situation at hand."

Loyal: "Agreed. Knowing more about her now, I think she doesn't like it when we idly sit around for a long period of time, which we all do a lot of, sitting."

Markus: "Ah but such times are... Well, the core of being a scholar, sitting around and reading."

Loyal: "I understand that well, I spend many hours on my formulae."

Markus: "Yes, some writings can be harder to decipher than others, but."

Loyal: "Of course. Well, sometimes it's better to just rip off the bandage, so to say, get things done."

Markus: "You sure about that?"

Loyal: "I think so, I think, I think a waiting around for long periods of time has its benefits of course of preparedness, but there is a limit."

Fenwarin: "I think Loyal is right in this, we can't let this fester."

Loyal: "Longer we let things sit, the worst they can get, no matter how much preparedness we have."

Morana: "Oh there is such a situation with over preparing, where you prepare and prepare and prepare and prepare, and then you realize you've never gotten anything done because you've spent all your time preparing. And then you grow too comfortable in preparing and you just decide never to get anything done because you still have more to prepare. It's, it's it's a balance. Prepare enough to be ready but not so much that you paralyze yourself."

Loyal: "Exaclty"

Markus: "A reasonable point I suppose."

Loyal: "So what now?"

Fenwarin: "We still need a plan for this, for these thugs they're planning to take the dagger."

Loyal: "There's a lot of plans we need for a lot of things, I agree."

Fenwarin: "That's true yes."

Markus: "The shopkeeper knows. He is, I would hope, taking appropriate measures."

Fenwarin: "Good."

Loyal: "If he is able to create items such as that I'd imagine he's at the very least, capable of defending himself."

Markus: "Or calling on others who would do it for him, depending on, yes. I mostly sent that now because well, if they decide they would rather not deal with the local directly, there are strangers to the town who will be receiving large sums of money in the not too distant future."

Loyal: And I will lower my voice "And considering Fenwarin is the one carrying the receipt, that could be dangerous."

Markus: "Receipt?"

Loyal: "Yes, when we purchased the item, he gave us a receipt in order to get the money we needed."

Markus: "You still have that?" 

Loyal: Fenwarin, we gave it to him as we considered him the best person to keep it on." And I look at Fenwarin as like "do you have it?"

Fenwarin: Fenwarin is just you know, searching his, his pockets and he's, he feels the paper and he's like "Yes, I still have it."

Loyal: "Good, I think we're going to need to keep a much closer eye on all of that from now on."

Markus: "Oh dear, if there's a receipt that gives them a much easier target."

Loyal: "Yes." 

Fenwarin: "Either way, if they manage to steal the dagger, the receipt is useless."

Loyal: "That's true but, I trust if we have the receipt at the very least, we can go to the shopkeep and if he's a respectable business man, I'd imagine he'd at least give a portion of our money to us. As it was, he was the one who lost the item."

Markus: "Oh, yeah that could end badly."

Loyal: "Yes, sure could. Other things that could end badly is that whatever that pool of whatever we found underneath the ruins. We still have to deal with that. And of course, there's Thisstletop."

Fenwarin: "We sure have a lot of things to do."

Loyal: "That's for sure."

Fenwarin: "But what's the most pressing one?"

Loyal: "That's a good question, I feel like with the Sczarni, we can't, it'd be a bad idea to seek them out and I think, as Taury said, poke the hornet's nest."

Markus: "Of a guild of thieves? No, I can't imagine why that would possibly in anyway be a bad idea?"

Loyal: "It seems like you and Taury agree on something after all."  He kind of  smirks at that comment.

Markus: "Really? You really think that we agree on that? Are you talking about the intention behind the words and the sarcasm?"

Loyal: "Maybe a bit of both. Nonetheless, Thistletop would be quite a journey if we were to go after that. So that leaves the ruins."

Markus: "And you're assuming that I want to come with you?"

Fenwarin: "We need you Markus."

Loyal: "I'd agree with that but, you're your own person, can't control what you do at this point."

Morana: Him saying that a look crosses Morana's face briefly before she manages to reset the neutral expression.

Markus: Is this a Sense motive?

Morana: You can if you want.

Taury: I'm going to tell you right now she's getting close to punching you in the head I think.

Loyal: [Laughs] Yeah just punch him in the neck.

Morana: Damn it.

Taury: Everybody just try, all three of you just punch him at the same time.

Loyal: Ooh, double 23's.

Morana: Is Fenwarin gonna roll it?

Fenwarin: Oh yeah. The window got stuck and holy shit!

All: [Laugh]

Taury: Oh, wow!

GM: Nat 1.

Fenwarin: It looks so much worse untrained.

Loyal: Are you going to DM this one too?

Taury: You should take away the the elf part of your name, because clearly you are not perceptive enough to be an elf.

Morana: [Laughs] I'm gonna say it out loud anyway, for the briefest, for the briefest second, this expression of "I'm about to slap this motherfucker" crossed Morana's face and then she's back to neutral.

Loyal: "I'm gonna head through to the market, going to buy some supplies. Real quick, hopefully. Then I'll head back to the inn."

GM: "Send a message to Taury, tell her we should talk."

Loyal: "Alright, where will you be?"

GM: "I'll be waiting at the north gate."

Loyal: "Ok." Loyal will start taking off.

GM: "Alright, so Loyal is going to get Taury. Markus is headed to the north gate. What is Morana and Fenwarin doing?"

Fenwarin: I think at this point, Fenwarin just wants to head back to the Rusty Dragon and rest up for the for the duration.

Morana: Morana is going to stick with Markus for now.

GM: Ok alright, Taury, you've been at the Rusty Dragon maybe 20 minutes when Loyal and Fenwarin return.

Taury: Yeah, she would have been watching the door, like waiting for everyone to come back. So she'd have been noticeably staring at it when they walked in.

Loyal: "Well" and he walks up to Taury,"Markus wants to talk, that's a start."

Taury: "Yes and where is he?" 

Loyal: "North gate." 

Taury: "I have to do more walking. He couldn't just come here?"

Loyal: "I don't control him."

Taury: "Isn't a matter of that, he could have just walked with you. Why, why do I have to walk all the way back up to north fucking gate? It's ridiculous." And she stands up and goes to leave, but she's noticeably fucking already tired of this situation.

Loyal: "Before you leave, is there anything you want from, as far as alchemical items go, anything you request?  I'm going to the market open today."

Taury: "You got anything for drugging humans?" She smirks and walks out.

Loyal: Loyal just kind of like snickers at that, laughs a bit. "Then what about you Fenwarin anything?"

Fenwarin: "No, I think I'm good for now but thank you."

Loyal: "Right. And I'll be back, shouldn't take me too long, I know what I'm looking for."

GM: Alright. Markus and Morana, you're at the north gate waiting on the others to arrive.

Morana: Morana hasn't really said anything.

Markus: "Why, why did you choose to stay with me?"

Morana: "In case you had any other concerns that I could talk through with you. And to make sure things stay relatively civil during this conversation, I feel like the two of you could use a mediator. And, of course, the fact that I have a vested interest in you two working this out."

Markus: "I see."

Morana: "Put simply, all of our odds of surviving increase if both of you work this out, I am involved with all of us therefore by default, my chances of survival increase."

Markus: Markus will smile at that. "And that's entirely your motivation?"

Morana: "What are you trying to get at?"

Markus: "I'm just wondering if you're using that to justify something to yourself?"

Morana: "What could I possibly need to justify to myself?"

Markus: "Wanting to actually be nice to people."

Morana: "I don't believe I've ever expressed a desire not to."

Markus: "No that, sorry that may have been, that may have been expressed poorly, you believe in chance, in fate?"

Morana: "Yes."

Morana: "And yet, you don't want to just let fate determine this, you want to try and shape the outcome?"

Morana: "Fate and chance involve odds. As I said, I have a desire to minimize downside risk. Just because something is bound to happen doesn't mean I'm not interested in trying to put it off as long as possible. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but you do what you can."

GM: Roll a Sense motive Markus. And Morana, give me a bluff. And this will be for passing and understanding secret messages specifically.

Morana: Considered believable?

Markus: Well? 

GM: Yeah.

Morana: Hold on I'm gonna to to check something.

GM: That's fine, Markus rolled a nat 1.

Morana: Oh, never mind then! [laughs].

Markus: Yeah no?

Loyal: Yeah.

Taury: Markus's cynicism is jut overwhelming his logic right now.

Morana: Even with my horrible bonus, I still would have beaten that.

GM: Yeah.

Markus: Yeah.

GM: Markus, you can tell that the words Morana is using, she's trying to say something without saying it. There's a deeper meaning here and you're just not picking up on it.

Markus: Yeah ok... One second let me DM you something.

GM: Sure.

Taury: The secret power of DMs yeah. 

[typing]

Morana: I would, I would never speak in code, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Loyal: Says the person who had like a five minute long conversation with Taury just completely in code.

Taury: That wasn't even in code honestly, that was perfectly legible if you knew what they were talking about.

Loyal: Yeah for you.

Taury: Just if you knew what they were talking about.

GM: Yeah.

Loyal: I mean we don't, that's what code is.

GM: Yeah it was fluent Varisian.

Taury: It wasn't even code like it was just, it was very obvious. It's just there were words missing.

GM: Keywords? 

Taury: Yeah.

Morana: Yeah. Just because you know, just because context is missing doesn't mean it's code.

Taury: They weren't intentionally trying to hide anything because they had reached an understanding, so there was no need for code.

GM: Ok. Morana, go ahead and give me a Sense motive.

Morana: Oh, my. 

Loyal: Oh?

GM: Alright.

Morana: Hmm, Morana kind of looks at him, tilts her head for a second. Says, "Is everything all right?"

Markus: Markus doesn't immediately answer that. But he closes his eyes again.

GM: Since it's just the two of you here right now. Morana, you easily notice that anytime Markus starts to get a little bit emotional, the winds around him start to pick up in intensity. And this closing his eyes is helping refocus him to stay emotionally level.

Morana: Uh hmm, I was about to roll a Perception to see if they were picking up.

GM: Yes, ever so slightly, they're starting to pick up a bit.

Morana: Morana waits for a second and then says, "So what do they say to you?

Markus: "What? Who?"

Morana: "You say you speak to the wind, does it reply?"

Markus: "Sometimes, but it's not words, it's not language. I can, I can reach out and ask questions and if the wind knows something or has seen something, it can relay that to me. But most of the time, it's... it's, [sighs] I'm struggling to find the words, because there aren't any. It helps me think sometimes to let the wind wash over me. And sometimes it responds to me. I know it feels what I'm thinking or, I don't know, speaking perhaps without knowing it. I can put magic behind it and things become clearer. I don't know if that actually answers?"

Morana: Morana looks at her doll for a second, "I think, I think we can understand that can't we?" Yes, yes, yeah we can understand that."

Markus: "I thought you might. It's not just the wind, though that comes easier to me."

Morana: "The most naturally."

Markus: "Well that and the shadows, they've always been closer to me. Darkness has been a friend, for want of a better word, almost. But I've, I remember being a child and yelling at a puddle because I found it inconvenient that it was in my way and it moved. Little things like that for a long time I never understood, now I do."

Morana: [Typing] Just on the off chance that she can put anything together from that.

Markus: I'll let Furtive add anything else, but like yelling at a puddle, there are shamanic spells that will make water move, and stuff like that.

Morana: She was definitely putting together there was something elemental.

Markus: Yeah, I don't think it will be much of a secret that, at least not to Morana that, that Markus considers himself shaman. It would be unusual probably for someone that young to have direct power, but it is probably also not unheard of."

Morana: Morana tilts her head again, looking Markus over. "Hmm..." She looks at her doll, "Did you pick up [mumbles] hmm, how did we miss that? Hmm, that is interesting."

Markus: "Thank you."

Morana: "For what?"

Markus: "For, [sighs] for understanding, I suppose."

Morana: "I understand more than you think."

Markus: "Maybe. You asked a question, I didn't answer." And his voice becomes notably unsteady as he says this, "I can't stop thinking about her."

Morana: "In what way?"

Markus: "Her death, execution really."

Morana: Morana seems at a loss for words for a second. "Ok that, that ah, [stammers] that wasn't wasn't what we expected was-? No, no, that was not what we expected. We've all- [sighs]" She seems to be having a lot of trouble finding words all of a sudden.

GM: At this moment, Taury is approaching, you can see her walking up Church Street. Ah Fenwarin are you with Taury or did you go shopping with Loyal?

Fenwarin: I went shopping with Loyal.

GM: Of course you did.

All: [Laugh]. 

GM: Taury is approaching you.

Taury: She'd be noticeably huffing and puffing, not out of tiredness, but out of sort of like irritation and resignation.

Morana: Morana very quietly says and matter of factly as this, this is a given, says "We'll come back to that later.”

Markus: Markus nods.

Taury: Taury holds out both of her hands in a sort of like 'well, I'm here'  kind of thing. "Well you heralded me, and I am here."

Markus: "Thank you for coming. Apparently Morana thought we need a chaperone."

Taury: "Are you surprised?"

Markus: "No, perhaps not. But we do need to talk."

Taury: And she's looking at you, waiting for you to speak.

Markus: Markus doesn't say anything for a while.

Taury: How long's a while?

Markus: A good 30 seconds.

Taury: "Well go on then. You summoned me here, you would leave me standing?"

Markus: "No. We need to be able to communicate. We obviously have very different perspectives on the world."

Taury: "Do we? I hardly know your perspective."

Markus: "No, but if they were similar we wouldn't be having problems like this."

Taury: "And what makes you so certain? At the point of discussion, you disappeared."

Markus: "Wait, what?"

Taury: "Last I saw you, you  trudged off into the what was it? Morning, night I don't know?"

Markus: "Morning." 

Taury: "And you haven't returned."

Markus: "You made an absolute declaration that things would not be that way and you would never change that."

Taury: "What is it of which you speak, I have no idea? I disagreed with you, I made no such declaration. It is not in my place to make declarations."

Markus: "Well I, I think it's very clear then that we were talking across purposes."

Taury: "I don't understand."

Markus: "You truly did not mean an absolute finality?"

Taury: "Finality of what?"

Markus: "Of the topic discussion, the thing we were talking about, the-"

Taury: "Riddles man. You speak in riddles, I have no idea what you're talking about, just spit it out."

Markus: "Splitting, splitting the things we find. You would have continu-"

Taury: "Sharing?"

Markus: "Sharing yes, that's a better word for it. You did not mean that to be your final word on the conversation?"

Taury: "My money is my own, just as your money is your own. What I earn I keep what we earn, we share."

Markus: "And what draws that distinction?"

Taury: "The manner in which it is obtained. You've never heard of thieves honor no?"

Markus: "Well, the concept, yes. And you consider yourself a thief?"

Taury: "I did not say that."

Markus: "Oh good, because that would have been a whole other conversation. But if it is a thing where we all work together, you are willing to share?"

Taury: "Well, that quite depends."

Markus: "On?" 

Taury: "Circumstance in which the money is obtained."

Markus: "Now, who's being evasive?" 

Taury: "I'm not being evasive, I'm answering your question. If I do something, I should be paid for it. You do something, you should be paid for it. I'm not to come to you and take from your pocket what you have earned with your work, your efforts, your actions. If we as a collective work together achieve something, gain some finances, we should divvy it up between us. But as always, the rules of finders keepers should apply."

Markus: "See that's... you seem to be saying two things that are fundamentally opposed and yet you're saying that they're same thing?"

Taury: "I do not follow."

Markus: "Yes if individually we go off and do something, decide to I don't know, make something and sell it or go gambling and win something, yes of course, that's individual rewards for individual actions. I have no objection to that."

Taury: "Well, it would appear that you do."

Markus: "No, but you're talking about finders keepers, and yet you're talking about sharing. What is finders keepers to you?"

Taury: "If I find something and I want something and you don't see it, it's mine."

Markus: "Even if we're working together as a group at the time?"

Taury: "Precisely."

Morana: Morana seems to be thinking about something, and she looks up and says, "Tell me something, Taury."

Taury: She looks to you.

Morana: "How long, how long did you spend at sea?"

Taury: "What do you mean?"

Morana: "You speak of-" she stands up and dusts herself off, "You speak of a lot of things in almost sailor terms."

Taury: "Yes well for a time I worked near the docks, these very docks here, Sandpoint."

Morana: "Nah, I think it was more than just working at the docks. These references, these ways of wording things, these are crew based. And I think, I think that's where the disconnect is coming in, because you're you're trying to take the concepts of being at sea and apply it to the land, and it doesn't work the same way here, and that's what's causing this division. Because you're speaking from two different worlds here. And I've been noticing this on and off all day, and it's, it's been in the back of my mind trying to figure out just what the issue there is, and I think that's it."

Taury: Taury will look noticeably unreadable, she's just listening to what you're saying.

Morana: "The fact of it is that we need to, we need to figure out how to translate what each other is saying even though we're speaking the same language. There really isn't a disagreement here, you're just talking past each other constantly. Quite frankly you're, neither of you is great at picking up on cues from someone's speech. Suffice it to say, you're basically saying the same things in different ways."

Markus: "It seems like there's still at least a minor difference in opinion, but I take your point, and it's not always about language."

Taury: "Might I intrude to say that I believe you are looking for differences."

Morana: "Well in a way, both of you are."

Markus: "Maybe. Context and culture are equally important."

Morana: "They are and you're both coming from two different ones, and that's where the problem is coming in. So basically it boils down to you both need to adjust slightly towards the way the other one is thinking, and this will be taken care of.”

GM: Loyal and Fenwarin, you guys are approaching about now.

Loyal: Oh cool. I was gonna point out to Fenwarin that Loyal looked really deep in thought during the market visit, like he was getting the stuff he needed and that wasn't a problem. It was just he was thinking real hard, it's like I mean, it didn't require Sense motive, it was obvious.

Markus: Ok. Out of character question before we continue.

GM: Sure.

Markus: Did Taury bring any weapons with her, is she obviously carrying anything?

Taury: She's not wielding any, but she's never seen without them, put it that way.

Markus: Yep, that's what I thought, ok.

Taury: But Markus would know that she's never seen without them.

Markus: Yeah, yeah. No I'm just trying to think how to...

GM: I got you.

Markus: You do? 

GM: You're going for a Knowledge religion right?

Markus: Oh?! Um, if that would be obvious in some way, then yes, I was actually thinking of an entirely different thing, but yeah.

GM: Ok. DM me what you were thinking of then. I do not wish to derail your train of thought. I misinterpreted what you were going for.

Markus: [Typing]

GM: Interesting!

Markus: Yeah, I've just tried to find a way to phrase that in character, and yeah.

GM: Ah yeah, Knowledge religion would apply here. Interesting!

Markus: Ah ok.

Loyal: Hmm?

Fenwarin: Same here.

Markus: Ah damn it!

Loyal: Ooh! Two in a row!

GM: Nat 1.

Loyal: That's rough.

Taury: There's been so many doubles today, like.

GM: Oh, oh man nat 1, you think this is an excellent idea.

Loyal: Uh oh!

Taury: Oh, man. Why did I have a feeling that's what was going to come from that?

Loyal: Oh no.

Fenwarin: Oh, shit.

Taury: Don't know what it is, but I know it's bad.

Morana: Oh, dear.

GM: Alright. You have this epiphany, this realization like this is genius. Why didn't I come to this conclusion sooner as Loyal and Fenwarin are approaching.

Markus: Yeah, and I think as they're approaching. Yeah, they see Markus is actually reaching for his sword.

Loyal: Loyal just picks up the pace.

Taury: Does Taury see this?

Markus: Oh yeah, yeah yeah.

Taury: In what manner in which is he drawing his sword? Like is he-

Markus: He's not drawing it, no, he is putting his hand on the hilt. I wonder if that might not-?

Loyal: Well, if it's not drawn then Loyal isn't picking up the pace.

Markus: "How long has it been since-?" Um, it's almost as though he starts to and then stops kind of thing.

Taury: Ok, it's very important that you tell me how.

Loyal: Yeah, [laughs] this is real important!

Taury: Ok? Like did he quickly reach for it, did he just happene to touch his fucking sword hilt like it's important that you communicate how he does this.

Markus: It was a deliberate thought. He puts his hand on the sword, he starts to draw it and then stops.

GM: Ok, so it's about a quarter, maybe a third drawn, and he's stopped there.

Loyal: Loyal picks up the fucking pace!

Taury: Taury's gonna grab it.

Fenwarin: Oof!

Morana: Furtive you have a DM.

GM: Yeah, I know. And you're grabbing his sword Taury correct?

Taury: Yeah.

GM: Ok give me a combat maneuver.

Taury: She's going to attempt to basically disarm him, but also wield his sword.

Markus: Yeah that is a disarm combat maneuver from the sounds of it.

Taury: CMB yeah?

GM: It will be a combat maneuver to grab it, yes.

Taury: That's that's the B one, right?

GM: Yes. 

Taury: Swear to God I'm going to ask this every time.

Loyal: We know she's good at these so... Yeah!

Taury: Ooh Fuck! That's like-

Loyal: Yeah.

Markus: Yeah.

Taury: I can only roll 23's on this.

GM: That is a nat 20. Um give it a moment, because Morana is also doing something at the site of this.

Loyal: Oh shit!

Taury: It should be stated that if this goes to plan, it's going to be pointed at his throat.

Loyal: Yeah I expect as much.

Fenwarin: [Laughs] same here.

Taury: Not as if to strike him, but to sort of be like.

Loyal: Like, what the fuck?

Taury: Don't, don't, don't fucking do that.

Fenwarin: What the hell are you doing, yeah?

GM: Alright, Markus will need to make a Will save, and then Taury if you're continuing to draw it and Markus fails, you'll need a Strength check.

Taury: Ok.

Loyal: Shouldn't be too hard for her.

GM: This is a weird interaction, well done.

Loyal: [Laughs] He specializes in those.

Markus: Is there any obvious indication that Morana was casting something?

Taury: Well, you weren't thinking about Morana, though, right?

GM: Does this have verbal components?

Markus: Yeah but basically, if there are semantic or verbal components within eyesight or earshot.

Morana: Yes.

GM: Yep. Then yes, it would be apparent that Morana has cast a spell.

Taury: She's just hovering over that Strength check.

Markus: I would like to voluntarily fail the Will save.

GM: Alright. That will be a Strength check then Taury to draw this sword the rest of the way.

Taury: If he's doing this to make her look like an asshole, I swear to god.

GM: [Laughs] 

Morana: That fails.

GM: Yeah you go to pull the sword Taury and it doesn't budge. And you can tell that Markus is not trying to draw or shield the sword. You've successfully taken control of it, but you do not pull it.

Taury: How?  So she's wielding it? 

Morana: No, it's still in the sheath.

GM: You have a hold of the hilt, but it is still exactly where it was, you cannot draw it any further.

Taury: And what's going on with Markus, what would she see?

GM: Based on your combat maneuver, I think you slapped his hand out of the way.

Taury: Ok. But what like what is the, is there any visible effects of whatever Morana did? 

GM: No.

Markus: I would say make a Sense motive at this point.

Taury: Sense motive on?

GM: On everything.

All: [Laugh]. 

GM: On the situation in general... Well. Taury, you're not quite sure what's going on, but you're very clear that there is no intention to stop what's happening and also every intention to stop what's happening.

Taury: From Morana?

GM: Yeah, but.

Loyal: Can Loyal Sense motive as he's running up?

GM: Sure.

Loyal: Cool yay.

GM: Markus made a bad decision and Morana attempted to stop it, as did Taury, but in very different ways.

Fenwarin: There's no Sense motive really needed for Morana, her facial expression is exasperated to the point of damn near furious.

Taury: But Taury would be the contrast of that, she wouldn't look angry or anything, she just looks like she's reacted to a potentially hostile situation. She doesn't look angry, she kind of looks possibly relieved maybe, it's the closest to what you could describe it as.

GM: Ok.

Markus: Yeah, Markus has an expression on his face of 'oops', I think is probably the best description.

Loyal: Woops?! [laughs]

Taury: It's a big oof.

Loyal: Big oof. 'Oops.'

Markus: Yeah.

GM: Ok so Taury, you have hold of the sword, what are you doing with it now that you failed to draw it?

Taury: Well, if he's not holding the sword anymore and she can't pull the sword out.

Markus: Markus has deliberately moved his hands away at this point.

Taury: Can she attempts to pull at the sword again?

GM: Another Strength check.

Taury: Yes ok. Well, I was just wondering in case you could just say that it's not draw-able so.

GM: It will require a Strength check.

Taury: Wow! Shit.

GM: No, it doesn't move at all. In fact it, as you like try to jerk it, it falls a little further into the sheath as you try to like get some momentum, and you've lost ground in drawing it.

Morana: "Let go of the sword. This is ridiculous!"

Loyal: Has Loyal caught up to them by now?

GM: Yes, yeah.

Taury: Taury's not letting go of the sword. She's staring down Morana like, are you fucking kidding me? Like this bitch just you're sort of me and you're telling me to fucking let go, like what?

Morana: She sees that look and she says, "I'm telling both of you to knock it off, I've had enough of this today."

Loyal: "I would have to agree with that."

Markus: "Loyal shut up. Morana, Taury I'm sorry."

Taury: [Pause] Taury let's go of the sword.

GM: It falls back into the sheath.

Taury: But she takes a considerable few steps backwards, like a sword's distance away sort of deal.

Markus: "Oh god. I had an idea for a way to change the context. I was not intending any direct threat, and it appears my idea might not have been as good as I thought it was."

Morana: "Ok, let me, let me see if I can decipher this. You thought you could earn her respect by proving that you have some kind of aggressive side?"

Markus: "No, no." 

Morana: "Then I'm at a loss. I think you should explain what you were thinking."

Taury: Taury's looking at Markus like he's insane.

Markus: "That not all means they talking are, verbal."

Taury: "And what? You would stab me?!"

Markus: "No, but when was the last time you fought? Must be more than a day by now, unless you've been doing something without me being aware?"

Taury: "Yes and?"

Markus: My instructors told me once that if you don't practice, you lose your edge." Markus glances to Morana, "Communicating without words?"

Taury: "The only worthy practice is practicing with those who are of equal caliber, practicing on your unsuspecting party member, probably not the best idea."

Markus: "I yes, I didn't. Like I said not the best idea. [Pauses] I screwed up. Perhaps this is a case where words first might have been better?"

Taury: "Yes well, we all make mistakes."

Morana: "Words were doing just fine."

Markus: "But not at the impasse."

Morana: "Well, that was why I said what I said to get you past to  the impasse."

Taury: "You speak of impasse, there was no impasse."

Morana: "Well to stop you two from talking past each other all the time, like you've been doing for the past ten minutes."

Taury: "This is ridiculous. We are speaking in riddles and tongues and circles."

Markus: "Yes, as much as we are repeating the same ground."

Morana: "The way I see it, you both worked it out already and you just keep trying not to."

Taury: "Well, someone says they do not trust you and then they go to draw a sword on you when you are least expecting it. Suffice to say there are questions."

Markus: "Fair, very fair."

Taury: "Nevertheless, I'm not one to hold grudges. People make mistakes, things happen, they can move on."

Markus: "Thank you. And as Morana said, I think there was an issue in communication. And I perhaps, made bad assumptions as a result of that."

Taury: "Assumptions?"

Markus: "I followed a chain of thought that if such a thing were true, that would mean particular consequences, which would cause other consequences."

Taury: "You are speaking in riddles again."

Markus: "Cause and effect, when one thing happens, it causes other things that cause other things and cause other things. I thought I saw clearly, I was wrong and some of the words I used were unkind as a result of that. Taury I am sorry."

Taury: "Alright."

Markus: "Would you care to spar? I think perhaps working off some nervous energy might be good for me."

Taury: She looks genuinely taken aback by that. And you would see her ever so slightly soften before tensing back up again. "You are not afraid I would injure you?"

Markus: "Down for practice? I only fear mishap."

Taury: "Alright then."

GM: You spend the next few minutes sparring. Percentile.

Loyal: During this Loyal kind of walks up to Morana, "You should probably do the talking from now on, you're much better at that."

Taury: Is the percentile whether or not Taury murders Markus by accident? [laughs].

GM: No.

Taury: Whether or not the townsfolk think I'm trying to kill him?

GM: No. Markus high or low?

Markus: Oh let's go high this time.

Loyal: Yeah.

GM: It is high. You actually manage to land a couple hits. You still lose overall, but you don't completely embarrass yourself. And through this have actually managed to gain some slight respect from Taury, as you have proven, you will fight.

Loyal: Ooh.

Fenwarin: Nice!

Loyal: Oh a lot more just clicked in my head.

Fenwarin: Nice.

Taury: It's funny that you said that, because just before you said that, I was literally about to write it down, and then he said it.

Loyal: Yeah, it makes sense, she was annoyed with Markus because Markus ran, and wouldn't fight.

Morana: While this is going on, Morana just sits heavily on a rock and sighs.

Taury: She's sulking because she did fucking nothing. She tried but it didn't really work.[laughs]

Morana: Ah no, what she did worked exactly how she wanted it to.

Taury: Yeah.

Morana: Like I told Furtive, I prepped that specifically because I saw something like that happening today.

All: [Laugh]

Loyal: Nice.

GM: After the spar concludes, no one is seriously injured. You were trying for non-lethal damage.

Taury: Or was I? No I was. [Laughs]

Markus: Well Markus is surprisingly hard to hit right now?

Taury: Ah no I'd say Taury could hit him.

Markus: Yes, you could, if you got lucky.

GM: Yeah. It was, it was a better fight than you thought you were gonna get Taury, and Markus you were impressed with how well you did.

Markus: Yeah, oh I wasn't expecting to win and I certainly wasn't expected to hit her but-

Taury: [Laughs]

GM: You did manage to land a couple blows. Well done.

Taury: Well, I would say that honestly just him sparring in the first place is probably enough to win Taury's respect. Everything after that was a bonus.

GM: Once this concludes, you're all standing around. They're readjusting armors and cloaks and whatnot and putting weapons away. What happens with the group now?

Loyal: "Well. Seems like things are somewhat ok now yeah? I'm wrong?

Fenwarin: "Definitely, I feel a weight has been lifted." 

Morana: Morana has walked a little ways away and is just looking out over the water.

Loyal: "Shall we return to the inn? Talk About what we'll do next?"

Markus: "Why not here?"

Loyal: "Sure"

GM: The session seems to be winding to a close naturally, so we'll cut it here. But beforehand so we know how best to prep for next session. What is your plan as a group? Are you going to tackle the catacombs? Are you going to head out towards Thistletop? Something else? What is your group consensus?

Taury: I would say the catacombs.

Loyal: Loyal also says catacombs.

Fenwarin: Yeah I was gonna say that too.

Morana: Yup.

Markus: Markus would agree, except for the fact that the spells he's prepared are mostly mind affecting.

Taury: Why is it that always Markus fucking disagrees?

All: [Laugh]

Markus: Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.

Loyal: To be fair, he probably felt he might have had to use them.

Taury: No I know I'm only shit stirring, it's fine, it's just funny.

Fenwarin: Yeah and it affects me too, Markus [laughs].

Markus: So he knows that he's not going to be good in the catacombs, and he will explicitly bring that up.

Morana: Can't you prepare different spells with just another hour?

Markus: I haven't left open spell slots, so I'm fairly certain no.

GM: [Whispering], I'll allow it.

All: [Laugh]

Markus: Ok, ok if the GM will, will graciously allow then yes.

GM: Let us progress the story in some way. Yes, I will allow it.

Morana: Yes.

Loyal: Don't just sit around for another day.

GM: So next session, we will begin in the catacombs.

Morana: Alright.

Taury: Yeah cool.

Loyal: Ok, that works.

GM: Then we can just jump straight there. There is no need to go through anything else. Good session. Thank you.

 	That's all the time we have for now. To learn more about the show, the cast, etc. head over to http://wayward-expeditions.com/ .