Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

"Is... would that really be fine? If someone sees it, people could get really worried. That's why we exited the portals so far from town as we did already." She considers.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: N/A Wounds: 5/5

"As long as we're out of sight it should be good, right?" Dog asks, "I mean, she's got a point. People don't much like us when the see the weapons. Seeing magic really puts a damper on their good mood."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Willow looks a bit concerned herself, but when she speaks up, it seems it's not fo rthe same reason Ericka and Dog are. "Put us in town, Moira. Behind a house away from the crowd, but put us in town. She doesn't explain further, but appears to clearly have a sense of urgency all of a sudden, rushing the horses and wagon through once the portal is up and leaping off once they are through, running towards the town center where the crowd is gathered.

As the group follows, they begin to hear the loud booming voice of a speaker giving what sounds like a grand sermon, and as they reach the town center, and catch up to Willow at the back of the tightly packed crowd they realize the crowd is gathered before a platform raised before the chapel, a stately man addressing the crowd as a woman is crowned with a wreath of flowers.

"....this year's warden, Miriam Fletcher!!" the man concludes to the deafening applause of the gathered crowd, though if anyone were to look at Willow upon the mention of her mother's name, they would see all color drain from her face.

As the applause dies down, Willow is moving again, pushing her way frantically through the dispersing crowd until she reaches her mother. The two embrace in what seems to be a very emotional reunion. When the group reaches the two women, Willow looks to them, looking pallid and ill. "Sorry. I need a little time...I'll explain later, but why don't y'all start your investigation and I'll find ya in a while." without waiting to catch any objections, Willow and Miriam depart, presumably to the Fletcher family home.

The village is fairly simple, and from the central 'square', the chapel and tavern with a signboard proclaiming it the "Keeper's Kindling Tavern" are most evident. The villagers are all filtering back to their positions prior to the celebratory event, so there are many folk to potentially question, even without Willow as a guide.
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Lady Moira Sterling
Moira AT:
Raptage AT (prime):

Moira makes sure to be the last one through before closing the portal. When the situation becomes tense and confusing and the senior hunter goes off Moira and the rest of them are left with more questions than answers. Moira decides to send Raptage up and inspect the town from the air through the totem's eyes.
Spot: 10D6 = [3, 6, 2, 2, 6, 2, 1, 6, 3, 1] = 32
3 successes on Spot
That mean's I don't use one of the group's actions right? (or did I misread that)

I guess she'd be looking for notable buildings/structures.
What look like the oldest construction in the town?
What kinds of things/shops/etc. are in Petram?
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

The tier 2 test, which you cleared, was for am extra question for your investigation phase. :) So go ahead and add one more.
The most notable landmarks in Petram are the chapel and the tavern off the main square, a road along which seems to be something of a market lane, the mayor's house which is a bit larger than other homes in the village, and what looks to be three ritual pyres set off on the north end of the village, facing the huge swath of old, burned forest.

The oldest looking structure is easily the chapel, as of it was set up first to provide spiritual support and strength for the villagers coming from the tragedy of Old Petram in support of building the new town.

The shops are relatively mundane with all the basic sundries you would imagine, a smithy and carpenter round out the market lane on the end of the lane deepest in town, not quite in the town center, but right behind the tarven where the land begins.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

I'll make to think about it tonight, mentally been a bit fogged so I haven't read through all the information yet.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
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Vivid
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Vivid »

Sorry for taking up one of our investigation actions, Guys. I guess we have 4 left.
Hmm... another question.... The name of the inn suggests a tongue-in-cheek attitude about old Petram's fate. Are there any other references to 'fire' or 'burning' or 'lady' in the village or, particularly, is there any such iconography around the chapel?
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

The tavern seems to be unique in how it even has a name. It could be assumed it has a name more for travellers and visitors than for the village itself. Iconography is likewise absent for fire in any way. The only reference to fire would be the ritual pyre stakes at the north of town and the tavern's name.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Ericka Akcire


Taking a moment to breathe as the townsfolk break away from the strange festival, she considers the best line of approach. Ultimately, she decides to be a little direct and asks some of those that seem to be huntsman and farmsfolk about any strangeness or corruption they might've seen nearby.

Persuade: 7 successes
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Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: 4 || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

Lloyd will bring someone (maybe Moira) with him to the mayor's office. Through signs and simple phrases he'll get his questions asked of the scarred, one-eyed man.

What happened the night Old Petram burned?

What can the mayor tell us of 'Helmontra'?

What is it that the 'warden' does?
persuasion: [6d6=4, 2, 3, 6, 5, 5] 25
succeeded for 1 extra question but I'll wait for the answers to those before asking
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Doctor Malsyn wrote: Sun Jul 31, 2022 4:00 pm
Taking a moment to breathe as the townsfolk break away from the strange festival, she considers the best line of approach. Ultimately, she decides to be a little direct and asks some of those that seem to be huntsman and farmsfolk about any strangeness or corruption they might've seen nearby.
The hunters of the village can recount coming across strange, singed tracks, much like the ones your group came across and charred wildlife carcasses, but as yet have been unable to identify what has been causing them. Unfortunately as a more mundane folk, they can't say one way or another about whether there is any corruption involved.
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Flynnarrel wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:03 am What happened the night Old Petram burned?

What can the mayor tell us of 'Helmontra'?

What is it that the 'warden' does?
The old mayor is hesitant to talk about it and puts up an annoyed front to try and dismiss the matter, but it doesn't take too much pressure to have him take you inside to talk about what he can.

He divulges he is one of the very few who saw the night old Petral burned and lived to tell the tale.

Essentially, the old village was peaceful, up until a woman, unarmed, unescorted came to town, her name was Helmontra. The town was wary, but accepted her, up until a deceiver attack where she faced the monstrosity down, throwing flames from her bare hands.

The village was saved, but terrified. Refusing to hear Helmontra's pleas that she only wanted to protect the village, she was cast out. However, instead of leaving, Helmontra turned her burning rage on old Petram.

The mayor doesn't go into details, you can tell it's hard enough for him to talk about such painful memories responsible for his scars. Beyond Helmontra's connection to old Petram, the old mayor knows nothing else.

As for the warden, he explains one person is selected every year as warden to protect the village, symbolically, from sharing the fate of old Petram.
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Arkrite
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Arkrite »

Grigor "Dog" Geddings
AT: N/A Wounds: 5/5

Dog wandered the streets of the town, getting a feel for the area, stopping in to a few stores to chat up the local business owners to inquire about the corruption issues that had been plaguing the area while shopping.
Flynnarrel
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - First journey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Lloyd Millhaus
AT: 4 || Wounds: 7/7 || Casting: 6D6

Not liking the potential answer, Lloyds asks how the Warden, symbolically, protects the village.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Gunmetal_Rainbow
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Re: Tales from the Trails (Soulbound) - Ashes of Petram

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

The more worldy mercantile folk have generally attributed the ashen woods around old Petram as a corruption zone and generally warn people to stay away from it, though it's been a long time since anything from there has directly troubled the village. They praise the village warden for the protection they provide the village from corruption. In general it comes off as superstitious.

The mayor's demeanor changes drastically when asked about the Warden's role in more specifics, almost defensively so and he ends the conversation under no uncertain terms, citing that he's a busy man and has afforded you more time than he had to spare before having a manor guard escort you out.
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