Continuing the adventures!



The PCs have arrived at the town hall, where a secretary has showed them into a side room. After a brief wait, they are escorted into the mayor's office.

DM: It's the same gnome that met you at the front gates, although now he's no longer wearing plate mail. He is, however, wearing a holy symbol. There's also a picture of a winged woman on the wall, you can guess this is meant to represent his goddess.
Dian: I know! It's Aura!
DM: No!
Sargassas: I'll make a Knowledge(religion) check to determine it.
DM: You're reasonably certain it's Atierna.
Dian: But the picture is a winged humanoid --
DM: It's stylized. It's abstract. It's more of a representation than a literal picture of a goddess.
Sargassas: So it's crap.
DM: It's a -
Sargassas: It's a picture of nothing!
DM: TAKE YOUR ART CRITICISM ELSEWHERE!

The PCs engage in a certain amount of banter in which they are at last persuaded to reveal their guild marks. The mayor sighs in relief -- he's been under a lot of pressure ever since Dian's 'incident' with the halfling in the previous session provoked the humiliation of the elven blacksmith whose shop they were in.

DM: The mayor visibly relaxes, sinking into his chair -- which is designed to hide just how short he is. "Let me explain how things work here."
Dian: "You let yourself get bossed around by halflings. Why do you have all those ballista if you're not going to use them? It's only one ship!"
Sargassas: "Because then they'd have all the rest of the ships to deal with."
DM: "Yes. It's easier to pay tribute, which is really bribes, to the First Border Patrol. They don't report that we're a threat, and we don't have to deal with the Empire. It means they have a lot of power here, though."
Dian: "About the... incident with the halfling, yesterday..."
DM: "Officially, it was a deplorable incident, and I'm duty-bound to locate the perpetrator and have him detained and punished. Unofficially, I think it was about damn time someone did that, and I'd buy the fellow a drink if I knew who he was." He leans forward, putting his hands down on the desk. When he withdraws them, he leaves a gold coin on the corner of his desk.
Dian: "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to cause you any trouble."
DM: "--is what the perpetrator would say if he were here, which fortunately he is not, so I can't arrest him."
Dian: ..I don't think he's listening to what I'm saying --
Ralth: Oh he's listening!

The mayor tells them the ship they want is leaving in three days, and that their fare would be handled by the Guild for them. Resigned, the PCs return to their inn to drink away the next few days and pray they avoid trouble.

DM: The next two days pass uneventfully. On the night of the second, however -- the door crashes open! In marches a dwarf, with two thugs behind him. He's dressed in the finest robes, with magnificent beard... holders... bands... whatever the hell.
Dian: Nothing like a fine beard band!
DM: Anyway, he bellies up to the bar and slaps down a gold coin. "Your finest ale!" He looks around to make certain everyone has noticed.
Ralth: Ooh, round on the house!
DM: "Make sure the change is exact!" He apparently just wants everyone to know he's got money.
Ralth: I put down a gold coin on the bar too. "A round on the house!"
DM: "Ohh, little fellow came into a bit of cash, huh?"
Sargassas: I put two coins down.
DM: He has nothing to say to that.
Dian: I'm going up to my room before I do something we'll regret.
Okay, everyone roll a Spot check. (Getting the numbers) Ralth, you notice a couple of people -- kids, well, teenagers really -- watching Dian as he heads up the stairs to your rooms. They nudge each other and discuss something quietly but excitedly.
Ralth: Aww crap. I let the others know.
DM: The two of them get up to leave.
Iglar: Iglar bars their way. "What's the hurry, friends? Young folk like you should be able to drink all night!"
DM: "We were just -- ah, we have to work tomorrow, and --"
Iglar: "Come and have a Crashed Airship!"
Khoriane: "Surely you don't need to go to bed yet!"
DM: "But we don't have any money--"
Ralth: (slaps more money on the bar)
DM: Okay, roll Diplomacy.
Khoriane: Should I roll untrained?
DM: You could roll Intimidate... "SIT AND DRINK! NOW!"
Khoriane: Uh, that's okay.
DM: Okay, you convince them to sit and drink. They... don't last long.
Sargassas: I'm gonna splash some alcohol on them just to make sure no one listens to them if they go tomorrow...
Ralth: "He was -- he was there! And he had a tail!" "Sure, rummy."
Iglar: Technically that counts as defeating them, right?

Iglar is fishing for the experience granted for "defeating" an encounter. The GM simply gives him a look.


This wasn't the end of the session, but part two will be updated later!