12/30/18

Guy of Bonisagus: ok ill play the real adventure devil's fav demon (GM): welcome, moe moe (GM): I will play the adventure devil's fav demon (GM): i hope it goes well. Dušan of Criamon: No stress, that's the important thing devil's fav demon (GM): yeah the last one was fun. i'm continuing a couple old storylines i dont remember much about so i hope everyone else will excuse me if i get characterizations wrong or miss something that happened in the past. itll be cool. im always stressed :thumbsup: Guy of Bonisagus: cant believe were finally going to kill thaddeus Endrite (GM): Speaking of, what is the aura in the catacombs? Guy of Bonisagus: good question furious clicking sounds fill the room, revealing themselves to be perfectly executed inputs for dios time stop - 3x knife throw - road roller combo from heritage to the future being delivered straight to your skull Endrite (GM): What? devil's fav demon (GM): i think its magic 1 but im not sure why i think thats the case. johns or maybe dys would know since they know all the vardians tomb/catacombs stuff iirc dys (GM): i believe the catacombs vary, the guy who ran an adventure in them before was beard so him or johns is who id ask devil's fav demon (GM): oh yeah Guy of Bonisagus: it depends dys (GM): the magic aura is our covenant only and nowhere else tho, iirc devil's fav demon (GM): i forgot bb did an adventure in the combs. Guy of Bonisagus: its gonna be magic in the area covered by the covenant but the rest is probably mundane or dom1 the pre-christian parts of the catacombs could be magic though Shauncat (GM): Auras tend to follow natural borders Endrite (GM): I feel like a catacomb wouldn't have a mundane aura anywhere, since it's filled with human corpses of some description. Shauncat (GM): Ancient stonework sometimes forms magic auras Guy of Bonisagus: i would say its overwhelmingly dom1 aside from the part covered by our aura the oldest parts could still maintain pockets of magic aura, potentially johns (GM): the aura is whatever is most detrimental to endrite's pc at any given time devil's fav demon (GM): the roman catacombs are so insanely old ive always been assuming that they have a magic aura in some areas Shauncat: The original Ex Misc who inhabited VT made the aura artificially and no one knows how. Or the hook for how they did it was given to Proclus. Haha. Hahahahaha. dys: It was with the cleanest and most efficient form of magic there is: Human Sacrifice Endrite: It wasn't. Guy of Bonisagus: theyre now used for christian corpses though dfd. the church has probably spent a good deal of time consecrating the place Endrite: The story goes that there was an ancient wizard of some kind and early Hermetic magi exploded his skull, creating the Magic aura. Guy of Bonisagus: the king arthur regio was made artificially as well GM: thats why i said some areas we are on the same page Belzer of Mercere: What day of the week is it? Endrite: Sunday. Belzer of Mercere: In-world Octavia: I've not had dinner yet, so I'll be disappearing sometime in the next half hour to go eat it, but I'm a grog again so it's no big deal. GM: isnt Octavia chasing the boat from 2 weeks ago ah whatever Belzer of Mercere: I have a magic item that doesn't between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday GM: Alright, it's Friday morning. c'thinker: Salve. Belzer of Mercere: Shalom c'thinker: when did we discover the blight order Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Shouldn't you roll a 1d7 to determine the day of the week? GM: lol. rolling 1d7 ( 5 ) = 5 Okay it's Thursday. Belzer of Mercere: Nice GM: anyway, a group of people are busy following a boat. the fake jew complicit in the failed assassination of Mortis is onboard. while this is happening, the rest of the people can have the other adventure. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Sounds good. Belzer of Mercere: Fiorella can follow the boat since she can fly and move stealthily and teleport GM: Belzer has let the covenant know that the flagellant cult has returned to Rome and is building strength in pockets across Mythic Europe. nice. we can go back to this group and find out what they do to the boat before or after it docks in Venice later Dušan of Criamon: Sorry, was away back now Aristocritus Bonisagi sips potion Aristocritus Bonisagi: wait. no Gulielmus of Pure Reason sips potion Octavia: I have no sense of direction so after attempting to follow the boat I walk in a circle and arrive back at the covenant a day later. GM: The Colosseum seems to be their local base of operations. They leave in processions to walk the streets during the day, striking and debasing themselves and advertising a "Fight for Forgiveness". Octavia: Surely the potion would trickle through the hole in your neck Gulielmus of Pure Reason: imagine the kind of bonus the skull of a genuine bonisagus archmagus would have added to our labs. GM: lol Guy of Bonisagus: its not too late Gulielmus of Pure Reason: speaking of skulls has the vis spreadsheet been updated to reflect the fact that we cracked faustus open and drank his vis johns: no Belzer of Mercere: Why would you Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Did we even do it? johns: if you do that we lose our vim source Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I don't remember doing it. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: gah. Belzer of Mercere: He generates vis And only has two inside him Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it happened in the original timeline, where the spider destroyed europe. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: What original timeline? GM: why would anyone do that. oh. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let us get this show on the road. "The flagellants are back in town?" "Maybe Nevio will come and pay us a visit." Octavia: "Sirs. What is a flagellant?" Guy of Bonisagus: "A heretic." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "We could simply hire another barber, you know." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I mean a social visit, of course." Lavinia: "They're only a heretic if you allow your life to be dictated by the whims of hedonistic French Popes and Cardinals." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "There's a perfectly good barber just down the road." Guy of Bonisagus: "I worry for your soul sometimes, Lavinia." Octavia: brb, dinner Belzer of Mercere: They also took Gulielmus's herbalist Dušan of Criamon: "Thankfully, not the body, as she hasn't caught on to the trend." Belzer of Mercere: Violante Gulielmus of Pure Reason: violante... Penitent: miss u Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Wouldn't that be a sight?" (To devil's fav demon): i sent you a PM on discord. Gulielmus of Pure Reason cuts up some orange peel. (To Gulielmus of Pure Reason): does queelielmus have any potions of Cat's Eyes Dušan of Criamon: jesus Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "What is Cola di Rienzi doing about these hoodlums?" (From Gulielmus of Pure Reason): probably not, with the blight ongoing Belzer of Mercere: "He seems more concerned with the scholars of Sapienza." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmmm. "What about Bishop Savelli?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "That's right, there was that fracas with the diabolists." Gulielmus of Pure Reason crushes some long pepper. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Never figured out just what the deal was with that." Guy of Bonisagus: ratas el vapor con cola di rienzi Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Which one? Rome is positively infested with foolish demon worshipers." Belzer of Mercere: Something to note for the bad boys of spamming Invisible Eye Revealed, it also detects intangible tunnels being opened on you. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: what the GM: Oh, that's pretty cool. Belzer of Mercere: el (through The Invisible Eye Revealed or a similar spell) may cast spells through the tunnel back at you, and he need not concentrate on keeping the tunnel open. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Makes sense. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "You know, it was at the same time as that business with Simon." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "In any case, we should send an agent to keep an eye on these rascals." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Cola sent some of his henchmen around to the university. Never learned anything more about it." Gulielmus of Pure Reason inspects a vial. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Preferably a loyal agent, given previous defections." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "You're right." "Guy, assemble your team." Guy of Bonisagus: "What?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Unless you want to go by yourself?" Belzer of Mercere: Loyal meaning not a wageslave, I suppose. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: disciples these days GM: A group of flagellants march by the inn, chanting in time with a chorus of whip cracks. They're loud enough to be heard from inside. "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! LIFE OF SIN? FIGHT TO WIN! CO-LO-SEE-UM!" They repeat this with enthusiasm. The chants quiet down as they pass and turn a corner. Guy of Bonisagus: "Alright. Violante and Nevio, go handle this." I look around. "Violante? Nevio?" GM: So sad. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Let's not tell Bakir about this one." Octavia: "What are they doing in the coloseum, sirs?" GM: On one hand, he loves fighting to win. On the other hand, he hates sin. Belzer of Mercere: "No one's stopping them from going in it, I guess." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "She's just gone down to the market to pick up some spices." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm, this could be a good opportunity to deploy our kidnapped noble child. GM: iirc Lodewig took that child and he was never seen again. Belzer of Mercere: Good Lodewig Octavia: "If they wander the wrong way they're getting chopped up, ha ha." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Damn! Dušan of Criamon: "Regardless of any other objections, I feel this reeks of empires past, so I volunteer for the coliseum inspection party." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Octavia: I salute "I'll keep you safe there, sirs." "I know that place like the back of my hadn." Bolad: I shall accompany. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "If this matter requires my attention, then of course I will involve myself, but I am afraid that a magus of my stature would cause too many complications, as I would certainly be instantly recognized by all and sundry." Bolad: also everywhere mortis goes tons of people die Dušan of Criamon: it's his hallmark Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's mere coincidence. GM: oh actually good point when did Octavia leave the colosseum Octavia: This grog's backstory is they grew up in the colisseum regio, so this is a fun coincedence. GM: like what year Octavia: Probably last year? GM: hmm. Octavia: Unless that doesnt fit in your timeline, can be earlier if so I didnt know you had immediate plans for it Gulielmus of Pure Reason: bored rabble: here we are at the coliseum and yet tons of people aren't dying GM: it can fit. the only relevant thing is that the faerie queen in there hasnt recieved any tributes for a while. Dušan of Criamon: bored rabble watching auto-flagellation: hey that guy's hitting himself! Efficient, but completely wrong! GM: the deal that was set up re: coins or whatever hasn't gone down in a while. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lol. Belzer of Mercere: 8XP for spider adventure right? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: The Art of the Deal, baby. (To Shauncat): As an aside, Lavinia will tell Fiorella before she departs that perhaps having someone out there who wants to kill Mortis is a good thing for all of us, especially her, since Mortis is the one who stands to drag Fiorella down at next tribunal. GM: yeah this was like 15 years ago in game its been about a decade since there was a tribute offered. well... fuck. let me give you exact dates. (From Belzer of Mercere): Okay. Fiorella might "fail" to catch the assassin. We'll see how it goes. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In the mean time, what's our strategy for investigating? Do we have anyone who is actually good at talking to rabble? Belzer of Mercere: I have XP in social abilities And can disguise myself as a gentile Octavia: I have a leadership spec in Intimidation Metrofane the Messenger puts on disguise Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i have the gentle gift GM: 1342: faerie deal was struck. 1350: corpus blight, tributes cease Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, there you go. GM: and then now its autumn 1357. so less than a decade. i dont know why i told you in general instead of telling just dys but hey now you all know. Maybe Octavia was allowed to leave because she made a deal with the queen to investigate and come back and its been a year or two since. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It is what it is. Octavia: She actually just got lost and couldn't find her way back in GM: Oh, that's even better actually. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: its good to know. GM: That's 100 percent perfect even with your no sense of direction. Octavia: Neat. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: you can team up with derfels severed head (From Octavia): nice GM: Okay, well, there is no time paradox yet. Whew. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, we also need someone to negotiate with the current owners of the coliseum: the Frangipani family. Dušan of Criamon: it would be cool to be trapped in a fairy regio and only manage to escape accidentally due to bad sense of direction GM: So there are a few possible avenues of investigation. I'll switch to the map. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: As a noted kingslayer, I should not attend. Dušan of Criamon: anyway Octavia is our key in Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, I guess he was just a duke. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's have beatrice's ghost handle the frangipanis GM: There are penitents advertising a fight on Sunday, just a few days from now, at the colosseum, where they claim people can do battle to win their forgiveness in the eyes of God and claim salvation. They're wandering the streets outside now. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In fact,. it's 4 days from now. GM: Benedetti also lives nearby, and if he doesn't hate you, he might know something about what's going on next door to his shop. Bolad: Let's cast powerful magic spells on him Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I believe he does hate us and in fact fled Rome. GM: i don't remember if you've interacted with him since Aristide. Metrofane the Messenger: I'll put on my mundane interaction disguise GM: Oh, he fled Rome? I thought he just hated you. Bolad: we bought his old housse Octavia: Yeah Bolad: with the intelligo source GM: No shit! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lol Metrofane the Messenger: Archibald brainwashed him IIRC GM: I didn't see it in the chat logs and forgot. RIP. Octavia: We bullied him into leaving after Aristide ruined all relations with him anyway GM: in that case, whoever is taking care of his old house can probably let you know something. since they work for you. Bolad: our covenant grog Bernadetti which magi are leading this investigation Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Cenedetti. Metrofane the Messenger: I'm legally a magi I'll go Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Like I said, I shouldn't at this juncture. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will be present GM: Nice. Dušan of Criamon: I will join as second. GM: Oh, there's also the Knights Hospitaller, who are still in Rome and in a new location very near to the colosseum. One would think they'd be right on the ball taking care of heretics, but, well, they're not. Bolad: I detect conspiracy and intrigue Let's blunder in and miss all of it then ruin the story Octavia: Let's. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: huh. what happened with their old spot Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Who moved into their old priory? Octavia: They have 2 priories This came up before iric iirc GM: their old priory was just a historical anachronism and this is where they actually are in rome Gulielmus of Pure Reason: blimey GM: but the other one is still there if you need it to be. i deleted it in a fit of gm fiat but i might have been in error. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: theyve got a dock and everything. prime real estate. Bolad: "Where to first, Magus" Guy of Bonisagus: https://i.imgur.com/znq1lSY.png Dušan of Criamon: lol Metrofane the Messenger: Let's talk to Benedetti Dušan of Criamon: We should start by bumbling and threatening our way into the colloseum Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That feeling. GM: lma o Bolad: lol bb Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Anyway, it isn't Benedetti, it's a totally different Italian merchant, Cenedetti. Octavia: good image Endrite: Liesmith did this about 15 times during the Grand Pendragon Campaign. Metrofane the Messenger: Bernadetti Gulielmus of Pure Reason: incredible let's visit Cenedetti since he's on the way to the bolosseum Metrofane the Messenger: Okay Guy of Bonisagus: lets go to the colosseum Metrofane of Mercere: We can visit Cenedetti on the way Octavia: RIP Bolad: good times Metrofane of Mercere: How do you do, fellow Italian gentile? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Eho, Cenedetti!" wiktionary dot org tells me "eho" is latin for "hey." Cenedetti is home, watching the streets from his front steps. The store is open, but the locals aren't flooding in. Metrofane of Mercere: "Buongiorno." Dušan of Criamon: I don't think I met this NPC before so I engage in the courteous introduction rigamarole Guy of Bonisagus: eho Gulielmus of Pure Reason: eho. Octavia: hee ho Gulielmus of Pure Reason: or, in vulgar Italian, ehi. Cenedetti: "Welcome, my friends! I'm so glad you've come to check on me. You have such concern for my safety!" Metrofane of Mercere: "These are dangerous times." Cenedetti: No one's met this NPC before. They're not Benedetti, and are an unrelated person who happens to look exactly like him and have a similar name. Metrofane of Mercere: Happens all the time. Cenedetti: It's not part of the storyline but I thought Benedetti was still around so I have to run with the Cenedetti thing. Dušan of Criamon: Ah, I thought this was a character from before I joined please continue Cenedetti: Since he isn't. Benedetti is. But he's gone now. Anyway. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: benedetti was our friend, who we terrorized with magic until he fled italy Cenedetti: "People tell me I'm crazy for sticking up for you guys, but look at this! Here you are, and I didn't even have to ask!" Metrofane of Mercere: Friends are temporary as they will grow jealous of your power sooner or later Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Makes you think. Bolad: "We are good friends to have when violence is needing done." Metrofane of Mercere: "Business seems to be stalling." Cenedetti: "Hey, hey, I don't know about that. There's a lot of violence around here already." Bolad: "Violence begets violence but we do the violence better. Anyway.." "What's the news?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: our friend, who hated and feared us. "Yeah what's going on at the Colosseum?" Cenedetti: "Yeah, you noticed the lack of customers, huh? I'm trying my best, but the bloodsport next door is all the rabble care about." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmmm. I wonder what the market for having the undead fight would be. Probably pretty low since most people are horrified by their mere existence. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: You can hide them in armor and cloaks Just say they're animated iron constructs Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That sounds almost as bad, frankly. Bolad: battle bots medieval Cenedetti: "The Baron's got people fighting there every week. It's not to the death, officially, but it seems like it half the time. He's in with those penitents now, and they all say the more you suffer, the closer you are to God, right?" "So they fight, and if you lose, it just means you need to keep suffering. And if you win, you're Christ's Champion." "The yokels can't get enough of this shit." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "Perhaps we should have a talk with this Baron." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "There ought to be rules for this kind of thing." Bolad: "Who is the Baron's shaman? Or whatever you call it. Speaker of the godly things." Guy of Bonisagus: "It ought to be outlawed, frankly." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "Maybe we can convince him to send some business your way. Even fighters need supplies, right?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "You can't just have people beating each other to death every day." Guy of Bonisagus: "What kind of sick man takes pleasure in watching people get hurt?" Cenedetti: "I dunno. He's got a bunch of people working for him." Bolad: a real fucked up psycho. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Dušan of Criamon: "Seems there's one man in this town who beat the manpower shortage!" Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, I think I have a solution to this but you might not like it. Dušan of Criamon: We should investigate his graft Cenedetti: "He might have more than one supernatural ally. I'm just one man. I got kids." "I don't like to get too close." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is the solution to storm the colosseum with an army of the dead Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: No. Cenedetti: what the hell? No?! Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's to dig tunnels under the colosseum with undead miners so it collapses. Cenedetti: lmao. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is the solution to support the baron's plan to secure a steady supply of corpses well that works. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: This also solves our fairie problem. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: You can expand Jorn's old tunnels Cenedetti: If you do this, you might kill innocent people, though. Ha ha ha. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Ha ha ha Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Good point. We could also mount a siege of the Colosseum at the same time. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: thwarting the flagellants' plot by sacrificing hundreds of innocents at once Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "We'll look in on the Colosseum, and in the mean time, I can find you a loan to carry you through until this all blows over." A perfectly normal gentile loan Cenedetti clasps his hands together Cenedetti: "What a nice fellow." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Cenedetti: "I knew I was right to say all those good things about you guys, and I'll keep it up, too." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: If we're going to move into the loan business, I should really invent a spell that curses people who don't pay on time. Cenedetti: Hmm. That would be a really funny idea for a Merinita who just constantly makes deals. Guy of Bonisagus: you already have a spell like that Cenedetti: Magic Deals. Guy of Bonisagus: you use it to animate your friends Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: But you don't need magic to walk around. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: meng hao's writ of karma. Guy of Bonisagus: i am suggesting that you send a group of undead to break his kneecaps if he does not pay Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's actually pretty easy with Cthonic Magic. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Bargain spells cost vis, sadly Guy of Bonisagus: then he will need magic to walk around Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's not a very elegant solution. I can just invent a Cursed duration spell. Cenedetti: Nice. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In any case, that's beyond the scope of this particular adventure. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Right Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Or is it? Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Arbitrage and loans are just part of my Redcap training so I'm not gonna think about it too hard. Cenedetti: yeah i figure you knew what you were doing. Provided the area returns to normal, Cenedetti will be able to pay off the loan. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: He's a friend so I won't bilk him with interest Cenedetti: colosseum or priory next Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Hmm Bolad: flagjag zone Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I think people were eager to head to the Colosseum Cenedetti: Sounds ghood. Guy of Bonisagus: lets murder Dušan of Criamon: Gah! Ghostmen! Run for your lives! Cenedetti: The colosseum is being circled by marching penitents. They are all wearing dirty purple hoods and white robes with stains of mud and blood. Roll per+awareness for more. Bolad: rolling 1d10+4 ( 10 ) +4 = 14 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10+3 ( 1 ) +3 = 4 Penitent: rolling 1d10 ( 5 ) = 5 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: if its unstressed it cannot botch Octavia: rolling 1d10!-3 ( 8 ) -3 = 5 Dušan of Criamon: rolling 1d10+4 ( 6 ) +4 = 10 Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: rolling d10+1+1 spec; Clues ( 5 ) +1+1 = 7 Penitent: Bolad notices that the penitents' robes are all marked with a red eye on the chest. It blends with the other stains and filth, but his keen eyes pick it out. Dusan and Metrofane do as well. Bolad: its the eye of sauron Dušan of Criamon: Oh god, this timeline has shifted yet again Penitent: oh ty guli. Octavia: "Wow, colosseum outfits sure are weird now." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it's the eye of providence Octavia: "Those robes won't do much against a spear." Penitent: "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! LIFE OF SIN? FIGHT TO WIN!" they all chant in time to the whips hitting their backs. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: how's the aura? "You know... something about this seems a little off, to me." Dušan of Criamon: "I'm no expert, but I'd think self-harm is actually counterproductive if you want to develop a fighter's stamina" "Then again, I spend most of the year underground, so I'm not really one to speak on health issues." Guy of Bonisagus: "This is the devil's work, no doubt." Dušan of Criamon: "Agreed." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "It strikes me as depraved, really. Not a road to holy living." Penitent: Infernal 1 surrounding the colosseum in midday. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: My guess is that pitfighting is probably sinful a priori. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: that's not too bad really. The procession of the pious must be banishing the Colosseum's inherent Infernal aura. Penitent: lol Fiorella is busy tailing a boat, so your usual recon method is out at the moment. How do you proceed? Bolad: lets kill them all and let god sort them out Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I can try a different disguise Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i have my scrying spell and can observe events from any vantage point i can already see Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I like Gul's idea Dušan of Criamon: We should invite the church to approve of our wholesale slaughter of the sinners Gulielmus of Pure Reason: but i can only hear from a vantage point i can touch. Guy of Bonisagus: I cast Eyes of Saint Marcellinus. This is Piercing the Faerie Veil but for the infernal. rolling 1d10!+22 ( 5 ) +22 = 27 Any regios in this aura? infernal regios that is Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I feel like they probably won't go for that, given that the Colosseum is the site of many Christian matryrdoms. Penitent: No infernal regios here. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i'll begin looking around. Penitent: Guli's scrying spell is cool. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Let's channel the spirit of Commodus to flush out all the flagellants with water, like a commode flushing. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it's a very low level spell so unless the aura forces a stressed roll i can just cast it silently without gestures actually. its voice range Penitent: Neat. The aura does force a stressed roll, to my knowledge, but I'll check. Guy of Bonisagus: being in the infernal realm is stressful Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: The infernal actually makes people feel very comfortable, even when they shouldn't be. Dušan of Criamon: Oh, right, Dusan gets queasy Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: They wouldn't be a very effective anathema if you were constantly unsettled in its presence Penitent: its not that its unsettling you, but that its impeding your magical ability. Dušan of Criamon: rolling 1d10+2 ( 8 ) +2 = 10 if it's just inf 1 I beat that Penitent: since infernal auras make you roll additional botch dice, i will also have to assume they are a stressed situation for magical powers. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10 ( 4 ) = 4 Penitent: Auras also affect the number of botch rolls for an attempted supernatural act in a foreign realm. etc normal ability rolls wouldnt be stressed Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Stress is different from infernal being detrimental to magic Penitent: or giraldo's infernal sight Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: There's already a casting penalty for the detriment Penitent: theres a casting penalty and increased botch die Guy of Bonisagus: enough! lets kill gulielmus Penitent: using supernatural abilities of a different alignment within a hostile aura is a stressed roll Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Makes sense. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: The choice of stressed vs unstressed is based on the mundane circumstances at the time of casting Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In any case, you should just roll. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i rolled a 4 Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, there you go. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will try to get a better view of area 2 Penitent: Well done. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I only use items so I shant be rolling Gulielmus of Pure Reason gazes into his bubble. Penitent: I don't actually think Shaun is right in this case but I can't find any citations to support either of our positons. So, thanks for rolling. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Gul rolled anyway Really the storyguide decides what constitutes a stressful circumstance Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i think historically we have gone both ways on this. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Yeah Dušan of Criamon: I take a stroll around, I"m interested in area 3 Penitent: Gulielmus sees two men biting and clawing at each other on blood-soaked ground. Crumbling graves surround them. The Baron Frangipani looks on in approval, flanked by two men, a middle-aged scrivener and another man with bandages from head to toe and a gold belt. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Botch dice are a failure jackpot so its worth exploring at least if yo udon't have to roll. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmmm. Penitent: Dusan is using his usual spells? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I think my idea is really looking better and better. Penitent: Do you attempt to go inside the building to take a closer look? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Oh, they aren't even using weapons!" Penitent: 3 is on an upper floor. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Would it be less barbaric if they were?" Bolad: oh no its Joshua Graham Penitent: lol Gulielmus of Pure Reason: its Orsu Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Who??? Penitent: You could pretend to be a penitent and sneak inside. Dušan of Criamon: I use spells Penitent: I know Dusan's spellcasting roll was successful but I didn't know what you cast. and iirc your spying spells are touch range Dušan of Criamon: Oh that was just susceptibility Penitent: ohhh Dušan of Criamon: no spells cast yet Penitent: nice whoops. ty Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: We can have Bolad lead a campaign of murder upon them Dušan of Criamon: but I'll do trackless steps now, and sidestep Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Without the dangerous tunneling plan Dušan of Criamon: rolling 1d10+20 ( 7 ) +20 = 27 rolling 1d10+17 ( 10 ) +17 = 27 oh cute anyway those were just the usual buffs so no explosions imho Penitent: nice. Dušan of Criamon: I'm going to go up there quietly and sneakily I can roll stealth Bolad: Remember Dusan the nonlethal takedown is always the quietest takedown Dušan of Criamon: And given the chance, I'll use my invasion of privacy Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Where? Dušan of Criamon: Area 3 Penitent: You can roll stealth to sneak past the circling procession. Dušan of Criamon: is stealht dex or quik Penitent: There are occasional gaps in their ranks. Any skill can technically be used with any characteristic depending on the situation. Quickness would be appropriate here, if yours is better than your dex. Dušan of Criamon: It is! rolling 1d10+2+2 ( 6 ) +2+2 = 10 Penitent: Sick! Alright. Dusan makes it inside! GM: He crouches just out of the sight cones of the patrolling flagellants. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Noice. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Hmm Dušan of Criamon: Digging my own grave, so to speak Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: How do I just go inside like a normal person? There's lots of rabble watching and participating, right? GM: You're in a rounded hallway. Ahead of you, you can see stairs leading upwards, but two hooded flagellants are standing in front of them, talking about something. Behind you, stairs leading down. To the side, a hall to the sunny day outside. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I could disguise Octavia as a man GM: Metrofane, you would need to be a member of the Church of Divine Providence here or come back on Sunday when the Colosseum is open to the public. Bolad: I can sign up I have no qualms about Christian heresy Dušan of Criamon: break the game by powergaming the tournament mechanic GM: There are some Rabble outside but they're just eating and talking and doing Rabble stuff. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Classic rabble. GM: Trying to catch a glimpse of Christ's Champion, maybe. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: I could disguise Bolad Octavia: "Huh? Fight in the colosseum? But that's for slaves and gladiators." Dušan of Criamon: hmm anything good they're discussing or just classic mook pre-death casual chat Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: The price of a [not anachronistic food] in Paris Dušan of Criamon: Ouch Gulielmus of Pure Reason: can you put vardians tomb on the map Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: AFK a sec. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ty. Bolad: Do I see any flagellants isolated and in position for a Lethal Takedown Guy of Bonisagus: is anyone elses map moving around when they move a token Penitent: Dusan hears this from the flagellant guards ahead of him. Beardbeard: ok i refreshed and it stopped doing it weird Penitent: He also notices that, unlike the fighters Guli reported seeing in the colosseum, that these men are armed. "Thought I was a dead man!" Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Gasp! Penitent: "But here you are, alive and well to suffer before the Lord." Bolad: I approach a penitent outside the coliseum and ask how I sign up. Penitent: "Yeah, that Baron's got a hell of a doctor. Oh, Christ, I don't mean to blaspheme, you know what I mean." GM: Outside, with Bolad: Bolad: a doctor eh shaun did you say lavinia's project item is finished by the time this adventure begins Penitent: "Show that you have dedication to suffering before God. Swear yourself to divine providence. Debase yourself in the mud before all." "Oh, and you'll also need a robe." Bolad: "Ok, give me yours." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Yes johns Penitent: "This is mine. We've got plenty of robes." Another penitent walks up carrying a big sack. He pulls out a robe and gives it to you. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Let's kill a penitent and hitman Bolad up Bolad: I equip the robe. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: Or not Thank you helpful penitent Penitent: "You must make the vow, of course." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Big sack. Bolad: "How's that vow go?" Penitent: This involves inflicting a Light Wound on yourself, staining the robe with blood. Bolad: Not a problem. Penitent: Nice. Bolad is officially a member of the infernal cult. I mean Christian cult. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: might as well since his patron spirit was obliterated Penitent: He is now free to enter the colosseum before Sunday, and is expected to flog himself in time with the rest during chants and so on. Guy of Bonisagus: congratulations bolad Bolad: Sounds trill. Octavia: The infernal cult of Catholicism Penitent: Dusan, do you head downstairs, away from the guards, or do you meet this problem head on and continue to investigate upstairs? Dušan of Criamon: I won't be beating their defense so I'll back out GM: You could also just leave. Fair enough. Dušan of Criamon: I'll rejoin the group and share knowledge Note: invent eyes of the bat GM: Dusan tells everyone that there's a talented doctor working for the baron who is fixing people up so they can survive more wounds. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm, maybe we could invite him into the covenant. Bolad: Added to record: Mortis wants to invite an infernalist into the covenant GM: lol. Guy of Bonisagus: we already have one bolad GM: yeah. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Impossible to deny. Bolad: It's only a part time gig. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: As the official messenger, I will go tell Dr Zoboli about this development. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i can mix up some more invisibility potions and we can come back on friday Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Smart. Lavinia: "I have an idea how we could discredit the doctor and put a rift between him and the Baron, if we presume the doctor is related to this flagellant nonsense." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Go on." Lavinia: "With an arcane connection to the Baron, I can simulate an incurable illness in him, one that his doctor will fail to treat." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "Sounds like a good idea." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Why simulate it?" Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: "Provided we can acquire one." Lavinia: "Because inflicting a real curse on him would be the act of an evil madman." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "What's the difference?" Dušan of Criamon: "Impressive level of nuance for one of our campaigns!" Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I'm deeply confused. Lavinia: "It would be easy to 'cure' his fake disease, whereas a real disease would need powerful Creo Corpus magic to fix, or the valuable time of myself that is already busy with many other projects." Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: The difference is Rego vs Perdo Lavinia: yes. Metrofane of Mercere, messenger of VT: The other difference is that the item is already made, while you have to invent an effect and spend vis to do a perdo Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "So your hypothetical madman is just less practically-minded." GM: zing. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Still, it's a good plan. How would we follow up on our victory?" Belzer of Mercere: "It's easier to remove a fake illness after its no longer convenient." Lavinia: "I will offer to cure his illness and tell him that renouncing heresy is part of it." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "Excellent. You have quite the reputation as a doctor, so I have enormous faith in this plan." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Wise as always, doctor." Belzer of Mercere: "Getting the arcane connection is the tricky part." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I'll go get started on my potions of invisibility." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Lavinia: "Does the Baron himself partake in self-mutilation? He'd have bloody rags of himself somewhere that would be perfect." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "He has a personal doctor, he must have some blood somewhere." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: do you want me to roll this GM: i have no idea how your potions work and i assume you leave the aura to do it so no, i guess unless it tells you how many doses you get Lavinia: gulielmus has to roll a 1d20 and take that many aids points each time he brews a potion Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it can but also the process is repeatable and only takes like an hour and a half GM: ah, hence why you said friday. in that case dont worry about it, yeah. you can make enough for the party to do a secret night raid the next day. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: sick. also if lab text bonus applies then each invis potion has a gigantic number of charges since ive made this potion before GM: lol Lavinia: we should also think of a plan B if it turns out the baron has some sort of infernal MR or his patron has a way to dispel magic effects Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: You mean a plan C. This is already plan B. Dušan of Criamon: Are both plan A and C murder? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: We could get Bishop Savelli to intervene. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's compel the river tiber to drown everyone in the colosseum Lavinia: we should find out why the knights arent intervening Belzer of Mercere: Yeah Lavinia: let them slaughter these heretics and our hands are clean GM: lol Belzer of Mercere: Bishop Savelli hates VT he won't help us Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's get all the knights to run into the colosseum, then compel the river tiber to drown everyone GM: Pure Reason strikes again. Belzer of Mercere: Good idea Gul Time to flush the Commodus Dušan of Criamon: And they can'd indict the river, it's just water! The perfect crime Guy of Bonisagus: lets murder Gulielmus of Pure Reason enters secluded meditation in his lab. GM: Does anyone else wanna do a plan D through Z before the Friday tactical espionage action? Lavinia: guy should ask the knights what's up Belzer of Mercere: Yeah Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I think I could go talk to the Knights Hospitaller. Lavinia: As your doctor I strongly recommend Mortis does not do that. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Guy of Bonisagus: i can do that Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: rolling 1d10+3 ( 6 ) +3 = 9 Ok, fine. Dušan of Criamon: I approve of the plan, but I decline to participate myself Guy of Bonisagus: hm. maybe we should let mortis go Dušan of Criamon: something about the concept of a knight that is not in league with VT worries me Guy of Bonisagus: yeah can you imagine a person of noble stature not agreeing with vardians tomb Belzer of Mercere: Can Giacopo make us fake penitent robes based on Bolad's real one? Lavinia: actually you know what lets let mortis go but also send out a letter in advance warning the knights that mortis does not speak for vardian's tomb and is an unhinged psychotic responsible for dozens of innocent deaths of good christian souls GM: lmfao. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: But then I wouldn't be able to get anything done. Guy of Bonisagus: we would be, though Lavinia: We're just doing what Mortis wants, and spreading his reputation Brother Knight: A lone knight stands guard in front of the Priory. He frowns at the approaching visitors. do you send the letter/who goes first? Lavinia: No Brother Knight: Mortis could race the letter carrier. (To GM): Yes Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I think Guy wanted to go. Guy of Bonisagus: yeah Brother Knight: Alright. Mortis, you let Guy visit first? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Sure. He might not be a great spellcaster, but I believe in him. Belzer of Mercere: Guy doesn't have a history of offending people Guy of Bonisagus: not yet (From Brother Knight): you sending the letter with Guy? Belzer of Mercere: Seems like a solid plan to me (From Brother Knight): or a grog (To GM): an independent courier Belzer of Mercere: We can send Metrofane to deliver an apology on VT's behalf should he fuck up Guy of Bonisagus: "Salve." Dušan of Criamon: plan B (To GM): I will try to use my advanced Intrigue and Rhetoric skills to make the letter not as blunt as described. (From Brother Knight): alright, you send a letter to the priory constable warning him of Mortis' deeds. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: We're gonna need a bigger alphabet before we're through. Brother Knight: "Mm." The knight grunts politely at you. Guy of Bonisagus: "Have you heard about the recent events at the colosseum? Brother Knight: The knight's lips tighten. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ask him if he's heard of the High Elves. Brother Knight: "I have." The knight remains silent after this. Guy of Bonisagus: "Does the return of the heretics, and their even more devilish practices, not give the Knights Hospitalier cause for concern?" Brother Knight: The knight's eye twitches. "The Knights Hospitaller hold some concerns, yes." "Are you just making idle conversation? Move along." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: AFK a sec. Brother Knight: I will now SECRETLY roll Folk Ken for you. (To GM) rolling 1d10!+2 ( 2 ) +2 = 4 Belzer of Mercere: You announced it so the knight is going to be suspicious regardless Brother Knight: Guy gets the impression that the knight is standoffish and perhaps a rude person in his private life. (It was a bad roll.) Guy of Bonisagus: "Forgive me, Brother Knight. I simply thought the Knights still held swift, righteous action in high regard. I will find another to bother. God bless." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, I'm back. Brother Knight: "I can't just run over there and kill them because I know they're sinners! There's procedure for all of this! I don't like it any more than y-" He shuts up and goes red in the face. "I said move along!" Lavinia: sounds like we need an Inquisitor Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. It does sound that way. To the Vatican! Brother Knight: lol Lavinia: *to Avignon Brother Knight: hehehe Guy of Bonisagus: "Procedures, of course. How could I forget the stories from the Bible preaching about the righteousness of waiting while the grip of evil closes about your throat. Apologies again." I turn to leave. Lavinia: i just read an umberto eco novel so i know the solution is to publish a fabricated public letter attesting to black mass and global conspiracy by the flagellants Brother Knight: The knight grumbles but does not leave his post. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ask to speak to his manager Belzer of Mercere: I can help write the letter Brother Knight: You could go up the chain to the prior constable, but this guy doesn't even know who you are. Guy of Bonisagus: i am going to pen a satirical letter purporting to be from the Knights and pin it to several doors Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. How satirical? Brother Knight: Or the prior himself, although if it's still Fulk he's got to be VERY old by now. Dušan of Criamon: We should use our most publicized and well known asset: Mortis Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In what way? Guy of Bonisagus: I will claim it to be from the Prior Constable, talking about how the Knights will disperse the recent ugliness at the Colosseum just as soon as he's had his Friday breakfast's two mugs of wine, after rousing himself from sleep at noon. Belzer of Mercere: I'll take a copy of the letter to Rienzi. Brother Knight: lmao guy Guy of Bonisagus: or rather i will sign it as the prior constable Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Lavinia: the letter should also implicate Rienzi in the black mass, as well as every other notable Guelph in the city, and Mortis of Rome Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's a normal amount of wine for breakfast. Dušan of Criamon: I was imagining Mortis showing up and listing his credentials, thus guaranteeing a meeting with the bossman Brother Knight: yeah i mean, the guy out front hates his boss, clearly. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I like your thinking, Dusan. Brother Knight: he'll let you in if you give him a name and announce yourself. mortis would be allowed in right away. Metrofane the Messenger: I can use Gift of the Gab to help Guy write a convincing fraud Guy of Bonisagus: anyway, i dont know what would be rolled for creating a letter like this. comm + guile i suppose Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's probably it. Brother Knight: that's fair enough. Guy of Bonisagus: it doesnt have to be a convincing fraud, it just has to be good at getting the point across Metrofane the Messenger: You are a very convincing speaker; any-one attempting to detect untruth in your words receives a –3 penalty to their rolls. Guy of Bonisagus: no ones going to believe the prior constable actually wrote this Metrofane the Messenger: Why not? Lavinia: Excellent -- after Guy posts these letters I will collect one, as it is an Arcane Connection to its author Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In that case wouldn't you use Charm? Brother Knight: in that case it probably wouldnt be guile Guy of Bonisagus: lavinia already has my blood Brother Knight: yeah Guy of Bonisagus: hmm Lavinia: i didnt know that Brother Knight: charm or intrigue would work. or guile, i dont want to be a dick about this. you ARE lying. Guy of Bonisagus: well, charms the same thing. its meant to be a mocking piece on the state of the knights, and to draw attention to whats happening right in the middle of rome Lavinia: i guess i will add you to the list Brother Knight: actually charm would not work, explicitly because theres zero romantic context to this letter so intrigue or guile. Lavinia: is any magi getting a regime besides Archibald, Gulielmus, Rosario, and Guy Guy of Bonisagus: guiles probably the best, because its meant to be mocking so it needs to have some wit to it Metrofane the Messenger: Intrigue has actual EFs for spreading rumors Gulielmus of Pure Reason: jeanne Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I don't need one, I'm only 33. Guy of Bonisagus: whats the skill for mocking someone in a debate Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Metrofane the Messenger: Intrigue has actual EFs for spreading rumors Guy of Bonisagus: i need to find those rules Gulielmus of Pure Reason: aristocritus... Metrofane the Messenger: Fiorella took the full living condition bonus You can use Perdo Vim to target any AC you know exists, BTW Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: They're in Art and Academe OR True Lineages. Metrofane the Messenger: True Lineage Trianoma specifically Lavinia: Let's have Disputatio Metrofane the Messenger: Let's Gulielmus of Pure Reason: you have to be able to target it. Metrofane the Messenger: I actually have several abilities specced in debate Lavinia: same why would you have any other kind of abilities?? Guy of Bonisagus: ok well just go with guile for this it will make it more humorous for the enlightened, and more believable to the simple Lavinia: I had no idea Guy loved heresy so much Gulielmus of Pure Reason: and its not at all clear that the arcane connection relation runs both ways. Guy of Bonisagus: rolling 1d10!+7 ( 4 ) +7 = 11 Metrofane the Messenger: It's in the Perdo Vim guidelines Brother Knight: incredible letter. Guy of Bonisagus: of course penning the letter and making several copies takes some time so it probably wont be ready and posted around the city until tomorrow morning Metrofane the Messenger: It says knowing the AC exists,a nd having sufficient range on the spell, is what is necessary to target it Gulielmus of Pure Reason:, just as for any other spell Brother Knight: The letter is very funny and everyone is like damn he is right tho Lavinia: you are not an AC to your own ACs Brother Knight: this is just like the constable rofl Lavinia: you can't PeVi yourself to eliminate arcane connectinos you've left behind Guy of Bonisagus: it will perhaps not be immediately useful but maybe itll cause some change in the knights over time Gulielmus of Pure Reason: everyone in rome makes the  face Lavinia: I immediately inform the brother superior of the Knights Hospitaller that Guy of Bonisagus, representative of the Order of Hermes, is plotting against the church Guy of Bonisagus: what the Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Classic Arcane Intrigue. GM: lool Metrofane the Messenger: The real issue with the Perdo Vim guidelines is that there's no example spells so you don't know what conditions the authors expected it to actually be useful Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rabble: It doth be like that Metrofane the Messenger: Like, if you can see the AC, you can just kill the person who owns it, or take it back, why would you need to invent a PeVi effect? GM: Last call before Friday............... The Dawn of Friday. 48 Hours Remain until the tournament. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Alright, let's do it. Let's do some crimes. GM: Cryme Tyme Bolad tries to learn more about the goings on of the cul GM: do you want bolad to go hang out with them for the day and do the cult daily routine Dušan of Criamon: I'd just like to restate how happy I am to be low enough on the totem pole to not be a target of intrigue Metrofane the Messenger: Can Giacopo make me a robe so I can disguise myself? Bolad: yes. GM: alright, he will report back with a schedule and more details about the interior at night before the raid. The cult welcomes the new member with enthusiasm, and Bolad gets lectured all day about how much of an awful sinner he is, but that he can let the sin out of his body with physical suffering. Bolad: gahaha these people are morons. tengri only cares about those who honor the steppe GM: They show him around the building and take him to the arena where fighters practice on each other before they open the building to Rabble challengers. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Time to beat up some rabble. Bolad: im not much of a brawler i much prefer shooting people while on horseback GM: He gets taken downstairs to the doctor's, and sees hundreds of men in various stages of injury and death. Metrofane the Messenger: Everyone is a sinner but the important part is that passion plays work to attract the mob. GM: He gets taken to the living quarters, halls of barracks-like rooms where the flagellants sleep. And finally, he gets taken to meet the Baron and his attendants. Baron Rafael Frangipani: "Welcome, child of providence." Bolad: "Hail, Khan." Baron Rafael Frangipani: The baron is wearing a robe like the others, but his is the cleanest of them, with only the red eye on the breast. He is flanked by a scrivener and a large bandaged man with a gold belt Guy of Bonisagus: frangipani Baron Rafael Frangipani: "A foreigner? The eye of providence sees into the darkest places, of course." "Welcome to our church." Bolad: "I bring an outside perspective." "I heard this was the greatest city in Christendom but found the population... weak." "I see now not everyone is." Baron Rafael Frangipani raises his hands to the sky Baron Rafael Frangipani: "I myself suffered, just like all of you, suffered until it was too much to bear. But it was all to cleanse my sins away and purify my soul. I praise it now, every day." "I hope the same for you." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Fingers crossed. Baron Rafael Frangipani lowers his arms and makes a waving gesture with one hand. Baron Rafael Frangipani: "I like to know everyone's face." Bolad is led away. Bolad: cheers. Baron Rafael Frangipani: That's the tour, mostly. Bolad can hang around until nightfall but they're going to want you to start chanting and whipping yourself soon. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Pretty humble for a baron to do his own tour. GM: Oh, and one more thing, before you leave. Shit. The baron was at the end of it. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: The Ten Hundred Thousand Knives trap. GM: He just stood up and did the solaire pose and sat back down. bolad has no mr, right Bolad: nope! Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Everyone welcome our brand new shield grog, Colad! Dušan of Criamon: lol Guy of Bonisagus: ratas el vapor con colad GM: okay after meeting the baron and his attendants Bolad gains the temporary personality trait Gullible at 3. At the next opportunity, you must make a roll, opposed by any suitable personality trait (Gullible or otherwise), to avoid believing something dangerous or stupid. If this fails, the temporary trait is lost. If it succeeds, the trait is acquired permanently. Bolad: nice Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ftw. (To GM): I have second sight, did I notice anything odd Dušan of Criamon: this really was the week to finish Far Cry 5 Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: When does Bolad report back? GM: On your way out, the penitent sizes you up. Bolad: (To GM) rolling 1d10+2 ss, magical, modfiied by aura ( 6 ) +2 = 8 (To GM): Done Bolad confs Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Let's see Forevially Gullibilitized Bolad. Penitent: "Hey, you look like a tough guy. You should spend some time at the arena. Fighting for the Baron is a great way to get on his good side." Metrofane the Messenger: Some of you guys are cool. Don't come to the Colosseum on Sunday. Bolad: is this where I roll to see if I am cursed with Gullibility Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It doesn't seem like it would. I mean, do you even want to get on the Baron's good side? Bolad: i suppose not. Metrofane the Messenger: When we go in invisibly, let's hide longbows everywhere. Also horses. Bolad: "Maybe I'll see you in the ring." Penitent: And yes, roll Gullibility. Guy of Bonisagus: a Bolad: rolling 1d10 ( 4 ) = 4 thats +3 so uhh 7 (To GM): I have inf lore 3 so I assume I can recognize it as a demon Penitent: it's actually -3 because the roll is to avoid believing the thing. Bolad: So, 1. Penitent: So, congratulations. Bolad is now Gullible. Bolad: Shucks. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Spend a confidence point. Dušan of Criamon: I don't believe that for a second. Metrofane the Messenger: Also Bolad can use another personality trait to counter it, it said? Bolad: i dont have anything relevant just Higher Purpose (Tengri) and Pagan Gulielmus of Pure Reason: cranked Metrofane the Messenger: Higher Purpose seems relevant Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It does. Metrofane the Messenger: Becoming NPC Wojak would keep you from fulfilling it Gulielmus of Pure Reason: thats not a personality trait. Metrofane the Messenger: It's a personality flaw Gulielmus of Pure Reason: also his spirit animal died. Metrofane the Messenger: Daimon don't die Bolad: (To GM) rolling 1d10!+3 inflore ( 3 ) +3 = 6 Metrofane the Messenger: They just become less relevant Bolad: its fine ill roll with this i make a note that I will fight in the ring, right after I tell people about my scout report and that demon I saw Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Actually, you hate it. Roll Gullible. Penitent: higher purpose could have opposed it i just read above sorry if you're rolling with it thats fine Bolad: I'll just make a note to go on a spirit quest some time to resolve this flaw. Metrofane the Messenger: People worship God even though he's fake so I don't see why you can't keep worshiping Tengri during the Auram blight Penitent: bolad scouted around and tells everyone that all the penitents sleep in a big room together, that the baron's robes are clean and he doesn't seem to be flagellating himself, and that he used his Second Sight and saw the bandaged man replaced by a slash of darkness in the face of the world, with eyes, teeth, and pulsing organs sliding in and out of view. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. GM: And that this was definitely a demon. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Yikes." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well that last thing seems a bit worrisome. Metrofane the Messenger: Sleeping in a big room together is also bad Bolad: isnt that what monks do Metrofane the Messenger: Bunch of sodomites Gulielmus of Pure Reason: thats pretty normal its cold! Metrofane the Messenger: Well, it COULD be pretty normal Bolad: people do that at inns too. gotta get used to it Metrofane the Messenger: But we coudl also accuse them of sodomy Bolad: sure GM: It's so demeaning to get fucked in the ass god MUST love it. - them Gulielmus of Pure Reason: racecar bed huh? i sleep in a big heap with my homies. Metrofane the Messenger: It's also painful Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Peasants all sleep in big rooms to conserve heat. I will NOT hear a word against it! Metrofane the Messenger: Basically the perfect passion play Gulielmus of Pure Reason: if they have a cow they bring it in for warmth Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's just smart! Metrofane the Messenger: Sounds sinful Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: What's sinful about owning a cow? Metrofane the Messenger: Oh that was a slow reply Dušan of Criamon: I have to side with Mortis on this Metrofane the Messenger: A bovine radiator seems fine. Dušan of Criamon: as someone who spent his entire apprenticeship in a hut in the mountains i can attest to livestock being a good soruce of heat Gulielmus of Pure Reason: as an ex miscellanea, The cow also gets to avoid freezing to death. big win win situation Metrofane the Messenger: Okay it sounds like people are being sent to an infernal regio But that doesn't necessarily mean there's a border crossing in the colloseum Gulielmus of Pure Reason: they could also just be suffering and dying Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I mean, I think people are probably just dying. Metrofane the Messenger: People don't usually bodily go to Hell Just their soul Dušan of Criamon: Maybe the regio was the infernal aura we created after all Gulielmus of Pure Reason: it's simpler so according to the principle of Gulielmus of Pure Reason's Razor we should assume it's the case until further evidence crops up. Metrofane the Messenger: "saw the bandaged man replaced by a slash of darkness in the face of the world, with eyes, teeth, and pulsing organs sliding in and out of view" Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's a word for word description of a Vessel of Iniquity. Metrofane the Messenger: What's a vessel of iniquity? Searching talks about an album with that name. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: they're also burying people in the colosseum floor Bolad: they are demons whose natural form is a horrifying embodiment of sin that can drive people insane GM: oh yeah, to clarify since bolad also knows enough infernal lore to explain this, that is your classic Deluder, a low ranked demon who exists to deceive mankind by imitating miracles, granting false visions, etc. they all look like slashes of darkness filled with eyes and teeth. Metrofane the Messenger: Okay Bolad: Nice -- time to warm up the PeVi guys Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It just works every time. Metrofane the Messenger: I'll shield grog for Dusan if he wants to do some demon slaying Dušan of Criamon: Did someone say DEO it sounds like someone said DEO I should warn everyone that I only have the weak version Metrofane the Messenger: I see why I was confused now, I read that description like the guy was being dragged into hell like Kira Yoshikage Guy of Bonisagus: i heard pilum frankly Metrofane the Messenger: And not that his disguise was being penetrated Bolad: the problem guy is that demons are cowards who can just turn etherial once you start nuking them Dušan of Criamon: let me boil up a cup and be right back to deliver damage Bolad: however. if we had a Cthonic Magi around they could use Rego Magic on the demon to compel it to stay in place. Guy of Bonisagus: then we will have to pilum mortis Gulielmus of Pure Reason: anyone can use rego magic on a demon GM: thats a good idea dusan i want some tea as well. guli is right Metrofane the Messenger: Yeah Rego Vim works fine on demons, its Intelligo Vim they laugh at GM: its just generally frowned upon. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Cthonic Magic doesn't let you use Commanding magic. Since the Deluder isn't a spirit, necromancy won't work on it. Metrofane the Messenger: Demons who have coagulated as corpus can be ReCo'd GM: oh also it would be possibly risky to cast spells to destroy the guy everyone thinks is Christ's Champion. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: pretty sure demons that have assumed a corporeal form can still be commanded with vim Bolad: i made that up to see if I could bait Endrite into committing Crimes. GM: since there is an army of people who love him and i don't think they just magically turn nice again after the demon dies. Metrofane the Messenger: A demon can decoagulate because his body has been ReCo'd though GM: yeah Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. GM: one thing is that the demon does not know that you know that its a demon so youve got one advantage Gulielmus of Pure Reason: after joking halfheartedly for 30 years about how archibald is a venator i think im going to get into infernal revi magic. Bolad: We should "Borrow" a holy relic from somewhere demons hate that Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: its perfect. i have the retarded flaw, and a demon slayer for a mentor GM: that actually is perfect Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Using a relic could work. GM: its a badass direction for guli Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. I should've figured out how our reliquary works. I'm sure we could fit another demon in it. GM: Night falls, and Gulielmus' potions of invisibility are ready. Belzer of Mercere: How many people can go on this mission? Dušan of Criamon: back Gulielmus of Pure Reason: there are potions for all GM: there are enough potions for every player to bring one character and no extra npc grogs. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: nice. Dušan of Criamon: say Bolad: do the potions make you silent as well? Dušan of Criamon: what Vim spells would make the demon lose his disguise Bolad: that will make it hard to coordinate a large group GM: No, that's a different spell. Unless guli's are special. Bolad: i think that might actually be impossible with hermetic magic dusan Belzer of Mercere: It's a spontaneous effect, Gul could inlcude silence in it if he has the total Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: He could. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i could. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: But will he? Guy of Bonisagus: we must flame christs champion Gulielmus of Pure Reason: but i just made plain old invis potions. Bolad: those are better Dušan of Criamon: hmm GM: Being truly invisible involves removing your visual species, redirecting or eliminating the light cast on your body that causes your shadow to appear, and eliminating the noise you make. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Christ Jesus. Return immediately. Bolad: if people can't call out to each other this will be.... a thorsbian level farce Belzer of Mercere: Youc an Muto Imaginem a demon into its true form if youc an see the true form Dušan of Criamon: well then i wish i had invested in Mentem so I could just implant the correct image in the crowd's mind or CrIm Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Or any image. Bolad: some demons might have a weakness that makes them revert to their form Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i just intended an equivalent of Veil of Invisibility Bolad: but its particular to every demon so not all afiak Gulielmus of Pure Reason: The target becomes completely undetectable to normal sight, regardless of what he does, but still casts a shadow. (Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 changing image) GM: Is that what Weakness does? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It depends. Belzer of Mercere: It'd be one extra magntidue to be invisible to everything but taste Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Some demons have weaknesses that harm them or that prevent them from harming certain kinds of people or going certain places. GM: Hm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will recall the lessons Renard taught me rolling 1d10!+2+1+1 What is this kind of demon likely to be vulnerable to? ( 1 ) +2+1+1 = 5 got em. GM: rofl. rolling 1d10 ( 9 ) = 9 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Renard never really went into much detail on these." GM: 5 is still not bad. lemme read the weakness section Bolad: there's a set EF that depends on the demon's might so that definitely isnt enough Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i can conf as well Bolad: also a weakness doesn't necessarily make it reveal its form, demons have unique weaknesses, so one might get extra hurt by a subtance, or can't do a certain act or something GM: ok i see how it works now. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: any advantage would be nice GM: im looking for the EF though oh fuck it STARTS at 9. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's pretty tough! Gulielmus of Pure Reason shrugs. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: what's Bolad know Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Gotta grind up that Infernal Lore skill. Belzer of Mercere: There's a reputation chart at the beginning of the rules that works for most lore checks Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Oh, you could also summon some demons and ask them. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i don't think i have any infernal reputation Belzer of Mercere: The demon does Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ah Belzer of Mercere: I haven't looked at many demons statblocks but I know faeries by nature have reputations Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Demons have to abandon their physical form during Good Friday until after Easter. But for a Deluder, the jagged rent in space filled with viscera is its physical form. GM: this demon has 2 reputations at 1 Belzer of Mercere: Those are both a +1 bonus to the roll I think Bolad: i dont think it is or else the more strong and fearsome a demon is the easier it would be to know their weakness? Belzer of Mercere: Naturally GM: in that case that would get it to a 9, but the EF for this demon's weakness is 13. Belzer of Mercere: A lot of people hear of it, because its strong and fearsome And its weaknesses get discussed more too Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i will use a Benny to add a d6 to my roll GM: the more stronger and fearsome the demon is the higher the EF is too. Belzer of Mercere: Yeah GM: because of might scaling. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is anyone else going to try a roll Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Weaknesses can be discovered at an Ease Factor of 9 + (Might/5). Gulielmus of Pure Reason: or are we just gonna sip potions and go in GM: Bolad or anyone with Inf Lore can try. Belzer of Mercere: I don't have Infernal Lore Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Minus 3 if it is part of a family of demons, like demons that cause the same disease. Lavinia: rolling 1d10!+2+3+1 int inf lore (Demonology spec) ( 4 ) +2+3+1 = 10 rip. GM: well all deluders do the same thing Guy of Bonisagus: i do not have infernal lore GM: order is not the same thing as family? Lavinia: fine i'll conf Guy of Bonisagus: or divine lore Lavinia: that's 13 Guy of Bonisagus: or any level of theology GM: okay fine Lavinia gets the 13. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Apparently family is different than order. Lavinia: "Fufufu. All too easy." GM: The demon has a Compulsiveness toward valuable mundane objects. The classic example is the demon who can be occupied by a spilled jar of beans as it will be forced to count every one. In this case, it's gold. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: For example, all the swamp monsters from the swamp barrow adventure were from the same family, even though they were all different demons. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Oh, of course." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "How does this help?" Lavinia: So if we throw a pile of gold coins in it, it will have to stop and stack them? Belzer of Mercere: "Do we have any gold?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I hadn't considered that Lavinia has become a master of the infernal." GM: It actually will have to stop and try to put them in its pockets or amass them with the rest of its hoard yes. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's bring some gold dust Lavinia: This GM: lmao. gottem Lavinia: "I'm a scholar." "Maybe if you read books instead of throwing fireballs you'd learn a thing or too." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: "We needn't bother with actual money. We could simply create coins with CrTe and then toss them at him." Oh shit. Lavinia proving herself a master of Creo Ignem. GM: lol Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I assure you, my disciple did not pick up that habit from me." Belzer of Mercere: Alright, which one of you can actually spont Touch of Midas with a duration? I can make metal but not precious metal Gulielmus of Pure Reason: we got money GM: Listen, Cenedetti, about that loan.... Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: AFK for a sec. Belzer of Mercere: Pretender's Glove of Prestidigitations CrIm(Te) 25 "unlimited +10 " Touch +1 Sun +2 Ind Creates illusions on all five senses (Base 5), that are as durable as metal if necessary. (+1 Terram req.). Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: We should count how much money we actually have. Lavinia: audit the fed Gulielmus of Pure Reason: additionally! gold dust would be funny since either the demon will have to count 1,000,000 specks of gold or it will fail outright and the demon will walk away Belzer of Mercere: I'll make a gliterry metal rose with pyrite gilded edges. Guy of Bonisagus: perhaps we should just throw it 50 or so coins while we blow its head off Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's buy a gonne GM: coin the demon into a sick Hitman Environmental Kill Dušan of Criamon: let's just start a fundraiser walk in the Inn and tell people they can contribute to something "really funny" happening tomorrow Belzer of Mercere: I'll make handsfuls of pyrite coins with the glove too Oh wait illusions probably don't need an extra mag for gold since they don't have any material properties of gold Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, I'm back. Lavinia: lets leave a trail of gold coins that leads the demon right under a precariously dangling heavy object Belzer of Mercere: Ok Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: How do we actually make this work? Belzer of Mercere: We were going to turn invisbile and steal an AC to the Baron, right? Lavinia: i think discrediting the doctor is a secondary concern now that we know he is a demon and should be nuked. Belzer of Mercere: Okay GM: the doctor is in the basement and hasn't been seen yet Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Yeah. Lavinia: Oh, I thought the bandaged guy was the doctor GM: the demon is Christ's Champion, the famous top fighter. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Let's kill him anyway. Lavinia: Okay I have a Brilliant Idea. GM: Who has yet to die in the arena despite fighting over 100 battles. Lavinia: One of our grogs challenges him to a fight, then throws some golden apples around to win it. GM: etc etc. lol Bolad has conveniently already entered. Belzer of Mercere: I can throw golden apples Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That is convenient. But isn't fighting an arena battle just playing into the demon's hands? Or viscera covered teeth, as it were. Guy of Bonisagus: we should hurl gold coins and pila at it GM: It is, since Bolad would have to beat a few individuals of the Rabble persuasion before he'd get to fight the demon. And that would presumably involve killing them because they've been deluded into thinking taking Wounds means they're more pious. I mean, the tournament arc would be fun, but it would also be explicitly sinful. Dušan of Criamon: he'd have to suplex them out of the ring into safety johns: bolad is a filthy pagan he's already damned Belzer of Mercere: Could we give an AC of the demon to Archibald so he can PeVi it while it's fighitng a flaeggalnt? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In any case, to kill the demon we'd want to land one big strike on it, since if its wounded it would just abandon its corporeal form and run away. GM: That's very true. Also if the demon knows it's being threatened it might also just teleport away. You want to really get the drop on this horrifying monster. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Dropping a huge weight on it is a good idea. That's how we killed that demon in France, after all. Dušan of Criamon: We should get a huge weight and deploy it in a place that is above the colloseum Belzer of Mercere: We can use the group combat rules to land several hits on it at once Using the damage of our best fighter johns: maybe if the demon is distracted by gold it will not run away Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Where does it hang out at night? If we wait until everyone is asleep we could trick it into getting crushed by a collapsing roof. GM: You don't know yet. Safe bet that it's somewhere in the colosseum. Belzer of Mercere: We could also not do the trick and crush the flaggelants too johns: me im personally wondering if VT can accomplish anything without mass murder Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Plan A is looking better and better. Dušan of Criamon: The eternal quandry Belzer of Mercere: Why wouldn't you use mass murder? johns: also killing a bunch of heretics ensures their souls go to hell, which is a victory for the Demons. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's true. johns: I see why Mortis likes it Belzer of Mercere: Hell is a temporary state Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It's 100% eternal. Belzer of Mercere: Until the apocalypse when God wins and everyone reunites in the holy kingdom johns: the sinful still stay in hell after final judgment thats what makes it a judgment Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: No, then everyone in Hell stays there forever. Guy of Bonisagus: brb Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Annihilationism is heresy. Belzer of Mercere: Well the flagellants are sinful regardless of the demon They're sadomasochists Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: If they don't die then they can redeem their sins, like normal people. Belzer of Mercere: They'll get roped in again sooner or later They knew Christ was a road to a clean soul and chose this path regardless johns: Yeah ma-- wait a second, that's a jew talking Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Uh, this is a Christian cult. johns: Nice try! Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, let's not give Belzer a vote on matters of theology. Belzer of Mercere: I don't have IC knowledge that any Abrahamic relgion is objectively wrong And OoH is a secular order GM: lol. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Alright, I think we should investigate the doctor, still. Guy of Bonisagus: back whos dead Belzer of Mercere: What's your proposal in that regard? Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Why does the baron need a personal doctor if he isn't actually scourging himself. Fortunately, we have all these invisibility potions. Belzer of Mercere: Okay Gulielmus of Pure Reason: cumthinker returneth Belzer of Mercere: Let's check out the doctor, if Archibald can PeVi the demon it doesn't matter if it runs away, the important thing is that we foil its plans GM: No one is dead. Whew! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: in fact, nothing has happened at all Belzer of Mercere: If Fiorella were here she would cast her usual vote of killing the Roman noble. GM: Bolad was taken downstairs to see the doctor, briefly, and can lead you there. johns: lol Gulielmus of Pure Reason: bwuhh johns: there they are GM: The room is filled with penitents on tables in varying states of injury. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok. Hmm. GM: A surgeon and a medicine woman are treating them. Belzer of Mercere: Alright let's figure out why they haven't killed the weird herbwife yet GM: If anyone's met them before, this is Nevio and Violante. Belzer of Mercere: I guess they're useful GM: Violante has very high Medicine and keeps everyone from feeling sick from the infernal aura and poisoned water. Oh whoops. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: lol. Belzer of Mercere: She's not a medic she's an apothecary GM: She is, but she knows a lot about healing herbs and herbs that soothe fever and etc Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, ok. GM: herbs that ease pain, theres a lot of that stuff. She's not in her ideal place, that's true. Belzer of Mercere: Yeah GM: But she's useful here. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: herbs that cause pain GM: That too. Belzer of Mercere: She can be of assistance to others with the Medicine ability, especially if they use theriacs johns: dank herbs Guy of Bonisagus: wait a minute, these are... soul damning herbs! ah oof oh my soul GM: The room is very crowded and Nevio is running around like a maniac. Belzer of Mercere: Violante has not met Jeanne so she doesn't know how to create soul-hurting theriacs Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I guess it's good they're still alive. GM: Please roll Dex+Stealth or an appropriate combination if you choose to go further than peeking invisibly from the stairwell. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I won't. Guy of Bonisagus: i wont Belzer of Mercere: Let's check out the demon Dušan of Criamon: I kind of feel like we should GM: alright, you go back upstairs. Dušan of Criamon: Ah well Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Farewell Violante. Belzer of Mercere: Someone who can sneak can do it GM: If you want to, I'll go back to that scene. Belzer of Mercere: Or at least, someone can name an objective to accomplish by going in Dušan of Criamon: Well, I got lucky once, I'll try again Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is there anything on the other side of the room Dušan of Criamon: If you hear screams, consider intervening rolling 1d10+2 ( 2 ) +2 = 4 there it is GM: The other side of the room is dark, but you can see a few steps leading even further down. Dušan of Criamon: Hmm, complete darkness you say Gulielmus of Pure Reason: maybe the demon is down there. Dušan of Criamon: Next time with eyes of the bat GM: Dusan, Nevio backs into you as he dashes between patients. Nevio: "Whoa, ey! Ho!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Ehi. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: You could simply cast Eyes of the Bat on yourself in a quiet area. Dušan of Criamon: Conveniently I'm used to staying quiet and unobtrusive Nevio: He spins around, looking in every direction with a wild look in his eyes. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: not with the blight going on Nevio: Unfortunately for him, you are invisible. "Madonna, I've been awake too long." johns: Resuming patrol Dušan of Criamon: It's probably true. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: I will proceed across the room. rolling 1d10-2 ( 4 ) -2 = 2 Nevio: lmao. Belzer of Mercere: rolling d10 ( 4 ) = 4 Nice Dušan of Criamon: Impressive display Nevio: Nevio's club foot gives out from the battering and he falls to the ground. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ouch! Nevio: "Oof!" Belzer of Mercere: Gul has met these guys but not me or Dusan Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Gulielmus whispers, "Careful, Nevio." Nevio: "Get some guards in here with torches, something fuckin funny's going on here!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: well its time to scram. Dušan of Criamon: Convenient, let us move to somewhere that hasn't had guards called to Gulielmus of Pure Reason: pure reason baby Nevio: Nevio freezes when you say his name. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i'm already scampering Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Spooky. Nevio: is guli a physician in any way could you describe him as one. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: he is actually. johns: he is not! he's an apothecary! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: he has a point of medicine Nevio: lol. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: AND the +3 apothecary bonus Belzer of Mercere: Physician has a different meaning in Ars than IRL anyway doesn't it? Lavinia updates list of people to kill from afar Nevio: i think a physician in an archaic sense is just anyone who treats illness or disease Gulielmus of Pure Reason: however i am not bound by the oath of the daimon hippocrates Nevio: in that case he would be. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Potions are my only love, now. Dušan of Criamon: (Jason Alexander voice, angry) He is not a physician! He is an apothecary! Nevio: the reason i ask is that if he is, Nevio, with Lore (Physicians) 4 and an admiration for his former boss on a professional level, recognizes his voice. Belzer of Mercere: That's plausible Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: AFK a sec. Belzer of Mercere: Violante worked closely with Gul too since she was who got him whatever potion ingredients he needed Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ye Nevio: "Hold off that order, guys, back up, don't worry about it!" Nevio yells to the guards. "You gotta tell the Baron I need to sleep sometimes. I'm starting to see and hear things." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: classic neio nevio Belzer of Mercere: She was made at the time because Giraldo, Gul, and Jorn all interacted with the experimental philosophy rules, even with Jorn gone she'd still be of a big use Nevio: He whispers. "Guillaume?" Guy of Bonisagus: bevio Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Salve, Nevio." "How's it going." Nevio: His face goes white. Violante is staring at him. Gulielmus of Pure Reason shuffles towards the stairs. Nevio: "I'm gonna, uh. I can't save this guy. I'm taking him downstairs." Nevio loads a body into a cart and limps toward the dark side of the room. He starts clanking it down the stairs and talking, hoping that Guli is there. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: time for dusan and gulielmus to take on the demon. Dušan of Criamon: Danger mode Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, I'm back. Nevio: "It's been years, man. Why are you here?" "You are here, right?" johns: rabble Belzer of Mercere: Dead Rabble Storage Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Yikes! Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ftw Guy of Bonisagus: are we all here or just guli Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Just investigating some spirits." Dušan of Criamon: Mortis would have loved this Guy of Bonisagus: he probably wouldnt have, they have massive wound penalties Belzer of Mercere: Mortis is here and he's animating the rabble Nevio: Nevio takes you into the sub-basement, where hundreds of rotting corpses ooze into the nearby underground stream. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Yecch." Nevio: "I try my best, but they just keep going." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmmm. Why are they keeping corpses down here in the first place? Nevio: "You can't suffer when you're dead! It doesn't make sense to me! Just my opinion, here." johns: perhaps they are trying to pollute the water supply with dead people goo Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the water supply that's constantly being purified by mighty vergilian magics Nevio: polluting the water supply isn't the MO of the Deluder, but... GM: could it be... multi-demon drifting??!? johns: oh no! c'thinker screams Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I mean, we already polluted the water. Or rather, reverse polluted it. Dušan of Criamon: Fluoride GM: You did, true. The Tiber, yeah. Dušan of Criamon: Anyway do I see anything special in the water? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "It, ah, can't be an easy task." Belzer of Mercere: Bodies Dušan of Criamon: I said "special" GM: roll per+awareness or any other ability combination you think relevant Guy of Bonisagus: I cross myself. Dušan of Criamon: SS perhaps? Guy of Bonisagus: rolling 1d10!+2 ( 7 ) +2 = 9 GM: Unfortunately, this underground stream might not be connected to the tiber. Belzer of Mercere: rolling d10+1+1+1 Per + Awareness (clues) ( 8 ) +1+1+1 = 11 Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "People tearing each other apart with their teeth and nails." Dušan of Criamon: rolling 1d10+4 ( 7 ) +4 = 11 Gulielmus of Pure Reason looks around. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10+2+1 ( 10 ) +2+1 = 13 Guy of Bonisagus: it is probably connected to the uninvestigated underground stream near the king arthur regio though GM: nice Guy of Bonisagus: who knows Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "It must weigh on the soul." Guy of Bonisagus: how long is this invisibility good for Gulielmus of Pure Reason: until dawn the poisoned water is connected to the world sea, which is now corrupted. GM: everyone can see that the bodies are rotting and bleeding and dripping pus into the water, which is slowly trickling along somewhere. Guy of Bonisagus: ive got an idea GM: they also can all see that not one of the bodies has anything shiny or valuable on it. Guy of Bonisagus: does pilum actually set things on fire Gulielmus of Pure Reason: is the party split Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Pilium of Fire obviously sets things on fire. GM: I think you, Dusan, Belzer, and Guy (?) have all snuck downstairs. There are other people coming along and they're upstairs. Guy of Bonisagus: i guess im here i dont know Gulielmus of Pure Reason: honestly i wouldnt expect flagellants to have any jewelry GM: Did you roll to sneak? Did you bump into Nevio? Guy of Bonisagus: i did not roll to sneak so i guess im not here GM: ok then you're upstairs. Guy of Bonisagus: and will not start burning all these corpses Dušan of Criamon: I mean I could try a little CrIg on my own GM: Well in that case its nothing special. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: oh, belzer did roll Dušan of Criamon: Yeah two people went along and fucked their sneak rolls with me GM: But the corpses are of no interest to the Deluder because of their lack of material wealth, that is a detail. Dušan of Criamon: Shouldn't have targeted the rabble demographic GM: They were when alive, but they're being stored here to rot at the behest of something else, they'd just as soon be burned or buried. So, yeah. Another possible demon who hasn't appeared yet. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Updated my journal. "Don't you have another doctor to help out?" Nevio: "Violante's good, but she's no surgeon, and most of these people die from wounds instead of gettin' sick." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Nevio: "It can't help that we keep all the dead fuckin bodies next to me and her tryin' to cure people, but hey. I'm not the boss. Maybe it's for extra suffering." He lets out a single chuckle. "I feel like I've suffered enough I could probably rape a baby and get into heaven." "Not that I'd want to do that!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Please don't, though." Nevio: "I'm just sayin'!" Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Classic Nevio. johns: YCS Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "I have to say, though." Belzer of Mercere: Heeeeeey sexy baby op op op Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Penance is one thing, but turning the Colosseum into a mass grave is a whole different beast, Nevio." Nevio: "Hey, I dunno. I haven't really thought about anything but sewin' people up for like... A few years? I lost track of time." Dušan of Criamon: Abandon your life of sin and join us at the Covenant of the Vardian's Tomb Nevio: "It's holy, apparently, but I'm just glad to have the work and stay busy more than anything now." "At first I was really gung ho about the helping people part, y'know?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: boy i wish i had an infernal-aligned dispel Belzer of Mercere: Dispels are form aligned IIRC Gulielmus of Pure Reason: you can make weaker ones that are realm aligned Belzer of Mercere: Ah I see Nevio: "You guys never got hurt too bad and I was really bored and drank a lot and then these guys told me I could work all I wanted and God would love me more." "How's business these days?" Belzer of Mercere: You missed how brutally owned our grogs got fighting statues Nevio: lol Dušan of Criamon: rip Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Haven't sold potions in years." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Potion seller... Nevio: "No!" "You had such good potions!" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "The best!" Nevio: Anyway, Nevio still seems to believe the teachings of the cult were true, but they are subsumed by his insane obsession with physical health and cutting up people's bodies to heal them. So he's going to be relatively easy to sway back. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "But listen to yourself, Nevio! Here you are, knee deep in corpse juice, talking about how you've been completely unable to think about anything but surgery." "That's not normal! It's not even good!" Nevio: "The first part maybe but I love thinking about surgery." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "All right, granted." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Surgery is great. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "But at some point this whole thing has gone horribly wrong." Nevio: "Oh, I'll give you that, buddy. They're not staying alive, that's the fuckin' problem!" Nevio suddenly looks very angry. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Uh, right." "We have to... find the people in charge and ask them to tone it down." Nevio: "I don't want to say anything bad about the Baron, right? I don't. He's my boss now, and he's a nice guy, and God loves him, and the eye of divine providence looks on him with a golden light, and all, right?" "But the guy's a fuckin' idiot." "I go hey. I got this guy fixed up. He's good to go. Let him rest for a few days and he's fine. And then he doesn't rest for a few days, he gets his dick kicked in for another few hours and sent back to me." "What's the fuckin' point?" Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Maybe he's being misled?" "You see those guys he has offering advice?" at this point i have no idea what the plan is. Violante the Herbwife: just then, Violante appears at the top of the stairs. "Hey...... Uh..." "..." Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Gasp! Violante the Herbwife: "They told me... to tell you... to uh... You gotta get back to work." Violante the Herbwife stumbles a little as she turns around and walks back to the patiens. Violante the Herbwife: patients. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Something happen to Violante?" Belzer of Mercere: She's always been an airhead Nevio: "She prescribes herself a lot of theriacs." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Classic." Belzer of Mercere: She burned out her own gift with self-medication Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Makes you think. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Whatever. Have you seen anything suspicious around here besides bodies, Nevio?" Nevio: He starts limping back up the stairs with the empty body cart. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: farewell Nevio: "I don't get outta this spot too much, but now that you mention it, we get a visitor every now and then that makes Violante act real weird. Weirder than normal." "Anyway, I gotta go back to work." He makes a sewing motion with his free hand. "It was good seeing you, Guli. If you find a better job, let me know, I'm gettin' sick of the futility." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: "Good luck, Nevio." Violante the Herbwife: "What, uh.... Who're you talking to?" Nevio: "I talk to myself every day." Violante the Herbwife: "Oh.... Oh yeah." Gulielmus of Pure Reason: Weird! GM: Anyway, the party reunites. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It is weird. Belzer of Mercere: Weird, but not unexpected Gulielmus of Pure Reason: we obtained some valuable information. like, the flagellants are killing each other, and violante is acting weird. GM: Well, also they're poisoning a water supply for some reason. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: this also Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: possibly to assist another, larger demon (gm insight) Belzer of Mercere: GM Lore GM: Maybe smaller demon. Chances are it's just another demon. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: well, a demon that can boss the first demon around Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Makes you think. Belzer of Mercere: Demons generally need hierarchy to cooperate Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: In any case, how can we find the other demon? Belzer of Mercere: As evil is by nature self defeating yadda yadda Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i guess i should have asked him about the baron but since the plot to discredit the doctor is gone i didn't even consider arcane connections Dušan of Criamon: (straight talking to demonds) So which one of you is the lesser demon GM: lol johns: There's a real easy way to do this. We make a deal with the lesser demon, who wants us to kill whoever is bossing it around. Belzer of Mercere: johns is right Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Nice try Johns. GM: demons do, generally, require hierarchy to cooperate Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: That's a Hermetic Crime. GM: that's true. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: But not an Augustan Crime. Dušan of Criamon: Be that as it may I am slowly yearning for rest I'll hang on for a little longer Guy of Bonisagus: alright, lets pull back the curtain. what kind of monster could be goading innocent roman citizens toward sin? who would want to see a return to active use for the colosseum? and who would make sure that all of these events are entertaining for a noble patron? thats right. its lavinia GM: lmao. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Oh my God. Let's fight her. johns: gulielmus has discovered the loophole GM: the person who comes to visit and makes Violante act weird is tall, a woman, and is sometimes dressed as a plague doctor.... I think Guy is onto something. johns: all we have to do is convince someone who is Not a hermetic magus, to negotiate as our proxy Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Who could this be? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's bind an angel and make it serve as our proxy for demonic negotiation johns: This flies in the face of Lavinia's pro-health agenda, though. Guy of Bonisagus: nice. lets get lavinia to negotiate with her minions Belzer of Mercere: Helping a demon kill another demon isn't a hermetic crime, helping a demon accomplish any goal upon the material world probably is though. The code of hermes is a barbarian's law, not a law of principles Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's bind an angel and make it hunt and kill all the demons in rome fo rus. for us. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Making any deal with a demon is a Hermetic Crime. Guy of Bonisagus: lets blind an angel. thats it Belzer of Mercere: Well if you go around calling it a deal sure GM: lol Belzer of Mercere: And not selective demon slaying Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: We should kill both demons. GM: A radical plan. Belzer of Mercere: Be the plan you want to see. GM: anyway its still night and we will wrap shortly so lets do one more location. where does the invisible party go next Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok. Belzer of Mercere: As I can tell, we can either investigate the Baron or the gladiator demon Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Let's check out the faerie portal. Belzer of Mercere: Ok GM: a bold move. You find the location of the faerie portal. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Anyone going in or out? GM: The hall leading to the nursery has been destroyed, and the roof collapsed on it. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Nice. GM: It is inaccessible by normal means, and the thick layer of dust suggests it has not been used in some time. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Excellent. Ok, we can rule them out. Guy of Bonisagus: phew. rome is still safe Gulielmus of Pure Reason: we could take a glance at the podium Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Perhaps. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: look for any gigantic ornate circles painted in blood the usual Guy of Bonisagus: as we venture deeper into the colosseum, i will cast Eyes of Saint Marcellinus and keep concentrating on it so we can find regio entrances GM: You continue to find no regio entrances here. Guy of Bonisagus: gagh Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. GM: But you do reach the upper level and look out over the colosseum from the podium. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Nice. GM: It is majestic. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Nice. Anything weird? GM: On the same level, not far away, a group of hooded flagellants stand guard by an alcove. They hold large hammers and wear chain mail over their filthy robes. Perhaps they are protecting something or someone important. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hammers? What are they, masons? GM: On the podium is the same scrawled red eye on the robes. There are no evil books of the dead here. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Shucks. Guy of Bonisagus: any regio entrances here maybe behind those guys in armor GM: And no, they're not masons. They're warhammers. Why are you looking for regio entrances? Guy of Bonisagus: because theres an infernal aura and i will insist on using my stupid spells GM: Fair enough. There might be a regio entrance after you follow up the cult in another adventure, but I'm sorry to tell you that you're having a bad time finding them here in the colosseum. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Gah! Hmm, what about the podium itself? Just a podium? devil's fav demon (GM): Just a podium, although marked with an infernal symbol. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Hmm. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: let's damage the infernal symbol. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Dusan, you should see if there's a secret compartment. devil's fav demon (GM): He might be asleep. Guy of Bonisagus: dushwan Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i can also cast that spell. GM: A noble choice. Go for it. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Go for it. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: gulielmus reaches out and touches the satanic podium GM: Do you cast normally? ie. speaking aloud words of incantation Dušan of Criamon: Not quite yet I'll let Guli try first Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i'll cast it quietly or silently if the cultists are close enough GM: you see a big mound of gold coins. The cultists are close enough that casting silently would be for the best. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: rolling 1d10!+2+11+1-1-10 ( 2 ) +2+11+1-1-10 = 5 Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Nice, let's steal it. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: 2 pen. GM: Nice. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: sorry. 1 pen. should we take the demonic loot GM: It might be useful. Belzer of Mercere: Let's donate it to Rienzi In case its cursed Gulielmus of Pure Reason: the main thing i can think of is the demon might come to us to get it back or it could be cursed i will open it up and take the gold, on the assumption that the demon will come right to us to be slain Belzer of Mercere: This can't possibly go wrong Dušan of Criamon: Concur Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: How much cash is there? If ONLY we had a spell that could count coins. GM: lol Belzer of Mercere: Everyone knows the spell Hire Grog To Count Coins Guy of Bonisagus: thats right. now get to it belzer Belzer of Mercere: I'm a magus Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Wow! Guy of Bonisagus: sure you are Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: I can't believe this Guy. Belzer of Mercere: I have the pointed hat and everything Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Ok, we should probably pick this up next week, since I think everyone else is asleep. johns: lets test your magicness. please step into the marked pentagram Belzer of Mercere: I'll cast a prestidigitation to demonstrate GM: It's probably a good time to cut. You just found one of the demon's stashes of coins and know where one important npc is hiding. Belzer of Mercere: Alright. We went at our usual glacial pace but we did something Dušan of Criamon: I'm happy to have lasted to the finish line Mostly anyway Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Classic Vardian's Tomb. GM: I hope everyone had fun. There's probably enough here to do another full game next week, but in case something happens quickly someone else can prep something. johns: Next week we kill the demons, the baron, the penitents, and Mortis Gulielmus of Pure Reason: i did it. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Or it would be if we'd kill thusands of people. GM: I don't actually think you moved at that bad of a pace. You found out a lot of the hints and stuff and didn't immediately kill hundreds of innocent people or fall for traps. Except for Bolad promising to fight, but you might resolve this before Sunday. Who knows. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Well, he could just break his promise. Belzer of Mercere: We didn't immediately kill hundreds of innocent people, thus triggering a fail state GM: lol. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: As a heathen, his word has no value. GM: True. He's stuck with the Gullible trait now though, so other GMs please abuse this. Bwahahaha. Guy of Bonisagus: lets abuse johns Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Good idea. Guy of Bonisagus: aha. now the other gms will be able to take advantage of this new flaw. glances at list of active ars gms and begins sweating johns: lol Dušan of Criamon: I enjoyed pursuing two options I was happy to see stealth shine I'll do bat eyes and something for quiet movement next imho Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: Stealth works, I GUESS. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: tune in next week for the cloud regio adventure, where a mischievous spirit will accidentally talk bolad into falling to his death. Dušan of Criamon: I should put them in my amulet GM: lol. you should. talismans ftw magic items ftw in general. Gulielmus of Pure Reason: ftw. GM: im going to heat up some soup and eat dinner. thanks for playing hope everyone had fun. ill have rosario write a spell text for his shadow removal spell sometime so dusan can use it Dušan of Criamon: Thank you for GMing it was dope and thanks to everyone for a great game Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: See you next week! Dušan of Criamon: Had this been irl, I would have brought rock-hard leftover cookies alas GM: ooh. Dušan of Criamon: smell y'all next time devil's fav demon (GM): now consider this possibility as a thought exercise what if there were THREE demons? Gulielmus of Pure Reason: what if every player character is currently possessed by demons who are biding their time johns: it would explain a lot Gulielmus of Pure Reason: additionally, every player. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: It would. I know I suspect Lavinia. devil's fav demon (GM): lol. good night folks. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: See ya. moe (GM): SAalve a tutti devil's fav demon (GM): salve Shauncat: Ni hao devil's fav demon (GM): first time gming on antidepressants :getin: moe: antidepressants ftw Endrite (GM): I'm surprised I only rolled one sister for Mortis out of 8 siblings. GM: makes it easier to decide who to marry. Mortis ex Verditus, the Terrible, GS, RB, WB, NR, BR, AD: None of you are allowed to marry my sister. johns: lets murder mortis Shauncat: I like doing it AND it works! Octavia: Let's murder Mortis solely to marry his sister. johns: everyone is allowed to have a different motive, so long as the goal is the same moe: It's nice to return from reading about pendragon for 2-3 days straight, where you're expected to be mostly normal, get a wife, do good things now i'm back playing my decrepit little wizard looking to be used as a projectile by the slingshot known as fate, while at the same time get into some heresies, time permitting johns: hell yeah
 * hand
 * you recognize from on the robes.