Revenge On The Sun Priest

[OGRE MAGE]

At a meeting with an elderly couple in their modest mudbrick home, only a few buildings away from where their daughter Ilynin was brutally murdered by a nefarious Priest of Helios named Jak'n, Tuurma and Cormag discuss their options.


Red 0 = Couples Home
x = Area the body was found

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[sastaz]

I will now assume we're both in the general area shown on the map.

Tuurma takes Cormag a bit aside in the street where no one can hear them.

"Okay, so how to do this? If I remember correctly the parents said their daughter's body was dragged into the back alley over there, so probably the priests don't normally go there. Because you'd want to put a body somewhere you're not normally seen right? Not to raise suspicion. Shall we see if we can find any commoner who can tell us where the priests usually hang out when they're not in service? Or we just hang out for a while outside the temple and see if we can ask people who's who? We don't want to be too obvious, too direct questions will seem suspicious, if anything."

I had to go back and check, but Tuurma's INT and WIS are decent, especially given her class.

[redwarrior]

CormagMaybe we should check out the alley? Her body was found there. Maybe it was dragged there, maybe it was just found and there's a hidden door to somewhere?

Int 6, but it seems a reasonable guess, if not, his next suggestion would be to get some wine skins (filled mostly with water) and be "passed out drunk" near the alley

[sastaz]

Tuurma rubs the hilt of her sword while considering Cormag's suggestion.

"Well, it can't hurt, right? I doubt the priests are patrolling the area. They might have friends nearby though, so we should try to keep a low profile."

She stares silently at Cormag as if he was about to say something.

"Yes I know keeping a low profile is not my speciality, but I really think I got it this time."

She starts walking with Cormag towards the alley.

"Just as long as some idiot doesn't start acting up and is asking for it."

To the alley! We'll check it first, and plan B is to pretend to be passed out drunk there.

[OGRE MAGE]

Drunken Surveillance
Mid Aftetnoon
Back Alley Near Temple

Tuurma and Cormag make their way to the area where Ilynin’s body was discovered. They don’t find anything like secret doors or passages in the alley, but several locals pass by during their search. None of them are dressed as priests, but some may be affiliated with the nearby sun temple.

A pair of young serving girls dressed in temple robes eventually pass through the alley, carrying clay urns. They stop to look at Tuurma and her equipment for a moment, then start walking again when they notice Cormag is there too.

Actions?

[sastaz]

Tuurma hand-signals Cormag to 'stay back' and tries to catch up with the girls.

"Hey! How are you girls? I couldn't help noticing your robes. I'm new in town and I was looking for a tranquil and quiet place where a woman can come and just relax and meditate without having to worry about all of the hazards in the streets. You know what I mean, right? I was thinking to ask you, what do you think of the temple. Is it welcoming to women like us? It's for everyone, right?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The serving girls stop to talk.

One girl responds, her eyes wide with uncertainty. ”Of course. Helios welcomes all worshippers. Do you not feel his embrace when he shines his loving light upon your pale skin?”

[sastaz]

Tuurma seems hesitant to answer at first, but then says.

"Well, I think I do. I guess. Where I come from, temples are not exactly safe places for women, I'm afraid to say. As you can see, I can look after myself, but others are not that fortunate. I hear different things about the Sun Temple in this town, some say it's not always easy being a woman there, that's why I wanted to ask you what you think. I mean, only if you feel comfortable speaking about it."

Most of this is partly or completely made up of course, but she's trying to get some information from the girls.

[OGRE MAGE]

One of the girls looks back with obvious wide eyed nervousness, clearly picking up on what Tuurma is getting at.

The other replies without emotion. "Helios looks after all who dwell under his roof. He holds no disdain over his followers, whether male, female, or otherwise. Tell me, where is it you dwell from where women are not safe within the temples of the gods?"

The other girl continues to look around nervously.

[sastaz]

Tuurma looks left and right, trying her best to look busy.

"You know, it's a long story and we need to be going back to The Last Plank actually. It was very nice meeting you."

She grabs Cormag's arm and secretly mouths to him "I'll explain let's go"

As soon as they're out of sight, she explains.

"Did you see that one girl? She wanted to talk but didn't dare. I think she might come looking for us after hours. Or I hope so, a long shot but it might work. What do you want to do now? We could wait for her, continue our drunken stupor plan, or try to overwatch the temple, I guess."

[redwarrior]

Let’s go where you said we’d be. I think the one may come, or maybe some… other visitors. And if not, we can always be drunk in the alley in a day or so.

[sastaz]

Said and done!

[OGRE MAGE]

Just so I have this straight…..

The plan is to leave this current encounter, and head back to the tavern to…..

wait for a possible encounter…..that might not happen?

If that’s correct, tavern thread is here: https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... hp?t=12183

[sastaz]

The plan was to see if the one girl that seemed to be scared about the abusive men in the temple would come look for us once she got out of sight of her fanatic friend, yes. And maybe then dare to tell us about the priest and where we can get to him. Is that so far fetched? Openly spying on the temple sounds more dangerous to me than a covert action. With the temple being super influental any rumors of us asking around for this one specific priest would surely come to their attention immediately? Charging the front gates? I'm out of better ideas. YMMV.

Maybe you did not mean it that way but your last post seemed to me that you are sceptical? In that case, may I ask why?

[OGRE MAGE]

In my opinion, DM skepticism would be irrelevant.

I understand there were several days/weeks of RL inaction here, but the PC’s just left the tavern a few minutes ago in game time, a rowdy dockside establishment where you should be certain by my earlier descriptions that a timid serving girl from the temple would never go.

I set this encounter up for you to begin your mission, which started off great. But after a couple sentences, you believe I’m suggesting you should go back and wait around at the place you literally just left? Doesn’t that seem like a lot of unnecessary jumping back and forth to either of you? You can’t think of anything else to do other than leaving?

The encounter is already here, happening right now. But since I don’t like the idea of thwarting PC’s stated actions, if you prefer to go back to the tavern and wait, that is a legitimate action and is fine with me.

[sastaz]

...a rowdy dockside establishment where you should be certain by my earlier descriptions that a timid serving girl from the temple would never go.

I was most definitely not certain of this. Quite on the contrary I assumed serving girls for the temple were picked from the lower classes, the streets almost, and that her mum and dad might very well be working in the kitchen of said establishment.

But I get it now. Let's stay in this thread.

That being said, no, I don't have any ideas that seem smart. The one girl seem far too fanatic to convince them further. And we have no idea what this priest looks like, so we couldn't single him out even if we wanted to. Somehow, it seems to me, we have to do some sort of information gathering work, but like I said, one of these girls give the impression that she would call the temple guards right away if we question her further. And since we don't even know who's the evil priest, it'll just turn out a mass slaughter of guards, for no particular reason.

redwarrior, any ideas?

[OGRE MAGE]

Drunken Surveillance
Mid Aftetnoon
Back Alley Near Temple

After leaving the girls behind, Tuurma and Cormag discuss going back to the tavern. Before they can depart the back alley, the nervous looking serving girl rushes back up to them, holding the palm of her hand out dramatically.

She whispers. “I know of what you speak. Offer a donation to make this look good…..and I will meet you back here in 2 hours.”

Actions?

[redwarrior]

Cormag nods his head at the girl and passes her three silver coins quietly whispering We'll be here. Once she leaves, he looks at Tuurma and quietly says We should be alert, as this may as easily be a trap as truth. In the meantime.. somewhat louder voice I'm about out of ale, let's track down another flask! and surreptitiously water it down!


If the coins don't appear to be enough, he'll add a few more. I'm working on the assumption that silver is fairly hard-won here, at least among the lower caste, and that gold would raise eyebrows.

[OGRE MAGE]

5 silver coins does the trick.

After 2 hours pass, (back at the tavern? ) the same timid serving girl proves true to her word, eventually making her way back to the exact spot in the back alley, this time all alone.

She looks around nervously, unsure if she should speak.

[sastaz]

Tuurma gestures to Cormag to stay back a bit, and adds, whispering:

"I think she it will be easier for her to speak to another woman. Try to keep lookout and shout if you think this turns out to be a trap anyway."

After that she approaches the girl.

"I'd like to speak to you about violence, and murder, committed by holy men in your congregation, against women. What do you know about this? Is the rumor regarding this priest true?"

Tuurma intentionally keeps it a bit vague in the beginning to see if the girl was really talking about the same situation, or even the same man.