Machines of War

[madtinker]

@Keiji

Spoiler

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The brothers let you depart without further harassment. You strike out on the road and soon...

@Jaster/Curf

Spoiler

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You get out of town without incident, but you soon realize that the Monastery of the Burning Stones is not a well known place, and you don't really know where it is. You wander around on back roads getting funny looks from nearly everyone you ask. Finally one old man is able to point you in a vaguely northeasterly direction, and from there more and more people recognize your destination. Five days after you leave the city...

You see a traveler (or pair of travelers) you recognize. Jaster and Curf are a bit worse for the wear after being mostly lost for four days, and Keiji sports some new battle wounds, but you recognize each other without any zany mixups.

[INWranger]

Greetings Kieji, and how do you fare? To make this quick, we need to go through the stuff we got from Red Raven. To be specific, a seal with a falcon wringing a swans neck. Or even use some forging equipment to do it. There is the possibility my suspicions are incorrect, but you may have a way to bring Red Raven down based on their involvement in a recent border skirmish.

[Manwhoisthisman]

I fair well, though I've recently left a bit of a skirmish with orcs. I am happy to hear of your plans progressing. I left the forging equipment at my monastery, it isn't much further from here. How have the two of you fared?

[INWranger]

We have had some entanglements. Can't say much more. We also got lost, so this must be a good place to lay low. hopefully the documents will be just what we need.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Well, let us be underway then.

[madtinker]

After another two days of travel, you arrive at the monastery.

[Manwhoisthisman]

With two days ability to catch up, I imagine we do some talking on the way there. Just a summary of what I did:
Met an old guy, avenged his sons, found that orcs are attacking the farmers in this region. Also Keiji takes this opportunity to let Jaster and Curf know that he has a need to return to the city to take out a Red Raven member/city official. Of note, Keiji asks if Jaster and/or Curf took an oath to serve Red Raven or if you managed to avoid that.

When we arrive at the monastery: "Greetings!" Keiji begins with a bow, placing fist against flat hand. "I have a need to meet with the elders again briefly, concerning the things I brought here previously."

[INWranger]

Once we are alone, relatively: We have a job to do and can't say what it is. If we can cut them off from their backers, or implicate them in a recent border skirmish we can have the palace shut them down.

[madtinker]

The monk attending the gates bows to the three of you and leaves to announce your arrival. He returns in a few minutes. Keiji-san, the council is unable to meet with you as a whole. Grandmother can speak with you briefly in the Garden of Surprises. If you will come with me.

He leads you through the gate, up narrow stone stairways, and out onto the rooftops, where a flower garden has been carefully cultivated. An old woman sits on a stone bench waiting for you. Your guide excuses himself, and the woman looks up sternly.

[INWranger]

Jaster bows respectfully by way of acknowledgement, but says nothing until addressed.

[curf06]

Curf also bows in respect.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Keiji bows and then begins to speak, "I have come with those that helped me in obtaining the forging supplies. They have requested to see some of them, and believe they have found a way to greatly cut the power of Red Raven. I believe it would be worth while to assist. What are your wishes?"

[madtinker]

You can read the above spoiler.

Ah, allies. Beware though. Remember the lantern fish. You may tell Quxi I sent you to examine the articles. (Quxi is the treasurer).

[Manwhoisthisman]

Keiji bows and says, "I shall remember." He then returns to the others and leads the way to Quxi.

[madtinker]

Quishi is a young monk wearing peculiar lenses over his eyes. After explaining your errand, he brings out the bag of articles and indicates a table for you to use if you wish to spread out the articles.

[INWranger]

Start looking for anything that has the seal of a falcon attacking a swan, or that mentions Argough, Bushton, or the Red River Valley. Ask the others to do the same. With the three of us it shouldn't take too long.

[madtinker]

On the table you spread out quills of different styles, mostly exotic or foreign, as well as several varieties of ink and sealing wax. You find about two dozen signet rings in a leather pouch. You don't recognize most of them. You do find one that matches the Argough crest.

[INWranger]

Okay, forgery equipment, and we have Argoughs ring. Lets take a look at the documents. I am wondering if I have him figured wrong. We do have a way to take red Raven down though. We expose the forgery and the nobles will come down hard. If we can prove collusion in the recent skirmish at Bushton and the palace will shut all involved down.

[madtinker]

The records detail the mercenary enterprises of Red Raven, hiring out guards, bounties set and collected, lists of employees, and the like. There's a lot to go through though. It would take time to search exhaustively.

[curf06]

Since I am familiar with the workings of Red Raven I help Jaster search the documents what he is looking for.

[madtinker]

All those searching for information, make an appraise, forgery, gather information, or profession (accountant) check (only one check per character). Curf gets +2 to that check.

15 or above

Spoiler

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The records are seem to be disguising who is paying for services and some descriptions, such as "Property Tax," don't match with dates or amounts.

20 or above

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You can see that Red Raven has been taking money for illegal bounties and other operations, and paying off at least one government official and possibly someone in the city watch, but they are not named.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Using appraise
Appraise - (1d20+1)[18]

[INWranger]

Using gather information.
(1d20+7)[11]

[curf06]

Using gathering information
(1d20+7)[12]

[madtinker]

Keiji can read the spoiler above, but the rest of you have difficulty deciphering anything from the columns of figures.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"I'm not sure what we're supposed to be getting from these, all I can make out is that the ledgers are poorly kept or deliberately wrong in places. Some things have ambiguous titles, and the amounts don't match."

OOC

Spoiler

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Hey, I finally took my exam that I've been studying for, so hopefully I'll be posting regularly for the next 6 months or so.

[INWranger]

Well maybe we can figure out something from the ambiguous titles with background information we have. Nothing I have seen is worth much.
Possible to get more information from a reexamination and circumstance bonus?

[madtinker]

How much time are you willing to spend?

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Quxi, are there any notes made by others who have examined these papers?"

[madtinker]

Quxi looks up from his cataloging. In fact there are. Let me get them for you.

He returns after a brief interlude. The notes are short, but enlightening.

Taxes and other expenditures are probably masking bribes to public officials

More income received that can be accounted for by number of guards on payroll - must be laundering money from other sources

Possible code words include: protection, private investigation, debt collection, pest removal, courtesy reminder