His counter argument is that every cook should suspect people sneaking poison into their food all the time, if you are paranoid enough that's like expecting the cook to wash his hands.
Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Fantasy
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- Tags
- pathfinder
His counter argument is that every cook should suspect people sneaking poison into their food all the time, if you are paranoid enough that's like expecting the cook to wash his hands.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Ehhh. I think we can make Kori put on his Intimidation hat and build off what Leontas has offered, promising punishment enough that the cook would remember it, yet not of a physical nature so as to not put strain on the expedition. He is the spook, people might believe it.
We could then see how good Oka is at performing terrified screams. Where's that illusory staff with Echo where you need it?
We could then see how good Oka is at performing terrified screams. Where's that illusory staff with Echo where you need it?
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
That's the point where we just shrug and concede that not every cook has the same experience or background, where one must be quite so wary. Now that we know it's an issue, Oka will be more diligent.
Not that it matters, of course, because Kori will be using Detect Poison to check our food from now on.
[X] Offer to take the cook's place as the one to take the punishment
He's our employee so we could argue his negligence is ultimately our responsibility. It could also make us look like a magmanimous leader which could help us get people on our side for Garvhaul's eventual backstab
He's our employee so we could argue his negligence is ultimately our responsibility. It could also make us look like a magmanimous leader which could help us get people on our side for Garvhaul's eventual backstab
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
That would be so massively OOC for Kori that the rest of the party would probably think he's been affected by a mind controlling spell.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Hmph.
What if we proposeMina our Neutral Evil witch cast an Itching Curse on the cook so that he learns his lesson? It's unpleasant enough to not repeat the deed, while also having no lasting consequences. She'll then cast a hex or something similarly minor, just to fire something that pings like a spell.
We can warn the cook through Sirim. So long as he doesn't stop scratching in sight of others, everyone gets to save face.
What if we propose
We can warn the cook through Sirim. So long as he doesn't stop scratching in sight of others, everyone gets to save face.
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- Location
- florida
[X] Stand firm, there is no reason why cruelty would teach any better than words
-[X] "Punishment when a true offense has been committed may be acceptable, but punishment without purpose is simple cruelty. Oka would have had no reason to suspect tasting our food would be necessary, nor was he hired for such a duty."
He also isnt a poison taster. Which is a job.
-[X] "Punishment when a true offense has been committed may be acceptable, but punishment without purpose is simple cruelty. Oka would have had no reason to suspect tasting our food would be necessary, nor was he hired for such a duty."
He also isnt a poison taster. Which is a job.
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[X] Stand firm, there is no reason why cruelty would teach any better than words
-[X] "Punishment when a true offense has been committed may be acceptable, but punishment without purpose is simple cruelty. Oka would have had no reason to suspect tasting our food would be necessary, nor was he hired for such a duty."
-[X] "Punishment when a true offense has been committed may be acceptable, but punishment without purpose is simple cruelty. Oka would have had no reason to suspect tasting our food would be necessary, nor was he hired for such a duty."
- Location
- Germany
[X] Accept the judgement, healing will at least ensure this is over quickly
Taking a stand against Gavhaul now, when we are already sus as fuck?
Might as well be an open mutiny to take over the mission.
I don't feel particularly inclined to protect the cook here.
Taking a stand against Gavhaul now, when we are already sus as fuck?
Might as well be an open mutiny to take over the mission.
I don't feel particularly inclined to protect the cook here.
Vote closed, looks we are going to be heroic here. Lets see how that goes for you.
Arc 8 Post 9: Of Whip and Water
Of Whip and Water
1st of Neth 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
You clear your throat, uneasy under so many eyes, you hope unheard between the words: "Punishment when a true offense has been committed would be acceptable, but punishment without purpose is simple cruelty. Oka would have had no reason to suspect tasting our food would be necessary, nor was he hired for such a duty."
"You hired him to be a cook, yes, for a long and perilous journey, and you have no food taster. Or are you some scion of a distant land who needs servants to cater to his whims?" There is scattered laughter from the watching sellswords, though not for long. Gavhaul does not bristle so much as he sinks further into himself, his eyes like pools of water growing darker with the passing of the sun. "It matters not what he thought nor what you thought, seer. If his suffering should trouble you so, then let that be a lesson to instruct your hirelings better."
"Are ye set in your judgement, merchant?" Urgor asks in dwarf tongue, using a word that applies to mortaring stones as well as coming to a decision. A wall thus set can only be shattered with a hammer.
"Are we sure he didn't taste it?" Leontas cuts into the heavy silence. "I remember once when we were campaigning into the Riftshadow a friend of mine came down with the bon- shakes after drinking from a barrel than had been tasted by the regiment's war priest. The poison was spelled by demons to be innert for the first three drinkers, but not the fourth."
Gavhaul looks at him, not saying a word until the captain looks away. "Your commitment to keeping the peace is admirable, captain, which is more than I can say for others present," the mage says silkily. "Whip him and give him no relief until we set off on the morrow."
Even though the mercenary commander's expression does not change his right hand does tip in Gorok's direction. 'I tried, what can you do?'
For his part Urgor proves less able to hide his feelings, but he too can do little more than watch on in disgust as a pair of sellswords lead the cook to one of the larger trees, secure him with rope against one of the stouter branches, and begin the 'punishment'. All of you have your reasons for being here and you cannot risk it over one man's pain. Oka does not scream until the seventh blow, but those three screams echo far longer in your memory.
***
2nd of Neth 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
It is a much subdued and far more watchful caravan that stirs the following morning as Mina rushes to heal the cook as soon as she is permitted. She reports that the wounds had thankfully not gone sour under the bandages. His spirits are not as well as his body, but at the very least he does not seem to blame Gorok for his suffering. He'd seen the iruxi trying his best. By his own account Oka does not even seem to blame the men whose hand was on the whip, a sailor by trade he knows that it's the captain who beats the weight of such things, for good or ill. If you were in Gavhaul's shoes you'd avoid eating any food from Oka's pot, no matter how savory.
Oka Fortitude to avoid Infection (DC 10): 1d20+2 = 20 (Success)
Alas, that is not the end of your worries. As Leontas' men give the morning roll call one name is called over and over: 'Ulka'. The familiar morning scramble turns into something more urgent, into the realization that one of the women on Sarenrae's Watch, named so in hopeful anticipation of the dawn, is missing. It doesn't take Gorok long to figure out what must have happened, though the news is grim. Bloody drag marks leading into the river, implying something had snatched Ulka up and dragged her into a watery grave.
Gorok Survival (DC 24); 1d20+19 = 27 (Success)
"We should cut away from the water," Urgor suggests at the next meeting for what passes for the leadership of the caravan. "We've not the means to fight river monsters, whether it be the dragon, as the they are starting to say in the camp, or not."
"Whatever it is it's likely had its fill," the mage waves his worries away. "We take the fastest road to Fusil and that's the river road, else others may already have claimed the prize that we've so long strove for." The words ring hollow as a tin pot, but it's clear that his mind is made up.
Neither Leontas' concerns about morale nor Urgor's worry that a beast might spook the horses into flight are enough to move him, not when he does not trust either of them. And as for you... well it's a good thing he does not know just how much trouble you'd brought onto his head, though what he is aware of is quite enough to discount Gorok's words of caution.
Still, your friend does have a plan that does not count upon Gavhaul heeding sweet reason. If the thing in the river is indeed a beast looking for food than you can lure it onto the shore with a dead deer for bait and so get rid of it, and maybe earn a trophy beside. On the other hand, if it is indeed a dragon or anything else able to reason it would only laugh to itself as it strikes elsewhere.
What do you do?
[] Try to bait the thing in the water on the following night
-[] Ask for help from Urgor (Automatic success due to oath)
-[] Ask for help from Leontas (Diplomacy DC 27)
[] Maybe Gavhaul is right and it's best not to risk it
[] Write in
OOC: At least he didn't get an infection, and since you did try to protect him Oka thinks better of you.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Well, it's not like we weren't going to have to kill Gavhaul anyway. It does help that he's making it more of a perk rather than an unfortunate necessity.
[X] He is their employer rather than their friend, but Gavhaul's dismissive attitude and uncaring cruelty are winning him nothing among the sellswords or the Dwarven contingent. We'll hold our tongues for now and let him dig himself deeper so that there might be less opposition when the time comes to act.
[X] He is their employer rather than their friend, but Gavhaul's dismissive attitude and uncaring cruelty are winning him nothing among the sellswords or the Dwarven contingent. We'll hold our tongues for now and let him dig himself deeper so that there might be less opposition when the time comes to act.
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- Location
- Germany
I would have expected this to come to a confrontation, since we stood on our point.
Do we even need Gavhaul anymore at this point?
We have the dwarves, the mercenaries are on the fence, the transport-contact is a Pathfinder.
Why not finish it now, take control of the caravan?
Do we even need Gavhaul anymore at this point?
We have the dwarves, the mercenaries are on the fence, the transport-contact is a Pathfinder.
Why not finish it now, take control of the caravan?
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
He's part of the Aspis consortium, and they probably have a policy of "if a mid level member dies, we'll throw some divinations to find out why, and take revenge".
The best way would be for hm to die fighting a monster, though the chances of that are slim to none.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
The mercenaries will protect the one who pays them, and a word from a bunch of
When you are running a mercenary company, betraying your employer is bad for business. We have an offer from Pathfinders to compensate, and think it's a better one; others might see things differently.
You probably have the dwarfs (no way to tell unless you ask him) and Leontas likes you enough to roll a bluff check on your part, that is not the same thing as him being willing to betray his employer over you as seen above.
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
The people who came down in those escape pods are gonna have opinions on what's to be done with their expensive adamantium. I expect that things will come to a head at that point with Gavhaul, if they haven't before then.
- Location
- Germany
I doubt they stayed with the pods that long.
It's been weeks.
It's been several months since you were down in that command center.
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- The Future
Indeed, he is making less and less friends as this expedition goes on, first his cruelty towards Oka, the callousness towards one of soldiers being grabbed, and avoiding good reason just for hast and risking peoples' safety.
Makes me think more and more he is not planning to honor deal with all present, since why be nice to those you plan to double cross?
So plan is to do nothing with river beast then?
Maybe at least add a plan to keep watch near it so we can give warning if something does attack?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
If it is a regular predator, it probably won't continue to track the expedition. If it's something else, it will eventually come to us.
As for keeping watch, I can specify something if y'all think it is necessary, but I assumed that would be an automatic reaction, everyone keeping an eye on the river, us included, when anywhere near it or when we set camp for the evening.
- Location
- Germany
Maybe it wasn't a beast.
Maybe the poisoner, people or fey, have taken one of our guards and made it look like an animal attack?
Maybe the poisoner, people or fey, have taken one of our guards and made it look like an animal attack?
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