DemoGraph wrote: ↑
December 7th, 2025, 12:15
I did. And if I'm not mistaken, Altanis never asked for help with the church. And we've never found any clues for anything unusual happening below it.
And the writ for action mentions
any building.
► Show Spoiler
Formal writ
https://rpghq.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... -1#p239621 wrote:The Writ of Joint Sanction
By order of Gerwin Voseric, Bailiff of Verridor’s Rest, the bearer of this writ is empowered to investigate breaches of civil integrity within township bounds, provided they act in defense of order and peace. They are permitted to:
– Enter any condemned, abandoned, or compromised structures where evidence suggests substructural dangers.
– Request up to two guards for limited escort or observation.
– Carry weapons, tools, and relics openly in public spaces.
– Submit all findings to the Bailiff’s scribe before dusk on the seventh day.
Additional description.
Bailiff Voseric:
https://rpghq.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... -1#p239621 wrote:
agrees to a limited support writ for this “rat investigation” — allowing:
• Entry into sealed buildings with recorded breaches or superstitious reports.
• Investigating the Chapel undercroft (but only if Father Altanis permits). “If Altanis won’t open his floor, you come to me. Quietly. I’ll get you the key.”
• Reporting any findings to his scribe, Otwin.
• Full access to civic maps and land records, including older vaulting and overlays.
• A token emergency budget (10 silver pieces) to be used only with a signed requisition.
• Permission to request aid from the watch, up to two guards at a time, under “civic emergency provision.”
• Permission to carry weapons openly in town for the duration of the threat. (He did not know you were already carrying weapons around.)
• Sanctioned members of the effort are Norman, Wolfgang, Stein, and "those they vouch for."
...
Norman is now considered the “public face” of the effort, officially.
It was actually bailiff who almost shoved the Chapel into the throats of folks who went after the writ. He also offered extra key without any prompt. Pretty sus.
Bailiff confirmed for final boss - a pagan agent seeking to undermine holy foundations.
Also, that Verdanic shield guy was tipping Kal heavily, but vaguely.
"Officially" the scariest location right now is the inn. Because we have direct witness statement that **** happens here.
► Show Spoiler
https://rpghq.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... -1#p236432 wrote:
Olwin’s voice is slow and deliberate. “No one built this place, boy. That’s the first lie they’ll tell you. They’ll say Vertidor was a crown grant, a trade outpost, a garrison, this or that. Bah, the inn—this inn—it was already here. Roofless. Hollowed. A ruin with bones in the rafters and glyphs scraped from the stone." He leans back, eyes distant. “Brenna’s family rebuilt it just enough to stand. And folks came... Traders, preachers, scoundrels. But they never dug too deep. They knew. No plans show what’s beneath the ground of this town, and the ones who tried to map it… well.” He points towards a wall full of names. “Lost. Those ruins? Weren’t made by men. Not recently. We sits atop something that breathes. And once, my father-in-law said it whispered his name.” He shifts, frowning. “The rats you saw aren’t the worst I’ve seen in this region. Not by far. And the foundations…” (He taps the table twice.) “…were made to hold something in. Not keep anything out. Be grateful you don't hear it speak.”
And I've rechecked and the only bad thing about the other graveyard are rumours. That's why I sent the boys there - we have no evidence of foul play there yet, so they might not be in that much of a danger.
► Show Spoiler
https://rpghq.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... -1#p239621 wrote:
"Can you point us towards the graveyard? Is there just the one by the chapel, or does Vertidor boast multiple final resting places?"
The townsman eyes him warily, likely noting his whip and gear. "Graveyard? Just the one," he grunts, gesturing vaguely uphill towards Father Alstanis's chapel. "Holy ground behind the church. Ain't no other place folks 'round here get buried proper. Older grounds?" He shivers slightly. "Best not to talk about those." He hurries off, clearly unwilling to discuss unconsecrated ground.
Felix takes only a moment to cautiously confirm the location of Vertidor’s main cemetery with inquiries at a corner stall — a woman selling cakes and ribbons — and discovers something more:
“The old ground’s out back of the Chapel, like you’d expect. But folk say there’s another. The Quiet Hill. Not much used now, and some say not watched.” She says. She nods northeastward, toward the tree-shadowed ridge behind the wellhouse. “The old families buried their dead there. But they don’t always stay buried,” she chortles.
(Though we do have some feelings from Felix and Tillomar.)
(I'm still for visiting church. Let's dig the father's dirty laundry.)
It's a bit of a mystery/detective story that was one of the main plots of Chapter 1.
Let's go back to retrace how this deduction came to be, correct me if I'm wrong.
After the fight in the cellar with the rats, there were many hints about more mysterious stuff underground. One of the places that was suspected of having a problem was the foundation of buildings as there were stories of ruins, the town built over ancient ruins. When some adventurers went to the church to meet the priest, Father Altanis, he was being defensive and even cautioning against investigating below the foundations of buildings including his own church.
But after some consulting with the Bailiff, the party's most socially inspired character got the idea to investigate the undercroft specifically, which they later shared with the rest of the party (or at least with Kal Arion).
In paralel, more people got hints about the underground:
Ostgar and Alfwine went around alleys and some buildings basements and had visions.
Felix (you) got rumors about cellar doors and other suspicious underground activity.
Kal Arion, voices and his own "divine magic sense" indicating evil stuff under the church.
Then, another visit by Kal Arion and Felix (you) to the Church lead to graveyard fight with rising skeletons and zombies, more hints that something wicked is going on below those grounds.
The other adventurers who turned into NPCs had became convinced to descend this undercroft immediately after buying supplies, that's how Chatper 1 ended for them. And according to events told in Chapter 2, they might have gone down already.
And here we are. Thoughts?