Intro: Search for the Truth

I will assume all of you are in rented rooms near Kern University.

...Deslocke is very tied up in his research and has many leads to follow up on. He will ask any guide, merchant or others familiar with the marshes around Port Innsmouth if it is possible for someone to navigate the marshes on foot. If not, Deslocke will attempt to find someone (e.g. a merchant) who goes to Port Innsmouth on a regular basis so if Deslocke needs to catch up to the party, he has a way there.

If Deslocke is able to find a small Coaster or medium sized fishing boat for charter or purchase that can hold two flat bottom boats, Deslocke my go along with the party and stay on the larger ship while the party takes the smaller boats.

Fishing - Deslocke will go down to the docks and talk to criers and see exactly how the fishing in other places "dried up". Was it all of a sudden or did it diminish over time (if so, how long)? With fish stockpiles reduced, have there been other impacts (e.g. shrimp population explodes because there aren't any fish eating them, the shark population diminishes as they don't have food, local sea bird populations diminish as they don't have fish to eat either...).

Navy - Kern is reknown for its powerful navy. Deslocke will interview (by buying drinks or meals) Navy servicemen (both some officers and rankers) and see what they know about the pirates, Port Innsmouth, the fishing concern, and other issues.

Gabby's Condition - Deslocke will attempt to get the names of some of the other patients that the healers/ priests/ etc. mentioned and speak with the relatives and friends of these people. Deslocke will listen to their stories and attempt to draw links to Gabby's situation concentrating on how the condition is contracted, what the period of infection might be, once scales are evident, what the speed of progression is, and what symptoms we're going to see next.

...if Deslocke needs to hire an additional street urchin to help track some of these people down quickly, Deslocke will do so.

...Deslocke is very tied up in his research and has many leads to follow up on. He will ask any guide, merchant or others familiar with the marshes around Port Innsmouth if it is possible for someone to navigate the marshes on foot. If not, Deslocke will attempt to find someone (e.g. a merchant) who goes to Port Innsmouth on a regular basis so if Deslocke needs to catch up to the party, he has a way there. ~~~ There is a road that goes there. Not many use it, but a coach goes there every couple of weeks, usually just carrying Innsmouthers. Nobody in there right mind goes to Port Innsmouth regularly. All shipments of fish are sent brought out by the locals rafts and brought to merchant ships up the coast. You speak with an older man, a former merchant and he says, "some of the old-timers tell about the black reef off the coast - Devil Reef, they call it. It's well above water a good part of the time, and never much below it, but at that you could hardly call it an island. The story is that there's a whole legion of devils seen sometimes on that reef - sprawled about, or darting in and out of some kind of caves near the top. It's a rugged, uneven thing, a good bit over a mile out, the pirates are even terrified of them, but they tolerate it to as it keeps the authorities away."

Another man, a sailor or middle age says, "There certainly is a strange kind of streak in the Innsmouth folks - I don't know how to explain it but it sort of makes you crawl. You'll notice a little in Sargent if you take his coach. Some of 'em have queer narrow heads with flat noses and bulgy, starry eyes that never seem to shut, and their skin ain't quite right. Rough and scabby, and the sides of the necks are all shriveled or creased up. Get bald, too, very young. The older fellows look the worst - fact is, I don't believe I've ever seen a very old chap of that kind. Guess they must die of looking in the glass! Only normal looking Innsmouthian I've seen is that Professor Arkham that works in the University. If you do take the stage coach over I wouldn't recommend staying over night there. Better you head in during sunrise and head out before night fall. I've heard stories of things happening, bad things, like people going crazy or disappearing."

Another man, a former tax collector says, "Nobody can ever keep track of these people, and state officials and census men have a devil of a time. You can bet that prying strangers ain't welcome around Innsmouth. I've heard personally of more'n one church or government man that's disappeared there, and there's loose talk of one who went crazy and is in some loony bin now. They must have fixed up some awful scare for that fellow.

If Deslocke is able to find a small Coaster or medium sized fishing boat for charter or purchase that can hold two flat bottom boats, Deslocke my go along with the party and stay on the larger ship while the party takes the smaller boats. ~~~ You can find one to rent, but none will pilot the Flat bottom boats. They will bring you within 5 miles and you can paddle in from there.

Fishing - Deslocke will go down to the docks and talk to criers and see exactly how the fishing in other places "dried up". Was it all of a sudden or did it diminish over time (if so, how long)? With fish stockpiles reduced, have there been other impacts (e.g. shrimp population explodes because there aren't any fish eating them, the shark population diminishes as they don't have food, local sea bird populations diminish as they don't have fish to eat either...). ~~~ A captain you talk with says, "The fish still seem to be there, they just seem to know to avoid our nets, like something taught them suddenly to avoid them. If those Innsmouth people didn't do enough, they also sell a bunch of jewelry here. It's made from some pretty gems and coral and stuff."

Navy - Kern is reknown for its powerful navy. Deslocke will interview (by buying drinks or meals) Navy servicemen (both some officers and rankers) and see what they know about the pirates, Port Innsmouth, the fishing concern, and other issues. ~~~ See above.

Gabby's Condition - Deslocke will attempt to get the names of some of the other patients that the healers/ priests/ etc. mentioned and speak with the relatives and friends of these people. Deslocke will listen to their stories and attempt to draw links to Gabby's situation concentrating on how the condition is contracted, what the period of infection might be, once scales are evident, what the speed of progression is, and what symptoms we're going to see next. ~~~ You speak to some families who have gone to doctors and all have the same stories. Condition is discovered, and it's found they have some relationship to someone in Innsmouth. Eventually they would just ignore it, but most just moved away or disappeared. Nowadays people with those conditions just hide it. Gabby's condition is the most progressive they have ever seen.

...if Deslocke needs to hire an additional street urchin to help track some of these people down quickly, Deslocke will do so.

Subtract a total of 100gps for bribes, drinks and hiring to get the info you've gotten up until now.

...if for some reason Deslocke is not able to accompany the party all the way into Port Innsmouth, perhaps Deslocke is still doing research, Deslocke requests that the party contribute 200 gps to Deslocke to cover his costs and so that he can extend a very generous tip for his two pages/ guides.

Deslocke will continue in his research...

Deslocke will share all he has found out so far with Gabby and Norrin.

Norrin will kick in 100 gp for Deslockes work.

Norrin isn't much of a people person, but will use his History skills (+13) and try to find as much background information as possible from public archives. He'll look for fishing trends and aquatic races in the area and also scaly rashes/transformations (+13 in Arcana).

Deslocke already found all of that info. Go ahead and re-read what I already posted.

Ross wrote:... I've heard stories of things happening, bad things, like people going crazy or disappearing."

...and there's loose talk of one who went crazy and is in some loony bin now.

Gabby will chip in 100gp too.
"Deslocke, see if you can find out who & where this guy is. I say we bust him out & take him with us. He can probably provide us with useful information on our trip. I'll make sure he stays safe and we may help him confront his demons as he helps us." -Gabby

You find him at the Kern sanitarium and you discover he has no family, and no friends that have visited him in years. Nobody is paying any bills for his stay, and he's basically a burden to them. You mention you might be able to help him, so they agree that if you will sign a release stating you take responsibility for him, plus 30 gold they will allow you to check him out. You get the feeling that they know you want him for something, but don't care. His name is Frederick Browning.

Deslocke says "Gabby, shortround here (points to street urchin) will take you to around to the guy's relatives and to the "crazy houses" to try to find him. I'll stay here with my books. While you're out, will you please pick me up a pork dough wrap with extra onions? Let me know if you find him."

I will use streetwise +9 to add what I can to this. Hopefully find out information about Gabby's father.

Nobody has heard of anyone fitting Gabby's father description. It's possible he's never been to Kern.

Very well. Once all your brainiacs are done I am ready to take the road to this fishing town and kill everyone and everything as needed. When in doubt let the god's sort it all out.

Ross wrote:...they agree that if you will sign a release stating you take responsibility for him, plus 30 gold they will allow you to check him out. ...His name is Frederick Browning.

Done.
"Fredrick, I'm Gabrielle and you'll be staying with a friend of mine tonight... his name is Deslocke. We're all going to help you, so try to answer his questions as best as you can. What can you tell us about before you came to stay here?"
"Deslocke, couldn't find any wraps, but I found a friend who's been where we're going. Try to find out what you can & I'll go out again and get us some dinner & beers."
On the way I'll try to gather all the PCs who came with us & have them help Gabby carry food/drink, and join us at Deslocke's hotel room...

Frederick has a vacant stare to him, and doesn't interact at all, but follows when lead. Think Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. When you are around talking and mention Port Innsmouth he freaks out screaming, "No, no, the horror" and he starts beating his head into the wall.

I knew when I read we took a crazy person in it would turn out well.

Almost forgot, Nevin will chip in whatever is needed for the investigations.

I am turning the Kern actions into a Skill Challenge as of right now.
When you post an action list what you think is the appropriate skill(s) that might apply to your action, along with your total points for that(those) skill(s).

Your goal is to find certain information. Some have already done a lot and they will receive credit for that. A hint I'll give you is, "What the hell are we doing in Kern?"

Deslocke says to all the other party members at breakfast...

"Okay everyone, I think we've learned all we can here in Kern. I strongly suggest that we make for Port Innsmouth at once. Only there can we get closer to the truth. Kern is a fine metropolis with comfortable inns, fine food, and lots of knowledge for bookworms like me and it was on the way, but we need to complete our trip. I suppose the only question is, by road or by sea? I suggest we go by road but bring the two small rowboats with us on wagons. I strongly suspect the answers we seek lie off shore, or in the marshes surrounding Port Innsmouth. Better prepared than caught by surprise."

So I take it the answer to my hint is 'Nothing'? Then Skill Challenge = FAIL

Ross wrote:A hint I'll give you is, "What the hell are we doing in Kern?"

Ross wrote:So I take it the answer to my hint is 'Nothing'? Then Skill Challenge = FAIL

Usually, a hint gives some clue or insight as to a direction we should consider. I don't see it either. By your tone, I would have guessed we're supposed to leave Kern too...
This is a hint:

Dwarmaj wrote:Hmm, DM thinking to self... It sure would be nice is a certain PC new what type of armor they wore. It might be useful in a situation like this...

...and we followed that hint.

I'll have to give more of a hint then.

Someone has come to Kern to meet with someone here.
You have rented rooms at Kern University...I wonder why you did that?

Sounds like Stu's department. I will do an insight check for that (+6) and I will take a -6 penalty for not caring and not paying attention.

Try reading the first post in this string of messages.

Ross wrote:Try reading the first post in this string of messages.

(from the first post, here's the only thing I saw relating to Kern:)
"On the way the party met Dean and Samuel Winchester who were searching for their father Jonathan. He sent them a message awhile ago saying he was searching for a man who had many aliases, including Abdul Hazard. The party pointed them in the direction he went when they met him a few months previous, which was towards Kern."

"Deslocke, with your 'spy network' that you set up, can you track down the Winchesters? (aka Hazard)?"

Deslocke to Gabby (still at the inn in Kern at breakfast)...
"Gabby, I have no such spy network at all, you must be thinking of someone else. I really have not done anything here in Kern that any of the rest of you could not have done. I am not even very good at gathering information and doing research. Unless we want to extend our stay here in Kern for a few days, I suggest that you and Sean go to the University and see what you can find out about Emily. After than, why don't you and Sean hit the local bars and see what you can find out about the Winchesters? I really don't care for bars too much, I'd rather do book research."

Why do I always get pulled into activities with Gabby? She just gets us in trouble and I have to fight our way out. :p

I will use my streetwise +9 to locate the professor that Emily worked with to talk to him about her and the ceremony that she was studying.
I will also use my streetwise to check local inns and such asking about the winchester family.
Again another streewise asking about wizards and where they might be in the city and for the wizard named from the first post.

I have no idea how many checks this will be and again no idea whats already been done since I didn't read all 3 pages of this thread. I am ready to kill stuff so lets go to the city that Gabby's father is at and kill stuff.