GM thunderspirit's Online Gameday PbP: Burnt Offerings (Inactive)

Game Master thunderspirit

Just caught the part about Ander and Carl. Ander will forgo the horse and accoutrements, but offer to pitch in money to Carl.

Heh. It was either that or on the handlebars... ;-)

A quick asking about reveals that the best accommodations in town are to be found at the White Deer, which has a majestic view of the Varisian Gulf, while the Rusty Dragon nearer the Sandpoint docks is considerably more popular, mostly because the proprietor of the former is a little prickly and the proprietor of the latter is decidedly less so. Both run the same rate.

I've never ridden a horse or pony for so long at one time... its time to find a bed! I hope they have halfling-sized rooms.

They do. But they're still full price, cos humans are size-ists.

Carl speaks I'm fine with the White Deer. Ander, do you want to split a room?

Maddie obtains her own private room at whichever inn the group consensus dictates, along with stabling for her horse. Unless there's a known temple to Pharasma in town, she'll just retire early.

Ander nods and smiles at Carl's question. That sounds like an amiable arrangement. Thank you for the offer.

Maddie, there's no official temple to Pharasma in town; the cathedral gathers the six most commonly worshiped deities in the area (Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Gozreh, Sarenrae, and Shelyn) under one roof, and has nominal shrines to each.

Given the clandestine nature of the assignment, the party elects to stay at the less crowded White Deer.

You check your horses at the Goblin Squash Stables (the entrance of which is covered with a collection of goblin ears), just inside town near the southern bridge into Sandpoint. It'll cost 2 gp overnight for all the horses, and they can be fetched after sunrise tomorrow.

A short walk up the hill lies the White Deer, a sizable three-story building with a stone floor and a dozen large rooms. Each room is 5 sp, and includes your evening repast.

Your overnight stay is uneventful.

Sunrise! Thistletop awaits!

Beleg goes through the same routine of studying his spellbook for an hour in the morning before checking over his weapons and readying for the journey ahead.

Carl is excited, and takes a shower for the first time in a week. Its goblin slicing time!

Dink looks forward to more colorful horse hijinks on the way to Thistletop.

Quiven is ready whenever the party is. He'll grab a few snacks for the trip (meaning bananas) and await word to head out.

During his visit to the grocer/market, he'll see if he can find out any type of information about the goblin attacks from people in town.

Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Maddie wakes up early the next day, prays for her daily divine power, and is then ready to leave for Thistletop as soon as possible.

Carl is asleep until someone smacks him a little. Sorry about that. I'm ready when you are ready!

Sorry, all, Internet was out at home last night. >.<

The Lost Coast Road diverges from the shore shortly after departing Sandpoint, diverging south between the rocky, broken hills of Ravenroost and the pine and eucalyptus forest of the small Shank's Wood closer to the coast. About four miles east of Sandpoint looms the Nettlewood, a tangled forest of low, gnarled trees and thorny underbrush. When the Road crosses the Thistle River, your party turns to follow downstream.

Survival checks to successfully navigate the Nettlewood, please.

Carl looks around.

Can we take 10? Carl would have a 19

Sure, I don't see why not.

Carl notes several game trails near the river's edge and guides you along the terrain. Gradually the trail moves away from the river and up a gentle slope. You hear a faint whoosh that gradually grows loud enough to recognize as the sea; you must be nearing the shore again.

The briars and thistles that grow so rampantly in the Nettlewood are even more dense and tangled here. While it doesn't block the sound of the surf, it certainly is thick enough to block sight and access to the coast. Few trees grow here, but the briars themselves more than make up for that, often reaching heights to rival them; here, the patch is twenty feet high.

Carl points out an area of the bramblewall. Hey. This looks odd. I don't think it grew here.

Ander nods. I agree. Should we try to move it?

"Be careful, it could be a trap. Perhaps we should try to move it from afar, just in case." Maddie advises.

Can we just burn through it? Carl thinks aloud.

"Possibly, but it could also be a door or a hidden cache. I'm not sure it's wise to risk damaging whatever could be behind it."

Beleg stands and listens to his companions discuss. He picks dirt out from under his fingernails for a moment before digging out yet another cigarette. He smokes casually as everyone discusses; a few minutes later he squishes the butt into the dirt with his boot.

Carl sticks his head near the briars and tries to perceive anything unusual.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Ander follows Carl and begins searching the bramblewall as well.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

Seeing no danger, Ander gingerly grabs the bramble wall and tries to move it.

Ander heaves, expecting the brambles to be heavy. Surprisingly, they lift with relative ease, revealing a 4-foot-high tunnel leading into the briars.

Ander curses as one of the thorns sticks him in his palm. Son of three headed harpy, that stings! Well it appears we have found a way to go!

"Better you than me." Beleg says as he pushes his way through the cleared path and gives Ander a smirk.

Ander rolls his eyes and follows after Beleg. I wish I had a cantrip like mage hand or prestidigitation memorized so I could wipe that smirk off his smug face. Hey Beleg! Wait up. Ander says.

Dink decides to join the group, juggling a couple bananas...

Best use for a banana I've found!

Noticing just how small the entrance is, Dink whips out a wand--with a silly flourish--and states, "Once you go small, you'll forget about tall!"

That was an offer for a 1 min. wand tap of Reduce Person to any who would like it. I'll need to UMD unless someone has that on their list

Seeing Dink juggling the bananas, Quiven absent-mindedly reaches for one of his and starts to enjoy his snack. I prefer to eat them. That way I won't drop one. Quiven will follow the rest of the group into the tunnel that was just uncovered. If permitted, he will go inside and take a look around for anything nasty like booby traps or the like.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

I did a little asking around this morning while at the market. I was told that these guys attacked the library and seemed to be quite organized. I didn't realize that goblins were so orderly.

Beleg stops and looks back at the halfling quizzically. "No, I don't think they are usually so organized. And a goblin wouldn't have much have much interest in a library. . . except perhaps to watch it burn."

He pauses and thinks for moment. "Perhaps the goblins have a backer; someone supplying them with fireworks and whatnot to do such things."

Well they did say they tried to burn it down. You've pretty smart. Quiven says to the Taldan. Why would they wanna burn the library though? The halfling shrugs to his own question. Lemme see if there's anything nasty in here before we go plodding around.

Inside the tunnel, Quiven can see it wind through the dense briars and nettles. The floor beneath him is hard-packed earth, with patches of wiry plants growing stubbornly here and there.

Mechanical stuff:

• Large creatures must crawl to navigate the thistle tunnels. Your horses will be ineffectual. Bipedal Medium creatures can navigate the tunnels by stooping over and hunkering down, effectively squeezing to move (–4 penalty on attack rolls and to AC; 2 squares of movement for each square traveled). The larger chambers within (your GM will let you know) all have higher ceilings wherein these penalties do not apply.
  
• Small creatures can move about normally, as can most quadrupedal Medium creatures.
  
• The thorns that comprise the "walls" here are quite damp due to morning and evening fog.
  

MAP

Everyone should have an invite via Google Docs in their email account. If you can't access the map or you don't get an email within an hour from this post, please let me know.

After tying her horse off outside the entrance, Maddie squeezes in and follows the rest. Quickly she finds herself regretting not taking Dink up on his offer to become smaller.

"Perhaps Nualia directed them to destroy the library. If she turned away from the Pathfinders, perhaps she now finds it necessary to destroy knowledge instead of unearthing it." She pipes into the conversation between Beleg and Quiven, "Or maybe the library has the most lax security and they just wanted to destroy something."

Carl follows the proper sized folk.

Dink returns the wand up his sleeve then quickly releases another wand from his other sleeve. He taps himself then returns it.

"Best not slow them down."

Used a charge of Expeditious Retreat (1 min.) I have two swift action wands in wrist sheaths: Expeditious Retreat and Reduce Person

There are two ways to go here. One tunnel runs off toward the northwest, the other to the northwest.

Carl heads towards the NW.

Dink, looking around at all the brambles isn't so sure this is ideal whip territory, but, keeps a grip on it none the less.

The gnome moves into the brambles...

Beleg pulls out his mysterious blade and moves forward with the rest of the group.

Map updated to reflect what you guys can see. (Mostly more brambles.)

Also, does anyone have Survival trained?

Carl has survival trained. +9. consider me taking 10 for 19 all the time :)

Ander follows behind Quiven, scrambling though the brambles.

Rene and his cheaty broken builds... ;-)

What other skill you think a fighter will take? I should have put ranks in spellcraft :P

Carl speaks up What's this? it looks like something has been dragged through here within a week. There are also all of these footprints. Anyone recognize them?

"Let's have a look here..."

Knowledge (Local)?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22