GM Tyranius Decline of Glory Sub-Tier 3-4 (Inactive)

Game Master Tyranius

"What lies within the chest?" asks Barrakhan.

Fade does indeed find the chest to be locked and trapped as well. It looks as if when the lock is unclasped that a poisonous needle will jut out from a small pinhole.

Using his mind Fade carries the chest, with ease as Beecher leads the way down the tunnel. After several hundred feet the tunnel opens up as it leads directly into the Distillery itself.

"What lies within the chest?"

"The deed of course." Beecher replies through labored breathes.

As you enter the Distillery through the trap door leading down into the tunnel you can clearly hear yelling and a lot of commotion outside of the Distillery.

The muffled voice of Grald yells throughout the town. "Be done with this already Beecher! I have secured Railford. Come out already so we can end this or my men will search these homes one by one. I have an entire platoon of men out here so don't resist....."

"Can we look at the deed?" Fey asks Beecher.

Fade do you share the chest is locked and trapped? Fey just happens to have some skill at lock picking.

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"Sounds like the dung is startin to fly. Best get yer deed outta there Beecher, so's we can settle everythin'."

disable device, take 10: 10 + 11 = 21 To disarm the trap incase he lost the key.

"Finally! We got in the distillery!" Fade says in an almost cheery tone.

Then as Grald's voice comes with its ultimatum, Fade's dour tone returns, "So I suppose that means it's not time for a drink yet... That guy is really... Oh nevermind, let's just get this over with." we should let Grald open the chest and get poisoned... grumble... wanted to grab a drink first... grumble... worst place they've sent me yet... grumble.

"Hey, be careful with this chest. There's a poisoned​ needle trap on it. I can take care of it if we're going to open it but don't go rushing to open it till I do."

disable device from range with TK finesse: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36

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It may come to a fight between us and Grald, but we must get you somewhere safe first. Will this do, or would you prefer to go back down?"

Natula looks around, crosses her arms, and notes: "This dump doesn't look any better than the cave we were just in."

"I say invite the bastard in for a drink. We can show him the deed and tell him to shove off and if he doesn't like it we can pop his head like a grape and toast over his body as it cools." pausing a second he then adds " and yeah, maybe you should get to a safer place. Or at least get behind something solid."

describe this building again please. Is it at all a good place for defense? If we go back down it might be giving away a secret entry way to an enemy, but if it's that much better to fight from it could be worth using it as a retreat option. A dead enemy can't reveal the secret so if our host wants it to stay hidden we really shouldn't leave any enemy survivors. That's his call.

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New map is posted. Doors are marked with letters.

Beecher rushes to one of the cracked windows. "PISS OFF GRALD. YOU'LL NEVER TAKE RAILFOrd........" Beecher's eyes roll back into his head as he collapses onto the floor. His shirt is matted from his previous wounds as he slowly continues to bleed out.

Just as Beecher falls to the ground Fade and Spackle work together to disable to needle as they open the lock. The chest flips open to reveal a small stack of papers within.

A loud rap is hear on the door as a stone strikes it and within moments Grald's voice is hear outside. "We have the whole building surrounded. Make this easy Beecher...."

"Oh Crap! Here's my wand!" Fade says as he flicks his wand into the air to hover near Beecher. "Someone heal that guy with it so he doesn't die."

Looking around the distillery Fade continues, "There are too many ways in here. We need to guard Beecher and this chest. What's the plan folks?" When Fade looked around the place was there anything the group could use to block any of the many ways in? If the place is really surrounded this could get bad quick.

Since the chest is now open, Fade quickly glances through the papers to see if they are what Beecher said they were.

"Alright, let's keep our heads. Fey, if ya wouldn't mind usin' Dourclouds wand ta heal our host. Looks like 'e's gone an' started seachin' fer the deed. Imma try ta buy us a little time."

Casting Enhanced Diplomacy

Spackle walks to the door, "Well met Grald. Word is that yer lookin' fer land. Well, it seems that Beecher here `as got 'imself a deed fer Railford. Now, as one whose mind 'n body is dedicated ta the generous Cayden, and given the fact that we be in a distillery, comin' in here with intentions other than sharin a bottle in celebration may be akin ta violatin' a church. How about ya come in fer a drink an' we let everyone's sword arm rest an' work 'em out by liftin' some tankards? Whataya say Grald?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 2 = 15

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Fey grabs Fade's wand and quickly taps Beecher with it. "Hopefully this helps enough to get him awake." She studies him, and taps him again if he doesn't become conscious.

CLW if a second tap is needed: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

What about the room behind us? It only has the two doors. We might be able defend ourselves in that room unless he tries to burn us out.

That's a good idea. If talking and drinking don't work out, we can make a fighting retreat to there. If others agree, we should move the characters on the map to be closer to there. I'll move after I get a resolution to the last few actions, healing Beecher, looking in the chest, and Spackle calling for peace talks.

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Quietly to the others, "Let's not ferget we gots some o' 'is boys."

Back to the door, "Just so's ya know, ain't nobody wantin' no trouble. However, we both may have a different problem. Seems like there be undead afoot. Could be the towns in danger. I'm thinkin' we may need ta consider joinin' forces afore Railford is home ta nuthin' but walkin' corpses. Whatta say Grald, want ta be a hero fer savin' the town?"

There are several crates, pallets and vats laying around.

[spoiler=Fade]Need a Dc 14 Will save. If you fail you are under the effects of a suggestion spell. reading the deed papers you wish upon everything to claim them for yourself.[/ooc]

Fade begins to flit through the small pile of papers as Feybella grabs the wand and taps Beecher with it. After the initial tap his bleeding stops and he slowly begins to stir.

"A few undead won't stand a chance against my men. We are here for the town." You hear Grald issue out several commands as he hollers from the door. "Go around. Get in the building. Bust the doors down if you need to!"

Door A Damage: 3d8 + 6 ⇒ (1, 8, 6) + 6 = 21 -8 HP

The set of double doors begin to crack and splinter as longswords hack away at the doors.

"Why would you defending an “old, useless, unreliable drunk such as Becher.” Grald counters. "Help me with the town. You are here to build your Lodge correct? Help me get this town and the Lodge is all yours. End this now and I will call my men off."

With a low whisper Fade comments to the group, "I don't like that guy Grald. Our deal is with the bleeder over there with Fey."

Fade grabs a large crate with his aether and sends it over to help bolster the door. "Best start barricading the other doors as his men are going around. Good news though, at least the deed is here. I'm not all that familiar with this sort of thing so one of you should give it a better look."

I want to take out a potion as well but not sure how much time we have for things.

"We should prepare for attack. Spackle how's your barrister knowledge? I don't know much about the law." Fey stands near Beecher ready to defend him if needed.

"If 'barrister' has anythin' ta do with a bar, then I mighten be an expert." says the gnome with a wink.

Again out the door loud enough for all the troops to hear, "Looky here Grald, two 'o yer boys is in 'err with us. Ifin ya do anythin' rash, sumthin' terrible could happen ta them. Ya seem to know a thing er three 'bout The Society. Tell me, whatta know about those that get in the way 'o the lodge or our allies? Things get messy when we be forced inta a corner. Ya sure ya wan' ta go this route? Shuren there's gonna be lotsa unneeded blood all over the streets. We got the deed, an' right now everyone be breathin'. What say we work tagether ta keep it that way?"

"We need to cover the doors," observers Barrakhan. "This is the worst possible location. Up there on the loft would be better, or up there above the vats. The still room might also work. Slightly more defensible. The area above the vats has the best sight-lines."

So saying, the elf hustles to guard one of the doors while waiting for the others to make a choice.

Whispering to the others, "He knows this whole place would be like oil soaked kindling, don't he? Last thing we need is ta be trapped. Keep them barricades up, but that hole maybe our best chance ifin things go sideways."

a tall brick and timber building topped with a massive tin-covered water drum. A sign over its looming doors reads Railford Distillery est. 4693. From a squat brick building sharing an adjoining wall with the distillery rises a long cylindrical chimney. A low, moss-covered cobblestone wall surrounds the entire property.

ok so I found this description of the outside. Much of the place is brick. I like over the vats for defense. It offers a choke point to reach us and, as B mentioned, does have the best sight lines for ranged. Since they spread out to come from multiple entrances we can pick them off as they enter if we first slow them down with barracades. Fade will move the chest with the deed up over the vats and begin heading up there himself, after he moves the crate to cover door A (if that's the one we see breaking) since that was his previous stated action. Melee can stay on the ground.

"Damn good thinking B. I'll head up for a better view of things." Fade says as he begins heading to the stairs leading up over the vats. "No offense to your idea Spackle, but I'm done with damp, cold darkness. I'm not planning to go out just yet, but if I'm going out, it's going to be with​ all this glorious alcohol surrounding me." Fade finishes with a grin.

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Natula grabs a wand from her belt, and casts a quick spell to no apparent effect off it.

"Why do you want this town so bad anyhow Grald. Even the dead are getting up and leaving!"

Kalas heads for the rafters.

"Huh, you really think he might try to burn us out?" Orrin comments vaguely, drawing his weapons. "Uncharacteristically cynical of you, Spackle, I must say. I'd prefer to fight up close, but you might be right about the rafters, B. We'd be overwhelmed quickly given how many it sounds like they have out there."

"He isn't gonna try and burn us out. He wants this place for himself after all. Doors are easily replaceable but a fire isn't worth the trouble." Fade says with confidence.

Going to take this into Initiative rounds at this point.

Further description of Distillery.

Taproom: The taproom of the distillery has tall 20-foot ceilings and 8-foot high climbable scaffolding surrounds the walls laden with massive barrels filled with liquor. The barrels on the ground floor level are tapped and can be opened and closed. The liquor is flammable, but gives off little heat and damage and extinguishes quickly (1 hp fire damage per round for 1d2 rounds). Still, if a tap is lit on fire, the entire barrel can catch, causing a slight explosion 1d4 rounds later (1d6 damage to all creatures within 10 feet of the barrel; Reflex DC 12 negates).

Stillroom: A massive exhaust chimney occupies the center of this brick room, while complex coils of glass piles and alembic tubes, vats and beakers chug and burble, powered by a smoldering hot iron stove. Scent in this room is overpowering; anyone entering for the first time must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or be dazed for one round. Once an individual has been exposed to the scent they are immune to its effects for the next week.

Grald begins to grow angry and impatient. "You have until we get in to decide. I would hurry if I were you. Don't make yourselves enemies of the empire."

Door Damage
A -8

Round 2
Spackle
Feybella
Barrakhan
Fade
Natula
----------------------------

Phalanx
----------------------------
Orrin
----------------------------
Grald
----------------------------

"We open the door, open the taps, and invite them inside." Suggests the CN evoker quietly.

Fey and Wolfie move to the group, and then past them. "Still heading for the still room? Should we drag Beecher with us?" She pulls out her morningstar on the way.

Double Move Wolfie too.

@ GM--> How did Beecher make out after the healing? Can he get to his feet and move to safety? @ Natula--> Fun idea. Try not to blow us up. We want this place for the PFS. @ Feybella-->I was moving to the scaffolding for ranged. I'll jump down as needed though.

"If you get in here, the empire can claim whatever's left of you when we're done. They better like Grald paste." Fade shouts toward the door.

"This guy just got on my last nerve." Fade says while taking out two potions and holding them for his friends. "One potion for B and one for Orrin since you guys will be front and center."

two move actions to take out two potions of shield of faith(+2 deflection bonus/1 min duration)

Beecher is beginning to stir but still prone. He will be able to stand and get to his feet to move away this round.

So, no response to our hostages; or the fact that we have the deed?

Fade grabs a large crate with his aether and sends it over to help bolster the door. "Best start barricading the other doors as his men are going around. Good news though, at least the deed is here. I'm not all that familiar with this sort of thing so one of you should give it a better look."

It looks like this has been going on for a minute or two, how much progress has he made?

"Alright, s'lookin' like they're dead set on comin' in. Lot's o' thin's around here ta use ta keep them doors blocked, so let's try ta keep 'em on the outside. Who knows, maybe they'll tire 'emslves out an give up." With that the gnome starts re-enforcing the doors being attacked (A).

"No. Open them. They'll only break them in otherwise, and we might need them.."

"Nat, we ain't got time fer two plans. I aims ta keep em' out. Dourcloud's been tryin' ta block the door already. Ya wanna fight 'em so bad, find a window an' get yerself outside. Them doors is the only thin' keepin' an army outta here. An army, mind ya, large enough ta seige a town. This ain't ambushin' a few guys with parlor tricks fer yer own amusement."

"Better we let in a trickle we can concentrate upon than break under all-encompassing pressure, you yammering twerp!"

Hostages? The only other person in the distillery with you at the moment is Beecher. Grald doesn't care about the deed so much.

Feybella and Wolfie move towards the center of the room as the group works on reinforcing the main door.

Fade is able to get a single crate over to block the doors further, hoping that it will delay Grald long enough.

Spackle moves behind another crate and sets his shoulder into it, ready to push.

Fade pulls a couple of potions from his pouch as Natula continues to try and convince the group into just opening the doors.

You have made a bad choice Pathfinders...... One you won't live to regret I am afraid." Grald hollers back at Fade.

Door Damage
A -8

Round 2
Spackle
Feybella
Barrakhan
Fade
Natula
----------------------------

Phalanx
----------------------------
Orrin
----------------------------
Grald
----------------------------

We tied up the guards from earlier. Where are they?

"Didja get that outta yer system? Great. Now ya realize that its an army. Ifin we open one door, they're suren ta file in. Ifin they gots ta spread out, they ain't all gonna be in one spot ta rush us. Stop paniking and get it tagether lass, it's embarrasin'."

Ah gotcha- Those guards were outside of town. Not near teh Distillery. They were at a camp outside of Town.

We tied up the guards from earlier. Where are they?

"Didja get that outta yer system? Great. Now ya realize that its an army. Ifin we open one door, they're suren ta file in. Ifin they gots ta spread out, they ain't all gonna be in one spot ta rush us. Stop paniking and get it tagether lass, it's embarrasin'."

"Whatever. I really don't have time to school you on the intricacy of battle strategy. How smaller forces need to concentrate their power. How a good general chooses their battlefield. I can only hope that whatever number of axes that become lodged in your fool head get stuck there long enough to give the survivors an edge. Fill that gap turtle boy."

As magical boxes have appeared on the map, Natula retreats to the stairwell, and casts mage armor on herself rather than just opening the door to draw Grald in as she would prefer to.

Yup- Just added a few more crates if people want to use them or not to reinforce as Fade and Spackle are doing.

Natula retreats as Barrakhan looks around for any opening on where he can help.

The Phalanx continue to assault the doors as the door to the west begins to get battered as well.

Door A Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 4 = 13
Door B Damage: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (3, 8) + 4 = 15

Delaying Grald until after Phalanx to place everyone together and help speed this area up a bit.

The doors are damaged a bit more as the soldiers slowly begin to break through.

Door Damage
A -11
B -5

Round 3
Spackle
Feybella
Barrakhan
Fade
Natula
----------------------------

Phalanx
Grald
----------------------------
Round 2
Orrin

Barrakhan waits. He's going to cover other's retreat from the door.

Orrin does likewise, hoping things need not get ugly.

Spackle you going to start to entertain us again or should I bless us?" Fey asks.

[ooc]Can I see through the cracks or under Door A? If possible, I would like to drop a Grease spell on the other side of the door to impede their effort."[ooc]

"Gonna hold off on that 'til they actually get inta the building. Fade, they're tryin' ta come through the South door! Ya got that covered?" Seeing the others standing there, "C'mon boyos, let's not be makin' their jobs easier. Move some crates an keep 'em out!"

Ill assume you meant the west(door B) and not south, as that is how the GM referred to it.

Fade steps just a few feet closer to the western door way and focuses his aether on two separate crates, one on either side of the doors. With a clapping motion he brings the crates together, bolstering the doors against the soldiers outside.

"Might as well bless us Red." Fade says with a sigh.

Two move actions, one for each crate, to move them in front of the doors. Both crates were perfectly placed for that. Btw, Barrakhan and Orrin, don't forget last round I gave you both shield of faith potions(+2 deflection bonus to AC for 1 minute). I just want to make sure you know you have them available to use.

@GM Tyranius, just for clarification, are we going by the compass included on the map or by the orientation of how the map is on the page? I was referring to the directions/headings posted on the actual map. By that, Door A is West and Door B is South.

Go by the compass. I forgot I flipped the map to make it fit. Though you can always just let me know Door A, B, C, or D as they are also labeled on the map for ease.

Cannot see through door yet as the wood is just beginning to splinter.

@Fade- It is a standard action for your telekinesis abilities each time. Unless you have an ability that turns it into a move action I am unaware of.

As the soldiers reach more doors Feybella looks into Blessing her companions as Spackle prepares to coat the area in grease.

Fade spends a little more time shifting some more crates around the Distillery as Beecher slowly stands up. His body shaking from the stresses and disease all taking their toll.

"Ya can't let that bastard in. Hold him off as long as ya can."

Outside of the distillery a scream is heard in the distance from one of the smaller homes in town. The Phalanx must be breaking into other homes!

Door Damage
A -11
B -5

Round 3
Spackle
Feybella
Barrakhan
Fade
Natula
----------------------------

Phalanx
Grald
----------------------------
Round 2
Orrin

This part is really kind of weird for PbP as it goes on for a determined amount of rounds, leaving little for the players to do until the soldiers are either held off for the determined amount of time or the soldiers get inside, resulting in obvious combat.

In the next round, if he has the time, Fade will move to within range of the Still room, and bolster that door, as there is a chance the soldiers will be staggered upon entrance from the outside as well as still need get through a second set of doors to reach the party.

Fey casts bless on the party. "This might help us hold them off in some way. At least it will make us feel better for a little while."