Granta's Evergreen Arc #6 (Inactive)

Game Master Granta

Please make sure to delete your dot-post, so that they don't clutter up the thread.

The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: "Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig's Paunch one hour before dawn."

Unsure whether breakfast will be served or how much time you will have after the briefing, everyone decides to meet a little early at an all night kitchen. Despite the hour--too late for last night's drunks, but too early for this morning's workers--the kitchen is still relatively busy.

Seeing your large group get in line, a halfling tries to cut in front of you.

The faint light of the false dawn, together with the flickering torches interspersed along the way cast enough light to create shadows yet insufficient such that the area is in near darkness. Even so, as Umbrutari approaches the tavern, he slinks from shadow to shadow unconsciously.

Standing at approximately 3 1/2 feet tall, a set of scholarly robes hangs on Umbru's lean frame. Rather jarringly though, 2 bandoliers are strapped across his chest, stuffed full with mysterious vials, emitting odour both sweet and foul. His near-jet black skin, at least whatever is exposed, is covered with ritualistic and geometrical tattooes. Over his back is a large backpack, at least relative to his size, and he looks to be struggling somewhat under its weight.

Reaching the Pig's Paunch, he sees a group gathering in front, no doubt having received similar invitations as him. He approaches the group, just a halfling weaves in. Umbru steps back in response, giving way. He stares at the halfling, non-threateningly but not welcoming either, examining her in detail.

Alakhest glances at the halfling,

Perhaps the little one is extremely hungry.

shrugs, and then turns to the others.

"Well perhaps we should take the opportunity to learn a little about each other. For instance, you need not worry about catching me in the splash of alchemical acid, my kind is resistant to harm from such, in fact I gain a small measure of healing from it sometimes."

I am working from the assumption that we know who the other members of our group are and am addressing only them.

Umbru glances over to the talk statue-like humanoid for some time before nodding his head at him in acknowledgement. He waits a while for someone else to speak up first, but when no one else does, he replies in a soft hushed tone, "Thank you, that is useful for me to know. I do work with some acids," briefly touching a vial on his bandolier, before continuing, ".. but most of the others create fiery explosions. Unfortunately, I am as yet not skilled sufficiently to control the explosions, but I would do my utmost to avoid injuring my allies." He pauses here briefly, then adds on, "My name is Umbrutari Shadnani. I believe we would be associates for this mission. You may call me Umbru if it rolls off your tongue better." Saying all that he wishes to say, Umbru steps back into the shadows and becomes silent.

A woman with ebony skin and dark hair nods to the others.

"We are Leira Fenix," she says. "Our mind will be the only weapon we require. We look forward to completing this mission."

I suppose I should introduce myself.

Alakhest nods his head in acknowledgement of Umbrutari and Leira,

"I am Alakhest Thudergem. If the situation calls for something less than Alakhest, I will respond to Khest."

A smile crosses the black marble facade of Alakhest's face.

Hm. - grunted the big barbarian on the corner. The shoanti human is considerably large for his race, and his teeth are serrated as to look like fangs - Bahboom!

As he pronounced his name, he bumped his chest with both closed fists. It was fairly obvious he could understand and speak common, but his accent was strong and unexpected. Common probably wasn't his primary language.

Pathfinder. Pathfinders. - he finally completed, pointing to himself and the others around.

With a whistle on her lips, A young woman comes jogging into the kitchen. Her blonde hair is braided and neatly tied with red, gold and green ribbons, which are also woven into the braid. She's garbed in a rather flattering scarlet dress that ends just below her knees, as well as a pair of well-worn leather boots. On her back is a slightly worn backpack with a set of leather lamellar wrapped around the pack, as well as a glaive with enough ribbons on it that it looks equal parts maypole and polearm.

"Sorry, I'm a little late... "She finally says as she skids to a halt next to the Shoanti. "I ran into a friend that got a little too drunk at Cayden's Hall, and had to help her home." She giggles with a grin on her face before continuing. "Drink can bring out the finest of muses sometimes." After a second, she startles, as if she just remembered something, "OH! I'm sorry, I'm Talia. Pleased to meet you all!"

Sensing no strong objections, the halfling keeps his place in line and becomes quite chatty. "Thimblefoot Oakenleaf's the name. Best locksmith in the Inner Sea, I am! My locks are on all the richest nobles' doors. Even the Bank of Abadar uses my locks! Why, Lord Gyr of House Gixx himself wants to commission my work for some secret vault."

Disappointed in the lack of appreciation for his skill, the halfling soon wanders off, and after a quick meal, you head over to The Pig’s Paunch, a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.

“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!” With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder. “Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born.

“But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,” he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying, “Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”

Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice, “Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”

Master Shaine hops to his feet. “Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.” With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.

Knowledge (Geography): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 Untrained - max result 10

Bahboom entered and, with a grunt, sat down when indicated. He kept his legs open and constantly scratched his hair for lice.

Hm. Confirmation. Cave. Gill-lll-men? - he was a little confused, but waited for the others to bring up the questions.

Leira nods. "We have heard of this place at the center of the island, as well as the Low Azlanti, the amphibious humanoid race believed to be the last descendants of the ancient Azlanti people. We are prepared to investigate," she adds.

Her crossbow, as well as three bolts, hover in the air next to her.

I'll be using mage hand to carry around my weapon next to me. Mostly a flavor thing to be carrying it with the power of my mind!

Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Knowledge History: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Alakhest listens attentively as Leira explains about the gillmen.

Knowledge (Geography): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16 Untrained – max result 10

Alakhest looks to the others,
"So, what do we know about the threats we may encounter in the foothills?"

Umbru drifts into the room, and gravitates towards the shadowy corners while he listens to Kreighton Shane. He looks with interest when Janira the halfling takes over. Confirmation. My first step...

knowledge(geography), untrained: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
He listens intently to what the rest of the party shares, being unfamiliar with the area around Absalom, beyond that it shares the Kortos Island with a mountain at its centre. Intent on the mission at hand, Umbru asks in a soft but audible voice, "How long is the journey? What supplies would we need for this trip and the mission?"

Talia takes the offer of a seat from Master Shaine literally, as she hops up on the table herself and sits with her legs folded under her, listening intently to the Master of Scrolls. When he leaves, however, she spins and lets her legs hang off the edge of the table.

"Does anyone else have any paper on them, so we can properly document the site?" she finally asks along with the others."One other thing, Ms. Gavix, She adds after a moment's pause. "Is there any way we can pause at dawn so I can commune with my Lady? "

Not bothering with the rolls, since I'm untrained in both.

Janira listens patiently to each would-be-Pathfinder in turn before answering. "Umbrutari, the journey is about a day and a half by foot. And that's a great idea, let's open up all of our packs and take inventory to see what else we might want to bring!

"So, what equipment does everybody have already?"

Alakhest pulls his backpack over and rifles through its contents,
"Well lets see, I've got climbing equipment, including 150 of rope, chalk, a bag of powder, my journal, pen, and ink. I've also got basic travelling supplies. Lastly, I have torches, candles, a lantern, and the tools to light fires. I don't generally need the light sources but I am not opposed to letting my allies use them and I have a shield sconce so I can carry a torch attached to my shield if people need me to carry a light source."

Umbru looks faintly impressed with how ready Alakhest is. He then similarly opens his backpack which had been resting on the floor. Without explaining, he quietly lays out the ropes, grappling hook, thieve's tools, camping gear and trail rations neatly. He also lays out some flasks and a smokestick, although he leaves his volatile bombs on his body. "I have some splash weapons, although I might not have need of them."

The barbarian silently shows the equipment he carries on his masterwork backpack. It's all very crude and standard - even his weapon of choice is simply an ugly greatclub full of strange runes he drawn. The Shoanti looks actually quite humble, despite his size - and despite his limited vocabulary, quite intelligent as well - carrying a concise but clever wordplay.

Bahboom doesn't carry a lot. Hopefully Bahboom doesn't need a lot for mission.

In response, Talia hops off the table and lifts the bag that she left on the ground. In a flurry of motion, she empties her bag onto the table in a surprisingly orderly set-up. "Okay, I have some splash flasks of my own, camping supplies and food... I have some candles and sparking tools too, but it's not hard for me to bring the Rose's radiance out..."

She looks up with a pensive expression. "I'm sorry, I was more worried about not holding anyone back that don't have much beyond that. " Quickly, and slightly embarssed, she repacks, along with pulling her armor on as well.

"Well, Alakhest and Umbrutari have obviously done this before. You're quite well prepared! And you too, Talia. You've brought more than most confirmants do!

“Now, on to the details of the mission at hand,” Janira says with an eager grin. “After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there.

“The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too.”

Alakhest makes sure everything is once again stowed where it belongs and then looks up,

"I'm ready to head out, whenever everyone else is ready to go."

Umbru sighs silently at the thought of the long overland hike to reach the caves, but he quietly packs up his belongings and struggles as he to put on the backpack.

Talia's mood improves readily with the kind words from Janira. After a bit of fidgeting to get the last bits of her leathers in the proper place, she nods almost instinctually to the plan that was laid out by the halfling Pathfinder. "Okay, I think I'm ready then. Let's go!"

Leira mentally reviews her gear, a process that takes only a fraction of a second to go through everything.

"We are also prepared for most contingencies and can leave at a moment's notice."

"Great! Now that everybody is ready, let's get to know each other while we're hiking! I’ll go first!

“Now, tell me all about all of yourselves!”

Alakhest looks at the others, waiting to see if anyone else wants to go first.

After a little waiting he speaks up, ”I was born many years ago in a primarily Oread settlement in the foothills of the Zho mountains in Qadira. When I was young I discovered Narvak and Bragha,”he indicates his ornate longsword and shield respectively, ”neglected in a traders collection and I felt a strong connection to them. Eventually I discovered the power that I can draw from them and other objects.”

Alakhest pauses contemplatively before continuing on, ”Pathfinders came to my home exposing us to the outside world and overthrowing our tyrannical leader. One of their number inspired me and I asked to become her apprentice. When they returned to Absolom I went with them and Reshu began acting as my mentor, preparing me to be an initiate. Like my mentor, I work with the Silver Crusade and hope to be a force for good in the world, helping those in need and being a source of comfort for my fellow pathfinders.”

Talia nods excitedly at Alakhest's last comments. "That's one of main reasons I joined in as well! Sometimes, all the world needs to be a batter place for all is a push in the right place at the right time! With the Society, It's much easier to be where we're needed then, well, in my case, then at some temple, assisting the higher up there. Of course, any chance to be able to find lost histories or art is a great way to spread joy and light to the world as well!"

She chuckles a little, as she looks as the area they're treking though. "I'm from Andoran. Almas, to be precise. My parent's make enough to be well-to-do, but money's never been a strong drive for me. Eventually I found myself craving more, and well, I found the temple of Shelyn then, and knew I had found my calling. While I'm not much of a singer, per say, bringing people to walk among my Lady Shelyn's wonder gives me great joy. So, I learned how to lead people to the love and beauty she offers. Recently, I heard about a story from five or six years ago about several Pathfinders helping to save Almas from a corrupt minister, and became fascinated with the Society. After a bit of looking about at the lodge in Almas,"She pauses, seemingly torn on tangenting in a discuss of that gorgeous building, before continuing," I convinced the high priestess that I needed to try this, and likewise talked VC Brackett into telling me about the field agent training. And so, here I am!"

"Indeed, the Society seems to be the nexus of much that happens in the lands of Golarion, even more so in recent years." Umbru unexpectedly starts speaking, but still in his soft, almost shadowy voice.

He pauses here, perhaps to see if the attention of the group is on him, before continuing. "I am a wayang. And that alone would tell you much more about me and my life than I could possibly do with the time we have here. And if you know not what that means, then no words I use could possibly help you understand me and my people."

Looking around at the effect his cryptic words have on the group, he suddenly speaks up again. "But I should at least try. That is, after all, why Grand Councillor Twilakee beseeched us to go out into the world, even if it means being seared by its garish light. We, who came from the lands of the shadow, but never left it fully behind seemed forever delegated to be outsiders. We who dwell at the foothills of the remnants of Mount Shibotai in the isles of Minata, but never recognised as members of this world. But Twilakee convinced many of us that it can only change when we break out of our self-imposed exile... And I agree. Ostensibly, my gifts blending worldly alchemical materials with elements of the shadow world has driven me to explore what else Golarion has to offer. But perhaps, my greatest gift is simply to show the world that my people exist."

"And what more opportune place to do it than with the acclaimed Pathfinder Society?" Umbrutari finally ceases his introduction, and withdraws even further into the shadows, even as they lighten with the coming dawn.

"It's so nice to see new agents joining the Society, not for wealth or personal glory, but to make the world a better place! I hope we all get to go on many important missions together!"

----------

Maps

Round 1
Effects none

• Umbrutari -
  
• Leira -
  
• Bahboom -
  
• Talia -
  
• GM -
  
• Janira -
  
• Alakhest -

As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser. Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. “I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.”

She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, “We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.”

But before you can start moving again, a large tree falls to the forest floor, startling all sorts of creatures. In their fear, some start to attack your party

Everybody except Alakhest is up.

"We hear something coming," Leira says as she prepares to cast daze on anything that comes close enough.

ready action to cast daze if I see an enemy.

Talia startles slightly at the sound of the falling tree. But the sounds of panicked creatures goad Talia into action. "May the Eternal Rose guide you," she intones, as she reaches forth and taps Umbrutari lightly on the shoulder, transferring some of her lady's grace to the alchemist.

5-foot to behind Umbru
Standard Action - Bit of Luck on Umbru

Umbru silently nod towards Talia in thanks. He moves away from the party to spread out. He intones as he does so in a voice just slightly louder than usual, "Blades aren’t as effective against swarms of such tiny creatures, but blunt weapons still work normally. These snakes aren’t venomous, but their sheer numbers can be distracting and make it difficult for one to act with a cool-head."

When he finds a spot that gives him a clear shot, Umbru pulls out a vial, crushes something inside, and lobs it at swarm of snakes! It smashes into the ground and explodes with a burst of flames!

Unsure what to do, Leira prepares a spell against anything that gets too close. Talia blesses Umbrutari with her goddess' luck, which the wayang puts to good use. His mixture of chemicals and powders covers the entire swarm in fire instantly.

”Amazing!" Janira exclaims, "You all worked together so well! See how much stronger you are as a team when everybody cooperates?”

Several hours pass uneventfully, but then you start running into problems: first a recent landslide that blocks the trail, then a shortcut overgrown since a month ago. ”I’m afraid we’ll need to find a different path. If we don’t get there by dusk, we may have to wait a whole month for another chance! Is anybody well trained at tracking or navigating the wilderness?”

You’ll have to perform a forced march unless someone successfully rolls Survival.

Talia scratches her head in thought. "Sorry, I'm city-bred. I know a little about what to avoid, but this is out of my skill by a long shot"

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Fairly sure that sub-10 won't cut it. Nothing here.

"I suspect that others in our number, Bahboom perhaps, are more skilled in nature's mysteries than I, but I will help however I can."

Survival, aid another Bahboom: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Umbrutari silently studies the ever-lengthening shadows of the trees and vines thrown by the garish light of the gradually setting sun. He is new to the land of Kortos, after travelling over half the lands of Golarion, most of it by foot, he has picked up some skill in navigating. He quietly points out what he thinks might be a feasible path.

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"We believe we know the way," Leira says, her hovering crossbow rotating like a compass to point the direction Umbrutari is looking.

survival aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16

Bahboom was equally impressed with the coordination of his group. The barbarian smiles and starts using his knowledge on trails and nature to help guide them to a different path so they can arrive in time.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Together, Bahboom and Umbrutari find an old, dried out stream bed that quickly takes you higher into the mounts, and from there it is an easy task to backtrack downhill.

----------

The dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead. “Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines,” Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. “This is where I saw the gillmen enter.”

As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!” As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots you.

Wisely assessing that a minotaur is beyond her charges’ capabilities, Janira screams, “A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag,” she continues, pulling off her backpack, “and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!” She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.

You have round to run or prepare, before the Minotaur gets here.

knowledge nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Leira's brilliant mind considers in a split second everything she is seeing.

"This is a powerful creature, able to gore its opponents and absorb much damage. Janira has cast a spell to easily lead it away. We suggest we follow her orders and enter the cave," she says.

The Shoanti looked at the others for a moment and considered his options. He clearly wouldn't be able to fight that beast, but didn't feel good about turning his back and running. However, they had clear orders. He shook his head, agreeing with Janira, and went for the backpack.

Umbru stares intently as Janira casts the spell, recognising the effects even as Janira speeds away.

There is no way a lumbering brute like that can catch up with that.

Smiling to himself at the brilliance of her plan, Umbru turns without hesitation and flees to the caves as fast as his short legs can carry him.

"But, but, but...,Talia sputters as she looks torn for a moment. On one hand, Janira gave an order, and they were supposed to listen to her. On the other hand, a minotaur like that was a grave threat to any one people, experienced or not, and Janira would need help. So, Talia pauses.

And that pause was enough for the the halfling to scamper out of range of anything she could do, and for the others to dive for the caverns. So, in a bit of a frenzy, Talia flees after the others.

Let's assume Alakhest also wants to flee, and move on.

The caves are damp and slippery, and usually about 7 feet wide and high. Some tunnels are tighter or more spacious though. The walls are covered with patches of blue-green luminescent fungi that provide dim light.

Petroglyphs periodically decorate the walls, mostly with marine animals and spiraling shapes. The deeper you travel, the more of these wall paintings that you find.

Alakhest hesitates with Talia seeming torn between his desire to protect others and duty to obey orders. When Talia moves he follows into the caves guarding her and the others backs. As he enters the cave system his face moves from concern to interest as sees the petroglyphs. Alakhest quietly sheathes his sword and pulls out his journal and begins to sketch some of what he sees as the group travels, a somewhat awkward maneuver as he must hold the journal in the hand which also holds his shield. Every few seconds he glances behind the group whether watching for pursuit or still facing doubt it is hard to tell.

After a bit of sketching Alakhest pipes up, "Bahboom, shall we see what the lady left us?" He indicates the backpack that Bahboom picked up as the group retreated and puts away his journal.

Leira examines the contents of the backpack over Alakhest's shoulder, though she does not take anything.

Her crossbow continues to hover next to her, aimed at the passageway ahead.

"We should prepare a light source," she observes, and the one of the trio of crossbow bolts, also floating at her side, begins to glow.

"We may fire it as a tracer shot should we encounter any hostile creatures here," she states flatly.

Will wait another day to divvy up the items.