Ith's PFS pbp (Inactive)

Game Master ithuriel

Maldroog shrugs.

"All I'm saying is, when a half-starved, half-mad Pathfinder shows up on the doorstep, you should know that trouble has arrived..."

"What did the Pathfinder bring with him? His name happened to be Lugizar Trantos...did you see him when he arrived?"

Kovar picks up his gravely wounded wolf and carries him away from the croc to the hallway. He looks around for anyone to help. If nobody does, he'll start to rummage through his backpack. While he can do little with the contents within, its likely that a wand of curing light wounds will fall out!

When Fog quickly gets board, he wanders over to the wolf, and lays his head against it's chest.

Burn "Burning Disarm" for cure light wounds. 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Maldroog shrugs.

"I don't rightly know exactly what he brought with him - he was carrying a crate packed with straw. The man was pretty delirious, swaying on the spot, and mumbling about the 'drums and voices'... I was ready to turn him away, thinking he was just some homeless nutter, but apparently the Curator recognised him, and let him in - I think he called him Lugizar...?"

Anashka begins tending Gray and Wadi while the others pump the guard for information. Once the wolf begins to stir she strokes its neck for a moment and whispers, "That was a very brave thing you did back there, but it isn't time to move on to Pharasma's boneyard just yet. That should set you right."

With Wadi she makes a quick examination to see how serious his injuries are before smiling in relief, "I think you have a cracked rib, but we can fix that."

Anashka's ears perk up at the mention of Sheg, and she riffles through his pockets and belt looking for a key ring.

"Maldroog, be fair. From what we have put together it seems that Lugizar may have been as much under the sway of the cursed artifact as you were just a moment ago. Either way the Society is going to put it straight. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this isn't the first time the Society has been called over here to handle a situation. Would you say the Pathfinders prompted all of those incidents or resolved them?"

"Now, how big was this crate?"

CLW for Wadi: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW for Grey: 3d8 + 3 ⇒ (7, 5, 6) + 3 = 21
I'm not sure, but I think that leaves Wadi down by 1 and Gray might be fully healed with the 6 from Fog?

Technically, from a time-line perspective, Pathfinders have not been to the museum before - this *was* the first module set there, after all ;-)

Maldroog shrugs.

"It was not too big - about the size of that Gnome over there," he says, gesturing to Alie.

He then sighs.

"Look, I know that you are not personally responsible for what has happened here; I can appreciate that we are all just workers, carrying out the jobs that have been handed to us by our bosses. That doesn't change the fact, though, that if Pathfinders had never come here, we would not be having this problem."

Eh. I figured since Tal at least has been here once and Anashaka for Penumbral Accords that our personal timeline mixed things up a little.

Anashka laughs, "Mal- I think you probably ought to find a different job. Of all the places to work as a guard you picked the one pulling in potentially cursed artifacts from around the world. We need to get you out of here before we take on the source of the curse. You are going to need some clothes. It looks like your partner's clothes aren't in much better shape than yours as far as cleanliness, but take whatever you can, the boots maybe? He doesn't need them now. One of the scribes was killed over in the office. His clothes might be a little small for you and covered in blood, but at least they haven't been dragged through a sewer."

Kneeling down to help pull off the boots she whispers to him, "If for whatever reason we don't make it through, I want you to go to the Grand Lodge tomorrow and tell them everything you saw here. Had we known that the mist transmits the curse and transforms its victims we might have been more prepared. Can you do that?"

True, but by the same token, part of the premise of this one is trying to smooth-over relations with the Society, over the falling-out between the Society and Nigel years ago, so I am adopting a premise of 'if it did not happen in the continuity of the games run for this group as a whole, we will gloss over it'.

Maldroog shrugs, stubbornly.

"A job is a job; it also pays fairly well. To be fair, though, it is usually fairly quiet..."

He looks puzzled for a moment.

"My partner? Where? I thought he was missing?"

He glances down to his feet where he spots a severed head (but, importantly, there is no trace of a body...), glances at his blood-covered hands, and immediately starts crying.

"Sheg! Oh Gods, no... I did not mean to do it; I don't even remember doing it... Why did this have to happen?"

Grey is fully healed- thanks! Kovar is down 10 HPs.

Kovar looks at the two legged beings sqalwking at each other and shrugs his shoulders. He then goes back to tending to Grey, happy his little friend is back on his feet.

There aren't too many other places Sheg's body could be. Anashka shakes her head, "This day just keeps getting better. Wadi, Fog, Kovar, help me roll this croc over."

CLW for Kovar: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (3, 8) + 2 = 13

@Anashka: Wadi is not wounded at all, he still has 9 hp from the False Life scroll used earlier.

Wadi sighs as he rolls up his sleeves and tries to help the two stronger ape-men/party members move the crocodile corpse. "Unless the croc was hungry earlier.." he muttered under his breath.

STR check 1d20 ⇒ 5

When Fog sees what the others are doing, he hoots excitedly, and rushes in to help.

Str: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

While the others are talking, Tal is casually cleaning his fingernails with one of his daggers. "I'm sorry....what are we doing?" Although he's unclear as to why, Tal grabs an end of the crocodile and tries to help the ape formerly known as Fog flip it over.

Aid Another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

"We had a man inside the museum to keep an eye on things, but it looks like the croc got him. He has a set of keys that I'll have to return to his contact."

Str Check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Once the croc rolls over Anashka grips her glaive halfway up the haft and drives it into the underbelly before dragging it down to split it open.

Tal is slightly embarrassed at being shown up in a contest of strength with Anashka. His embarrassment turns to downright shame as he nearly sucks up when she begins gutting the crocodile. "Remind me to never swallow something that belongs to her." he says casually to Fog.

"After we get the keys, let's get going. Those protective magicks will be running low ou placed on Fog, Anashka. Let's keep searching while they are active."

Between them, Fog and Anashka are able to flip the massive reptile over onto its back; it is then the work of a few seconds to slice its abdomen open, spilling blood and viscera across the floor...

...but no pieces of half-orc; instead, you find the remains of sewer denizens - half digested rats, spiders, and even a kobold.

Good idea, but no ;-) Keep thinking :-P

Are we still where Fog started playing with the head?

"Ugh..nasty! Any other ideas about where those keys might be?"

Yes, it is the same room. Remember, however, that whilst this is a bathroom, 21st Century toilets are not something that exist in Absalom...

Wadi holds his nose and peers into the holes leading to the bottom of the pile of human waste holdings. "Please tell me we don't HAVE to search that!" He gagged.

Alie recoils in horror at Wadi's plan. "Nope. I'm out. Good luck on your search, guys. I'll babysit Grey. You have fun, but I am not helping with that one..."

Realization dawns on her a bit late when Wadi mentions the cesspool. "No. As it says in The Melodies of Inner Beauty, 'Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life' but I'm not sure I could experience enough Art or soap in one lifetime to wash that away. I'm afraid they will have to send a specialized team to retrieve the keys if they want them that badly."

Shall we try the storage room next door?"

Yeah. It is unfortunate, but I think I'm going to have to pass on that prestige point. I just can't see her being willing to do that as a child of a minor Galtan noble family in exile who up until now mainly played hostess to visiting VIPs for the Society. I don't see her as squeamish (obviously with the alligator business) but this is too much. Really sorry Fog and Kovar :(

Fog, bored, pokes about in the entrails of the croc, and eventually pulls out a Kobold's arm to chew on.

Whistles.....Fog as Fog, probably would look at the others in disgust, pull up his sleaves, and mutter something about "seen worse out of the mouths of them as spend too long in taverns"... as an ape, well, I'm sure he could be convinced?

You could poke the end of your glieve into it, and see what you come up with?

I expect it comes with exposure to filth fever, but the DC is usually pretty low and you have a decent Fort. I don't know how cognizant Fog is, but you also knew about the keys and have heard Ana talking about them and indicating where they are now.
I'm not sure how deep the drop is to filth level. 3' 5' 10'?

Kovar, feeling fully healed and refreshed, wonders over to where the others are looking. Peering into the bucket/hole the grabs a kobold arm and starts to poke around. Depending on what he finds of interest, he might just start to look deeper.

Wadi excitedly waves the others over to the hole under the benches. "I think I found what we are looking for here!"

Reveal spoiler to everyone.

I am assuming that an INT of 6 allows for this...
Kovar, excited about what he might see, sticks his head, shoulders, and whatever else is needed into the "storage facility" and tries to scoop up the head floating in the "pool".

For Save if needed: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Kovar, there is no head down there - just a headless body.

Well, that's what an int of 6 gets you ;)

Fog points at Kovar and hoots with laughter, then clambers up his back, and attempts to grab the floating body and drag it in to the side...

Alie stood back horrified, open mouthed and wide eyed at the goings on in the loo. She hated Hustavan the traitor, but this had quickly become her least favorite adventure ever.

I'll never feel clean again...

Tal resists making a joke about this being a crappy job...

Hey, if you want to get a-head, you will need to do whatever crappy job you get handed; to do otherwise would be to risk getting dumped in the crapper ;-)

Kovar pokes around in the sewerage for a while, but is unable to find a head...

...Fog then ambles over, and, using Kovar as an improvised 'ladder', reaches down into the pool and drags the headless body back up the shaft, smearing ordure over the floor, Kovar, and himself as he does so, and filling the room with the overpowering stench of liquefying faecal matter.

Who wants to search the body?

Best. PbP. Ever.

Throwing caution to the wind, Tal searches the fecal covered body all the while muttering something about hazard pay. Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Because this is the best use for a natural 20!

Wadi clenches his teeth to keep his breakfast from exiting his stomach. "Excuse me...urrrkk!" He quickly exits the lavatory room.

I don't care WHAT he had on him...count me OUT!

"If we make it out alive, you all had better save your gold, because everything we are wearing will be burned. New outfits, backpacks, everything, so help me," the gnome stomps her foot to make her point, knowing that Fog and Kovar weren't in their right minds. Thats all that's keeping me from killing them!

Kovar become increasingly agitated because he can't find a head. He beats into the water for awhile making a huge mess of the situation (like it needed more of a mess!). After a few minutes he likely forgets what he is looking for and goes back to beating on the caracas of the croc- that he knows he was supposed to do (at some point in time anyway).

At the sight of the whirling dervish of poo, Alie gives up. She starts looking through her bag and finds one of the masks she had collected. She dares not remove it completely from her satchel, but just enough that she can see the mask and think of the wonderful galas that she might get to wear it to one day. Anything but what is happening at the current time.

Lol, this one is becoming legendary!

Whilst Wadi and Alie maintain a safe distance, Talhaearn rifles through the clothing of the headless corpse.

Eventually, he finds a set of rather tarnished keys, tucked inside the body's jerkin.

Who wants to take custody of the keys which have been marinating in the 'pool'? ;-)

Tal tosses the keys on the floor. "Not sure if these are what we've been looking for...but whoever wants to take them may want to wipe them down first. Now if you'll excuse me...I need to find someplace to vomit."

Ok, we have the keys. Where next?

[ooc-]Lets hit the next room over.[/ooc]

I was waiting for a response to my question, and/or more inter-party banter, but I am happy to keep things moving...

Leaving the rather distressing lavatory behind (Maldroog, once he pulls himself together after the revelation of where his partner's body ended up, immediately heads for the exit from the building, muttering something about needing hazard pay to deal with this sort of thing.), the party moves over to the storage room.

Hunkering down outside the room, Talhaearn carefully opens the door, revealing...

...a simple room of unadorned stone, piled floor to ceiling with boxes and crates, allowing room for only a few small corridors between the towers of dusty, mothballed exhibits.

"Well, this seems a welcome relief, but I don't trust anything in this whole misty place," the little sorcerer says as she uses her favorite cantrip, and scans the room for magic as well as she can from the outskirts.

Lol, DM, Alie is NOT touching the keys!

Tal peers into the quiet room. Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30, Trapfinding: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

"Seems nice and quiet in here. I'm going to have a sit and catch up on my reading. You guys can finish this one out. Come get me when you're done." Since no one ever laughs, Tal can't quite be sure whether or not they realize he's joking. Except for those keys. I was not joking about those!