Fidgit Core Gossamar |
"Perhaps I was a bit overconfident in my skills and could have used a little extra time at the range to shake off the cobwebs. Let's see if I got the kinks out finally.
longbow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Tsakolk |
"You just don't know when to let go do you?!"
Tsakolk hefts his hammer and moves to engage the last guard if possible, if not he'll just advance upon him he swings the butt of the hammer around towards the man's helm...
Attack: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 5 - 4 = 19
Nonlethal Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Ilandro Schovassa |
As the words from their halfling colleague sink in, Ilandro's face takes a hard turn. "Is that why you told us to go away? To hurt Skelg for your own master?" Spinning the spear around in order to take aim, he stabs at the man's face with the blunt end of the spear again, before stepping around slightly to help cut off any thoughts of escape the man may have should he continue to stand.
Attack, non-lethal: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 4 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Well, there we go. Little too little and too late, I fear, but there we go nonetheless.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
Is there a way to set up a flank against this guy?
Ilandro Schovassa |
Ilandro wields a longspear atm, but with Tsakolk advancing into melee as well, you might be able to get a flank there.
GM Shady |
I'm going to assume the group heads upstairs. I'm also going to assume you search the bodies - each of you gets 18gp. There's also the key for the manor, but Xaaven has already unlocked it from the inside.
The bedroom, in which Skelg is ensconced, is at the top of the stairs. When the adventurers open the door, they are greeted by a blast of heat. A roaring fire blazes in the fireplace even though the day is already swelteringly hot. A huge bearded man shivers under his blankets, his bed pushed dangerously close to the fire. A thin servant sits in the far corner by a window, fanning himself with a handkerchief. The bearded man is now awake. He looks at the party and blinks a few times, then speaks through chattering teeth. “Are y-you P-path-f-finders?”
The thin man smiles weakly. "Yes, master. They came, as I said they would." The servant turns to the party. "Did you deal with the false guards?"
Daereon Phoenixstar |
The half-elf will follow, holding on to the wound that he received from the guard.
Ilandro Schovassa |
Noticing that Daereon has been injured also, Ilandro walks forward quickly and taps the Iomedaean sorcerer on the shoulder. "Please stop, I will help with that." He grips the pendant in one hand and utters a prayer to Desna to bind the wounds inflicted on both himself and Daereon.
Channel Energy
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 2
The dice are not my friends this scenario so far
Daereon Phoenixstar |
The half elf will thank the cleric of Desna Thank you, follower of the Tender of Dreams, this helps very much!
7/8 hp
Xaaven Lightfoot |
Answering the questions as best he can, Xaaven first turns to Tsakolk. "As I understand it, those were the only false guards and Skelg's guards have been killed. Skelg, your servant mentioned Bengeirr, who is he and what has he done to you?" he says as he turns to address Skelg.
GM Shady |
The servant coughs. "My name is Tyros, as I told your diminutive friend here. Indeed, these guards were servants of Bengeirr, a rival of my master. They had killed our own men and replaced them, waiting for my master to die of this curse."
He pauses.
"They came last week. We caught them in our basement vault, mistaking them for common thieves. The vault contains numerous treasures that my master has found on his travels."
Skelg becomes a little more animated, and interjects: "Tyros, tell them about the lantern!", then moans and lies back down, obviously in pain.
Tyros looks away in concern, but nevertheless continues: "Yes, yes, master, but you must calm yourself. One of the intruders had lit a lantern he found in the vault. This lantern turns out to be ... well, magic. First its light struck my master, and he fell to the floor, freezing as he is now. As he fell, the light shone past him, through the vault's door and onto a tapestry that hangs on a wall in the hallway beyond, and on this, it caused a shimmering doorway to appear. Well, at this point the intruders were frightened and fled the manor. My master has been sick ever since with the curse, as you see him now.
"The brigands returned but a couple of days ago. My master being still sick, they overcame our guards and set their own outside, that my master would freeze and die abed, in such a manner as would shame an Ulfen thegn. And so we sent to the Pathfinders for aid. And here you are."
He pauses. Skelg has tried to interrupt a few times, but each time has been overcome by his condition and collapsed back into the bed, moaning and whimpering with pain.
Ilandro Schovassa |
Ilandro smiles at Daereon's kind words, nodding. "You're welcome. Hopefully she will allow the same mercy to Skelg."
The smile fades once he reaches the master bedroom where Tsakolk and Xaaven already are, replaced with an expression of concern. "Oh dear, I am afraid I don't know as much about the healing arts as I should, but I will do my best if you would allow me to, Master Skelg?" Ilandro turns to his peers and attempt to tend to the man's pain
Heal, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Lucky roll. Remind me to swap out a skill point for Heal...Ilandro is a terrible cleric, lol
Ilandro Schovassa |
"There is nothing normal about this chill. It is as if the cold is being fed right into you," Ilandro says, his brow creased in concern. He turns to his companions, the worry clearly evident on his face. "We must find a way to break this curse if Master Skelg is to have a chance of getting better."
Daereon Phoenixstar |
The half elf will cast a detect poison to see if he can find anything out.
Inheritor, grant your servant your grace to see if any venom affect this man.
Tsakolk |
"Ilandro, I have see men on the road unnaturally enduring the elements thanks to divine mysticism, is this within your power? Maybe that'd make him more comfortable. In the mean time it seems clear we must take a look at this lantern and the portal, is the lantern still here?"
Tsakolk seems to be enjoying having a problem to solve.
GM Shady |
@Daereon - detect poison turns up nothing. It's not poison.
Tyros frowns at Tsakolk. "The lantern is still there. My master took it when he raided the funeral ship of the thegn Haldyr. Bengeirr is Haldyr's son. You should know this, also: Skelg's shieldwarden, Tirfyr, entered the doorway that the lantern had created in the tapestry. Moments later, Tirfyr returned, saying that the doorway led to a ship encased in ice. Then Tirfyr went back to investigate further. Alas, after half an hour, the portal disappeared. We did not see Tirfyr again."
Skelg stirs again. "The ship - it was Haldyr's ship, I think. Tirfyr travelled there. That is where the cure for the curse must lie. I gave the ship to Natalya when I saved her ..."
He moans again, and rocks and turns in his bed.
Ilandro Schovassa |
"I know of prayers for that, but I didn't think to ask Desna for it when I prayed this morning. I only have a spell to protect someone from evil, but that does not last long. Do you think that would help?" Ilandro looks at Tsakolk and the others.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
I believe it would be more prudent to try to find this Tirfyr who most likely the cause of this malady, especially if higher, more powerful members of the Society have used their own resources to aid Skelg. What does this Tirfyr look like? inquires the half elf.
Xaaven Lightfoot |
Xaaven listens to what Tyros has to say about the portal. "A ship encased in ice you say? That doesn't sound like anything we would find around here. I would agree that it would seem we too will need to go through the portal. I didn't exactly come prepared to go walking around in the cold, but I don't think we have time to run to a shop," he says looking down at the vest and cloak he wears over his leather armor and then at Skelg. He then turns back to Tyros. "Lead us to the lantern and tapestry then. Oh yeah, and how would we recognize Tirfyr or Natalya if we come across them?" he says nodding at Daereon.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
Either way, whoever is responsible for such vile attacks needs to be stopped before they are able to do something like this to someone else replies the half-elf.
GM Shady |
Skelg looks at Tsakolk: "Natalya was Haldyr's wife. She was to die in the burning of the funeral ship. I saved her, and she convinced me to give the ship to her. Ach ..." he winces in pain; "“It is as if the frozen fingers of winter’s blackest midnight clutch at my heart. I’m freezing from the inside out.”
Tyros looks on at his master in concern. "Bengeirr will doubtless be back," he says. "But right now he is unaware that his plan to let me master die in quiet ignominy has failed. But you will need to confront Bengeirr, I think, to resolve the situation. For - and here's the rub - when he left, he took the lantern with him."
GM Shady |
Tyros answers: "To be honest, I don't know. He must be hiding out somewhere in town. You will need to try and track him down."
Given that the guards were killed and cannot be interrogated, you'll need to track down Bengeirr. Pick a district of Absalom (3 votes to decide which) and go into a tavern - if there is one - and ask around. In 3.5, for which the module was written, Gather Information was used. Under PFRPG Diplomacy is used, so it will be basically a Diplomacy roll when we get to it. You might want to nominate a team member to do the talking.
Ascendant Court (religious centre)
Azlanti Keep (garrison for city guard)
The Coins (store/bazaar area)
The Docks
Eastgate (residential)
Foreign Quarter (residential, includes Pathfinder Grand Lodge)
Green Ridge (residential, parks)
Ivy District (cultural)
Merchants' Quarter (focus for trade caravans)
Petal District (residential, rich)
Precipice Quarter (effectively the thieves' quarter)
Puddles (prone to flooding, low rent and poor)
Westgate (residential, middle class)
Wise Quarter (learning, libraries, magic)
When you pick a district to start looking I'll describe it in a bit more detail, and put you in a tavern there for the next scene.
Tsakolk |
"I know some people in the merchant's quarter, we should start there. Merchants know a lot in my experience, if Bengeirr has bought... Anything, they'll know! Might be best to let someone else do the talking though... Made me some enemies as well as friends.
On the way out Tsakolk will check over the guards bodies now everything is quiet
Daereon Phoenixstar |
I vote for the Docks
Ilandro Schovassa |
"Where people travel, people swap tales of what they have seen and heard. Maybe the docks would be better, if Bengeirr came in by boat? It's just a hunch, though," Ilandro says, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
As a seafaring people, it might make more sense for the Ulfen to be near the docks. says the half elf/
Xaaven Lightfoot |
Xaaven shakes his head in agreement when the docks are mentioned. "I agree that the docks is a good place to start. We can find out when he arrived and confirm he hasn't left yet. If no one objects, I can do the talking," he says as he prepares to leave.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
The half-elf will nod at the halfling's suggestion that he be the one to do the talking.
Ilandro Schovassa |
Ilandro nods at the halfling. "That would be good, I think. Was there anything on the bodies of the fake guards? Do we need to do something with them so that they are not just lying there? They were bad men, but they should at least rest peacefully."
GM Shady |
Re the bodies, I think I answered a while back - they only yielded the keys for the building.
Tyros nods to the Varisian. "Now that the manor is clear, I can call our servants back. They will clear the bodies and we will ensure they are given Ulfen rites, as is appropriate. It is, I think, imperative that you go and find the lantern as quickly as you can."
I'll move you to the docks later today.
GM Shady |
The group heads for the Docks. Avoiding some of the rougher taverns, they find themselves in a small inn near the waterfront, called The Watcher's Head. The inn is not particularly full at this time of day, but there are five customers, all of them human and looking to hail from different parts of the Inner Sea.
OK I'll wait for Xaaven to engage with one of them and ask about the Ulfen. Xaaven when you do, please roll Diplomacy.
Xaaven Lightfoot |
Xaaven studies the patrons for a moment, wondering who he should talk to first. Shrugging his shoulders and figuring it really won't matter, he walks up to the one furthest to his left.
"Greetings sailor, been in port long? I'm wondering if you can help me out. I'm looking for an Ulfen named Bengeirr. Have you heard any mention of him or of any Ulfens in port recently?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
At the mention of Bengeirr, he tries to see if any of the patrons react to the name.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
GM Shady |
The man - a Varisian - shakes his head, but the barman gestures to Xaaven to come over and speak. Once within earshot, he says, in a low voice: "I had some of those thugs in here. Wrecked the place, I've just finished paying to clean it up. So I don't owe them my silence, put it that way. I don't recognise the name you mentioned but I do know they've rented a warehouse from Tullo Baltias. Baltias is a shady type - you may have to give him money to get anything out of him - but he generally hangs about at the Taldan's Rest, by the harbour."
The perception check reveals nothing additional to the above.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
The sorcerer will wait, asking Iomedae to guide the words of the halfling.
Daereon Phoenixstar |
Aye
Xaaven Lightfoot |
Xaaven moves over to hear what the barkeep has to say. With a smile he thanks him and gives him a silver piece for the information. He gestures to his companions to come outside.
"The barkeep says some Ulfen wrecked his place recently and are renting a warehouse from Tullo Baltias, who generally hangs about at the Taldan's Rest, by the harbour. Sounds like as good as a lead as any. Let's go."
Know (local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13