PFS PbP: Fortress of the Nail & Sniper in the Deep (Inactive)

Game Master Hawkeye127

All right, Sniper in the Deep, here we go!
Fresh off your victory in Varisia, you've barely had time to drop off your belongings back at the Grand Lodge when each of you recieves a letter. Each of them identically reads

"Meeting in my office at 4:30 tommorow morning. I expect you there by 4:15.

Venture Captain Adrill Hestram"

You arrive the next morning to find Adril Hestram, a venture-captain with a severe face and an even more severe disposition, standing with his eyes locked in a gaze of professional appraisal, his hairy arms folded tightly over his powerful chest. Finally, after a long moment, he heaves a weary sigh, allowing his shoulders to slump as if defeated, and says, “All right, fine. I don’t have time to be picky. I need you to go to the Lusty Mermaid in the Docks. One of our Pathfinders, an aging man by the name of Airk Jarigan, hasn’t reported in for two weeks. He’s supposedly close to finding a priceless Andoren artifact called The Sniper, lost right here in Absalom, or so he’s been claiming. As the sun isn’t even up yet, he’s probably still asleep. I need you to go down to the Mermaid, drag Airk out of bed, and find out why he hasn’t been reporting in. More importantly, I need you to get that artifact. You’ll recognize Airk by a gold amulet he always wears around his neck. It’s of an owlbear clutching an amethyst. He should also be with his protégé, a whelp by the name of Dargo Mar. That’s all. What are you waiting for?”

Knowledge (religion) : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"The Sniper? A fascinating artifact, to be sure!" Vordrek's gravelly voice has a definite air of excitement. "Said to bestow a curse on anyone who tries to use it for their own gain! "

I need to update Jager but I will post tonight or tomorrow.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
How in the hell does a level 7 warpriest only have a +4 to knowledge religion?!?!

"You know more of this than I, Vordrek."

Everybody just check back in when you're ready and we'll get started.

"I don't know anything about this stuff," Valrar says matter-of-factly. "It's good to see all you guys again, though."

Sorry about the long absence, my posting rate will be pretty reduced for some time due to real life. Also, will update my character shortly.

"Well lets head out then." Jager says.

I'm ready,

K.H.: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Ready when yall are

Alright, here we go!
With the mission in hand, the party sets out for the Docks district on the southern part of the city. As you arrive, the darkness has melted away, leaving Absalom in the gray grip of dawn. Rolling in off the sea, a chilling fog hangs thick in the air like a cold, pale wraith seeking to steal warmth from the living. Cries of seagulls pierce the otherwise dull stillness of the Docks. A dim yellow light spills from the stained windows of the Lusty Mermaid. The front door opens with a moan, and inside sits a scattering of fisherman, returned from a predawn haul. The overwhelming stench of raw fish clings to these men, and it mingles with the savory aroma from the pot of stew hanging above a snapping fire in the hearth. The proprietor, a greasy-looking human with thick arms and an even thicker belly, looks up from behind the bar and says, “A little early for customers, idn’t it? I have stew cooking, but that’s it. If yer lookin’ fer enthin’ else, ya best shove off.”

Foxes nose appears out of Celie's backpack. Soon after, she moves out of the bag and starts to run towards the cooking pot. Celie shortly follows her. Smelling the stew, she turns towards gender-neutral caretaker and asks, "What's in the stew?"

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Knowledge (local?): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Edit: He nudges one of the others and indicates the man with the amulet. "That must be him, Airk Jarigan."

-Posted with Wayfinder

Oloch nods to Vordrek, and approaches the man. "Airk Jarigan, I presume? We were sent to talk to you by Venture Captain Hestram. He feared that something was amiss."

The man sneers at Oloch and says with a (somewhat) tootless grin "Who? Ain't never heard of him."

Celie smiles at the man, "Cap Hestram is this stern hairy old man that is big in the Society. We are hoping that you might be Airk, or atleast know where he is."

diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 11

The man's sneer turns into a scowl as he replies "I telled ye, I ain't never heard o' him!"

S.M.: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Celie looks at the man. "Hestram or Airk? Because, I don't kindly to lairs." she says as she starts to clean the fingernails on her finger necklace. they should be really clean, she does it whenever she threatens anyone.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Intimidate: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

"I think that you need to tell us the truth" Oloch growls at the man. "If you are not him, you need to tell us where he is."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Vordrek snorts. Terrible liar, this one.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

"Liar. Tell us what you know" Jager says leaning lose to the man.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

The man grows nervous under so much scrutiny and turns to the cook as if looking for a way out. The cook sighs as he says "Figures there'd be a few loose ends to tie up. Get 'em, boys!" At this, a few men stand up and draw cutlasses as the fishermen clear out of the building.
Initiative!
Oloch: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Valrar: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Celie: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Vordrek: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Jager: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Thugs: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Oloch, Celie, and Jager are up first! The map has been added to the top of the page.

Jager sighs drawing his gun and taking a step back. "Must we?" He says then takes a shot at the cook.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Celie looks at the cook.. "Your food tasted bad, go to sleep." 17 DC or go to sleep

If any do not make the sleep save, Oloch will use Dazzling Display. If none of them make the save, Oloch will begin hogtying the brawlers.
Intimidate/ Dazzling Display: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18
"ENOUGH!!!!!!!!" Oloch thunders at the enemy "Lay down your weapons!"

Valrar springs to, drawing his own cutlass and twirling away. "Or, failing what the big guy said, we'll have to beat you all up!" he exclaims. "Nice cutlasses, but mine's bigger." He then takes a few swings at one of the men.

And a One: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27

Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

And a Two: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

the sleep(slumber) hex is targeted. only the cook can fall asleep.

Sorry for the absence, folks. I spent the weekend out of town for my brother-in-law's graduation. My apologies for not mentioning that if Friday's post.
Will Save vs. sleep: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
"Sigh"...Once again, the sleep hex ruins all my fun. ;P
The cook has just enough time to draw his greatsword out from underneath the bar before being shot in the gut. He appears to fall down dead from the wound, though you soon hear snoring from behind the counter. Seeing their boss taken down so easily, the two thugs give each other worried looks before fleeing for the exits, leaving you alone in the now-vacant bar.
Combat over!

i ruin all the fun

Was the one wearing the brooch a runner?

Was the one wearing the brooch a runner?

Yes, the one with the amulet was one of the ones who ran out.

We can always chase him, if you want.

With the close confines, could we have gotten an aoo to trip?

You have a few options at this point. You could pursue the thug, question the cook, or search the building for clues.

Oloch goes around the bar to question the cook. Slapping him awake, he asks the man "Well, that was uncalled for. Why did you attack us?"
Intimidate: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

As fast as he can, Vordrek dashes out of the building the same way that Airk went.

Is he still in sight range? And how far away is he?

Celie will cast Web on the fleeing thugs. 16 reflex

Vordrek and Celie run outside in pursuit of the thugs.

Celie smiles and repeats, [b]"We are hoping that you might be Airk, or at least know where he is."

I am assuming that my intimidate roll from before is still effective
"We would like to know why you attacked us, and who the man wearing the brooch is. And where we can find him. Now, we can do this the easy way and then get you patched up, or we can do this the hard way.. with a lot of pain. Which would you prefer?"

The cook spits on the floor and look sup at you with an unsettling grin as he replies "Ain't ya put it together yet!? Ye're boy Airk is dead, killed one of ye're own! The necklace was payment fer a job done well."

All righty then.. Where do we go from there?

The venture-captain said that Airk was staying here. You could probably check to see if any of his stuff is still here. Also, these guys aren't going to spill their guts on a whim. They'll answer any specific questions you have but if you don't ask, they're not telling.

Is the one caught in Celie's web the one wearing the medallion?

Is the one caught in Celie's web the one wearing the medallion?

oloch glowers at the man. "If he is dead, who ordered it and who are you working for? and what did you do with his things and his body?"

"Like I said, it was by one o' ye're own! It was that brat, Dargo. Guess the pup didn't like being the old geezer's second, so he gave himself a promotion the old-fashioned way. He paid me and me boys to take care of the problem and get rid of the body, so we did. We dumped what was left of the old man out in a nearby cave off the coast. Imagine the crabs have taken care of whats left of him by now. His stuff is still in his room, though. The boy made it clear that he still needed some of it."

Celie, it was pointed out to me that your post on Wednesday was directed at the trapped thug, not the chef. I'll rectify that now.
The thug turns his head as much as the webbing will allow him and blurts in terror "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to kill him, but the money was too good!"

"You will show us where his things are kept, and give us anything that has been pilfered. You will also draw us a map to the cave. Where can this Dargo be found?"

Money? Kill who? Vordrek rushes to catch up the the no-longer-fleeing thug. "Airk?"

Celie points towards the cook, "This hack of a chef killed Airk and used his body as the meat in his stew."