#7-21: The Sun Orchid Scheme, with GM Pendrak (Inactive)

Game Master Pendrak

Yoon is just waiting for Zzorn to grab the elixir so that they can run out!

I forgot to ask, how hard is it to climb up to the top of the plateau so Huni can get the best view to look for any reinforcements that might be coming?

I would say it wouldn't be terribly difficult to scramble up the ridge. We'll just say anything off the trail is considered difficult terrain, so Huni can get up there and take a look.

The dog continues to snarf down the treats, seemingly completely distracted from the concept of battle at this point, especially with no handlers to order him to fight. It does not react when Pai stabilizes the mage, when Tanto retrieves his dagger, or when Huni scrambles up the ridge. The dog does give out a small whine, as if it were not feeling so good from the chocolate.

Huni thinks he can see some figures moving far out in the desert, but he can't tell how far away they are well enough to get an estimate of how long the Pathfinders have before they have company.

Meanwhile, Kiaru, Zzorn, and Yoon are now all in the transport.

Not really understanding the ways of magic, Zzorn goes with the only odd thing he remembers about this: he starts walking in circles like the workers were doing during his mock 'investor' visits, hoping this will trigger the secret door open...

Since Zzorn is on the right track but it will take him a few rounds to circumambulate the transport, I'll give the players on the outside the option of either remaining out there to keep watch, or proceeding inside the transport. Once Zzorn completes a circuit (about 4 rounds, or 3 if Kiaru or Yoon help by opening doors) the secret door will open, and it will remain open for one minute. The time resets every time someone completes a circuit. The desert dog is no longer a threat.

"Yoon, come with me please! run up ahead and open the next door for me! then, when I'll come to a door, I'll open for you, and you can keep walking to the other room and keep doing that until we've done a whole circuit around!"

"Oh yes, of course!!"

Yoon immediately runs up ahead and opens the next door, then she complies further to the other room until they both have done the whole circuit!

Huni calls down to the others. "Hurry! There's someone coming.

At least minutes, though you don't know if it'd be a few minutes or a half hour really. There could also be others you didn't see even closer (it wasn't a good perception check).

I'll keep looking and, hopefully, get another roll in time.

Perception 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Huni continues to keep an eye out, and is able to confirm that the group has close to five minutes before any other guards could hope to arrive.

"I'll stay out here. Huni can tell me if he sees anyone, and I'll pass the word on to the folks inside."

Huni, Tanto, and Pai keep watch outside.

Yoon and Zzorn complete their circumambulation of the transport interior, and the secret door pops open with a hiss as soon as they return to the first room. They step into the central chamber, with Kiaru close behind. Knowing it was there, they immediately spot the secret hatch in the floor in the northwest corner. Zzorn walks over, kneels, opens the hatch, and draws forth the decoy vial, standing as he does.

As soon as he rises, the altar nearby suddenly lurches to life, trying to stop the vial-thief from escaping.

It raises it's chains to strike Zzorn, but Yoon and Kiaru are able to act first.

Yoon does not cry out and is slightly shocked but she knows that she has to act and thus fires a blast.

fire blast: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
fire blast: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Kiaru takes his spear and blow a powerful blow and shout Zzorn try to attract to middle of the room
elven branched spear: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
elven branched spear crit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
elven branched damage: 3d8 + 21 ⇒ (8, 2, 3) + 21 = 34

Kiaru delivers a crushing blow to the construct, breaking chains and shattering glass.

The construct flails wildly, still completely focused on Zzorn.

Zzorn ducks under one chain, but the other comes sweeping into his knees, and he is barely able to remain standing.

Kiaru is having a field day. Zzorn takes 5 points of damage, and you guys are back up.

"I certainly hope they are not playing around in there. I have an urgent need to be away from here when the others arrive."

Yoon sees her companions are hurt and she is clearly affraid. She does the only thing that can do ... fire a blast!

fire blast vs. touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
fire blast damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Yoon blasts the animated altar with fire, nearly wrecking it.

Zzorn draws his kukri with his free hand and slashes at the altar, and this final blow severs one of the chains and seems to put an end to the construct.

Almost as soon as Huni becomes concerned, Kiaru, Yoon, and Zzorn, elixir in hand, come out of the transport, triumphantly. The group makes their way back into the desert.

One Hour Later

Soon after, the group arrives at their rendezvous point with Lady Ziralia.

"Congratulations, Pathfinders! Lady Glorianna was right to recommend you, and she certainly is well on her way to gaining my trust. However, your suspicions that another team was spying on the convoy was correct. The agents I hired to monitor the heist spotted another team lurking around the route. I hope they're merely travelers lost in the desert, but I'd like you to discreetly track them back to their camp and catch them off-guard. You can wait to make a full report of the weaknesses you discovered until after you've dealt with these potential thieves."

There are two options here. The other group can be easily tracked back to their camp during the day, but they would probably be more alert. Alternatively you can wait until nightfall, which would make it harder to track, but more stealthy.

I looked at everyone's character sheets, and Zzorn is the only one trained in Survival, with a +5 bonus. On the other hand, there are at least 3 of our characters that have really good stealth bonuses (Kiaru, Yoon, and Pai).

"Lady Ziralia, did your agents tell you about how many were in that other team? It'd be good to know what we're up against."

"I believe there were three or four of them, nothing your group shouldn't be able to handle," replies Lady Ziralia.

People are hurt.
Channel Positive Energy1d6 ⇒ 2
Channel Positive Energy1d6 ⇒ 3
If you need more, I have a Wand of Cure Light Wounds. Roll and let me know how many charges were used.

"I would prefer the more cautious approach. Let us approach them at night."

"I suggest we do the tracking during daytime, then when spot the camp, we hunker down and wait for nightfall. This way the tracks remain fresh and, well... I can see them too."

Was the MW adamantine morningstar for the altar/construct?

Yeah, it could have been used on the construct, or to break through any of the locked doors and what-not if you didn't have keys. I totally forgot you had that or I would have had Zzorn use it against the altar, but it didn't ultimately matter.

Im agree on Zzorn´s plan

You are able to follow the tracks without a problem, and after about an hour you come over a ridge and see a camp; four dun-colored tents surround a small campfire, clustered beneath gaunt palm trees along the eastern bank of a shallow oasis.

You wait until nightfall, and approach the camp. You are able to creep up quite close to the camp without being noticed, without a need for much sneaking in the moonlight.

Two larger pavilions loom over the rest of the camp: one dyed bright orange, the other emblazoned with the Aspis Consortium’s serpent insignia. The guards are not yet aware of you, but you expect that to change soon.

Each of you will receive a surprise round (a single move or standard action), then regardless of what happens the guards will spot you and combat will begin. After the surprise round, Pai and Tanto can both take full rounds of action, before the guards will get to act.

mo to south how much does it cost?

Everything is normal terrain except for the areas around the oasis.

Pai quietly slides southward, stopping behind the orange tent for cover.

Zzorn follows Pai, and listens closely to hear whether there's someone in the orange tent.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Shield of Faith

Huni casts Shield of Faith.

Kiaru moves to the other side of orange tent waiting for enemies movement

Yoon starts to sneak in the direction of the tent. She does not speak but observes her companions and the environment . If she hears something she will give a sign.
Perception : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
Is

Zzorn doesn't hear anything when he listens through the fabric of the orange tent. Yoon hears the crackling of the campfire, nothing more.

Reminder to Tanto to take the surprise round and the standard round when he posts. Then Pai can also take her standard round.

Tanto moves up along the side of the tent, drawing one of his remaining poisoned daggers as he does so.

Stealth (if needed): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

The stealth checks don't really matter, you guys get a surprise round then they spot you, as it's written.

Zzorn quietly lifts the bottom of the orange tent to let the small ones in, he then follows inside. Move action to lift bottom of tent; ready action to move in after two party members have gone in; draw falchion as part of the move

Perhaps it was the group moving about, perhaps it was Huni's spellcasting, but the Aspis guards cry out, in surprise, and perhaps fear, "Someone's here... it's the Pathfinders!"

The three guards let fly with their heavy crossbows, toss them aside, and draw longswords as they move forward.

The only clear shot I think they all have is against Tanto, and I'm going to give him cover from the tent.

Three bolts go whizzing past the nimble kitsune, harmlessly sticking into the sand.

Initiative- Surprise Round Tanto (did not act), Pai (moved), Guards (did not act), Zzorn (moved), Huni (cast spell), Kiaru (moved), Yoon (moved), Aspis Leader (did not act).

Initiative- Round 1 Tanto (moved and drew weapon), Guards (attacked, moved, drew weapons), Zzorn (holding up tent, readied action), Pai (delayed), Huni (up), Kiaru (up), Yoon (up), Aspis Leader (not up yet).

Pai, Huni, Kiaru, and Yoon can act.

Huni runs up and punches the closest aspis agent.

Unarmed Strike: Belier's Bite
to hit: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 to hurt: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 bleed: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Huni's punch socks the Apsis agent in the jaw, and blood pours out of his mouth. "That hurt, Pathfinder scum! Shoulda had my shield out," says the Aspis agent, a Chelaxian by the look and sound of him.

Pai, Kiaru, and Yoon can act.

Yoon starts running around the tent with her full speed to see what is going on there.

Kiaru moves to help his friends

Pai darts around and behind her comrades to get a shot at the agent Huni punched.

Electric blast (vs. Touch AC): 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 4 = 101d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
-4 for shooting into melee

Zzorn ducks into the tent after his two imaginary friends have gone in. Draws falchion and looks around in tent.

The Apsis agent dodges Pai's electric blast. "Hey, check it out," one of the other agents says, "These wastes-of-space have a little gnome with them... and a kid? This should be an easy fight."

Zzorn enters the orange tent, which seems to serve as a meeting hall or office. Numerous ledgers, dossiers, and other piles of paperwork are scattered across a few small tables and desks in this tent.

Zzorn distinctly smells lamp-oil. He notices that the tent’s interior walls are oil-slicked. This might make sense in a region with heavy rainfall, but here in the desert they are probably extremely flammable.

It would be a standard action and a Perception check to quickly search for anything interesting among the documents. Tanto is up.

Zzorn is afraid the Aspis Consortium will try to destroy evidence by torching the tent should their fight goes sideways...

On his turn (Round 2) instead of searching for for stuff, since he doesn't trust his ability to parse through all this information quickly, he instead starts physically removing all the documents and ledgers and pushes them outside through the new backdoor he's created.

[full round action doing that on his turn; bound ledgers and books through the back door, and loose sheets of paper in his backpack instead]

Strength to haul stuff fast, rage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Yes. Zzorn is quietly raging at books.

That works! Yeah, Zzorn would be able to get all of that stuff out of the tent in a round, no problem.

Tanto steps out from behind Huni to try and get a clear shot at the nearest Aspis, flicking his poison dagger towards him and then drawing the last of the drow poison soaked weapons.

Dagger (ranged): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 1 = 15 damage: 1d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5
Drow Poison DC13

Tanto tosses a dagger, but it bounces harmlessly off the agent's breastplate.

That same wounded Aspis agent sidesteps, brandishing his shield, and recklessly slashes at Huni with his longsword, missing. Another agent follows suit, running up with his sword and board and trying to cut the warpriest, but he dodges nimbly aside. The third makes his way over, drawing his own shield.

Pai, Huni, Kiaru, and Yoon can act.

Yoon sees the Aspis agent in front of her and walks forward move action and blasts the leader and one of the thugs.

Fan of Flames: If she accepts 1 point of burn, Yoon’s fire blast damages all creatures in a 15-foot cone (Reflex DC 13 half). This does not require an attack roll.

fire blast damage to leader and a thug (red) DC 13 half: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Look out!" shouts the woman who appears to be leading the Aspis, as she dodges the brunt of the flames.

"That can't be a child, it must be another gnome in disguise! Or a halfling maybe," says the other thug, shaking his head and patting out the flames on his pants.

Both made their saves, and thus took only 1 point of damage.

Huni, Pai, and Kiaru can act.