When the crowd turns against Earl Calhadion Vernisant, he attempts to win them over with a dramatic show and reminder of his ancestor’s greatness.
“People of Ridonport,” the earl proudly pleads, backing into the museum’s main room as the crowd advanced menacingly. “Your actions bring shame to our port’s greatest hero. When I looked through this museum’s collections, I found a mighty artifact hidden from view since 3827—as if we were ever ashamed of our heritage. Do not jeer at me, for I am about to reclaim a relic used by my ancestor and bring glory back to Ridonport!”
Vernisant motions to one of the attendants, who pulls a blue cloth off of a heavy chest. The word “Gallowspire” runs diagonally across its surface in peeling paint. The earl places a hand on the chest and announces, “Let us see what treasures the past has promised.” As if responding to his voice or his touch, the chests numerous locks all click open. Vernisant’s smirk turns to a look of confusion as the lid flies open and a wave of palpable menace rushes out. As it passes over the suits of armor on display, they animate and begin menacing the crowd. At the same time, a pair of gauntlets leaps out at one of the guards, choking the life from him.
Other haunted relics begin rising from the crate as a spectral voice bellows, In response, Calhadion Vernisant takes a fearful step back, swishes his cloak, and disappears in a cloud of blue-and-green smoke.
As a full-round action, a PC can attempt a DC 15 Diplomacy or Intimidate check to direct the crowd’s evacuation. If successful, the crowd does not deal any damage until the end of that PC’s next turn. Furthermore, one PC of that character’s choice can move through the crowd as though it were not difficult terrain until the end of the directing PC’s next turn. For every 5 by which the PC’s Diplomacy or Intimidate result exceeds this DC, one additional PC can move through the crowd unimpeded. If a PC uses a potent crowd-controlling spell like enthrall, allow them to attempt a check to direct the crowd with a +10 bonus. Such spells might also allow the PC to exert control for more than 1 round.
At the beginning of the second round and each round thereafter, 1d10+10 squares of this difficult terrain clear out, beginning with those squares closest to the main doors into the museum, as the crowd successfully makes its way away from the museum.
Cincia: Cincia casts protection from evil (CL 1st) on one PC.
Rasvelg: Rasvelg successfully uses the aid another action to increase one PC’s AC or attack against a target.
Joleana: Joleana channels positive energy (2d6, DC 14) to harm two undead targets.
Neffery: Neffery moves to flank with one PC for 1 round.
--
ROUND 1: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara (DC 13 REF or )
Richelle (DC 13 REF or )
Geirahöð (DC 13 REF or )
Gaeldrung (DC 13 REF or )
Kegdrainer (DC 13 REF or )
Phantom Armor
Carax (DC 13 REF or )
-----------------
Notes: see spoilers re: crowd, NPCs. Undead foes are in the room on the right side of the map.
Encara’s persuasive voice calms the crowd, who begin to file out in a much more orderly manner.
ROUND 1: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle (ignores crowd)
Geirahöð (ignores crowd)
Gaeldrung (ignores crowd)
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: see spoilers re: crowd, NPCs. Undead foes are in the room on the right side of the map.
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Richelle deftly moves through the crowd towards the animated armor suits.
ROUND 1: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle (I moved your token 60’)
Geirahöð (ignores crowd)
Gaeldrung (ignores crowd)
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: see spoilers re: crowd, NPCs. Undead foes are in the room on the right side of the map.
Gaeldrung casts a speedy spell and advances through the crowd, drawing his axe and invoking justice. Altavan floats into the air above the crowd. Geirahöð too makes her way through the crowd towards the animated suits of armor that are causing a ruckus in the other room, arming herself as she moves.
The Phantom Armor suits move to flank Richelle and attack her with their falcattas.
--
ROUND 1-2: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle
Geirahöð
Gaeldrung
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: see above spoilers re: crowd, NPCs.
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Richelle swings at the red tinged armor as it moved around her.
AoO
Damage
She ducked and dodged, lucky the undead missed her. She swung her falcata again at the red armor.
Attack
Damage
The swashbuckler made an effort to try to dodge the next attack from the blue tinged undead.
Opportune Parry and Riposte
Attack roll
If that beats blue’s Attack roll, the attack automatically misses and I can make an immediate attack against blue.
Possible attack roll.
Possible damage
Carax forces his way through the fleeing crowd. Kegdrainer makes the Pathfinders #BLESSED. Richelle takes a swing at one of the phantom armors as it moves to flank her but fails to connect. She attacks again though and this time is successful. Gaeldrung engages the blue armor and connects with his axe. Encara wades out of the crowd. Geirahöð advances through the door to the red armor, striking it but not before provoking an attack from it.
--
Both armors again attack Richelle as she attempts to parry the blue armor’s attack:
--
ROUND 2-3: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle
Geirahöð
Gaeldrung
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: #BLESSED, see above spoilers re: NPCs.
Richelle falls before the phantom armors but is able to stabilize. Carax strongly encourages everyone to and gives his allies some extra precision damage if they follow his orders. Gaeldrung takes another swing at the blue armor, connecting solidly. Encara casts a holy spell intending to harm one of the phantom armors and it attacks with its falcatta as he moves past.
Encara fails to touch the foe, but he still holds the spell.
--
ROUND 3: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle
Geirahöð
Gaeldrung
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: #BLESSED, see above spoilers re: NPCs.
Geirahöð attacks with her weapon, missing, and then with her shield, which connects.
The phantom armors each step five feet to flank Gaeldrung and attack him.
--
ROUND 3-4: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle (KO/stable)
Geirahöð
Gaeldrung
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: #BLESSED, see above spoilers re: NPCs.
Carax attacks twice but is unable to connect. Geirahöð obliterates the red armor with a devastating strike. Encara heals Gaeldrung, who fights on against the remaining phantom armor but is unable to damage the thing.
The remaining phantom armor shifts 5 feet and attacks Encara.
--
ROUND 4-5: THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Encara
Richelle (KO/stable)
Geirahöð
Gaeldrung
Kegdrainer
Phantom Armor
Carax
-----------------
Notes: #BLESSED, see above spoilers re: NPCs.
Rasvelg moves in to aid Geirahöð’s attack, making it a successful hit! And with that, the phantom armor collapses into a heap.
Once the Pathfinders defeat the hostile spirits animating the armor and relics, the key NPCs help reestablish order, tend to the wounded, and thank the Pathfinders for their help. Cincia does not know where Earl Calhadion Vernisant acquired the Gallowspire chest, but she’s both excited and worried about the implications that the General Arnisant collection has discoveries such as these that might be hiding elsewhere on the premises. She asks that the Society send an occultist or other magically adept agent to help her search for forgotten treasures that the general and his family might have hidden away. Rasvelg takes an active hand in cleaning up any debris, mentioning that he feels sorry for Vernisant’s guards and noting with disappointment that they had to be rescued from a pair of gloves. Neffery is beaming from having defended Ridonport with his own hands, noting that his childhood fencing lessons truly paid off. Finally, Joleana replaces her holy symbol and remarks that she was worried she’d become “too old for this sort of thing,” though she won’t retire so long as the people of Ridonport need her.
All of these NPCs are disappointed in the earl’s behavior, and its clear the crowd feels the same way. Within 24 hours, hundreds of Ridonport’s concerned citizens surround the earl’s manor and demand answers for what he did. For a time, it seems as though he’s shouting from inside to negotiate some kind of truce. However, a wainwright spots the earl trying to sneak out of his estate by climbing down a chimney, only for the nobleman to slip and tear his jacket. In the weeks that follow, the Tandak prefecture is ablaze with gleeful stories about how a soot-smeared Vernisant fled with only one boot astride a stolen draft horse. Vernisant quickly finds his way to Oppara, where he seeks refuge among Grand Prince Stavian III’s loyalists. Even there, he’s followed by questions of why he allowed piracy in his region and why he was soliciting bribes from navy officers, leading to a formal censure issued by the senate and barring him from voting in the upcoming primogeniture decision.
Venture-Captain Muesello is ready to debrief the Pathfinders in Oppara. He listens to the Pathfinders’ report with interest, afterward sharing that he received two different letters. The one from Cincia Reviamo applauds the Pathfinders’ assistance and notes that with the earl no longer meddling, she’s been able to begin restoration of the museum. She adds that she’s commissioned a brass plaque that commemorates the Pathfinders’ bravery to defend both Ridonport and the true legacy of General Arnisant; each Pathfinder earns the Arnisant Museum Patron boon on his Chronicle sheet. The other letter is from Count Orlundo Zespire, in which he expresses his gratitude for both resolving his canal piracy problem and humbling Earl Vernisant.
Beyond that, Muesello conveys that Lady Morilla and her allies are already acting on the Pathfinders’ recent accomplishments. He muses that there might be big changes coming in Taldor, and he encourages the Pathfinders to be ready in case they wish to continue making history, not just uncovering it.