DM Panic's Silverhex Chronicles Classic Table 1 (Inactive)

Game Master wakedown

Shardra has two problems with this situation. As she opens her coin pouch she only finds gold pieces, and she's not one to give away so much extra hard earned coin. She also is weary of eating anything she hasn't seen prepared from scratch near a place called Cannibal's Cove...

As a result, she ties up her pouch and elects to wait patiently for the others to finish up.

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Crowe had silver, and will pay for the shaman. If she doesn't want her dinner, Crowe will happily have hers too.

When he finished his dinner(s) Crowe stands, stretches, and turns to his fellows.

"Shall we be off then? Daylight's burning."

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Armed with directions, the Pathfinders thank old Birdy for her help and head out on the mile or so trek to Cannibal's Grove.

**

One mile southwest of the inn, a clearing encircled by stones marks Cannibal's Grove. While it's still only mid-afternoon, thick tendrils of mist rise from the ground.

(aka: concealment to all creatures beyond 5 feet)

Unsettling noises permeate the clearing seeming to originate from a stream to the east - blurb blurb glurb blurb...

Crimson thistles have overtaken this clearing, punctuated by a ring of mossy standing stones. In the center, a neglected stone slab bears ancient stains and gouges.

Map link should be available at the top of the page, feel free to move your minis and keep in mind the concealment. You'd need to move inside the ring to investigate the altar.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

"Hrm..unsettling these noises are..Do we want to investigate the altar? Or check out the source of the noise first?"

Perception : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Oblivious to the change in decoration outside the inn, Crowe marches on with the rest of the company towards the grove.

On arrival, he is more than slightly set on edge by the odd sound and feel of the place. He draws his earthbreaker and moves warily into the clearing.

"The journal says she left the item under some rocks by the brook if I remember correctly... but I don't care to leave that ominous altar univestigated at our backs while we go looking for it."

He heads cautiously towards the altar, keeping his eyes and ears peeled.

Perception : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

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Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Jirelle follows along, eagerly looking about her for some fun to be had.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Adowyn sees the missing head and comments "Hey, where did that monstrosity of a knick nack disappear to??"
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Adowyn looks around, but can not see anything through the mist.
Perception Leryn: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
The wolf, though, sees much!
As they spread out through the mist, Adowyn draws her sword and looks over to Crowe "I completely agree! Lets see what lays in the mist"

Oloch follows Crowe and the others towards the altar to check it out first.

As the Pathfinders advance deeper into the fog towards the ancient alter, a chill wind stirs and they can recognize their breath in the air.

Whispers reach their ears, rhythmic chanting from a long forgotten era.

And suddenly each feels hunger, for something... something meaty, something fleshy... human flesh.

Shardra and Oloach recognize the haunt that resides here for what it is, knowing that if they doesn't act quickly, their group's adventuring days may be ending soon.

Suprise Round
16 Crowe :

Round 1
16 Crowe :
13 Olach :
12 Jirelle :
11 Adowyn :
10+ Shardra :
10 Haunt :

Now Up: Everyone! (and Crowe with a bonus action from the surprise round)

TLDR: A haunt!! Kill it!

How much do Shardra and Oloach know about haunts, and do they have time to inform Crowe of these things?

Seeing as there's no enemy on the map, what does Crowe think is going on right now?

Also, it looks like maybe you accidentally used your perception rolls for the party to determine the initiative order?

I'll let them relay information as a free action right away. Also, my mistake with perception-as-initiative is your boon as you'll all act before the haunt due to that mistake. :)

Crowe is puzzled and infuriated by the lack of any apparent enemy and more than slightly off balanced by the sudden urge to take a bite of one of his companions (maybe just a half-bite of Olach.) He decides to take his frustrations out on the sinister altar. He steps to the north and smashes his earthbreaker against the stone surface of the vile altar.

Surprise Round: Five foot step north, power attack stone altar.

Earthbreaker: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
blunt damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (5, 5) + 9 = 19

Round I: Five foot step north again, power attack stone altar again.

Earthbreaker: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
blunt damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (1, 5) + 9 = 15

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"It's a haunt. We have to cleanse the site with positive energy! Throw holy water at it if you can!"

Oloch mentally swaps out a bless spell for acure light wounds spell and moves forward so he can start to pump holy energy into (what's left of?) the altar

cure light wound: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

You said we recognized it as a haunt..so I assume we know we need to hit it with positive energy? Unless this is unlike any other haunt I as a player have encountered before?

Adowyn has no idea whats going on, and no clue how to fight this thing..

Neither does Crowe, which is why he's smashing rocks. Olach has the right of it though. Needs positive energy to be subdued.

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"I'm very positive," said Jirelle. "And full of energy! But I dont' think I can hurt that thing with this," she said, indicating her rapier.

Out of initiative. The haunt had 4hp.

Oloch's quick response and actions seem to have supressed the haunt for now.

Everyone smacks their lips, having developed a sudden hunger for human flesh that seems to be subsiding with each passing moment.

As the Pathfinders finally close upon the altar, they note nothing of further interest besides ancient bloodstains upon its cracked surface. Presumably here is where the Famished Shaman plied his cannibalism.

The sounds of the babbling stream to the east remind the Pathfinders of Ulisha's note and a likely location for the hidden lantern.

"Hrm..the site seems clear for now..we better investigate the babbling stream now"

Oloch says as he licks his lips

"That haunt is simply neutralized for the time being. I say we let Crowe finish what he started to see if destroying the alter will put a final end to the presence."

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Crowe, frustrated at not being able to kill anything in days, needs no further encouragement, and takes Shadra's suggestion happily, continuing to pound away at the stone of the altar with titanic heaving swings.

"You can..."
SMASH
"go search..."
SMASH
"while I..."
SMASH
"finish here."
SMASH

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Shivering at the close call with.. whatever it was... Adowyn follows Crowe's directions and begins searching along the brook for anything that might lead her to her quarry
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

The stone altar eventually crumbles under the might of Crowe's heavy swings. As the altar is reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble, the Pathfinders feel uncertain if this was what was needed to appease the angry spirit of the Famished Shaman.

I'd say that Oloch and Shardra would both know enough about spirits and haunts to also know that usually in order to appease a haunt, you'd need to rectify a wrong in it's life that led to its downfall. In terms of this quest, unfortunately exactly what you'd need to do is beyond the capability of your PCs.

After doing their best to neutralize the haunt, the Pathfinders continue their trek to the east to the babbling stream and the small islet there.

The 10-by-15-foot islet is mostly formed from boulders piled high in the middle of the stream's path. This area seems to match the description of the hiding spot in Ulisha's note.

You'd count both the stream and the rocky islet as difficult terrain. I moved the entire party over to that area.

I moved all PCs over to the stream together, so the map in the header has been updated.

"Hrm, This area seems to match the description of the hiding spot in Ulisha's note. Better start searching"

Oloch starts to move to the pile of boulders in the middle of the stream.

Adowyn and Leryn begin searching along the bank for any clues
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

I've moved Oloch, Adowyn and Leryn to the islet where the lantern is supposed to be buried. I imagine Crowe may go along as well, so he's free to assume he's there, too.

After wading across with Adowyn and Oloch, Leryn shakes his lithe body, sending drops of the cold streamwater onto both the hunter and warpriest. You can almost see the wolf grin an apology as he begins to sniff around at the various rocks and boulders piled up on the islet.

With a subdued whine and woof he noses one of the rocks, bringing Adowyn and Oloch over to investigate, where they discover a faint orange light flickering under one of the larger rocks.

With a little effort (it's only a DC10 Strength check), they lift the boulder, exposing a strange lantern in a hollowed crook beneath. The lantern appears to be fashioned of a human skull attached to a short length of chain and the orange light flickers wickedly from the eye sockets.

The sounds of animals in the forest fall silent.

At this point, nobody has picked it up.

Oloch will wait for someone who is better at that sort of thing then he is to check to see if the lantern is trapped

If/when he is told that it's save he will pick it up (unless someone else wants to do that before him)

"Hrm.., looks like we found what we came here for"

Hearing the animals go silent piques Adowyns nerve. She draws her bow and puts her back to the party looking out. "This is bad Ju-Ju to have this effect on the wildlife.. Lets hurry up!"

Looks like Oloch's picking it up.

As Oloch lifts the lantern from its hiding spot, the bushes and shrubs on the western bank jostle and a half-dozen tiny animals composed of rabbits, squirrels and a skunk emerge and line up along the bank. Each of the tiny animals hisses at Oloch while a vaguely humanoid shape made of light seems to stumble forth, wearing a familiar, mangy bear head upon its shoulders.

Just as Oloch is trying to ascertain if the shape is friend or foe, the bear head hurtles at him, seemingly intent at striking him.

Round 1
18 Adowyn :
16 Jirelle :
13 Crowe :
12 Shardra :
9 Oloch :
8 ?? :

Now Up: Everyone!

What's the deal with the water? Difficult terrain? Too deep to wade?

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Difficult terrain for the water and island, each step costs 2 movement.

Adowyn lets loose 2 arrows at the ugly thing with the bear head
Attack: 1d20 + 4 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 - 2 + 1 = 20
Attack: 1d20 + 4 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 - 2 + 1 = 21

Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

and watches as both of her arrows strike home

Unsure what's going on Oloch stores the lantern and then retreats across the water to join the main force

(2 moves, 1 to store the lantern..one to actually move..can't draw my weapon yet cause it seems warpriests don't have a +1 BAB)

Crowe moves directly east, drawing his earthbreaker as he goes.

Not sure how far he can travel. Depends on if the squares that are half river and half land are difficult terrain or not?

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Conceal (high good): 1d100 ⇒ 27
Conceal (high good): 1d100 ⇒ 49

Two arrows swish by the floating bear head, just barely missing from the mists and fog shrouding this entire area.

It would take Crowe 8 squares of movement. Any square with >50% water would be difficult terrain.

Dripping with watet, Crowe emerges on the far side of the stream near the floating head, intent to draw his weapon and do it some damage.

Still Up: Jirella and Shardra

Jirelle springs across the small stream, stepping lightly on small stones as she goes.

Spend panache to increase her Acrobatics roll to leap the stream, then move up to support Crowe.

Leap diagonally SE, then move 30' around the combat to come up on BH's side. Next turn I'll step into a flank if the space is still open.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (18) + 5 + (4) = 27

Shardra moves 2SE,1E,1NE to stand next to Crowe. She uses Monstrous insight to try and recall some information on the strange head.

Kn Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Forgot about Lehryn. He moved forward towards the battle.

Round 1
18 Adowyn : Shoots at the bear head
16 Jirelle : Leaps stream, closing in on bear head
13 Crowe : Closes to bear head
12 Shardra : Moves to Crowe, attempts to identify bear head
9 Oloch : Stows lantern and moves to west bank
8 Atomie : 5fts, hurls bear head at Oloch, draws rapier
7 Elk : Emerges from forest, attacks Jirelle for 7 damage

Round 2
18 Adowyn :
16 Jirelle :
13 Crowe :
12 Shardra :
9 Oloch :
8 Atomie :
7 Elk :

As the party moves to the bear head and Oloch creates some room, it suddenly jerks forward and hurls itself at the warpriest, crashing into the rocks at his feet.

Floating where the head was previously is a tiny green-skinned creature with a tiny sewing needle seeming to serve as a makeshift rapier who seems to curse in a strange language.

The tiny forest animals all flee as a larger rustling can be heard to the east and a large male elk emerges and sinks its massive antlers into Jirelle (7 damage).

Now Up: Everyone!

Flummoxed by the ruse, Shardra instead tries to identify the newly emerged Elk to get an advantage in fighting it.

Monstrous Insight

Kn nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

She pulls out her morning star in anticipation to attack.

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Finally faced with an obvious foe, Crowe gives a mighty bellow, flies into a battle rage, then channels his elemental bloodline into his weapon and steps north to swing at the tiny pixie like creature.

Earthbreaker PA: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Damage: 2d6 + 12 ⇒ (3, 4) + 12 = 19
Lightning damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

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Oloch draws his sword and moves back across the water to fight the newly emerged threats.

(2 move actions)

Crowe steps up and with a powerful swing, catches the atomie in the swift arc of his earthbreaker. The tiny fey finds itself unable to escape the blunt face in time, first getting pinned between the weapon and the ground, and then getting completely crushed.

SPLURRRRCH.

The atomie's body explodes like a wet grape. The elk's eyes bulge in rage as it seems to turn its attention to Crowe the Fey Slayer.

Still Up: Adowyn, Jirelle, Shardra

If the elk appeared there, wouldnt Leryn get an AOO for an enemy advancing into his threatened area?
Adowyn shimmers, and her eyes take on the vertical slit of a cat, and she seems to gain a lithe and feral quality as she steps forward to get a better vantage, and looses two more arrows at the elk, while Leryn tears into it. Aspect of the Tiger, +2 Dex

Arrow 1: 1d20 + 5 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 - 2 + 1 = 5
Arrow 2: 1d20 + 5 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 5 - 2 + 1 = 15

Possible damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Leryn seems to grow larger right before he charges in and tries to hamstring the elk Aspect of the bull, +2 strength
Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
CMB for Trip: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Ah, I forgot concealment for Crowe's swing. Too late now.

As for the AoO, the stag moved NW with its last step. If Leryn has reach, or I overlooked something, feel free to make an AoO.

Arrow conceal 50% (low=miss): 1d100 ⇒ 23
Leryn conceal 20% (low=miss): 1d100 ⇒ 46

Adowyn's arrows goe wide as she tries to aim through the swirling mists, yet Leryn's bite finds its mark as he drags the elk to the ground. The creature panics further, flailing as it tries to right itself.

Round 2
18 Adowyn : Fires, misses
18 Leryn : BItes elk for 4, trips it
16 Jirelle :
13 Crowe : Crushes atomie for 25 damage
12 Shardra : Uses monstrous insight, pulls out morningstar
9 Oloch : Draws sword, moves across water
8 Atomie : DEAD
7 Elk : Tries to flee

Still Up: Jirelle

However, I'll take the elk's action now to keep things moving...

The elk, panicked, does spring to its hooves as it attempts to flee into the forest to preserve its life.

That would be AoOs from Jirelle and Leryn. Then everyone could act if they wished to push the fight vs the elk.

Seeing the elk try and flee, Adowyn calls Leryn back. "Let it go.. we have no need of meat, and the beast is terrified."

Sorry for my absence. Sick 2-year old.

Jirelle had no interest in wounding an animal needlessly. When she saw it flee, she let it go.

Turning to Crowe, she smiled up at him. "That was a good shot," she said. "From now on, you do all the fighting and I'll cheer you on from the rear."

"It's just an elk..just let it go. We have what we came for."

Oloch shows everyone the lantern.

Then that's a wrap. Congratulations on retrieving the lantern and completing Mists.

BEGIN: QUEST #3, COLONY.

Weeks after the visit to Birdy's and the retrieval of the grim lantern, Shardra uncovers the third lead buried within Ulisha's notes.

Ulisha's Third Note

Her note seems to indicate a jeweled rod may be able to be obtained by visiting the town of Allenstead on the outskirts of Razmir.

As you sail west along one of the River Kingdom's river kingdoms, you can consider what you know of the area.

Untrained Knowledge any of them: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

"Hrm.. Worship of Razmir began in the River Kingdoms, where it spread quickly and led to the creation of a theocracy. Allenstead has always resisted conversion despite being on the very edge of Razmiri territory. But that's all I know about where we are going..."