BrOp's PFS #7-05 School of Spirits (Inactive)

Game Master Branding Opportunity

Davnet watches with mild interest, glad that the creature seems relatively friendly. "Your work is fascinating, Majordomo Pip. Have you been at it for long?" Davnet asks, as he pulls out his journal and sketches a quick map of the area and takes notes.

Sad decides that while he won't be making any personal donations, he does admire the work being done.

There are always trade offs. Always.

He continues to protect J and look for things of interest.

Without shifting his focus from the Mandragora Egmund asks Junia,
"Does anything in hear appear to be what you are looking for?"

Davnet watches with mild interest, glad that the creature seems relatively friendly. "Your work is fascinating, Majordomo Pip. Have you been at it for long?" Davnet asks, as he pulls out his journal and sketches a quick map of the area and takes notes.

The Majordomo shakes his head. "No, not terribly long. I was in hiding for many years until the Pharasmins came through and cleared out most of the undead. Then the Master Gardener and I were more free to move about the Arboretum."

Without shifting his focus from the Mandragora Egmund asks Junia,

"Does anything in hear appear to be what you are looking for?"

J drags her eyes away from the interesting plants to address Egmund. She stops for a few seconds as if listening to a far away voice, then replies: "No, Grishan says that he hid it by a red lion. That's all he remembers."

Sad begins a careful search for a Red Lion, be it plant or plant like thing, statue, sigil, or rune.

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25 Perception

Sad looks around the plant-filled room, but does not see anything that might fit this description.

"Would you like to purchase any of my wares, or are you ready to see the Master Gardener?" Majordomo Pip moves nonchalantly under one of the tables and gets out some pruning knives, walking over to one of the other tables.

"Although your work is very fascinating we're currently not interested in buying anything. Yes, we're ready to see the Master Gardener!"

"Yes, Majordomo Pip, please take us to the Master Gardener." Davnet keeps his yes on the evil plant as soon as he picks up a knife, not trusting what it plans to "prune".

Sad Rock continues to decline any special benefits and is ready to move on. Sad shuffles his feet in place, anxious to get going.

Pip already seems preoccupied with tending to his plants. "Fine, if you're not interested, he's through the next door. Just go back the way you came."

The mandragora then turns his back and gets back to work.

"Thank you, Majordomo Pip. It was... enlightening... to make your acquaintance." Davnet will head back and examine the doorway indicated by the evil plant thing.

Take 10 on Perception for a 10.

The exit he indicated is through the previous room you went through. The gallery you are currently in has only one exit: into that room.

"See you later!"

Lilybeth waves to Pip and returns to the previous room and walks toward the door.

"ok, i'll buy one potion fruit. what do you have? and how much blood donation will you require? Can Odin give too ? "

Majordomo squints as he gives the eidolon a once-over. He then shrugs, "Sure, it will do ... whatever it is."

"What would you like? I have flora that surround you with a protective shield, one that lets you climb walls like a spider, two that make you smaller, and two that make you bigger. Oh, and one that makes you both invisible and stops you from falling."

Egmund ensures that Junia is not left alone and transitions to the next room in the pocket between Sad Rock and himself.

"uh. i'll take the one that lets you climb walls, and the one that makes you invisible and stops you from falling. How much , er, or, what do you want in return for them. how much of my blood and odin's blood? "

leia steadies herself and provided its not that crazy a price, pays it, and moves along with everyone to the master gardener.

Sad Rock continues to decline everything. Sad shuffles his feet in place, anxious to get going.

Sad waddles up near the Calistrian Librarian...then remembers what he is supposed to be doing and waddles back to stand beside J.

Egmund remains within arms reach of Junia while the others complete their 'business' with the mandragora.

It is obvious that he wants nothing to do with the creature and does not trust it.

Davnet watches Leia pay for the evil plant's wares, wary for any sort of trickery. After this, he will head back into the room the group came from, and examine the doorway that the little shrub indicated led to the Master Gardener.

Just as he had with the animals, Majordomo Pip extracts a not insignificant amount of blood from Leia and Odin (you each take 1 hp of nonlethal damage), handing over a tough-looking length of ivy vine and a crystalline tree leaf in the exchange.

Already distracted by something, the mandragora attempts to shoo the half-elf and her eidolon out of the room. "I have a lot to do now, so be on your way all of you. The ivy lets you climb like a spider and the leaf ... well, you can guess."

---

Once you have completed your purchases, you make your way through the ruined arboretum. You pass through numerous destroyed galleries and corridors, and eventually end up outside the entrance of an almost intact-looking greenhouse containing a wooden plaque that reads: "Plants of Eastern Garund: Please proceed with caution, as some are poisonous".

Unlike the dead and warped growth in most of the Arboretum, the plants growing in this greenhouse seem to be relatively young and healthy. Several raised beds of earth host strange- looking plants with long, sinuous vines, and a small, gently flowing fountain with a red lion statue at its center sits near the middle of the chamber. Against the wall to your right stands a worktable and chair covered in gardening tools.

Between the raised beds and the fountain stands a humanoid plant creature with skin the color of dark mahogany and hair-like vines sprouting from its head that slowly move on their own accord. It immediately notices your presence and shouts out in Taldane: "Remove yourself, ministers of Quantium! Only death awaits the harvesters here!". The creature carries a shield in its hand while a green, wooden club hangs from a belt at its side. You can also see a number of vials hanging from a sash, and a golden brooch is attached to her expensive-looking leather armor.

Knowlegde (nature): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Knowlegde (geography): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Sense Motive): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Knowlegde (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

"Master Gardener, please excuse our intrusion. Majordomo Pip told us you might be able to help us on our quest. We are not here to do harm."

Messaging the rest "There's the red lion! Look for the package!"

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Messaging the rest "There's the red lion! Look for the package!"

Oh, and this creature is a --probably not evil, but quite possibly insane-- ghoran.

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Know (Nature)
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16 Sense Motive
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20 Know (Nature)

Sad waddles in, taking in the plants with a practiced eye. He sniffs and looks and sniffs again. He moves closer to J and draws his club.

"Calistrian Librarian is right. Plant not good plant, like carrot. Plant bad plant, like celery," Sad confirms correctly. "Not good plant."

He looks at Eggman, wondering what to do. He wants to protect J and find what the Red Lion guards.

k. nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
k. nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
sense motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"now now. no need to get touchy Sad. There can be good celery. lets just all take a breath. "

Leia holsters her gun, and holds her hands up to show they're empty as she clears her throat and addresses the Master Gardener,"We truly didn't mean to disturb you. your Major Domo led us here, but seems to have neglected to perform a polite introduction. We're in the employ of one of the high families who lost students here, and we simply wanted to look around and see if a momento from one of the students could be found. We don't wish you or your plants any harm; we've already had some barter with the major domo, and if you'd let us, we'll be out of your vines shortly.

she brings a gloved hand up, stroking her chin pensively, "Perhaps there's something we can get you from the city that you require but lack here, to show our good faith? "

she brings a gloved hand up, stroking her chin pensively, "Perhaps there's something we can get you from the city that you require but lack here, to show our good faith? "

"Maybe fresh water or fertilizer for instance? Or tools?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18

"There can be good celery."

Sad swallows his angry retort, but then it comes out anyway.

"NO! CELERY BAD!" Sad angers visibly, as if the oread doesn't know that celery is wrong and bad and evil. As if it was even debatable!

"Sad not monster and that bad plant!" Sad points with his club, considering taking out his shield and donning it.

Lilybeth sighs and uses the message to talk to Sad

The ghoran shrieks, causing the plants around her to tremble. "No, no, you have come to harvest my brothers and sisters, leave now, or you will become the mulch they so desperately crave!"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

"Let's get out of here!"

Lilybeth moves away and signals the rest to follow.

"Let's get some fertilizer and water at the market and bring those to show our good intentions. I see no need for violence, but if we stay that might happen!"

He looks at Eggman, wondering what to do. He wants to protect J and find what the Red Lion guards.

Egmund nods once to Sad Rock acknowledging that Sad will protect Junia and confident that Sad will keep her safe.

His eyes lock on the creature as his shield raises to a ready position.

"Osiris open me to the waters of truth and show me if this one disturbs ma'at."

No action - 5-foot step towards the ghoran with the intent of making himself the closest target as the others leave

Free action - Speak prayer to Osiris

Move action - Detect evil on the ghoran (Paladin special ability to determine if a specific target is evil and strength of its aura as a move action)

IF the ghoran detects as evil
===> THEN Standard action - ready an action to smite it if it attacks him
===> ELSE Standard action - ready an action to take the total defense action if it attacks him

Egmund adds speaking directly to the ghoran,
"We do not wish to fight you but we will defend ourselves."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

"NO! CELERY BAD!"

"Let's get out of here!"

"We do not wish to fight you but we will defend ourselves."

"We don't wish you or your plants any harm (...)"

Such restraint... always looking for the silver lining, these ones. But I think Sadrock has the right of it... this plant has gone bad. It must leave, or we must.

Davnet addresses his comrades: "We were warned that the plants here have been corrupted by the evil energies of this place - I do not think that reason will get us far."

Turning to the plant man, he speaks in dull accents. "While I am not from Quantium, and I wish you no harm, we purpose to enter this place. If you object, you do so at your peril. Please remove yourself from our path and all will be well." Davnet's hand tightens on his longspear, as he mentally rehearses the ritual required to call down a shadow from the air.

(I assume we aren't in initiative yet, so I can't ready an action.)

Correct, we are not in initiative, and Egmund does not sense the presence of any evil in your midst.

It is clear that the creature does not wish to attack you, but will probably do so if you make any move toward her. She seems to be quite convinced that you have come to kill her and will protect herself at any cost.

"Guys, your drawing of weapons does not really help. Let's fall back and we'll try again later. This sentient plant might be not be 100% mentally, but that's still no reason to invade its home and attack it."

Unsure about distances involved, but Sad will keep J away from the plant. Far away. If we're closer than 30' he will not only but himself between the girl and plant, but also move her away.

"Sad protect you from bad celery plant," Sad says seriously. "Sad know bad plants."

Sad directs J out of the area.

Leia will back up carefully, having Odin turn and walk out once she's at the doorway.

Picture of a Ghoran

Davnet has had his longspear "out" since you met him - there's nowhere else he can put it, it's 10' long! He uses it like a staff as he walks.

"We need to get past the Gardener, do we not? The "red lion" is here, and it seems unwilling to negotiate. What do you propose, Lilybeth? Do we foresake Grishan's task simply because we come across an obstacle?"

Davnet shakes his head and whispers into the message. "These plants were animated and corrupted by the evil energies of the lost souls here. They have no right to exist in the first place. In fact, there may be other souls of the children of the school entrapped within it, unable to find rest."

Lea calmly speaks with a patient voice, in a slightly forced peaceful tone from the doorway, to Davnet "You're an expert on what's evil then?
Slightly exhasperated, but remaining calm, she looks around to everyone still in the room " No one wants an unnecessary fight. We are here uninvited, escorting young J so she can look, and protecting her. If you stay here, a fight WILL happen. the same way a fight would happen if a burglar loitered in a house they've broken into . We're not here on some mission for the greater good of absalom. Stop playing pious, and lets go get the supplies and try to come back later. "

"Eggman, are you sensing any evil? No? then lets back up and leave the master gardener in peace, instead of antagonizing her before she DOES spark a fight. "

::message:: lets not start a fight with an insane plant. he's probably not evil, just a little touched in the plant head. we've no proof she's doing anything evil, just rumors and gossip::

"Some plants might have been corrupted, but this one just seems confused. The lack of actual fresh water might have clouded its mind. As far as I can see we've got multiple options.

C. We could go in, murderhobo everything and take what we need."

"Multiple Options: A:Blah. B:Blahblah. C:Blahblahblah."

Sad looks at the bad plant then at Lilybeth.

"No, another option: trim back the plant so it no longer hurt people. Bad plant is bad plant. Will grow back, maybe gooder."

Sad Rock reaches around for his shield, attaching it to his arm.

"Not kill, just trim."

"Not kill, just trim."

Eggman, are you sensing any evil?

Egmund shakes his head no in response.

[b]No? then lets back up and leave the master gardener in peace, instead of antagonizing her before she DOES spark a fight./b]

Without taking his focus off it, Egmund begins to slowly back away from the ghoran.

"Back to the market then! I need some strong arms to help carry the purchases, who is with me?"

At the market Lilybeth will buy some wheelbarrows, soil, fertilizer, and water. She'll try to avoid wooden/plantbased containers as much as possible.

Sad Rock waits for Lilybeth to return from market (or go with if J is going). He mutters a lot about wanting to trim back the 'bad celery plant' rather than allow it to continue to threaten and possibly hurt others.

only splitting if those inside insist on not leaving the room with the ghoran. but i'll head to the market with Lilybeth to help with the shopping. dismissing Odin as we go to market and resummoning him once we're back.