DM AM's The Confirmation (Inactive)

Game Master overfiend_87

Then he looks around for some materials he could grind up to use as a dye or paint.

Have some chalk.

Nigari looks over the rubbing of The Shepard more.
Interesting. This one is all about hearding animals, getting them to leave a place with people to a barn or something. As someone that has never once in her life lived or worked on a farm" She grins, forked tongue tasting the air, I do not have a clue as to what exactly telling us to do...

She turns her head, listening closer to the sounds in the cave. "Does anyone else hear frogs coming from down there? I am going to guess there is water that way...and if there is a gathering of Gillman, I imagine they would be somewhere near the water, if what people said a bit ago is true..."

She stops and waits for the others, moving back to resume her spot at the back of the party, listening for anyone coming from behind them...

Reis will take notes about the glyphs found by the others.

I agree, I wonder what these have to do with the gillman? Are they paying their respects to Aroden, or perhaps causing the fading of the images?

As you make your way you notice the cave opens up wide again.

The soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.

Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.

There are two exits from this cave going deeper, but what grabs your attention is immediatly sat by a small pool of water is a humanoid, knelt down and wearing exotic clothing with a chain shirt. He also has a quarterstaff and light crossbow nearby on the beach of this small area. From what you learned earlier, he appears to be a Gillman, made obvious by the large gills around his neck.

Across from him in the centre of this pool is a model replica of a city that should seem familiar to all of you. This is obviously the city hinted at by the murals back in the cave you were just in.

I have updated the map. Currently the Gillman is just sat there and I have left a enlarged photo to the right for clarity. He pays no attention to you at the moment as he remains knelt there, meditating.

Any checks to know why he might be meditating? Local? Religion? Sense Motive?

Knowledge (unskilled): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Bluff (innuendo: Shhh! listen...): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Reis, will marvel at the miniature city.

Wow, that sure is beautiful. I wonder who made it, it must have taken some time a skill?

Her thought is only broken by the sight of the gillman.

Hm, is he hostile? Why is he kneeling there? Who wants to go talk to him?

I have done this one A LOT, trying not to hog it for anyone :)

I've no idea if anyone here hasn't done it before :p, but thanks for the discretion if there is someone who hasn't done it.

As far as you can tell he is merely knelt and meditating. There is nothing he appears to be doing that's unique in the way he is sat and he doesn't appear to be chanting either. Just sitting.

Well, lets take a tally.. Has anyone NOT done this one? I really don't want to ruin anything for someone either.. this can be a lot of fun and a lot of puzzle and I would hate to inadvertently spoil that.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Getting the cloak out of her bag, Amelia reverently approaches the gillman. "Pardon me? I believe that we have found something that may belong to you or your people. Would you be willing to speak with us for a minute?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Ouch.. someone else may want to take over on this one!

Has anyone NOT done this one?

I've both played AND run this scenario multiple times. No spoilers here. Happy to let other players take the lead during their favorite parts. :-)

I've never played it, so I have no idea of what is coming :)

I've never played it, so I have no idea of what is coming :)

Ditto.

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

As Amelia gets closer you see the gillman raise suddenly and turn around. He eyes you suspeciously for a few seconds.
"Who are you and why are you here?" he asks in a throaty, gargled sort of voice.

That's not a typo, I did read what Amelia said.

Would my pereption check tell me why he is acting the way he is, or would you like another one?
Taken aback by his demeanor, Amelia does her best to assuage the angry seeming gillman.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
She clearly holds her hands out, and does her best to not seem a threat
"I asked if we could have a moment of your time, sir. I hate to disturb you, but we would like to talk to you for a moment."

First timer here!

Essua Day takes a non-confrontational position in the front of the party, in case he's got to jump in to protect them.

"Easy, Gilly," says Essua Day, holding his hands up in what he hopes in a non threatening gesture. "We don't want trouble."

Diplomacy Now! Aid to Amelia: 1d20 ⇒ 9 Nope!

Too late, Essua wonders if he should have maybe kept his mouth shut.

He tries a different tact.

"Did you see the chalk that Divdesmit gave me?" He starts to babble. "Crazy, right? Chalk! Here in a dungeon. Like we're going to school!" Essua chuckles a little, and then abruptly stops. "Seriously, Gilly". His eyes suddenly turn cold and steely.

"We don't.

Trouble."

He draws each word out, punctuating each one with a studied calm, never taking his eye off the gillman, never blinking, staring him down.

Intimidate: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Oh, Poor Essua.

I moved Essua's position on the map. Any of you bruisers want to jump in on this, feel free. Essua's gonna need all the help he can get.

As you speak to him you notice that he appears to be focusing on your lips more than your eyes. It appears that he is reading your lips to understand you.

I assume Amelia is handing out the cloak towards him?

He keeps an eye on Essua, but pays more attention to Amelia. He raises a confused eyebrow for a moment.
"Are you here for the pilgramage?" he asks curiously as he keeps focus on your all and retrieves his quarterstaff.

I edited to move Amelia closer as she was the first to speak to him and he will need to actually see her to talk to her.

Reis will step forward, hands out and in a calm and almost airy voice,

We are here on a pilgrimage of sorts. We came here to better understand this cave and the attachment your fellow gillman have to such a place. We seek knowledge and understanding. Sorry if we interrupted you during your moment of peace and quiet

dip: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Could you please move yourself on the map. Where he is, he can't quite see you, nor communicate with you as he needs to read your lips.

Divdesmit makes his way nearer to the gillman. He stands ready to "aid another" any of his companions if they request assistance.

Essua steps around Amelia, softening his demeanor, and making room for Reis Sier to approach.

Gillmen. Ugh. Gillmen. he thinks, looking up and down the expressive little man's frame. He remembers the Gilmen who would come into his parents shop. They were from a river-bound tribe which had evolved a resistance to drying out, so it was not unusual for them to take the two day trip into town to trade, his father had told him. He had asked his father why he he would always buy up the gillmen's fish when he knew full well he'd inevitably have to throw most of it away. His father told him stories about how the gillmen people had lost much, and that it was a kindness to take pity on them. But Essua mostly remembered that they had a vaguely unpleasant smell and that the gillmen traders visits always corresponded with a few days of eating fish congee so rubbery that even the Day family spices could just barely make it palatable.

Yes, I am holding out the cloak, and I have moved Amelia and Reis Sier up into position, and am letting her take over the negotiations that Amelia keeps screwing up on!

computer broken so no map access. Thank you for anyone who moves me in the future :)

He nods as he looks to Reis and gives a smile.
"The pure waters here are a holy place to my people, but this place is tainted by abominations." he stops to consider for a moment. "Would you help clear these creatures out? I cannot fight these things myself and I need to continue my contemplation." he accepts the robe as a gift, but hands if back to you if you accept "You may need this cloak. It could help you against these creatures."

Amelia takes the cloak back with a deep bow. "Many thanks, good sir. We will help you in any way that we can! Perhaps before we start on that though, may we pay our respects at the City model over there?" Amelia will then put on the cloak.

He seems tentative at first, but agrees.
"As long as the waters are not too disturbed, go ahead." he states and gives a bow before getting onto his knees to 'listen' to the water.

As the gillman drops back on his knees over the water, Essua feels a flood of relief that Amelia and Reis had managed to calm the situation down.

That was too close, Essua thinks. I nearly let my own prejudices get in the way of seeing what this gillman was really up to here. What if he'd attacked? Would I have killed him? Would he have killed me? What kind of a Pathfinder would I be if on my first trip into the wilds, I kill the first exotic thing I stumble across?

He reflects on Nigari's first words to him at the Pig's Paunch, how she assumed he was looking for a fight. He realizes she was probably right.

He silently vows to try to be better about seeing that sort of thing.

Then he thinks maybe he should say something to the Gillman, by way of an apology. Then he thinks better of it. What would he say that would make it better?

Then he turns to Nigari, who, he supposes, he's come to think of something of a friend and asks: So, what are we going to do? Seems to me this ritual stuff is more up your alley, right?

I should mention, he points out one of the cave entrances is filled with "rotting abominations" and the other is filled with "Troublesome beasts" that are both polluting this sacred area in his eyes.

The frogs that were ribbeting earlier appear to be jumping around the miniature city. Many of them hopping ontop of the buildings and down the various streets.

"Well, lets take care of this first, then we can clear out the caves!" Amelia says as she moves towards the miniature city. "Nigari, would you like to clear these frogs out of the city? Then the rest of us will go in turn with our part of the process."

If I know anything about frogs,Essua thought...

WHAT ABOUT THE FROGS??? Knowledge(nature): 1d20 ⇒ 4

... its that frogs love fire. Maybe I could suggest that we build a fire nearby and the frogs will all, naturally, just come hopping over to it.

Essua begins to open his mouth to suggest this, but decides to wait to see if any of the rest of the party had suggestions. Because, really, even Essua had to think that seemed kind of stupid.

"What about you, my Katapesh friend?" he asks of Abaal. "Do they have frogs where you come from? How do you deal with them?"

Knowledge (Dungeoneering, CAVE frog knowledge): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

If only we had saved that swarm from before in a bag.

Most you know is that these are basic frogs. They aren't dangerous and merely native to the land. There's nothing out of the unusual about them.

Essua wades respectfully up to the little city and pokes at nearest frog with the flat of one of his daggers.

"Go'wan!" He mutters at a frog. He waits to see what the frog does. He taps another one. He takes a step back and says to the party.

"Hey guys, from up here, this little city kind of looks like ..."

Knowledge (engineering, geography, history, local or religion): 1d20 ⇒ 8

"... something I've seen before, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Maybe one of you dudes who look like things that eat frogs could scare them out of the city? I mean, I'm happy to have Essua swat at the things and chase them all out one at a time, which I'll totally have him do tomorrow if I don't hear otherwise. Sound good?

Basically what I was thinking the same; a lure or a goad, either real or the illusion of one. The knowledge check was to see if I might know anything about that as firebombing, or gassing the place doesn't sound feasible. How many and how large are they? Would it seem feasible to stuff them in a sack an cart them out (even if it took some time)? Or maybe an all you can eat frog legs buffet? Or perhaps there is something deeper in the dungeon we could use to rid the place of frogs.

"If only we could have bagged that swarm of mosquitoes earlier. Perhaps we could lure them out. Hold a moment. Nagari, what is in the halfling's bag?"

Handle animal, intimidate or wild empathy is the best way to move them away. The part of the sign is to herd the creatures out of the structure to gain the blessings. Doing something like fire-bombing or gassing will likely irritate the Gillman as he wants the place to remain sanctified so I'm certain throwing bombs or gassing the area would possibly pollute the water.

Nigari moves the halflings bag into her front and opens it up...She starts digging through all the things in the bag, reading each of the labels that the halfling was so meticulous about using...

"Hmm, let's see..potions...we got barkskin, two cure light wounds, feather step, and vanish...doesn't seem like any of those will help... Scrolls... Entangle, gust of wind, identify, mage armor, obscurring mist.. again, I don't think any of them will be of any help. We've got a couple of wands here, burning hands, and cure light wound. Then the rest of the stuff is acid, alchemist's fire while good with the swarm earlier, not so sure about the frogs... would probably hurt the city if we used it... Holy Water, smokestick, oh...this might work..."

She reaches into the bag and pulls out two Tanglefoot bags,

"Tanglefoot bags? Though I'm not sure...the rune I was looking about was about herding animals....would this count? I didn't grow up on a farm or anything like that, so not really my specialty.."

She look around at everyone, holding up the bags, waiting to see if everyone this this is a good idea...

"I could scare the frogs..." She grins a bit.."Frogs and snakes aren't usually the best of friends, you know..."

Well then...
Abaal steps over to the far side of the miniature city and draws his falchion the way the Lone Wolf, Ogami Ittō might do his own mystic blade. He focuses all of his ki (of which he has none) raises his sword and...
"AAAAARRRAAAAAAH!!!"
Intimidate (Primal, Cave-Echoing Roar): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 *SHHWOOPH!*

Edit: Reaching for a circumstance *slash* aid another bonus here...if only for font choices.

Essua joins in, standing behind Abaal and adding his own voice to the roar!

Roar! (Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 6

Nope.

As he starts to roar, he chokes on his own fleghm and instead wheeses and gargles pathetically.

Well then...

Abaal steps over to the far side of the miniature city and draws his falchion the way the Lone Wolf, Ogami Ittō might do his own mystic blade. He focuses all of his ki (of which he has none) raises his sword and...
"AAAAARRRAAAAAAH!!!"
[Dice=Intimidate (Primal, Cave-Echoing Roar)]1d20+3 *SHHWOOPH!*

Edit: Reaching for a circumstance *slash* aid another bonus here...if only for font choices.

After Abaal scared the frogs away successfully you all feel yourselves gain a blessing.

You all gain a +2 insight bonus on a single check made to perform the aid another action in the next 24 hours.

After the frogs are herded out, Amelia reverently steps up to place her little figure that she made in the city. She pauses for a moment in genuflection, and then steps back for the next to approach the alter.

As he starts to roar, he chokes on his own fleghm and instead wheeses and gargles pathetically.

"Are you okay?" He asks clapping the other man on his shoulder. "It's probably just the damp air."

@Abaal and Essua: Well done. Good thing our friend here is deaf.

@Amelia: The courtesy and respect you show is remarkable, especially for a Pathfinder.

@the party: Does anyone else wish to do anything further here? I'm eager to finish our mission and see what has become of Janira. The hunter keeps looking back at the cave entrance.

@Abaal and Essua: Well done. Good thing our friend here is deaf.

@Amelia: The courtesy and respect you show is remarkable, especially for a Pathfinder.

Assuming condescension:

Still standing next to Essua, but not out of earshot of his comment to Amelia

"And what is your excuse, friend, for these spectres of praise you haunt us with?" Abaal says in measured tones.

No condescension intended. Remember, this character is influenced by his feral focus. The falcon is hyper-vigilant and doesn't know how to give genuine praise. I, the player, apologize if you felt disrespected. Divdesmit Deviņi, the character, is unaware of his social faux pas.

No condescension intended. Remember, this character is influenced by his feral focus. The falcon is hyper-vigilant and doesn't know how to give genuine praise. I, the player, apologize if you felt disrespected. Divdesmit Deviņi, the character, is unaware of his social faux pas.

Player (Matt) no offense taken, figured it was RP. Not being able to see body language or hear tone (even from around a real-life table with dice) Abaal felt that Div sounded a bit condescending and is not the sort to let it slide. Especially with a boy choking to death in his arms. ("Just breath Essua, breath. I did not mean frighten you so.") Given the same situation (in text format again) Matt would have found it the same, but would have figured that it was partly due over concern for Janira. Alas Abaal does not have Sense Motive ranks. Besides I'm usually the player with outsider/semi-antagonistic/otherwise slightly-flawed character. ;) You should read some of my posts as Coiger DiMelaiz.

:-)

Now all we need is someone with Diplomacy to talk us off the edge. Hint, hint.

Ohh...I actually forgot that Nigari is actually really good at Diplomacy...so here we go...

The tall Nagaji stepped forward between Divdesmit and Abaal, looking back and forth between them as she speaks gently and without hostility, "Gentleman, I am sure that there was no malice meant in anything that was said... please, we are all here and were told to work together to explore these caves and find out what is going on here. So please, to make this work best for all of us, let us take a step back from it, and figure out how we all can best help figure this out..."

Diplomace: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Not great, but not terrible.

The hunter shrugs. He doesn't understand what the big deal is. He then switches his feral aspect alternately between falcon, bat, and wolf to perceive, and scent out, any trouble that might be near.

Since the others are doing stuff with the model city, I'll take 20 to perceive for either a 26 or a 30 perception--depending on which feral aspect is in use at the time.

We can just continue, or we can finish the little rituals described on the last page of posts. Having played this before, I am interested to see how the bonuses interact with the rest of the scenario. (Really trying hard not to make spoilers!!!) Either way is good with me. Amelia finished the task that she saw, so if the rest of you wish to do your assigned task, go for it. In the mean time...

While the others decide the path before the group, Amelia approaches the Gillman again. Keeping her hands away from her weapons, and working to not startle him, she faces him square on so that he may see her lips. "Good sir, you said that there are other things here that are defiling your caves. I, for one would like to help you and clear these abominations out. So that we may be prepared and deal with these things efficiently, can you tell us anything more about what has been troubling you?"

Reis will takes a pretty pebble and break it up. She then adds a touch of water from her waterskin to make it more pliable. She proceeds to paint one of the bulidings a pretty shade of purple.

paint untrained: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17