“There’s trouble at the Blakros Museum again,” Venture-Captain Adril Hestramgrowled when you first entered the meeting room in the Grand Lodge earlier this afternoon. “The museum’s curator, Nigel Aldain, came to me this morning asking for help.”
“Apparennnttttllllyy, a wayward daughter of his illustrious patrons, the powerful Blakros family, has disappeared, along with a few of the museum’s watchmen who went looking for her. The Society has helped him in the past, and he wants us to find her, before he loses his job, or worse. Now Nigel’s an old friend, and a former Pathfinder, but this kind of missing person case isn’t really our bailiwick. Normally I’d tell him to find the district guard and leave the Society out of it.”
“But then he made me an offer that was too good to pass up. Not only will he allow the Society access to the Blakros Museum’s extensive and very private library, but apparently this same missing daughter just returned to Absalom with a pack full of ancient relics collected throughout Osirion and northern Garund. And Nigel promised the Society first pick of any of those pieces that catch our fancy. I don’t need to tell you what those kinds of things might be worth, so it looks like you’re heading to the Blakros Museum tonight. . .”
“The missing daughter is named Imrizade Blakros—half-Osirian herself and a pretty successful adventurer and fortune-hunter by all accounts. She just arrived in Absalom out of the blue a few days ago, after a couple of years’ worth of tomb-raiding in the Osirian deserts, and carrying an odd metal cylinder covered in hieroglyphs, like nothing Nigel has ever seen before. Nigel says she went straight to the basement of the museum to do some research in the family’s library, muttering something about ‘whispers in the dark’ and ‘old tapestries,’ or something. He didn’t hear from her for a couple of days, which isn’t unusual when someone is deep into their research in the archives, but he got worried when strange noises started coming from the basement. He sent a watchman down there to investigate, and when he didn’t return, Nigel sent a few more. That was last night, and they haven’t come back up either.”
“Go to the museum and find out what happened to Imrizade Blakros and the watchmen. Nigel would prefer them alive, of course, especially the Blakros woman, but the Society is more interested in what she brought back with her. I’ve got a hunch it wasn’t just grave goods and pretty jewelry. Whatever she found, the Society wants it, or at the very least some information about it.”
Know History 10+:
: In the early days of Absalom, the Blakros Museum was originally the stronghold of an eccentric wizard. Abandoned for centuries, it was later bought by the Blakros family, who turned it into a museum for their impressive collection of curiosities from across Golarion.
Know History 15+:
:(as above &) The mad astrologer Ralzeros the Overwatched built what is now the Blakros Museum thousands of years ago, as an observatory to study distant worlds (and some say, to be studied by them). He later disappeared following a mage-duel with another of Absalom’s early wizards.
Know History 25+:
:(as above &) Ralzeros carved his stronghold from a single block of volcanic stone with the help of fell powers granted to him by otherworldly patrons, supposedly to hide some powerful artifact secreted in the catacombs beneath the keep. However, neither the secret tunnels nor Ralzeros’s hidden treasure have ever been discovered. In addition, some stories claim that Ralzeros’s disappearance was actually an abduction at the hands of the alien monsters from the worlds he had studied so obsessively.
Know Local/Gather Info 10+:
10+: The wealthy and prominent Blakros family is a large, extended clan of eccentrics with trade contacts rivaling those of the Aspis Consortium who make most of their money selling valuable antiquities across the Taldor-Qadira border. Their daughters are known far and wide for their beauty, and marrying a Blakros woman is a sure path to power and riches.
Know Local/Gather Info 15+:
:(as above &) Rumored to be originally Taldan by blood, the Blakros have since intermingled with bloodlines from all over Golarion, by marrying daughters to a succession of Qadiran trade princes, Vudran rajahs, and even the occasional Tian noble and Mwangi chief. Gifts from these foreign potentates (and the sale of illicitly gained secrets) provide the foundation for the Blakros fortune and their famous collections.
Know Local/Gather Info 20+:
:(as above &) In reality, it is the many daughters who bear the Blakros name that are responsible for the family’s wealth. Although beautiful and amazingly fertile, wedding a Blakros daughter has significant conditions—the daughters always keep their maiden name, all children must be raised as Blakroses, and the husband’s family must offer a considerable dowry for the privilege of marriage. Once married, the Blakros daughters join an unparalleled spy network that keeps the family well supplied in secrets and priceless artifacts.
Please refrain from posting in this Game Thread until the 5th, when the game actually begins. Also, for the above spoilers, when I do this, please roll the appropriate checks, if your character is able, and then read the one that your check beats. It will speed things up, but relies on the honor system.
"It sounds like Imrizade Blakros would make a decent Pathfinder... if she weren't lost and feared dead in the man-eating basement of a creepy museum." Virgil takes a small sip from his hip flask and then puts it away.
"Does anything about these relics or those phrases she muttered make sense to anyone? I can brew a pretty good ale from ancient Osirian recipes, but I don't really know anything about their culture."
M Human Fighter 2. HP 17/23. AC. 18. (T 12, FF 16) Fort+5, Ref +2, Wis +1, Init +2, Perception +7
Agreed. Is there anything else we should know about the museum or the family? Do either have old enemies that want to finalize a shabby relationship?. Makes a knife slicing a throat open gesture.
Female Aasimar (Azata-Blooded) 107797-4 | Sorceress (Celestial Bloodline) 2 | AC 17 T 13 FF 14 | HP 14/14 | F +2 R +3 W +3 | Init +7 | Perc +6
Diplomacy:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Grace asks, "Was miss Imrizade married or engaged to be married? Perhaps there is a jealous husband or fiancee' that would wish her harm."
Venture-Captain Adril Hestram responds, "I've not heard of it, and usually the Blakros matrimonial affairs tend to be big news and sport. I would think that Imrizade would be a bit too free spirited for that sort of thing. Nigel says that she would often go on explorations by herself that would rival our own members, and indicated that she had just returned from the field, presumably after a long campaign."
"I also want to point out that the Society has . . . an interest in cultivating favor with the Blakroses, and specifically the Museum. It's important that you do not do anything that might ruin our relationship, and I should also reiterate, you are being sent out to find out about what she brought back. Help out if you can, but that is not your mission. . ."
"I would suggest you make your last minute preparations, keeping in mind that the Blakros Museum is only a few blocks away, and meet Nigel once the Museum closes sometime after dark (approx. 2 hours or so). And of course, set your personal affairs in order."
Any other questions? Has anyone played one of the "Blakros Museum" Scenarios before. Mists of Mwangi -> The Penumbral Accords -> Voice in the Void -> Echoes of the Overwatched. IF so, you should find some things familiar, but don't think you know what's coming, ha ha ha. Also going to give everyone a chance to post before we move on.
Female Aasimar (Azata-Blooded) 107797-4 | Sorceress (Celestial Bloodline) 2 | AC 17 T 13 FF 14 | HP 14/14 | F +2 R +3 W +3 | Init +7 | Perc +6
Hands clasped to her chest, Grace seems excited, and grins wildly. "The sooner we begin, the better! I wonder what marvels lay beyond... oh, I just can't wait!"
With your preparations made, you leave the Grand Lodge and make your way to the Museum, more than a few blocks, but it take you only half an hour's walk to make it. At the outer gate, an elderly man stands his vigil, awaiting you near a small carriage. Nodding his head in respect, and happy to see that the Society sent true experts to help this time, "Mr. Eruthiel. Good, good. And Mr. Moll, I do apologize that your break is so short. Please, please this way, will be quicker." motioning you to take a seat.
With everyone inside and comfortable, he joins you inside and knocks on the roof to indicate the driver may go. Following the path up to the museum, you see a variety of signs some indicating the various attractions, mysteries, and myth within. Other indicating that the feint of heart or unresolved of will proceed no further. Finally reaching the museum, the entrances is both barred and chained shut from the outside. And yet a strange mist billows through the cracks, wafting up in small tendrils, as if alive. . .
Male Human (Keleshite) Druid (Saurian Shaman) 4 [ HP 31/31 | AC 21/T12/FF19 | Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +4 | Perception +9 ]
Mist again?"Careful breathing the mist. In my last mission here, similar mist turned a halfling into some sort of monkey. I doubt any of us would like to suffer a similar fate."
Nigel looks at you and then it hits him and he facepalms himself. "No, no, not this time. I apologize. I simply forgot to turn it off." ha haUnlocking the door to the museum, you see in the small antechamber a strange contraption producing a sort of cold mist, and being so close to it, you feel it is very cold. It must work with some sort of frost or ice.
"Please, come in. The museum is closed now, so only us and the night guards are still here. They will not be interfering with you though, as they do not go into the lower levels."
Escorting you through the museums entry level, Nigel walks you past all sorts of oddities and relics from all over the globe. Most are fake, replicas, but Nigel assures you that if it is laid out, than the Blakros family indeed has the real thing here within the museum, and only the newest items brought in are the authentic ones. After a time on display, they are taken down and replaced so that the staff can truly study them or sold off. "As I told Mr. Hestram, I am worried about the prodigal Imrizade. She returned from her adventures in old Osirion, carrying some sort of odd metallic vase. It radiated a sort of energy. I don't know how to describe it any other way. I've never seen the like. It also was covered in strange markings. If I would have know what might happen, I would have paid more attention, but as it is I can not recall anything about them.", as he takes you to the North Exhibit Hall to a towering Obelisk (that should be familiar to some of you), and deftly opens a secret compartment which causes a section of the floor to open, a walkway descending down into utter darkness.
"Here is, I'm afraid, where I leave you to it. Below is the Blakros's personal library, as well as a variety of storage rooms, a scriptorium, and the museum's records. Mr. Hestram assured me that you would be professional in this, um um, and that we could trust you to not take advantage of the situation. Somewhere down there, dear Imrizade is alone, and probably in trouble. I've known her since she was a child. . . I, did you have any questions?"
Below the obelisk is a large ramp heading downwards. There is no light, but it extends down about 50ft at a steady decline, ending in small room with two opposing doors (the map). Those of you that do not have Darkvision will need some form of light, and feel free to switch around your position as desired. I just kind of threw people there in what I thought would be a good order.
I had considered giving them out. Season 5 got rid of them and with the new Secondary Conditions doc out, I didn't want to confuse people. Lt me know if you really want them, and keep in mind that this is an old one with only the 5 Factions, so they might not even make sense.
Male Human (Keleshite) Druid (Saurian Shaman) 4 [ HP 31/31 | AC 21/T12/FF19 | Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +4 | Perception +9 ]
I'm curious about what the faction missions were, but I won't go to any great lengths to complete mine, since we're guaranteed the 2PP.
Darvan mutters a short incantation and his shield begins to glow. That done, he draws his scimitar and nods to those ahead of him that he is ready to proceed.
HP 20/20, NL 0 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | CMB +4, CMD 17 | F +1, R +7, W +0 | Init +4 | Perc +4 | Melee: Rapier w/ PA +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
I don't think it's guaranteed--since October 1st, all new games must use the secondary objectives to award the 2nd PP.
Kurvast unslings his earth breaker from across his back. A pair of spiked hammer faces set atop a thick wooden shaft of several feet, the weapon look appear no more like an oversized meat tenderizer.
The tribalist monk rests the earth breaker on one shoulder, and approaches the closest door.
Kurvast is ready to open a door and proceed with the group. If no one has a preference, he will start with the top/right door.
M Human Fighter 2. HP 17/23. AC. 18. (T 12, FF 16) Fort+5, Ref +2, Wis +1, Init +2, Perception +7
Mur tightens his gauntlets and readies his pole arm. Right and ready, I would like to be second in line. Incase it gets cramped I can poke over someone's shoulder.. Smirks
Mur waits for some one to pick a door already, he is impatient, and has that look of out for blood before even making contact with the enemy.
HP 20/20, NL 0 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | CMB +4, CMD 17 | F +1, R +7, W +0 | Init +4 | Perc +4 | Melee: Rapier w/ PA +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
Darvan Moll wrote:
Ah, my mistake. I wasn't aware of the secondary conditions doc. Is that something we'd download, or does the GM let us know what's expected of us?
The list is free to download, but according to the blog post, only the GM should be aware of their precise nature. The players, I believe, don't find out until the end of the scenario whether or not they've earned the extra PP. In exchange, the objectives are more intuitive than faction missions.
Between the blog's examples and peeking at scenarios I've already played, the seem to be the kind of thing you'd usually try to do anyway: save who can be saved, help out when asked, don't fall for tricks and traps. More about going above and beyond in the main objective, than about taking 20 to search every room for the arbitrary magical goo-gog du jour.
Virgil pulls a small vial from his jacket and examines it in the light with a look of concerned contemplation. He tucks the vial away and readies his crossbow by notching a bolt from the small quiver dangling at his hip. "I think I'm ready. Shall we descend into the devouring darkness?"
The doors open onto a vast hall draped in shadowy cobwebs and filled with haphazardly placed statues. The air is heavy with dust. Any noise echoes hollowly among the figures, some swathed in thick coverings like misshapen beasts, others bare and uncovered, all coated in a thick layer of dust. Leering visages loom out of the darkness, fearsome wooden and stone faces carved in grimaces and scowls.
Morvius follows into the large room, his footsteps noiseless on the dusty floor. He pays particular attention to the statuary, having been attacked by exhibits before.
Female Aasimar (Azata-Blooded) 107797-4 | Sorceress (Celestial Bloodline) 2 | AC 17 T 13 FF 14 | HP 14/14 | F +2 R +3 W +3 | Init +7 | Perc +6
Grace follows her companions inside, sticking close behind them in case of trouble. As she slowly makes her way forward, she looks around with her darkvision, trying to Detect Magic in the room, and also looking for anything unusual.
As you begin to chant the soft spidery words of you spell, you feel a strange surge of power. Not unlike an adrenaline surge, but more, . . . spiritual, is all you can think to describe it. This must be how Clerics feel with their divine magic. As the spell completes, and you begin to see auras, the first think that you notice is that all of your party seems to be radiating some sort of magic, but a sort you sense you have never felt before. More primal. More chaotic, in every sense of the word. You swear you hear a muffled female voice call to you in pain, begging you for. . . something. It doesn't last long as you a strange pulsing (magic) behind two statues.
Darvan:
You notice that Grace seems to be looking at you rather strangely, as if you are suddenly horrifying her. Not just you, but it seems like all of the party.
Virgil:
You notice that Grace seems to be looking at you rather strangely, as if you are suddenly horrifying her. Not just you, but it seems like all of the party.
Darvan:
You notice that Grace seems to be looking at you rather strangely, as if you are suddenly horrifying her. Not just you, but it seems like all of the party. For a second you think she is mostly focusing on you, until you notice that Kurvast, the barbarian seems to have purely black eyes. As does Grace. And Virgil!, They all do. And they are all looking at you with a certain . . . hunger. You get the feling that they are about to pouce, and somehow to rip away your very soul. It only last for a second, and then you snap back to the dark reality, their eyes and demeanor back to normal, except that Darvan and Grace seem to still be looking at you oddly. Do they know?
Mur:
You get the sudden urge to bite Grace on the neck, in both a very romantic expression of death, but also to fill some sort of dark hunger deep down in your gut, if not your soul. As if watching yourself from outside, scrying perhaps, you see your body raise a hand, clutching a bloody dagger. You scream and rail, trying to force it to stop, but to no avail. You feel cold, Alien. You feel nothing from your body, as and you are not sure if it is because you are witnessing your body d this from without, or if because you gave up your soul so long, long ago. The bloody dagger descends in a quick arch, aiming directly at her spine. A killing stroke to be sure, but you know, know without knowing, it is meant to cripple so that you might play with your prey. And then it's as if you feel an earth quake, drawing you back to the hear ad now. Grace is looking at you still in a sort of horror, before turning towards two statues. Or it seems behind them. . .
Morvius:
You notice that Grace seems to be looking at you rather strangely, as if you are suddenly horrifying her. Not just you, but it seems like all of the party.
:)
All that you see suddenly spring to the background as two of the statues near the door spring t life, and the sudden sound of stone on stone shocks your ears. The two statues, some sort of Vudrani religious icons, loo at you without emotion, then spring to battle, wielding stone longswords. You notice a strange shadowy black tentacle that seems to be coming from the floor and touching the base of the statue. As soon as it springs to life, the tendril begins to shutter, wither and then die. It then begins to fade from reality, leaving you a little unsure if it was truly there or not, and if so, what could that possibly mean. . .
Know Arcana DC 13:
These Golems have a unique ability to destroy weapons use against them, and have the normal immunities one would expect from a "statue".
Know Arcana DC 18:
These Golems have a unique ability to destroy weapons use against them, and have the normal immunities one would expect from a "statue". They are also immune to most magic, though spells that alter stone work differently on them.
Know Arcana DC 23:
These Golems have a unique ability to destroy weapons use against them, and have the normal immunities one would expect from a "statue". They are also immune to most magic, though spells that alter stone work differently on them. They are generally used to guard and protect temples, and never have that strange pulsing black tendril of shadow you see at it's base. They normally will not follow you if you retreat, instead guarding an area.
You are all up. Basically it will be the party as Group 1, and the two statues as Group 2, but your actions will actually happen in init order (in the Init spoiler).
M Human Fighter 2. HP 17/23. AC. 18. (T 12, FF 16) Fort+5, Ref +2, Wis +1, Init +2, Perception +7
Move one square west (5 foot move) then do a dirty trick maneuver on statue 2
dirty trick:
You can attempt to hinder a foe in melee as a standard action. This maneuver covers any sort of situational attack that imposes a penalty on a foe for a short period of time. Examples include kicking sand into an opponent’s face to blind him for 1 round, pulling down an enemy’s pants to halve his speed, or hitting a foe in a sensitive spot to make him sickened for a round. The GM is the arbiter of what can be accomplished with this maneuver, but it cannot be used to impose a permanent penalty, and the results can be undone if the target spends a move action. If you do not have the Improved Dirty Trick feat or a similar ability, attempting a dirty trick provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.
If your attack is successful, the target takes a penalty. The penalty is limited to one of the following conditions:
blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened.
This condition lasts for 1 round. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, the penalty lasts 1 additional round. This penalty can usually be removed if the target spends a move action. If you possess the Greater Dirty Trick feat, the penalty lasts for 1d4 rounds, plus 1 round for every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD. In addition, removing the condition requires the target to spend a standard action.
.
Then be ready to trip statue 1 with an attack of opportunity with my reach pole arm if it advances. (+6 to trip)
Agh; really!
Mur steps up and hooks a piece of a near by drop cloth trying to entangle the footing of the statue. Foul sorcery!.
CMB dirty trick:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
