DM Carbide's The Consortium Compact [PFS] (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

I can take the lead, but my perception is nowhere near Muusa’s. If she’s not comfortable, I’ll take point, unless we have volunteers.

I don't think there's a penalty in Perception for being 5' behind...plus she can activate her hair to help out in fighting quickly enough.

"After you my dear" Karayan says in the to Amiri and Muusa, although who he exactly meant is unclear.

Kiddrik looks uncertainly between Muusa and Amiri. He shrugs, "I can take the lead, if no one else wants to." It's clear from his hesitance that he's out of his depth and not really looking forward to the prospect of being out front.

Yah, I'd assumed Muusa would follow immediately behind Amiri, so she'd be available to use her Perception score without being exposed at the front of the party. Kiddrik's only being polite ...he's a bad choice to go first.

"No, I'll follow Amiri and hold the torch. The two of us will take the front," says Muusa with a grin.

The ladder leads down into an intersection, as seen on the map. Tunnels lead south and west into darkness. The acrid chemical stench that overpowers the more feculent odor of raw sewage, though, comes from the east. The tunnel east is filled with detritus, filthy bedding, spoiled food scraps, broken glass, and rotting furniture. The liquid in the sewer is around two feet deep.

There is some movement in the shadows to the east. As Muusa holds up the torch, she sees a couple of humans in filthy rags, sitting on some of the larger bits of debris. They look incuriously up at the party.

Further to the east, in the end of the tunnel, you can see a statue of a giant rat. Around the base of the statue the torchlight reflects off of a myriad empty flasks, discarded on the ground. There is also a workbench with organized rows of flasks and jars.

ETA, a reminder:

...bring back samples of unrefined whip, along with the alchemist’s notes.

Does Kiddrik know what the statue has a religious significance?
Know (Religion): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Any particularly helpful things to notice about the humans in filthy rags?
Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12

Kiddrik snaps a hand over his nose. ”I really hate sewers,” he mutters to no one in particular as he looks into the gloom.

Kiddrik knows nothing about the statue.

Heal: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Muusa peers at the filthy humans, the small beads on her bright Tien clothing sparkling in the torchlight.. "Good morning, are you well?" she says diplomatically, looking to see if they are drug users or diseased, or both.

None of them answer, or even seem to respond to Muusa's greeting and question.

Muusa, based on their behavior you're pretty sure that they're drugged somehow.

"hmm. Solongoi, та юу үнэр хийх?" She invites her weasel to sniff about.

Very cautiously, her torch in front of her, she takes a look at the vials.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Karayan moves through the wretches and standing water with disgust on his face. He joins Muusa at the workbench, looking for notes or a full vial.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

As you wade into the slowly flowing stream, the stench grows even stronger. DC 12 Fortitude save or sickened as long as the contaminated water clings to you.

There are two more of the addicts in a recess to the south, along with some bedding that's a little less damp. Muusa, now that you're closer to the apparent drug victims you can tell that they're also suffering from malnutrition.

All of the bottles on the bench are empty, and there are no notes to be seen. Those of you who are searching note that the people seem to pay attention to you as soon as you're holding one of the bottles, but turn away when it's apparent that the bottle is empty.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 Assuming my +2 vs disease applies
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Karayan is now truly nauseated, but walks towards one of the addicts "Do you know where the alchemist is?"

Fort, DC 12: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Should I assume that my earlier Religion roll (to ID the statue) applied to this spoiler? Or should I roll a new one?

After a few dry heaves, Kiddrik quickly pulls his shirt up over his nose, muffling the smell just enough to keep from becoming nauseous. He follows Musa carefully, eyeing the vacant-eyed men wth a mix of curiosity, wariness, and concern.

"Do you think they did this to themselves?" He watches their reaction to the empty bottles, shaking his head, "Or were they made this way? Coerced somehow to take the drug?"

He carefully steps nearer one of the men, keeping his longspear ready. ”Where. Is. Laszo?” he asks, each word careful and deliberately slow. ”Is. He. Here?”

Kiddrik--re the statue, yes; that was your roll. I put the spoiler out there in case anyone else was able to have a go.

Both of the addicts give blank looks, and one mumbles something unintelligible.

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

"We won't get anything from them," says Muusa, covering her mouth. "These people will take this drug rather than eat. They will die under its effects. We should keep moving. And this 'laboratory' is disgusting." She casts Create Water and rinses off Karayan.

Since you're still standing in the stream, washing Karayan won't help at the moment.

This is apparently the extent of the laboratory, though you haven't yet searched the alcove to the south.

Fort, DC 12: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Sneering at the foulness around them, Amiri pockets a pair of empty vials, then turns back to investigate with Muusa, her glowing blade held aloft to light the way.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Add +2 if bonus vs disease applies

Xukong hangs at the back, trying its best to keep moving from one relatively sanitary spot to the next with a series of disturbing-looking hops, and just as happy to minimize its contact with the whole wretched scene. It tries to keep its mind on a somewhat higher plane by appraising the sewer's architecture.

Knowledge (Engineering): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

Acrobatics to stay out of the sewage: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

How long has it been since I used that mage armor scroll?

The sickened effect isn't from a disease...the runoff is an effective bactericide. It just smells nasty. It's been less than ten minutes since Xukong used the scroll.

Eager to move forward, Kiddrik follows Muusa and Amiri through the southern tunnel, hoping to find the alchemist and his goods.

I can't think of anything else to do while in this chamber, so let's move on. Kiddrik is happy to be third through.

At first glance, Amiri, Muusa, and Kiddrik find nothing in their search of the alcove to the south.

Muusa takes a second glance, waving her torch around carefully. .

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

"Watch for slimy jumping things down here," she whispers. "Of course, nothing has eaten the addicts yet..."

Nothing is disturbing you at the moment, Muusa, so you could take 10 if you wanted.

Not in any rush, Kiddrik takes a really, really methodical look around.

Take 20 on Perception: 19

Kiddrik finds a small closed vial in a heap of bedding. The contents are cloudy, and there appears to be some sediment on the bottom of the vial. It's the same type of container as many of the vials on and in front of the bench.

Kiddrik holds up the bottle and shakes it, watching the sediment dance to the movements. He looks at his teammates, whispering.

"Any idea how to identify this stuff?" He looks at the room around them, "And should we just wait here for the alchemist?"

Is there a Knowledge skill I can use to ID this stuff?

Not Knowledge--Craft (Alchemy) DC 16. Or a DC 20 Perception check; since you have someone who can make that taking 10, I'll tell you.

Muusa examines the bottle's contents carefully, popping the stopper and sniffing them with a grimace, before restoppering it and looking at some of the other glassware in the tunnel (as well as the four unfortunates down here with you). Based on the smell of the contents and the odor on the breath of all four, she's pretty sure that this is whip in an unrefined state.

Kiddrik claps the foreign woman on the back, continuing in his whisper. "Now all we need is the alchemist's notes, right?"

Muunokhoi rolls with the clap and grins, then wrinkles her pert nose. "Yecch. I hope they smell better than the whip. It reminds me of a yak stall that hasn't been cleaned in a year." She barely remembers to keep her voice down.

Are you going to wait, and if so for how long? It's just after noon.

I...didn't think we were.

Kiddrik had posed the question IC.

“This doesn’t look like the sort of place one would make this stuff. Likely this alchemist is further down the sewers – but which way?”

Is that pipe near the statue big enough to crawl through? I didn’t see mention of it, but I just want to make sure we have all avenues covered.

The pipe is too small to crawl through. Listening at it you think you hear some movement further up and out of sight, though. Though it's hard to be sure (since none of you have Craft (Alchemy)), the area in front of the bench is clear enough that it's possible some work could be done there.

As you move away from the ladder to the south or west, the chemical stench dies away and is replaced by the more traditional odors of a sewer. In addition, Muusa and Amiri don't see any sign of recent tracks.

So just for clarity, there's more to explore in the room Muusa, Kiddrik, and Amiri are in? It would seem that full exploring this section is wise, but the southern direction (where Xukong is) doesn't look l ike the right direction?

With the time you've had, you figure that you've found anything of interest to be found in this area, and you're pretty sure that there's nothing of interest to the south and west.

While you're searching, every not and then one of the addicts will come up near the bench, pick up an empty vial to check it, and then drop it again.

"Heh you!" Karayan says to one of the addicts "does the leper come here often?"

Trying to determine if it makes sense to wait for the alchemist

It takes some cajoling and a lot of patience, but Karayan is able to gather some information from the addicts. Laszo generally comes here around the time that the light from the way you came in goes away (so around 7 PM), works for a while, and then leaves. Sometimes he'll leave the remnants of his dinner for them, and sometimes he gives them whip.

"Let's get out of here and get back in the evening, I say we check on the ship and see if we can get some information there"

What time is it, now?

If you're thinking of the smuggling ship in the second task, remember that you've been cautioned against trying to do all three of the tasks.

ETA: It's 130PM or so.

Ah, I forgot about that.

"I say we try to get these wretches out of here. Although they have chosen their own fate we need to show this woman that the society is about caring for people"

"I say we try to get these wretches out of here. Although they have chosen their own fate...."

Just a reminder:

You do find out that there may be a slightly higher incidence of disappearances in the area around where Delroya said the alchemist works.

It is still Karayan's opinion that people choose their own fates... One of the others can remind him that these people might be abducted.

"Karayan, that's uncommonly kind of you. These people need healers. I can help them when we are done, or we can get them to a temple," says the shaman. "I'd like to have words with the alchemist, though." She frowns.

Muusa frown grows deeper. "I can send my weasel up the pipe," she says quietly. "Does anyone have invisibility or protection to spare? He is my best friend."

Can your weasel report back to you?

"It is not kind, it is pragmatic. We need to get Delroya to join the society and it is obvious what her opinion on the drug is. Aiding those that have chosen to use it will get us on her good side."

"I have no protection spells. This alchemist is not likely to come back before nightfall, do we just wait here for him?"