DM Rah's "Before the Dawn, Part II: Rescue at Azlant Ridge" PFS (Inactive)

Game Master Kobash

"Ah, that is the leader of the Aspis Consortium group we fought earlier."

"He's quite nasty, too. It won't hurt my feelings to stick an arrow or three in him, that's for sure. "

"Agreed, though our first priority is to make sure thee supplies are received by those that need them dearly. If we can swing it, lets fight later and save some innocents first. If not, well, I always knew I would die in battle, but I'm not sure if it's today. Though Eristal does tell me he's not entirely sure about you guys this time." he adds with a mischievous smirk, leaving you unsure if he is joking, serious, or simply mad.

"Aaaaaaagggchk..." Barlor flawlessly transforms a scoff into spitting in the dirt out of defiance. Then he heaves a huge sigh, looking quite tired of holding his shield and club.

You pass through the fortified gate of the palisade wall and some guards push it closed on two sets of enormous wooden wheels. Constructed from thick logs, tied tightly together and sealed with pitch, a sturdy log stands above the gate, serving as both a lookout post and a brace to lash the gate closed. The gate itself is covered in dents, scrapes, chips, and blood.

To your right a precise and professional terraced dig site surrounds a half-sphere of a smooth, almost mirror-like white material. While it looks almost exactly like polished ivory, it glows with a soft, white luminescence in the dusky evening light.

Beyond the tents to your left is what appears to be another dig site, though it looks to be abandoned.

Ahead, in the middle of the camp, rests two large, but dirty and sagging tents—one is used for cooking, and the other as a mess hall. Between them are 10 canvas tents lined up in two neat rows, but suffering from rips and tears that seem to have been made by claws. Inside several of the tents rest camp workers, all tired, hungry, and sick.

"I have no army." Juliet says. "Just sick, starving, and desperate survivors of a long seige. We've held so far, and hopefully you and these supplies will see us through."

"What keeps you out here?", Haris asks Juliet, "This gang can use a livening up."

"The charau-ka keep us here." Juliet replies to Haris. "My camp workers call them ape-men. They’re minions of the demon lord Angazhan, and this lot serve the Gorilla King of Usaro, though why the Gorilla King has any interest in this expedition is beyond me."

Sometimes it's hard to tell if Peri is joking or not

"Gorilla King? That's great. I've been needing to talk to Venture Captain Ambrus Valsin. I had no clue he'd be here."

"What do you mean "sick" Juliet? Is there something we should know?"

Walking out among the people, but not wanting to mention the supplies in case they have a plan in mind for their people, " We come with help. Friends of the Society, I am Yanos the Witchkiller, a priest of Eristal. If any of you suffer from wounds, or if I may helpto ease your suffering or illness, come to me and I will do what I can. Or if you need any spiritual or personal guidance, I can offer that as well. You have held out long. Just a bit more before these troubles are over. Just hold out a bit longer. Lean on each other, offer your hand or shoulder to the man or woman beside you, and soon, if we can stay strong, in body and in will, soon these dark times will surrender to you, and victory you will have earned by right."

"Maybe you should find out where to stick this key. Your best friend fast approaches"

While Yanos is out raising spirits, the Varisian moves closer to Juliet. "Ah, I have but a small question for you, conveyed from an interested party in Absalom. What did you find in the third hole you dug?"

To Shel, Juliet replies. "A sickness has come over many in the camp. It is resistant to normal means of curing. Maybe something you have brought will help."

To László, Juliet simply says. "It was a test dig, nothing more."

"Odd. My source was quite certain something had been found, and given what she said about it there may be a connection to the sickness. It could help a great deal if we knew more about it."

Diplomacy check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Good enough for aid another, at least.

I'm going to treat László as the lead diplomat. He has the better diplomacy between him and Yanos, unless they recruit others to help them. Yanos, let me know if you want to assist or try on your own.

"Juliet, if you tell us exactly what happened with the sickness, we'd be happy to help try and solve it. That's what we Pathfinders do," Shel adds as she flashes a smile.

Diplomacy Aid Another to Laszlo 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Shel has a faction mission tied to the sickness as well, DM.

"I don't think the two are related, but I'm no expert." Juliet says guardedly, still hesitant to talk about the site.

Just FYI - the abandoned site and the sickness are two different things in Juliet's mind. I'll give the assist since that was the intent, but dealing with the sickness will first require examining the afflicted.

Cool. Just wanted to help, if I could...

That assist helped him succeed at the first diplomacy check, but they are going to need a couple more to get her to talk.

"Let us speak of this later, yes? There are more pressing things to address now."

Thanks for the assist, Shel. Will have to return the favor sometime.

"Hmm." Juliet nods, though she doesn't seem eager to revisit the conversation.

Motioning over Laszlo, "She is holding back some information. I don't think she trusts us just yet, so it might be wise to not press the issue too much. Let us earn their trust, and also make ourselves useful. She said that the sickness was beyond normal methods of curing, though I did notice she had implied we may have brought something. That is true. Our friend Senzar did have a shop to peddle ointments and tinctures, maybe he sent us a gift, or the Society foresaw the need to such medicine?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Yanos, I'm unclear who or what the diplomacy is for.

Mostly a retractively Aid Another. :)

I must remember to pack up one of these charau-ka bodies after all this is done.

"Friend János, you are no doubt correct. If we can assist her she will be more kindly disposed towards us, yes? But you should go with her and examine the sick; I have no skill for such things, and would only be in the way."

I don't really either, though if we get a chance I can switch out a few spells that might help.

If Yanos goes to examine the sickly, Shel will tag along...

I have some WIS, so I can try to assist as well.

I don't want to get sick...

"I'll hang out with Yanos."

Pathvenger's Assemble!!!

So only László and Barlor are checking on the sick? What is everyone doing?

Haris follows Laszlo and Barlor, to check on the condition of the locals.

Im confused. I though Laz was asking Yanos to check on the sick people...that's why I volunteered to follow. Shel goes with whomever deals with them. Faction mission!

I was planning on it, I just figured my side dialogue with Laz was sort of an on the side thing, pulling him away at some point he walks by. I'm just not sure what I can do yet. Not sure how many there are, if there is anything I can see, or if an attack is about to happen, so just kind of waiting for more info. :)

Walking out into the open, I'll set down my backpacks, and take out some of my gear. Taking my bedroll, blanket, and rope, I'll set up a makeshift exam room, allowing those that might require aid a bit of privacy, and again offer to attempt to treat those in need. Assuming people would like me to try and help, while there, I will inquire about the nature of their digs, if they had noticed anything unusual, and if the rumors of Abyssal influence, or even demonic creatures is true. If they don't want to speak about it, I don't press, it's just a curiosity as well as an indirect way of discovering what might have happened to cause the disease/illness. I'll also ask what sorts of symptoms they, both individually and as a group have been showing, how long, what they think might be the cause, and if there is anything else, related to their health or they think might be relevant that they can think of. I'll also mention that "the pathfinder Society has a special key, but is not sure what here it goes to, or how to use it, do you know of anything it might work on?"

Sadly, this is my only character that hasn't had a run in or two with Abysium, a special green glowing metal material which causes effects like this to those that stay near it for long, essentially radioactive metal, ha ha.

Yanos is able to find common symptoms for a few natural diseases, but there is something magical about this that he has trouble identifying.

it doesn't seem like anyone in the group has spellcraft. Diagnosing the sickness might be impossible without it. Ideas?

Maybe swap out for a Heal check + Knowledge Arcana check or something?

The scenario asks for both a heal and spellcraft check. Personally, I think it should knowledge - arcana instead of spellcraft, but I don't think I can overrule the scenario.

Trying to think outside the box here...don't suppose there is a statted out NPC in the scenario that has Spellcraft ranks that we could try to persuade into helping us, is there?

Granted, you're not supposed to 'bend' PFS. Will this somehow prevent anything pivotal to the scenario, or will it just kill Shel's faction mission?
If it's just a faction mission, well, there's not always a way to complete those. It sucks to miss one, but every d20 rolls a 1 sometimes.
But if it's pivotal on the other hand, might be time to get creative.
For instance, if you can hire spellcasting services, can you hire skill checks? There's a fair number of people here. Maybe with a heal check and a hired spellcraft...?

It's a faction mission. Yanos has already succeeded on the Heal check, but you'll need information from a spellcraft check too. Hiring services might be possible, but I think the locals have already failed this seeing they couldn't figure it out themselves. However...

As your group discusses the dead end they seem to have run into with the sickness, A guard runs up to Juliet.

"The Consortium mercenaries have made it to the gates and are begging entrance. Their leader is offering gold and magic scrolls. The apes tore them up pretty good, but have pulled back for the moment."

Juliet turns to your party. "What do you think. Let them in or leave them to the charau-ka?"

"I say we let them in. We had a 'negotiation' with them earlier and they seemed honorable enough. and I don't think I'd want my worst enemy to be eaten by those evil monkey types out there."

The Varisian nods in agreement. "And perhaps they have someone with the knowledge we need, yes?"

Shel's eyes twinkle at the question. "That would be quite a fortuitous coincidence, wouldn't it, Laszlo?"

"We have the key, we have Yanos. Why are we letting the people who tried to kill us in? At the very least they can take out some of the monkeys before we must engage them ourselves."

"Don't forget, Peri. If they wanted Yanos dead, he would most certainly be. I'm not saying we trust them, or anything, but they at least can be bargained with. Unlike the savages getting ready to rip them to shreds."

I agree and would add that perhaps they can be converted as an future ally, after seeing how the. Shadow Lodge :), I mean the Pathfinder Society is, loyal to each other, more forgiving, and in the end more profitable.

Peri counters Shel

"They bartered their lives for Yanos' life and our key, we won those negotiations in my opinion. If you desire more bargaining Shel, perhaps we should allow those that attacked us to bargain with their new monkey friends. Are we in a position that requires bargaining with our former enemies right this moment?"

Peri gets a look of anger on her face

Those monkey men never shot me with their arrows, the Aspis members did.

"Its also a question of are we monsters that would leave them to die when we could do something to save them. Will we turn our backs on those in need, and become just like them, or take the harder path?"

"Pathfinders aren't evil, Peri. We are to find and preserve information. Perhaps they can help us discover information at this very site don't worry, if they double cross us, you can sate your bloodlust then."

At the start of that last statement e mutters to himself "Or turn it n to be locked up and kept hidden from everyone else. . ."