DaWay's PFS First Steps (Group 1) (Inactive)

Game Master DaWay

Shinkeer quietly nods his head in agreement.

Thank you gentlemen, I will take this into advisement and will investigate matters further myself.

So where to next?

Zoltan shrugged, so that's it here, huh? Well, dunno....Hey Fancy-Pants, you wanna go see your partial countess...err, whatever? Sounded pretty simple that one. That Ivy District ain't too far.

"If we instead go north to the Wise Quarter, we can go through the Ivy District on the way to the Docks. Although I have no idea where Salhar might wish to send us...."

"I vote for Salhar." Felinros takes a deep breath and a swig of whiskey from his holy symbol flagon. The austerity that has been plaguing him since saw the children seems washed away and the jovial priest of the Lucky Drunk seems his former self. Grinning mischeivously at Zoltan he says, "The partial countess can wait." He claps the gladiator on the back and says, "Any objections? If not, lets be off."

Yeah, good bye me. Let's go see this Salhar. Zoltan follows Felinros out the door on the group's next quest.

Shinkeer nods his agreement and follows the group.

"Hrmph, suit yourselves gentlemen. We shouldn't keep the lady waiting too much longer; it's well known the paracountess tends to punish those who displease her. But I must admit I am curious to see the Sapphire Sage in person."

You make your way to the rich estate of Grand Council Member Dremdhet Salhar, and are greeted by a guard who is expecting you as your reach a wrought-iron gate.

Once inside, a servant tells you “Good day to you, Pathfinders. I am Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, advisor to Master Salhar. I understand you were sent here to discuss archaeological permissions. Knowing this was coming, I spoke with Master Salhar at length on the subject and have this to say.

“Since Osirion was reopened to exploration a decade ago, adventurers, historians, and treasure-seekers flock to my country by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. While most families with ancestral burial vaults maintain guards and keep their sites out of the hands of casual thieves, not all families have the wealth or power to restrict everyone, and as we all know, not every defense is perfectly secure. Unscrupulous tomb robbers and maligned merchant organizations cause Osirion to bleed relics into the Inner Sea—something the descendents of Ancient Osirion cannot afford. We Osiriani have thousands of years of rich history coursing through our veins, and while that power has been out of focus in recent years, we are content to wait, knowing our enemies will wear themselves down. As they fall into arrogance, folly, or greed, we wait for our return to power, knowing we bear the riches of our ancestors at our feet.

“Master Salhar remains impressed by the Pathfinder Society, orating in their favor a handful of times in front of Absalom’s Grand Council, in fact. Due to previous relationships between him and the Society, Master Salhar has agreed to grant permission to the Pathfinder Society to explore his family’s vaults below Sothis. The only thing he requires is that you retrieve the map of the vaults from his own vault here. The servant will lead you to the basement and show you the room.”

The Sapphire Sage’s eyes twinkle as he smirks knowingly, then he turns back to reading his book as though he had never been disturbed.

The elf nods, his face schooled to impassivity. I wonder if they're going to watch us attempt this 'retrieval.'

Of course... Mathias thinks to himself. Simply handing maps over would be too easy. Wonder if Amenopheus and Salhar have something up their sleeves...

Yeah there sweetie! Why just look when you come over and touch too! Zoltan's voice boomed across the roadway at the blonde girl momentarily visible. Hey, where'd she go?? That's the second one today for cryin' out loud! Are all the women here this shy?

As the group made its way into Salhar's estate, Zoltan tried to focus on the Sage's message. Unfortunately, the gladiator's ability to follow along sagged shortly after the greeting, and the burly tatoo'd man could be seen glancing around the room instead of listening. He appeared somewhat startled when the Sage stopped speaking. Oh! Er, what are we 'sposed to do? There was something about a map I think, he said sheepishly. As the servant began to lead the group onward though, Zoltan took the opportunity to simply follow along in the hopes that the quest would become clearer later.

After leaving Amenopheus' study, the servant brings you back through the spacious estate, leading you down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple of turns, the party ends up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for you to enter.

After you enter you see:
A plain stone room contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.

Once all of you enter the room, the servant shuts the door and locks it behind you. Written on the back of the door is the message: "Within these cases lies your quest and your way out"

"Hmmm, interesting. Imprisoned over a map that's supposedly inside one of these three chests. I propose we inspect these first before Zoltan here starts smashing everything."

Zoltan eyes the Chelaxian wizard suspiciously, Hey now Fancy Pants, are you using some kinds of mind-reading magic on me? How'd you know that was my plan??

Vanyel smiles thinly. "It was merely an inspired guess, I am certain." Reading your mind would be difficult, as that would require finding it first.

"Although using magic isn't a bad idea to start off using; Vanyel, would you do the honors?", half-bowing towards the elf.

The elf smiles with a superior air. "Let us see what elven magic can reveal." He chants a phrase in an ancient Draconic dialect as one hand turns precisely, each finger tracing a distinct curved line in the air. Casting detect magic and concentrating.

Spellcraft check, if necessary (add 2 if involving item identification): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Knowledge (Arcana) check, if necessary: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

What a wonderful pair of rolls.

There are three items that radiate some kind of magic, on in the basket, the copper banded chest, and an item in the steel cube.

Brother Felinros takes a long drought to help with his focus and says jovially, "Since there is no rush, I say we take our time examining the items and the room."

He then begins carefully examining the items and the room.

Take 20 for a 22.

You realize that would take 2 minutes to do right?

EDIT: Corrected on time.

"Hmph."

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Perception: Searching Chest on the left
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 Perception: Searching Chest in the center
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Perception: Searching Chest on the right
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 Perception: Searching Table
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 Perception: Searching glass of clear liquid
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 Perception: Searching Wicker Basket on table

Arjunta is careful not to touch anything, looking under the table, and examining for tripwire, pressure plates, and similar trap triggers.

Zoltan looks around at the others as they engage in various efforts to search the room. It slowly dawned on the large man that there was little meaningful he could do to assist. For a time he followed Felinros around in a half-hearted effort to "help" with the search, but gave up really trying at all after a bit. The gladiator then proceeded to check the locked door, attempting to assess his ability to knock it down if needed.

So...yeah, nothing to fight, got no Perception skill, nothing seems to need intimidating. Think I'll sit this one out for now.

Don't worry, Zoltan. Plenty of opportunities to put the fear of, well, you into people later.

Vanyel passes along what he learned from the spell.

Arjunta notices nothing out of the ordinary.

"No traps. Nothing hidden. Perhaps a key is in the basket?"

Arjunta steps away from the table & chests, allowing the arcanists room to work.

Vanyel waits patiently while the Caydenite priest finishes his search.

Does the jar of liquid have a lid?

Yes

I'd like to detect magic on the items as well with a Take 10 to identify; would that be allowed?

In the basket there is a key with transmutation magic, the copper banded chest has illusion magic, you can identify the item in the steel cube as being of transmutation magic as well but because you cannot fully see the item you are unable to identify at the moment.

Smirking, Mathias calls out to Zoltan. "Mr. Zoltan, would you please do me the favor of kicking that copper chest there?"

Zoltan perks up at the request, now THAT I can do! The gladiator turns back into the room from his investigation of the door and proceeds to give the chest a swift kick.

Adding a Str check here, not sure if needed. FWIW, Zoltan believes it really is a chest so he isn't going to break his toes on it, but will give it a good side-style soccer kick

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Strength Check

Zoltan's foot goes right through the chest never actually connecting he over extends himself and wobbles a bit to collect his balance. The chest remains as if nothing happened.

Now smiling that the barbarian executed the experiment admirably, Mathias pats Zoltan on the back. "Thought so. Well done. Leaves two chests to worry about, now, although I would be surprised if there weren't any other tricks here."

Zoltan's eyes go wide as his leg sweeps through the chest. The momentum nearly brought the big man down, but a surprising amount of agility kept him upright. What in the hells?? So, that's, that's a good thing? Ok then, well what do we do now?

"I think something moved in the basket under the cloth that the key is on, and a bubble rose from the key in the jar..." the good Brother announces to the crowd as he takes a swig of whiskey. He then scratches his chin perplexed.

"That suggests that the liquid is corrosive, and that there is a living creature in the basket. Unfortunately the key in the basket is magical, so I cannot take the easiest way out. Perhaps, though...." The elf intones a different phrase in ancient Draconic, curling his open hand as if about an invisible sphere in mid-air. Casting mage hand and trying to lift the fabric the key rests on.

A blue rune stone key rises up from the basket.

Vanyel gestures and the key drifts towards the party, coming to rest on the table with the chests. "Presumably this opens a chest. Or it is a decoy; would one of you with more expertise with locks examine it?"

The good brother squints his eyes and interjects, "Is there a rune on that key? Anyone make out what sort of rune it is?'

"Why not simply experiment? We have the tools after all...", muttering some words before magically lifting the key towards the steel cube chest.

Is the force from mage hand strong enough to turn a key?

You magically slide the key into the chest and turn it. The key doesn't seem to latch on to anything in the lock of the steel cube.

"Hmmm... next one then."
Mathias will attempt the same thing with the red-laquered chest.

This smooth, red lacquered chest looks devious. The solid metal plate surrounding the gaping keyhole pulses with glowing amber runes. When this chest is opened with the mage handed key, a complex pulley system rigged from its lid, through the floor, and up to the ceiling releases a small, golden key from a slit in the ceiling, dropping it 6 inches down from the 15-foot-high ceiling.

Brother Felinros furrows his brow. "I wouldn't have expected that... perhaps that key unlocks the other chest. If we can get it down. What do you think Mathias?"

"It is within range of a mage hand spell, so let us attempt that first."

The elf repeats his casting of a few moments ago and attempts to unhook the key from where it is secured. If he's able to do that, he'll bring the key down and try to open the steel chest with it.

"For once, I have to say I agree with you Caydenite." Seeing Vanyel take the initiative on retrieving the newly available key, Mathias steps back and see what the others can deduce.

"So who wants to play with the last chest?"

I am going to have to make a judgement call on this because it isn't to specific. The key drops down from the ceiling, it doesn't specify how. I originally envisioned it being tied however Vanyel it sounds like you think it is on a hook. Therefore, as much as I want to say no I am going to rule it yes because of the lack of the specificity. You now have a small golden key in your hands.

DM DW, this is a long shot, but does it look like the golden key could be used as a hook to extract the key in the clear liquid?