GM Aarvid PFS PbP : The Devil We Know Series (Inactive)

Game Master GM Aarvid

Jacen will move and attack the man.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 71d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Jacen swings wildly at the crazy man but misses, slashing his scimitar into a nearby chair.

Still dazed by the bright lights Morvius tries to swing his blade at the old man but ends up almost chopping at his own foot.
Atk: 1d20 + 3 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 - 1 = 4
Dmg: 1d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 1 = 13

imbuing his scimitar with even more of his magical power Kath will grip his scimitar and make a two-handed strike against him

Swift Action: Arcane Strike

Standard Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Damage + arcane Strike: 1d6 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 1 = 7

Morvius swings his blade in a broad arc that impacts the floor.

Kath moves up and slashes the crazed man, he staggers with blood on his hand.

magic staff: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 for damage : 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 2) + 2 = 5

He grips his quarter staff and yells as swings at Kath with a powerful blow that shatters a chair.

"You! YOU! You will pay, you cannot stop us! It is too late! "

And with this swing, he collapses on the floor, his two wounds bleeding out on the wooden floor of the inn.

Who was this clown?
Morvius kneels down and checks the crazy man for a pulse.
Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Is anybody hurt?

The rats are dead, the man is bleeding but alive. There are also bodies in the corner, someone groans.

An will check the bodies in the corner for signs of life.

Casting Stabilize on the fallen enemy Morvius moves to help Ann. So many bodies! What happened here?
Somebody is still alive.
1d20 ⇒ 20
Perception or heal?

August will simply stay ready to attack in case there are any more enemies lurking about, letting the others search the area and care for the wounded.

Prehaps we can save the crazy man and interrogate some answers from him? Kath suggests but has no real skill in healing.

The old man stabilizes but remains unconscious with Morvius's aid.

As Nguyen An searches the others, he finds these people are alive but are hog-tied with thick rope and also tied to each other by the neck.

A man matching the description of the missing Aspis agent, Kafar, appears to have been beaten according to Morvius.

He’s not tied to the other victims and is, instead, tied over the top of the bar, his abdomen bare, bloody, and bruised.

Holman goes through the old man's pockets, looking for anything that might give a clue as to what was going on here.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

The crazy old man seems to stop bleeding and stabilize but is still unconscious.

Nguyen An eventually hears a moan as one of the bound captive men stirs in the corner. The Aspis agent tied up on the bar is still out cold and not looking good.

An will go over to the man who is moaning.

"Are you injured? Who are you?"

He will help free the man from his bonds.

Once untied, the rotund man says...

"I was captured with many of these others after our auction last night.
A cult of that crazy man's followers recently came and took several from the inn.
They said to a ship called the Prancing Prince
that’s moored on a dock on the other side of the shipyard."

The auctioneer stands and rubs his wrists and neck. He then states...

"I heard one of the cultists saying,
“Once Ismacco arrives, we’ll make a lot of money
for the cause by selling these slaves into the Chelaxian
market.” At least that is how it sounded. Might have been more but I could not hear them by that point.
Sure glad you found us. We'd have been next."

"Oh, and I am certain I saw a Pathfinder with them, as one of the guards had his waypointers in his hand when they left."

Holman, excited by the possibility of their quarry being so close, begins questioning the man. "A cult, you say? How many members would you say this cult has? And how well-armed? Also, can you describe the Pathfinder, perhaps?"

Cult? Who's cult? Who did this scum pray to?

The auctioneer turns to Holman and Morvius and says

“Your Pathfinder friend was
guarded by some half-orcs—big, burly brutes. We don’t
usually see their kind ’round here. Not sure where they
was from, but they sure smelled bad—like they was
stomping through the sewers before they came here.”

"Not sure who they worship or what weapons they may have had outside. They just grabbed the folks with their hands. I might have saw a dagger or long knife. I do not have good vision in dark like some folks ya know. The wayfinder thingy was glowing, so that was easy to see."

Other than the staff and leather armor, the old codger has nothing much of value. It seems the other victims are missing their money pouches and jewelry as well.

Morvius moves to take care of the other bounded people.
Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Anyone have anything like smelling salt to wake this cultist up so we can interrogate him?

August does not possess any such materials. All he can do is help the captives to their feet and aid them on their way to safety.

You are eventually able to get all of them to their feet.

"Thank you all so much for saving us. We thought we would never see our families again. Those villains must be stopped before this happens to others. " several of them look eager to leave and go home.

However, the tortured man from the bar is in bad shape. He is in no condition to walk due to his injuries and Morvius thinks he may also be drugged.

Can one of you healy types help this fella over here? August will try to do what he can in order to move the tortored man from the bar and to a position more comfortable so that the others might assist him.

So far the cultist has stabilized but is still unconscious and the man on the bar appears to be drugged. The other victims are starting to walk out the door to head to their homes.

"Thank you again Pathfinders!"

An will go over and help August with his person

Kath asks of those who were once prisoner -

Any idea as to where the others may have gone?

If they don't know Kath will start searching the building for further clues.

Preception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Holman, attempting to help Kath get more information, asks a more pointed question. "You said they smelled like the sewers. How do you think they would go about getting into the sewers, if that is indeed where they are?"

"Maybe they use one of those skiffs outside to travel into the sewers. They empty into the river, right?"

Once untied, the rotund man says...

"I was captured with many of these others after our auction last night.
A cult of that crazy man's followers recently came and took several from the inn.
They said to a ship called the Prancing Prince
that’s moored on a dock on the other side of the shipyard."

As a reminder, they already answered the 'where' question.

D'oh! sorry!

"We should take one of these skiffs and travel to the ship, The Prancing Prince, on the other side of the shipyard!"

Heh - yeah, that one slid right by me.

Holman looks nervously at An. "...or, you know, we could walk..."

That is the funny part of Pbp. They literally said it like 18 seconds ago but I posted it almost a week ago. Easy to miss, especially if on prior page. .

It is not a far walk since you are already on the near end of the docks. What of these remaining two...cultist and the man in the bar.

About a minute later, your young Aspis guide Nefti walks in...

"Um, hello? I saw all the people leaving and wondered if you found my friend Kafar...oh there he is. What happened to him? "

"Looks like he's been drugged, and isn't in any shape, really, to be left alone. Are you okay looking out for him while we go deal with this fellow's peers?", Holman asks, nodding his head at the old man.

"Oh, by the by, he's still alive, that one. Not sure what you want to do with that information, but there you go."

I guess we could leave him tied up here until we get back. Morvius says loking at the crazy man.

The drugged man is the Aspis Consortium guy, right? Do you guys think we should heal him? My first impulse was to leave him like that but he may have more answers...

Nefti the Aspis guide speaks up.

"Uh, well I am ok to watch him while you run off after the bad guys. I cannot heal Kafar, but will at least make sure nobody does anything to him until he is in better shape. But but..as for this other bad guy on the floor, I...I am not sure so I want to deal with a crazy old man. What...what will you do with him?"

Nefti wishes you well after you tie up the cultist and call for the authorities to pick him up while on your way to the far end of the docks to find the Prancing Prince.

The sun has set, and streaks of red and orange lace the clouds as you approach the Prancing Prince.

A tri-masted galleon, the Prancing Prince appears to be in good condition and floats lazily against its mooring along a wide, crate- and barrel-filled dock. No one appears to be aboard her, however, and the standard watch typically found at the gangplank of a docked ship is nowhere to be seen. Atop her bowsprit is a gaudily painted wooden man that appears to be the exact likeness of the Grand Prince of Taldor, Stavian III, hands on his hips, a huge smile across his face, and his legs bent as though he were dancing a jig.

As before, Holman approaches silently, dagger drawn, hoping to gather information that he can report to the rest of the team.

Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Looks empty. Maybe we can just go aboard?

Jacen will push his way past and board the ship. Make way for the Future Trade Prince of the Mighty Qadiran empire!

Standing back on the dock with August, he watches as Holman sneaks aboard, then Jacen announces himself as he boards. Looking down at his friend, he shrugs his shoulders and follows Jacen onto the ship.

Jacen is the first to reach the dock as he passes the stealthy Halfling.

There is still no sign of the crew even from this vantage point.

See new map...state actions if boarding, using stealth, etc.

As Jacen boards the ship August will shrug back to An and go board the ship as well. Maybe there ain't no one here. He seems to know what he's doin' but jus' in case we better watch his back.

"Agreed!" An answers as he walks up onto the ship behind Jacen.

For what it's worth, Holman moves at full speed (albeit 20') while stealthed, as a result of the Swift as Shadows alternate racial trait. Not saying he wouldn't be overtaken by Jacen, but perhaps not as quickly as otherwise thought.

Holman winces at his comrades' lack of subtlety, but does not reveal himself as he approaches - and ultimately boards - the ship.

Kath will follow behind August and An, keeping alert for what else may be lurking about.

Preception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

So where are the sailors? Shouldn't there be sailors?

As you board the craft, some boldly and some with stealth,
Kath and Holman notice the deck was recently scrubbed clean and
still shows remnants of soap bubbles and puddles of water.
It is otherwise deserted and completely dark.

On this mid-deck you notice doors to the bow and stern cabins. There is also a set of stairs going down to a lower deck, and a pair of heavy grates over cargo bays.

The sound of water lapping against the hull of the ship is all that is heard.