GM Aarvid PbP PFS First Steps1: In Service to Lore (new players welcome) (Inactive)

Game Master GM Aarvid

Dahr smiles awkwardly, he clearly was not paying too much attention when Mr Karela was talking and says while taking the crowbar: "Oh yeah, of course, don't know what I was thinking..."

Then proceeds to open the larger crate and removing the lid.

Thosar stands nearby, casting quick glances left and right, like he was afraid that someone might come in any second. He was scratching his light beard and shifting feet, all the while nervously tapping with his left index finger. It was very clear that he was not comfortable at all with the situation at hand.

Me to stoop to a level of an ordinary cut-purse! Hrmph, all this arcane learnings, hours and hours spent deciphering great secrets of the Art, just to end up here, in a stinky warehouse reeking of fish?! Oh by Yuelral, would they hurry it up?!

Archmoon was somewhat amazed by all the confusion that one crate caused, but at the same time was impressed by the proactiveness of his companions.

He remarks: "Do we have what we came for?"

The crate opens with a creak as Dahr strains the crowbar.

The rescued crate holds a smaller mahogany box inside, which contains five books and a few loose sheets of paper in a leather folder. These clearly are the items requested by Guaril Karela.

The titles and subjects seem completely unrelated to each other: Practical Thaumaturgy In Accordance with Creation, Geographic Anomalies of the Inner Sea, Under Kaer Maga: A Trial and Travel, Physiology of Dragons: An Illustrated Reference, Lost Sarusan. The leather folder contains cargo manifestos, warehouse inventories, and other financial logs from a dozen different merchant houses and trade guilds.

In addition the items above...

The crate also contains 10 sets of fine thieves’ tools, three flasks of alchemist’s fire, a flask of acid, a dozen jars of various inks, a footprint book, gray blanch, three bags of powder, a deck of cards, and two sets of average dice.

The last gleams of sunlight are peeking though the filthy windows as you review the contents.

Eli walks up to the crate and picks up a set of fine thieves' tools and a flask of alchemist's fire. He leaves the rest in the box.

K I'm not greedy plus not much in there. But some of that ink and powders might interest some of you.

Eli is looking over the tools quite closely

Elindriel sees that the sun is going down and her forehead creases in concern. "Grab what you're going to grab and let's go - we're out of time." And with that, she starts heading for the door.

Eli will follow Elindriel towards the door

Archmoon picks up the items requested by Guaril.

"Ah.. here they are. We are set to go."

He then starts moving out of the building.

Overcome with curiosity, Thosar approaches the large crate a casts a glance at it, inspecting it's contents. Seeing that the others took what was requested by Guaril, he follows them quickly exiting the building, without touching anything in the wooden container. Finally, now let us get the hell out of here as fast as we can. I do not want to be known around Absalom as Thosar the burglar...

You exit the warehouse as the sun is setting and figure you have just enough time to make it back to the Grand Lodge before dark. With a stop to the Curio Shop, Guaril Karela is just about to lock up as you enter with his box, books and papers.

"Ah very good, excellent. I see you have returned. You had no trouble finding the place and of my box? "

Assuming you deliver his belongings, he offers you a bag of coins in payment as promised. "Ah wonderful, thank you very much. Valsin really knows talent when he sees it. So many times errand boys are sent when the situation really requires professionals. This really saved me a bunch of trouble in retrieving my property. Thank you again, and safe travels, Pathfinders . "

Let me know if you have anything else to say, otherwise he is in just as much of a hurry to get off the docks as you are while the daylight lasts.

As you complete the fourth and final task on your agenda and head back to the Grand Lodge, you pass through the Foreign Quarter back to the Society’s headquarters. Along the way, you head down the different streets and alleys, past shops closing down and pubs and nightclubs getting ready for their evening crowds.

A large throng of people blocks the street ahead. A performance art group commandeers the entire street, drawing graffiti to create a jolly hellscape complete with illusory devils comically dancing around in circles. A few citizens avoiding the crowd slip off-street through a nearby alley, the only egress past the gathering.

We should slip through the alleys as well to get back as quickly as possible.

Eli motions toward the alley.

Lets hurry and get this all done so we can go have a little fun. I'm sure that little halfling sure did.

Without saying much elf follows Eli into the nearby alley. His mind was preoccupied by thoughts of dinner, supplemented with some fine Chelaxan wine.

"What say you? Ah yes, the halfling fellow from this morning - similar to you Master Eli, I am quite positive that he is already enjoying some nice spirits in one of many establishments our cosmopolitan city has to offer."

Archmoon follows behind Eli and Thosar into the alleys, as he addresses his companions:

"Well, what really matters is that our quest is over, finally, I really can't wait to get out of this behemoth of a city.... I'm actually afraid of getting used to this kind of thing."

Elindriel follows as well. "Leave if you want, but this has been exciting - I wouldn't mind if the Society wanted to keep me on here for a little while..."

Ah I almost forgot, how much gold did the coin bag had? The one we received from Guaril.

There was 111gp each.

As you follow the thinning crowd into the alley to avoid the performance, you hear the words of a spell and the alley fills with a thick fog ahead. People let out shouts and run in all directions.

Thosar, Elindriel and Archmoon recognize a Halfling you saw this morning with a blond moustache just as he hefts a battle axe. He and a few others are obscured in the mist.

From the mist emerges a human with a face you could easily forget or miss in a crowd—short-cropped light brown hair, light complexion, and forgettable brown eyes— wearing rumpled worker’s clothing with a heavy coat over his chain shirt. He moves up to Eli with rapier drawn.

Round 0 - surprise round ( make sure I have the right bonuses)

H - done
D - done
Eli -surprised
Dahr - surprised
W - moved

Archmoon -
Elindriel -
Thosar -
L -

Map forthcoming...

Eli's eyes widen as the mist pops up from nowhere and people start to move towards him. He reaches for his rapier but a human makes his move weapon drawn before he can react.

dang this isn't going to be good

This has all the smell of an ambush...almost as if they were expecting you.

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I placed people in the order they were following Eli, then Thosar, then Archmoon and Elindriel and Dahr (who has yet to respond).

+-----+
| Map |
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Archmoon is up.

Archmoon quickly draws his longbow and an arrow form his quiver, and in a attempt to protect Eli fires one shot in the direction of the attacker.

Round 0, 8/10 HP
Move Action: Draw Longbow
Standard Action: Attack with Longbow

Longbow Atk (w/ Deadly Aim): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Dmg if hits: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Sorry for posting before Elindriel, I may be off-line later on, and I do not want you guys to wait for me. I trust my action is simple, and should not affect others. GM will be able to easily incorporate any changes to the order of events, if needed

Interrupted in his "day dreaming" Thosar is quick to react. Seeing a person appears and attacks Eli, he casts a quick glance around (behind his back).

Not really an ambush unless they come from behind us also...

He starts reciting magical words and just for a briefest of moments a blue-green shimmer can be seen surrounding the elf. Moments later an invisible but very tangible field of force surrounds Thosar.

Move Action: Draw Longbow
Standard Action: Attack with Longbow
Round 0, 8/8 HP
Move/Free action - Perception check
Standard action - Cast Mage armour on self (Thosar's new AC 17)

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Remember Archmoon and Thosar, you get only one action in the surprise round...a move or a standard.

I will assume draw bow for Archmoon and cast spell for Thosar...let me know if you want to change.

Most excellent assumption, pardon my mistake and disregard my Perception check (not that it mattered anyway)

I'm sorry. Yes I keep the draw bow move action.

Elindriel starts singing a lively bar song to inspire her comrades...

Standard action: Bard song

Round 0

Archmoon - draws bow, looking for a target
Elindriel - sings to inspire her comrades
Thosar - casts a spell...Mage armor

The Halfling yells out a battle rage as he emerges from the mist with battle axe in his small hands and lust for a fight in his eyes. "Rrraahhhh. I am Ledford, your doom you big pansy hiding back there hah... ". He yells this last part at Dahr.

With his comical handlebar moustache, Ledford is an easy face to remember, but when madness fills his eyes, he’s a sight one soon wants to put as far from memory as possible.

Round 1
You hear movement within the mist ...

D - Another female voice in the mist...."You twit, I told you to keep quiet! I am surrounded by incompetence...sheesh." More movement and weapon drawn.

Up next...

Eli -
Dahr -

HP 9/9
Move Action - Draw Rapier
Standard Action - stab guy1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Possible Damage1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Eli regains himself as he sees and hears the sounds around him. His instincts take over and he quickly draws his rapier and stabs forward at the person in front of him.

Pansy, I didn't know your father was here.

Eli's thrust looks good but it is hard to see if the strike is true.

Ladies no need to be shy come out and join the party.

Eli's rapier pierces the chain shirt of the lead thug just below the collar bone, drawing blood and a yelp of pain.

let me know if you included bard bonus...I will add in for this round but afterwards, it is up to each to remember to include it.

Dahr is up

thank you GM no I did not include. I will remember

Dahr, blood boiling at the halfling insult, rushes trident in hand besides Eli, and takes a stab on the halfling.

"Who are you calling pansy little fella!."

Attack-Trident: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 Damage-Trident: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Dahr, the Halfling is the smaller figure in the 2nd rank with the big axe ( beyond reach of trident). You can reach the human rogue or throw the trident at the Halfling...both have cover from the hard corner of the building.

Let me know which you want to strike...you can keep the rolls if you want. I will need to know your action since the rogue is up next and it may make a difference to his action.

My mistake, thought the halfling was the one in front of Eli. Im attacking the one I have reach, the one in front of Eli

No worries, Dahr.

Dahriakt takes a mighty thrust at the rogue bleeding in front of Eli.

Even with the Bard's inspiration, his trident deflects off the corner of the building, sending a shower of wood and masonry down in the alley.

The rogue shudders...
"Oh great Ledford, now that you ticked him off, you come up and deal with him!"

He takes a defensive posture while stabbing his rapier at Eli.

Missing Eli badly, he tries to retreat back into the mist...

Eli - Attack of Opportunity on rogue

Archmoon -
Elindriel -
Thosar -
L -

Eli can take his swing...regardless if he drops the rogue or not, Archmoon the space in front of Eli will be vacant for the rest of your actions...if that matters. Archmoon, Elindriel, Thosar can post...

AoO on rogue1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17
Damage if hit1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8

ohh no you don't

Eli stabs forward as the fellow in front of him tries to escape

Elindriel grabs a small pat of butter from her spell component pouch, mutters an incantation, and as it vanishes, she concentrates on the halfling's axe.

Free action: continue bard song
Standard action: cast grease on the halfling's axe. DC 15 Reflex save.

GM can I keep my previous longbow attack and dmg rolls, and use them in this round?

Proffering a tiny bag, Thosar fetches a small candle and tosses it over the heads of his compatriots. Murmuring softly, a translucent slender line of pure energy forms at Thosar's left hand fingertips and jumps unerringly towards the small candle still tumbling through the air. Upon impact, small object starts to transform and only a fraction of a second later a majestic raptor appears to the side and behind the halfling, trying to rake him with his talons.

Standard action - Summon monster 1 (Eagle) 3 squares in front of Dahriakt (to the left and behing halfling). Eagle acts immediately - attacks halfling.

Eagle attack 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 121d4 ⇒ 1
Eagle attack 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 221d4 ⇒ 3

Eli takes a stab at the retreating rogue...but just misses due to his defensive parry. The rogue disappears into the mist behind the halfling with the axe.

You can all make out two additional figures just at the mist, one behind the halfling and another to the north of the first.

Archmoon notches an arrow and fires past his compatriots towards the blond halfling, striking him in the shoulder. He howls in pain, and spits.

To add insult to injury, Elindriel casts a spell on the halflings great axe.

But he hangs on to it, more determined than ever to hurt somebody.

Thosar's starts casting a spell I re-read your post, and I placed the eagle above the building behind the halfing...let me know if that is incorrect. It helps with some of the issues we'd have if you summoned directly behind halfling, in the mist

The eagle scores a claw on the enraged halfing.

"You elves in the back have really really made me mad now!"

He steps forward and swings at Eli trying to hack his way to Archmoon and Thosar.

The bleeding Halfling 5' steps up and power attacks Eli with his small great axe...

"Out of my way!"

hitting Eli for 10pts

*Round 2*

H - Female voice - again casting within the mist...a bolt of force flashes upward out of the mist, striking the eagle. "Take that, birdie!"

1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 damage to eagle

D - You hear more casting from within the mist, and a young and lithe woman, with red hair hanging in ringlets that just brush her shoulders, emerges with a short sword in one hand . She wears a long skirt, embroidered with silver and black thread and a
high-necked woolen blouse. She starts to cast a spell, drawing an attack from the wounded eagle.

Eagle's AOO
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
1d4 ⇒ 4

Scratches her deeply
for 4 pts of damage

Causing her to lose her spell. She screams at the eagle and into the mist. "Foul bird...you were supposed to be dead already! Incompetence!"

Eli's turn - is bleeding and prone...

Just realized Eagle had spell resistance

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Which she just barely beat...

con roll to stabalize 1d20 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 - 1 = 14
HP -1 / 9

As Eli lunges at the opposing rogue who is escaping he over extends his thrust missing but worse opening himself up to the Halflings axe. As the blade of the axe hits,

AAARRRGGHHH!!!

The Halflings strike cuts through Elis armor and left shoulder going deep into his flesh and as blood splatters against the alley walls Eli slumps into a pile where he once stood.

Eli stops bleeding out.

Dahr s up ...

Then
Archmoon
Elindriel
Thosar /Eagle (final round?)

Just to keep things moving, Archmoon if you want to go, I will have Dahr delay until after you (or if he posts first)

As Eli falls bleeding Archmoon screams towards the halfling:

"You vile scum!"

Archmoon attempts to quickly kill the halfling attacker before he can do more damage to Eli.

Round 2, 8/10 HP
Standard Action: Longbow Atk

Longbow Atk (w/Deadly Aim): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 1 = 15
Longbow Dmg: 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9

Archmoon's arrow, with the extra inspiration of the bard song, strikes true. The Halfling lets out a shriek of pain as the shot nearly drops him.

Dahr or Elindriel can go.

Can't access the map from mobile, so im going to post blind, so to speak.

Seen Eli gets hurt, Dahr, attempts to move out of the corner, switching places with Eli and attempting to bull rush the guy in front of Eli.

bull rush: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Regardless of the success of the bull rush and switching places with Eli (assuming thats even possible) if Dahr have any move equivalent action left, he will equip his shield.

Elindriel moves to the location Dahriakt just vacated and attempts to attack the halfling.

Free action: maintain bard song
Standard action: draw elven curve blade
Move action: positioning