GM BPChocobo's PFS Cult of the Ebon Destroyer (Inactive)

Game Master Black Powder Chocobo

"Not in particularly; if I were to try and guess the Ebon Destroyer's motives, it would be to let the populace know that even the royal family is not safe from their grasp. I believe they may have been surprised at the conviction of the thakur's reaction and his ability to convince the Maurya-Rahm to follow suit."

Perhaps so. Thank you for your help. Pelkin will lead his friends to the next line of inquiries. Hmm, I wonder if we could somehow find the other earring...

Any ideas? Could a spell do it? Anyone?

@Pelkin, give me a Spellcraft or Kn: Arcana check!

Both are the same: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Pelkin cannot thing of any magics... but perhaps another arcane inclined person Cough, Twigg may have an idea.

Wasn't sure it was open to the group!
knowledge: arcana 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

"Think they would have tried to sell the other earring?"

Twigg remembers the locate object spell, which allows you find a specific object within a range. It'll still take some legwork, but is a good possibility.

Good idea, Twigg. Would you know that spell? Maybe we could buy a scroll.

Aha! We can either do that or go to our final destination before doing so.

The choice is up to you!

Well, I was thinking someone else in the party might have an idea. :)

It'll just be standard costs for the spell if you wish to use spellcasting services. Niswan is also large enough that you can use PP to get a scroll with a few castings, too.

So quiet! Use the Locate Object, or head back to the palace for the last lead?

I like the locate object idea!

Let's see if we can find this other earring before we travel to talk with our last resource.

I'll mark 10gp for each person's share of the Locate Person

After finding an appropriate caster for such magics, the team is now on a beacon hunt to find the other earring!

Thinking that the earring would not be around the Commerce district, the party heads south towards the Harbor district. At the edge, along the Surakpor district, a warm feeling comes from the earring; they are getting close!

A little more and the reading takes the party to a derelict warehouse with a door partially open. It seems to be inside... and down below.

No need for a map yet. Please state what you wish to do.

The door is open. Looks like an invitation to me. Let's see if anyone is home.

"let me take a look!

Twig casts a series of spells.
twigg casts message then uses a wand to cast mage armor and invisibility then goes to the door for a peak while using stealth.

Twigg, buffing himself appropriately, makes his way into the warehouse.

Luckily, first pass shows that is abandoned and in little use. The locate aura gets stronger as the little gnome moves in, until he gets a bearing that the earring is below, in a cesspool near the back of the building. It is dark, and the stench of rotted flesh and decaying matter assaults Twigg's nose.

Twigg whispers "There is an earring here... and something real stinky... may be a dead body. Be ready I'll keep looking"

the gnome keeps snooping for more clues.

Going into the hole?

While Twigg does his thing Pelkin will be using his Detect Alignment skill, wondering if he might discover something or someone.

Sure! In he goes

Twigg makes his way down the cesspit, his nose regretting the decision. But success is to be found from his bravery. There are several partially eaten and decayed humanoid remains, all far too gone for identification. a head, also lies in the muck with a single earring on; the face has been burned out by acid to prove useful for identification, but the head resonates with locate beacon: you found the other earring, and Vitusa's head with it.

Anything else you wish to do Twigg?

@Pelkin: Which alignment? I'm assuming evil Pelkin finds no evil auras lurking in the warehouse.

Anyone else wish to do something while the gnome explores, all alone, in the deep, smelly pit?

Twigg will take the earring and head back to the group. "Hey guys look what I found!" the invsibile gnome says as he holds up the invisible earring.

As Twigg grabs the head, he finds that it is stuck upon a large two-handed blade!

Taking the blade with you?

Pelkin will move into the building in order to give the gnome some backup. He'll take a look around the area in case something lurks in the shadows.

Take 10 Perception, etc.

Nope, Twigg can't carry much.

Pelkin looks around, hearing some noise in the cesspool as Twigg starts working his way out. Pelkin's keen eyes, though notice two things that Twigg didn't catch! First a bloodied blade bears an unusual mark on the pommel, but Pelkin would have to have the weapon to notice it. Second, there are clawed footprints around the floor, too.

Eventually, the gnome comes up topside with a acid-burned human head, the flesh under the jaw and around the neck have been eaten, but on it is an earring matching the one found in the incense shop.

If Twigg mentions what he saw down below, Pelkin will retrieve everything of note and examine them closer. He will also cast Detect Magic while asking someone to investigate the tracks.

Pelkin can investigate the tracks when he is finished if needed.

Hope we still have an Amarthecthel; Horgrym's been quiet, too!

Pelkin makes his way down into the cesspool; the only thing of note besides the many, unidentifiable bodies, is the a falchion whose blade has been cracked.

Nothing is magical, unfortunately.

Twigg, Pelkin, others if you are still there: what do you wish to do with these new clues and information?

With the head and earring retrieved, Pelkin will suggest placing the finds in a sack, followed by yet another sack. Then he will lead the party to their final contact.

Sounds good with me!

Sorry guys! Thought I had something here. Also going to email the others to make sure they're active and/or interested.

Double sacking the new evidence, the party now heads to the palace.

An arrow digs into Pelkin's arm. The half-elf turns to where the arrow was fired from, but fails to see the shooter. A note, tied with yellow silk thread to the arrow, reads in Common,

"This is your final warning!"

Appraise: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Sonofa... Pelkin takes the arrow out of his arm and examines the note but can't make much else out of it. He then tries to detect any evil alignments in the area in hopes of tracking down the assailant.

"Can I have the feathers?" the eager gnome says with excitement and places the feather behind his ears.

"Wow look at these! cool huh?! Oh a sorry about getting shot in the arm... I'm pretty sure it wasn't my fault"

Unfortunately, Pelkin cannot find anything; the attack came high, probably a rooftop, but outside of nearby sight and definitely outside of the range of the spell.

Unless there is something else you wish to do, continuing the party to the palace

The spiritual advisor, Pravezak, resides in the palace. The thin, frizzy haired man goes on about Dhalevi much of what Pelkin recalled earlier. Pravezak has one thing to add: the new moon is a propitious time for sacrifices to Dhalevi and there is one coming tonight.

Anything else the party wishes to do? If need be, I'll take an Intelligence check for some clues.

Intel Check, can't hurt: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16

Pelkin decides that they should present what they have learned (and found) to the powers-that-be and see what the next course of action should be. This sacrifice and the new moon, this worries me. I wonder if we could find out anything concerning that somehow.

You have two things you can aim to do: first would be to investigate the weapon you found; it has a maker's mark on it that can help identify the weapon's origins and lead to Vitusa's killer. The other option would be to investigate the the arrow clue more (make, handwriting, the ribbon, etc.).

Thanks for your patience so far; the investigation portion of this goes on for a bit, but you've got a lot of information about the foes you face and you're not too far away from finally getting something else to work with :)

I really could use an appraise or linguistics check from Arm or someone, otherwise we'll have to stick with the mark on the weapon and go from there.

Amarthecthel's fresh out of both of those. His areas of knowledge are strictly limited. But he does have...

Craft Weapons: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Might he know anything about this maker's mark?

@Amarthecthel: The weapon is definitely of Vudrani or Jalmeray make. Your identification of the weapon mark is good enough to use to identify the maker or supplier. I'll need a Kn: Local or Diplomacy check from anyone, aiding of course as needed

Pelkin will aid someone in Diplomacy: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3 now that the elf has woken up. You should be immune to such effects...

Welcome back!

Thanks. Unfortunately, Amarthecthel is also abysmal at Diplomacy...

1d20 - 2 ⇒ (19) - 2 = 17 Or not.

Amarthecthel asks around about the maker's mark he has identified, speaking to smiths and weapons sellers.

"let me ask around!

diplomacy 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Consider mine an Aid Another to Twigg's.

Will do, although your roll was good enough anyway. More later, perhaps tomorrow

-Posted with Wayfinder

Amarthecthel and Twigg make their way through Niswan, eventually finding a smith by the name of Lohakar. Entering his establishment, a slender, wiry man with thick dark hair welcomes the party. "Greetings! What can I see you, yes?"

After showing the weapon, the man nods. "I keep bills of sale of all my customers... wait one minute, yes!"

He returns a couple of minutes later with a sheet of paper. "Ah yes, the last falchion I sold was to a man named Lankesh, a local high-caste merchant; I remember him because he had me sharpen the blade only last week, too."

Any other questions for Lohakar? If not, to find Lankesh or do something else?

What does this Lankesh sell? Do you know anything about him?