GM Batpony's PFS 5-23 Cairn of Shadows (Inactive)

Game Master Batpony

You can assume after a while everyone leaves and goes back to what they were doing, with no one being alarmed yet. But there is a more nervous atmosphere overall within the inn.

Brock is not subtle or sneaky. His attempts at being nonchalant while everyone is in the hallway include whistle and casually kicking a leg back and forth. But after everyone departs he moves down the hall towards the stairs to stand look-out this time in case people start returning or guards show up. He's a bit chagrin about the whole thing, and disappointed that he doesn't get to just break down a wall.

Still, it's probably best there's a person about that knows how to work a lock and he'll let Varian get to it.

Perception to watch for anyone coming: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

Zac whispers to the group and pulls out the skeleton key In case we need it. I always carry one with me, though I was expecting to have to use it in a dungeon. It's a one time use, gives +10 to unlocking doors on disable device

Brock notices this: although no one is coming up, you can tell that any more noise, a few folk would very quickly be on scene, especially Alya as she has started to hang around near the stairs to the rooms.

Assume any failure, you will be caught!

Varien didn't get it with the 31?

"Use that damned thing!" Markus growls to Zac. "We don't have time to be stingy here."

Ah, that post somehow skipped me. Yes he got it with 31!

Carefully you open the door, and manage to this time. You see, on the bed, a man tied up, his mouth muffled. He looks to you with some fear.

Ralph stays quiet as comfort isn't quite his forte.

The predator I mean Shonne fades into the foreground. She unstuffs the man's mouth.

"Your name." She says it like it's a statement, but it's a question.

Zac closes the door behind him gently after everyone is in, as an open door will give it away that it has been opened.

The man takes a moment to regain his voice after swallowing a lot of spit. "My name is Golbrier, please don't kill me, I'm a lover...and a ainger...and a nit of a dancer, nut not a fighter. I'm too young to die. Please don't bring me to the Umbral Court." He continues to cower in fear.

sense motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Assuming she doesn't sense any deception on his part, Shonne cuts him free. "We're here to get you out. Now stay quiet."

Shonne looks around the room.

Is there a window? If so what's the terrain look like outside?

Shonne believes every word he says.

"Oh, you're hear to save me? I can live with that. Now do we do? Who are you? I talk a lot when I'm nervous" Says Golbrier.

There's a window that overlooks the front of the tavern with a about a 20 drop. The street outside is well lit and has some heavy traffic.

Shonne shoves the gag back in his mouth. "If you make another sound Markus and Zac will be forced to knock you senseless. Do you understand? Nod."

"The rest of you heard a noise, and burst in on me here alone. I eluded you, and dove out the window. I'll make Golbrier invisible, so you can take him downstairs. It will only last a few minutes but it should be enough time to get clear of this place."

She casts expeditious retreat on herself.

Zac checks out the room to look for a hiding place.

The man nods his head furiously. Keeping his mouth unnaturally shut with all his willpower. The room itself is simple, a bed that one could hide under, or a closet that one could hide under, or maybe curtains that one could hide behind. But it is minimally decorated. The halls itself are barren.

If I understand, you're going to attract attention to the room and make the guy invisible to escape?

Zac will climb out the window down to the floor. climb: 8 + 1d20 ⇒ 8 + (10) = 18
In case you need multiple checks to reach the outside floor. climb: 8 + 1d20 ⇒ 8 + (20) = 28
climb: 8 + 1d20 ⇒ 8 + (19) = 27

That sounds like the plan.

Markus grunts and slings the bound man over his shoulder. "Ready when you are."

"Why not, if he is invisible, we not simply leave with him? Lock the door on our way out. By the time anyone realizes he is gone, we also shall be gone, yes?" Brock likes the plan, but he wants to keep it as simple as possible. It's also worth noting that if they are at the front of the building then the window to the room looks out over his treant companion that is lazing about just in front of the tavern, waiting for a command. "It may be obvious also, but Misha can climb and could simply come up here, put them man in her branches with me, and we could leave."

I like Brock's plan the only advantage in mine might be the fact that everyone in the room suddenly becomes a target for vengeful bounty hunters being the last people in the vicinity of the room when the man disappeared. My plan makes Shonne, or whomever runs, the bad guy with everyone else a possible hero (if only temporarily) who tried stopping the escape/tipped the bounty hunters off to their loss. Then they can walk out with our invisible contact, while folks chase after the runner. Someone in the hallway has no doubt seen everyone (except maybe Shonne because of her blend spell).

I'm good either way, it's just that I am all spec'd out spell-wise for movement and evasion. If we just walk out Shonne holds off casting expeditious retreat.

I need a consensus for which way to go so I can move the group forward!

This is why democracy is dumb. =P

Markus is okay with whichever plan. Whatever moves us forward.

Zac has already attempted to climb out the window, the more people in this room when they investigate the worse it is going to be. Did he succeed or did he fall while trying it?

If we can all get out of the room, via one entrance or another and back to our own rooms before attracting attention from downstairs, all the better, but if not, we will go with the plan as is... Varian will wait til the others get out before doing so himself...

"Let's see if we can get out before someone comes to investigate... back out to the hall, and our rooms folks."

This will interesting!

The door's lock does not budge as Varian attempts to lock it, and as he does so attempt to unlock it, the noises made seem to attract some attention. For a brief moment, a few guest look out their doors to see the commotion, and a few Patrons come up stairs, including Alya.

Assuming you guys react timely so it doesn't look like you're in front of her door unlocking it.

Within the confusion, everyone seems to look like everything is alright, but Alya in particular pays a close attention to the pathfinders, and everyone else upstairs before she makes her way down to continue the festivities. The innkeeper comes up as well and enquires if the Silent Enforcers are required, but with no wrong doing found, everything settles after a while as before.

Just to be clear, the lock is pickable, you just didn't meet the DC. So, what shall it be now?

The door's lock does not budge as Varian attempts to lock it, and as he does so attempt to unlock it, the noises made seem to attract some attention. For a brief moment, a few guest look out their doors to see the commotion, and a few Patrons come up stairs, including Alya.

Assuming you guys react timely so it doesn't look like you're in front of her door unlocking it.

Within the confusion, everyone seems to look like everything is alright, but Alya in particular pays a close attention to the pathfinders, and everyone else upstairs before she makes her way down to continue the festivities. The innkeeper comes up as well and enquires if the Silent Enforcers are required, but with no wrong doing found, everything settles after a while as before.

First off, why in the Nine Hells did 6 people come up to what I guess is a narrow hallway, and look at a door for like 3 round? This would have made more sense had one or two of us come up here--hense the whole point of Shonne slipping away early. That, and she had cast blend which lasts an hour. I guess it really doesn't matter what we do now.

Shonne turns abruptly and counts all the people in the room, and frowns--very quickly it seems to involve her entire being. "Who's distracting the bountyhunters?"

Shonne's going out the window just to avoid any association with you people. ;) Expeditious retreat (herself), invisibility on the chatterbox. If you want to send him out via air freight go for it. From the moment she casts her second spell...

"You have 6 minutes." Shonne says, and then if we are on the second floor dives out an open window.

acrobatics (she jumps down, expeditious retreat): 1d20 + 13 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 13 + 12 = 30

Varian shrugs and looks to the others... "Go back to our rooms and open the windows... I'll be there shortly with our new 'friend'"

since no one is here to make Golbrier invisible, he then casts levitate on himself, grabs Golbrier with a quiet.. "Not a peep, we're going out the window... " he takes him out the window and levitates up to the roof.

ONce there, he keeps himself at roof level and steps onto the roof, walking across it to where he thinks his own room is... when he looks over the edge and spots the right open window below, he steps off the roof and levitates down until he's level with the window and hands Golbrier to his friends inside before grabbing the windowsill and pulling himself in, only lowering to the ground when he is safely over solid flooring.

He closes the window and curtains behind him.

will that work? I hope so

Ralph watches as the party does shenanigans. "I don't do well with quiet." he whispers to himself. "Quite the opposite in fact..."

That works. As long as they was no attention to yourselves really would have got us by just fine.

And as swift as they entered into the room, the pathfinders make themselves scatter and leave not to bring so much attention should they be found. Zac climbs easily out the window, not drawing harm to himself, except getting some funny looks from onlookers. Followed by Shonne who dives out gracefully, and Varian who levitates out with a shocked Golbrier. The rest of the group nonchalantly walks out the tavern, glancing at Alya who looks their way but sees they've done nothing wrong.

A couple minutes after you leave, words get across on the street, and people start to panic and realise what is happening calling for the silent enforcers eventually. But by that time the group is long gone and far away to suffer any repercussions.

It doesn't say where you guys actually stay, but I doubt it would be the actual tavern, so we'll assume it's somewhere nearby.

Back at the inn, Golbrier is more than willing to share everything he knows to his libterators. Golbrier’s most recent information from the Whispered Song is about the leader of the Onyx Alliance expedition, a man named Lord Maravan. Golbrier’s sources say Maravan is a spellcaster of some power, having trained in the Arcanamirium in Absalom, but also an accomplished duelist who studied under a Tian Xia weaponmaster. Whispered Song spies have heard him claim he was planning on recovering a minor artifact known as an “obsidian obelisk.” Maravan seems to know the location of an ancient barrow known as the Cairn of Shadows, which lies within the Barrowmoor. They believed is was the burial mound of a horselord chieftain named Telendrak, an ancient foe of the Midnight Lord who the Desnans hold in high esteem.

"I've also manage to arrange you all a route to Barrowmoor with the help of our network, it should give you safe passage without interception from the Onyx Alliance, they are on to you! Please be careful"

He also provides the group with some gear, a vest of escape and boots of springing and striding.

Let me know if you guys need to do/ask anything else, if not we'll head straight for Barrowmoor!

"Those boots are nice... I hope one of you can use them well... Does anyone object if i wear the vest? If any of you get grappled or otherwise held against your will, I can cast liberating command on you, but hard to cast on myself because of the whole concentration thing."

Brock is moderately disappointed by the quiet escape, but walks out of the tavern Ralph, sharing an affirmative grunt about his opinion on the whole subtlety thing that just occurred.

"I have quite the comfy boots already, thank you! I'm fine with any of you wearing those, as I won't gain as much benefit from them." He rubs the toe of his own boots against a calf and addresses Golbrier. "We shall be careful, fear not! You should do so as well! But how far is this Barrowmoor? Days? Hours? They may have quite the head start on us."

"I'm afraid that might be the case" Replies Golbrier, worried, but at the same time hopeful in the group. "The path I provided will be significantly shorter than the going the normal route as they will be keeping an eye for you on that path, but it will still roughly take you a week."

Zac asks Does anyone care of I wear the boots? A front liner is best getting to the enemies quicker and I'll be able to jump further if I need to jump over a cliff to get into melee with an enemy. +10 to speed for the adventure, Zac would like that.

"I have no objections, in fact I think you are a fine choice to wear the boots, Zac"

"Thank you for your assistance. We will be cautious without losing speed I hope, as we need to get to this site as quickly as caution allows. I'm sure, if they do not catch us on the route there, this Onyx Alliance will arrange something nasty for us upon our arrival to the Barrowmoors."

"Agreed then!" Brock claps his hands together and shoulders his gear, looking at the rest. "We are quite behind, friends. We should get ourselves moving!"

Wow, thanks As he puts them on looking at his new boots His Jump acrobatics is now a 20 due to speed

"Agreed. We've wasted enough time here."

"Alright, let's go... and Golbrier.. you be more careful while we're gone... that bounty hunter will most likely be seeking to regain her quarry - you. She said the bounty was quite lucrative, so there might be others after you as well for the same reason. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Golbrier hastily replies at the query of him adventuring, hesitating at the idea of going along. "Oh no...I'm a lover... and a singer...and a bit of a dancer, but not a fighter." He ensures you that he will be safe now that he knows that is a bounty on his head.

The journey goes smoothly as anticipated, you are kept up to date on recent activities on the movements Onyx Alliance through a series of pigeons from the Whispered Song spies keeping you out of danger as well. As you arrive in Barrowmoor, you receive information that the Onyx Alliance expedition has found the Cairn of Shadows and they’ve begun excavating the ancient tomb. The report pinpoints the cairn’s location, but can’t be sure how long the Onyx Alliance has been inside.

The barrow mound holding the entrance to the Cairn of Shadows is a tall mount of rock and gray earth, 30 feet in diameter and 20 feet high. One side has been excavated with piles of dirt and lose rocks tossed about. The excavation into the tomb is only a few yards deep, beyond which there is an archway made of black stone and the tunnel walls change from roughly dug dirt to worked black stone.

Inside light is dim, if you try to bring your own source of light, magic and mundane, the range of the lights are halved.

A large hall stretches to some great height, its ceiling too high to see. Chains of every size and length hang from above, filling the space with delicate clinks and slow scraping sounds as they gently sway in some unfelt breeze. The depth and height of the chamber are difficult to assess as the chains obscure vision beyond a few feet, but through the forest of chains comes the sound of strangely slow running water.

Your vision is hindered in here due to the curtains of chains hanging from the ceiling 50 feet above, anything beyond 10 feet is barely visible to you, but you can make out how it looks like. Regardless of light. As you walk in, you feel yourself brushing against the chains, leaving streaks of rust, oil, and blood on clothes and armor.
Several fetchlings and humans lay buried under the oozing piles of chains.

You can barely make out that there is a smaller hallway on the left of the room, and a side bridge in front, the bridge is shrouded in some shadowy essence about 2-3 feet thick.

Markus inches forward, unhappy with the feeling of close quarters created by the dangling chains.

"Keep an eye out. Something could easily be lurking above us and we wouldn't hear it for all the noise we're making just moving around", he warns.

know planes, take 10: 10 + 10 = 20

"there is some similarity to the plane of shadow here... but it is not that... something unique and different and created rather than natural... shadow magic here will be stronger, and light magic conversely weaker. Also, no kind of travel to, from or through planes will work here."

so will dismissal not work either should the need arise?

Brock is not the sort to venture reckless into a creepy shadow cave barrow without proper preparations. After a moment of boisterous victory cries over their arrival he will turn to casting several nature spells on himself and his treant.

He casts Greater Magic Fang, Barkskin, Shield Companion, Resist Energy (Fire), and Longstrider on Misha the tree. He will then cast Barkskin and Longstrider on himself. Feeling sufficiently girded for what's to come he will follow the others into the barrow, large tree at his heels.

He pulls out and activates his wayfinder due to the poor lighting to dubious benefit. After giving it a disappointed stare he glances around. "This is not a cheery place at all, my friends. But we must press forward, so why not go forward first? Surely the strange shadowy thing shall not harm us! Unfortunately I do not use shadowy sorts of spells, so this helps me not at all."

If the party was hoping for sneaky options, they seem rather unlikely as the treant lumbers along patient behind its master. It seems a bit barkier with the buffering of spells upon it, but despite it voicing no opinion, every movement is accented by the creaking of wood and the horrendous cacophony of many chains being shoved aside by its sheer mass.

You aren't quite sure, but it seems rather not amused by the chains or their stains left behind.

You can assume dismissal, teleportation, summon ... etc will likely fizzle.

Zac will start getting the bodies untrapped. str: 3 + 1d20 ⇒ 3 + (19) = 22
We should move these people to further investigate what happened.

"As long as it doesn't take too long, I fear we have some catching up to do. We should give them proper burial and rites on our way out however."

As Zac removes the bodies, he notes that they are stripped off all belongings, and somewhat looks like they were placed where they currently are.

She mentioned this before and no one said boo but before we go (since this takes a week) Shonne again mentions procuring some magical light source more powerful than mere wayfinders. As previous experience fighting against poison-using derro rogues has taught her about the danger of the dark. If no one else suggests anything more, she herself purchases some oil of daylight using 2 of her 16 prestige points, or 750 gp if that's not possible in Nidal.

New prepared spells up. She casts message on everyone (tree included), and expeditious retreat on herself just before we enter.

"Agreed. This ain't like home. If someone would use this on Angel, it goes much appreciated."

Ralph uses a Wand of Ant Haul on himself and lets someone use his Wand of Mage Armor on Angel.

Angel emits a low growl at how unnatural of an environment she has entered. She stays close to Ralph.

I really like this groups play style. All's well and good, but there's two paths from here so someone also need to make the suggestion which way to go.

Left. It seems the more sinister. Oil? Can I find some? If so, do people here accept Prestige, or only Andoran Express?