GM Burglar's 04-21: Way of the Kirin (Inactive)

Game Master mechaedd

How much area can we cover with the oil we have?

I’m thinking we’d want to do a ring of fire around the building, Karate Kid 2 style.

Or was it Karate Kid 3?

I'm not too familiar with the films past the first (and even that is just a overtly-unneeded fascination with Cobra Kai and leg-sweeping,) but I've seen the one on Miyagi's home island. To get a tall-flame circle that'd make Johnny Cash proud, it'd take a lot more oil than you have. What you can do here is possibly utilize it like firey caltrops with a tripwire to light on fire when they'd stop on a hole with some oil in it in front of each outside window/door (and put a board up for when your guest gets here or something).

To make this far simpler (like the scenario suggests,) I'll allow it to be defense point-getting circle around the house. I'll need an appropriate skill for it, though note failing will waste the oil. Rolls are aidable by regular aid-another rules.

Sebastion will aid with the placement of the oil, just need to know what kind of check we are making.

Unfortunately, Krunch is much better at breaking things than making things.

Would disable device be appropriate if the lightning mechanism were some sort of complex crab-operated Rube Goldberg machine?

Acceptable, though crab is optional.

Bah, crab is never optional!

Bonus Crab!: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Enable Device: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32

Plus a possible aid from the paladin.

Pinchy spends more time pinching than helping. =(

I'm not trained in that one, haha. Your 32 should be sufficient though.

Han will seek out Krunch for help with placing the bear traps.

The house-defense-tier custom trap option take 60 minutes to complete, which ends conveniently at the 2-hour mark for Krunch. It makes sense in this case, since he has to dig the holes, make the traps, not get pinched too much, then cover them back up.

The Bear Traps won't take an hour, since they're not something that would stop more than, like, 2 people. Running on the assumption that Seb isn't wasting an hour trying to help in things he can't roll, the spreadsheet is up to date.

Barring anyone else requesting his assistance, Sebastian will ensure the catapult has enough rocks to sling and test fire it himself.

Alright, then I'll search A3 then.

Sorry for the silence, unexpectedly busy weekend and today. *flop* From what I can tell, it seems like everywhere in the building is pretty thoroughly explored by this point, unless I am missing something.

After making some idle notes on the dimension of the lens of the lighthouse, Sharna reconvenes where the others are. She will mention the lens's state to the others, but she sees no point in trying to light the lamp and the rest of the apparatus-- if the Way of the Kirin agreed to meet them here, then surely they do not need a light to guide their way, so in her mind it would do nothing other than create a beacon for groups like the Aspis to be on alert that the island is now occupied.

Sharna regards the preparations that have been going on with oil, window-boarding, and otherwise fortifying with something between reluctant admiration and mild bemusement.

"Have I perhaps missed a memorandum that we are under siege?" she queries, brushing a bit of cobwebs and dust from the bottom hem of her newly-acquired silk robe. "Being wary of possible Aspis interference is all well and good, but you all seem to be fortifying this place as though it were a castellan upon the edge of the Worldwound. Trenches with oil, traps..."

The witch shrugs. Experience has taught her these missions rarely go peacefully, so she is not truly faulting her comrades' work, only amused by how enthusiastically they have thrown themselves into embellishing their would-be fortress. Ah, men.

As they seem to have their couch-cushions piled high barricades well in place, Sharna will adjourn to the kitchen and ask Amara Li if there is anything that she needs an extra pair of hands with, while also bringing her up to date on the work the 'boys' have done.

She may also ask for some etiquette pointers on how to conduct herself during the tea ceremony.

After Sharna enters, the two servants are seen guarding the doors to the kitchen (as best unarmed servants can.) There is one at each door.
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I'll note that the making any significant improvised defense measure (like Pinchy's fire pit) takes 60 minutes of work, so now might be a good time to utilize the rest of your time and try those.

Sharna is satisfied to hear she can replace her veil. She bows to Amara Li and lets her get on with her preparations.

The guards/servants get an appraising and dismissive look from Sharna. Should a serious threat attack, these two do not seem capable of much-- although, she reminds herself, especially here in the east those who seem unarmed may be otherwise, in truth. Foolish to dismiss them out of hand.

She goes to observe the others, and lend some bossy instruction-giving help if needed. She whistles for Ra-- if he gorges himself entirely on rats he'll be too fat to be alert.

OOCly I have no bright ideas for what to do with the rest of Sharna's time. I'm happy to do an aid roll or knowledge roll if anyone's activities need it, but IC-ly Sharna is not exactly militarily minded, and OOCly everything I would have thought of is being handled by other PCs at this point.

Han will see about getting gallons of hot tea boiled and he will try to convince the unarmed servants to set it on top of the rooftop. Kind of like a boiling oil trap, except with tea. And yes, for the record, Han feels terrible about wasting it on would be invaders.

Pretty much at the wait until meeting time point myself. I will also lend out any aid if anyone needs it.

What skill do you want to try to do, Han? also, Amara only brought enough tea for one meal; not a Home Alone-tier antic. Though, a scenario-written suggestion, slightly modified for DC removal.

...but because of its position immediately above the ground door, the PCs could modify the floor to create murder holes for firing arrows down at intruders or even pouring dangerous substances on them. Creating murder holes takes 20 minutes of work with a successful DC *Feasable by all PCs, using one skill or another* Craft (carpentry) or Disable Device check, or 30 minutes on a failed check.

The PCs can light the fireplace and use a large pot from the kitchen to boil water (No check), which they can pour through the trap door of A5. Boiling that much water takes an hour; pouring it through murder holes deals 2d6 points of fire damage (Reflex for half) to anyone in the 10-footsquare area under the point where the PCs cut the holes.

A resourceful PC can also gather enough supplies from the house and lighthouse storage to concoct a short-lived alchemical explosive similar to alchemist’s fire. Brewing this substance requires 1 hour and a successful DC *Not Krunch, and quite difficult but attainable* Craft (alchemy) check, and it deals 4d6 points of fire damage (Reflex for half) to anyone in the 10-footsquare area under the point where the PCs cut holes. The alchemical substance is very volatile, loses its potency within 4 hours, and combusts if moved quickly, making it useful merely as a defensive feature

Given that the alchemical compound doesn't list anything requiring the whale oil, it's still rollable despite weird logic errors.

When she sees Han working on his attempt to create a hot substance capable of pouring down on invaders, Sharna shakes her head slightly, still bemused.

"You are all expecting a mass invasion," she murmurs. "Well. Explore, Report, Cooperate..."

She pauses a moment, thinking what she might be able to add to this little ploy. She probably wrongly does not actually expect they will be assaulted by a mass force, but it makes for an entertaining intellectual exercise, at least.

Alchemy is not her strong suit, but its distant cousin, herbalism, is. As is a basic knowledge of the contents of kitchens... Sharna thinks to herself a few moments, considering both the native plant life that she saw while making the trudge from the pier to the building, as well as the kitchen, and the contents of her backpack.

Profession: Herbalist: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

If Herbalism is an acceptable substitute to think of a plant-based nasty substance-- maybe a plant that they passed has poisonous properties, or is an irritant and could be boiled into the water...? Up to GM discretion.

Alternately, a second plan would be to see if the kitchen has any flour. She knows that Amara Li did not likely bring any flour, but if there's a half-rotted, buggy old sack of flour anywhere in the pantry, Sharna could suggest improvising the ingredients for a flour explosion. She has four alchemist's fires that could be rigged to drop into an already-triggered flour cloud, blah di blah.

Of course, there may be neither plants nor flour!

I said tea mainly because I thought it would be really funny, and in the interest of taking advantage of Sharna's check I'll go with the 2nd option then.

Herbalist will be allowed. The Fauna here is nearly nonexistent, but you bought plants earlier for no reason, so those will be useable, I suppose.

@Han & Seb: What task are you going in on? Trying to cut holes in a floor (since you're a little shy of a whole hour to try to help, but still have time to try to cut holes once)? If so, post a check and a floor number.

Murder holes w/ bombs! And somewhere on the 2nd floor.

Alchemy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Sharna smiiiles behind her replaced veil. The ginger she purchased at the bazaar earlier, boiled into the water.... Nothing like hot, ginger-infused water in the eyes of an enemy. 'Stinging' is a descriptive, yet inadequate, word.

Sharna bustles about with the pot and the ginger she brought. Amara Li makes tea; Sharna makes herbal warfare. Or something.

Murder holes w/ bombs! And somewhere on the 2nd floor.

Yeah, pick a 2nd-floor room, even if it doesn't have a number; Depending on the room, you can affect the area below it. Also, your at the 85 minute mark; not enough to do an hour's check but you do have enough to try to make Murder Holes down which you can dump Sharna's spicy juice (HA), shoot arrows, get LoS for spells, etc.

Sharna effectively did the Alchemy choice, and is using the free pot for all intents and purposes. Unless you're trying to aid her check, but nobody's making murder holes, then.

Lastly, your 16 can carry to whatever you're going to do, should it require a die roll.

The room with all the bay windows. I'll start making murder holes then.

No, like pick a floor on the second level. You can then affect the area below it.

EDIT: Oh, you mean A6. Okay, cool. Forgot there were windows on the top. Do ho ho.
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Han will spend the rest of the time practicing the shoot-a-pault.

Engineering and Bab: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 4 = 13

Engineering and Bab: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 5 + 4 = 22

Engineering and Bab: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 5 + 4 = 19

I'll cut holes in the floor over the front door.
Profession (Carpenter)1d20 ⇒ 16

Sebastian makes a couple of holes in the floor above the front door for someone to setup one of their nasty substance traps.

Sharna nods and bows to Amara, whistling for Ra again. Before she joins the others, she will briefly tap herself and her hawk with the carved stick again. One of the many scrolls she carries around on her person is placed within a sleeve of the silk robes, for easy retrieval.

She checks the simmering cauldron and makes sure it is in position for murder-holing if, uh, needed. Working for the Society makes you paranoid.

Expending two more charges of Mage Armor from the wand; Scroll of Shield put within easy reach.

Han will change into the before purchased ceremonial garb. It was clearly uncomfortable but he did what he must. He checks the shoot-a-pult one last time before heading to meet up with the group for the ceremony.

"This might be of use.." Han will take it with him then.

Er, no. there's someone/something coming up the stairway to the front door, though the only way you can tell through the fog is that they have a torch lit.

Oh okay, I totally misread that.

"Someone approaches."

Krunch nods at Han's comment.

"An old man with a fancy hat!"

"Is that who it is? Hmm.."

Krunch holds his massive hands up in a gesture of innocence.

"Krunch and Krunch's friends are here to make sure nice Kirin people are safe for Amara Li. Krunch isn't a bad demon. Krunch can't lie!" the hulking tiefling says with an enthusiastic nod.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Sebastian gives the newcomer a salute and says gruffly. "I am Sebastian Jai-Rue, and who might you be?"

@Past Krunch: The man focuses on you for a moment, but only drops his stance after a few seconds. "I had been told the Society was full of different characters, but this is not quite what I was expecting." His face becomes one of relief as the two of you go up the staircase.
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@All, at the present: Through the fog, an elderly man in Ō-yoroi armour ascends the staircase with Krunch. He moves with ease in his heavy armor, despite his modest appearance. He looks over his welcoming party and gives a nod. He has a heavy Tien-Dan accent, though his Taldane syntax is coherent enough. "Greetings, Pathfinders." He responds to Sebastian before turning back to the group in general. "I am Iko Tsuneo. I see you are all ready for the ceremony." As he makes his way in (barring any jerks in the doorway,) Amara makes her way out. They exchange formal pleasantries in the language heard earlier by Sharna in town. Afterwards, everyone is gathered into the Grand Hall, which has been cleaned up via Prestidigiation. The table from the kitchen has been carried out by the servants as well, and there is are 6 cushion/seats at the table.

Iko takes a seat at the head of the table and Amara waits for everyone else to be seated. The servants bustle in and out, refilling tea whenever needed.

The man speaks after the tea arrives. "In my experience, the best way to determine an organization's trustworthiness is not to ask the face, but to investigate its roots." He looks around at the group, only seeing one symbol of faith. He looks at Sebastian and begins his inquiry "I only know so much of the faiths of your lands. Perhaps you can tell me more, Mr. Sebastian?"

Map is up to date, the bottom right is a horrible table mockup, since it looked awful when it was all tiny on the regular map.

"Ah, this is your abode then. " Han will follow the old man and take a seat while listening to the old man.

Iko raises an eyebrow and cracks a smile to Han's statement. "Oh? What would make you think that?"

"Your famiry name was inside of one of the ovens."

After letting Sebastian and Han speak, Sharna will offer a courteous bow to the elder.

"We are honored to meet you, grandfather," she murmurs. "It is true that we do not all wear symbols of the gods upon our sleeves, but for myself, I worship one called Nethys: a god of two natures that oppose and yet create a whole. He has a face that is nourishing, and a face that is powerful; but these faces unite to elevate knowledge and the arts of magic. Perhaps he is called by another name, here in your lands."

"These are the markings of Abadar. He is the overseer of law and trade in civilizations around Golarion. I have been selected as one of his enforcers, and see that these laws are followed."
Sebastion states simply in reply, then asks.
"Do you own this island? I am as curious as Han is on this matter."

@Seb: "Ah, I know of Abadar. In this region, however, he represents humanity's walls and ditches, as representations of how humanity both gives and takes from the natural world. His aid is greatly needed and oft called upon in areas in times of trouble."

"Though as for your question, this place could be considered my old home..." The old man sips tea at intervals in his story. "I find it amusing my family's mark still endures in this old place. My family had significant business interests in the Minatan Archipelago and owned this very house. Born years after the fall of the Lung Wa Dynasty, I inherited many of the secrets and wealth of the Way of the Kirin from older relatives who were members, and my family’s house in Minkai was traditionally used as a meeting place and lodge for Way of Kirin members. For a few short years in my youth, this site doubled as the Iko family home. As the Way's force has diminished and my family having shifted their financial attention back to Minkai, the house has sat empty and forgotten for decades. To ensure secrecy and safety of this meeting, he chose his childhood home as the location."

"I know little of this Nethys, though you may with to know the patron of scholars in these lands would be Qi Zhong, Master of Medicine. He is a master of healing, both of magical and mundane varieties. His accolades include reviving the God of the Moon, Tsukiyo, back to life. He preaches the importance of the five elements and their connection to everyday life." He lifts his empty cup for a servant to fill. While a servant attends to it, he asks Sharna a question. "I must ask of curiosity, your veil; is there some meaning behind it, or is it merely a custom brought from your home?"

Post-editing-point edit. Copy-paste edit miss.

"...of this meeting, I chose this place as the location."