GM Burglar's 4-20: Words of the Ancients (Inactive)

Game Master mechaedd

Taurus ponders the question.

”It’s metal-colored. Copper maybe… or brass?”

”Wait, it got quiet all of a sudden. I think the others managed to kill it. Wait here.”

The big shoanti runs back to the base of the cliff and calls up.

”She's down here. Gather the others and let's get out of here.”

"You heard the man, it's time to move. Search the body for loot and we're out of here."

KULIK will make a Heal check on the dragon.

If it's only mostly dead, he will cast stabilize on it.
If it's all dead, he will go through its pockets and look for loose change.

Heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24

"But... You killed a dragon, we cannot leave without the hoard. It is like doing all the dirty work and letting someone else collect the prize."
Erin protests not wanting to leave without further searching the area.

"What makes you think his hoard is even around here? If I thought it was, I'd say we go look for it."

Now, for that funny thing that I didn't mention the first time you met Zondaladin. Kulik left him with 5 damage in the first meeting. Curing him of that 5 hp would have given you one of the "successful talking-to-him" points. Also, had Kulik healed him of it, he would be "just barely dead" right now.

Also, dragon's don't wear pants/polo shirts. A cave is spotted to the south, but has nothing in it, if searched. It was presumably where he slept and kept his tiny loot tote.

As a courtesy "sorry for running this for so long" gesture, I will remind the Shadow Lodge not-person that there is a "horde" of dead, unsearched Lissalans here.

Make with the searching folks!

"You can come out", Taurus says. "The dragon's dead."

"He was guarding the place for awhile. It has to be somewhere. Right? Kulik? Taurus?"
She looks to the other two, hoping they do not mind holding up for a quick search.

"Very well, then." The stone cone crumbles, revealing itself to be quite sporradic in thickness at points. She follows as directed (though cliffs are a problem climbing while blind and a casty-type that isn't a melee build.)

Ah, I didn't even think about that. For some reason I thought I would find it on Aspis, not the cultists.

Ashur will start searching the dead cultists.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Nope, and if you want help for torch's thing, you'll kind of have to let people know what to look for (not that it's not one of those "really a big secret" missions. If it were, I wouldn't be talking about it in a not-spoiler.)

KULIK stares at the deceased dragon a moment longer, then silently joins the tiefling searching on the other end of the pile of dead cultists.

Does it make sense to take 20?

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

"Put your arms around my neck. I'll carry you up", Taurus says as he puts his shield away.

Ashur has a look of frustration on his face. "Torch says that Aspis are involved with the cultists, but he needs proof. Anyone wanna help me find some?" He says indicating the bodies.

t20?

You can if you want. It'd basically be turning each body and piling them in an "In/Out" box-type thing. If you want to spend more time than that, that's cool, too. There's just this dead, Chaotic Good dragon who needs healed more than you can do (unless you really want to buy him a Raise Dead.)

@Taurus: The woman complies, and is carried up the cliff side.

After reaching the top of the cliff, Taurus deposits the woman and makes his way to the dead dragon. He tears one of the beast's fang's free.

"You were foolish but you were strong. I will honor that strength."

The big shoanti stows the tooth and shouts at his companions.

"What are you doing in there?"

"I'm looking for any connection these cultists have with the Aspis." Ashur will take his time sorting through the bodies. "The one time Amira's bureaucratic skills would be useful, she's not here.

I'm taking 20 then for a 32.

"Or we can dig in bodies looking for Aspis items, hoping they were richer than a dragon..."
Erin comments, sounding very disappointed before seaching for any condemning items.
Perception 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26

Minor, irrelevant testament to my math logic update: If Kulik had healed the last 5 damage on the dragon before, he'd've actually been at -20 of 21. If only Kulik were a better healer! *The more you know!*

Anything Ashur is looking for?

"Bah, lame. There's nothing here." Ashur dejectedly kicks a dead body out of spite. "Let's just go.."

Kulik healed plenty. *Grumble*

Kulik healed plenty. *Grumble*

I resemble that remark. ;-)

Honestly, I didn't expect a CG dragon to attack. But I deserve that for unintentionally meta-gaming. And put y'all at some risk at the same time. Sorry about that.

From this side of the screen, I really didn't expect it to go any other way and was really surprised at the fact you didn't fight him first. Healing him way probably statistically your best chance of not having to fight him, since it didn't require a DC 22-35 social skill check.

I naturally expect everything to attack us. Whether its statues or uppity Aasimar. And don't worry about it, I just find it really funny.

"Well, there really is nothing here. At least we have what was in the tower."

The woman stands and waits. "Just inform me and join hands whenever you are ready to leave."

Just say when you're ready to go. Kulik's "sorry for running so long" tidbit is that your mission is entirely unattempted, and your best "help your faction for credit instead of doing the mission" is kinda dead.

What do you mean? I think you lost me.

Alternatively, beginning with Season 4, each faction has a specific goal it hopes to achieve by the end of the season. A PC who undertakes a creative approach to forward this goal outside of the prescribed faction mission may earn 1 Prestige Point for doing so in place of the Prestige Point gained for the assigned faction mission, at the GM’s discretion. See page 19 for details on all 10 faction goals for Season 4.

Kulik's faction, being Andoran, can to get a presence in the Magnimar region instead of doing his given mission. Having an Adult Dragon with other dragon friends siding (and sharing an alignment) with your faction can do wonders for building a presence anywhere. Being able to divert funds from the Eagle Knight slave-raiding prospects to political machinations by way of cutting costs and outsourcing the ship-raiding contingents was a possibility.

...unless you meant the "He didn't do anything about it" yet. His mission was probably a little too metaphorical for a half-orc of his mental acumen.

He didn't, true. And didn't see an opportunity to do so. And while I, the player, is certain we missed something due to the metagame, KULIK is not.

Yup. Just wanted to make sure everyone remembered they have faction missions; I forget my missions when I play during the 5-hour real-life convention-slot, let alone spread over a whole month. I just tacked on the explanation of my additional comment, since Taurus asked. But you guys can teleport whenever you're all fine and dandy. I just don't want to assume teleporting, because assuming actions is my biggest player pet peeve, excluding the pbp case of "If my turn comes up, do this at this bonus or listen to my teammates" stuff (because I like to sleep a lot, but not hold up games because of it.)

Yea, I remembered. Though I don't know how I was supposed to do mine. So I'm okay with just moving on w/o getting it.

Yea, I remembered. Though I don't know how I was supposed to do mine. So I'm okay with just moving on w/o getting it.

Shadow Lodge's is probably the coolest one in the scenario, for story and foreshadow reasons (aside from the trap in the basement, which was loosely related to Osirion and was cool only for the encounter); I'll explain when the time is right.

Alright, no problem.

Well I finished mine, and am good to help if anyone needs anything. Just let me know, or call for the port if you are done. Not going to rush anyone who is still trying to do missions.

As far as I can tell, we're good to go home.

Just wanted to see if Kulik wanted ask the party heft a dead dragon to count as the party's carry capacity, since everyone's beefy and traveling pretty light. Though that's easily retconnable, so post is in the making.

Nope. He will probably make a return trip "off-stage," so we can go over that part later.

Good to go.

Nope. He will probably make a return trip "off-stage," so we can go over that part later.

I'll note that's largely difficult-to-impossible, since nobody but Karethia knows where this place is, and the Society's scrying didn't work here. Karethia's only bound for a to-and-from trip, unless you got some really sneaky, sneak thing going on (which I'm totally cool with.)

Sheila arrives first, and sees it is merely your troupe. "Ah, you've returned!" She looks to the pathfinder-in-training. "Commendable response time, though they're no threat. Please go inform everyone there is nothing to panic about." She turns her head back to the group as the acolyte runs off. "So, do you have the plates?"

Taurus nods produces the plates.

"This should be what you were looking for."

She quickly grabs the plates and glances over them. "Excellent, job well done agents! You part of this mission is through." She looks to Karethia in her blindfolded state. "Our buisness is complete and the contract is fulfilled. You will see our end of the bargain in the expected time allotted." Without a word, Karethia nods and chants to disappear again.

Sheila scurries off, leaving the party to their own business.

More post to follow, though this Ashur-special part is happening, too, since that's immediate.

Hmm, well I was going by the descriptions V-C Heidmarch gave in the intro: Thousandth Spire at Desgard's Thousand Columns on the Storval Plateau (what was once Haruka), near the western end of the site.

If any return is, in fact, Thwarted By Boxed Text (which would be pretty cheap, in my opinion), then yes, he would ask for assistance getting the dragon back to Magnimar for a raise dead (or whatever).

If any return is, in fact, Thwarted By Boxed Text (which would be pretty cheap, in my opinion), then yes, he would ask for assistance getting the dragon back to Magnimar for a raise dead (or whatever).

It's not the first time Box Text was irritating at worst. Though, I guess technically, you could spend part of the "possibly infinite timey-wimey stuff for day job-ness" to find him. He might decay or something'll eat him at that point, though. Sheila doesn't react to the dead dragon, and is easily distracted by the iron plates.

Taurus would be adamantly against raising the dragon but I assume you're not bringing him along for this venture.

Kulik wrote:

If any return is, in fact, Thwarted By Boxed Text (which would be pretty cheap, in my opinion), then yes, he would ask for assistance getting the dragon back to Magnimar for a raise dead (or whatever).

It's not the first time Box Text was irritating at worst.

Certainly not.

Research indicates that raise dead works on a living creature, so it should work on the dragon.

KUKIK has a chronicle boon for a half-price raise dead or resurrection (and enough prestige to pay for his own should it be necessary, LOL). I can tell you what scenario it's from and snap a pic if you need it.

EDIT: Would Taurus not help bring him back? Cos then we'd be on the seek-and-find mission off-screen; KULIK can't do it by himself and won't argue with the Shoanti.