GM Endless Forms' Core PFS The Life and History of Grandmaster Torch (Inactive)

Game Master Mike Tuholski

"Hmm... the document says 'GT'. What does that mean?" Pierre comments as he sheathes his dagger and sickle. He stashes the statue in his backpack.

You spot Brui Buri-Ban, as promised, at the Fetching Fan cafe on Sengali Square. Though he doesn't seem to see you, the moment you see him he stands and retrieves a potion out his his waist-sash. As he drains the potion, he drops the vial and begins running, package in hand! By the time he's taken three steps across the square he's already invisible.

What is it with these men? Zax moves to the area that the man disappeared from and looks around blankly for clues.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"Why do they always DO that?!"

I don't suppose there's a handy bag of flour? Any other exits?

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Brak notices puffs of dust kicked up by Buri Buri-Ban's haste which points toward the refinery. Shortly afterward a passerby in front of the refinery is knocked off of his feet by an invisible force further pointing you in that direction.

The refinery is a two-story building with no windows. It looks well and frugally made, and the only decoration consists of the name painted above the door and a stark sign by the entrance that something in Kelish.

Into the refinery!

-Posted with Wayfinder

Zax follows Brak since it looks like he knows where he's going.

The refinery is a large square space, 100 feet on a side, and is used for refining Sianti chaff into the extremely potent and fairly valuable spice of the same name. The room is full of spice vats, wooden stairways and catwalks; chains and rope hang from elaborate pulley systems and the lamps are continual flames completely enclosed in glass globes. The refining process creates a tremendous amount of dust which is constantly settling on everything and swirling around as the refiners go about their work. You see a ripple in the dust moving across the refinery floor 20 feet from the main entrance.

The ripple is Buri-Ban, his interactions with the swirling dust pinpointing his location. While he still has full concealment (50% miss chance), it is easy to tell what space he’s taking up as long as he’s moving. If he stands still, it takes a DC 15 Spot check to see where he is.

Initiative:

1. Rhyfelwr, Zax, and Pierre
2. Buri Buri-Ban
3. Umaga, Hingle, and Brak

Rhyfelwr, Zax, and Pierre are up!

"curse me short legs AGAIN!"

is there some kind of skill check to identify hazards such as dust, chains, vats, etc?[ooc]

-Posted with Wayfinder

Stop running and you might not get yourself killed! Zax will attempt to hit the enemyby moving to the dust and attacking.

Miss Chance, high is good: 1d100 ⇒ 33

Zax is unable to connect with the enemy, angering him further.

Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 61
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23, 1d8 ⇒ 8
Confirm: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11, 1d8 ⇒ 4

Rhyfelwr is able to make his target but fails to land a critical shot.

Just don't light any fires. The other hazards are quite obvious.

Rhy aims at the dustcloud and you hear a muffled oof! over the din of the warehouse.

The dust stops moving and you are unsure where he has gone.

Initiative:

1. Rhyfelwr, Zax, and Pierre
2. Buri Buri-Ban (8 dmg)
3. Umaga, Hingle, and Brak

You guys are up!

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 "Zax! He's right beside you!"

Brak moves so he's flanking with Zax (Can you flank an invisible foe?) Either way he swings hard with the axe (high is good.)

MISS: 1d100 ⇒ 1
AXE: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 DMG if hit: 1d12 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Zax assumes from Brak's positioning that the enemy did not move and tries again!

Miss?: 1d100 ⇒ 34

But he still can't find the man.

Like Brak, Hingle is cursing his short legs as he huffs and puffs into the refinery. Why didn't...I choose...a career...with less running...?

Assessing the situation, he hears Brak's words and deduces that the man is between them, so he steps alongside Rhyfelwr and aims a color spray so that it just catches the square between them but misses both of his allies (can't adjust map on phone)! DC 14 Will save

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Miss: 1d1 ⇒ 1
Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23, Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 8

Rhyfelwr can't get a decent read this time and his shot flies wide.

I don't understand the combat map.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

"Hmm... Interesting." Pierre states as he draws his sickle and dagger once inside the warehouse.

He moves up to flank the man with Zax, hoping to avoid bloodshed.

per: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

I can't tell where he is! Good luck

There's no map for this encounter so I just threw up an empty grid. You can't see him right now, which is why there's no icon or arrow.

Will: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 2 = 14
Rhy miss: 1d100 ⇒ 52

Everyone flails about trying to find the invisible Buri Buri-Ban, having little luck until Rhy connects with something solid and you hear a thud! accompanied by a puff of dust. A minute later his unconscious form materializes on the floor before you. He wears magical bracers and a pair of expensive rings but most importantly he carries the copper cat statue that you seek.

"I'll take those from ye as payment for being a pain in me arse." Brak turns and looks at his partymates, "Who wants these bracers?" The dwarf then divests him of the statue.

"This is so much more to my liking. Me friend told me that the Society sends him to weddings all the time to schmooze. This is FAR more my speed."

Brak takes the time for the dust to settle and scouts about for anything else interesting. Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Nothing here but you've got a couple more statues to look for I think. Where do you want to go?

Saldin Marafi has a shop in the Secure Market, so let's go there."

Very well, the Secure Market it is!

Oh sorry, I guess you've only got one more to go. Forgot you visited Nasir already.

The Secure Market is designed for people who don’t like surprises. Situated in the foundation of an ancient tower and surrounded by walls with no windows, it is accessible by one heavily-guarded, narrow entrance from the Central Market to the north. Visitors may not bring weapons into the Secure Market, though the merchants, their personal guards, and the Secure Market guards can. The market is under an anti-magic field (CL 11th)—no magical charming, pecuniary prestidigitation, or counterfeit conjuring can happen in this place. It’s a popular place to do business for those who take security to the level of fetish, and who can afford the stall license. Each license has to be visible on the stall whenever it is doing business, and even one license, transferable as they are, is worth a small fortune.

"Zax, I respect ya too much to try and do this statue by way of tomfoolery and skullduggery. Let's do this on the up and up.

Dex check to hide a dagger though. Special Case SoH: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 2 + 1 = 22

Once the party is ready, he gets himself in there.

The law is the law, indeed. Zax will do what is necessary to gain access to the market.

Hmph, no weapons is not cool. Ugh, if I must!

Images will peacebond his falcata. Unless he is told to remove his gauntlets, he leaves them on. He too will do as needed to enter the market.

"What's this here?" one of the guards asks as he pats Brak down and feels the dagger up his sleeve. "No weapons allowed in the Secure Market, don't you know that? The way it was hidden, I think you did and I think you were trying to break the rules. Now what makes you think we'll trust you enough to let you in now?"

"when I promise that it my only one, you finish your check of my person, and find no others. Look I'm sorry. Every place is different about the level of strictness. It's my first time here, and now I know"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Do not worry. I will ensure that this will not happen again. Please forgive my friend for his oversight, I'm sure he had forgotten about it.

Diplo, maybe?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

I think it's going to take a stronger Diplomacy than that. Assists?

Aid: Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 14

"Our intent was neither to offend nor break the rules. Please accept our apologies."

adding dice rolls to my previous explanation: Aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Not the most diplomatic bunch...but at least we're not writhing on the floor and drooling!

Hingle scurries forward, palms raised. A thousand pardons, good sirs! We are new in town — new to Qadira, in fact. We are not as familiar with the law as we should be, and I beg your forgiveness for our ignorance. As Brak says, it won't happen again, I assure you.

Diplo aid another: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"All right," the guard says as they finish up their inspection and ensure that you have no other weapons. "Just consider this your warning."

Saldin Marafi's stall is at the back of a narrow notch in the edge of the Secure Market. As you approach him, Marafi hails you in friendly manner asking, "What can I help you with?"

Zax decides to get right to the point. We believe you have a statue that interests us. Zax will describe the one that the party seeks, allowing others in the party to assist him.

Diplo: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9 "Yeah, what he said!"

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 Looking about uneasily. No weapons makes Brak a sad dwarf.

Indeed! We would be most interested in the statue, Hingle says emphatically. Diplo aid another: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

At the gate, Pierre sighs as he sees the restrictions. He pulls the two daggers from the bandolier around his chest and lets them clatter onto the table. He draws his light mace and places it next to the daggers and unlaces the spiked gauntlet around his fist. He finally unsheathes his sickle and hands it to the man. "If this isn't here when I leave..."

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Pierre enters the Secure Market and looks for anything that he can use should he need to defend himself as he compatriots deal with the merchant.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Rhyfelwr joins Pierre in looking for any improvised weapons.

Detecting that something is amiss, Marafi's smile falters and he calls, "Guards! These customers are no longer wanted here!"

The poles holding up awning stalls can be used as quarterstaffs, though it takes a full round action to detach them from the awning. Several items lying around can be used as improvised clubs and there are several barrels of spice about which can be thrown as a ranged touch attack out to 5 feet which might blind a foe.

Initiative:

1. Umaga, Pierre, Zax, Brak, Hingle, and Rhyfelwr
2. Saldin Marafi and bodyguard

You guys are up!

Brack will wrench a tent pole free to produce Ye Olde Bashing Stick.

Rhyfelwr will grab a discarded table leg and prepare to bash anyone who tries to bash him first.

This is not how civilized people should behave.

Ugh — fight, run, fight; is that all these Qadirans do?!?

Hingle steps to the front, oblivious to the warriors' charge lanes (sorry, guys) and sends a color spray at Marafi and his guards. DC 14 Will save

Pierre sees Hingle step forward and try to cast a spell and inwardly groans. "The market is under an Anti-Magic Field, Hingle! Try weapons!"

Pierre grabs some spice and throws it at the merchant.

Spice: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Zax sighs as diplomacy fails. He then grabs a improvised "club".

Can I still move to attack or is that a FRA also?