GM Endless Forms' PFS The Harrowing (Inactive)

Game Master Mike Tuholski

Regarding the map. Fletch also has a large-size companion, his wolf Romulus.

You're right about this deck. I will took it.

Turning to his more nature attuned companion he asked

May be the person we are looking for left some tracks ? I could help those most guifted than me in finding tracks

Auto succeed in Survival (max 30)

Whoops. Messed up that link. It's at the top of the page though so hopefully you found it.

Added the wolf.

Regard the Harrow Deck: playing the cards does not use up the actual in-game artifact.

Tolgarov scans the ground and although he sees many tracks, most of the humanoid or shod tracks are obscured by large bird tracks.

Want to play any cards before I move on? (nudge-nudge)

Can you go over the situation with the cards again? Do we have all of the cards in the deck now, but have to identify the correct one for a given scene?

Hawkwren thumbs through the cards for a moment, then shrugs. "Should we use one of these? Which one? The Lost? The Wanderer?.....oh! The Carnival?"

You have all of the cards and can look at all of them (the link is above). Essentially as you play the module, certain places and events should remind you of the cards. For instance, Hawk recognized that you guys are standing in a run-down carnival and so he played The Carnival, which is correct and will give everyone +2 to Perception and Survival while in this location. Pretty cool, huh? Playing cards is not an action and you can do it in the middle of combat if something suddenly dawns on you. And it may come in handy very soon....

Nearly everyone (everyone except Kirrah) finds the large bird tracks odd and disturbing and begin to look around for their source, noting four colorful shapes hiding behind carts and clumps of grass stalking the party!

Surprise Round!

1. Ace, Maldoc, Fletch, Tolgarov, Fendahl, Kirrah, and Hawkwren
2. ???
3. Romulus

Surprise Round actions! Move or standard from the bolded names!

Fletch whispers a word of power over his bow.

Cast gravity bow.

Tolgarov seeing the tengus decided that his best way of surviving was to protect himself.

He casted a spell and Tolgarov became many.

Miror Images: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Hawkwren steps to the northeast and fires at the green clothed creature.

Improved Precise Shot, PBS, Deadly Aim: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 1 - 3 = 28
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 + 6 = 17

Maldoc casts Intensified Shocking Grasp and waits for an enemy.

Fendahl casts resin skin on himself.

Faldoc's arrow sinks into the stalker's leg sticking out under the cart and you all hear an angry squawk! coming from behind the cart.

Surprise Round!

1. Ace, Maldoc, Fletch, Tolgarov, Fendahl, Kirrah, and Hawkwren
2. ??? (gr: 17 dmg)
3. Romulus

Ace has a surprise round action!

"I think there's... Ace starts as Hawkwren fires off an arrow. "I guess you saw them."

"We sure they are enemies?" Ace asks the group. He continues eating the thylacine dog in one hand and waves his hand non-chalantly with the other, squishing a small tart in his fingers.

Hideous Laughter on one of the tengu (?) at DC 21.

He lets Hanspur lick up the cherries.

"What are they?" Hawkwren asks.

KN: local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

After Ace's spell, one of the things falls out from behind the cart, rolling on the ground laughing. It turns out to be a black-feathered tengu in a ridiculous clown outfit! The other tengu dart out of the shadows, doing somersaults and cartwheels along the way!

Initiative:

1. Ace, Maldoc, Fletch, Tolgarov, Fendahl, Kirrah, and Hawkwren
2. Tengu clowns (gr: 17 dmg, bl: laughing for 7 more rnds)
3. Romulus

Everyone but Romulus is up!

A little voice nags in the back of his mind, 'use the cards....'

Hawk runs through the images of the cards he remembers seeing. "Wasn't there a card with a crow on it? Should we play it?" He calls out as he continues firing arrows.

Drawing aim on the green one, again, he steps back and fire three arrows in succession.

Rapid, PBS, DA: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (20) + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 = 30
Manyshot Damage: 2d8 + 6 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (5, 5) + 6 + 2 + 6 = 24

Rapid, PBS, DA: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (16) + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 + 6 = 17

Iterative, Rapid, PBS, DA: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (4) + 9 - 2 + 1 - 3 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 1 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 + 6 = 17

Crit Confirm, Rapid, PBS, DA: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 14 - 2 + 1 - 3 = 25
Crit Damage: 2d8 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5) + 6 + 2 = 18

If green goes down with the first arrow, Hawk will change targets to blue (take away +1 for PBS)

Hawk is correct again! By playing The Crows you all gain +2 on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and spell save DCs versus the tengus. I'll add it into Hawk's rolls when I resolve them later.

Maldoc wonders how his half-brother, Faldoc, fired an arrow all the way from another thread. He then shrugs once he realizes that he has no idea.

Maldoc strikes at the somersaulting tengu clown in front of him!

Black Blade: 1d20 + 14 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 14 - 2 = 32 for Weapon: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Iterative: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 - 2 = 13 for Weapon: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Black Blade confirm?: 1d20 + 14 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 14 - 2 = 19 for Weapon: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Shocking Grasp, Intensified: 8d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 4, 6, 1, 1, 3, 4) = 27
Shocking Grasp, Intensified, if confirmed? I don't know if the spell damage is doubled also: 8d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 4, 5) = 31

Ace yells at his party. "Why are you attacking them?"

Hold Action

"Birds hiding clown suits are enough reason for me," says Fletch.

Fletch turns, clicks together the heels of his boots of speed and fires at the yellow-clad tengu.

1st shot, +1 flaming composite longbow, with Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Point-Blank Shot, boots of speed and gravity bow and Hawk Harrow: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 182d6 + 5 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 5 + (3) + 2 = 16

2nd shot, +1 flaming composite longbow, with Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Point-Blank Shot, boots of speed and gravity bow and Hawk Harrow: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 192d6 + 5 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 4) + 5 + (2) + 2 = 19

3rd shot, +1 flaming composite longbow, with Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Point-Blank Shot, boots of speed and gravity bow and Hawk Harrow: 1d20 + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 14 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 302d6 + 5 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 4) + 5 + (5) + 2 = 20

4th shot, +1 flaming composite longbow, with Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Point-Blank Shot, boots of speed and gravity bow and Hawk Harrow: 1d20 + 9 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 9 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 282d6 + 5 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 4) + 5 + (1) + 2 = 15

1st shot hit AC 18 and did 16 points of damage, including 2 fire.

2nd shot hit AC 19 and did 19 points of damage, including 2 fire.

3rd shot hit AC 30 and did 20 points of damage, including 5 fire.

4th shot hit AC 28 and did 15 points of damage, including 1 fire.

Hawk glances at Ace. "Don't you know? Clowns are creepy....and can never be trusted." 'shiver'

Seeing his comrades taking well in hands the matter of the clown tengu Tolgarov waited to see if some of them survive before taking any other actions.

Delay

Fendahl waits to see if the Tengu clowns survive and do anything besides being creepy.

"Hrrmm, creepy, yes. But anything beyond. I wonder if they have seen our missing man?. "

Hawk easily takes down the green tengu clown! Maldoc then takes down the yellow clown and Fletch finishes off the red tengu clown, leaving just the hysterical blue clown rolling on the ground!

Essentially out of combat. He's laughing for several more rounds so you can tie him up or kill him or whatever you want.

Once the tengu's laughing is ceased, you hear a faint moaning from behind one of the carts which turns into a faint, "Help!"

Coming closer, you find a clumsy and frail human man wearing a tall white hat and white apron as if he were a five-star chef from some unseen restaurant. He is covered in claw marks and beak-bites; clearly the work of the creepy tengu clowns you just took out.

Hawk gives Ace an "I told you so" look, then bends down to check on the man. "Are you all right, man? Do you require healing? What's you name?"

"Maybe he's the bad guy!" Ace says exasperated. "One expects clowns at a carnival. Chefs, on the other hand, are out of place!"

Fendahl will search the Tengu for clues or items that may indicate their missing man.

"Hrrmm, let us see what these birdman have to their name. "

Perception : 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Maldoc will help Fendahl with the search and leave the talking stuff to the others.

Tolgarov looked around him to see if him or his comrade had their cloth changed...

Once reassured or not he casted detect magic on the creature and the newcomer.

If no one else has done so, Fletch securely binds the living tengu and sets his dire wolf Romulus to watch the prisoner.

"Oh, please help me!" the man says pitifully. "My name if Biyo Venna! I was the chef at Zassrion's Striding Fortress. These grotesque clowns just wanted to beat the latest gossip out of me about our draconic master!"

"Please! There is a man, Lord Zassrion's latest victim, who needs help! Zassrion is trying to use the man for some foul purpose to escape this place! I only just got away to try to find help when those tengu jumped me!"

Nudge, nudge: there's another card fitting this situation....

The only thing I see that sorta fits is The Cricket, he has a tall white hat on. I don't see a chef or cook. Of course, I suck at this type of stuff sometimes.

there is a keep and the dragon, but while those are mentioned, they seem inappropriate here at least at this time. Something showing oppression or torture maybe? .

"What more can you tell us if we can help you, chef?"

Fendahl ponders the cards after helping to gather the clown gear. Disappointed they had no other clues.

Ace draws the Beating and tosses it into the air.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Tolgarov tried to remember something about this Zassrion's Striding Fortress and his draconic master...

Know. Local (take 10): 10 + 10 = 20

And where is this man in need ? asked Tolgarov

Ace tosses a card in the air but nothing happens. Close but unfortunately that's not the right one. It's ok, with so many of them you're bound to miss a few.

Tolgarov does not know anything about the names or locations mentioned but can reason that Zassrion is in charge around here.

Biyo says, "Well, Zassrion is an old blue dragon and he lives in the Striding Forest. He's the head of the Conspirators but unfortunately now that I've left the Striding Forest it will hard to find it again. It is actually striding about, after all."

"Now, each of the other Conspirators holds a token-a small gem that tugs in the direction of the fortress. If you could gather the Conspirator's tokens together, it might lead you directly to the Striding Fortress."

Biyo starts ticking off on his fingers. "Zassrion the Patchwork Lord is thought of as the head Conspirator since he took Sonnorae's castle after her death. But there's also Bernaditi, whom I was coming to see in this tent here." he motions to the circus tent. "There's also Brambleson, who thinks he is the hero of this place and lives in the Tangled Briar; The Barrow King, the Conspirator of the Demon's Fen; Marzalee the Weaver is an enormous ant queen and the mother of all-she lives in the Manmolds of course; many consider Sonnorae an Honorary Conspirator who is in the Prophet's Garden; Balimar spends his time in the Sanguine Playhouse; The Ticktock Man is in Smith's Caldera; and the Nightpeddler is in the Trackless Dearth."

"Conspirators is a dark name to give them but it is fitting; they were all instrumental in the murder of Sonnorae millenia ago. That was the last time they all worked together, taking her down. The gems they stole were from Sonnorae's kapenia, which hangs in Zassrion's library."

Map added.

To recap, eight conspirators:

Hum. I think a visite to this Bernarditi. Do you know to which Conspirator theses tengu came ?
And do you have heard of a certain Meloigne Garracy ? We are looking for this man and we hope to find him alive.

Biyo answers, "No, I'm not sure where the tengu came from. Working at the circus, I imagine, and maybe just the guards of Bernaditi thinking I was a spy of Zassrion or something."

"And yes! Meloigne Garracy! That's the man Zassrion has! But Zassrion intends to use the man for some ill purpose to gain mortality and leave this world! Don't ask me how, I don't understand it!"

Maldoc will try to play The Cricket, not having a better idea. Thought it might be too late now.

"Gain mortality? What is he now?" asks Fletch.

Nope, not the Cricket either.

"Well, he is like everyone here I guess. Storykin. Made in the Manmolds just like all of us were, I suppose."

"You're not...real?" asks Fletch. "How did you come to be? How did this whole place come to be?"

Fendahl waits for the response, musing to himself.

Manmolds? Is he a construct? This place is unnatural to say the list. .

Biyo looks confused. "Of course I'm real! We're all real, right? I'm here, you can see me, I'm speaking and you can hear me, right? Where did you come from, dear boy?"

"How did this place come to be? Well, I'm not sure I know all the answers to that. But we've been here for a very long time, that's for sure. And it's a nice little world except when the Conspirators start conspiring again, which they almost always are. Zassrion wants out but it's going to cost your friend's life. If you want to save him, you'll need to convince the other Conspirators to give you their tokens. Or, you know, you'll need to take them by force."

"What can you tell us about the tokens?" asks Fletch. "What are they?"

"You said you were coming to see Bernaditi. Where is he to be found, inside? Where is it, he ususally keep himself?" Hawk asks.

"I don't think that argument works. I frequently see things that aren't real..."

-Posted with Wayfinder

"What can you tell us about the tokens?" asks Fletch. "What are they?"

"They are little gems and trinkets taken from Sonnorae's kapenia, which hangs in Zassrion's library. That's how you'll be able to track down Zassrion's Striding Fortress."

"You said you were coming to see Bernaditi. Where is he to be found, inside? Where is it, he ususally keep himself?" Hawk asks.

"He'll be in the tent. He likes the show, I think."

---

The shabby circus tent seems larger inside than out, curving upward in nauseatingly bright patterns and disappearing into darkness far overhead beyond a tightrope and trapeze. Two precarious bleachers flank a large performing space littered with half-eaten food and cheap novelties. Several dozen bored storykin are gathered on the bleachers to watch the sad imitations of circus performances. The crowd views you as an exciting new twist, and eagerly laughs and jeers at you, hoping to stir up a fight with the current act.

You arrive in the midst of an unusual animal act and juggling combination. A stone giant juggler spices up his act by performing alongside the circus’s unicycling bears. Spurred on by the audience’s catcalls, he and the bears turn to bring you into their act. . . in a rather violent way.

You may improve the audience's attitude with a successful DC 28 Diplomacy or Perform check. Alternatively, embarrassing any of the combatants through combat maneuvers can improve the audience’s disposition by one step. Any time a PC takes damage from one of the combatants, the audience’s attitude worsens one step as the onlookers hoot and holler in delight.

Initiative:

1. Kirrah, Hawkwren, Fendahl, and Ace
2. Juggling Giants and Unicycling Bears
3. Tolgarov, Maldoc, Fletch, and Romulus

Kirrah, Hawkwren, Fendahl, and Ace are up!

"I'd say the juggler and the bear would be appropriate cards to use at this point....." Hawkwren says, moving toward the bears, while tossing them pieces of ration. "Come on bears! Come on bears! Go away now!"

Wild Empathy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Fendahl calls for Kirrah to stay. He then casts dominate animal on the closest bear, or the other if Hawkren has it docile.

"Stand down."

DC 17 will.