GM FurtiveZoog's Mists of Mwangi (PFS #00-05) - First Online Gameday (Inactive)

Game Master FurtiveZoog

Storn grumbles.

"Let's split up to cover more ground. Jules, is there any place you -didn't- go over top to bottom?"

"The only room, that I can think of, that we didn't search was the bathroom. Oh goody

Wuliem begins to walk.

Perhaps, the atrium may still hold a mystery?

"Wherever, let's start exploring before Herman's head flies off and does it for us."

Can we see the ceiling? Could a beastie have put an idol up there? Does the tree reach into the ceiling area?

How about a basement to the place (Boom asks the fellow we just rescued).

Jani has a thought, and bends down to check whether the gorilla is dead or just unconscious. Heal check if needed for that, taking 10: 10 + 5 = 15 If he is not dead, they will calmly, without any change in expression, bury their dagger in his neck.

The ceiling is 50' tall, while the ziggurat is about 20' and the tree that appeared is about 15'. You can see the ceiling now and then (especially with darkvision) as the mists roil and undulate and leave thinner or empty spaces, and yet see no idol.

"A basement?" Nigel repeats somewhat quizically. Perhaps a bit addled, he does not directly answer the question, though.
Another scenario in this museum has the basement, as I understand it, but not this one... :)

Jani notices the weak breath of the gorilla and ends it. They think that Nigel might just faint.

So, you split up and re-search the museum, right?
Not much is found in the search of the museum, although in the cesspit below the lavatory can be noticed the dismembered remains of the guard, Sheg, so explaining where his body went.

After making sure the gorilla is dead, Jani checks to see if there's any indication that the gorilla was the idol, animated in some way. Using detect magic as well as any other relevant skills.

1d20 ⇒ 8+3 for perception, +8 for Knowledge(arcana, history, nature, or planes), +8 for spellcraft.

Jani does the gorilla have it, or maybe one of the monkeys? Jules wonders.

She then begins to look at the other apes.

Herman checks over the ziggurat for a secret room or door. He also looks all around at the top for the missing idol.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

After searching the museum once again,
Wuliem decides to spend some time climbing the tree.

climb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 or take 10

Jani sees that the gorilla does not detect as magical, and Jules sees that none of the monkeys or other apes has the idol. Herman scours the ziggurat but finds neither the idol nor a secret room, door, or compartment of any kind.

Wuliem starts to climb the tree, but proves too unstable as its roots are not firmly attached to anything; it would likely topple too easily.

Storn looks around the ziggurat room and the howling, crazed monkeys. Scowling he begins to inspect the monkeys closer, punching any that get in his way.

"Maybe these bastards did something with the idols!"

Perception to Search the Primates: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Jani goes to inspect the tree carefully. Does it look like it is not deeply rooted? Maybe it can be pulled up?

The monkeys just run away from Storn, doing their best to deny him a target for his frustrations.

The tree is not rooted. It could be tipped over.

"We require someone with a strong back!" calls Jani, and when someone strong, probably Storn, comes over, indicates the need to push the tree over.

Jani recruits a few of the group and they readily push over the dead tree, with the movement and sound as it falls and crashes both seeming to draw every eye in the hall.

There is nothing under the tree except an intact flagstone floor.

"Are the vines strong enough to clumb, or can the tree be put on top of the ziggurat held up for comeone to clumb?' Jules ask as she looks around.

The tree appears too heavy and awkward to get up to the top of the steep-sided ziggurat, but the mock vines - painted ropes and cords, sometimes plastered - are easy and strong enough (and secure enough) to climb and will get you to most places along the ceiling.

Climbing up the ropes, Jules rises into the mists and more closely inspects the clouded ceiling. The mists menace, but that appears to be all that they can do. There is nothing, however to be found beyond a plastered ceiling and cobwebs.

Wuliem begins pacing the room.

There has to be something quite obvious that we are missing!

Jules thinks for a minute The apes reacted when the tree crashed down, I wonder

Making sure everyone id close by:

With a sly smile Jules will quiety walk over to the tree and attack it.
rapier: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

"We have a hunch there's something in this room," says Jani. "Let us work together in a coordinated group to scour it and find what we can find."

Let's do it this way, if the GM permits: The one with the highest bonus to perception will take 20, if possible, or roll if not, and we will all roll to aid another and add as many +2 bonuses as we can to that. Who has the highest modifier?

The bark is thick and resilient, but Jules uses her sharp rapier and just pierces the outer layers enough...

The tree, just as suddenly as it appeared, disappears into a small, hardwood, monkey-faced idol, now pierced through and split on the end of Jules' rapier. (It also appears to have been charred, as if by a recent fire...)

A shock seems to go similarly go through the simian horde, the simians losing their animation and becoming normal beasts, most of which sit confused or scamper up the vines out the way of you and each other. The roiling mists still and begin to vanish before your eyes.

I was afraid I had you 'stumped'. ;-) I kept waiting for someone to do Detect Magic on the tree.
It was the Tree Shape spell (but as a SLA), where "Even the closest inspection cannot reveal that the tree in question is actually a magically concealed creature. To all normal tests you are, in fact, a tree or shrub, although a detect magic spell reveals a faint transmutation on the tree."

Nigel's relief, too, is palpable, as if now fully freed from the evil influence - 'influence' in its fullest, most literal form.

Nigel looks around and spies something, and brightens, running over to pick it up. "This is from my own, personal collection. It is an incredibly ancient Mwangi spear that Chelish explorers found near the colony of Sargava during the reign of the expansionist Chelish prince, Haliad I. I guess that you are Pathfinders? It would be worth a great deal to the Society." The spear is a bejeweled masterwork spear with brittle, white bird feathers tied with crumbling leather straps beneath the still-sharp spearhead.

"Here, too, have this, though it isn't much. This, I believe, would be of special significance to Pathfinders: an ioun stone. It will function if placed in a wayfinder. Many ioun stones can be placed within a wayfinder to create fantastic magical effects, though, sadly, this inferior stone is not capable of such resonance. It is a mulberry pentacle ioun stone, unfortunately cracked."

"What, though, caused you to come to our rescue?"

" Venture Captain Adril Hestram told us of one Lugizar Trantos who brought an artifact from Mwangi to you. He was reported to be 'changed', and had been thought to be dead. Then there were reports of monkeys and apes escaping from menageries, and the museum was reported as 'haunted'." Jani speaks their words in a monotone, red eyes staring fixedly at a point just over Nigel's left shoulder.

Boom Boom is relieved the group has figured it out. Well, at least Jules figured it out anyway!

Jani, you'll make him move nervous still.

Nigel appears deeply touched at the mention of Adril Hestram's name. "... I'll have to say 'thank you' to my old friend... Perhaps, the Pathfinder Society would still be interested in seeing the Museum, even such as it is now?" To himself, he quietly adds that, "Maybe I should rejoin the Society myself..."

Nigel asks about each of his staff members, and seems distraught over the loss of Milgen, the scribe, and Sheg, the guard, and hurries out with Storn to heal his injured employees with a channel energy.
Keeping at least 2 of the 3 beastmen alive was the "Secondary Success Condition" that earns you the second prestige point. So, thank Jani for stabilizing the first two!

Did this group agree to split the costs of cures and such among the group? If so, you each receive 434 gp, as it took 450 gp (3 castings at 150 gp each) of Remove Disease to cure Herman.

You also each receive 1 XP, 2 Fame Points, and 2 Prestige Points.

I'll try to get the Chronicle scans to you ASAP after a day or so to let you get day job rolls in. You can post your day job check to the game play thread.

Feel free to ask me any questions about the scenario (or whatever else). Thanks for playing and congratulations on a good game! I hope everyone had fun. :)

Wuliem appears excited and mystified by Jules' discovery!

Storn emerges from the museum triumphant, the mists dissipating at his feat. Disappointed to no longer tower over mortal men, he contents himself with being large, hairy, and victorious. He is pleased to heal the injured employees.

"You became horrible man-beasts the easy way. Gorum preaches hard work and dedication before you start ripping the heads off of co-workers. I hope you have learned your lesson."

Storn will happily pay up to ensure Herman's head remains attached.

"We would not begrudge sharing the cost of curing the disease. It could have happened to any of us."

Day Job roll with Craft(Clothing): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 = 10 gp

Wuliem agrees, Any of us could have been as lucky!

"I would love to donate but I only have this one gold. I am afraid that won't help much"Jules states sadly

You can donate from the gp you get from the scenario. It is assumed that you can get access to that before conditions need to be resolved.

Thank you

Thanks for sharing. Glad we found the last idol, good work Jules. I always forget about detect magic as a search function.

Good game GM Zoog. The posting frequency was a little faster than i could keep up with, but much better than the alternative of dragging things out.

LMK what you are running next, as Herman would love to join up for it. Especially now that he is disease free!

Sorry if the posting frequency was too much at times - I'll probably try to slow it down a bit next time, if I can restrain myself. I only have essentially one game as a player and one as a GM going right now, so I am a little more focused, for better or worse.

You can always give me feedback either here on the boards or by PM, btw. :)

The next is The Frostfur Captives. You can go there and see the 'discussion' thread, even post on the gameplay thread if you like. It will be a few days, but you might want a little time to get organized as a group and to decide what to buy for a 4 day, overland expedition in cold weather with 6 unusual guests... Some suggestions: a MW backpack, cold weather gear, blankets, bedrolls, tents, rations, and a cleric with Create Water. ;-) Encumbrance can be a problem, so you might need to see who has extra 'room' or decide on something else to help you out.

Given responses by PM and here, I have 6 players: Herman, Jani, Jules, Storn and Wuliem from here, and Pizzmic (a diplomacy/bluff-focusing gnome enchanter) from another game. (So far, Boom Boom hasn't expressed interest, although I could legally expand the group to 7 players if he decides to play.)

I have done FostFur before. I think I will pass this time but I would love to follow your progress and maybe next time. Two repeats is way to much :)
I do wish I could join you though.

Thanks for letting me know, Jules! It is better, I think, to let someone who hasn't had the chance go through a scenario. :)

I have done Frostfur also so I will bow out.

How do we get chronicle sheets?

I will send a link to each person with their Chronicle sheet, stored as a PDF on my Dropbox account. You can then save it somewhere and/or print it out. (It will have to be later tonight as I am taking care of my toddler ATM. I did the online reporting of the game using the system they have set up for the gameday - I'm not sure how that will compare to the regular online reporting scheme.)