GM Ladile's TL;DR: A Pathfinder Society Campaign

Game Master Lady Ladile

Zithembe steps protectively between Jay and the rakes, drawing a simple blade as he moves.

Current AC 24, Touch 16, Flat 18

"Damn."

The single, resigned word is all that Ylva says when the blades start getting drawn.

"How good are you with a sword, Tyri," she asks as she squares up against the one in front of her.

Readying attack for first one to go after her or any of the others.

Unarmed vs. triggering opponent (IUS): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Great... just great.

"Defend yourself, only," Zithembe says to their charge, raising a cautioning hand while keeping a wary eye on the band of men. "Do not engage."

Anticipating bloodshed, Kiango pulls his wand and waits. This alleyway shall be easy to defend if we are up to the task.

As the situation threatens to spiral out of control, Tupp and Sori attempt to cow Red into backing down and calling off his men - presumably they wouldn't want to go to prison either, right? And it seems to have an effect, as Red's face pales when he realizes that he and his men are outnumbered.

Added to Tupp's words are Sylvak's as he begins calling for the local watch - who shouldn't take long to arrive, given that this is the Coins District! As he does, he fixes Red with a baleful glare...

Will (DC 15; Shaken): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2

...which causes beads of sweat to begin dripping down his face! Theodric continues the intimidation tactics, conjuring sparks from his fingertips as he threatens to reduce them all to smoldering cinders.

"Ah...p-perhaps we should just be on our way??? There is nothing that we need to prove that they do not already know," one of the others calls out nervously.

Kiango, Zithembe, Hepsubia, and Ylva all ready themselves, adopting defensive poses, drawing wands, clenching fists, but make no other moves - yet. J, still pale, swallows hard as she stares down the five men. "Y-you...don't scare me. You should've j-just...left me alone!"

As she speaks, a small pot sitting on a nearby windowsill suddenly comes flying toward Red!

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

The pot shatters against Red's head, leaving shards embedded in his cheek and blood flowing freely down his face; he staggers but doesn't flee. "N-No! I will not bow down to cowards and mongrels!" he cries as he and the rest of the men draw saps and move to attack. As Ylva's readied swing at Red misses, he attempts to strike back as do Purple and Orange...

Red vs. Ylva (Sap; Evil Eye, Shaken): 1d20 + 3 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 3 - 2 - 2 = 16
Damage (NL): 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Purple vs. Ylva (Sap): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Damage (NL): 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Orange vs. Ylva (Sap): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

...and Ylva once more suffers the brunt of the painful blows, leaving her dizzy and weak but still on her feet and not seriously hurt. Red then attempts to duck back behind Yellow, leaving himself open to a strike from Ylva as well as Theodric he does. Yellow and Green aren't able to do much more than try and look threatening due to the cramped alleyway but more and more they look as if they don't really want to be there.

As her 'sister' Ylva takes a beating that was likely meant for her, J's face twists with anger and rage. "You're the cowards! If you want to face me, then your wish has been granted!" An old, discarded boot lying nearby rises into the air as she speaks and zips towards Purple this time...

Boot to the Head!: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

...but Purple ducks and the boot shatters a nearby window, instead. But then, something far stranger occurs - a strangely, ghostly shape emerges from J and races around the alley and the attacking nobles. It's hard to tell just what exactly it is, but all of you do catch a fleeting glimpse of a blue-tinged, ephemeral outline of what might be a child with large, hollow eyes!
____________

Round 2

Ylva (10 NL; Pending AoO)
Zithembe
J
Theodric (Pending AoO)
Sylvak
Kiango
Tupp
Hepsubia
============
Noblemen (Red -3; EE, Shaken)

Active Conditions: None

Everyone is UP!

Current Map!

Attack of Opportunity vs Red: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Confirm vs Red: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Damage (Non-lethal): 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
If Crit: 1d3 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 4 = 9

Attack vs Red: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Damage (Non-lethal): 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Even as she's battered nearly senseless, Ylva delivers a potentially brutal left to the leader of this pack of curs.

"Mongrel? Do you not know a wolf when you see one," she asks, sneering even as the world spins. She steps up and throws a right cross as a feint before trying to slug the leader she'd tried to pants in the belly.

9-14 non-lethal on him. I think he's hurtin' if he ain't down.

dagger, NL: 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 1 - 4 = 12
dmg: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Hepsubia uses the pommel of her dagger to try to beat some sense into the thugs

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Zithembe frowns and glances over his shoulder, unable to confirm his suspicion, when the pot flies off of the windowsill and commits them to battle.

"Curious," he says as the specter pulls itself from Jay and runs down the alley.

The map does not appear to be representative of the enemy's positions as neither Purple nor Orange are in a position to strike Ylva.

The shabti turns the blade in his hand around and strikes out with the heavy metal ring at the nearest foe.

Kunai (cold iron): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
B: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

As he turns to duck behind his companion Ylva rewards Red with a knockout punch for his trouble, sending him to the ground in a crumpled heap. She follows through with another punch, this time aimed at Purple, that sends teeth flying in all directions! As Hepsubia steps up and slams the pummel of her dagger into Yellow's face, the nobles' morale finally breaks.

"Enough! Leave these freaks to their own devices!" Green cries and the men that are still standing flee, scattering into the crowd.

Combat Over!

The map is traditional 5 ft. squares and I couldn't figure out how to adjust the proportions to better represent that.

Zithembe sighs as he surveys the fallen noble. "We will lose time, now, waiting for the watch," he states matter-of-factly.

"My troubles this morning inform me that to wait for the watch sometimes brings more trouble..." Kiango says. "Which of my companions was using telekinetic force to propel the objects?" he asks curiously.
________
Spellcraft, DC 16: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Ylva, roll your healing and I'll knock charges off of the wand.

”Uh... based on that apparition’s appearance, I’d guess it was our guest...” Sylvak answers in a hushed voice.

...or maybe her ghost companion...

Looking rather shaken, J slowly exhales and then leans against a nearby stall for support. "Um...sorry, I think I need a moment..." she mutters, staring down at the one unconscious nobleman. "He's not actually dead, is he? I...I don't know what his trouble is with the Eagle Knights but I didn't want to kill anyone - just scare them away!"

Once reassured that the man will live to see another day, J glances nervously at Kiango and Sylvak. "You called it 'telekinetic'? Heh...I'd always just figured it was plain old 'throwing things'," she laughs weakly. But then she sighs with resignation and looks around at everyone.

"I guess I should tell you, considering who you are and where we're going. I’ve been keeping him a secret for far too long in any case," J begins. "Grishan...? Can you come out, please? These people would like to meet you."

For a moment, nothing happens. But then you see a faint outline of a person suddenly step out of J's space, revealing itself to be a green-tinted apparition that resembles an emaciated 14-year-old boy with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. The apparition is wearing a school uniform consisting of a blouse covered by a vest. His legs end just below the knees, trailing off into nothingness and he actually appears to be floating just slightly off of the ground.

"I'm Grishan," the apparition introduces himself as he hovers next to J, speaking in a calm voice that sounds as though it's traveling from some distance away. "Nice to meet you."

Zithembe nods to the spirit and greets him gently, "It is nice to meet you, as well, Grishan. I am Zithembe. Was it you or Jay to decided to throw the pot?"

Thank you for your help, anyway!

Hepsubia gives a quick check on the man on the ground. Maybe he has Something useful, which he does need right now?

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Observing the flying objects, Theo thinks, Wait...that was a tekekinetic effect! There's more to J than meets the eye!

As the leader moves past, he snaps shut his hand and the flames extinguish. He raises his mace defensively, but doesn't strike, as Ylva knocks out the ruffian. As the rest scatter, Theo kneels beside the fallen noble, checking to make sure he's alive.

Casts stabilize.

"He'll have a nasty headache when he wakes up, but no permanent damage, I think!"

Tupp slowly resheathes his sword, having drawn it the moment pots and boots started flying. "Woah!" Is all he can manage to articulate as Grishan steps out of J. He had tried to track the ghost's movements during the fight, fearing him to be malevolent and a much greater threat than the men Ylva relieved of their teeth, but just couldn't get a bead on him. Now that the green apparition is just floating there, Tupp can't help but stare for a moment. Eventually he manages to pick his jaw off the ground and steps forward to shake his hand. "And I'm Tupp. It's nice to meet you too... But, umm... Why are you unliving inside J?" He looks up at the young noble woman. "He's not possessing you is he?"

Using a little detect evil on Grishan. :)

Ylva, slightly dazed from the beating she took only stares at Grishan for a moment, then faints dead away.

Kiango brings her back to the realm of the waking with a couple of jabs with his wand. Realizing what had happened she looks away from J with a blush.

"Sorry, Tyri, I just... I..." Her voice trials off as she looks off to the side with a mixture of fear, embarrassment, and something like doubt in her expression. She takes in a deep breath and stands before facing the ghostly apparition.

"W-well met," she says haltingly, still trying to work through her rather complex feelings on this revelation. "I guess you know who we all are. Thank you for your help in dealing with those curs," she adds stiffly.

Well this is new! Poor Ylva, Just when she thought she was getting over the Minotaur incident.

CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
CLW Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Just a heads up, non-lethal damage is healed at twice the normal rate, so you can save one of your charges since the first one did the trick. ;)

Almost immediately Grishan and J both begin speaking in response to Zithembe's question.

"W-well, I think so-"

"Actually it's-"

But that's as far as they get before Ylva suddenly faints, distracting them both from answering. "Oh! Ylva!" J gasps, rushing over to the unconscious woman's side and then looking up anxiously at everyone. "Help her, please! She'll be okay, won't she?"

For his part, Grishan maintains a respectable distance though he too looks concerned...but also a little resigned. "I was afraid this would happen...this is why J's kept me a secret, even from her mother."

While Kiango sees to Ylva's wounds, Theodric and Hepsubia turn their attention to the unconscious nobleman, making sure that he won't bleed out...and checking his pockets for anything of interest. On his unconscious form Hepsubia finds a Potion of Cure Light Wounds, a dagger, a sap, a suit of leather armor, and 10 gold pieces.

As Ylva finally begins to come around, Grishan turns his attention to Tupp as the little halfling approaches and offers his hand for a shake. "Well...it's a bit of a story sir," Grishan confesses, reaching out to shake Tupp's hand...but his hand simply passes through the halfling's. "Oh...ah, sorry about that. I keep forgetting that I can't really...affect the living like that."

"Ylva, are you okay? I-" J begins once Ylva comes to, only to stop as Ylva waves her off to stare at Grishan, a wide array of emotions playing briefly across her face. J stares awkwardly down at the ground. "Now you know why I was curious about spirits...and the Wise One's seance," she mumbles.

"It's okay J," Grishan reassures his companion before turning to Ylva. "You're scared of me...I understand. It's why J's kept me a secret for so long. Normally I just stay inside of her mind and don't come out, but..." he glances down at the unconscious man, "...J's my friend and I won't let anyone hurt her. This cur deserved a good scare...and the work you did on his teeth," Grishan chuckles softly.

Hepsubia pockets the gold-for now, of course!-and brings the curative potion to Yvla

Here's your favorite drink. You will need it, sooner or later.

Hepsubia pockets the gold-for now, of course!-and brings the curative potion to Yvla

Here's your favorite drink. You will need it, sooner or later.

"Grishan," Zithembe says, still maintaining a gentle tone, "Ylva suffered because you wanted to give the men a good scare. They would have left us alone--even after Ylva's brash assault on the man's pants--but for the pot flying off of the sill and striking him. You have been on your own or with Jay for a very long time. When working with others, it is important to coordinate."

The shabti turns his solid copper eyes towards Ylva briefly but poignantly as he finishes.

"Hepsubia, did you really just rob that man?" he says with a sigh.

Not really.

Bluff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

"But..." Grishan starts to protest, but then stops as J gives him a look that seems to say: Just let it go. "I'm sorry Ylva," the ghostly boy sighs. "But she started it with the pants-stealing..." he adds under his breath.

"Grishan! It's okay, really," J scolds. "He's right...I shouldn't have let him make me so angry in the first place. He wasn't worth our time. I shouldn't have asked you to throw that pot at him."

At this, Grishan gives J a strange look but seems resigned to not arguing any points further and remains silent - and perhaps a little sulky.

Hepsubia pockets the gold-for now, of course!-and brings the curative potion to Yvla

Here's your favorite drink. You will need it, sooner or later.

Ylva fixes Hepsubia with a glare that's only a little flawed by the twinkling in her eyes.

"Ware your words, elf," she growls, but can't quiet keep the hint fo smile from her face as she snatches the vial.

She then turns her attention to J and Grishan.

"I am sorry for worrying you," she apologies, seeming to be more of her normal self, "I was shocked to see one such as Grishan and fear that I succumbed to the battering. It is hard for me to trust spirits. The history of my clan is not overflowing with pleasant and friendly encounters with those from the beyond and the realms of ice."

"As for this one," she says in a much lighter tone, "perhaps he will think twice before insulting the Eagle Knights. That or learn to accept defrockings more graciously. I had heard the men of the golden sands of the east were more clever with tongues. Pity to see it is not so with them. More so that their other blades are so small."

With that, she gives J a grin and resumes their trek towards the sunken districts of Absolom.

"What have you learned, Tupp," Kiango whispers into the Halfling's ear as he sees the telltale look of a paladin using one of his gifts. I have just the spell if this spirit is more than it claims to be...

"You have shown us Grishan and this is good. We have a knower of spirits among us, maybe he can help control the power within," he adds, following Ylva out of the alley.
________
Lie all you want Hep, but you should have rolled stealth or something as you robbed the guy in front of us, our eyes still work! :P Wand charges marked.

"Ideally, then, please return what you have taken," Zithembe replies in a tone that asserts that although his eyes are copper metal, he is not blind. "And before I revive him, for leaving a man unconscious in an alley in Absalom is likely to result in him waking in the Slave Pits or, worse, on a vivisectionists table. No one deserves either."

He speaks the last sentence as a man speaking from experience. He removes an elk antler wand and bends near the unconscious roughian. He holds the wand over him and concentrates once Hepsubia returns what she will return.

"I apologize for the consequences of your actions," he says as the man rouses.

"I say we leave him to the pits," Ylva says, raw fury seething in her tone as Zithembe rouses him with magic, "a few scars on his back may teach him not to be so quick to call those who stand up for the weak cowards!"

Seeing that he's already brought the man back, she turns and storms off. Her cursing carries for several moments before fading into the background to city.

"Dumme, selvretfærdige hores søn af en sår! Jeg skulle tage hans 'Åh så guddommelige' visdom og skubbe den op i røvet. Han burde være endnu mindre sympatisk over for denne tralltagende, gutterfødte, lille bladede tandsøn, hærge end jeg er..."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 Vs. Bluff
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (5) + 0 = 5 Vs. Sleight of Hand

"Ghosts can't shake hands and Grishan is forgetful..." Tupp whispers, recounting everything he has learned so far to Kiango, "He seems nice though." He smiles as Hepsubia returns all the gold she hadn't really stolen and as the unconscious men are taken care of by some of the others. "We really should get moving, J. I don't think that-" He says just as Ylva storms off. "Wha... Ylva?"

"That seems an excessively harsh punishment for foolish words," Zithembe says dryly.

As Ylva storms off in a flurry of cursing, J looks around a little uncertainly. "Um...well then, I guess we should head on...I'm sorry for all the trouble," she adds again. But then she scowls down at the now-conscious and fearful-looking nobleman. "But I'm not sorry about you. Next time think twice people you start picking on people! Come on, Grishan."

With that, Grishan swiftly disappears back into the recesses of J's mind as she hurries off after Ylva. "Tyri, wait! You don't know the way and I'm not so sure of it myself!"

Trusting that the man won't be causing any further trouble, the rest of you leave him to slink off into the crowd as you move to catch up with Ylva and J.
____________

Once the group finishes their trek to the dreaded Precipice Quarter, J beckons everyone to stop as she ducks into a secluded alley. "Sorry, Grishan um...well, Grishan wants to talk with you all a bit more before we go much further. It won't take long, I promise."

"She's right, it'll only take a minute," Grishan agrees as he seems to sort of...flow...back out from J's person. "I just didn't want to talk about it earlier there so close to the market. But, I need to tell you, um...well, I'm partly why J's been wanting to return here," the phantom begins, diving right into his explanation with all the subtlety of youth - which is none at all.

"He's not forcing me, Tyri, don't worry," J quickly interjects.

Grishan nods earnestly. "No, it's...it's hard to explain, but I think we both have unfinished business here. There's something here that J needs to see or do...neither of us know what, exactly."

"I wasn't lying earlier," J chimes in again, looking at Ylva and Sylvak as though referencing something shared between the three. "I need to face my fears and conquer my past. If nothing else, I think...hope...that it'll help me understand myself better. And this bond I have with Grishan."

"Um...but I've got my own reasons for wanting to come back too and I think it's...magnified?...J's desire to come here," Grishan admits guiltily. "So we're hoping that maybe you can help the both of us, while we're here?"

"I will do my best to keep you both safe," Zithembe says to the phantom. "However, you both need to understand something: you must not rush off on your own. You need to control your impulses and think things through before you act and, because we are responsible for your safety, tell us what you are thinking or wanting to do before acting. You may have a good reason for wanting to do what you want to do, but we need to be prepared. Do not start fights because you are scared or angry or insulted or break away from us because you noticed something that you feel you must investigate.

"Even the spiritual world can be negotiated with," the shabti says, gesturing toward Grishan in emphasis of his point. "A fist or a flower pot is not always the best response to a problem."

"But, if you cannot respect the counsel of those who risked their lives to save you from a minotaur, whose advise can you trust?" he says in an apparent, to the pair, non-sequitor.

Uh GM? Ylva calls J Tyri. She's not using that name herself.

Ylva's fuming last all the way to the bluff, but between J and Grishan's explanations, she calms down considerably.

She's about to apologize for her behavior and tell them that it's alright and she understands when Zithembe's remark causes her to flinch as if she'd been slapped. Ylva's cheeks redden as she looks away.

I deserved that, didn't I?

After a moment, she turns back to the others, her face still darkened by shame and embarrassment.

"I will be right beside you, Tyri, and you Grishan. It's the least I can do after..." her voice trails off into an uncomfortable silence as she looks away again.

"Our charge says to us where to go and we go. What is this business you have left to do?" Kiango asks the pair while leaning on his quarterstaff.

He watches Ylva silently as Zithembe speaks. There is much shame inside her. I hope it does not consume her, but she must also learn. Time will tell us what she is made of. The river smoothes the stone over millennium, not minutes.

know(arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Sylvak follows along in silence after the revelation of Grishan. He makes no protest to helping the pair, but his total lack of any affirmations since the specter first appeared is growing conspicuous.

teammates that consort with spirits... a ward that plays hiding place to a phantom... I thought I left Irrisen to get away from crap like this... at least it's warm down here, and there are no daughters of Baba Yaga trying to enslave or eat me... and at least the phantom kid seems relatively pleasant right now, unlike this shabti- what a d!ck, talking to Ylva like that... I wonder if the lodge knows what kind of agent they sent us out with...

@Ylva - Derp, had a brain fart on that. Sorry!

Grishan looks largely relieved as the group reaffirms their commitment to helping J and himself, but still shuffles his feet - or rather, he'd be shuffling them if they still existed - a bit guiltily.

"Thank you. I promise it won't come before helping J and it shouldn't, but...well, you see, when I was still alive, my older brother Colson asked me to...spy on the other students and their families and report back what I learned," he finally says, looking down at the ground. "I can't remember where I hid the packet with my reports, exactly - only that it's somewhere inside the Arboretum Arcanis."

He raises his head, a desperate look in his hollow eyes. "Please, help me recover the packet and fulfill my mission! I died before I could place it in the secret dead drop that my brother and I agreed on, but if we can find it now...well, I'm sure it would make Colson very happy. Even if the information inside it might be a little, um, outdated."

"Just a bit," J remarks dryly, though her gaze shifts uneasily between Zithembe and Ylva. "But...thank you from me, too. In a lot of ways, Grishan and I are the same person now. When he's happy, I'm happy. And when he's annoyed about something, um...keeping my own frustrations in check becomes a lot harder. It's probably the same for him, too. So please, even if you don't want to help Grishan for his own sake...do it for mine. And we promise that we'll listen to what you say and do what you tell us while we're here. Right, Grishan?"

The phantom nods enthusiastically. "Yes! You can count on it."

Colson.. that name rings a bell... Could he be a Pathfinder agent?"Agent Colson"... does he have a shield of arms?

"Pathfinder Society has Venture-Captain Colson Maldris, Liberty Edge leader. Is he one and the same?" Kiango asks as he begins leading the group towards the Arboretum Arcanis. To send your own child brother as your spy...
________
Local, DC 10: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"Wait, Kiango," Zithembe says as the samsaran indicates his direction, "Once we reach the acadamy, where do you want to go, Jay?"

I hadn't known Colson had a brother. It seems we Pathfinders are a battered and bedamned lot.

Ylva nods and even manages a smile despite the the gnawing uncertainty in her gut.

"I will be your shield, Tyri. You and Grishan have no need to worry about that."

"My sword is yours J. I promised to help you and protect you, and that isn't going to change because there's more of you than we originally thought." Tupp smiles and turns to Grishan, "It would be an honour to help you with your unfinished business. I mean, if it helps a restless spirit move on, I'm all for it."

"Yes! Colson Maldis, my brother," Grishan responds as the group gets underway once more. "Wait...he's a Pathfinder leader now? Huh..." the phantom's voice trails off as he loses himself in thought.

"I...to be honest, I don't really know yet," J replies quietly. "Maybe I'll be able to tell you once we get there. But thank you all again for agreeing to help us."
______________

Resolved to see to J's business first - and with Grishan's blessing - the group picks their way through the eerily quiet streets of the Precipice Quarter until they reach their destination - the Tri-Towers Yard. Though surrounded by a tall, wrought-iron fence, the key given to you by Drandle Dreng unlocks the front gate with ease and the group is able to step inside.

The grounds of the old Tri-Towers Yard have been cleaned up in the last several years, and several old ruined school buildings that stood too close to the cliff’s edge were demolished. All of the gnarled old trees were removed and new flowering bushes and trees have been planted in their place. Despite these efforts, the few ruined classrooms that remain look sad and forgotten. Just inside the gate sits a small, locked storage shed marked with the Pathfinder’s Glyph of the Open Road.

J falls silent as the group crosses onto the abandoned school grounds. She looks around, sadness in her eyes. "I haven't been here since I was rescued seven years ago," she whispers. "I...we...we should have a moment of silence before we go anywhere else. For all the people who died here," she adds, before closing her eyes and bowing her head.

Kiango takes in the wretched scene while J observes her moment of silence. New life has split the shell of decay, as it should. Grass, trees, flowers, the healing of time.

Zithembe bows his head in silence, accepting the enormity of the tragedy into his heart, mourning those whose spirits remain trapped outside of the cycle.

Ylva does as J asks, but she'd never liked silence. To her, silence was death and defeat. To be alive was to sing, to laugh, to cry, and to shout. Even if you said nothing, there was always the beating of your heart. Only the dead were truly silent.

After a few dozen heartbeats, Ylva begins to sing an old song of lament for the fallen.

Perform(Sing): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Hepsubia waited, and waited.

Patiently.

But her eyes and pointed ears were open.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

That is, until Yvla starts singing.

J jumps, startled when Ylva begin singing and for a moment her face darkens with anger...but then slowly softens as she seems to realize that it's simply the young woman's way of expressing sorrow. And in spite of the sounds of Ylva's singing, nothing seems to stir within the ruins or outside on the grounds.

Once the last strains of the song have died away, J nods to herself.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm ready to go now," she announces. "There's something...something in one of the classrooms over there. I can sense it. Whatever it is, I feel like I need to see what it is...learn whatever it might be able to teach me."

She stands resolute. "I'm going - and that's all there is to it. But..." she glances over at Zithembe, "I know I promised to listen to you. If there's anything you think we need to do before we go inside, say it and we'll do it."
______________

J's ready to dive into the ruins but is willing to wait if anyone wants to prepare, first. There's also the nearby storage shed marked with the Glyph of the Open Road - the symbol of the Pathfinder Society. You remember that Dreng suggested you have a look inside and gave you a key to unlock it.

Hello and welcome! All OOC discussion and other chatter should happen here.

Some rapid-fire copypasta of relevant posts from the other discussion thread:

Something that I've been noodling around a bit since some discussion with some of the players on Hangouts *and* spurred by Lazarus making mention of going to Irrisen - it's a ways off but I would be willing to continue to run scenarios/modules for this group once we finish this trilogy, if enough people are interested.

The biggest issue would of course be trying to find scenarios that everyone can play, especially since I know GM Red (Brayden) is doing this very thing for a different group whose members overlap somewhat with this group. The level disparity between some of you might be another issue on down the line, but one that could probably be worked around with some care. Of course we could also do something like a 'restart' and start a long-term group with everyone playing characters that are a little closer together in level (not necessarily 'start a brand new PC' but 'bring a 1st or 2nd level PC').

Feel free to think it over (no rush) and let me know what you think, either here or privately. And it won't hurt my feelings if people prefer to go their separate ways after we finish the trilogy :)

Wow guys, thanks for the support and enthusiasm! That's five of you for certain so we'll definitely work on making this a more permanent thing, then. It never hurts to do some planning ahead so in case you don't already make use of it, it'd help immensely for everyone to track what they've played (and GMed) using the handy-dandy:

PFS Tracker

This will help make it easier to figure out what scenarios and/or modules everyone can play and get credit for. Dalen (should you wish to stick around too), I know you're basically good to play almost anything except for Portent's Peril but it's not a bad idea to track your played scenarios if you think doing Organized Play will be something you'd want to keep dabbling in :)

And I'm also happy to take requests if there are any particular scenarios/modules people would like to play *or* if there's a country/region you'd like to visit (some countries are the setting for way more scenarios than others, just a warning) - I can't promise anything but I'll do my best to be as accommodating as the group logistics allows me to be!

*cough* And on that note, I must head out to work. Updates later~~

As far as a regular group goes it looks like everyone is interested, so let's do it! While it would of course be fun to keep with the same characters the entire time, I also understand that it might work better for some, such as Lazarus, if we allow character-swapping. Maybe it's not so much that the same specific individuals always get called upon (such as with GM Red's Red Arm of Absalom group), but that there's a pool of several qualified agents that some of the Venture-Captains have started pulling from when forming a team. This is because I want people to play the characters they want to play and I'm not going to discourage a bit of character swapping if we happen to play a specific scenario that you really want to play Character B for instead of the Character A that you've largely been playing.

Another bit of business - another player that some of us know, Eric Swanson, has also expressed interest in getting in on this after we finish the Faithless & Forgotten trilogy. This would put us at 7 players. While I personally don't mind running for a table of 7 (because I know & trust you guys), I know that some players really prefer to stick to groups of 6 at the most. What say you?

(I made the joke that I could always form a separate, static CORE group since Eric seems to prefer more simplistic/old school gameplay but that's probably a terrible idea for my sanity, someone please talk me out of it.)

Meredith - thanks for the likes & dislikes, that does help! We can certainly add some fey/nature scenarios to the mix; I'm currently playing Down the Verdant Path and so far it seems like it'd be right up Meredith's alley. Any other themes anyone in particular would like to see? Or avoid? For example, I actually enjoy some horror in some of my gaming/GMing but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Okay, so! Word has gotten around a little bit and I've got enough potential players interested in playing that instead of having one big table (of 7) we can split it into two tables. If we end up going with two tables I'll take enough people to make two full groups of 6 and no more. Now we don't *have* to run with two groups of 6; running with two groups of 4 can be quite easily done. However, I'm sure there are other great players out there that we could invite to play - perhaps some I might know and others I might not. But if there's space, I'd like to fill it if everyone is amenable to it :)

The next question that comes when running two tables is the question of whether both should be Standard or one Standard and one Core table. If there's enough desire and interest for a Core table I'm happy to oblige but if people would prefer to go with two Standard tables then that will work just fine as well. If we end up doing one Standard and one Core and you *really* want to do both and can't choose between the two, I might allow for one or two of you to play at both tables if you so desire.

*edit* Nate, if you're reading this, the difference between Core and Standard is that Core is restricted down to just the Core Rulebook in regards to sources you can use for your characters while Standard allows you to utilize basically any Pathfinder product that has approved material.

Since we've got a range of players that spans from Larry, who has played quite a few things, to at least one potential player who's never done a Society game before, one table should probably start out at 1st/2nd level and the other can be a little more flexible and possibly continue rolling with characters that are slightly higher in level.

As I mentioned over in the F&F thread, I won't be looking to start this until those scenarios are finished. Though I'm trying to pick up the pace on that a bit, it'll likely be the middle/later part of summer before I'll really be ready to go. Hopefully this won't pose any issues for anyone; I'm aware that summer can be really busy for people so be sure to let me know if that tentative scheduling will be an issue for you.

So...here's where we talk shop and people figure out what table they might want to play at, figure out what character(s) they might want to play, suggest ideas/scenarios/modules/other stuff, etc. If there are any questions or concerns about any of this, please feel free to let me know either here or via PM!

Oh, it just occurred to me that a valid question that some of you might have for me would be:

Isn't this a pretty big commitment, even if it's not an AP? Especially with two tables? How will that work?

Definitely a fair question! I will definitely need to adjust my juggling of other games and other GM duties a bit if I'm going to take on two long-term tables. Mainly, it means I'll likely not offer to GM anything through the Flaxseed Lodge like I might otherwise do. When it comes to PbP conventions like PbP Gameday and OutPost, I might run *a* table for those in addition to the two steady tables but that'd be about it. And it means I'll probably be doing fewer games as a player, but that's okay because I've been lucky enough to get to play a lot in the past :)

I look forward to it. Count me in!

Count me in!

I am the aforementioned player with zero PFS experience, although I started playing a TT pathfinder game during the playtest and have been doing PbP here for a few years now. I’d probably be more interested in a standard game than a core one, and I’ll need some guidance on, like, registering a character or however that works. I haven’t had a chance to play something LL’s run yet, but I’ve played with her in a couple games (and am running one she’s in) and would really like to try one of her games.

A small hand plucks a muffin and a cup of cocoa from the snack table.

Nate - To register a character for Organized Play, I think you'll need to do the following (since the site layout has changed since I did this for myself):

(1) Click on 'Organized Play' up at the top of the page
(2) Click 'Create a Character' - which will prompt a sign-in to the website

I *think* that doing this for the first time will give you your own unique PFS ID# which is used for reporting purposes when you play games. The FAQ also has answers to a lot of common questions about registering characters, how wealth in PFS works, etc.

Another resource that is useful in helping determine if something is PFS legal or not is the Archives of Nethys. If you see a little symbol next to something that's meant to indicate that it's legal for use in PFS. *NOTE* - The website owner does his best to keep up with legality but occasionally stuff might be missed or it may take awhile for the website to be updated. So while AoN is a good starting point, when in doubt about the legality of something, you'll want to check the Additional Resources (which you'll find a link to by clicking on Organized Play).

Some other not-PFS links that I think make for good reading nonetheless:

Painlord's Guide to Play-by-Post
Painlord on Roleplaying within PFS
Painlord's What to Expect at a PFS Table
Painlord on How to Be a Better PFS Player
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Hopefully the above helps and makes sense; I worked last night and so I may not be as clear with my writing this morning as I'd like!

As much as a long term Core game intrigues me, Frankie here would love to continue his exploration of the known world with Meredith and Denair.

IF for some reason you were keeping the core and normal games different and wanted a cranky old Dwarven fighter to go along with others, Ironshanks (LvL 3) would love to guide some young pups.

I'm good for Standard or Core.

I have a level 2 Core Fighter/Bard who can contribute there.

If Frankie wants to stick around with Meredith, she can oblige. Meredith would probably go on the slow track to let the other PCs catch up to her.

If you wish to wipe the slate clean and start over, I can switch to my level 2 Magus.

Definitely in. I'm unsure of which character it'll be but I'll probably rotate every few games. I only have one Core PC and haven't played him in 2 years, I'd really prefer Standard :)
Looking forward to it!

Core sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind playing there, but I can also play in a standard game with Dalen if I need to.

If I did core, I'd have to start a new character. I'll wait and see what else we have before really committing to a concept, though. As much as I would love to play the Barbarian I mentioned in the other thread, I am up for playing something else if there's a hole.

I have no PFS characters (nor GM credits) so I’d have to start at 1st... if people have higher level characters they want to continue playing I certainly won’t be offended, but if there’s a table starting over that’s the one I’d be looking to join.

Question- can I register a name/alias that I already have on the boards or do I have to start a new one?

You'll need to make a new alias. If you've made fewer than 10 posts, you can edit the alias's name.

Alas, yes, making a new Organized Play character means creating a new alias. You can see the difference if, for example, you were to click on my profile and look at all my aliases - Organized Play characters always show up first, at the top, and their names are colored in green when they post, like Meredith's is.
________

Tentatively it looks like we've got the following expressions of interest:

Massee - Standard (sticking w/Frankie) or Core
chadius - Standard (sticking w/Meredith) or Core
Nate - Standard (brand new player)
Eric - Standard (but has expressed some interest in Core)
GM Red - Standard
Adam - Standard (w/Dalen or a new PC) or Core (new PC)

Larry is busy at PaizoCon and Jan hasn't specified but I'm going to assume for now that both of them will prefer to play Standard and would also prefer to stick to the same table as they (I believe) know each other IRL.

With everyone amenable to playing Standard but only a few expressing some interest in Core, it may be easiest to just do two Standard tables as I mentioned earlier - one for new/1st/2nd level PCs and the other for a group that's (overall) slightly higher in level. Assuming my above assumptions and assessments are correct, we currently have something that looks like this:

Group A (Established)
Massee
chadius
Larry
Jan
GM Red

Group B (Fresh Start)
Nate

With Eric and Adam's positions being a little more variable. Eric, you've got a PC that's almost 2nd, one that's 4th, and one that's 5th - you could fit in fairly well at either table. Adam, you could keep Dalen in the established group, play Dalen in the 'Fresh Start' group, or make a new PC for the 'Fresh Start' group. I'd rather not add too many new 1st level characters to Group A because even with the higher-level characters slow-tracking for people to catch up, we're likely to end up in a situation with 1st and 2nd level PCs having to play in the 4-5 subtier which can be dangerous.

Since it also looks like I'll need to see about inviting a couple more players to help round things out no matter which tables Eric and Adam decide to go with, does anyone have any suggestions for good, reliable players that I should ask? These are long-haul games so I want people at the table(s) that are fun to play with, can write decently, and actually act like they want to be at the table in the first place and show a little enthusiasm. I can think of a few but I also want to hear your suggestions as well!

If I’m the only reason you’re running a second table I can bow out... I’d like to play one of your games (and I am curious about society play), but you really don’t need to do a second table just for me!

Nope. Too late. You're in this for the long haul now.
...
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Seriously though, it's fine! While you *can* fit 7 players at a PFS table (which is what we would have if you decide to bow out) and it still be legal, it's not really the ideal as it adds more for the GM to keep up with and can also trivialize parts of scenarios - especially if multiple players have critter companions or someone wants to do summoning or the like. Most GMs and players usually prefer a 6-person table. I don't say that to make anyone feel like they're causing me an inconvenience - it's just usually how things tend to operate in Society play, as far as I've seen.

That being said, I'm super flattered and happy that my current players want to keep playing and other people want to give my GMing a try and want to give Society play a try and I want to accommodate as many of you all as I can reasonably commit to. There are always people looking for PFS games over in the Flaxseed Lodge and so it won't be much of a problem at all to find people to round out a second group - I'm just being a little more picky since everyone will (hopefully) be playing together for awhile and I want to avoid personality and expectation mismatches.

So...if you're sure about bowing out, that's perfectly fine but if you're curious about Society play and want to give my GMing a try then please, stay. It'll all come together with a little time and effort. And the nice thing about Society play is that most scenarios are little self-contained one-shots so if you play a couple and decide that Society play isn't for you, you can bow out without any issue and another player can be invited to fill the seat with much less hassle than it would be to replace a player in something like an AP :)

I'll go with the fresh start table. Even if I play Dalen, she'll only be 2nd level after finishing up the Faithless and Forgotten trilogy.

So there you go Nate, now she's not having to run a table just for you. :P

And Eric has expressed interest in sitting at the higher-level table so that just leaves filling a few more spots for Fresh Start! Does anyone (asking everyone not just the FS players) have any suggestions on people to hit up? Or know anyone that hasn't tried PFS/PbP/PFS PbP but would like to?

Also Adam & Nate - Arsith from our Shattered Star game has been consistently checking with me every so often to see if I'm running anything; shall I see if they're interested too? :)

I would. I'm not sure if he'd be interested in a PFS table, but it never hurts to ask. :)

Actually he does, because I've played in games with him before! I'll shoot him a PM when I get home :)

I’m not sure I know any other society players. I have one friend who I know is interested in finding a game but if I’m being completely honest he doesn’t have the best track record with posting regularly.

Hmm...yeah, I have to admit that I'd kinda like to stick to players who can/are willing to try and check in and post at least daily :\

It's no big deal though if you don't know anyone; I've got some ideas for other people to hit up if no one has any suggestions :)

Shieldbug has always been a fun person to play with. He also has his freshish vine leshy JGG.

I'm in!

Count me in, too!

I've played exactly three PFS games (and one SFS game), all at PaizoCon last weekend.

My experienced character is a human unchained rogue (L2), designed around feinting in combat. I also have three unplayed L1 characters that are registered: a Shoanti barbarian (going for Thunder and Fang), a Mwangi wizard (transmuter), and a Varisian cleric of Desna. I would be happy run the wizard or cleric in Core if people want to, but I'd prefer standard.

Nice to have y'all aboard! I'll wait to see what the rest of the Core table has in mind before picking something to play.

*psst* Adam...Fresh Start will also be a Standard table. There was definitely some interest in Core but nearly everyone is game for Standard - and alas, I've yet to win the lottery so I can't quit my job just yet to run all the games for all the people or I'd do a third Core group!

Howdy folks! Count me in. :)

I never have a shortage of character ideas, so I’m also willing to wait and see what other players want to do and then develop a character to fill gaps. Or, if there’s a lot of tentativeness I’ll just pick something to help others find a niche.

MUWAHAHAHAHA! I HAVE FOUND YOU AGAIN SHIELD BUG! Oh, and the rest of you I suppose :P I have arrived and now you will never get ride of me <3 I think at this rate, I'm in more games with the buginator than without!

I have several level 1-2 characters I could bring and am willing to just make a new one if they don't fit.

For reference:
Archer Inquisitor 2
Enchantment/Poison focused Sorcerer 2
Transmutation Wizard 1
Counterspell focusde Wizard 2
Swarm Monger Druid 1
Halcyon Druid 1
Animal Companion focused Inquisitor 1

Looking at the long haul, I'd prefer to play the Transmuter or the Halcyon Druid, but a happy table and players is most important to me!

*psst* Adam...Fresh Start will also be a Standard table. There was definitely some interest in Core but nearly everyone is game for Standard - and alas, I've yet to win the lottery so I can't quit my job just yet to run all the games for all the people or I'd do a third Core group!

Whoops. Sorry. I totally missed that.

No worries :)

And huzzah! We *might* have one more joining Fresh Start but I think we're just about ready to start figuring out characters and what to run.

Ah, I see I've jumped the gun a little. My bad!

Above, you mentioned geographic locations. I'd love to venture into the mwangi expanse and the world wound as often as possible. I'll second the naturey stuff in general too, especially if I am playing my druid :D

As far as planning what we play, I have a couple of replays floating around. Aren't our stars recharged annually as well?

I...think so? I've only recently gotten my first star so I'm still a little unclear on how recharging them works - guess I need to go read up on it!

And your suggestions/requests are noted, Gummy. I'll try my best to select things that would be appealing to as much of the group as possible based on faction choices, class, etc. And if you have multiple characters and really want to play Character B for a particular scenario instead of Character A, you can do that! I'd rather each of you play what *you* want to play instead of feeling forced to stick with the same PC for the sake of continuity - though I do hope that we'll eventually get to a point where the same general group of faces are quite used to working with each other :)

For those of you who have several scenarios under your belt already, I would greatly appreciate it if you could list them using this awesome:

PFS Session Tracker

If you already use it, please make sure your reporting information is up to date. It's got the functionality to let me form a group of players and then filter out all the scenarios that each person has played in order to narrow things down to what everyone can still play together :)

OMG I have a stalker!!! Hehe, howdy Gummy Bear. :)

My PFS Session Tracker is all up to date, and it tells me I've only played 24 out of the huge number available, so I should be good to play most games. Oh, and I should get my first star in a few months, so that'll help too. I haven't got any specific requests for themes or locations, except maybe the world wound if I play my Paladin.

I have three characters in range, and can always make a fresh one should it be needed:

Halfling Chosen One Paladin 1.1 who's pretty fun to play, and my top choice.
Leshy Plant Master Hunter 1.1 with a focus on feeding his pet Slithering Sundew.
Human Warpriest 1.2 who has a fun habit of using his bow as a club more than as a ranged weapon.

Checking in to the Fresh Start. I'll be bringing a Medium.

I'll get logged into the Tracker, but I also have a bunch of replays from a couple of sources.

Here's a list of scenarios that I have played but would definitely spend a replay to play:

Season 9
9-06 Shores of Heaven [Outer Planes] (I have been dying to spend a replay on this with a good GM. The one I played this with did his best...)
9-08 Birthright Betrayed [Taldor]

Season 8
8-01 Portent's Peril [Varisia] (Though I just started playing that with Ladile and she's doing a super job, she might not want to run it again and again)
8-05 Ungrounded but Unbroken [Outer Planes]
8-08 Tyranny of the Winds, Part I [Orsiron]
8-10 Tyranny of the Winds, Part II [Outer Planes]
8-14 To Seal the Shadow [Tian/Minata]

Season 5
5-11 Library of the Lion

There's more on that list than I have replays for, but basically, if it's on the list above, you don't need to ask me if I'm OK replaying it. :)

Hehe... I've played 87. Tracker info should be up to date. Like I said, I'll use whatever stars and replays I have to make it all work out. Especially if I'm the one holding us back on a desired scenario!

That's everyone checked in! We are full, closed, no vacancies remaining!

(Apologies for those hoping for more Core...I can't commit to a third long-term table but I'll try to offer more individual Core games in the future as bandwidth permits.)

So it looks like Blake will be playing a Medium for sure but otherwise it seems the sky's the limit on what everyone else wants to play :)

Okay, got my stuff in. I'm pretty sure that some stuff didn't get in, but hey, everything on the record's there.

Can't acceed to the PFS tracker from work, but will update it this week end.

I have some L1 characters (Elf Rogue and Halfling Cavalier), an l2 Bloodrager and a L3 Cleric.

I can create some new characters too

@Eschie - No worries, we've got plenty of time!

@Blake - I'd say we can definitely fit Shores of Heaven in there for sure. Truth be told I'd actually love to play it myself (haven't played or GMed it yet) with a good GM. Portent's Peril is one of my favorites (so far) but alas, Adam's already played that one - I know, because I was the GM for it heh. And speaking of Library of the Lion, didn't we play that one together for PbP Gameday last fall?

As far as characters go, it sounds like tentatively we've got the following so far:

Blake - Medium
ShieldBug - Prefer paladin
Gummy Bear - Prefer druid or wizard

If Adam decides to stick with Dalen that'll also give you guys a ranger.

I’d prefer not to play a skill monkey, I think (I already have an investigator I’ve been playing for a while). I wouldn’t mind a full-caster... Maybe if Gummy does a Wizard I’ll do a divine caster and if does the Druid I’ll make an arcane caster?

My Medium is going to be a Riventhun Spirit Channeler (or Spirit Dancer if I chicken out), which is a gimped Spirit Dancer with status removal abilities added in exchange. That means no continuous shared seance boon--only when I've activated my spirit in rounds/day increments.

Blake, as someone who hasn't looked at the medium before, what does that mean as far as the role you see your medium playing in a party?

Nate, if you're leaving it up to me, I'll play my druid!

Lol- it’s not just up to me, but you playing a Druid is fine with me! I have a couple different ideas for arcane casters but I’ll have to do some research on what’s PFS legal. I’m out of town right now for work, so I’ll have wait til I get home to find and download the society-approved list.

Glad to see you guys starting to hammer stuff out! And Blake, thanks for the additional information; I'm not very familiar with the Medium as a class so I'll have to do some research to get a better feel for how it works.

And for PFS it's not really 100% necessary to have a perfectly balanced group. There are times when it definitely helps but is still possible to complete the mission - you just might have to get creative and/or be a little more careful than other groups. But with 7 players I think you guys will be good to more or less play what you want and still have everything essential be covered :)

So, while I wait for the other lady to deliver so my wife can start pushing...

The base Medium can change his role on a daily basis. He isn’t especially good at any one thing except as a Striker.

The Spirit Dancer/Riventhun increases the versatility by allowing the spirit to change on the fly but at the cost of duration. The 24 hour bonus of the base Medium becomes N rounds per day.

As for my role, I see him as a back-up Striker with the ability to whip out a skill or spell on the fly as needed. Riventhun would allow me to be a status condition healer. I would probably also max UMD.