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

Game Master Lady Ladile

Zithembe arches an eyebrow once the elf has released him from her embrace.

His listens as she speaks her piece to him and is silent for a notable period of time afterwards, likely long enough that the loquacious elf might speak again to fill the silence. His stillness coupled with solid copper eyes and the stone-like texture of his skin make it difficult to tell if he is pondering a response.

"I apologize that my words made you feel foolish," the shabti finally says in a (likely infuriating) measured tone. "Do you wish for me to provide a counter perspective or is it sufficient to know that as long as we work together that I will always do my best to keep you--and all of our fellows--safe?"

We all know that words of wisdom are quite wasted on me. But I won't blame you for trying, so please give your piece. You listened to me, it's only fair if I listen to you now.

Six Seconds to Midnight

The incessant beat of hammer against anvils and weaponry greets entrants into Smine’s Weaponworks, a smithy of great repute in the town of Tymon in the River Kingdoms, along with an oppressive wave of heat and the acrid smell of coal. A broad-shouldered dwarf, face and arms smudged with soot from the furnaces, smiles broadly, proclaiming in a voice harsh with years of yelling, "Ah! I was expecting you lot! Step inside my office. I have refreshments."

He beckons all of you inside a cozy office, gesturing at an eclectic assortment of chairs, ranging from an overstuffed chaise to a sparse and undecorated rocking chair. After rinsing his face in a nearby basin, he pours out several glasses of water, immediately quaffing one for himself before refilling it and sitting down at his desk. "Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine, at your service. Guessing the Lodge got my message. You don’t look too fresh-faced for this mission...well, at least most of you don’t. I swear they’re accepting more and more young ones all the time; at this rate the Society will be making as much a name for themselves babysitting as anything else!"

Finishing the rest of his drink, he wipes the corner of his mouth with a clean cloth. "At any rate, I’ll be quick about it. You’ve got a bit of travel ahead of you. One of the mayors of Uringen, Lady Aurelia Ogden, wants the Society’s help with an experiment she’s been doing. The clock tower of Uringen has drawn all sorts of researchers. It hasn’t worked quite right from the get-go. It makes a whole piece of the town disappear, you see. Four clock faces, each with a different way of counting time, each displaying a different time — until now. The mayor thinks that those faces might finally join up. What’s going to happen when it does is anybody’s guess. She doesn’t have the staff she needs to record it properly. That’s where the Society comes in."

"Uringen’s alchemical goods are some of the best," Smine continues after taking another gulp of water from his glass. "In exchange for recording the experiment’s effects, and dealing with unexpected issues, Mayor Ogden will give the Society a discount. But there’s something else that the Society wants. You heard about the mishap with the Sky Key? How it’s not working correctly? Turns out, that clock tower might have something that can fix it. Scholars call that something ‘temporal essence.’ Fetch at least one vial of the stuff. Ogden says the best time to collect it is in the middle of the clock face alignment. I’ve arranged for travel to Embeth Forest. When you get there, you’ll be meeting Jamel Visser. Visser’s the leader of the local forest guides. They call themselves the Embeth Travelers. Don’t dawdle. You’ve got to make it to Uringen before the clock faces align. The boat will get you to Visser in a little over 2 weeks if you don’t run into trouble. The clocks align in 3 weeks. Any questions...or refills?"
______________

A bit late, but here we go! Janus, feel free to introduce yourself now as well. Hep & Zith - please feel free to back-fill the rest of your conversation too if you like.

"My appearance is fixed in time," Zithembe says with a small smile. "I assure you that I am older than I look."

He accepts the water and listens to the Venture-Captains briefing. He then asks, pausing between each question, "I must question: how does Ogden know that there will be any temporal essence to collect if this conjunction of clock faces has never happened before? Did she--or our alchemy-minded colleagues--relay any other instructions on handling temporal essence? Do you know of any conflict in the region between here and Uringen?"

Maria enters the briefing and hands a familiar scroll box over to Parison, "Same options as last time, use when necessary."

She turns to rumble and pulls off her pack. But instead of handing it off the elf opens the top and shows it to the dwarf, "Upgraded my tools, this little guy here can carry all my stuff... plus a bit more. It's a bit bigger on the inside than it looks."

Once early introductions are done, she sits back with her journal out and takes meticulous notes. Her ears twitch with excitement as the mission is explained. Mumbling, "Time magic and alchemy, jeeze this is a dream come true. I wonder if they'd let me take a sample for myself..."

With a nose twitch of concern she adds, "So, these clocks seem to be coming towards a convergence? And no one is concerned about some sort of apocalypse? Usually that's what happens with stuff like that. Why I remember an ancient civilization's calendar ended about five years ago and everyone lost their minds, thinking it was a massive foretelling of the end of the world. OBVIOUSLY that didn't happen, but still, people are dumb. Anyway, beyond that, are there any travel dangers we need to watch out for or plan a way around?"

"Perhaps we can help." The speaker is an androgynous-looking Ulfen, sat in a plain wooden carver. They wear a cloak of white and black chequers; their hair is stark white streaked with midnight black, and their eyes are cold, ice blue. Coiled around their feet is a small crocodile, with an unnaturally long neck. Its scales are a white and black chequer-pattern, and its eyes are the same ice blue as the Ulfen's.

"We are Janus Grey. We make endings. We were asked to join this mission because we are of Uringen. Whilst we do not know precisely what the Mayor is thinking, or what she knows of the nature of Uringen's clock, we can certainly answer your last question. You are in the River Kingdoms: you have what you hold. If you are unfamiliar with the River Freedoms we will be glad to explain the rest of them."

Rumble proudly walks into the smithy, but you likely heard the thud from his steps before actually seeing him. Now that you can, he appears to be dressed like a sizable boulder with arms, legs, and Sledge. The Dwarven Rune for 'duty' is carved into the chest piece.

"Now THIS is were all tha briefin' should take place, HAHA!" he bellows over the sound of working people. He gives the Venture-Captain a hearty forearm clasp before taking water for himself. "Wondrous smithy you've got 'ere," he compliments while admiring the place. Now to get a place like this for myself! Near a quarry though.

He does his best to understand the mission, but after the sixth word he didn't know, most of his mental efforts turned to refilling and draining his cup. Embarrassing. Going to have to ask Zithembe for a recap. Again.

"Aye... Aye mus' confess thah aye 'aven't tha slightest idea whah aye'm supposed tah do... Do enough ah ye know wha's goin' on tha aye can stick tah keepin' tha lotta us safe an' followin' duhrections?" he asks.

To Janus, he offers a hand. "Nice tah meet ya, we're Rumble and Sledge," he explains, raising his hammer in the air. "Aye dunno nuthin' abouh tha River Kingdoms. Are ye gonna teach me?"

There's not much in the way of downtime after the mission beneath Absalom's sewers is completed. While Parison is happy that an alliance was reached with the Sewer Dragons and that no more agents lives would be lost, the means to achieve the end continue to nag at his conscience. The only casualty of the mission was Chief Kibizax. The cleric didn't doubt that Yiddlepole would make a fine chieftain for the Sewer Dragons, but regret at ending her father's live still weighed upon his mind.

Parison and his friends had been forced to protect themselves and kill the old chieftain. Still, each day he wondered how things might have been different had Kibizax been in his right mind and not suffering from mental illness. If he'd had the chance, the disciple of the Dawnflower could have attempted to help him as he'd helped Obahar to regain his sanity. Unlike the div in Merab, Kibizax was not someone beyond redemption but such a transformation would bring no comfort to the families and friends of the Pathfinder agents who'd been slain under orders from the old chieftain. Restitution hadn't exactly been what the group had sought from the Sewer Dragons, but it been given in the form of the kobold's life, a kobold that had went bonkers.

Was the price he paid worth it? Perhaps in had in the eyes of the laws of Absalom. Parison felt that such a price was both lacking in value and hollow in the pursuit of collection.

When the summons had come to travel to Tymon, Parison felt greatful for something to do that would keep him from dwelling on such a moral conundrum. He visited the chapel of the Temple of the Shining Star and communed with his goddess for peace and protection on the journey northward to the River Kingdoms and for the wisdom needed to help guide his actions and those of his companions. He stopped by one of the many marketplaces within the city and purchased a 50-foot length of silken rope.

The journey was uneventful save for the changing from trade ship to riverboat at Cassomir and Parison found himself in the city of Tymon. He produced the summons and followed the directions to reach Smine's Weaponworks and found himself reunited with his companions.

"Where's Effie?" he asked, seeing that the bard was not among them. The news of her sabbatical from the others did nothing to raise his spirits. Things seemed a little harder, a little colder.

The disciple of Sarenrae stays broodingly silent when Holgarin Smine ushers them into his office and briefs them on their newest assignment, though he does take note of the Ulfen and the oddly colored crocodile with a curious interest. He nods affirmatively at Maria when she hands him the scroll box and can't help but give a small smile when Rumble greets Holgarin. The cleric suddenly wondered how long it had been since Rumble had been around other dwarves.

"I'm please to meet you, Janus," Parison says once the briefing is done, offering his hand. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the River Freedoms. May I ask why these freedoms are so important to this area of Avistan? And Holgarin," the cleric continues. "Is there anything more about this tower that we should know about? And this man Jamel...is he trustworthy?"

"The six River Freedoms are the law of the River Kingdoms" Janus explains. "We shall recount them in the order they are normally given, from foremost to least. The First Freedom outweighs the Second in any conflict, and so on."

"Say What You Will, I live Free: we are free to speak our minds in the River Kingdoms. Criticism of those with power is our right.

"You Have What You Hold: burglary is considered a low crime, as it denies the victim the opportunity to defend themself. But if you take something by force, it is yours. At least, if you can hold on to it."

Not only is Janus a native of the River Kingdoms, but they've also played a couple of the scenarios set there - and I'm looking to complete the set ;)

"My appearance is fixed in time," Zithembe says with a small smile. "I assure you that I am older than I look."

He accepts the water and listens to the Venture-Captains briefing. He then asks, pausing between each question, "I must question: how does Ogden know that there will be any temporal essence to collect if this conjunction of clock faces has never happened before? Did she--or our alchemy-minded colleagues--relay any other instructions on handling temporal essence? Do you know of any conflict in the region between here and Uringen?"

VC Smine gives Zithembe an appraising look and then nods. "Aye, I believe you. 'Course nearly anyone that isn't a human usually turns out to be older than they look. Er, no offense intended."

"Far as the essence goes, by my understanding it's been there since the tower was built but it must only come out at a drip, if that. I don't think Aurelia knows for sure that it'll be easier to collect during the convergence but she must know enough to guess that it might. No specific instructions on collecting it were relayed to me so I'd guess you can probably just collect a little into a vial or jar. Of course Aurelia can tell you more herself when you meet her and maybe she'll have more instructions for you on that."

"Anyway, beyond that, are there any travel dangers we need to watch out for or plan a way around?"

"Nah, no travel dangers until you get to the Embeth Forest. Your boat there has already been paid for too, so all you have to do is show up on time. Now...the forest itself? Aye, there's some danger involved there, which is why you'll be meeting up with Jamel. The forest is home to fey, some friendly, some not. And there's also rumors that Uringen itself moves about the forest, appearing here one day and then there another."

Smine shakes his head. "It's a...unique sort of place. Janus here can verify, I'm sure. One of the reasons I pulled some strings to get them on your team for this mission - can't hurt to have a former local along, eh?"
______________

Another post to follow to get the rest of the questions, please stand by~

"Is there anything more about this tower that we should know about? And this man Jamel...is he trustworthy?"

"One of the founders of the town built it. Great piece of work — even if it’s not dwarven," he says with a wink. "It combines magic and machinery. I’m no wizard; can’t tell you more than that. It causes a piece of the town to disappear and reappear — at least, people in Uringen say that’s what it does."

"Now, Jamel? The Embeth Travelers get folks to and from Uringen safely. I’d heed his word about anything. With the fey thick in those woods, I’d take precautions against them too. Good man, though. He doesn’t have much use for coin. We’ll be paying him in more useful goods,” Smine nods toward a collection of weapons hanging from the wall.

"Let's see, what else? Oh, hold off on buying any alchemical goods until you get to Uringen. No sense wasting your money. Also, don’t go blabbing that you’re with the Society while you’re here in Tymon. Locals don’t know about this lodge."

Rumble nods his head as Janus speaks. Odd rules, but if that's the conditions these people choose to live under on their land, then that's what we've got to expect. Also odd to call your laws "freedoms" when they're constraining you, but I'm no legal scholar. At the mention of the last law, the Dwarf makes sure everything of value is concealed on his person, or at least that the drawstrings are tightly knotted. Don't want to make myself a target for some sort of duel for my gold... "Thank ye fer informin' me. Aye cannae say aye agree wit' all o' 'em, buh aye'm tha visitor an' aye'll try tah do mah best."

"Do tha Fey 'ave any weaknesses or signahture attacks, er tha like? Sledge 'ere's got magic, buh if aye need anotha weapon, I'd ratha 'ave one o' Dwarven make, eh?" he asks, looking at Smine.

When Smine refers to Janus as "them," his face twists in confusion. When Zithembe has a moment, he huddles in close. "Is tha li'l croc smart er sumthin'?" he whispers. "Doesn' appear tah be so great when it comes tah tha fightin', judgin' by tha size ah it, buh Smine was pretty clear thah tha two of 'em were ideal fer this sorta trip."
________
If someone with Nature (or Smine) is able to inform Rumble about the Fey's typical reaction to Cold Iron, he'll buy a Mwk Cold Iron Warhammer from Smine.

"I believe that they is their preferred frame of reference," Zithembe answers the earnest dwarf. "It is not uncommon among the Rivethun to meet someone who identifies differently than how others define them. And most small animals in the company of adventurers are intelligent. That is why I keep you around."

The last is stated deadpan--and the shabti's artificial mien certainly assists in selling it--as he pats the dwarf's shoulder.

Know.nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22 Fey generalities - janus will divulge

"Be wary of confrontation with the Fey. Many of them serve the Green, and they are not to be assailed. Comply with their wishes. However, there are some Fey who take pleasure in the suffering and misfortune of others. Those you may show cold iron. If you are in doubt, we will inform you.

Uringen is a city of two halves. We are from Unstuck Uringen, the portion that moves in time and space."

"<snap, snap, snap, snap-snap>"

The small crocodile unwinds its unfeasibly long neck and looks from Rumble, to Zith, and back to (human) Janus.

Hepsubia wandered for a time in the smithy, giving a hand here and there battering the steel, as if she worked there for a long time, using her multi task tools with respectable efficiency, before joining the briefing

Craft, Smithy, Omnitool: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Sipping some water, she listen carefully, and waves at her companions

Oh, don't worry, I'm probably older than them all, but I'm the unwisest one. Have I ever been to Unringen? I don't know. Maybe. Doesn't "ring" a bell. Glad to learn they love alchemist stuff there. So we have one week before things starts going awry and time coils on itself or stuff like that? Doesn't seem a routine mission, for sure.

She studies both Januses a few minutes. Then she whispers in Maria's ear

Just a note, Lady L: I still have to buy some equipment before the mission start

*snerk* I love this group. Yep, you'll have a chance to make purchases before leaving Tymon and I'll explain the unique nature of Uringen's alchemical items when you get there. I'll give folks a bit longer for additional questions/commentary/shopping and then move us onward.

Parison takes a couple of steps back when the small crocodile begins snapping its jaws before he realizes it must be able to communicate with Janus in its own way.

"I'm glad that you and your companion are on our side," he comments. "He's small, but he still looks dangerous. I would not wish to make him angry."

"Waitin' tah be informed is one o' tha things aye do best!" Rumble says proudly to Janus.

"Ooohh, 'e's like one o' tha Rivethun. Thah makes much more sense, tha-" he stops mid-sentence as he processes Zithembe's words. Did he call me dumb? No that's why he keeps me aro- HE CALLED ME SMALL!

"'EEEEYYY!" he shouts in protest to his fellow rock, giving Zithembe a playful shove. "Who're ye callin' small, eh? We Dwarves ain't small, ain't thah righ' Smine? We're compact is all, an' dense wit' muscle!" he insists with a smirk. "Oh, an' ah 'small' person wouldnae 'ave tah sidle by tha sewer boulder fer so long!" HA! Check yer mate!
________
Thanks Janus! Confirming the Mwk Cold Iron Warhammer as a purchase.

Maria gives a small courteous smile as Janus introduces themselves, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, I am Maria Kuerlara of Kyonin. It will be invaluable to have a local with us." She carefully writes down the 'laws' of the River Kingdoms in her journal.

Turning to Hep, "Oh, draconic I see. We haven't spoken that since the kobolds. I guess it is good to stay in practice." She mulls over what to say then whispers conspiratorially with the other elf, "Ń, dànshì qǐng jì zhù, Janus de láiyuán cúnzài shíjiān gùzhàng. Kěnéng tāmen shì Effie de wèilái shènzhì shì tìdài chǐcùn bǎnběn? Yěxǔ zài zhèlǐ quèbǎo zìjǐ de shíjiān biǎo jìxù?"

The conversation in draconic speeds up between the elves

He accepts the shove stoically.

"But you are furry," he says, continuing his deadpan.

"Venture-Captain Smine, did you receive my forwarded request?" he asks.

Purchasing a +1 longsword

"Har! Compact and dense like a boulder," Smine agrees with a hearty laugh, even though he probably doesn't have the full context about the boulder you encountered on your last mission. "And aye, that I did. Your blade's ready when you are," he nods to Zithembe.

"Now if that's all of your questions, looks like it's time for me to get back to work and for you folks to catch your boat!"
______________

As you depart from your meeting to gather up your supplies and requisitions, you think about your destination. Some of you might already know some details about the town of Uringen, its history, and even some of the local legends...

Know Local, Breath of Exp, Skald bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 2 + 1 = 25

For someone who doesnt remember setting feet (or foot, if she was in the mood to hop all the way) in Uringen, Hepsubia is quite knowledgeable, as she gives you background on Birgi Uringen, an Ulfen man who founded the town in 4637 AR, on the good repute of the town's master alchemists, and the weird tower whose four clocks don't give you the same hour (she warns you about never asking for a boiled egg in town), and about a local grig named Mather Nirtha who threaten regulary the town, its habitants, its ancestors,their mothers, its weird boiled eggs and anyone who passes through or nearby Emberth Forest if she is bored and still has enough saliva.

The grig, as far as the elf can say, nevertheless a thing for strange looking cats, so all hope is not lost.

Hepsubia looks at Effie's cat, and goes stalking mice on the boat

Survival, untrained: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

Knowledge: Arcana + Inspiration: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (19) + 10 + (3) = 32

Maria flips through her stack of journals as Hebsubia rattles off some facts from the top of her head. She pulls an old dusty one out and slowly moves through the pages, scanning for something.

When Hep finishes the other elf adds, "All things match up with my notes, but it also appears it has been discovered that 'Uringen’s clock tower was built on top of an ancient fey circle by one of Uringen’s founders, Rhona Ambros, using stolen notes'. So, make of that what you will, I'm sure we will be dealing with fey at some point."

The nimble elf spends a good point of the boat trip in the crows nest or at least elevated in the rigging, keeping an eye out for dangers and just enjoying the sights.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 +1 vs. traps

Once everyone is reasonably prepared you all hurry down to Tymon's docks to catch your ride. Once aboard there's not much else to do but settle in - it's going to be a long trip along both the West and East Sellen Rivers.

....
.....
......
.......

And a long trip it is, though at least it's peaceful and the scenery is pleasing to look at. Maria in particular enjoys the views afforded from the crow's nest while Hepsubia keeps herself entertained through the days by hunting the small, fuzzy creatures that inevitably stow away on boats, barges, and ferries.

True to Venture-Captain Smine's word it takes you about two weeks to reach your destination. You arrive near the edge of the Embeth Forest, where Jamel Visser and his group of Travelers should be waiting to meet you. A sturdy wooden pier stretches over the western bank of the fast-moving river, where a river barge offloads several crates of labeled goods. Nearby, a camp laid out in a rough semicircle bustles with activity, its borders marked off by covered wagons and tarpaulins. Water from a recent downpour collects in the canvas’ folds and in puddles on the ground.

As your vessel glides up to the dock, you notice a pair of men watching the proceedings with the air of searching for something. When they spot your rather eclectic-looking group, they wave to get your attention. After making some brief introductions they direct you over towards the nearby camp, to a man standing near the central campfire. You see that he is dressed in plain forester’s garb, as well as a worn but well-kept suit of leather armor and a longbow that hangs across his back. His expression is pensive as he listens to two scouts who seem to be giving report but as he notices your approach he turns to greet you.

"Well met, travelers. Name's Jamel Visser. Smine sent word of your arrival, expressing the urgency of your journey, but we will have to delay your departure. On our trip here, we ran afoul of that blasted grig’s traps, and we won’t be able to leave until we’ve fixed things up."

"The knowledge of the elves is impressive" remarks Janus on the boat trip. "We did not know of the origin of the clock tower. Perhaps the fey are involved in the upcoming convergence?"

During the trip, Janus makes sure to tell the group where to find various scrolls about his person - especially the one that breaks paralysis and the one that reveals the invisible.

"Jamel Visser. We are Janus Grey. Do you speak of Mather Nithra? What has the grig done? Is your group wounded?" Janus' eyes narrow (both the Ulfen's and the crocodile's): "Did Nithra block the road?"

"We’ve got a few problems, to be honest," Jamel sighs. "Deadfall, pits, whatever snares those twisted fey assembled, and that’s just the start. They’ll all need to be cleared or disabled as we travel through the woods."

He then gestures around to the camp at large. "Our mules are sick, probably poisoned, and even some of our hounds have succumbed, too. If any of you know anything about treating poison, well, I'm sure our healers would appreciate the help."

"And yes...this is all Nithra's doing. Nithra’s folk like to harass us in and out of the woods. We usually catch most of their tricks, but not this time."

Maria rubs her forehead, "We don't have ti... alright, we'll do what we can to help you get moving."

Turning to the group she prods, "Anyone really good at healing? I just know the basics and if it is an obscure malady, I might be able to do some research."

"The skill is relative, but, I can help your healers with the animals," Zithembe says following Maria's prompting. "Hepsubia is skilled at unsetting snares once we start forging toward Uringen."

He sets down his pack and removes his healer's kit. "If you would point me to where I can be of assistance?"

Hepsubia looks surprised

Am I? Skilled with traps? I'm not sure, but thank you for your trust and vote of confidence, I'll do my best. Now, to treat poison on mules...

Healing: 1d20 ⇒ 1

I honestly haven't the slightest idea, sorry.

"Why does Nithra do this? What is their agenda?" Janus frowns.

"We will attempt to discern the nature of the poison." Janus casts Detect Poison and studies the mules and hounds.

DC20 WIS check, identify poison: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

"We are sorry. We cannot identify it."

untrained Heal check, treat poison: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Perhaps we should have spent more time with the Poisoners' Guild?

"Are we close to the area that Nithra has laid traps in, Jamel? We can speak with the Green, and perhaps learn what has been done, but our range is limited to several miles."

GM, I'd like to cast Commune With Nature which Janus gets as an SLA from his Green Faith Marshal archetype, provided that Jamel can confirm that we're within 5 miles of where he expects the pits and deadfalls to be. Janus will ask the following: (1) knowledge of the ground or terrain - could tell me where the traps are. (2) knowledge of woodland creatures - could tell me if any fey lie in wait along the road. (3) general animal population - not expecting predators, but you never know and some fey associate with certain animals. Janus' range for this ability is a 5 mile radius.

"Looks like you've got a priest with you," Jamel remarks as he gestures to Parison's holy symbol. "That and the first aid training it looks like your tall, green friend here has. Of course the more of you that are able to help, the better. We think it's some sort of spider venom that was used in the traps but we're not 100% certain of it."

"As for why Nithra hassles us? Why do any of the fey do the things they do?" Jamel shrugs. "I’ve never actually seen him face to...well face, I guess. Just in passing as he hopped away from putting mistletoe in the stew pot. Some fey might clean your house while you slept at night, and I can tell you, he’s not that kind."

To Hepsubia and Janus, Jamel gives an appreciative nod. "Good deal, we'll definitely have use for your skills once we finally get on the road. To answer your question, my men and I have already confirmed that there aren't any traps in the immediate vicinity but I'm sure there'll be plenty along the roads once we get started. Any leg up you're able to give us on finding them the easy way before we find them the hard way is welcome."
______________

@Janus - That's awesome! Once the action hits the road you'll be able to use that ability to help with locating the traps, for sure.

@Everyone - You can attempt up to four Heal checks to treat those poisoned by Nithra’s traps. Each Heal check to treat poison will take whoever rolls the check 1 hour, as it represents treating several poisoned people and animals. These checks can all happen at the same time, e.g., if four of you roll Heal checks at the same time then it only takes 1 hour for all four checks. And I'll not count Hep or Janus' earlier rolls against that limit since I hadn't explained the setup yet :)

Maria nods to Zith, ”I’ll assist, let’s see what we can do to help.”

Heal Aid Zithembe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Heal Aid Zithembe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Heal Aid Zithembe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Heal Aid Zithembe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The shabti heads over to see what he can do.

"Fey are creatures of the Green, Jamel. They have their own motivations, but most are not hostile provided that you do not encroach upon their domains. Perhaps Nithra claims the whole Embeth Forest? Such a claim would be contested by the people and fey of Uringen, of course. It is not uncommon for fey to sit on both sides of a conflict."

Janus attempts to aid in the healing effort.

heal, aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
heal, aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
heal, aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
heal, aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"It must be admitted that healing is not our strength. We make endings."

Rumble looks for something physical that needs fixing. A broken axle, a torn canvas cover, anything to show that he can be useful. When it is clear that everyone is pitching in though, he joins in and tries to at least keep himself out of the others' way.

Once they are ready to march on, he rests his newest warhammer on his shoulder. Wonder what your name is? And how many fights it'll take before you show me!
________
Heal (Aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Heal (Aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Heal (Aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Heal (Aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
I'm really enjoying Janus! He's so true to character and very Green Faith/River Kingdoms! At this point, I don't know who is leading. Rumble will aid whomever it is!

Parison's face turns a slight shade of red with embarrassment. "I am an acolyte of Sarenrae, yes," he says to Jamal, trying not to feel like a horse's ass. "My faith is what helps me to aid others in treating ailments and helping them to heal. When it comes to practical application of such treatments, Zithembe is much more skilled in those ways than I am."

"I could ask for the Dawnflower's aid in slowing the poison among the hounds," he says to the others as he removes his healer's kit from his backpack. "But I would need a day to seek her favor in granting such aid and the dogs do not have that much time to wait."

"Blessed goddess, I pray for instinctual guidance in aiding my friend as he attempts to heal these dogs from the toxins that permeate their blood," he murmers as he does his best to aid the shabti and assist his friends.

Aid, Heal + Healer's Kit: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11
Aid, Heal + Healer's Kit: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14
Aid, Heal + Healer's Kit: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 2 = 21
Aid, Heal + Healer's Kit: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14

Parison successfully gives Zithembe a +2 bonus to all of his check results.

"Sarenrae's light is always welcome among the Embeth Travelers," Jamel replies, his expression softening a bit as he registers Parison's embarrassment. "I apologize if I seemed to slight you, because that wasn't my intention. I'd just assumed that all of you had traveled together previously and knew each other's capabilities - but I might've been mistaken."

He chuckles. "And there's an old saying about making assumptions. Sometimes we all need the reminder, I suppose. But pay me no mind; I'll let you all get to your ministrations. Just let me know if there's anything that you need."
______________

As soon as Zithembe and the rest of you have a few moments to really stop and examine the poisoned animals - and people - it becomes clear that you'll have your work cut out for you. Zithembe has the most practical experience with treating poison and so it's quickly decided that he will see to the bulk of the treatments, with the rest of you helping out and following his instruction.

Hepsubia (Heal; Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 15
Hepsubia (Heal; Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 3
Hepsubia (Heal; Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 1
Hepsubia (Heal; Aid Another): 1d20 ⇒ 18

It turns out that all of the people and creatures who have poisoned were poisoned by the venom from a medium-sized spider, as Jamel had suspected. Though it takes several hours for you to get round to everyone you eventually complete your treatments, leaving the vast majority of the poisoned looking much improved.

With everyone pitching in you succeed on 3 out of 4 checks against a DC of 14. Good job! (And to avoid a huge amount of angst, I'll go ahead and tell you that these results are Good Enough in the grand scheme of things.) Another post to follow, please stand by~

As the Travelers make their final preparations to depart, Jamel's demeanor seems to have improved a little bit. "Well, we're still not back to 100% but we're a heck of a lot better off now than we were before you folks got here," he muses, looking around the bustling camp. "Much obliged, much obliged."

Jamel pauses, studying each of you as though attempting to get your measure. "A couple of you seem like you might know your way around the woods and you've already mentioned a few of you know a bit about handling traps. Once we get going, I'd like all of you to help me and my men keep a lookout for them."

"Now something you should know before we get going; the forest is a strange, tricky place. Maybe it's got something to do with the clocks in Uringen or maybe it's just fey influence, but the terrain shifts from time to time," Jamel explains. "So any traps that've been laid aren't going to be as easy to find as you'd think. We've got several days of travel ahead of us too, so this'll be a long-haul operation. Make your preparations, ask any questions you got, and then once you're ready we'll get going."
______________

Feel free to continue speaking with Jamel and making any other preparations you'd like; basic rations and such will be provided so don't worry about that. I'll also go ahead and note now that you will not be able to Take 10 to find traps once you get going; further notes on how the trap-finding section works will be forthcoming once you guys head out.

"Gather around and let me tell you of my experiences with hidden things..."

Zithembe spends time with everyone describing his life in the Abyss where the terrain shifted and hid dangers in every crevice.

The scenario before I plan on rebuilding out of this feat looks to make the most use out of this feat...

Janus, Maria, and Rumble get +2 to Perception for 24 hours.

"Jamel, do ye 'ave anythin' thah needs fixin'? Aye'm ah blacksmith by trade, buh tha allmighty," he pauses to inhale, "TOOOOORAAAAG 'as blessed meh wit' tha magic ta fix plenty o' mundane things, yeah?" Rumble offers.

Once they head out, he helps the others sniff out traps and the like, trying to take Zithembe's experiences into consideration. When they stop for camp, he spends his time fixing what he can.
________
Rumble is offering the Mending Cantrip if it will be useful! Obviously any equipment that needs some maintenance too via Blacksmithing.

Maria listens intently and takes quite a few notes, not just about shifting traps but also about her teammate’s experiences in the abyss.

"Fixing? Not at present...but ask me again at day's end and my answer may be different," Jamel remarks with a wry smile. "But whether we need to make use of your talents or not, you'll not hear me complain about having one of Torag's own on our side this journey!"

And so you set out into the forest, a small caravan of wagons, pack mules, hunting dogs, and horses. Some of the Travelers ride along as escort while others, including yourselves, walk on foot. Sunlight filters down through the forest canopy, leaving the flora and trail below dappled with a soft, pleasant light. Occasionally you hear the call of a bird or the chittering of a nearby squirrel as you travel, which generally bodes well - as any of the Travelers can attest, a silent forest is a troubled one.

That said, as you travel you can't help but shake the feeling of being watched. "The fey...they have eyes everywhere in this forest," Jamel remarks at one point, sensing your discomfort. "Like I said before, some of them bear us ill will but others are just curious and don't mean any harm."

You also begin to understand what Jamel was talking about when he mentioned the strange, shifting nature of the forest. More than once you're certain that you've passed the same landmark more than once and at one point the entire caravan is on the verge of heading down what turns out to be an old game trail instead of the proper roadway, a timely mistake avoided only by the sharp eyes of your scouts. It also makes it that much harder to keep watch for any potential traps laid along the road, but several of you have keen eyes and a few tricks up your sleeves to help with that...
______________

Those who will be searching for traps - give me a total of four Perception checks to represent your efforts over the next few days. Zithembe & Janus may both use their Insightful Advice and Commune with Nature abilities to help with each of the checks; I'll allow Janus' to grant everyone a +2 bonus to these checks and those benefiting from Zith's (Maria, Rumble, Janus I presume) will get an additional +2 bonus.

Over the course of their journey, Zithembe does what he can to inspire the others to keep their eyes and ears sharp.

Day #2: Maria and Rumble
Day #3: Hepsubia, Maria, Rumble
Day #4: Janus, Maria, Rumble

Know nature, Know it all, Skald Lore: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 13

Perception, Rogue bonus, Two-Face Effie bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 19
Perception, Rogue bonus Two-Face Effie bonus : 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 20
Perception, Rogue bonus Two-Face Effie bonus : 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 15

Perception, Rogue bonus Two-Face Effie bonus: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 10

Why wouldn't fey have eyes? As long as they are their own, I don't see the point. Neither could an eyeless fey.

Stiffling a giggle, Hepsubia is way too distracted by Effie strange looking cat to pay too much attention to her surroundings, but she remains quite perceptive nonetheless

Parison tries to do his best at looking out for any possible dangers or hazards along the path the caravan is taking through the forest during the next few days. A sense of foreboding hung heavy over the cleric. The wilderness was unnaturally quiet as if it were holding its breath in anticipation of a moment of surprise or reckoning. He wasn't a woodsman, but Sarenrae's disciple had an uncanny sixth sense when it came to danger and the wilds he and his friends journeyed through exuded menace bordering on supernatural. Keyed up like an over-wound lyre string, Parison was on high alert for any traps or ambush.

Perception + Janus' Aid: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 2 = 22
Perception + Janus' Aid: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 10 + 2 = 31
Perception + Janus' Aid: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 10 + 2 = 30
Perception + Janus' Aid: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27

know nature, chronicle: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 2 = 28

perception 1: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 12 + 2 + 2 = 18
perception 2: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 12 + 2 = 31
perception 3: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 2 = 17
perception 4: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 2 + 2 = 35

The Januses are at home in the forest, for they have travelled these roads before and they do not fear the fey. Each time the caravan stops for food, Janus takes a portion of his and leaves it by the roadside: milk, honey, bread and beer. "Do as we do, and the forest fey will look favourably on you" they advise.

Each time they leave an offering, Janus speaks to the forest in the tongue of the fey: "Vektere av de grønne, foresatte over skogen, vi tilbyr deg disse gavene. Gi oss din velsignelse og la oss gå videre."

Rumble does his best to apply the help and suggestions the others are giving him, yet only to mixed results. Perhaps it is the irregularities, but something about these foods just don't sit right with him.

"Janus, aye don' mean ye er yer faith any disrespect, buh aye'm nah likin' tha woods 'ere..." he comments.

"Parison, do ye feel ih too? There's an ache in mah bones thah aye've nevah felt buhfore," he whispers to his battle buddy. "Ih's like tha opposite o' whah aye was feelin' in Heaven."
________
Perception (Whole Lotta Help!): 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 17
Perception (Whole Lotta Help!): 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 23
Perception (Whole Lotta Help!): 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 9
Perception (Whole Lotta Help!): 1d20 + 3 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 + 2 = 11

"Not enough stone for you, master dwarf?" Janus asks Rumble with a wry smile, casting their eyes over his suit of rock.

"We take no offence. We lived in these woods; spoke often with the fey who dwell here. We trained with the Oakstewards of Sevenarches, and we are at home. We are the sword and the shield of the Green. Respect the Green, friend Rumble, and you shall return to your stone soon enough we are certain."