GM Lari's Phantom Phenomena (Inactive)

Game Master Dhenn

Quest 1: Harrow

My esteemed assistants,

I’m told there is a small village called Dunhob only a few miles from Illirigarde Manor that could have useful information. No doubt the villagers have many stories about the phenomena affecting the region. Additionally, before her disappearance Lady Illirigarde visited the locals occasionally to perform harrow readings and seances. Perhaps we could learn more about her research and disappearance as well. My contacts informed me the villagers of Dunhob are a particularly close-lipped and superstitious lot, so diplomatic finesse may be necessary.

There are also legends of a haunted tavern called The Lucky Lantern in Dunhob that I would like you to investigate. Your mission is to see what secrets the tavern may hold and interview one or two of the local villagers.

Happy adventuring!

Dr. Quolorum

You begin the adventure just outside Dunhob, a small village with two rows of thatched roof buildings. Feel free to introduce yourselves if you like.

Dotting to place this on my campaign page, I'll do an introductory post later when I have more time.

Just reposting what I did in Discussion...should have been here, instead.

"Bah...this will be easy," a quiet, brooding warrior says.

"Name's Oloch...my blade promises we will win. I say, we start from the top of the list.

He watches soberly as the others introduce themselves.

"Easy? I don't know about that, but I do hope this haunted tavern is still in business. Some good food and drink while we learn about these phenomena sounds like a good start. Perhaps it will loosen the tongues of these villagers as well!"

cowards the lot of them. I've not met anything my blade couldn't kill...

"There are terrors beyond the veil of the material world that even a stout blade may be unable to banish," the enigmatic Vudrani woman says, a teacup lifting to her lip without being held by her hand.

"Forgive me. I am Rivani. A scholar of the unknown."

hmph. If it bleeds, it can die. Besides, those supposed terrors haven't met me yet.....My Names Amiri. Pathfinder and warrioress.

I am afraid my large friend that not all spirits bleed. Or for that matter, since most spirits are already dead... can they die once more?

The quiet cowled figure spoke softly offering a short bow to the group.

I am called Reiko, pathfinder of the shadows and a silent blade. It is good to meet you all. I wonder what happened to this lady Illirigarde?

"Well, let's check out this tavern. I hope there's not really any ghosts, they're exceptionally hard to stab." The elf says with a shrug as she practices throwing one of her myriad of daggers into the air and catching it. "Oh, I'm Merisiel. Charmed, I'm sure."

Oloch maintains a dispassionate face at the discussion of other-worldly threats.

"We will win." is all he says. "I am ready," he adds.

Once you've had a chance to talk a bit, there's nothing left to do but head down the rough dirt road into the village.

The houses are all solid wood construction, with thatched roofs. Without exception, every door has a wrought iron horseshoe, open end pointed upward, attached.

As soon as you approach the first houses, what little activity was taking place quickly comes to a halt, villagers staring at you silently. People of all ages almost immediately begin coming out of the houses, forming what could generously be called a crowd in the community's lone street

Most stare at you wordlessly, though some whisper in hushed tones to one another.

Mavaro puffs himself up and grins broadly, "Greetings! Greetings people of Dunhob! We've come to learn more of your town and recent events. Is there a mayor or local leader of a council with whom we might have a word? We'd be happy to share a meal and bottle of wine in exchange for some of their time."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Am I the face with a +4? Please assist!

"As he says. We are here on behalf of the Sincomakti School of Sciences," says Rivani, smiling to put the people of the town at ease.

Aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 15

"Hey, can you guys direct us to a good tavern in town? I heard the Lucky Lantern is nice, is that true?" Merisiel addresses the gathering crowd, keeping one hand near her rapier, the other near one of her daggers.

Diplomacy aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 5

hmph.
Amiri grunts. Figuring she would hinder more than help.

Amiri isn't awful. She's got the same 50-50 chance of aiding that Juhnavi, Merisiel and Oloch do and zero chance of harming things. Even rolling a 1 does not result in a penalty. We're going to need to work together for Diplomacy in this group. I've got a +4, Reiko has a +2 and everyone else is +0. Those assists are vital.

we're here to end the haunts. We are only trying to help

Aid: 1d20 ⇒ 11

While helping the others get a good start in the town was probably a good idea, She knew that her talents lie elsewhere, Instead she tried to stay nondescript while searching the crowd for anyone whom looked suspicious.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Oloch nods, but his imposing presence and lack of concern for others seems to hinder his efforts.

diplomacy aid: 1d20 ⇒ 2

A horseshoe arcs over the heads of the assembled crowd, hitting Merisiel in the shoulder before falling to the ground. For one point of nonlethal damage

An old woman, seeming to struggle under the weight of her thick cardigan, shoves her way to the front of the group, brandishing another menacingly.

"I cast you out, evil spirits! You are not welcome here!"

Reiko notices a building on the far side of the crowd that is slightly larger than its neighbors. While all the other structures have a lone horseshoe on the door, this one has at least a dozen.

"Whoa, hey! That's not nice at all!" Merisiel yells back at the crowd, obviously angry at being the center of the game of horseshoes.

If Reiko points out the building she sees, the elf begins to move quickly towards it assuming it's the unlucky tavern.

Amiri walks up to the woman,

I am no spirit, good or evil woman, I would ask that you not call me one. though I do admire your, strength. she takes the horseshoe from the woman, gently if possible. we only come to help

diplo: 1d20 ⇒ 20 (well I'll be)

Knowledge ( arcana ) to know the significance of the horse shoes: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

-Posted with Wayfinder

its bloody well raining 20s lol.

Is that a good omen or a bad one I wonder?

The tien woman half whispered to the elf as she picked up the thrownext horseshoe. With it she nodded torwards the building with all the horseshoes albeit a little wary for more flying objects

"It's bound to be safer than waiting for the villagers to throw more horseshoes at me. Besides, it's got a bunch of horseshoes to toss back at them!" Merisiel replies to Reiko as she scurries off.

Mavaro stays with Amiri, hoping to talk down the crazy old lady before joining the others at the presumed tavern. "Amiri is right ma'am. We are no spirits, just visitors to your town. We heard there may be strange events plaguing your town and hoped to be of assistance."
Diplomacy to help Amiri: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

A younger man puts his hand on the woman's shoulder, leaning in, "You're scaring them, grandma.I think they is just cityfolk. Look at how they're dressed."

The old woman's scowl softens a bit, Hmph...well the iron ain't burnin' her. And you do have the look of hoity-toity Rozenport folk. I suppose you can go into the tavern. But only one person's been in there since old Veny died, and he ain't never come out"

Her grandson continues. "There's many fell spirits living 'round these parts, but our wards mostly keep us safe. Still, they keep us up at night, and cause headaches sometimes,"

The crowd begins chiming in,

And they made Garth's hair fall out!

Drove my best goat off, they did.

"Yes, they get up to lots of things, the man responds. Which is why we do our best to leave them alone. Messin' with them like Lady Illirigarde brings nothin' but trouble.

As the Ninja and the Rogue get closer to the building, you notice that the squat, one-story structure has all its windows boarded up. In chipped, fading paint above the front door, you can make out the words The Lucky Lantern.

Rivani understands the horseshoes are intended to keep "evil spirits" (which could refer to undead, outsiders, other creatures, or merely bad luck) from entering or exiting a building. You further know that this is a local superstition with no evidence to support it, perhaps a debasement of the use cold iron (which is rarer and more expensive) has on some fey and outsiders.

You should be able to open the map at the top of the page, and move yourselves around. I tried to over-emphasize the location of the two doors (you're near the front door). If you open the front door, feel free to delete green boxes, red if you open back. You can take a move action into the room if you like. Post in discussion if there's any problem with the maps.

Rivani explains her understanding to the others once they are away from the villagers.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"We can check out this tavern for you..." Oloch offers.

Not wasting any time, Merisiel opens the doors and walks right on it as if she owned the place. Before she moves too far in, however, she takes a good look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Reiko smiled at the elven maid's brashness, there was something refreshing about her in your face boldness though it was not to Reiko's style. She did follow her carefully in, like the rogue scanning the place.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

"Don't matter to me one way or the other if you go in there. Just don't let anything out that makes things worse." With the excitement dying down, the crowd slowly begins to disperse.

You're welcome to ask further questions, though there is some old wisdom about splitting the party...

The mouldering door opens easily and quietly for Merisiel, leading to a musty common room is coated with thick layers of dust. Dozens of black candles, animal skulls, and occult idols are arranged as decorations through the room. One table near the center of the room is decorated with human skulls and a crystal ball. A spread of harrow cards lies face down on the table and two chairs are pulled up to it. One chair sits empty and the other holds a skeletal corpse.

Reiko can see faint signs that someone was here before, approaching the harrow table from the east, or possibly going the other way. It's clear that that was a long time ago.

The purple table has the harrow setup. The body is in the chair closest to the bar.

"Yeah, this is pretty much what I was expecting." Merisiel says with a shrug, then sighs, "I guess we should wait for the others, I don't want to get yelled at again because everyone else missed the fun."

As the others follow shortly, Rivani holds up her hand and says, "Hold a moment. Let me read the auras of the room."

Casting Detect Magic.

There appear to be footsteps leading towards the east.. I cannot tell if they were heading torwards it or away, but they appear very old.

The ninja again said very lowly one hand resting on the hilt of her wakizashi.

"I wonder if this corpse is the one person who came in to investigate..." Oloch suggests.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Mavaro joins the rest, huffing and puffing a bit from having to hustle across to the building once he saw Merisiel enter. "Perhaps. If not, I hate to think they left a dead body in here that long." Mavaro has a look around from the entrance while Rivani scans the room.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Once you've all entered the room, Please move yourselves on the map linked above. the candles scattered about the room spontaneously light, and a figure dressed in heavy robes appears in the chair opposite the body.

The figure beckons with a clawed hand.

"Welcome, travelers. Have you come to seek the wisdom of my harrow reading? These are strange times and those without guidance risk great peril. Stand before my table and learn your fate.”

Though the figure's mouth is covered by cloth, the movement you see beneath makes it clear the creature's mouth behaves differently than the typical humanoid.

A picture of the creature will be posted later tonight (don't have access at the moment), as well as updating the green circle on the map that represents the creature. Knowledge (Planes) to identify it. Another Perception check may also give you more information.

Rivani, I'm assuming you're aiming Detect Magic at the harrow table. On the first round, you'll detect the presence of auras, on the second that there are eight. That's as far as you've gotten so far.

Merisiel looks tempted to tempt fate, but instead asks, "One of you spiritual types want to do the honors?" As she waits for a response, she takes another look around, although the clawed figure serves as a big distraction.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"Let me sense the auras a bit longer."

Oddly, the psychic pregen doesn't have knowledge(planes), despite the illustration of her having an animated argument with the iconic arcanist about the structure of the planes in Occult Adventures, which I just picked up this weekend and which I am still all asquee over.

Oloch scowls at the unnatural figure covered in cloth, as well as the spiritualists in the group.

"How about we just see how our blades perform?" he mutters.

Those of you who described moving have been moved. Feel free to adjust your positioning.

Upon closer examination, it appears none of you has Knowledge (Planes) at this level. Skill points are pretty scarce at first level, I guess.

The figure beckons silently, waving a hand over the array of Harrow cards.

Rivani detects an illusory aura coming from the creature and the illuminated candles, and the harrow deck radiates divination and transmutation magic.

I was incorrect about the number of auras earlier.

I make my own path, and decide my own fate. Guidance is unneeded.

Rivani beckons to Amiri and Mavaro, "Come inside!"

She turns to the figure. "I am Rivani. I will welcome a reading, if you will tell us who you are and why you cloak yourself in illusions, as well as what happened to him," she gestures at the corpse.

"Coming Rivani!" Mavaro steps inside and has a better look around. "I too would join my companion for a reading. Let us hear what you would tell us."
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

The reading sounded... interesting. Were she here not on a mission she might be more inclined to partake... but then again this was mysterious enough she wasnt sure she could trust any part of what the figure had to say. She kept her eyes peeled for anything else unusual.

Merisiel stands by and waits for the creature's response, her fingers nervously twitching near her blades.

As the party keeps its distance from the table, the creature stands up, on what Mavaro realized are cloven hooves. With a dramatic gesture, he disappears and the candles extinguish. Simultaneously, the skulls decorating the table rise into the air, empty sockets staring at you. Two spontaneously ignite, replacing the room's candlelight with a more sinister glow.

Order:

• ReikoWe are here
  
• Violet
  
• Merisiel
  
• Red, Blue, and Green
  
• Rivani
  
• Yellow
  
• Mavaro, Amiri, and Oloch
  
• Orange

No one approached the table, and it seemed like the majority weren't keen on the reading. Knowledge (Religion) for these creatures. The ones represented by the red and orange circles are the ones on fire. The others appear to be regular skulls.

The creatures are all Tiny, and thus more than one fits in a square. You may target any without penalty (that is, Green is not in front of Red).

knowledge religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Her eyes widened at the sudden movement and the ninja moved quickly withdrawing her wakizashi before darting to the corner of the bar.

move action withdraw wakizashi, standard action move