GM Rednal's Legendary Planet AP (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

"Did... one of his elemental uncles finally come to claim him? He did seem to be worried about that quite often."

"I'm not quite sure that was an uncle...the Syaandi were not very strong opponents...and whoever told them to attack us and prevented us from taking captives by killing them with their necklaces probably expected us to go through their goods and belongings, hoping to find out more. In other words, it was a trap, and we fell for it. Hook, Line and Sinker - we can just be glad he was curious enough to open it without calling us over...and need to be more careful in the future...and if we come across the one responsible, that being will suffer greatly. That said: Plany was accompanied by the spirits of his ancestors, so I'm confident his spirit will dwell on - I will hold a Vigil for him tonight, you both are welcome to join me!"

"I...uh...yes, certainly." Isen looked blankly at the spot for a moment. People died, yes, but usually there was a little more warning. Shaking his head, he looked over one last time and began to move away. "Let us be off, to avoid...whatever fate that was."

Vincent was silent for some time as they rode on. They were a handful of strangers, thrown together by chance, meddling in things they didn't fully understand. He hoped that there was more to it than that, that they were here for a purpose, but Child's sudden and violent death was a sobering reminder that vigilance is always necessary, no matter how righteous the cause. Haymot's teachings were quite clear about forging your own destiny from the raw materials life gave you, and a careless smith is likely to get burned. He hoped that he would prove to be an artisan, and not a clumsy apprentice.

I like your responses to that. 100 GP for everyone.

As your journey continues on, you hear the water before you see it - but soon enough it comes into view, and another landmass beyond. Bridging this wide gap between two shores is a structure of brown stone, its surface shot through with faded purple marbling. A low wall bisects the causeway with four, 15-foot-high, crenelated towers flanking its length. The sound of ocean waves crashing against the stony edifice echoes across the hardpan.

"Why do I think we'll need to use a toll to pay our way across the ancient bridge, or better yet another ambush?" Isen looked at the low walls with a small sigh.

"Let's go see what they want. It takes work to build and maintain such a bridge, so it makes sense to charge for safe passage. I don't think our camels are very excited to try to swim it. But.... you could be right. There was someone pulling the strings with the syaandi, so it's best that we be on our guard."

"Why don't we wait here with the animals, while you go check it out? If there's trouble, you have a way of...disappearing we can't quite mirror.", Phai suggests to Isen. "That said, I'll of course try and provide cover..."

Isen nodded to Phai. "Certainly." He moved up towards the bridge, seeing what there was to see.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Vincent waited patiently with Phai and the camels, ready to charge in to help Isen if necessary.

Close examination of the causeway suggests the bridge has seen a fair amount of wheeled traffic, with the words 'KOBEC BUILT THIS' etched into the stone just before it broadens. Otherwise, however, the bridge seems fairly quiet.

Isen continued along, making no attempts to hide but keeping his eyes open and his defenses up.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
Phai stood back, her bow unslung and ready - for a moment, she wondered if they were being too paranoid here...but then, the memory of what happened to Plany only a short while ago surfaced - and she knew that no amount of paranoia would be "too much" in the forseeable future.

The camel shifted nervously beneath Vincent and he reached down to pat its neck. "Is it guarded, or can we simply pass?" Vincent called out to Isen. It had looked like it might have been a manned gatehouse, but it could just as well be a relic from long ago when the towers were used to defend against attacking armies.

A lone figure stands up from behind the battlements atop the easternmost tower, pointing a readied longbow in your direction. "Truek says far enough, off-worlders! Travelers pay a toll at dead-and-buried Kobec’s Crossing, god rest his salty soul. It’s a hundred gold a head, and fifty for any animals. Of course, if you claim poverty, you can always run the gauntlet or run away—right boys?" At that moment, more armed figures stand above the ramparts of the other three towers and shout in unison, "Spoken true, boss!"

Isen nodded in satisfaction, that events were proceding as expected. "How exciting. I am Isen Kalla," the Elf said with a small bow and flourish, "And my friends and I would indeed like to cross. The toll seems steep, however. Allow me to, therefore, ask about this second option you mentioned - the Gauntlet. What would that entail? Equally, does the toll have to be gold, or can services or items be used instead?" It was worth seeing what the simplest options were.

Vincent leaned in closer to Phai and whispered, "What do you think Isen will say if they say they'll accept his services? More seriously though, what do you think, toll-keepers or bandits?"

"I think both. This is quite a construction, and a toll would be expected for it's use - but definitely not that much. Wuli would have mentioned it when we asked him if there's anything we would need to know...-lets see if Isen can work something out. It is a pity the special powers we had gained do not work on this world, else you could simply fly across the chasm, carrying each of our pack animals over without using the bridge-", Phai whispered back to Vincent.

"Why, the gauntlet is simply attempting to run - or swim - across." the figure said, laughing. "And you'll get arrow fire for free. We prefer coin, but the Baron is willing to accept goods instead. Some of you off-worlders have strange ideas about money, and we prefer things valuable to us."

Rednal isn't brave enough to take me up on offers of 'services' because he knows I lack anything remotely resembling decorum or shame.

Isen regretted not having teleportation magic, but nodded. "Of course. I will consult with my friends, and see how they wish to solve this challenge. Thank you for the information."

Returning to the others, Isen nodded to the others. "Well, we can either pay a truly silly fee, run or swim across while being shot at by arrows, or I believe flight is the simpler option." The Elf smiled. "Or rather, a combination thereof. I think if we use a combination of flight, illusions, and relays...we should get across with minimal harm."

"Agreed. Being able to tap into that magical power was... liberating. But we'll have to make do with what we have now."

When Isen returned, Vincent asked, "Unlike you, my feet are pretty permanently planted on the ground. However... I could make us invisible for a time. When you were up closer, could you tell if there was anything that would impede our passage, other than being shot at? If we were to do that, do you think we could sneak past?"

"Well. That Gauntlet thing sounds agreeable, if the animals get a free pass. I doubt that is so, though...and the main problem will be to get them, and the load they bear, across. By all means, two of us could bypass the fee by flying across, but the animals - that won't be so easy, I'm afraid. It pains me to say so, but unless we mean to force our way through, it might be simplest to pay for the animals..."

@GM: How many pack animals are in our caravan?

Four animals. Incidentally, Wuli gave you a tip about dealing with the guards.

"Ah, how excellent. Since these goods ARE for the Baron, can we simply drop them off here and receive our payment? Else who should we tell him took possession of part of his shipment? You should ask that, Isen-", Phai remembers what Wuli said and suggests their course of action with a grin.

"I'm sure Baron Yacob didn't want the whole shipment, or he'd have commanded his guards to waive their fee," Vincent added.

Isen smiled, and nodded. Returning to the guard, he called up, "Would you gentleman please pass on a message for me? We have a delivery of chag armor for one...yes, a Baron Yacob. Would you mind sending him a message that it'll be delayed here while we look for additional funding for the toll? I'm sure it won't take too long."

The figure up in the tower paused for a few moments. "If you're here on business, the fees are lower. We know what we're expecting, but if it checks out, the toll drops to a third." he said.

"Hum. Could we delay that payment? You see, we do lack local currency. The good people of Fort Buckle thought if we're heading here anyway, we could bring the Armors along, trusting us sufficiently to entrust us with the mission after we took care of their problem with that nasty flying predator. We are supposed to get paid on delivery, though, and nobody mentioned a toll to us...", Phai spoke up, loud enough this time to be heared, then looks expectedly at Vincent.
Diplomacy Assist Take 10: 10 + 4 = 14
Worth a try actually using Diplomacy to get them helpful enough to waive the fee, I figure...we could pay the ~166 Gold, but thats still a steep price considering we're actually doing their boss a favor(without the animals, we could simply fly across)

Isen wondered if it would be possible to summon someone to take the creatures. He doubted it was wise to trust the gate guards, after all. Once they were dealt with flying across was simple enough. It was a shame his Flight ability could not be used on others...

Vincent urged his camel closer to the bridge and addressed the guards. "You're welcome to inspect our goods, if you wish to come down here. We'd like to hurry up and make our delivery to your boss if you don't mind. We've already had to deal with bandits, lightning spires and a manticore to get here, so I'm sure you understand our desire to finish our trip and mourn the companion we lost to the bandit's trap."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

While of course I'd rather not pay, 166g isn't too bad if they insist on it, and I'd prefer to pay the toll than try to force past.

Actually, can cut it to 100. 4 animals at 50 each plus one person to lead them across at 100 would sum up to 300, one third of which is 100. The other 2 fly across. But it's really rather a matter of principle. If you deliver goods to some place, they don't charge you a fee for entering the place you deliver to. Imagine ordering a Pizza and making the delivery guy pay you for opening the door. It's simply wrong.

If, y'know, you have something resembling a modern economy. XD This is a game about visiting lots of alien worlds, though, so don't expect things to always be what you're used to...

Also, I don't think you were actually promised pay beyond what you already got... might wanna roll Bluff for that one.

Ack, A genuine mistake, I remembered the 1000 Gold, but forgot that Wuli pre-paid us. It seemed unlogical to give us the goods AND the payment for transport up front...I mean, we are good people and he can trust us but that seems a naive thing to do with strangers even if they slaughtered some local beast. I misremembered and only spoke up to say something for the Assist - oh well...
Bluff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Can we simply have that ruin the assist-attempt into a -2 instead of messing up Vincent's Nat 20 by making them hate us?

Bluffs are bluffs. Diplomacy is diplomacy. XD I am willing to let someone else make a Bluff check for the group and have it be a failed assist for THAT, though.

Isen glanced at Phai for a moment. "Perhaps if you gentleman could allow us past, we could simply talk to your employer about any fees owed on either side of this arrangement?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Phai suddenly realizes that she misremembered, stopping talking right in the middle of her statement, trying to fade into the background as Isen takes over.
Filler post to not poke in discussion again.

Vincent urged his camel closer to the structure so he could speak without shouting to the bridge guards.

"We know exactly how our fee setup works." the apparent leader of the guards called down. "Payment is handled separately from the goods themselves. Besides, boss don't really like talking to off-worlders, especially those looking for him instead of the other way around. You seem like okay folk, and I'd hate to hear your brains got splattered all over the wall or something."

"That's fine. Do you want to come down here and count it?" Vincent called up, retrieving a small leather purse as he spoke.

I'll just pay the 166g and move on, as long as they don't try to take more than they're due. It's not that much and I'd rather move on.

It's 100, as explained earlier. 4 animals and you make a total of 300, one third of which is 100. Isen and I can fly across, not using the bridge. Other than that, I concur, lets not make more trouble than needed.

Isen nodded at Vincent, pulling some coins out to add to the pile. Even if he avoided the fee, it was still a nesseceity, and there was no need for Vinent to shoulder it alone.

At Vincent's question, what looked like a Mage Hand came down to grab the bag - and there was a pause of several minutes as, apparently, the coins were counted.

"Thanks for your business." the man eventually called down, sounding rather cheerful. He looked back to the others a moment later. "All right, boys - they paid the toll and they're welcome to pass." The heavy stone wall blocking your path started to lower a few moments later. "By the way, if you actually wanna get somewhere, follow the river upstream. Eventually, you'll come to a big ol' bridge that'll take you across and into the Barony proper. River's pretty deep until then, so I wouldn't advise crossing until you get there unless you're particularly confident in yourselves."

"I'm sorry. Almost messed that up. My mind was somewhere else, I suppose what happened back at the Syandi camp threw me off-track a bit. Take it from my share of the reward, as thanks for you two preventing things from turning...troublesome.", Phai comments, once they made their way past the checkpoint, en route to the big ol' bridge.

"Time is tricky, and can get away from us all, and the mind travels with it," Isen replied with a shrug. "No harm done, and no need to repay me." The Elf smiled. "I'm sure I'll make a mess of something at some point, and the goodwill should be saved for then."

"Thanks for the advice. Armor's not great for swimming, and I imagine these camels won't smell too great when they're wet anyways." With their business concluded, Vincent urged the camels forward, eager to press on with their journey.

The path inland is, in many ways, quiet and empty. There's a road, and the flowing water to your left, but not a whole lot of plant life. The world here is almost unnaturally bare - though it does give you good visibility, at least.

A few hours after you crossed the bridge, the causeway runs precariously close to the river, with waves occasionally rolling across the slick outer wall to spill across the ancient stones. They bring a salty ocean tang and a heavy spray of mist. A box-like container also drifts within the surging tide, creating a hollow thump as it crashes along the wall.

Str DC 15 to retrieve.

Curious, Vincent tried to pull the box out of the tide.

Would ant haul help for this application? If so, I'll cast it before trying.

Strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Lacking anything resembling upper body strength, Isen kept an eye out in case the chest was a lure for a trap of some kind.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Finding the idea of navigating on a slick wall with what seemed like a heavy box rather dangerous, not wanting to crash along the wall as well, Phai activates her flight hex, then approaches the Box from above.
Strenght: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
She almost gets a good grip, but has to let go to not be drawn into water when it suddenly turns unexpectedly.
Strenght: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
The wet surface proves quite slippery...
Strenght: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
...but eventually, Phai would succeed in grabbing a hold and dragging it on dry ground, to her companions.
The question was: Would she have sufficient time to do so?

Saw no limit to the number of attempts - if allowed, would try multiple times(I suppose in that case there would be an associated penalty for failure...dunno if applicable while flying. If it's slipping and falling in, flight might help, if it's really a crocodile mimic trying to pull me under, not so much -_- That said, I'm taking a deep breath before touching it :P

Ant Haul would not help. It specifically does not affect your actual strength.

After several attempts, Phai managed to drag the box out of the water. It appears quite old, encrusted with alien mollusks and seaweed on its ceramic exterior. It also appears locked... and stuck enough that on top of picking things, you'd have to bludgeon it open.

And because let's face it, you're not going to fail at that...

Inside, the box contains 85 holographic coins of some sort (of uncertain value - talk to a collector?), as well as five vials. Four seem like they were breached long ago, but one of them still has an aura of magic, and seems to function as an admixture vial.