GM Tektite's PFS #06-12 Scions of the Sky Key- On Sharrowsmith's Trail (Inactive)

Game Master Hawkwen Agricola

Chochok grumbles an apology to Antonella. "Sorry bout that, Ma'am. Didn't mean to cause a mess. Heat o' the moment, you know?"

The grippli follows Tuna to the shed.

Careful now, who knows what trickery this might be.

Hagrym grabs the magical heavy pick, if no one else does. He follows the others as they look for the source of the sound.

Opening the supply shed, you find three miners from the Gold Crown company tumbles out of the shed. They all are severely injured and suffering from both starvation and dehydration. "Thank you!" One of the men croaks. "We have been barricaded in there since the undead attacked the camp." He says, until his voice goes out, and hie collapses to the ground.

Sifvery immediately pulls out a wand and her waterskin. First, she casts a cure light wounds on each of the men. Then, she offers the water skin to each in turn.

"Here, drink this..."

Guy #1
Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Guy #2
Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Guy #3
Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

What else did you see? Anything?

The men all thank you as their wounds begin to heal and their thirst is slaked. "Kobold raiders. They kidnapped 10 or more members of the crew and marched them off deeper into the Bandu Hills. Some of the guys believe there is a major kobold settlement in a forested valley about 15 miles away." They’re able to provide the party basic directions to the settlement.

Hmm, is that right? Sounds like that's where we're off to then.

Grim nods and gets ready for travel..

The men tell you, that if you loan them a little water and food, they can probably make it back to Fort Bandu themselves. Unless your just leaving them on their own, with nothing.

Hagrym is fine with giving some food and water to the captives. He directs them toward the non magical weapons in the room. "Gorum favors warriors," he nods to the ones picking up the weapons.

Antonella freely gives the men all of her trail rations, before filling every vessel they can find with created water.

“Did the kobolds seem upset about anything in particular? Did they complain or make threats about anything specific? Did you catch their chief’s name? Is there any beef they’ve had with the Gold Crown Company in the past? What are relations like between Deep Treasure and Gold Crown?”

After wishing the men a safe journey back to Fort Bandu, Antonella will seek her companions’ views. “I’m thinking we should try words first to get back the hostages.”

Sifvery, seeing the men are no longer in danger of dying, looks around the camp for any other information that may help them.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Then she returns to the men, checks to see that they are in good health, and asks "If kobolds attacked and took hostages, where did these undead monsters come from?"

The men shrug. "They weren't really in the talking mood, ma'am. Them little dragonfolk just attacked us and took hostages." The first man says. "Relations between the two have alway been a rivalry, but I can't recollect anything confrontational like." The second man says. The third chimes in to answer Sifvery's question. "I think the smell o' death attracted them dead fellers'"

Heading in the direction indicated, the sun is reaching it's peak and it is getting hot. Fort Save DC 16 to avoid heat stroke. The fifteen-mile journey from the Gold Crown mining camp takes the party on a long and treacherous route through the wilds of the Bandu Hills. Survival check to avoid getting lost.

Fort+Endurance: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 4 = 18
Aid Surv: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11 +2 to the Froggy

Fort save 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Auto aid on Froggy's Survival roll.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

"Oh my, this heat is killing me...." Sifvery sits down, suffering the effects of heat stroke.

I have a potion of Endure Elements, Nivik will take it once the heat starts to become an issue.

I should have brought more...

Survival (with two aids): 1d20 + 13 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 13 + 4 = 19

Chochok leads the way through the jungle but isn't used to these hot climates without a quick dip in the water.

Chochok picked up a wand of endure elements at the beginning of this adventure. He will ask Nivik to cast it on him and will share it with anyone in the party who doesn't have their own.

Antonella can also cast endure elements.

“Thank-you for your gift of resistance to the heat, Good Chockok.”

Antonella removes her wayfinder from a pouch, opens it and checks the direction the party is travelling in.

Survival + wayfinder: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 2 = 23

Managing to fend of the heat. I'm assuming a charge off the wand for Sifvery. The party is able to navigate the jungle with little trouble. You eventually come to a valley. This ancient valley nestled in the Bandu Hills is well hidden, being almost impossible to spot from more than a mile away. Ancient megalithic stones—most of which are toppled and partly buried—ring the border of this deep valley. These stones, long since weathered by time and encrusted with vegetation, serve as the only indication that humanoids may have at one time settled this region. The thick forest canopy of the valley below hides any sign of civilization—ancient or otherwise—from outside observers.

From the edge of the valley, the party must navigate treacherous terrain to descend 300 feet into the dense jungle below. Climb check

Is take 10 possible? How difficult does it look?

Perhaps we could use rope and such to aid our descent.

If no take-10 permitted: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

I do have Feather Fall memorized as well.

Hagrym will admire the monoliths, and when he notices dwarven script, he will try and interpret it.

Also wondering if we can take 10 on the climb check.

"Thank you," Sifvery says to Chochok.

She looks over the megaliths, but doesn't recognize the symbols.

Climbing? Ugh... I didn't even pack a rope.

Climb check: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Antonella pulls 100’ of silken rope from her pack and begins tying knots into it at regular intervals.

“Is anyone else carrying rope?”

She then loops one end of the rope around a convenient tree before throwing the rest over the edge.

“This will help for the first third of our descent. After that we may have to trust to magic or skill.”

“Lady Sif, I fear the consequences if you fall. Take my snapleaf and use it if you get into trouble.”

Antonella will wait until everyone is ready to attempt the climb, before drinking a potion of fly and descending to the bottom.

Antonella has a single-use snapleaf, which provides invisibility and featherfall as an immediate action. Not a bad buy for 750gp/2PP.

Examining the route, you see that it is a 300' decent down the nearly vertical hillside and would be moderately difficult. T10 is fine

"Look at this," Hagrym points out showing the others what he had seen.. "My people call this area the Valley of Broken Blood. The city within is called Ashkurhall."

Survival check 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

The dwarf also points out a face to make everyone's life easier. "Over here is a switchback trail hidden by overgrowth that would let us safely get down to the valley floor without needing to attempt that big climb."

"Good eyes, Hagrym," Chochok notes as the dwarf points out the switchback. "Valley of Broken Blood, eh? Sounds pleasant. Let's be on our way."

Pulling Sifvery back up from the cliff, the party heads down the switchback. Once you have descended into the valley you find yourselves beneath a dense canopy of tall jungle trees. Due to the limited sunlight that comes through the canopy, the jungle floor is largely devoid of undergrowth, save for extremely small and sparse vegetation. The majority of the jungle floor is made of massive root structures from the ancient trees and moss-covered rocks. Here you easily pick up the trail of the kobolds and miners, who did not work to conceal their tracks once they got this far. The tracks lead the party through the jungle to a flowered clearing 2 miles from the ridge.

The dense forestation of the valley jungle thins here, opening up enough to reveal the sky through the canopy. Beneath this opening, an ancient ruin consumed by the jungle is barely visible. Vines and leafy foliage encrust toppled blocks of quarried stone, tall grass grows up between derelict paving stones, and squat statues depicting dwarves in heavy armor stand crooked or fractured entirely from the infiltration of twisting roots. Among the more notable features here are the exotic flowers—tall, pitcher-shaped, golden blooms with seven petals, the interior of each a deep red. The soothing fragrance of the flowers fills the valley, and motes of pollen drift lazily in the air.

Seperate from above:

"Thank you, Antonella - your generosity is most appreciated! Luckily, thanks to Hagrym, the way is now much safer." Sifvery returns the snapleaf to her.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

"Umm, this is weird. There are humanoid skeletons all over the place. See - there's one. And another over there. It looks old, because the plants have grown up all around it. Do you think this is the site of an old battle or something?"

Sifvery, not really interested in old skeletons, does start to look around more intently.

Then she points to a new location. "Uh... there is a body over here. Maybe the kobolds killed a captive?"

Sifvery approaches it, to see if she can still help whoever it is.

Know Nature 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Know Nature 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

"Stop your moving! There are at least two types of man eating plants here, xtabays and a living topiary! That dust in the air is xtabay pollen, which will put you to sleep, so all the plants can eat you! Is there a way around?"

Sifvery stops in her tracks.

As Sifvery moves toward the fallen miner and Hagrym stops her, the plants start to move!

Initiative:
Nivik
Chochok
Hagrym
Xtabays
Living Topiary
Antonella
Sifvery
Grim

Nivik, Chochok, and Hagrym are up!

New Map

Hagrym takes a five foot step forward, swinging at the plant monster in front of him.

Attack 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

Damage 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 6) + 6 = 13

Possible crit (if it can be critted) 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Damage 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 12

Hagrym steps up and cleanly cuts the plant from its stalk!

"Thank you, Antonella - your generosity is most appreciated! Luckily, thanks to Hagrym, the way is now much safer." Sifvery returns the snapleaf to her.

As Antonella accepts the snapleaf from the elf, she holds onto the item for a *beat* longer than necessary, until she has the sorcerer’s attention.

“The concept of personal possessions is not one embraced by the Iro-shu. I have sworn to always conduct myself as selflessly as possible. In short, I was merely doing my duty, Sifvery.”

A smile softens the paladin’s stern visage. “Though I will admit, on occasion discharging my duties happens to coincide with my own wishes and enjoyment.” She bows.

♗☯♘☯

Antonella does a double-take as she studies the fallen miner’s corpse.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

"Xatabays! Watch out for their pollen, it'll put you to sleep. And that living topiary can be nasty. There's also heart-eater blossoms around here; must've been attracted by the bodies."

Chochok tears the musket from his back and tries to put a bullet in the living topiary!

+1 musket: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Hmm, I'm sure they'll burn.

Nivik strides boldly moves forward and casts Burning Hands: 5d4 ⇒ (4, 4, 3, 3, 2) = 16 DC 17 for half, should catch all three nearest me.

Sifvery sees the others laying waste to the plants, and momentarily laments the need to cut these down. They are such pretty plants.

Sifvery aims at the plant that Chochok attacked, and sends a ray of frost at it.

Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Chochok fires his muket and puts a bullet in the living shrubbery!

Nivik moves forward and sprays the plants with fire!

@Nivik: At that position, you will hit the downed miner. Is that what you want to do?

No, I misread the tokens. Move me over so I only hit the two enemies. Thanks for the alert.

Only Antonella sees the fallen miner stir. As the woman turns her head to regard the cleric, instead of a fair-skinned strawberry blonde, the female Antonella sees looks remarkably like herself – though her skin tone is paler and her nose and eyes are slightly narrower.

The paladin sees the fallen’s lips move in sync with a familiar sarcastic voice inside her head.

Oh shining knight, don’t let the nasty elf burn me! You’re sooooooo my hero.

Oh, and I see I've been replaced. You're even calling her sister!

Watching her back are you? That's nice. I’m sure she’d just LOVE to hear about what YOU DID to your own flesh and blood. I don’t think she’d want you behind her then, would she Serenity?

2d20 ⇒ (11, 2) = 13

Nivik sends a fan of flames wooshing around two xtabay, reducing them to charcoal!

Charge vs Nivik: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

The living topiary charges Nivik, but misses!

The remaining xtabay shuffles closer!

Initiative:
Nivik
Chochok
Hagrym
Xtabays
Living Topiary
Antonella
Sifvery
Grim

Party up!

Antonella delays until after Nivik, in case the elf wants to try another ‘area effect’ spell.

She then moves 20’ looking to set up a flank on the living topiary with one of her companions.

Improved Unarmed Strike: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Assistance with this creature would be appreciated! Nivik takes a quick step away from the enemy and then sends a Flame Jet Damage, DC 16 Reflex for half: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 If it fails the save it will take Burn!: 1d6 ⇒ 3 next round unless it takes a full-round action to put out the flames with a DC 15 Reflex save.

As Antonella thunders past the elf, she says in a ❀Mom✿ voice, "What’s the magic word, Nivik?"

1d20 ⇒ 9

Antonella moves to engage the savage shrubbery, hoping for a flank!

Nivik sends a gout of flame into the moving bush, setting leaves and branches on fire!

Hagrym moves forward, flanking the plant with Antonella.

Attack 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 2 = 26

Damage 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (5, 2) + 6 = 13

Sifvery shoots an arrow at the living topiary, hoping it will actually work.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3