GM ThinkingFlesh's GM101 - Phantom Phenomena (Inactive)

Game Master Caro Cogitatus

You receive a note from Dr. Quolorum. It reads:

My most capable allies,
This is it! I have finally triangulated the source of the
intriguing phenomena near the peak of Diremark in the
eastern reaches of the Hungry Mountains. It’s so obvious
in hindsight, considering the legends of the place, that I’m
surprised nobody thought of it sooner.
Given the highly charged nature of the ether right now,
it’s best if I accompany you to the source to learn what
has transpired. Meet me on the slopes of Diremark and we’ll
put this mystery to rest before the new semester begins
and I return to the drudgery of reading first-year essays
on the ethical questions raised by charm spells.
Huzzah!
Dr. Quolorum

If you wish to purchase any supplies before you go, you may.

Estra joins the others on the trek to Diremark peak, though in truth, she's grown quite weary of all this travel, and yearns for a week or so of just relaxation and down-time.

Mathos saunters in wearing a highly fashionable new suit. His book is, as ever, tucked under his arm.

What is this i hear of homicidal horse radish? The town folk are all abuzz.

"Oh, hello Mathos," Fran waves as the Cheliaxian returns from his sartorial pursuits. "It wasn't horseradish but it was a blood-sucking, mind-controlling mold! We had to brave an office without proper gravity to get the herbicide to kill it," she explains.

"Mrow." Mr. Sunshine bathes to regain his composure.

The whole thing was very stressful and undignified.

"I do have a fondness for legends."

Moving on with the assumption that Rhasuel will join us shortly.

Dr. Quolorum meets you at the base of a secluded path at the base of Diremark.

Come, come, my valued associates! We are near the end, I can feel it! Do you have any questions before we begin the climb?

Please give me a marching order, as the path is frequently narrow enough to require single-file climbing. If you don't choose one, I'll create one for you.

Estra summons HOnaire before beginning the trek up the side of the mountain.

After a night or restful sleep at the inn and her daily morning sword practice, Elena is ready to go. She offers to lead the group up the narrow path despite knowing nothing about Geography. "I volunteer to lead us, friends! With my mighty shield of Iomedae, no evil will harm us today!"

Elena observes her surroundings at the group travels.

Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9

Elena, I'll let you take the standard passive Take Ten instead. I generally assume everyone Takes Ten on Perception as they travel, unless there's a reason otherwise (they're studying, hiding, etc.)

Marching Order: Elena, ??, ??, ...

Mathos will put himself in the centre of the group. It seems like the safest spot to him.

Rhasuel takes up his position near the back to better use his spear.

As you ascend the dire mountain, the path gets progressively more difficult and dangerous. Gusting winds howl, and storms darken the sky. A few scrub trees cling to the crumbling granite face of the mountain, and snow is visible higher up the slope. The trail itself is not difficult, although there are some sections that run right against a cliff edge, giving a dramatic, if harrowing, sight of the forest below and Lantern Lake beyond.

Lightning flashes in the distance in otherworldly colors, but no corresponding thunder is heard.

The wind whispers to him things he already knows. Why else would a man of his age be doing the work better suited to men 1/5 his age? In spite of the wind he trudges on at the back of the group and is thankful that they cannot see the slight grimaces that arise from his protesting joints.

Estra shakes her head to block out the unwanted voices on the wind... He stays with me out of love... I have never forced him... stop your lies!

Bird?

Mr. Sunshine looks up at the awesome, plump-looking bird that he sees. Leaping into a tree, he tries to catch the bird.

Bird!

But when he bats at it, there are only rainbows and butterflies. He eats a butterfly. It tastes like catnip.

WHOA.

Rolling around in the snow, he exposes his belly and makes chirpy noises, just like the birds. So many birds. So many rainbows. So many butterflies. They're all spinning around him, and he lurches his paws out to catch one, but they're such fast, dodgy little things.

Gulch trudges on, indifferent to the whispers in his ear. I know that damned paladin will try to kill me, but I didn't know that she was a he...

Wormling, on the other hand, is in a dire state of chaos. "Does anyone smell fish?" He hops on one foot, pulling a shoe from his foot and waving it in front of Mathos' face. "Anything fishy? Please let me know if you do. Did I step in anything? Oh dear..."

_________
If possible, Wormling and Gulch would like to be near the front. I have no problem being the rearguard though if people prefer that.

Fran trudges along up the hillside behind Elena. A rustling sound from behind her catches her attention and she turns to see Mr. Sunshine leaping and frolicking around amidst the scrubby foliage. "Oh! Be careful Kitty, it's very steep and we're so high up!" she warns.

Then she stops and makes a strange face, as though tasting something unpleasant. "Blehhh...my mouth tastes like almonds for some reason. I never have liked almonds very much..." she says, looking both puzzled and disgusted as she takes a sip from her canteen.

"What a show. And ugh! Er... nevermind."

Erasmus continues forward, watching his steps carefully.

Is anyone else hot? I seem to be sweating, but my clothes are dry. This is beyond strange.

Elena frequently touches the hilt of her sword while she walks. ”We must remain vigilant! Evil may lurk at the tops of these mountains if what you said is true Dr. Quolorum.” Elena looks behind briefly to eye the professor.

Elena swipes a branch clear from her armor, ”I don’t smell fish or taste almonds. You’re feeling hot Mathos?” Elena stops to hear something in her ear. With disgust, Elena shouts: ”EVIL!” Elena turns around to her companions briefly, stopping the progression of walking. ”Yes, murder is evil. We must indict and deliver justice.” Elena turns forward and continues walking. ”What made you think or murder?”

You continue on, taking care to watch your step on the path.

Strange lights float in the distance, appearing at first to be torches or lanterns, but then suddenly spinning in an ever-contracting circle until they wink out of sight.

Dr. Quolorum stops abruptly, looking excited.

Esteemed colleagues! I almost forgot what I remembered!

Looking at your expectant stares, he realizes that he hasn't yet told you what he remembered.

Right, right. I remembered that I remembered what I told myself not to forget. You see?

Digging through his backpack, he pulls out several objects that are familiar to you.

As you examine the objects, you are startled by a loud thunderclap nearby, but the sound is abruptly cut short as if someone had Silenced it. You didn't see a corresponding lightning bolt from the sky as you might expect.

Fran jumps at the thunderclap, then shakes her head when she realizes that no flash of lightning had preceded it. "We should hurry and make uses of these tools and charms," she advises as she digs an inkpen and some ink out of her backpack. "Every little bit helps, right?"

She busies herself inscribing the Eye of Gorum symbol on the sleeve of her robe and then kneels down in front of Mr. Sunshine. "You too Mr. Sunshine - no, I won't use the inkpen because it might hurt you if you squirm. I'll just use my fingertips," she explains to the likely-dubious cat. "Don't worry, we can wash it off later."

"Oh...maybe Elena or Erasmus should put the herbicide on their weapon?" she adds. "Unless we're very sure that one of us has good aim, anyway."

"Mrowwwww." The dubious Mr. Sunshine lets Fran fingerpaint him. I hope you haven't ruined my fur. This stuff is sticky.

Then he looks up with surprise. "Mreep?" Where did all the birds go? They were right here.

That was some loud thunder... Elena looks to the sky but is unable to see a corresponding lightning bolt. Strange.

Elena listens to Fran then volunteers her own weapon, "As long as the herbicide will wash off." Elena pulls her longsword out of its sheath in a gallant motion. She holds the weapon sideways to showcase the length of the blade.

"Professor, do we just pour the experimental herbicide on or did you bring some sort of applicator?"

After the concoction is applied to the blade, Elena keeps her longword out. "And I won't need any Ectoplasmic Ointment or Eye - I have resolve made of steel!" Elena shouts 'steel' as she takes her free hand and balls it in a fist against her heart. Elena motivates herself up with her own bravado: "I will be valorous because I have faith in Iomedae." Elena looks at her party members expectantly, they've all seen my shield right?

Sword out, Elena turns around and continues to traverse up the mountain. Elena takes her shield from her back and holds it in her other hand.

Rhasuel readily accepts an Eye of Gorum. He's going to need help not getting hit,
but refuses the ointment. Someone else can use that. I'll be fine. He says.

Mathos looks conflicted. I have seen the effectiveness of the Eye of Gorum, but my clothes, they are new. I will use my ink to put the symbol on my shield

You trudge further up the slope, wary of danger.

The clouds floating high in the sky suddenly stop, reverse course, then resume their original direction.

Part way up the path, Gulch freezes. His beady little eyes dart around before settling on something to his left. He sniffs heavily before hurtling off into the brush, presumably on the hunt for prey. Anyone who follows him finds the eidolon chowing down on a flower bush, before he comes to his senses and spits them out, raking his claws against his tongue. Confused and very disappointed, he takes up his position back in line and trudges along.

With Gulch back in line, Wormling somehow manages to become even more pale. WHAT?! WHY?! I am to young to die, I may live life in hell, but at least it isn't Hell! I must remain vigilante. He will probably strike when a fight breaks out, I'll be sure to put plenty of space between us... As the frequency of his thoughts increase to an alarming frequency, his breathing intensifies and sweat starts to form readily on his brow. Getting a little shifty, he starts looking around for possible escape routes, should the need arise.

Rhasuel holds his nose. Did someone just vomit? No? Stupid hill. Let's get this over with!

As the group continues up the hill, Fran suddenly gets a worried look on her face but tries not to show it.

Oh no...it shouldn't be time yet! What am I going to do out here in the middle of nowhere??

Estra and Mr. Sunshine walking behind notice that Fran seems to be getting more fidgety and begins walking in a rather strange and pained manner. Her hands continuously stray from her pockets to the back of her robes.

Bluff: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Estra limps a couple of steps and then takes a few faltering normal ones with an odd look on her face... "What was that I stepped in?" She looks back with a questioning look on her face then shrugs and continues on.

***

Honaire spits and chokes, silently as if miming the action... and then licks his lips as if making sure his mouth is clean... he grimaces as he continues on up the side of the mountain.

***

Estra asks, "Are we there yet?"

Elena waves her shield and squints her eyes to try and avoid the swarm of flies buzzing around her head. Then, the insects are gone. Confused, Elena turns her head to look around herself. Where did they go?

Estra asks, "Are we there yet?"

”Soon, I hope.”

Turning around to face the way that the group has come Mathos begins to walk past everyone and head back toward town. This is not a good idea. We should all just go home and forget this place. He walks, slowly, away.

Someone stop me please.

Rhasuel looks indignant and slaps the kid upside the back of his head when he gets close. What do you think you're doing? You're getting your demon-loving tail up this mountain or when I get down I'll hunt you down as tell all your best friends how an old man with one foot in the grave not only out paced you, but completed the mission without you as you ran down the mountain crying like a six year old!

Hearing Rhasuel, Elena turns to see Mathos headed in the opposite direction. Elena shouts: "Hey! You're going the wrong way Mathos!" Poor guy, he must have gotten turned around. This mountain seems to be doing something strange to us.

Mr. Sunshine darts under Fran's robes. "MROOOWWWWW!"

There's a wolf out there and it looks hungry!

Estra walks after Mathos and paffs him on the back of the head. "Buck up, there, don't let whatever strangeness that's happening chase you away like a mewling child... step up and stay with us, Mathos. If an old woman can do this, so can you! Now follow me!" She turns and walks back to the others, expecting him to follow.

His confidence buoyed by his companions Mathos turns and begins to more in the "right" direction again.

A great flock of mighty birds, numbering in the thousands, flies high overhead, breathing fire behind them. They vanish over the horizon as you continue your long march up the mountain.

Ahead the trail ends at a place where the mountain has split.

A fifty-foot-wide crevasse separates one side from the other, and the only crossing is over a massive boulder that has broken off the mountainside to the east and become stuck as it rolled down. The trail continues on the other side.

There's no map for this section. Theater of the Mind!

Dr. Quolorum looks excited.

This is the way, I'm sure of it!

He digs an arcane instrument with spinning wires and a glowing screen out of his voluminous pockets, and spends several seconds adjusting it feverishly.

Yes! Yes! My readings signal close proximity to the source of the phenomena. See??

He shows each of you the screen, covered in squiggly lines and blinking dots of various colors which mean nothing to you. But Dr. Quolorum is clearly convinced.

Climbing the boulder looks to be not too difficult, but there are places where the unwary or infirm could misstep and fall. The boulder is relatively flat on top.

Climb check required to ascend and descend the boulder, but not for the middle fifty feet of the boulder.

climb up: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
climb down: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Estra climb, take 10: 10 = 10
Estra climb, take 10: 10 = 10

Honaire climb, take 10: 10 + 1 = 11
Honaire climb, take 10: 10 + 1 = 11

"Forward!" Elena eagerly climbs across the boulder. Elena still stays in front unless someone else hurries ahead.

Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Ascend the Rock: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Mathos struggles up the boulder.....

Descend from Rock: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

..... but manages to get down with ease.

As the first Pathfinder approaches the boulder, a ghostly image of Lady Illirigarde with sad eyes appears on the far side and beckons him over.

The first few climbers reach the top of the boulder with relative ease, but as they cross over the enormous chasm the rock begins to melt into thick mud and flow downward.

The first three - Rhasuel, Estra, and Honaire - manage to make it across and down despite the mucking, sucking flow of mud tugging at their feet.

Elena and Mathos find the mud very disconcerting and nearly slip off into the crevasse, but a quick offered hand from Honaire gives them the stability they need to make their way safely. Despite being shaken by the effort, they manage to climb down the far side safely.

The image of Lady Illirigarde vanishes as Rhasuel makes it to the far side.

The remaining Pathfinders can see that the mud continues to flow no matter how long they wait.

"Oh, it's okay Kitty! I won't let anything get you," Fran says as she tries to reassure Mr. Sunshine. As she kneels down to retrieve her friend, she discretely peeks under her robes and then breathes a quiet sigh of relief.

Good...I must have been imagining it!

"And I won't let anything get you either Mathos," she adds as she gives the young man a pat on the shoulder. "We'll make it through, I'm sure of it! Now let's get over this boulder, okay?"

However, she stops and stares with surprise as the image of a strange lady appears and beckons them forward.

"Uhm...who is that? Is that a ghost?" she whispers as Rhausel and a few of the others begin the climb up and over the boulder. "Is no one else worried about the strange phantom lady???"

Mr. Sunshine leaps into Fran's arms, shivering.

Not particularly. Most of my friends are ghosts now. He says. All it means is were on the right track.

Elena looks down at her boots and armor for mud. She takes her time to examine herself for mud (2 minutes?) as the others make it across the rock. Is this mud real or an illusion?

Elena finds that the mud, as viscous as it was on the rock, sloughs off easily leaving her boots clean and dry. Not a trace remains, in fact.

Still need a Climb check (up the boulder), Will Save at +1 (thanks to Dr. Quolorum's etheric compasses) to maintain composure through the flowing river of mud, and another Climb check (down the boulder) from:
* Wormling & Gulch
* Fran (carrying Mr. Sunshine at no penalty)
* Erasmus

The nearest ledges underneath the boulder on either side are both about 30 feet down. The crevasse itself is deeper than you care to contemplate.

You can Take Ten on the climb up, but if you're Shaken by the experience you can't on the way down. Speaking of which, I need a Will Save at +1 from Mr. Sunshine to not get freaked out by the weirdness of the mudslide, please.