Male Gnome Barbarian 9 | HP 103/113 | Init: +2 | AC: 24 (22) T: 15 (13) FF: NA DR: 1/- | F:11(14) R: 7 W: 5 (+2 vs illusion, +2 vs fear, +4 morale will raging, +6 morale all spells, sla, su raging) | Perc: 14 | CMD: 26 (29) | Rage: 12/23
After a few minutes, Thighbite can't hold it in anymore. "Ha! Right again! The evil wizard has abandoned us in the middle of nowhere, left us to die! Oh I bet he'll wait for us to turn to icicles, then come back with his chicken making friend."
Thighbite's mood then suddenly changes, as a new thought occurs. "We're safe! They're gone, they're lost, we're alone just us good ones! Come, come, dwarfies, I hope you were paying attention to Osprey, I never do, but maybe there's fun to be found around here!"
Thighbite grabs a dwarf in each absurdly strong hand and starts trying to drag them off 1d8 ⇒ 6 southwest northeast.
Male Human Wizard(Enchanter)/16 (HP: 146/146) | Init: +13 | AC: 17 T: 13, FF: 14 | Perception +16 | F: +16, R: +14, W: +16 | CMD: 20 (17Fl) | 3* reroll 0/1 | Buffs: Darkvision, Mage Armor, Mind Blank, Moment of Prescience, Overland Flight
Nym, Linslo, Markolf:
"So... uhm. We're not exactly where we're supposed to be. Dangers of teleportation magic, and all that. You know how it is."
He pauses. "It's very similar though. I think we're still close. Maybe uphill from them? I think the first time around we were looking up to this area. Maybe?"
The enchanter ponders the situation. Finally, he says to Linslo, "I could use some magic to levitate you. That way you can scout the land around us and see where the dwarves and Thighbite might be. Likely they're all making plenty of noise."
M Dwarf Fighter / 9 AC:25/27 Touch:14/16 FF: 21 HP 121/123 Init: +3(+2 underground); P:0;F:13;R:6;W:8(+1 fear,+1 ench,+2 poison&spells)
Hack hadn't run with the gnome for years; he'd forgotten how flighty he was. The dwarf's mind told him to appeal to Thighbite's sense of honor; Pathfinders help each other, period. Instead, his gut told him to take a different tack
GNOME!! Git back here. We're waitin fer the rest. If'n ye fear treachery, then warm up with me, prepare ta fight if need be!! he holds out his axe and takes a ready stance.
Male Human (Chelaxian) Male Arcanist (Brown-fur transmuter) 7 | HP 37 / 37 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 (14) | CMD 14 CMB +2 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Init +7 | Per +10; Kn (Arc, Dun, Loc, Pla, Rel) +14; Kn (Eng, Geo, His, Nob) +11; Spel +16
Markolf takes out his spellbook, finds the page containing Teleport, and draws a single line across the page diagonally. Then another, crossing the first line.
He returns the book to his sack and looks wordlessly at Nym.
Well...that's something to write home about.[b] Linslo isn't sure that grasps the gravity of the situation. A moment later it's comes to him. [b]"Nym, it's not all that bad. With your skills you can save countless gnomes from the bleaching!" He tries to find the good in everything. He goes over and give Nym an awkward pat on the back.
Despite their protestations, Thighbite drags the dwarves in the direction of the ruined buildings uphill. Little remains but sagging timbers and cornerstones riven by the trunks of mature oaks. Within one of the foundations, a small, man-made clearing conceals the scattered remnants of a hastily fled campsite. Snow has been thrown upon the coals, though they are still warm, and indents in the ground mark the sleeping locations of at least four individuals. Near the fire rests a small woodpile and a sack with some candles, a half-day’s rations, and a few other mundane possessions. From a nearby tree hangs a makeshift birdcage, crudely woven from saplings.
Male Human (Chelaxian) Male Arcanist (Brown-fur transmuter) 7 | HP 37 / 37 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 (14) | CMD 14 CMB +2 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Init +7 | Per +10; Kn (Arc, Dun, Loc, Pla, Rel) +14; Kn (Eng, Geo, His, Nob) +11; Spel +16
"I can summon us six beautiful horses to ride while we look for my pets. Or I can give this filthy slip the ability to fly to look for them from a better vantage point. Or both."
Male Human Wizard(Enchanter)/16 (HP: 146/146) | Init: +13 | AC: 17 T: 13, FF: 14 | Perception +16 | F: +16, R: +14, W: +16 | CMD: 20 (17Fl) | 3* reroll 0/1 | Buffs: Darkvision, Mage Armor, Mind Blank, Moment of Prescience, Overland Flight
"Save your flying magic, I think. I can provide a simpler levitation magic. Should do the trick."
Nym retrieves a leather loop from a pouch, then mutters some arcane words. He then mentally commands Linslo to rise up into the air. "See if you can spot them, or they you."
Thighbite's search confirms that the campsite was hastily abandoned, and recently -- perhaps as recent as a few hours ago. Forgotten, he finds a tied sack tucked behind a log, which contains several tubes bearing exquisitely-rendered maps of the Inner Sea region. Hidden in one of the tube is an ivory scrollcase, which the gnome spits at and does not open.
Thighbite also finds a rusty strongbox half-buried in the forest floor. Inside is a worn leather journal, the pages faded and barely legible--apparently written by a sergeant of an Eagle Knight company. The entries recount harrowing tales of icy winters, disease, and starvation. The last few pages tell of soldiers haunted by terrible dreams that led them to a place called the 'Chasm of Screams.' Over the next few months, those drawn to the Chasm went mad, broke from the company, and began systematically hunting and eating their former comrades.
Lastly, Thighbite notes that a bird is inside the nearby cage, an arrow through its broken wing, apparently unconscious.
1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33 Rising high above the Phitoness' hut, Linslo is greeted by a harsh mountain landscape rising above the slender pines a mile or so distant, echoed by steep snow-capped peaks on the opposite side of the valley. The range is desolate. There is little sign of anything except rock and snow and trees--but training his eye carefully, Linslo can see something of a clearing in the carpet of trees a quarter mile to the east. And maybe even some buildings.
Thighbite, Senzo, Hack:
Muttering nervously, Thighbite pours a potion on the bird's face. It immediately pops two eyes open and flaps at him suspiciously with its one good wing, flap-hopping unsteadily into an upright position. "Who are you?" it asks in impeccable Taldane.
Male Gnome Barbarian 9 | HP 103/113 | Init: +2 | AC: 24 (22) T: 15 (13) FF: NA DR: 1/- | F:11(14) R: 7 W: 5 (+2 vs illusion, +2 vs fear, +4 morale will raging, +6 morale all spells, sla, su raging) | Perc: 14 | CMD: 26 (29) | Rage: 12/23
"...did it just speak? Sometimes birds talk to me but they usually do it in bird. I don't think that was bird.
Hello bird. I'm Thighbite. These are my dwarf friends, they're mostly ok. We're looking for someone called the Phitoness. The wizard said she was here, but he lied. Did you see what happened here?"
Linslo is exhilarated after is trip in the air. It talks in gasps about the beauty of the snow and the stark beauty of this area. As almost an after thought he says, "There seems too be some sort of settlement about 3/4 of a mile to the east through the woods. I think that's our best bet."
Male Human Wizard(Enchanter)/16 (HP: 146/146) | Init: +13 | AC: 17 T: 13, FF: 14 | Perception +16 | F: +16, R: +14, W: +16 | CMD: 20 (17Fl) | 3* reroll 0/1 | Buffs: Darkvision, Mage Armor, Mind Blank, Moment of Prescience, Overland Flight
"Excellent! That must be it. Let's go," Nym says, lowering the bard from the sky. He specifically omits making suggestions about using more magic to transport them.
"Oh, oh, oh," the bird laments. "The Phitoness has been kidnapped!" The raven introduces herself as Vaetta, companion of the Phitoness, and relates the story. The familiar was out of the house, flying about the forest when several men came and attacked her mistress. As she raced back to the hovel, the agents knocked Eya unconscious and Vaetta lost contact with her. She arrived just in time to witness the barbarians dragging her mistress off. The raven did her best to tail the agents and was able to safely follow them back to their campsite where she flew in close enough to observe them, and once in range, she again began to sense Eya. Soon after, the agents began talking about taking her to a place called the Chasm of Screams. Upon mention of the Chasm, Vaetta felt Eya flood with fear. Without warning, one of the agents knocked Eya unconscious again, and they broke camp and dragged her off with them. At that point, one of the men spotted the raven and shot her. "Please! You must rescue her!!!"
Squishies:
The insite of the ramshackle hut looks as poorly kept as the exterior. A sickly yellow glow emanates from the grease-smeared windows, leaving the room dim and shadowy, while a beam of direct light slips in from the open door. The illumination highlights a small table of rough-cut pine. A note rests atop the table, weighted in place by a small soapstone figurine carved to resemble a seahawk.
Male Human (Chelaxian) Male Arcanist (Brown-fur transmuter) 7 | HP 37 / 37 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 (14) | CMD 14 CMB +2 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Init +7 | Per +10; Kn (Arc, Dun, Loc, Pla, Rel) +14; Kn (Eng, Geo, His, Nob) +11; Spel +16
Ooh! Can Markolf give the bird a message and send it to his pets?
If so, does he think there's a limitation to the length of the message? Or does it carry physical notes like a carrier pigeon?
Regardless, if possible, he wants to send a note to his short-legged companions indicating that they were at the hut and are now heading for the clearing with buildings, along with any relevant geographic markers.
A visibly excited Markolf picks up the soapstone figurine... and then notices the cleverly disguised wires attached to its base. The roof overhead gives a foreboding crack, but that's not enough of a warning for the trio to reach the door before the timbers cave in.
Decades of accumulated debris lends the roof incredible weight, and its collapse completely buries the Pathfinders. The poor halfling takes a beam directly to the skull, nearly knocking him unconscious outright. Breathing becomes short, and there's no one around to dig them out... You have been BURIED: buried rules here.
Tanks:
"Where would I know to find them--" Vaetta begins, confused, but she's interrupted by a rumbling crash from somewhere uphill to the west. "What...? That sounded like it came from Eya's home! She must be there! We must help her!!!" The bird begins limping in that direction at a pathetic pace. Do you follow? If so, how quickly?
Male Human (Chelaxian) Male Arcanist (Brown-fur transmuter) 7 | HP 37 / 37 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 (14) | CMD 14 CMB +2 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Init +7 | Per +10; Kn (Arc, Dun, Loc, Pla, Rel) +14; Kn (Eng, Geo, His, Nob) +11; Spel +16
"my bad..."
If he can, Markolf would like to take a move action to use Dimensional Slide (Su) to extract himself from the rubble.
If he can free himself thusly, he'll cast Bull's Strength and Enlarge Person, both enhanced with Powerful Change, to give himself a 10pt total bonus to Strength.
Then he'll dig out Linso, followed by Nym. With an effective Heavy load capacity of 600lbs, he can move 3000lbs/minute.
If he thinks he can get by with 875lb/minute, he'll nix the Enlarge Person.
Knowledge (Engineering) to determine strength needed, best of two rolls:
Knowledge Engineering roll #1:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20 Knowledge Engineering roll #2:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32
This will cost him 3 Arcane Reservoir points (none left) and another used of Investigative Mind (3/7 used).
Staring down what is, for all intents and purposes, a collapsed hill on top of the former structure, Markolf leaves little to chance and transmutes himself into an excavator. Nym does his best to help, as do the dwarves and gnome that burst out of the woods a minute or so later.
2d6 + 1d20 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 6) + (6) + (4) = 18
It takes three minutes to reach the mangled, unconscious body of Linslo. Markolf pulls him out himself, yanking on an exposed hand to discover the rest. The halfling's life signs are there... but barely.
Linslo is unconscious with 61 points of lethal damage and 12 points of nonlethal.
Male Gnome Barbarian 9 | HP 103/113 | Init: +2 | AC: 24 (22) T: 15 (13) FF: NA DR: 1/- | F:11(14) R: 7 W: 5 (+2 vs illusion, +2 vs fear, +4 morale will raging, +6 morale all spells, sla, su raging) | Perc: 14 | CMD: 26 (29) | Rage: 12/23
"Hello wizards. What's happened here? Spell go wrong? You must be crushed."
Thighbite pulls out another potion, pries open the halfling's mouth, and pours it in.
CLW:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
He then goes back to envisioning the silly wizards passing time by sitting in a cabin, carelessly throwing spells about, until one accidentally hits a beam and brings the whole thing crashing down on top of them.
Male Gnome Barbarian 9 | HP 103/113 | Init: +2 | AC: 24 (22) T: 15 (13) FF: NA DR: 1/- | F:11(14) R: 7 W: 5 (+2 vs illusion, +2 vs fear, +4 morale will raging, +6 morale all spells, sla, su raging) | Perc: 14 | CMD: 26 (29) | Rage: 12/23
Thighbite starts chuckling, and then shudders. "Worst? Ha! Not even close. They sent us after a Runelord once. That was disaster. I think? Maybe it was just a bad dream...it's all a little hazy..."
Thighbite trails off and goes silent, contemplating the reality of his memories.
The note is buried under many tons of earth and wood, and finding it would be akin to a needle in a haystack.
"The Phitoness did not rig that trap!!!" The raven that Thighbite is carrying speaks in response to Markolf, then responds to Senzo and again relates the troubles of the Phitoness. The familiar was out of the house, flying about the forest when several men came and attacked her mistress. As she raced back to the hovel, the agents knocked Eya unconscious and Vaetta lost contact with her. She arrived just in time to witness the barbarians dragging her mistress off. The raven did her best to tail the agents and was able to safely follow them back to their campsite where she flew in close enough to observe them, and once in range, she again began to sense Eya. Soon after, the agents began talking about taking her to a place called the Chasm of Screams. Upon mention of the Chasm, Vaetta felt Eya flood with fear. Without warning, one of the agents knocked Eya unconscious again, and they broke camp and dragged her off with them. At that point, one of the men spotted the raven and shot her. "Please! You must find this Chasm and rescue her!!!"
Vaetta does not know the way; the Pathfinders will need to... find the path.
Thighbite successfully leads the group back to the abandoned campsite a quarter mile off... but once there has trouble distinguishing his own tracks from anything else.
