Gallows of Madness: A Foul Breed (1) (Inactive)

Game Master Tyranius

Taking your findings to Mayor Trinelli causes a bit of concern. Between a description of the demon’s bile from the graveyard; the name “Yellow-Foot” from Nolaria’s familiar and knowledge of his new yellow boots; testimony from one or more of the masters that Gellion was the leader of the missing apprentices. The Mayor has little choice but to call in Gellion's master, Majara Pricknettle.

The mayor considers everything and summons Pricknettle to the town hall to speak with you at once. The little Halfling enters the small room with a fluster at being summoned in such a hurry. "What..what is this all about?"

(Wow, no one's posted for a few days. By the way, I thought Pricknettle was a gnome?)

Orseb figures he's the most suitable one to break the bad news. "Please, take a seat." He puts on an more serious expression, to convey the important nature of the situation.

"Mrs. Pricknettle, you may remember our questions from a few hours ago. In light of our investigation, it seems that your apprentice, Gellion, has managed to entangle the youths of this town to some... trouble. We have reason to believe this to be a serious threat to the entire town."

The Garundi man seats himself as well.

"If there's anything you know that might help us find Gellion and the other apprentices..." Orseb says, doing his best to be gentle and understanding. The Kuthite in him, meanwhile, observes the increasing mental pain she goes through.

Yup-Kind of figure posting would be low past two days with the holidays. That is my fault. She is indeed a gnome.

Pricknettle begins to cry as she hears all of the evidence against her apprentice. Her hands shake as she points to the map. "His families house is here. Please. Please give him a chance to explain his side of things when you find him." She begs of you.

Hydris explains "Don't worry mam. We just want the kids all home safe."

We want them back, all right, Orseb thinks to himself, dead or alive.

We'll get him back ma'am. Let's go, lads. We have some work to do....

Oh, yes, Fletcher says with assurance. We shall definitely seek an explanation from him. It takes him a moment before he realizes that his words might not be comforting...

We could check his home, perhaps a clue to their whereabouts is still there.

The Vazarro home is a simple, well-kept, two-story structure of bricks, wood, and plain shingles. Smoke billows from a brick chimney, and minimal light escapes from the windows, from which partially closed, thick slatted shutters hang. The front door bears a tarnished brass knocker.

The front door and all windows seem to be locked from the inside.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

perc: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

heal: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Umm, we might have a problem here... Conal says as he points out slime and the vial. The slime might be all over the walls inside...no way to tell if there is a safe way in...

Justain backs away, hoping one of the others might be better suited for the task at hand.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Hyrdis looks and listens "Can anybody summon something with hands or is otherwise good with this sort of thing?"

"Perhaps I can make one of you more resistant to what we find?"

Not really expecting it to work, Hyeong-Ju tries to use open/close to open the door and window from a distance, on the off chance they've been left unsecured.

Can use protection from evil from my arcane bond on someone. Hopefully it works against the disease.

Ok investigates a bit and attempts a few spells on the door and windows but finds them all to be secured and locked.

Fletcher taps his chin as he surveys the building. Looks like we might need to bust in the door. Perhaps a shield over the place where the vial comes out? The Varisian has already taken off his buckler and is comparing it to the area of the trap.

Hydris nods to Fletcher "Good idea"

Fletcher holds his shield up to the area of the vial of blood. It looks as if it may hold the majority of the blast area. Slamming into the door the vial breaks, sending a stream of red hot blood into the shield. The blood doesn't stop for several seconds as Fletcher's shield becomes red hot causing him to drop it to the ground.

CLANG! CLANG! WOMWOMWOMWOMBMBMBMB It circles loudly on the ground until it comes to a rest. It takes several minutes for the shield to cool down again to be able to touch it once again.

While the shield is cooling the group takes the time to batter down the locked door and remove it from its hinges.

Scratches and dark stains cover nearly every surface in this spacious living room. To the east, paintings and other once fine objects give fuel to a fire roaring in the hearth. Bent, broken, and bloody cutlery juts at odd angles from the table in the center of the room. Books lie scattered in heaps next to broken shelves, and shards of shattered dishes spill forth from their cabinets. An open door to the west looks into the filthy kitchen, and stairs to the southwest lead up to the next floor. Tiny bloody footprints cover the stairs, heading in both directions.

New map is up.

I love what they've done with the place. I wonder if the next floor up has been improved the same way. Justain will suggest they search these two rooms first before proceeding up the stairs, however.

Hydris nods "Lets clear the floor at lease before searching throughly."

Hydris moves up to the next door and listens at the door.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"Gellion's family lives here, no? It looks to me like there was a fight."

Orseb examines the signs of resistance: the books, cutlery, the shattered dishes.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Wary of the debris filled room, Hyeong-Ju protects himself before entering, casting a spell. Shield

Hopeful that others are better prepared to analyze the footprints, he then moves over towards the bookshelf, skimming the titles for anything alarming or unexpected.

Conal scans the room, looking for any sign of a threat, blade at the ready.

perc: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Fletcher exhales for what feels like the first time after the buckler absorbs most of the trap. He delicately picks it up once it is cool enough, then follows everyone inside, chuckling at Justin's remark.

Tiny footprints...
He takes a look at them.
Survival: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Quickly fanning out and scanning the room Fletcher realizes that the bloody foot prints only seem to cover the stairs in both directions.

Ok grows nervous and begins to shield himself by means of magic. The rest of the group looks around but doesn't seem to find much among the debris.

Though as Hydris listens to the western door he comes face to face with a series of forks tied to a string and many small sharp implements that are set to fling in all directions if the door is touched. The little halfling nearly sets the trap off in his face.

The blazing fire crackles and pops. Hydris catches a glimmer of movement in the corner of his eye, though it could have just been a shadow from the fires flickering flames for all he knows.

Hydris may perform a surprise round action

Hydris almost jumps back after realizing how close he came to getting a face full of forks.

Hydris shouts "Something in the fire, maybe...!"
as he ducks away from the door and gets his back to a wall.

Total defense for +4 AC

Fletcher moves away from the door and slams his back defensively into the wall just as a large kitchen knife flings out from underneath the table in the center of the room at Orseb.

dagger vs Orseb AC FF 16: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Damage: 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

The kitchen knife sticks into Orseb's leg as a small grating cackle is hear from a tiny creature beneath the table. This vaguely humanoid creature is about the size of a cat but looks more like a toothy devil. Has cover from the table and debris

Round 1
Hydris
Justain
OK
Conal
Fletcher
---------------------------
??????? (DC 11 Knowledge Arcana)
---------------------------
Orseb (7/10)

Conal steps forward and slices at the beast with his blade.

adding flanking bonus but am unsure for certain...subtract it if needed...

attack: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 2 = 161d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

With a five foot step, Fletcher has a decent shot. He loads his heavy crossbow (Move) and fires!

PB/Precise Shot: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
dmg: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Justain decides to at the creature with his nine-section whip.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 for Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Unsure of what the creature is, he moves forward, trying to distract the creature so that Conall gets a better shot.

Aid Another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

know arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Hydris shouts "I don't know what that is but it's not friendly!"

Hydris drops down on one knee and attempts to poke the creature with the staff end of his sling.

slingstaff: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Though the rest miss the creature and strike the nearby table and many forms of debris Justain is able to batter through the table and into the tiny constructs legs with his nine-tailed whip while Hydris wallops it over the head with a stone from his slingstaff, knocking it to the ground, bleeding.

Combat Over

Orseb may be calm, but that calmness does not come with quick reflexes. It takes him a second to even notice the knife in his leg. "...Oh."

After his fellow agents knocked the tiny fiend out cold, the cleric administers a charge from his healing wand.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"...Is everyone else unscathed? So tell me, what is that thing and why is it here?"

Hydris comments "I'm okay, no clue on that creature though."

I was hoping you guys might have that answer. Justain kicks at the creature, making sure of its demise.

It was a humunculus with no wings or stinger. If you wanted to know. Though your characters obviously don't. Where to next?

(So guys: should we see where those bloody footprints lead, or search the room on this floor?)

Search the entire floor first, is my vote.

Search the entire floor first, is my vote.

I'll second that.

Conal looks around, his guard still up after the fight.

Might be more of those things around...can't be too careful...

perc: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Well, you still know that the door to the west is trapped as per (LINK)

(Do you think you can disarm the trap, Hydris? Or should we try the good ol' shield trick?)

Have shield, will trapspring. :-)

Hydris has no ability to disarm traps.

(Sorry, I must have confused your character sheet with Fletcher's. Fletcher has a bonus in Disable Device.)

As long as it's not magical, sure, Fletcher will try.
Disable: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Fletcher tries his best to dislodge and rig the trap to not send shrapnel and sharp forks flying in his direction. Though in his efforts he hears the familiar deadly twang and forks come flying at him in all directions.

Ranged Attack vs Fletcher AC 19: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

A pair of bent forks stick into Fletcher's shoulder but with a grimace he is able to also get the door open.

The smell of rotting food and stagnant water rises from the filth in this small kitchen, mixing sickeningly with the strong, coppery scent of fresh blood. Broken jugs, upturned trays, and scraps of food litter the room. In the sink, a large bowl filled with chewed and spat out food floats in thick, bloody water in the sink. An open door to the south reveals a ransacked pantry.

The cloud of rotting stench slams into the party.

DC 12 Fort save or sickened for 1 minute

fort: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

Ungh... Fletcher grimaces as the cutlery hits him. Not quite got it, I'm afraid. Anyone else hurt? he asks as he plucks the fork out of his flesh.

DC 12 Fort save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
He handles the stench somewhat better. What on Golarion happened in here?