Hills PbP GameDay 2: PFS Module: Murder's Mark (Inactive)

Game Master Heofthehills

Davreena smiles from nine feet away,out of reach of any sudden claws. "I am here to learn of this carnival. I am surprised by what has been done to you. Please tell me your ta-, story of what happened to you?"

"The Keeper found me. Keeps me safe and fed. My spikes were torn from me before he found me. He saved my life and keeps me alive." The manticore can speak, but it seems he rarely does, as his guttural common is a bit rough, but he doesn't seem oppressed.

A look of shock appears on Haru's face for a moment before he regains his composure. "It appears I owe you an apology. I did not realize you could speak or understand my words. Or even possessed such an intelligence. The wonders we see in this world. To have gained such an injury, was it in battle?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

The manticore huffs at the male and looks back over to the female who initially spoke to it.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Clair joins the conversation. "He didn't start out very subtle, but I do wonder as well. Was it a battle injury?"

The manticore shakes it's head.

"I am Davreena, the Spiritspeaker. Is there anything I can get for you, Sir Manticore? Your Keeper, I could ask her if you wish, it is Almara I suppose?" The aasimar smiles at the other two with a gentle shake of her head. The creature appears to be shutting down and retreating from their crude questions.

"Almara is not the keeper. The keeper feeds me well."

"So who's the keeper, mister manticore?" Clair tries, hoping she'll get more than a nod this time.

Haru backs away from the conversation at this point, wondering what it was that upset the manticore.

"Lord Flavion is the keeper." He nods towards a Taldan man that seems to have his eyes everywhere in the zoo portion.

Orin whispers to the manticore "Do you think he's tasty?"

"Thank you, I shall leave you but please do you have a name too? I go to talk to the Keeper next."

I'm going to push forward a bit tonight, I'll let the conversation with the keeper go in spoilers, but I think everyone would appreciate hitting the meat of the plot.

"So... where shall we go next? I feel like we've seen the most interesting things, but I may have missed something."

The keeper is a fairly innocuous man who gives everyone the impression that he is a bit...skeezy, but overall, he cares for his charges and wants them to survive and thrive where they can.

A bit more time passes and games and shows fill their day, only to draw them into the spectacle of the evening's big top show.

Many of the creatures are shown curtesy of the zoo. After acrobatic displays, displays of strength, minor magic displays and even a bit about mindreading, the star is brought out and the sphinx reappears before them all, though this time she is free and a bit more animated, talking to one person or another throughout the show.

Any questions about the show or anything up until this point? If not by tomorrow, I will move to the next bit. I think I am back and good to go, at least for enough to get us through this. Colic seriously sucks.

"Why was she chained earlier, if she doesn't need to be chained now?" Clair moves uncomfortable in her seat, and firmly grabs holds of her scythe.

I don't trust this...

Everything goes well and the show is over with a very exciting spectacle to be seen by all. However, as the group is funneling out with the crowd, the crowd seems to stop and a man can be seen fluttering above the group...though he is not quite human. His ears are enormous, and it is those ears that he seems to be keeping himself aloft with giant waves of them that allow him to fly, but not well. He also seems to be clowning it up.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Clair exclaims as she watches the flying man. "Could you tell me your name, sir? My name's Clair. Where'd you learn how to fly with your ears?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

"Oh, oh, oh, Phardaen is the name. Flying with my ears...well that is just something we Panotti do!"

As he talks, several cries begin flowing through the crowd and people are rushing everywhere, as if terror is striking them.

The dragon is loose, the dragon is loose!! Can be heard from the direction of the zoo and the crowd is making it clear that they will not fall victim to it, though they don't care if people get shoved out of their way as they run.

"Nice to meet you Phardaen! Where do Pano..." Clair stops talking and listens to the chaos.

"There's a loose dragon...? Oh dear..."

Davreena moves in that direction, listening to the shouts and pushing other people behind her as she heads against the flow.

Sparkle Weave whistles to Orin and heads towards the commotion.

"Maybe something tasty got loose!"

Orin says as he salivates slightly.

The "dragon" seems to be on a rampage, tearing into stuff and looking to harm.

Initiative Order:
Sparkle
Haru
Clair
Dav
Dragon
Beau

Sparkle you two are up.

"Don't kill him! He's important!" Phardaen calls out!

Sparkle Weave will cast daze monster on the "dragon"

Will save DC 14 or be dazed for 1 round. Creatures of 7 or more HD are not affected.

Orin will move around to the far side of the creature and ready to reach out an give it a playful bite once he has a flank.

Reach Bite + Flank - Subdual: 1d20 + 3 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 2 - 4 = 20
Non Lethal Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13 The creature is dazed when Orin's bite hits it, causing it to yelp.

"Don't kill it?" she repeats with a good measure of frustrated disbelief, before muttering further, "Wrong skill set here."

She draws her sword cane, but does not unsheathe it - seeking to subdue the creature. "Niiice, lizard," she coos sweetly, before chancing a swing at it.

Attk: 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 1 - 4 = 0
Dmg: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

What does the dragon look like?

The creature has a thick body and squat legs with a wide muzzle. It has clearly shown it has sharp teeth, but no wings grace the creature's body. It is green in color for the most part and it's body is about four feet long.

Round 1

Haru cracks his knuckles as he steps up. "Let's see what these can do." As he moves to flank with Orin, he lashes out, careful to not harm the creature. Apparently too carefully as his strike misses.

Move to flank, standard to attack. Dealing subdual with unarmed strike.

Attack w/ PA: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7
Damage (subdual): 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Unfortunately, the blow fails to land.

Never the brightest and trusting to luck, Davreena points a finger at the wingless lump of a wyrm and trusts to luck.

"This may not help. But here goes."

casts charm animal, and continues to move closer with palms outstretched in a friendly manner. Will DC15

Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

The creature's reckless rampage ends nearly as soon as it begins as it looks over to Davreena like a puppy to an owner.

Clair moves up to the dragon in a way that ensures she flanks it with Haru. She's about the attack it with her scythe when Davreena charms the animal. "I... don't have to hit it anymore...?"

Unsure whether she should still attack the dragon Clair holds her attack for a moment. If anything indicates she should still attack the dragon Clair will swing the back of her scythe at it.

Two-Handed Attack, flanking: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 = 8 Nonlethal Damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 4) + 4 = 11

Not like that attack will hit.

Phardaen flutters up and looks to Davreena in awe, "You...you are some sort of dragontamer. We are so lucky you are here!"

The commotion seems to be dying down as the large lizard nuzzles Davreena's leg.

At this point, the Master Flavion arrives, looking as if he was running to get here, his chest moving quickly. "I...I...impressive." He says simply as he surveys the scene and animal handlers arrive behind him to start taking the 'dragon' back to it's cage. "Thank you so much for taking care of my pet. She would not have tried to escape...this is odd indeed." As he says this, he tosses a glance at Phardaen and then gives a little shake. "I appreciate you not hurting her, have this," with those words, he tosses a small pouch to Davreena and walks off to deal with the animal. 50gp

"Bingo!" Clair says as Master Flavion walks off with the dragon, staring at the gold Davreena received, "You should make a living out of handling animals, it pays good coin apparently."

"I was lucky. You were all brave to attack it so carefully, me I stayed back and cast. My dear Clair, can you look after this gold? The spirits never wish for me to be weighed down by metal. It is only money after all."

She takes a moment to catch up with the Master, "may we investigate his cage for you? To find out why he attacked."

Orin looks dejected.
I didn't get to eat it.

Having pulled back due to the 'dragons' sudden change in demeanor, Haru watches as the others go about handling it, talking to the carnival master. Curious, Haru looks around, seeing if anyone is behaving strange or out of the ordinary.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Haru doesn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Flavion gives a nod to Claire. "Just be careful not to let her out again..."

Upon inspection, there does not appear to be anything out of the ordinary.

Orin sniffs around the cage.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Orin growls a bit "If you want to eatsss it, why would you set it free to be scared? Being scared just makes the meat tougher."

"Sure, Davreena. I'll hold onto the money for you."

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Clair pats the dragon's back. "Poor creature. You were just scared by all the commotion, weren't you?"

"Set it free?" Clair asks Orin, "Someone opened the cage?"

She turns to Flavion: "Any idea who may do that, and why?"

Why the heck would anyone open the cage to a dragon? Surely they must have been trying to steal her and she fought them...that has to be it, doesn't it?"

"Or... they wanted the dragon to cause a commotion...? Perhaps, during the commotion, the person who released her went to do something else..."

"Either way, is there someone you can think of who'd do something like this?" Clair asks Flavion again.

I asked too many questions at once...

Perception check 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13, Sense Motive 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"Not a one. Why break her free if you weren't going to steal her." He says with a shake of his head as the panotti flitters over.

"What happened?!?"

"I would suggest that the poor dragon was a distraction. Check other places nearby and you may find a greater problem. Yes Clair could be right."

Davreena looks around for what is close by.