Into the West (Inactive)

Game Master Simeon

Zaranna, seeing the drake go down, gives a wordless shout of triumph, and turns around to fire at the other one.

Since she doesn't have to move to chase after it this time, she has the time to shoot two arrows instead of one.

Rapid Shot

First Shot: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17
Second Shot: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

Damage First Shot: 1d8 + 6 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 6 + (4, 2) = 13
Damage Second Shot: 1d8 + 6 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + 6 + (1, 6) = 20

Zaranna's hatred of drakes prevails, and the arrow hit the drake with deadly precicision. One hits the chest, and the other lodges in the drake's eye. The beast collapses to the ground.

'Nice shooting.' Lowering his rifle, Angus looks from the drake to the elf, "That was an impressive display of archery. Shall we skin these creatures?"

'Don't dragons have hoards?' Looking at the rocky area, smiling he asks "Do these things keep hoards or something? Could we find their cave?"

John Thomans puffs out his cheeks before exhaling loudly he puts his pistol away and picks up his shillelagh.

"Think next time I might not bother even pulling this thing out. Might be a waste of metal in my hand."

He raises an eye at the thought of a treasure cache. Should have bought one of those bottomless packs.

'A waste?' As Angus moves back to his mount, he laughs, "Well, at least you can hit someone with the barrel. But hang on to it, when we get a chance I will show you how to use it."

Zaranna whoops in pleasure at taking down the evil, murderous beasts, and she congratulates all of her fellows on fighting well and ridding the world of the evil creatures.

Yes, we should skin them both. I have been studying up on my drakecrafting. I could probably make some nice items for us if we tan the hides. There are other things that are useful as well. I think I want a draketooth necklace. Anyone else have requests?

Dragoncrafting is a free feat for Zaranna (at 5th level, where we are now), but since we switched the template to Drakes and not Dragons (to fit the world), we probably need a DM ruling on exactly what we can make from them. Zaranna is already wearing Drakehide armor, but when she got it the difference from regular hide armor was just cosmetic. It doesn't have any energy resistance like some kinds of dragonhide do. I'm guessing we can also make belts, shoes, and anything else made of leather, but inherent magical properties are up in the air, as are other possibilities normally associated with dragoncrafting.

I also (as a player) don't know whether drakes have hoards in this world, but here are some rolls to find some of these things out:

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (6) + 17 = 23
Lore: Drakes: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Let me know if you want any other rolls.

'Her armor does look nice.' As Angus mounts onto Marion, he looks down at his boots, Turning the gelding so everone could see him Lif his foot from the stirrup, he nods to his boot. "By the time were done, my boots will be worn out. Snakeskin boots are popular, I'd wager drake-hide boots would be beautiful as well."

He then trots Marion over to the nearest Drake, and dismounting prepares to help Zaranna skin the beasts.

survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

I was getting Angus ready to ride away, totally forgot we were going to skin the drakes ;-)

Working together, Angus and Zaranna are able to skin the drake and harvest some components. Firstly, the hide can be used with leatherworking or dragoncrafting to make a set of leather or hide based armor. Alternatively, it could be made into four weapon grips, providing a +2 bonus against disarmament and a +1 on the first attack made with it in a combat. They are also able to harvest two sand bladders, used to store sand prior to superheating into glass. It is flexible and surprisingly strong, causing the wearer’s strength to be treated as four higher for the purposes of carrying capacity. Finally, they harvest four large drake fangs, functioning as masterwork daggers. There are smaller fangs and scraps of hide and bone able to be made into trophies if the party wants some. Zaranna remembers that drakes often have lairs, and given the drake’s attack the party likely wandered close to it.

"Excellent. Well done. These fangs should make WONDERFUL platforms for a little bit of carving. Lets also look for the lair"

Guujaw will start carving on his drake fang when opportunity arises (not now, at night etc. just mentioning it now).

Is that from both drakes, or just from one?

Yes, there should be a lair around here somewhere.

After harvesting items and trophies from the drakes, Zaranna looks around the canyon for a likely spot where a drake lair might be.

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21

Zaranna can work on some drakehide boots or other things in her downtime... whatever you guys want.

Zaranna is able to follow some claw marks on the canyon walls and shed scales to find a large cave mouth.

That is from both.

"Right-o. Digging though a drake cave it is."

John Thomas will take point as the group begins the exploration.

Looking at the two drakes and the cave it immediately dawns on Kuruk what comes next.

I bet they were a mated pair, if they have young we will need to either raise or kill them.

"Are you certain you want what comes next Zaranna? It is one thing when they are large and have attacked you, another when they are new to the world. Perhaps these creatures are merely like a more cunning bear then the malevolent thinking evil you've described.

Many creatures are fierce if they think there is a threat to their young, or in order to feed their young."

If we find young, and someone in the party wishes to raise them, I will not prevent it, or subvert the effort. I would even wish you the best. It would be a useful experiment to see if they could learn to do good rather than evil.

I will not, however, spare any young otherwise, for their natures are evil, and they hunt and kill for fun, not because they are threatened or for any other reason that it is a game to them.

Not unlike many humans.

'An interesting idea, seeing if it's their nature or their upbringing. Though, not something I have an inclination to do.' Listening to the conversation between the Elf and Dwarf, Angus keeps his opinion to himself. As they near the cave, he dismounts, petting his geldings neck he tells the bay, "Stay" He draws his pistol, and begins following John into the mouth of the cave keeping a keen eye out. "Well, only gonna find out one way, shall we?"

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

"If there are young then I would definitely like the opportunity to see if they can be raised peacefully. I have found very few creatures are as completely evil as people suppose. Or as completely good. I have found goodness in Orcs and evil in the holiest of priests. Any young deserve a chance. Everthing you describe, Zaranna, is true of cats. And many people."

Yes, humans that are serial killers. Now imagine if all humans had that tendency. Cats don't have evil intent... just instinct. Drakes are intelligent, and they ARE evil. In any case, I already explained the exact circumstances under which I would spare one.

She goes into the Drake Lair with her bow ready.

The drake lair is fairly dim, though with a torch or magical light a somewhat disturbing sight can be revealed. On a flat wall of rock at the back of the cave is an oddly familiar drawing depicting a winged reptilian best with a huge fanged mouth. A spiraling pattern sits at the center of the mouth. Arrayed around it are skulls and bits of leather, along with several bags and sacks.

Guujaw looks at the drawing, wondering if he determine if it has any special meaning
know: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 +3 religion, +4 Local, +5 Arcana

I'm assuming the 'spiral pattern' is part of the drawing, not on the floor in the mouth of the cave.

'Well that's a disturbing image. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, pistol in hand, Angus walks into the cave keeping a keen eye out for anything else unusual. He points to the skulls, bits of leather and bags, "Does anyone else think those are sacrifices to that beast on the wall?" He then carefully moves around the 'sacrificial area' looking for traps or anything similar.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Guujaw determines that the drawing is religious in nature. However, he has never seen anything like it. The area at the base of the cave wall does not seem have any traps.

knowledge History: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 yeah, never mind

'I wonder if the image has any historical reference.' Looking at the image of the creature for a moment, Angus, tucks his pistol in his belt and begins opening the sacks and bags. "Well, whoever he is, I hope he doesn't mind us going through his stuff."

Isn't this the same thing we found back in that other cave?

Zaranna breaks out her Ioun torch to light the area up, and then checks the bags and sacks. She asks the others if there is anything magical.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 (+4 if a drake is around)

As the others search John Thomas shifts his gaze from the cave to the entrance, staying vigilant in case anything else attacks.

"Before we go searching through those bags we should make sure the cave is clear of threats."

perception searching for threats: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
knowledge religion at the painting: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

will use detect magic and light to enhance

If something bites me, I'll stop. Don't worry.

"personally, I like to stop BEFORE I'm bitten. But best not to mention that"

Kuruk gives the elf a momentary look.

I'd bit you

<cough, cough> "I'll go check the end of the cave."

There aren’t any threats in the cave, and a thorough search doesn’t reveal much aside from the cave painting and offerings. Kuruk easily recognizes the drawing as similar to the one in the chupacabra’s lair, although depicting a drake instead of a chupacabra. The spiral design in the center is the exact same however.

Anything in the bags?

There are three bags, all made from leather. One of them contains a large amount of food, mainly cured meat and dried fruits. The second contains a cavalry breastplate, and the last holds a long-barreled musket and about fifty cartridges.

The breastplate and rifle are magical. The rifle is a dragoon musket.

Guujaaw will attempt to identify the magic items, taking 10 for a 23

'Ok, food, I'm not sure how trustworthy that is... ah a breastplate, I wonder if it's Spanish. A dragoon Musket, I thought that bag had an odd shape. Holding up the breastplate and musket so Guujaaw could get a better look at them. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

Holding the musket out to John, Smiling. "I can teach you how to use this also. Heck if your interested I can even teach you how to repair it, if your really committed to the idea."

I mean committed enough to waste a couple of feats or take a level in gunslinger :-)

who wants the breastplate?

Zaranna packs up the food in case they need it as they travel further.

Kuruk might have use for the breastplate depending on how good it is (already wearing a +1)

The musket is +1, while the breastplate is +2.

"Well, looks like we were worrying about babies for no reason. Shall we proceed?"

Actually he's wearing non magical breast plate so a +2 is a really nice upgrade, anyone take issue with me taking this?

'The breastplate was built for a thick person.' Holding the breastplate up, looking at Kuruk, "Kuruk, your wearing a breastplate, would this one fit you? I think it looks about the same size."

Nodding to Guujaaw, "I reckon it's just as well, keeping little ones safe would have been tough."

Handing off the rifle and the armor, Angus watches Zaranna pack up the food, "Would you really eat that? did you recognize any of it?"

As he exits the cave, mounting on Marion, he waits until everyone is ready. "Shall we continue? We've got a lot of sun left."

Kuruk I checked the pfsrd to make sure, brawlers wear light armor. John's melee, but he cant wear it, go ahead and take it.

"Aye, it will look good on your. Too restrictive for me I think and frankly I am not wide enough and you are."

John Thomas smiles while he pokes at some of his more bloody bits.

I already have a magic chain shirt so I would have you take it even if I could wear it.

You don't have to eat it if you don't want to, Angus. Drakes don't cure meat or dry fruits themselves. It's likely stolen, or else there are humanoids that have visited here as well... maybe they worship the drakes. I don't know, but the similarity to the drawings in the chupacabra lair is uncanny.

"Perhaps there's a god in the west courting the worship of monsters."

Kuruk slips on the armor, "Feels good, lighter than my old plate."

"God of monsters. Makes sense that would be a thing, specially if you don't live around a lot of people. Still seems odd that it is in the cave." he scratches his head "Welp, not something I can worry to much about."

"Oh, I'm worried alright. Not at all sure what the significance is yet but it all seems VERY ominous to me right now"

'A god courting the worship of monsters?' Turning in his saddle to look at Kuruk, Angus raises an eyebrow. "That is a troubling thought." Giving a slightly wolfish smile patting the handle of his pistol. "Hopefully the religious monsters will continue dying the same way the atheistic ones do."

He looks towards the west, "Shall we continue on?"

After packing up the things that they have found, Zaranna joins the others to continue the journey.

The party ventures further through the canyons. About a day later the party climbs a rise and sees it below. A vast canyon, larger than any of the party has seen, stretching for miles. In the canyon below, the party notices a large structure built into a cliff wall a ways off. Smoke rises from a few chimneys, and a few large figures bustle about.

Congratulations, you’ve reached the Grand Canyon!

John Thomas pulls off his hat and wipes his head.

"Well look at that! Kind of bigger then words aint it."

'Both beautiful and problematic.' dismounting Marion,"Stay" Angus moves closer to the edge, squatting there. He looks at the canyon for a few moments. At first to take in it's grandeur of it; then he begins looking for a way down to the large structure. "Hopefully we can find a path down, I don't relish the idea of leaving the animals up here."

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 I should have 'taken 20'

Zaranna looks for a path down.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17