PFS 03-13 - The Quest for Perfection III (Defenders of Nesting Swallow, Tier 1-5) (Inactive)

Game Master Baerlie

From the crow's nest (which is to say the make shift deck chair Kraww has constructed of odds and ends).

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 Hmph looks like we got someone following us. Better prepare ourselves.

"Well, my friends, we are gonna have company. Prepare yourselves, Lingshen's men are coming in a patrol ship, the Hailong."

Tûrak will drink a mutagen (+4 to Dex & -2 to Wis, and +2 nat. armor for 30 minutes), he will put his wand of cure light wounds in one wrist sheath and an alchemist's fire in the another. The alchemist will drink his extract of heightened awareness as well (and will dismiss it to gain a +4 bonus on initiative, when this time comes), while holds a bomb in one hand and the longbow in the another.

@Ishingka remember that you have the infusion of enlarge person that Tûrak gave to you.

So I cheated to find out what the spoiler meant. ;) But if it is a distant twinkle: What's their ETA given present course and speed? Do we know the vessels usual compliment? Are there apparent options to evade them? Would I like the cheese they make in their country?

The light of dusk reveals a ship some six hundred feet to port and fast approaching. Its banner bears a single upthrust spear, and its golden sails sparkle in the sinking sun.

And this is some kind of a premiere for me, I never had a vessel combat before

What do you want to do? Remember, you still have the braid and you want to keep it.

Kraww curses himself for not bringing some flaming pitch arrows.

"WARK! We have less than a minute! Bernard! Can your ghost foul their rigging, drop their anchor or scare their helmsman off course? WARK!"

Bernard nods and the ghostly apparition of a halfling is pulled painfully from his body. Bernard quietly points and says Sabotage them. flatly and sends him off incorporeally to scout and look for ways to sabotage the ship, like say a quick way to drop their anchor or mess up their rigging.

Ishingka nods to Turak and holds the extract vial. "Won't we be fighting with missiles, though? I'm worse off being large in a firefight," she says, scanning for the ship.

Hmph, those fools think they can hold their own against us? Well if it's a fight they want, than its a fight they'll get. Serpentfang seems much more serious and destructive than usual.

Bernard sends the ghostly halfling towards the other ship. how far can Cormac go?

The halfling sees several ways to sabotage the ship: the anchor chain may be loosened, the ropes of the sails may be cut, the sails may be set on fire, as well as the whole ship.

100 ft, though I can stretch that for a single round. In that time I will have the halfling quickly set fire to the sails and return

Particularly, what I most want is to blow up the ship with my bombs. :P

Ok, let's handle it like this ;)

You wait for the ship to come closer and once it's close enough Bernard sends Cormac to the other deck where the halfling starts to set one sail after the other on fire. First it does not seem to have much effect, but as the fire grows bigger and the crew is not able to extinguish fast enough the ship slows down and finally stops. It's about 50 feet away of you, but close enough for you to start to destroy the ship's hull.

The crew is busy with the fire.

Tûrak uses its alchemical weapon ability to imbue an arrow with a flask of alchemist's fire and he shoots it at a place in the ship where have more fire.

"Oil! Anybody here have oil?", the half-orc cries to the Pathfinders, in the heat of battle.

Longbow: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 71d8 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + (5) + 2 = 13

Bernard produces a vial of acid and has Cormac continue to sabotage their ship by dropping their anchor

The sailors on the other ship continue to fight the fire which spreads on the deck while Cormac quickly releases the big anchror which drops into the water. Soon the Hailong stops completely and Tûrak shoots more fire at the vessel's deck. The sails burn down.

I think it's safe to say that you get away.

Bernard grumpily returns to his post helping with the steering of the ship Ungrateful lousy pirates...no law in this world He grumbles tearing at himself a bit.

"You get away. WARK! Go back to steering this hunk of junk. WARK!" Kraww squawks at Bernard.

Haha, watch them scurry like little pests, fools!

"I was going to swim over and say hello!" says Ishingka almost mournfully.

After kidding the Hailong's crew and eluding capture, you are free to continue across the Sea of Eels in peace. Once you reach Shokuro, you rendezvous with a Pathfinder Society contact who is waiting to receive the Laughing Crow. From here you travel onward to Nesting Swallow. where the third and final part of The Quest for Perfection story arc takes place

That's it for part II, the Chronicles will follow tonight.

Tûrak looks with a serious look to the horizon, while the enemy ship is gone ablaze, he takes the helm and continues to his destination, without uttering another word.

Bernard give him a grateful look and waits to help him.

Tedium has become a constant companion in the countryside of Shokuro. The roads have dwindled in size and maintenance as the days have passed; what was a wide, stone-paved highway near the river towns has become a narrow, winding track of dust, sometimes fading entirely into the surrounding terrain. Travelers along it have likewise grown scarce as the days drone on. Still, the journey’s end lies no more than half a day’s travel away, in the village of Nesting Swallow, a hamlet so small it could easily vanish into a crease on a map. No more than a few more miles through these sparsely wooded hills and valleys rests the last known home of Master Li Yao, and here, with luck, his descendant still lives. In this speck of farmland may be found one who can, by right of blood, bring forth the forgotten power of the Braid of a Hundred Masters.

Nesting Swallow is located deep in the heartlands of Shokuro, a few weeks’ travel from the end of your river journey in On Hostile Waters. This last leg of the trip takes them through mostly civilized country, and passes without significant event. Over the past week, the towns have grown smaller and further apart, as the interior of Shokuro is for the most part extremely rural.

You have nearly reached Nesting Swallow, and have begun to encounter some of the farms on the outskirts of the village. Though these farming developments seem unremarkable enough at first, an eerie silence permeates the countryside, and it soon becomes clear that not all is right in this region around Nesting Swallow. Around noon on the last day of you trip, your trail takes you over a small hillock, where you are privy to a startling sight in the sprawling valley below, revealing to you that not all is right in this simple farming community.

Not far from the hill, a dead mule and overturned cart lie in the middle of the road, two cloaked figures rummaging through the spilled contents of the cart while making disapproving cawing noises to a pair of similarly dressed riders on horseback. Two other horses stand on the side of the road, presumably mounts for the two on foot. The mounted figures loom over a half-dozen shabbily dressed peasants. One of the riders urges his horse forward and makes a threatening slash at the face of a man trying to shield several children behind him.

The rider menacing the family croaks at the father in a harsh, biting dialect of Tien: "You want to run? Leave early? We won’t stop you. But it costs! Gold, silver, where is it?"

The bloodrager takes in the scene. She has grown very tired of pounding targets with her hammer, and furthermore, the lack of city comforts have made her irritable. What happened to all the legendary spices and goods of Tien. Ishingka relishes the idea of a fight and sizes up the whatever-it-is on horseback. She strides forward.

"Oi. Leave them alone, would ya? Or else I shall get hungry for chicken." Ishingka gives the rider a fearsome stare.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

As usual, Tûrak carries the wand of cure light wounds in one of the wrist sheaths and the mutagen in the another, and the bombs in the bandoliers.

Tûrak drinks his extract of heightened awareness, while silently watches Ishingka trying outdo the thugs and takes a look around, searching for other bandits who may be hiding.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 = 15

@GM Baerlie if an initiative check is needed, Tûrak will end the duration of the extract to gain a +4 bonus on that check.

Bernard looms over behind Ishingka and cracks his knuckles loudly

"We wouldn't want to cause a scene here would we? Scenes starring me usually end with someone hanging upside down on a meathook and it's usually not me"

Initimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

"Scene stealer," mutters Ishingka at Bernard.

Kraww, who actually speaks Tien, can translate for the others as needed though he makes a bit of a show of being put upon if he has to.

"Scene stealer," mutters Ishingka at Bernard.

"She said 'scene stealer.' WARK." Kraww says to Bernard still translating Common into grating, Kraww Common.

While Kraww translates between Tien, Common and Kraww Common Ishingka tries to intimidate the Tengus threatening the farmer and his family. Thinking Ishingka's attempt to intimidate the Tengus is not good enough he translates her words into an even more intimidating offend.
Two of the four bandits are now acting friendly towards you, two are not.

Round 1
Kraww
Cormac
---
Tengu red
---
Serpentfang
Ishingka
---
Tengu blue
---
Bernard
Tûrak

@GM Baerlie if an initiative check is needed, Tûrak will end the duration of the extract to gain a +4 bonus on that check.

@GM Baerlie indeed, Tûrak's initiative was 9, if you are considering my last post, so he acts before Bernard and the blue tengu, right?

yes

Kraww moves forward. Which I can't on my phone.

"I won't if I were you. WARK."

intimidate: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

Apparently not scarily enough.

Bernard was not prepared for combat and as such Cormac was residing within his soul at the moment and it would take a full minute to manifest his boon companion.

So Bernard pulled loose his sap and lets out a loud primal shout filled the the shrieks of true pain to try and shake the resolve of Tengu red.

Intimidate check to Demoralize: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Kraww moves forward and tries to intimidate another Tengu, but his voice was not loud enough to be heard. I will resolve Bernard's attemt when his turn is up

The red Tengu turns around and gets closer. "Who are you that you think you can tell us what to do?" he asks.

Round 1
Kraww
Cormac
---
Tengu red
---
Serpentfang
Ishingka
Tûrak
---
Tengu blue
---
Bernard

Tûrak moves forward while draws a bomb from his bandolier, and throws it at the tengu with red bandana.

Rgd touch atk: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 202d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 4) + 6 = 14

"Just shut up, vulture cub!", he screams when the fire rises.

Ishingka moves towards the tengu with uncanny speed, careful not to get too close. "Would you like to see what your heart looks like?" she says in a sweet tone to the tengu she faces.

You fools have no idea who you're messing with. Serp angrily steps forward and fires a faint ray of fire at the closest enemy.
Attack vs Touch: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 131d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Tûrak hurls a bomb at the tengu with the red bandana and hits the bird right in the face, dropping him where he stands.
Serpentfang may redo his action as his target is down

Round 1
Kraww
Cormac
---
Tengu red
---
Serpentfang
Ishingka
Tûrak
---
Tengu blue
---
Bernard

Just as Serp is about to shoot at the Tengu he sees Turak turn it into fried chicken and instead shoots two magic missiles at blue.
Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6

Two magic missiles hit the tengu with the blue vest. Bernard's primal shout and the sap are enough to frighten the remaining Tengu which tries to get away as fast as he can.
I think Ishingka is the only one who can catch him.

Round 1
Kraww
Cormac
Serpentfang
Ishingka
Tûrak
---
Tengu blue -6HP shaken 2R
---
Bernard

I think Ishingka is the only one who can catch him.

I think he is in the range of Tûrak's longbow. :)

GM Baerlie wrote:

I think Ishingka is the only one who can catch him.

I think he is in the range of Tûrak's longbow. :)

so, shoot

@GM Baerlie Ok!

"Not so fast...", Tûrak murmurs when fire two arrows against the fleeing tengu.

composite longbow w/ rapid shot #1: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 4 - 2 = 181d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

composite longbow w/ rapid shot #2: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 4 - 2 = 201d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

"Let him run," growls the bloodrager. I'll post rolls ASAP.

Bite: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
for: 1d4 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Claw: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
for: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Claw: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
for: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Ishingka glowers at the tengu, then seems to grow in height, her muscles swelling and wicked black claws curving out from her fingertips. She slashes and bites at the bird-man.

The tengu blue is still up?

Tûrak lets two arrows flie pas the family, hitting the fleeing Tengu in the back. To state an example Ishingka injures one of the non-fighting Tengu's badly.

combat over

The harassed family consists of an old man, his daughter, her husband, and their two children. Once the tengus are dealt with, the old man steps forward and thanks you.

"Thank you for the rescue. My name is Wun Lao. Are you heading to Nesting Swallow?" the old man asks.

What do you want to do with the remaining Tengus?

"Just shut up, vulture cub!", he screams when the fire rises.

@#$%ing Mud-blooded, gangrenous-skinned, pig-faced racist!

What do you want to do with the remaining Tengus?

Looks about nervously. WAAARK....

heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Kraww applies mouth to foot resuscitation techniques to try and revive the bandit and get some answers.