(PFS 08-16) GM Dinketry and the House of Harmonious Wisdom (Inactive)

Game Master dinketry

know local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

With several members of the party moving at slower speeds than Bolty he can subsist off the land, providing food and water for himself and 3 companions.
take 10 survival: 10 + 6 = 16

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

L'Mont buys another two weeks of rations (bringing him to three weeks at the start of the journey).

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

L'Mont sharpens his daggers whenever they stop to rest. It soothes him.

Mongo will buy another six days of rations leaving him with 12 at the start of the journey

"My pack's not too heavy. Anyone want me to carry some of their stuff?" Like trail rations? I'm at medium encumberance anyway with my armor. No reason anyone else should be.

Glastor is in the same boat, and is carrying his own.

"Thanks, Mongo, you are a great guy. I've got it, won't slow me down thanks to Desna, but others may be needing the help."

After an uneventful but long journey over six days following Mai Chun's astute directions, you descend into a hushed vale. The Summer Palace silently presides over seclusion, majestic despite its obvious abandonment. Its terraces and sloping roofs form a multi-tiered affair that seems to grow from the surrounding mountains. As you make your descent through the valley, the once-glorious vacation home for the Lung Wa imperial family comes clearer into focus. You estimate the building to be a two-story affair. There appears to be some structures on the rooftop as well.

Map links for the Summer Palace main building and rooftop now available for exploration! The main entrance up the two grand staircases is the only passable entry to the villa, BTW.

"Well, best be getting on with it, I suppose. Let's go find that thingamajig.", Mongo says as he moves up to survey the two staircases, trying to figure out if they are still sturdy enough to bear his weight.
I have no applicable knowledge or craft skills, so looking for obvious signs of decay or collapse is the best I can do.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

The stone staircases, though encased in vines and moss, appear solid even to Mongo's non-expert half orc eyes.

Bolty readies his crossbow and nods to Mongo as he slowly moves up the right staircase.

Mongo draws his sword and ascends to the left, keeping pace with Bolty.

Luwei follows close behind.

Ushi checks the straps of his shield before following, free hand ready to summon the power of knowledge to the party's aid.

Glastor makes his way forward with the team, eyes wide open. "What do you think we will find, Bolty?"

L’Mont passes all of his newly-purchased rations to Mongo. ”Thank you. Will want these for the long walk back.”

At the stairs, L’Mont draws a pair of sharpened, cold iron daggers and skitters towards the front, behind Bolty and Mongo.

It’s daylight, I assume?

”Keep eyes peeled for dire pandas and angry ghosts,” he whispers.

Map updated and now edit-able.

Daylight filters through the fog shrouding the valley, the ever-present mist soaking clothing as the party slowly makes their way up the paired staircases. "Crumbled elegance" would be a way to describe the scene as Bolty and Mongo reach the top of the stairs and a large outdoor patio ringed by stone railing. A window into an abandoned salon gives the hint of chairs and further deteriorated fineries. Four doors - the door nearest to Mongo hanging open - lead from the patio into the building.

Mongo carefully moves in, scanning for signs of movement. "No sign of any pandas so far. Stand by for the ghost situation." he whispers back to L'Mont.

If the door I moved through isn't the open one, feel free to move me to the one that is.

Bolty crosses over, both hands on his crossbow as he avoids leaning over the railing as he moves over to cover Mongo.

Slight map adjustment.

Mongo and Bolty enter what appears to have once been a sitting room, decrepit chairs and collapsed settees present on a tattered and weather-destroyed rug. Two piles of similarly-arranged stylish clothing lie in front of the two lichen-covered windows. The entire room seems to have been exposed to the constant wet weather.

A grand set of double doors stand closed to the west. A further closed door to the north leads back out onto the patio, a ringed external balustrade evident through the eastern windows in this salon.

Ushi moves forward to open the door, rubbing his gloved fingers together after testing the handle to see if the perfect whiteness of the cloth had been stained.

Ushi moves forward to open the door, rubbing his gloved fingers together after testing the handle to see if the perfect whiteness of the cloth had been stained.

The white gloves come away grimy with green residue.

Ushi opens the door easily, spying Mongo on the far side of the same salon.

Mongo tries the door to the main house. If it's unlocked and opens he moves into the main room.

Ushi moves to keep step with Mongo, his fingers fidgeting with the grime coating the glove. One wonders what will be found...

L'Mont pokes around the decrepit ruin of a sitting room, looking for anything of interest that might remain.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Glastor runs around, looking at everything.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Somehow, he manages to miss everything.

Bolty follows closely behind Mongo, his itchy trigger finger twitching as he looks for danger.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Luwei is fascinated by the surroundings, but doesn't take the time to look closely at any one thing.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Mongo, Bolty, Ushi, and Luwei see that the main ground floor room of the Summer Palace was made for entertaining. A stunning chandelier fashioned to appear like a sun-and-sword design dominates the room, festooned with cobwebs and lichen. (Image) This cavernous ballroom contained a long table with places for dozens of people, but it now lies collapsed and displaced against the southern wall. The undisturbed dust over everything attests to how long the room has been abandoned. Despite the decay, the room his eerily peaceful.

Two branches of a wide hallway lead off to the north and south at the eastern side of the room, and it appears that twin grand circular staircases led upstairs at the western side of the room, but a landslide and years of vegetative overgrowth have made the north flight of stairs completely impassable. The south stairs appear - just - usable.

kn:religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Obviously Glastor wasn't paying attention that day

Bolty whispers "I see some ash on a pile of clothes, watch out for fire ghosts."

I moved Glastor into the room so he could see the chandelier.

Thanks!

At Bolty's whisper, L'Mont moves east to check the piled clothes in the sitting room for ash, muttering half to himself, "Why are there piles of clothes all over a ruined palace? Shouldn't be there in the first place, and everything else has rotted away."

Edit: Retcon

Realizing that everyone else has moved into the next room, L'Mont scoots through the doorway, past Luwei, to stand next to Glastor and Ushi. He pokes Bolty in the back of the leg, and asks, "What did I miss?"

Bolty jumps at L'Mont's poke

"Ahhh!"

Slowly Bolty's heart rate drops back to normal as he catches his breath

"Fire ghosts, there's a pile of ash on some nice clothes over there."

Bolty points at the direction of the pile.

"Hrmmm. Why are there piles of clothes all over a ruined palace? Shouldn't be there in the first place, and everything else has rotted away."

L'Mont pads back to check the piled clothes in the sitting room for ash (and anything else of interest), observing first, then poking through them with the point of a dagger.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Luwei picks her way across the ballroom to cautiously open a door.

L'Mont finds a tiny bit of ash in the two other piles of moldy clothing in the salon.

A heavier than usual squall of rain blows through outside, and both L'Mont and Luwei note drips from the ceiling in their respective rooms.

Bolty, having previously been a sailor seems unbothered by the minor winds and moves forward and peeks in the room to his left.

"This is quite puzzling." Ushi agrees with L'Mont. Moving up to guard Feng, he ponders the mystery. "Fire ghosts. Perhaps the remains of previous explorers. But the clothes should burn as well."

L'Mont leaves the sitting room again and follows Ushi over to the door Luwei has opened.

"Burned, or rotted away like everything else here. Maybe they are from more recent visitors?"

More recent visitors... like us? Uncomfortable thought!

He peers into the next room past Luwei.

The spoiler tag for Luwei is now available for L'Mont and Ushi.

The large ballroom stands quiet, apart from the howling wind and squalls of rain spattering the external of the building that can be heard inside the hall. The sense of the space is serene.

I don't like the looks of this place. Creepy.

Mongo moves forward and looks up the stairs, scanning for movement or anything out of the ordinary.

Bolty makes the clear motion with his hand for the room he peeked in.

The stairs, though overgrown with vines and underbrush, appear passable, the flight opening up past the greenery to widen beyond as they spiral to the second floor. Mongo sees nothing out of the ordinary, but sees and feels moisture from the rain on the overgrowth.

Ushi makes his way across to the stairs, stopping by Mongo. "Anything sinister appears to be biding its time. I shall examine the soundness of the stairs. If there is anything else to explore before we ascend, now is a good time to do so." The nagaji begins to poke and prod at the steps, peering close for any sign of structural damage.

Taking 20 for 25 Perception, to see if any natural traps have sprung up from decay.

As Ushi starts slowing down to look around, so does Glastor. "Good idea, be thorough!"

Take 20 Perception: 20 + 5 = 25

Both Ushi and Glastor check out the stairs, detecting nothing of an obstacle apart from the overgrowth.

To be completely thorough, Glastor starts searching EVERYWHERE (See yellow line, taking 10 for 15 along the way).

Glastor - With that ambitious and circuitous route, and assuming that, in using a "take 10" approach to your Perception checks, you're using a move action to complete a Perception check, coupled with your 20 feet movement rate (in armor), I'd conservatively estimate that it takes you 30 minutes to thoroughly canvass the ground floor of the Summer Palace. It doesn't allow for in-depth study of individual rooms, but you can return for a second, closer glance as needed.

The gnome says, "Good idea, be thorough!", and disappears into the rooms off of the ballroom.

If you choose to follow Glastor, feel free to read his spoiler tag.

As Glastor runs off to explore the north of the ballroom, Luwei checks the south side.

"Mongo, please go make sure Glastor doesn't hurt himself." Ushi mutters without looking up.