[PFS] 2-23: Shadow's Last Stand—Part I: At Shadow's Door by GM Upaynao (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

The stairs grow a tad narrow as you walk up to the second level to what appears to be an alchemical lab of some sort. Filled with large glass chambers, tubes, benches and all sort of liquids bubbling or at rest, it looks as if only the most sensitive experiments have been left to continue under low heat.

Another set of stairs goes up.

Bardic Knowledge: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
These Bardic Knowledge rolls...thank goodness you guys are here.

"Lots of tubes. Information goes through tubes, right?" Aquavius ponders. "No, irrelevant."

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 1 = 11
Sigh

Constantin mutters to himself, hiding his confusion, and attempts to draw forth any enchantment that may be lurking behind such confusing concoctions. Detect Magic

No magic, it's all mundane!

Knowledge: Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Trix stares at the alchemical works and gasps with excitement. "How interesting! It looks as if they are trying to create an artificial downpour of rain! Can you imagine the applications of such an ingenious discovery?!" She exclaims excitedly!

If it is sustained without sorcery, suberb! Contrariwise, conjuration cantrips could cover this cheaply

"Yes, but that water disappears after 24 hours and does not make for a very effective solution for irrigation." She suppresses a laugh. "Can you imagine? The farmer pays a cleric of Erastil to water his crops, only to come out the next day and find the soil dry as a desert?"

Reservoirs and reclamation regrettably aren't in it's repartee, but if the water's not wasted, the sustenance itself is sustained whether it feeds flora or fauna.

Constantin pauses, realizing this may not be the best time and place for this discussion, Alternatively, we could arrest our arcane agricultural argument and not aggravate our allies, nor alert our adversaries. Agreed?

Rogar furrows his brow at Trixalana's exclamation.

"Whaddaya mean with fake rain? Like the stuff priests make?"

With nothing of interest to him here, Glenn will hop down the stairs and open the door across the way after inspecting it.

"I wouldn't mind eternal rain, as long as my ship doesn't deal with the wind." Aquavius is sidetracked for a moment, but sees Glenn travel to the doorway. "Um, yeah. Right behind you, Glenn."

The next level of the tower seems to be a, rather messy all told, office. Most of the official paperwork here is signed by someone named Greudemoffit. Some of it is countersigned by Senior Agent Telfir, the Venture-Captain's assistant and expert in all things arcane.

Another set of stairs seem to go further up, to a trapdoor.

Krolmnite riffles through the papers and searches the desk.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

I'll wager that there's some useful information in this office.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 2 = 24

Rogar gives the office a once-over as well.

After a few minutes of searching about, you dig up that this Greudemoffit is in fact a cousin of Lady Gloriana Morilla and that he is apprenticed to Senior agent Telfir. Beyond that, there is nothing else of interest.

Old faction missions, nothing to see here, moving along :P

Trapdoor it is!

Opening up the trapdoor, you arrive on the roof of the tower. Crenelated for decorative purposes, you find more meteorological equipment, feeding into the matters the papers and the experiments below have trait to. From this vantage point, to the west, another flat tower top is visible, with about thirty feet of empty space in between. It is a thirty foot drop down onto the roof of the cathedral from there if you are lucky, or seventy feet down to the pavement if you aren't.

"Looks like we're at the top of this tower." Aquavius peers out the window. "Let's head down. Maybe we can check out the other tower."

Krolmnite strains to get a look on the other flat tower rooftop.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Sure, let's check out the other tower.

Indeed that is too long to leap.

Rogar grins.

"Am I on lock picking duty again?"

The door to this wing is, surprisingly, unlocked! Opening the door, you can all see the glass jar receptacles in the center of this room. Stout and filled with some sort of fluid ranging from clear liquid to green jelly each of these eight containers contain a fleshy blob ressembling a humanoid creature. A rather small humanoid creature, even by a gnome's standards. In one tube, a large black eye blinks up and down repeatedly, while in others a creature’s arms wave frantically and a strangely pretty doll-faced creature floats calmly.

Heavy wooden benches ring the room, overflowing with alembics, beakers, ovens, tubes, and alchemical equipment of all sorts. Another stout door stands along the room’s northern wall, and a narrow staircase leads upward along the north wall.

Bardic Knowledge: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11 Oh come on

"Fancy stuff..." She eyes the small critter. "Aaaaand this door is locked. Now you can pick this one open. Or we can just go upstairs."

Wow, this scenario really wants a rogue!

This scenario could have been set up a whole lot better by yours truly if he had taken some time to see how all this was going to work in PbP. Bad GM.

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Salutations simulacran sirs. If I comprehend your circumstances we are comrades of your creators and inimical to the invading (though hidden) hobgoblins and hooligans.

I say let cover the easy paths and take the stairs above; then come back for some deconstruction. Krolmnite stares at the jars and wonders what in the world; even after Constantin tries to explain the little gnome has no clue what they are.

PS...did I see any thing when I peered over onto the other rooftop?

Rogar gives Constantin an incomprehending look before walking up the stairs.

"So, hobgoblins did this?" Aquavius scratches her head when Constantin addresses the creatures in the tubes. "Well, where are they? And since when do they make glass monsters and living wind? Bah!" Aquavius heads upstairs.

PS the messageboard page is down, but you can access individual threads. I'm guessing the humble bundle overloaded the site again.

The other rooftop looked bare, apart from the aesthetic crenelation surrounding it and a trap door leading downwards.

The Homonculi, sensing the jig is up, begin splashing and making to get away!

To prevent them from going into hiding, I will need a DC 20 Diplomacy check. Remember that I will treat the highest check as the main check with everyone else below that value but still beating a ten counting as an assist.

From what little Rogar was able to see, the floor above seems to be a particularly well-stocked library.

No no, these creations likely are in the care of the caretakers of this cathedral, not the hobgoblin hordes. With a visible effort he speaks simply to the homunculi, Please, we are friends not foes. We are here to help

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 = 16

Oh my, these strange things seem afraid of us.

Krolmnite tries to communicate with them.

We mean you know harm, there's no cause for alarm.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

"Hey, calm down already."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

"Constantin's right though, we're here to help. Especially if you know where the survivors are."

She waits momentarily, then turns to Constantin. "These guys don't say much, do they?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

"Wait, little fellows! Do not run from us, we are not here to harm you." She kneels down and gestures to them.

Sorry about my delay... I've been sick the past few days and then had training down state today!

The creatures clamber out from their respective jars and run for darkened corners of the room. However, your tone and demeanor must have been enough, for they crawl back out. Soon enough, three somewhat genderless homonculi are lined up before you. The center one, wart-covered and otherwise not all that pleasant to look at at, spreads out his hands and cocks it's head forward.

Constantin's extensive knowledge of Homonculi includes their remarkable intelligence (at least as far as familiars go), their lack of vocal cords but their ability to understand at least a language or two. Simply put, you may be able to speak, but getting an answer might prove to be challenging.

Glenn collects the papers and makes his way make to where most of the group is to inform them of the path ahead.

Are you skilled at scribery? Constantin gestures at some papers. Inky interpretations could be instrumental for our inquiries.

Hearing the others parleying with the tiny, stitched creatures, Rogar takes his time searching the library.

Taking 20 for 28 if time permits it. Otherwise, Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13

Krolmnite intrigued by the strange little creatures sit down cross legged and studies them intently.

I bet the society had all manner of wizardery stuff going on here. I still got no clue, why it was attacked though. Be great if these little guys can tell us something.

Finally, understanding what Constantin was saying he looks at the papers, hoping the homunculi can paint a pretty picture.

The trio of homonculi look at each other, then in unison shake their heads, before mimiking a scene where two of them try and write and the third seems to be at it's wits end and sending them back to their invisible chalkboards.

Magic or an understanding of language or how people communicate non-verbally are possibly the only ways to communicate successfully with them.

Each question you ask them will require you to make either a Linguistics or a Sehnse Motive Check, DC 20

Meanwhile, Rogar begins inspecting the library. It seems that whoever this library belongs to has more than a passing interest in both devil-binding and homonculi creation, as many of the books delve into minute specifics on both of those subjects. Another staircase goes up from the library to a "third floor".

"Hmm. Constantin, you may be better our best bet at understanding what they're sayin'. Or, implying, I guess."

"Ooo! Ask them what they've seen pass through here. Something must have scared them enough to hide."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"The circus is in town?" "Huh? No that can't be it."

Actually I think Krolm is better at Sense Motive...

Glenn looks over and tries to interpret the pantomime.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Sense Motive (Hobgoblins): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 1 = 23
Sense Motive (Survivors): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 = 6
Constantin asks the homunculi a series of questions, uncharacteristically pausing between them to allow for interpretive motions,

Do you have a hunch where the hobgoblins, or other hooligans, are hiding?

And then after a beat,

What's befallen Brackett and his branch?

The homonculi mimic creatures that by the posture can only be hobgoblins, passing through, carrying something. They point to the door that is locked and seem to show that there were three of the creatures, with one that was bigger than the two others.

With regards to Venture-captain Brackett and any others, apparently they are swimming upside down or taking a nap.

Moving along.

A quick inspection of the remaining floors of this tower reveal that these were the apartments of Senior Pathfinder Telfyr. The last floor before arriving at the top of the tower contain his office, which doubles as a bedroom. Telfyr is clearly an avid reader; his bedroom has volume upon volume of the Pathfinder Chronicles, with page markers laying about, books placed face down at a page, or the most incongruous items used to keep the page set.

The northern door's lock proves no match for the Pathfinders, and once open you come to behold a staircase going on up, possibly above the stained glass windows. It look narrow and dark up there. Turning back to your homonculi interlocutors, they shake their heads in unison. They won't accompany you up.

Krolmnite falls into marching order as they head up the stairs, he looks back at the strange homonculi.

I bet troubles this way as they seem scared to join us!

Where are we on the map now?

Updated the map with a location marker

Thanks GM!

Lead the way Rogar!

"And lead the way I shall!"

Rogar marches down the hallway with no pretenses about stealth, but he does keep a wary eye open for any danger.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 2 = 11