PFS: #6-12: Scions of the Sky Key, Part 1: On Sharrowsmith's Trail (Inactive)

Game Master R D

"Don't make fun. Momma had a speech impediment." The kobold pouts.

"Okay Difficult...it was nice to meet you. We will be on our way, and will fix things for your tribe, I swear it! In the future, maybe you won't think all mammals are bad."

Ethendril lets the kobolds go and moves toward the west.

"I have a hard time believing Sharrowsmith --who kept his head as a Pathfinder for years-- would knowingly cause this sort of trouble or senselessly kill and incite the kobolds. Maybe he was a victim of 'The Doppleganger Conspiracy' I mentioned, or the kobolds mistook a scheming Aspis for our human friend. Let's not assume that it's just kobolds and Golden Gods down here. And there may be humans beside Sharrowsmith."

"Does anyone have any ideas on how we can get an audience with the Kobold chief without a blood bath? As we walk, perhaps we should plan how to approach them. If attacked, I'll try not to return fire unless things get dire -- but we need a way to reason with the kobolds."

As the party moves on, they can hear the scrabbling of draconic claws on stone as ਦਾ ਉਚਾਰਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਿਲ scoops up his friend and runs for the exit.

There's a sack next to the double door. Inside, there are twelve narrow strips of leather.

Ethendril nods and responds.

"I have long suspected that Sharrowsmith set something off inadvertently. Perhaps that will be the case, or maybe there is an impostor. Either way, we need to set it straight. I don't know how to deal with these without killing them. Perhaps if we can't reason with them, we will subdue them without killing them."

I'll check out the leather straps...we'll take them along.

Perception on the bag: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

"Maybe someone was making something like a leather potholder, or maybe they could be spell components."

Okie dokie. The party takes the bag and straps. You open the door. (Map updated.)

Just five feet from the double door, a granite statue of a human woman stands in a running pose. The head of the statue is turned to look over her shoulder, her face locked in a silent scream.

Was she running in the same direction we are headed, or coming the other way?

Hard to say. It's just a statue. It could have been placed, moved, turned, etc. Would you like to examine it?

Ethendril moves forward cautiously.

"My father was a paladin of great renown, and in my youth he would tell me the stories of his adventuring days. I can't help but recall what he described as a room full of statues that he entered, and marveled at the beauty and detail of them. Only then he discovered that a medusa had created the statues with its evil gaze..."

The paladin moves to examine the statue, but is prepared for anything.

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

"Wait, let me examine this statue. There is something here that sets my hair on end." Cornelia will begin checking the area leading up to the statue for traps, and if she finds none then she will examine the statue for traps as well...

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Taking 20 to sense motive or cract(sculptures) the statue (because that's what the scenario wants), you notice that the anguish and fear in her expression is too real and her features are disturbingly lifelike.

"I have a very bad feeling about this. Do we need to go blindfolded?"

"Perhaps one of us should," Ethendril agrees.

The paladin cuts a piece of cloth from his cloak with his dagger and ties it around his eyes.

"I'll go first," he says.

"Wait a sec... Now that you say that, Ethendril, are these leather strips in the bag the right size to cover our eyes?"

No. They're small sized. Like for kobolds.

Cornelia grimaces at the strange trap, a shiver working its way up her spine. "What a terrible fate for that poor woman..." She looks at the leather strips and begins to tie two or more of them together to make one large enough for her own eyes. "Might as well use what we have here." She suggests to the others.

Just pointing out that you haven't explored this area. Knowing that kobolds love traps, do all of you want to move blindly at half speed?

Ethendril looks at the scraps of leather.

"An excellent idea!" the paladin says. "One that I wish you had shared before I cut my cloak, but an excellent idea nonetheless!"

Did we already check those two rooms behind us to the east? Is that where we caught the kobolds? If not, I'd like to go back and check them before we move on.

As his companions tie blindfolds out of the smaller leather scraps, Ethendril says "It might be wise if I go first to ensure it is safe. You all cover me while I move forward," he suggests.

"Perhaps if you lay out your rope behind you to mark the safe path, even blindfolded the rest of us will be able to follow the route. Good luck, Ethendril!"

Hotspur salutes her friend and then takes up a position to offer covering fire.

Did we already check those two rooms behind us to the east? Is that where we caught the kobolds? If not, I'd like to go back and check them before we move on.

Nope, you did not! The party goes back and checks out the easternmost rooms. You see a large pile of rubble leaning up against a door. There are tool marks in the ceiling. This setup was not accidental. Climbing the rubble is possible but may be dangerous.

Moving onto the new area:

(1) Who is blindfolded and who is not?
(2) Ethendril, where do you want to go?
(3) For those party members who are NOT blindfolded (besides Ethendril), what do you want to do?

It might be best if we don't all serve as look outs for Ethendril, because it is looking that will get us in trouble if there is some petrifying gaze attack ahead. Hotspur will volunteer to cover him and won't wear a blindfold. And would a stoned Hotspur be significantly different from the usual Hotspur?

It seems like we just need to spring whatever trap we have. Is the girl looking at something in particular? I'll head toward whichever direction the statue's face is looking. I will be blindfolded, maybe everyone else just shut their eyes and I will warn if safe or not safe. Hotspur cover me with her eyes open. Everyone else just wait for my all clear or danger signal.

Hotspur will hum quietly while following Ethendril's plan. That way, should she turn to stone, everyone will know even with their eyes closed.

To simplify things, Ethendril will be blindfolded AFTER he investigates this first room. Cuz otherwise y'all are screwed.
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The brown square is the statue of the woman.

Ethendril investigates the first room. Map updated.

The reek of dung and sweat permeates this small room. Heaped in a corner, there is a pile of cement pellets, and in another corner lies a grotesque, stuffed leather bag with two oval patches sewn on it.

Somebody with Knowledge(Nature) should check out the room.
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I also still needed these questions answered by ALL players. Maybe y'all can slow down posting because my questions are getting pushed up, and I don't want players to miss them.

(1) Who is blindfolded and who is not?
(2) Ethendril, where do you want to go?
(3) For those party members who are NOT blindfolded (besides Ethendril), what do you want to do?

Have we already examined the dragon headed statue? I likely missed that post in my attempt to catch up with the 100 posts while I was gone ;)! So, which one of you bards is going to go check out this bag?

Cornelia will likely have her blindfold looped around her forehead so she could quickly drop it down over her eyes, but is currently unblindfolded. If we have not thoroughly examined the dragon head statue, Cornelia will go and examine it.

I'm not certain if we did this thoroughly enough, but we did check it out. It seemed like it was a trap (maybe a crossbow trap?) that didn't have any bolts left in it, and was to fire down the hallway to the north. At least that's the impression I had, but there may be more to it.

Nope. That's all there is to the dragon-headed statue. Would you like to try to re-arm it?

I still need these questions answered by Dydimus, Gale, and Olga.

Who is blindfolded and who is not?
For those of you who are NOT blindfolded, what do you want to do?

HA! I will not go into battle blind! I will face all challenges head on, for Fortune Favors the Brave! Sir Dydimus Says as he moves down the hall and opens the next door.

/gulp

Dydimus opens the next door. Animal hides and furs have been laid out on the six dwarf-sized stone beds in this room. A crude set of dice lies scattered on the floor. A number of weapons have been stashed in a pile to the north.

It looks like only three of the beds have been slept in recently. The kobold did say that many kobolds died recently...

Gale will tie her scarf around her head so she can pull it down over her eyes easily.
"While I dislike the idea of being turned into a statue, I dislike the idea of falling prey to other traps as well."

Gale will cast and keep concentrating on detect magic

Olga will go in, boldly, but cautiously, and after hearing Ethendril's tale of the statue making monster, she'll try to keep watch in her axe and look for reflections of anything moving.

The party inches forward, trying to keep up with the bounding Sir Dydimus.

Map updated. The circular-ish structure looks like a pool/fountain sort of thing. Right now, only Dydimus can see it.

And did Ethendril want to do anything with the stuffed leather bag with two oval patches sewn on it?

I thought I was the blindfolded one...do I even know it's there?

I wrote earlier: To simplify things, Ethendril will be blindfolded AFTER he investigates this first room.

The bag was in the first room.

Doh! My bad!

Ethendril pokes at the nasty bag with his greatsword.

If nothing moves, I'll grab it and bring it out to everyone.

Nothing moves. You bring it out. The leather bag is sewn shut. When you open a couple of stitches you see that it is stuffed with soft "junk"--scraps of cloth, leather, etc.

Hotspur examines the bag.

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"It looks like a member of the species Baggus messengeris. They reproduce asexually and are insectivores. They usually live in urban environments, so how it got here is anyone's guess."

And once again Hotspur proves that relying on Bardic Knowledge is not enough.

Ethendril laughs heartily at Hotspur's identification of the bag.

"Well, let's keep going then," he suggests. This time, the paladin puts his blindfold on, then makes his way to the north. He stops and feels for the door to his left, then opens it.

What do you do with the bag?

I don't do anything with it...leave it on the ground, I guess. I'll leave it back by the others, and they can do something with it if they want. I can't think of anything to do with a bag full of junk at the present time.

OK. You can't actually see anything, so I won't describe the room. But, I updated the map.

Something scurries--you can hear the sound of claw on stone. Then you hear a sniffing sound. Then you hear a hissing sound. Then you hear a sniffing sound again.

Then you hear a hissing sound again. Sounds like it's coming from the direction of the fountain to the north of Ethendril's position.

Hotspur advances to try and keep Ethendril covered around the corner.

Are you taking the blindfold off your eyes Hotspur?

Are you taking the blindfold off your eyes Hotspur?

She had not put a blindfold on. She is humming loudly though, so her friends will know when she gets petrified when the humming stops.

Knowledge nature?

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

The Know checks dislike me.