PFS 6-15 The Overflow Archives (Inactive)

Game Master Mike Andersen 351

Didn't Master Shaine tell the other Virmil to go to the scriptorium? We should hurry there and stop the imposter boogeyman

Dalangi waves his hands excitedly.

"Yes, let us go see this imposter." Zahaz nods at Dalangi's suggestion.

Samaeon wrings his hands nervously as the new riddles are gathered. Something doesn't seem right about this, and he wonders if each new clue is a trap left by the fox to slow them down.

When you enter back into the main building, you discover Master Shaine has left the foyer. There are sounds coming from the Scriptorium.

I cannot access the map from work. Please click on the map then use CTRL+[down arrow] to shove the current map and any unneeded tokens to the background (or delete them if you prefer), and put yourselves in marching order on the main floor before heading upstairs to conftonr Virml.

Not sure if that's already been done, but Quillen is okay with taking point going into the room. I suspect Zahaz is eager to be on the front lines as well.

Quillen marches up the stairs, intent on seeing the disaster in the archives averted.

Is that door at the top locked? If so...

Quillen stops, first pulling out a cigarette, lighting it and then working with his tools.

Disable: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Waiting for others.

Dalangi stands behind Zahaz, his hands trembling nervously at what is beyond the door.

Zahaz waits a few feet behind Quillen, letting him check the door. Samaeon loiters near the back of the party, mirroring Dalangi.

Not sure if I placed right on the map or not, but Fuzzfoot will continue his support role from the back of the pack.

Caith walks up the stairs behind the others, anxious to find out what's behind the (previously?) locked door

Shah stays back with Fuzzfoot.

Hopefully we are not waiting on me as I moved my token a few days ago.

The door swings open and reveals Verml working away deciphering acrolls. The surprised young man looks up and asks, "Can I help you?"

Are you charging in for the kill, or attempting a more diplomatic solution?

Here's Quillen, who appears to be in front.

Quillen, ever the tiny militant, folds his hands behind his back (no rapier in hand) and marches into the room, his usual scowl painted on his face.

"'allo... Verml was it?"

Pacing in like a Galtan general planning a major invasion, the halfling pats his wastepouch before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

With what sarcasm the halfling can muster with his thick accent and gruff demeanor, he draws a long puff, makes a tsk sound that a disapproving parent might make, and spares a long, calculated look at the young man.

"'ow goes ze copying, eh?"

The halfling looks back for his companions to file into the room to further press matters, knowing his draw will be as quick as necessary should hostilities break out.

"It would go faster if it were not for the interruptions for silly questions and lectures. I know that it is flooded. I know everyone assumes it is my fault, etc. etc. Now I have to work."

Quillen Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Quillen mumbles to himself under his smoky breath between puffs.

Eh? Curious..

Continuing his march about the room, his tiny hand darts out for the paper tucked in Verml's belt as he passes the "scholar".

"Oh? Ze vaults are nearly zecured, perhaps we could help, no?"

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

If he is successful, Quillen will march the paper to hand off to Shah.

If a second check is needed for the second scrap, here's another roll too...

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Caith walks into the room, dripping water all over the floor as he squeezes the dampness out of his beard and shakes his body

(which may, or may not distract from Quillens attempt(s)

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Zahaz was ready to tear Verml to pieces, but holds off as Quillen begins pacing the room with what seems like some sort of distraction, or fient. He frowns when the little swordsman darts in close but doesn't draw blood.

Looking at the other Pathfinders, he mutters. "What is he doing?"

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Vermeil doesn't seem to notice you removing the paper from the desk, or his belt. As Quillen approaches, he cannot help be realize that there is a large crocodile lurking under and behind the desk. Those of you with lines of sight to behind the desk will likewise see a crocodile.

"Don't mind him. He just. . . Oh! That reminds me. See if you can say. . . here was once a crocodile who was hungry since four days past. He suddenly caught a child who had gone to get some water. The child's mother was beside her son and wanted to save him. The crocodile said that he would return the child if she correctly guessed what the crocodile intended do with the child. The clever mother realized the crocodile wanted to eat the child and would just say the opposite of the her guess. What will the lady say to save her child?"

Shah, do you still have means of speaking/reading Sylvan?

I've put up comprehend languages a couple times already. I've got a whole wand but I think it's only 10 min per bop. Assume I've been renewing it as necessary.

Quillen turns his head at the curiosity of the lurking crocodile, but upon completing his "task", stands at the Ifrit's side like a soldier while listening to Verml's suddenly quite lengthy inquiry about a crocodile and child.

Crocodile? What iz ze possibly fake zcholar gettin at?

I assume Verml is looking at us waiting for an answer when he completes that story/puzzle/riddle?

Zahaz sneers at Verml's question. Where he's from, you don't talk with trickers, you rip them to pieces. He looks to the others to see if they are thinking what he's thinking. As he catches Samaeon's eye, he notices him looking to Quillen as if waiting for a signal.

With an impatient sigh, Zahaz waits.

Verml loves his riddles. He is happy to either duel it out with word play, or physical violence. The ball has been passed back to you.

As you may recall, the tentacled fish asked you to bring all the fragments to her. Whichever way you chose to go, success is just about imminent. The main riddle in six parts is also now fully posted in the handouts link.

"Might we have a moment to confer?" Samaeon asks tentatively from the back of the group.

To those nearby, he whispers softly, "Let's come back after dealing with the riddles." He makes eyes back in the direction of the flooded archives and the creature that tasked the group with recovering the riddles.

No clue if it has anything to do with anything..but the 6 first letter of each of the riddles spell C A U G H T ..caught. It's the only thing I can make out of it.

That is interesting - can't be coincidence! But saying the word "caught" doesn't seem to make much sense to me regarding "what does the crocodile intend to do with the child".

The only other thing I can see is the last line is a question ("Who is the last to dine") - but it seems obvious to be the crocodile, so I don't know that I would call it a riddle. I don't have any other ideas...

I think I have actually heard this story before as an unsolvable paradox, but it was long ago and I can't remember it. This might be a slightly different setup though.

I dislike most riddles. Very often they only serve to make the riddler seem clever and the subject look stupid.

Regardless, as a player I'd like to figure this out. Zahaz, however, wants the rip the riddler's head off and shove it right up it's own butt as poetic justice.

Anyway, back to the riddles:
They really seem like nonsense to me. Most of them are variations of the "chicken and the egg". I like the CAUGHT theory, but dislike the idea that the answer is simply the first letter of each riddle (just on general eye-rolling principle). If found in another order this would be very hard to spot. I really think we should take it back to Mistress Koi.

Best I can come up with is enslave the child. If he is going to say the opposite then he plans to let the child go?

Yes, let's go back to Koi.

I am horrible at these well versed riddles

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
C-A-U-G-H-T strikes you as amazingly important.
Int: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
You piece out that there is indeed no solution to the crocodile riddle, the man is trying to bait you into a riddle contest. Physical or mental contests appear to be the two main methods to beat the fake Verml. Then again, Mistress Koi promised she could help with all the riddle fragments.
K. Nature (M. Koi): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
You believe Mistress Koi would be more than happy to end all this.

Going the most direct route as I have too many things IRL eating my time at an exponential rate.

Making apologies for distracting Verml's studies, you retreat back down to M. Koi. She informs you that with all six, she can re-fashion the fox's prison. When you mention Caught, she lights up (as much as a fish can), "Yes! That was his name. He entered a riddle contest with the one who made the prison. Never able to turn from a riddle that one. He guessed wrong, and was imprisoned. The riddle he could not solve is here, on these papers. Do you know the answer?"

Madame Koi is true to her word, and as she finishes her work, the fake Verml appears and slowly melds back into his true Kitsune form just before the prison sucks him back in.

Tomorrow, I will make up Chronicle Sheets, and post them on Google Docs.

Quillen salutes Mistress Koi as she refashions the prison and it works its magic on the riddler.

"No zolution?"

Frowning, the halfling lights a cigarette.

"Zat is mozt diztrezzing..."

He watches as the end of his cigarette glows in the dim light of the archives and "Verml" is subsumed once again into his papery prison.

The halfling half-considers extinguishing the remnants of his smoke on the paper but instead flicks the butt into the water.

"Zo? Ziss iz done? Time to visit Zarta zen and give 'er ze good news?"

Sloshing through the water, Quillen ascends to the surface mumbling something about Nerosyan, demons and the "Zociety".

"Ripping him limb from limb would have been more satisfying." Zahaz agrees with Quillen, misinterpreting the halfling's words. Samaeon raises a finger as if to point that out, but quickly lowers it again and allows the Hellknight creature to believe whatever it wants. With a little shrug, he follows Zahaz and Quillen.

Thanks for running Eponine! Despite the riddles, this was a fun game, and you did a good job with it.

"Well in each of the stories," Shah supposes, "the last to dine loses and ultimately dies. So the answer to the question at the end is perhaps the loser?"

She shrugs and thanks Mistress Koi. "You have been much help to us. Now that your prisoner is Caught, in both senses, would you mind helping us clean up this place? This water is not good for the books and scrolls we have stored in this place."

Perform (oratory) for Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

Thanks GM! This is a great, creative scenario! One of my new favorites.

Woohoo! I was a bit stuck on that one! Thanks, GM - hope RL doesn't keep you out of the fray for long!

Thanks for running this for us. Especially with everything going on in RL. It's impressive that you stuck with it and I hope things get better for you.

Thanks for running (and everyone else for playing), it was certainly an interesting scenario..even if the riddles didn't make much sense (to me anyway), it was very thematic.