[PFS] #7-01 Between the Lines (CORE) — GM Crucible (Inactive)

Game Master TomG

Satisfied to stop. Lannior will gladly suck up a couple extra years.

Galilen, let me, a couple extra years won't really effect me too much being an elf.

Lannior wonders why he is being so nice to the humans.

I'll be glad to take 4 or more.

"Well, I suppose our game of chance is now over. Take your bargained reward, and let's be done with this."

Gailen bows to Lannior. "Thank you, friend."

Madame Jelaris shows her contraption for extracting years. A small brass nameplate a tthe bottom says "Humperdink, #3 Pit of Despair, Florin".

Each of you—excepting Apollyanna, who finds this whole "shopping" experience more than a little unsettling—accept a brief turn at the contraption. It makes your throat dry, and causes some momentary pain. You're sure that if you'd accepted much more, there would be lasting effects. When Gailen's turn comes, Madam Jelaris turns a dial up to four. She whispers "Sorry, this may hurt a bit." before pulling the lever that extracts four years from Gailen instead of just the two everyone else lost.
@Gailen: Will or Fort save DC 10, or cry a little.

When the extractions are concluded, Madame Jelaris hands Gailen a small cloth bag. "This is the item you were sent for. Now, if you don't mind, I have research to attend to," she says, before bustling you out of her shop.

You hurry back to Murqual for details on your next task.

Next scene later today.

Actually Lannior took the 4 years.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Lannior resists the urge to cry as his years are pulled away. In the end, he decides the extra years make him look more distinguished and quickly forgets about it.

Humperdink...I see what you did there! Now I have Peter Falk's voice stuck in my head.

"A waste of time. Literally." She shakes her head. "Onto the next task, then."

Prisim looks disappointedly into the bag.

"I didn't think working for the Shining crusade would involve selling years of my life in return for some trinket - that is possibly a magical prison" she sighs.

"I was thinking of shining swords, and Incandescent Unicorn Strikes"

Then she adds quietly. "And the odd evening in front of a fire with a nice gnomish lad..tinkering."

The she spies a toffee apple seller.
"Ohh.. Toffee apples on me everyone!"

With a big of sugar she perks up.

"Let's drop off the mirror and find out what is next."

"That wasn't so bad... I don't know what you were going on about, Apollyana. We need to get you some wine to calm you, sister."

You get back to the shop with the mirror. The servant steps outside as you approach.
"That took long enough. I sure it felt like years." He smirks a little bit, then realizing none of you find it funny, continues.

"“I have some special goods being shipped in from the savanna tonight. I am short on staff to take the delivery, and I don’t care to be seen meeting with the deliverers. They’re gnolls. It’s a social status issue; I’m sure you understand.”

"There's a cart loaded with goods around the corner. They've already received the bulk of their money, but these are gnolls, Here are two bags for payment. They've already been paid, but these are gnolls, and I've learned to anticipate their greed. All part of doing business." A quick peek inside the sacks shows each of the two holds 100gp.

"Are there any questions?"

——
By night, the streets of the Twilight Gate district are mostly empty. The courtyard surrounding the Ruined Monastery, a popular tourist attraction by day, is even more deserted than the surrounding streets. Perhaps this is what made it the choice location for Murqual’s gnoll “distributors,” or perhaps the gnolls feel comfortable in the shadow of this former home to Lamashtu’s faithful. In either case, the shadows lie thick underneath these crumbling walls.

The gnolls wait in the plaza, as you were told they would. There are two of them.
Does anyone speak Gnoll??

One of the gnolls whispers to the other, loud enough to be heard across the plaza.

The second gnoll hisses when seeing you, and calls out in an unfamiliar language.
"Неге ол сені жібере болды?"

The both look disgusted at having to work with humans and other people who wash regularly.

Before leaving Prisim asks
"How are we to tell which gnolls the deal is with? I'd not want to deliver the cart to the wrong ones.."

Then after thinking about it adds in "What is in the cart as a matter of interest?"

"Hah! There aren't too many gnolls around. If you see them waiting in the appointed place, they're the ones," the servant tells you before you leave.

A quick glance at the cart during your travels shows it is full of trade goods, bolts of cloth, and several casks of (purportedly) liquor.

"That wasn't so bad... I don't know what you were going on about, Apollyana. We need to get you some wine to calm you, sister."

"Prematurely ages you and puts bags under your eyes." Apollyanna says sulkily.

She uses detect evil on the mirror.

"Magical prisons, now gnolls, what's next supper with the Rune Lords?"

Prisim checks over her shoulders that her Sisters of Shelyn are still with her.

She gestures to the cart. "We're here to pick that up"

She tries Taldane first, and if that doesn't work then Gnome, Draconic and finally Sylvan.

"This Gnolls...no, it's best I don't ask." Meredith shakes her head.

"What are we selling...They need to speak the Common tongue, I don't know what they're saying."

One of the gnolls steps forward slightly when Prisim speaks to them in Taldane. "Bad tongue but you understand. Pay first. Then crate." The gnoll gestures to the crate behind him.

The second gnoll continues mumbling in a language you can't understand. With occasional assenting responses from the first.

Lannior sees little reason to beat around the bush. Revealing what's in the cart.

Here's what we've been given to trade for the crate. I'm sure it's what you agreed with Murqual about. Now let's have the crate.

My he is decisive thinks Prisim, happily stepping back and allowing the tall elf to deal with the slightly scary gnolls.

Pau stands by. "Trade it at the same time. Don't give them the gold first. Hey might be tricky."

The gnolls examine the cart and the donkey, and—unless you stop them—pull them over to their side of the courtyard.

The continue to stand in front of the crate they brought. The one who spoke to you before gestures to it. "Gold first. Then box."

If you're going to talk it out, I need a roll aligned with your approach (Bluff, Intimidate, or Diplomacy).

"My friend, I'm sure you don't have any reason to trust us, but we have no reason to trust you either. Please, let's just do the exchange at the same time, and go on our separate ways."

Diplom: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Diplomacy(Aid): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Meredith grunts as the Gnolls and party haggle. "Hurry up before I whither away."

The speaking gnoll keeps his hand out. "Gold, or we keep crate and donkey."

Far from diplomatic Lannior continues his straight forward approach. He produces one of the two bags containing 100 gold.

I got gold here for you, but first let us see the crate, make sure we aren't wasting our money.

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Pau tries to help the others. "Honor among traders is important. We can hand over everything at the same time."

Aid another diplomacy 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

"And I'm sure you want to continue to do trade. As does the one we represent. Let us swap them at the same time."

diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

So, 16 Diplomacy (Gailen), + 6 aid (Lannior, Pau, Prisim) + ? circumstance (one bag of gold) = 22 + ? ... which is unfortunately not convincing enough.

The speaking gnoll grabs the bag of gold from Lannior's hand. The gnoll checks quickly to make sure it's gold, then weighs it by shaking it a couple of times. Some gold is ... " he struggles with the word, "... 'good', but not enough. Stupid humans don't know gnolls. Gnolls smart. Gnolls know you more gold. You give or we leave."

"You rude, so price go up. Give 200 more gold. Else we go. And take donkey."

He says something in a guttural language you don't understand, and the other gnoll takes the donkey's reigns and starts walking it away.

"Last chance, gnoll. My character is being impugned here. Either you take the deal of I'm going to punch you in the face, and give you a proper thrashing."

"Last chance, gnoll. My character is being impugned here. Either you take the deal of I'm going to punch you in the face, and give you a proper thrashing."

That sounds like Intimidate ... care to make a roll?

Sure.

Apollyanna, prevented from meaningfully interacting for religious reasons steps forward.

"RUDE!" She snatches at the reins. "Listen here you big hairy jerk! A deal's a deal. You can leave with more by providing more otherwise you can just leave... And find a breath mint."

It's apparent that Apollyanna does not care whether or not the gnolls take her up on her offer and she would be fine with both parties walking away with what they came with.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Intimidate aid another 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

"I've got this!" Apollyanna gives Pau a vicious shove.

Pau, so angry at the gnoll, fumed and slurred his threat, coming across more comical than threatening. The paladin's shove caught him completely unawares. Unprepared, he was knocked ahead several feet, again looking nonthreatening.

I am shocked, *shocked* at the behavior of the pretty paladin of the good deity...(and chuckling all the same)

Actions from anyone else?

Intimidate Aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

"Now we're talking!" Meredith cracks her knuckles. "I've been holding back for so long. Gimme an excuse, Gnoll. Any excuse."

Meredith really, REALLY wants an excuse.

Gailen's eyes widen at Apollyana's outburst, and then narrow back at the gnolls. "You'd best do what my sister asks. She seems to be a bit out of her mind. I'd hate for her to start swinging her sword all around and ACCIDENTALLY remove one of your heads."
Intim: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Apollyanna does indeed 'got this'. Aided only slightly by Meredite and Gailen, the 16-year-old "freshman squire" raises her diminutive height (for a human) and bellows loudly at the gnolls.

"Hey! We sorry! This gold enough. We go now. You take crate. Don't eat us."

If you let them go, they hurry away with the donkey and the cart, leaving a large crate behind them. It's a simple enough matter to haul the crate back to Murqual's. The crate is awkward to carry, but with two of you working together you manage it easily enough.

The servant is waiting outside again for you. "Oh, good. My crate. Did you use both bags of gold?"

We'll continue the RP retcon as to whether you return the second bag with 100 gp while we go on to the next scene.

—
Your final task from Murqual involves purging a magical mask —a recent acquisition from a wandering tribe in Thuvia—of its guardian spirit, which is performed most safely far away from Murqual's shop.

"It should be easy enough for skilled warriors like yourselves. If I may caution, though, you might find cold iron weapons to be of use here. The master carries a fine selection at reasonable prices, should you require."
You may buy any cold iron weapons, if you wish.

You head some ways away to summon and defeat the guardian of the mask.

Murqual’s directions lead to a rickety iron ladder in an alleyway that climbs the side of a long, low warehouse. The roof is canted at a slight enough angle that it might as well be at. Several other rooftops are adjacent, at more or less equal height, forming an L-shaped superstructure.

Map is up. Please place your avatars. Assume the buildings and the ground around the warehouse continue beyond the edges of the map as needed.

Meredith's smile fades as the gnolls cower and capitulate. "I wanted to pummel them so badly...You really know how to shake things up, Apollyana."

Meredith doesn't care about the gold, but the boy's warning does cause her to take a look. She eyes a beautiful scimitar. "And...is that cold iron? How much does that cost?"

Buying a cold iron scimitar for 330 gp.
"One more task and we'll be done, yes? Then let's travel."

This map is tiny. Or Meredith is huge.

Your final task from Murqual involves purging a magical mask —a recent acquisition from a wandering tribe in Thuvia—of its guardian spirit, which is performed most safely far away from Murqual's shop.

"It should be easy enough for skilled warriors like yourselves. If I may caution, though, you might find cold iron weapons to be of use here. The master carries a fine selection at reasonable prices, should you require."
You may buy any cold iron weapons, if you wish.

You head some ways away to summon and defeat the guardian of the mask.

Murqual’s directions lead to a rickety iron ladder in an alleyway that climbs the side of a long, low warehouse...

"Yeah right. Uh, why are we going up there? Is whatever it is weak against shingles too? Why not some place less dangerous like an active volcano or--I don't know--the ground?"

"And why did you buy that scimitar Meredith? Couldn't just hit it with this ladder? Nobody's using it."

Apollyanna wants a different map. Come on people, I'm not the wise one here. Snap. Next? ;)

Pau brandished the cold iron sai he already possessed. "Let's get to it. Give me something to hit," he snarls as he wanted to make up for losing face in the gnoll exchange.

On my phone. Will someone place Pau close by? Maybe near Meredith, lol.

I know, I know. But it's the map the scenario calls for. You might appreciate a small map a couple of rounds in...

And re the gnolls... the DC was something like +8 (or more) higher if you tried Diplomacy instead of Intimidate. They're gnolls for goodness sakes.

Prisim looks at Poly with new respect.

"Wow, that was so brave, you just faced them down totally."

Sorry last day of school holidays, limited posting.

I know, I know. But it's the map the scenario calls for. You might appreciate a small map a couple of rounds in...

Appollyanna suggests that we take part of the 100 gp we saved our Neutral Greedy boss Palhuna Murqual and use it to rent a 10x10 foot inn room to do this in rather than a dangerous rooftop. Then we use the rest of the money to pay for a rip back to Absolam and give the demon summoning ritual items directly to the Master of Scrolls before Chaotic Stupid Venture-Captain Wulessa Yuul summons said demon destroying us and the local property values in the process. Apollyanna may not have wisdom but she's not particularly dumb.

Lannior is glad the deal could be pulled off and save some of the gold. And thinks it would probably show some good will to Marqual that we saved him a little gold by returning the excess.

Lannior will of course try to get a look at what's in the crate before we return it to the shop if possible.

-----
I agree with Apollyanna, I don't think a rooftop is a very good place to do this, there would seem to be unnecessary risks up there. Maybe back at that abandon temple we just dealt with the gnolls at, it seemed deserted enough.

Already having cold iron arrows Lannior feels somewhat prepared, but not really.

I can pull out the map of the temple where the gnolls were, or a map of a room inn, if you want to choose that route. The advantage of this area is that the windows are boarded and the structure is empty.

Things you know as you prepare:

The mask exudes a faint aura of necromancy and conjuration magic. You've been told there is a long ritual in using it, but the guardian can be summoned with a simple command word, which you've been given.

How do you plan to summon/defeat the guardian? Or will someone get bored and just speak the commend word?

Meredith considers her options carefully. "I can't punch a ghost. Has anyone heard of these kinds of rituals from this tribe? Otherwise I say we use the magic word, summon it and hack away."

How do you plan to summon/defeat the guardian? Or will someone get bored and just speak the commend word?

It isn't "it" is it?

"Let's just summon it and beat it to death. Time is wasting!"

We find a featureless flat plane the we can't fall off of, and that won't collapse beneath us into a pile of wood, rusty nails and shards of broken glass and get to it.

"Let's make sure there are no innocents nearby who may get accidently hurt " adds Prisim.

"Maybe non residential. We don't want to disturb folk."