[PFS_Aerondor] 00-03 - Murder on the Silken Caravan [Tier 1-2] PbP Gameday 4 (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

“One of our number has fallen.” Venture-Captain Adril Hestram lets the grave words hang in the air before continuing. It’s difficult to imagine a large man like Adril defeated, but in light of this grim news his shoulders slump; he is a man who suffered a loss.

“Targos Min-Katheer, esteemed venture-captain, is dead. His last wishes are simple: he wants his mortal remains to take one last trip along the Silken Way to his home city of Katheer, there to rest with his ancestors. He was one of our finest and we aim to honor his request. It is for this reason I’ve called you all together.”

Adril points one sausage-thick finger at the map on the table, tracing a line from Absalom to the mouth of the Pashman River, then snaking up the river to the oasis city of Lopul.

“Here is where you can gather up his remains and join the silken caravan, one of the only caravans daring the harsh journey across the desert from Lopul to Katheer. This mission is simple, joyride really, but we insist you give it the attention it deserves. A few weeks in the sun, seeing the sights of the desert. A dream assignment.”

Adril has a way of making every assignment sound like a sweet deal, but the last few weeks traveling by boat up the Pashman River and then hiking the short distance to the oasis city have been grueling to the extreme. A poisonous river snake claimed one of your guides; you remember his last gasps well, and how his face bloated to twice its usual size within seconds of the bite.

Before you now lies Lopul, the great caravan city, erected around the crystal life-giving waters of the Pool of Sihbon, the largest oasis for over one hundred miles. Mud brick houses baking in the sun and great canvas tents crowd the central copse of palm and date trees.

Lopul is a caravan-city ruled by the Sheikh Samraf Al- Hadari, humble servant to the padishah emperor of Kelesh. The settlement’s population fluctuates wildly with the comings and goings of trade caravans, but usually has at least a thousand locals and travelers in residence at any one time. Most of the city is comprised of tents and temporary dwellings erected by merchants and caravan masters, with only about a quarter of the city’s structures being permanently built around the Pool of Sihbon itself. Among these permanent structures are a halfdozen caravanserai, the fortress of the sheikh, and twoscore domed dwellings constructed of mud brick. One such dwelling is the former residence of Targos Min-Katheer. All that remains is to collect his body and join the silken caravan.

A broad shouldered wildkin half orc dressed in furs and leathers spends most of her time alone or away from the trappings of society...'first assignment for the pathfinders and i am a simple errand person. well the voyage has had some spots of excitement. Hopefully we can finish this delivery quickly and then I can go on another assignment.' she then observes her companions.

I understand why they picked me

A Tengu in exquisite clothing with matching jewelry listens closely to the words of VC Hestram. On his belt he has a katana, next to a bulging pouch.

"We will give VC Min-Katheer the last ride he deserves. I assume that we will transfer his remains to his family in Katheer? Are there other belongings of the late Venture Captain that we need to give to his family?"

"Just his body. I understand that arrangements for his wealth will be handled in Katheer."

Just waiting for the others to check in.

dot, gimmie a sec to fix discussion tab, nets been on the blink all day with power shutoffs and fibre upgrades x_x

Dot, a real post later

"Anything to worry about other than the desert heat?"

Parker runs into the room, his coat catching by the door and sending him almost on the ground. "Well ain't that just a great start...", he says, looking at the torn seam. He looks at the somber mood in the room, then sends a sad puppy eye look at the others, taking his place on a chair and dusting himself off.

"From what I gathered, it sounds real simple. We gon do our job nice an' professional, Venture Captain.", he says, his voice lowering in tone with the room. "Do you got somethin' else to advise us, sir?"

The team remembers the VC shaking his head at the question.

Here you are, miles from where you are used to, looking for the house of a dead man...

I think we are set to go.

'hmmm they seem to be seasoned Pathfinder agents, I would do well to watch and learn from them...' Luralee muses...

"Greetings to all, my name is Luralee Worbear. I am a nature magic adept."

"Well met Luralee. I am Myrd Sharpclaw, Minkaian diplomat and explorer. I myself am also linked to the slowly but everchanging nature of trees and forests, but draw my magics from books"

"And I am Iron Feathers, the stronger, more able tengu here.", Iron Feathers smiles cockily, winking at Myrd in as a show of jest.

Still think I have a potion of endure elements from before, so I should be good to go.

First obstacle is to find the house in Lopul...

Parker nods at the newcomer. "Hey there! Name's Parker, George Parker. Pleased to meet'cha, how'd'you do!", he shoots out in rapid succession, raising his hat. "I don' real know why they still trust me on these missions,", he says, a smile appearing on his face, "But I know a thing or two 'bout magic. An' sellin' used horses.", he says, grinning even wider.

He stares at Lopul's unique urban planning. "Well, I guess the first place to stop gon' be the local drinkin' 'ole. Just to tell us where's the house, an' then maybe one for the road.", he suggests, as he jumps off the caravan and heads, grinning to a nearby local.

Diplomacy, Gather Information: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Whoops! As a heads up GM, I should let you know that Iron Feathers has DR 1/-

The tengu lets Parker do the talking; his abilities are more for talking back.

Parker easily locates the house of the former VC.

A small mud-brick, domed dwelling lies at the end of a humble, sandy street here in the heart of the caravan city. The scent of the nearby oasis still reaches you, and a hive of bees, attracted by the nearby water, hangs from a date palm next to the house. The wails of mourners and cries of women and children reach your ears, and you can see a small crowd gathered outside the house’s single door, its members crying and tearing their garments. Whether professionally hired mourners or sorrow-filled residents outpouring legitimate grief for the loss of a local hero is unclear, but the emotion seems genuine enough.

Luralee watches with wild fascination...
'this is different than with the tribes, usually they burn you on a pyre if there is enough wood and do some chanting...strange how they tear at their clothes, makes them unusable...' she muses to herself...

Parker nods at the procession. Leaning towards the rest, he says quietly. "Well, folks, this is it. I'm guessin' that's how folk do it in there here parts o' the world. Ain't one to tell anyone how to deal with their passed." He leans on a nearby wall, before realizing it's perhaps a bit too unprofessional, fixes his suit and proceeds to wait until the procession is finished. "Now, folks, I suggest it's gonna be respectful ta wait 'till they're done with that. Then we gonna go an' talk to whoever's in charge o' them."

He gives a sneaky look around, then leans closer. "I don' know bout'cha, but I ain't really lookin' forward ta watch this intensely. How's 'bout we go somewhere to the corner, an' share a couple o' stories?", he says with a small smirk.

The main mourning lasts for a while, but the team manages to find a seller of watermelons who chops the top off and provides a spoon to scoop out the insides. It certainly helps to while away an hour or so. Come late afternoon the festivities start to die down. There are still some people within the house, but the main crowd has left.

"Do we take the remains now or wait for them to present him to us? I do not know the proper etiquette in these civilized lands." Luralee asks her companions.

You need to claim the remains to take them on to Katheer.

"Strange delicacy.", Iron Feathers comments as he spits out a seed. "Let's grab the remains and start our journey.", the tengu walking inside.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Knocking on the door, Iron Feathers is greeted with a somewhat strange sight. The door is opened by a man in sackcloth with ashes poured over his freshly shaved head. His face is sickly pale under the coating of ashes and part of one ear is missing. His hands are wrapped in dirty bandaged.

Respectfully moving out of the way, he allows the Tengu to enter the house. Within are several more people, dressed in a similar fashion.

Heal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4...seriously....
INT: 1d20 ⇒ 11

Luralee realizes this abode houses lepers and quietly tells her teammates such news 'lepers' she whispers. Then she keeps her gloves on making a mental note not to touch anything. Lepers in her native lands are either outcasts or killed but here she tries to be respectful.

George nods as Luralee shares the fact. Well, well... He quickly retracts his half-way extended arm, going for a handshake, and chooses to give a small bow instead. Walking in the room, he greets the mourners. "Afternoon, folks.", he starts, giving another small bow. "Me an' ma... colleagues are here to, uh, help the late Venture Captain on his last journey. We gon' be here, in the corner, waitin' for y'all to tell us when ta start makin' preparations. An', if there's somethin' you'd need from us.", he says, after removing his hat.

Diplomacy to make a good impression of the Pathfinder Society: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

The mourners nod, keeping their distance.

After a few minutes, a man in a jackle mask comes out from an curtained alcove.

His voice muffled by the mask, he says "I am Ben-Garri. I hear to you are here to take Ben-Garri? We are doing the final preparations on his body. If you come back after sundown, you may claim it then."

"We are here for Targos Min-Katheer. His last wishes were for his mortal remains to take one last trip along the Silken Way to his home city of Katheer, there to rest with his ancestors. We are here to honor that request." Luralee tells the man

"Then come back at night fall." is the priests response.

SM: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
"We can help with the preparations if need be."

random: 1d20 ⇒ 12

"The preparation rites are private. Some back when the sun is gone and you may take the body then." says the priest.

Looking around the room, the pathfinders who are knowledgeable about such things think that spending the next couple of hours in a house full of lepers may not be good for their health...

Is this person to be trusted or are there things working against us here? I would not want to have the wrong body with us.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Myrd has remained near the back for a while. He has been watching the priest closely, assessing him and weighing his words.

Well then, Luralee thanks the man and leaves the building.

"We came here for a body and we aren't leaving without a body. Just a minute of time to take the deceased and we'll be outta your hair.", Iron Feathers standing up to the priest.

Myrd is suspicious of the priest. Something is not right here.

The mourners in the room look concerned at the works of Iron Feathers. They move between the Tengu and the priest.

"Be peaceful. You may have his body at sunset. In the meanwhile please respect our ceremony."

If you want to stay in the room then you will have to make a reflex DC8 check to avoid accidental contact with a leper, otherwise you can go outside, or try to force the situation.

Dare I try Intimidation to cower them out of the way? Or have another idea?

"Now now, good man. We understand you have your ceremonies, however we have been charged to deliver the late Venture Captain to his family in Katheer and we will not leave without a body"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

Myrd is meanwhile rummaging through his pouch, trying to find an antiplague potion. After a while he finds it and quaffs it.

"I am not asking you to leave without the body. I'm asking you to come back at sundown and claim his body then. Now please leave."

He gestures toward two of the other lepers (for on close inspection, the figure behind the mask seems to also be missing a finger or two) and they start to herd the pathfinder team outside.

Unless you are going to resist, in which case it looks like battle might ensue!

Iron Feathers quickly chugs a vial antiplague! before shouting, "You WILL let us get the body RIGHT now!", glaring at the lepers and their leader.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Booya!

Luralee is already out of the room and waiting by the entrance in case this devolves into combat.

The leper in front of Iron feathers steps back.

"We should let them take the body.. he is just dead.."

The others still disagree, one of them moving up to try and push the Tengu from the room.

attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

Audyn: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Luralee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Iron Feathers: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Parker: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Mylitta: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Myrd: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
leppers: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Status, bold may post:
Mylitta
Luralee
Myrd
Parker
Iron Feathers
Audyn
Leppers
Red
Blue (intimidated)
Green
Priest

Luralee hears the commotion and races inside the room unsure of what is going on...she just left thinking the team was leaving then the bird men escalate things. she will take a round to figure out what happened

"What is going on in here...? What is this?!

"I don't know what you are trying to pull of here priest, but we will have none of it"

Myrd throws a splinter at the priest, that quickly grows into a full sized spear

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

The priest suffers from bleed 1 and needs to make concentration checks when he wants to cast a spell (DC 10 + spell level)

Parker hustles back. "What's goin' on 'round here!", as the situation escalates. "Don'tcha go pushin' us 'round, pal." Seeing a leper push Iron Feathers, he shudders. I ain't gettin' nowhere close to that., he thinks as he stops for a moment and a shimmering field surrounds him.

Casting Mage Armor, I believe it worked versus touch?

Also letting you know, guys, my laptop's hard drive died on me yesterday. I'll do my best to post from university and/or my phone, but I'm just letting you know. I'd hate to bog down the game.

Before the other lepers or priest can act, Iron Feathers wastes no time reaching the fray. "You know, some of my kind enjoy carrion.", the tengu biting the priest.

Bite @ Priest: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Damage on hit: 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Fort save if required on hit: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 5 = 20

And you wonder why Pathfinders have a bad reputation? Beating up a poor group of lepers who are just trying to follow their rituals of respect for the dead.

Iron Feathers descends on the priest like a bird of prey. He is beaten by a sharp shard of wood. That looks painful.

Status, bold may post:
Mylitta
Audyn
Lepers
Red
Blue (intimidated)
Green
Priest 10 damage; bleed 1;
Parker (mage armor)
Luralee
Myrd
Iron Feathers

I like to think of Iron Feathers as more of the mercenary type; he'll get the job done, through some force as necessary. Think I'll leave the poor lepers alone, or at least make my attacks nonlethal against them.

Anyone want to provide a move for Audyn? Mylitta has dropped. I've send Audyn a PM to remind him about the game.

Once again, sorry everyone. I'm in a lot of games with a lot of characters and I missed the post that linked to this one.

Stepping forward, Audyn raises his voice, "We have no wish for violence, but will engage if necessary!"

5 foot step northwest (I'm on mobile, can someone move me?) and then use Dazzling Display.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

5 foot step northwest (I'm on mobile, can someone move me?)/QUOTE]

Done

Intimidated, but not broken, the lepers descend on Iron claw to protect their priest.
UA Atacks: 3d20 ⇒ (9, 14, 12) = 35

The priest backs up and Commands Iron feathers to "Flee"
concentration: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Status, bold may post:
Parker (mage armor)
Luralee
Myrd
Iron Feathers - Will DC 13 or must flee for a round
Audyn
Lepers
Red Shaken for 4 rounds
Blue Shaken for 4 rounds
Green Shaken for 4 rounds
Priest 11 damage; bleed 1; Shaken for 3 rounds