[PFS_Aerondor] 07-10 The Consortium Compact (Classic) - Tier 1 PbP Gameday 4: (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Water laps steadily at the pier as sailors, laborers, and merchants rush busily around Absalom’s port. The venture-captain’s summons called for a meeting aboard the Sixwing Drake, a sleek sailing ship. The Drake’s captain, a Varisian woman and fellow Pathfinder named Zarah Zendrani, stands at the helm of her vessel.

“It’s not like Valsin to be late,” she mutters, furrowing her brow.

As if on cue, a tall and meticulously groomed man pushes his way through the crowd and up the gangplank, cursing audibly.

“Whoever supervises this mess of a port needs to be dumped in the sea!” he grumbles. The tall man looks around at those gathered before him.

“Just the group I requested. Perfect. I’m Venture- Captain Ambrus Valsin, and I took great care in selecting just the right Pathfinders for this assignment.”

Valsin reaches into his belt pouch and withdraws a small, folded paper before continuing.

“A few days ago, I received a curious note from a rather unexpected source. It’s not every day that I get a request from an agent of the Aspis Consortium.” Captain Zendrani’s eyes widen, and Valsin smiles knowingly.

“But Magali Delroya does not appear to be your typical Aspis agent. As you surely know, the Aspis Consortium pursues a variety of activities across the Inner Sea that the Pathfinder Society finds abhorrent. It seems that Delroya has been working with them for some time, but can no longer stomach the snakes herself. She wants to stop a shipment of an experimental drug from leaving Diobel later this week. It’s bound for a number of locations across the Inner Sea region. According to Delroya, she can’t ask the local authorities for help, because the Aspis Consortium has already struck a deal with a faction of the Kortos Consortium, a powerful merchant collective. Her hands are tied, so she’s come to us for help. In this note, she outlines three different tasks that would help to disrupt the Aspis long enough for her to move the shipment to a secure location, out of the clutches of the consortium. Once you accomplish two of these tasks, she’s willing to meet with you, but not before."

“Normally, I wouldn’t trust an Aspis agent at any hour of the day. But our sources in Diobel have confirmed the Aspis and Kortos consortia’s activities. Everything checks out, so we are presented with a unique opportunity. If we help Delroya, we might not only strike a financial blow against the Aspis Consortium, but we could also reveal their dealings with the Kortos Consortium—and possibly prevent their arrangement from turning into a more formal alliance. Furthermore, we hope to stop this drug from spreading across the Inner Sea region, and if we—if all of you—do a good enough job, we might even convince Delroya to join the Society. A turncoat agent would be a valuable asset in our ongoing run-ins with the Aspis Consortium."

“Take some time to look over Delroya’s note and the tasks she has set for you. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask. Remember, the Aspis Consortium is a long-time enemy of the society, but the Kortos Consortium, while certainly suspicious, is not our enemy. It is a complex organization with many factions, and we should avoid antagonizing any of them, except when necessary to oppose the Aspis Consortium.”

Thaco quickly skims the note and passes it to the next Pathfinder, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Sounds like fun if you ask me." He flexes his broad chest and tilts his neck to the side, resulting in an audible crack. "Glad you're all in the market for nonlethal combat, too. I've got some new moves I'd like to try out."

Turning to face the other Pathfinders gathered on deck, he nods and says, "I'm Thaco. Good to be working with all of you."

A muscular half-orc looks like he would be more comfortable in a saddle than on a boat. Still, he listens carefully and nods in understanding. He is shorter than others of his kind, being a few inches under six feet in height, but also more compact and agile.

He bears the arms and armor of Tien.

Politely, he responds to the Venture-Captain. "Rest assured that we will complete this task to your satisfaction," he nods. "I am Helm Akodo," he adds.

Rah'im is a feral looking human, with an oversized nose and a wispy unkempt beard.

He grunts in response but carefully takes the notes and reads them.

Half reading aloud "Disrupt a meetin' at the Overflowing Oyster... Steal documents from the Blue Dragon... take care of an alchemist..."

Eventually turning his head up from the note. "Ya, I think we can handle that."

After a moment Rah'im realized the other have introduced themselves he grunts out his name "Rah'im" as he thumps his chest.

Woohoo! Yay! I can't wait! My first adventure! Can we go to the alchemist?! I would just love love to have those notes! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE? Looking around at the rest of the group, Please? I don't really care which of the other two we do, but can we go to the alchemist? I'm Maude. I would reeeaaaallllllyyy love to get a look at those notes.

"Aha! This appears to be a piece of paper." announces a shaggy-haired fellow in a floppy hat even as he seems to forget about the paper and drop it to the ground.
"Now, to the business at hand," he says while removing his coat, "I am Linorm, king of the trolls of Heim and leader of the goblin army," then he leans forward, gives an obvious wink, and stage whispers, "I'm actually Paco Bumblekins. King Linorm is just my cover story," and he gives another obvious wink while continuing to fuss with his coat.
"You may have recognized me by my magical hat gifted to me by the Society for my great exploits in banishing the haunted pumpkins from the sewers of...somewhere...Absalom maybe."
At this point, he begins putting his coat back on, though it's now inside out. "Anyway, back to the matter of the business at hand, I now have a turned coat. I suppose we're ready to begin." And he then starts trying to figure out how to put his hands in his pockets which are now on the inside of his coat while standing over the now long forgotten note.

Valsin swallows grimly.

"Each and every one of you has a unique...talent.. When you Cooperate together, you'll be able to accomplish amazing things. Explore Diobel, do the tasks, and then report back."

He looks anxiously around the docks. "There is still one more to turn up... In the meantime, any last questions?"

So sorry I am late...this port is an utter mess. I am Sharimus, here to help in any way I can.

He scans over the papers and thinks.

I believe the first and third options would be best suited to our group's makeup. he says as he eyes the group.

"Options? There were options? Then we should take them! Let's move, men! Including the men who are women!"

And since Paco has no real idea of what they're to do, he doesn't actually start to lead the anywhere specific. Instead, he just wanders about aimlessly.

Umm...sure. Looking at these, I think the first and last options are the best...mostly due to the fact that stealth doesn't seem to be our strong point. I have an idea for the first one, but it is a risk. We should have a fallback plan for it should things go awry.

Sharimus looks around to make sure there is no one taking too much interest in the conversation.

Ok, so we know the owner of the tavern deals in counterfeit pearls. We could go the local authorities and say that he sold some fake pearls and demand he be arrested. We do that before the meeting is to be held, and that way he might have to close the tavern. No tavern, no meeting, right?

It sounds like you are ready to head onwards if there are no questions, if there are, sing out and we can retcon them of the VC

Captain Zendrani and the crew of the sleek Sixwing Drake steer the ship up to the massive barrier of broken war-barges, crumbling walls, and jetties of iron and wood that protect the port of Diobel.

“Well, here we are,” says the captain.

“I’ll make sure everything is in order with Diobel’s inspectors and charter you a barge to the port. You aren’t carrying anything particularly valuable, so you shouldn’t draw much attention from the inspectors or pilots, so long as you don’t run your mouth. My crew and I will wait here with the ship. You can return here to rest, if you need to, but remember—there isn’t much time!”

A transport barge pulls along side and the captain provides a purse of gold for him to take you ashore and wait in case you need transport out again.

It sounds like you want to visit the tavern first?

Mechanics: In order to disrupt the meeting you have to go through three phases. The first of these is planning it! Once you have come up with your IC plan, each character must make a relevant skill check, depending on their role in making the plan. Aid-another and spells like guidance won't help here. So for now... come up with a plan, it sounds like Sharimus may be onto a good idea already.

Oh! What can I do I can't wait why do we have to do the first one first Is there anything I can do to help And what do you mean not stealth I can stealth You have extra long ears for an elf did you magic them to get that long What can I do to help This is your plan after all This is my first adventure I don't want to do it wrong. Maude looks eagerly at Sharimus, but her eyes keep straying to his ears.

Thaco grins and says, "Nothing ruins a nice, quiet evening at the tavern like a bar fight."

Rah'im grunts and nods, approving of Sharimus's plan.

"Sounds like we'll need to find out a little more about the tavern keep, 'discover' some evidence and then convince the local fuzz."

For the evidence part, I was thinking we could actually buy a few of the fakes from him. Hard evidence is always good. Then we go to the authorities and I say he sold me fakes. What the barkeep won't know is that I will mark the coins I give him, so when he denies it, I will just say I can identify the coins given to him.

Sharimus then takes out a few gold coins and scores them on one side with an "X" with his dagger.

Lucikly, gold is soft...don't want to dull my blade that bad.

He puts the coins in his beltpouch, separate from the rest of the coins.

I scored 25 gp worth

I am not the best at acting, but can sometimes force my opinion on someone. Let's just hope it doesn't come down to acting. Now plan B I think is where you come in, Thaco. A disruption before the meeting could serve as an excellent backup plan.

Helm visits a contact he has in the city in an effort to gather some information about the tavern and their contact.

gather info: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Have you decided on a firm plan? Helm's skill check can probably work with any plan, as finding out about the tavern and such will definitely be helpful. After agreeing on a plan (may take time in PbP, and remember, the exact plan doesn't matter too much) pick a skill check that is relevant to it, and make it

Status: Tavern, planning phase. Bold have yet to contribute a skill check
Sharimus
Rah'im
Thaco
Maude
Paco
Helm

Thaco spends a bit of time at the tavern ahead of the meeting without the group, carousing and strong-arming the locals to set himself up as a touchy brute who could flip out at any moment.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Sharimus will use his perception to scout/snoop

Sharimus heads to the bar to eavesdrop on the bartender nonchalantly.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

i knew i should have made a rogue for this....d'oh!

"I have decided we will go to the tavern first and something about coins and the elf. And yes, he does have long ears," and he joins Maude in looking at them. He then absent-mindedly tries again to put his hands in the pockets which are still inside of his inside out coat.

Paco is bad at skills. He also fails at intelligence, hence won't come up with any meaningful sort of plan on his own. however, if he were to be convinced he was to woo a fair maiden (who happens to be with a particularly aggressive and possessive partner), maybe failing his roll as bad as he's likely to do would help start the barfight if we're going that route?

Rah'im nods.

I think the plan is go to the tavern, buy some fake pearls with marked cash, complain to the authorities in hopes of getting place shut down or at least business disrupted. If this isn't enough Mr. Ulgar will cause a ruckus.

Rah'im will take the coins and make the trade.

"Hmmm, this last pearl isn't so shiny ya know, highest I can got for the set is 25, tell ya what, subtract one pearl of your choice from the batch and we'll call it a deal, eh?"
Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Together you come up with an acceptable plan.
Which, is I take it, to arrange for the Oyster to be inhospitable, through a combination of a random fight, and the guards turning up?

--Phase 2-- Putting it into action; Time around midday Oathday

Similar to the first phase, you pick a relevant skill check. For those who are starting a bar fight, a CMD check, or maybe intimidate roll; If you are trying to encourage the guard to come, a diplomacy check, or something similar. Please pick a different skill from what you used in part 1

Status: Tavern, Action phase. Bold have yet to contribute a skill check
Sharimus (Perception used)
Rah'im (Bluff used)
Thaco (Intimidate used)
Maude
Paco
Helm (diplomacy used)

"What did you just say to me?"

CMB to flip a table: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Maude will try to use her skills with sleight of hand: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 to attempt to pickpocket someone near the bar, and failing miserably might contribute to a bar fight.

Having gathered some good information for their ruse, Helm now joins in the bar fight.

Not sure if we need any new rolls...but just checking in.

Rah'im will keep watch outside the bar for when the guard gets close so that his accomplices can escape without getting arrested.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

Yeap, you need new rolls
Rah'm notices a few people wander in around lunch time. One in particular arrives a bit before midday and takes a seat. After about twenty minutes another arrives and sits with her. Something smells fishy abou the two of them, and it's not that it is a sea-side town!

Taking the signal, Thaco flips a table, getting a response from the barman. "Break your own stuff, but leave mine alone!"

Maude tries to grab a coin purse but the sudden chaos puts her off her stride.

Status: Tavern, Action phase. Bold have yet to contribute a skill check ; currently 2 successes.
Sharimus (Perception used)
Rah'im (Bluff used) (perception used)
Thaco (Intimidate used) (CMD used)
Maude (n/a) (failed sleight)
Paco
Helm (diplomacy used)

"You do not want to start a fight with me!" Helm yells over the din of the battle.

intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 Hopefully just making it look real.

Sharimus looks at a bar patron.

Is there a reason you're looking at me funny?

imtimidate: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Neither Helm or Sharimus are able to contribute significantly to disturbing the feel of the place. Must be a rough house.

Status: Tavern, Action phase. Bold have yet to contribute a skill check ; currently 2 successes.
Sharimus (Perception used)
Rah'im (Bluff used) (perception used)
Thaco (Intimidate used) (CMD used)
Maude (n/a) (failed sleight)
Paco
Helm (diplomacy used)

Paco, encouraged by his comrades to interact with the tavern's patrons, decides to join in with making a mess. Therefore, he tries to run and leap onto the bartender's counter and start kicking drinks and bottles off of it.

"I can make a mess too!!!" he yells as he rushes and leaps...

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

and does, indeed, add to the chaos and mess-making.

Oh my goodness. And what a mess it is. Paco springs around the room like a mad monkey, food goes flying, beer steins are juggled and the room becomes quite an uproar. Perhaps more importantly, they have also identified the two people who are meeting.

Unfortunately there is a passing patrol who want to try and calm things down!

The team has to work hard now to keep escape without getting arrested!

Status, Tavern fun, phase three - dealing with a set back. Bold have yet to contribute
Sharimus (Perception used) (intimidate)
Rah'im (Bluff used) (perception used)
Thaco (Intimidate used) (CMD used)
Maude (n/a) (failed sleight)
Paco (n/a) (acrobatics used)
Helm (n/a) (diplomacy used)

When he hears the authorities approaching, Thaco grins mischievously and dives out through one of the kitchen windows into the alley behind the tavern.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Rah'im, having spotted the guards arriving yells out the presegintaed sign "Fuzz!"

He will then shift into a more bestial form Gaining scent and +10ft speed and make a run for it.

With a pair of guards hot on his tail Rah'im turns onto a dock in an attempt to lose them but to no avail. Quickly running out of dry land Rah'im makes a leap for the next dock over!

Jump (Acrobatics): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Subtract 8 if I can't add the fast speed jump bonus

Eek!
Maude will try to meld in with the other patrons 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 and hide under a table or between the legs of someone tall.

Can it be the same skill to escape as one we used to cause the issue? If so...

Paco hears the yelling of, "Fuzz!" Since he wasn't actually listening during the team's planning, he assumes the skinwalker requires something fuzzy. Therefore, Paco makes haste to nimbly exit the tavern and find a fuzzy toy, kitten, or cloak for his friend.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Assuming that succeeds, he turns his attention to finding something fuzzy for the skinwalker.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Are we only allowed to use the same skill once?

Helm moves directly toward the patrol, rather than away from them.

"Quickly! There are some hooligans starting a bar fight!" he yells to them.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Feel free to use the same skill if you really want to

Thaco and Rahim try to make a quick escape, but get the feeling someone may have taken note of their faces. Maud vanishes from sight. Maybe she is a sorcerer? Paco nimbly leaps through the back door, while Helm...

That would really be a bluff, diplomacy would be more trying to convince them that there were other more important things to be doing.. like dealing with the fake pearls. Still, I'll go with the roll Helm manages to distract the guards who lose interest in the disruption and find other less teeth-risky ventures to persue

Status, Tavern fun, phase three - dealing with a set back. Bold have yet to contribute
Sharimus (Perception used) (intimidate)
Rah'im (Bluff used) (perception used) (fail)
Thaco (Intimidate used) (CMD used) (fail)
Maude (n/a) (failed sleight) (stealth?)
Paco (n/a) (acrobatics used) (acrobatics)
Helm (n/a) (diplomacy used) (diplomacy)

After a quick race through the streets, you all meet up again in a different back ally, someone confident that you managed to disrupt the meeting, get away more or less without difficulty and even work out who the two people meeting up actually were.

What next?

Are we actually done with that part?

Well that was boring. I didn't even get to do anything. Can we go to the alchemist now?

Yeap, mechanically it was three sets of skill checks of increasing difficulty with you needing to get three successes in each to progress. You only just scraped through the second set. I'd be interesting to see how this worked out in an across-the-table type setting. In PbP too much planning can quickly bog down, so I didn't really want to drag it out too much.

Sharimus darts in a zig zag pattern to escape the approaching authorities.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

I thought that went really well, I'm looking forward to playing this scenario a few more times with more zany antics.

Rah'im sighs, slightly out of breath from the chase, his nose and feet still extended. He takes a moment to compose himself, turning back into his humanoid form before speaking

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Good we all made it. Was the alchemist next right?"

"Yeah, the alchemist is next. Let's get a move on before more guards show up!"

And how are you finding the alchemist?

Sharimus uses his contacts to gather info.

know. local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Maude will attempt to gather information with some locals to find the entrance to the sewers beneath Rat Street.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Hoping to not insult anyone along the way.

"Hey, I know a guy who knows a guy," Thaco says as he follows Sharimus around town.

Knowledge (local) aid another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

That's +2 on your roll.

Helm, always polite and respectful, asks where this alchemist might be found.

gather info: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Rah'im follows the others for now, more adept at finding his way through the wilderness than a city.

Paco, still intent on finding a fuzzy kitten, follows the group calling out, "Here, kitty kitty! Here, kitty kitty!"