PFS by PbP scenario TBD (Inactive)

Game Master Brayden Green

Amnur revels in the party atmosphere as the group departs, drinking and eating as if a dwarf starved. He hugs the friends he'd made here, wishing them all the best. As they leave town and Amnur holds both hands to his head, to keep it from splitting open after all the drink he'd consumed had caused him to be quite hung over -no small feat for a hearty dwarf. The three goblins catch his eye, and while his natural distaste causes him to look around for a rock to heave, part of him smiles at the remembered ditties they'd sung during the groups time here. With a quick glance at the others to make sure no one is watching, he does a quick wave back at them, and then scowls and goes on his way.

I appreciate being appreciated but mostly am eager to visit our new destination.

After a couple weeks of travel, everyone has arrived at Heidmarch Manor. After relaxing for a day at the Bakrakhan House, the main lodging for visiting Pathfinders, you are all called to an isolated cabin in Varisia's eastern forests, about half a day's travel from Magnimar. Before you head out, everyone receives a missive; a squire hands Amnur and Mylvwara their notes, a hired courier for Shilyn, and Ebrylis, the Heidmarch's personal gateguard, drops off Gryne and Varian's letters.

There, you see Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch glancing out a window as the last wisps of twilight fade over the Fenwall Mountains. Turning from the sight, she runs her hand along the rustic cabin's wall and stands beside an occupied wooden bed before addressing you.

"This,", the venture-captain says, gesturing to the man thrashing around violently, straining against the bonds that lash him securely to the bed, "is our colleague, Kalkamedes. Every night for several weeks now, he has fallen into a deep slumber and tried to sleepwalk right out of his cottage. If not restrained, he marches straight north, eventually falling off of a cliff or into a bog as if trying to get himself killed in an attempt to reach an unknown goal." As though he were expressing disagreement, the man tied to the bed suddenly begins pumping his limbs even harder, the violent spasm threatening to smash the bed into splinters.

"There are those who have recently criticized the Pathfinders for our indifference to the light of our fellow field agents. It's time to show that's not true. I want you to help Kalkamedes, whether he wants it or not. Several of our best spellcasters have attempted and extensive list of magical cures, but whatever sleepwalking curse or effect he's under tenacious resists our efforts. All we can do is keep him safe." Sheila pats him with a degree of professional affection, and Kalkamedes rewards her by trying to swat her with his hand.

"Kalkamedes' friends are at their wits' end, so we are going to attempt the only thing we have not tried; we're going to let him go tonight. That's where you come in. I want you to follow him and keep him safe and in one piece. Let him get to wherever his addled brain thinks he needs to go so badly. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets there, you can find a way to help him. Maybe you can determine who or what did this to him and find a way to undo it." Heidmarch pulls out a serrated knife. "Now before I cut him free, does anyone have any questions or last minute preparations?"

"I'm ready now... release the quarry, the hounds will follow... and do our best to keep him alive, too."

Oh yes, as a minor reminder, this is a Season 4 scenario, so while I did hand out faction missions for flavor, they are not part of earning Prestige Points. You as a team will have to figure out what the secondary condition will be to earn the second prestige point on top of the one earned from completing the primary goal (which should be fairly obvious :))

Great, escort mission.

Amnur raises his bushy eyebrows at Venture-Captain Heidmarch, and turns that look towards Kalkamedes. "An escort mission, wonderful." he says, but grins to take some of the sting from his words. "Best cut the man free, don't suppose you have a ring of featherfall to stick on him, in case he finds any more cliffs?"

As another surprise note... Orion shall be returning so we'll have a 6 player party once again! So we got sneaks, divine, arcane, 2 ranged/melee switch hitters, and dwarf tank. Looks good to me!

@Amnur: "Alas... all available resources have been used up. Hence why you all were called. I trust that your skills, foresight, and experiences will provide you with the tools you need to keep Kalkamedes safe."

As another note, those with Knowledge: Local ranks can use it to try and remember hearing anything about Kalkamedes prior to the adventure starting.

I have updated with the latest chronicle and am now enjoying the sunlit uplands of level 4.

"Well, no. I don't object."

Amnur shrugs, like he expected nothing different. "Well we'll have to just do our best with the ahh... skills we have." He looks around at the others to see if they have any other questions.

Hand on her rapier, Shilyn simply shrugs. "If you're going to cut him loose, do it. I'm sure the sooner we get to the bottom of his ailment, the better you.. and he.. will be." She rolls her shoulders to seat her pack a bit more comfortably as she keeps an eye on the bound man.

Ahhhh, a babysitting job. It seems I do a lot of these tasks for the Society.

Whispering under his breath he mumblesI hope we don't end up in another cave.

Come, let us follow Kalkamedes, the unknown awaits us. Fear not Amnur, we have the great Shilyn, Protector of Dwarves to keep us safe. Gryne nearly does not get the last part out as he snorts and laughs while giving Shilyn a slap of comraderie on the back.

Pointing at Gryne and strutting, Shilyn looks at Amnur and loudly says, "Yah, what he said. You're safe with me." She attempts, albeit in vain, to keep a straight face and suddenly breaks out giggling.

"Speaking of babies... don't you think it is time you and I settle down, Shi. You'd be an excellent mother, I think." Orion says with a wink.

Varian tries very hard for a moment or two to imagine Shi as a mother, with a babe on each hip, bawling, followed by a picture of Shi, 8 months gravid and waddling like a duck, then he breaks into uncontrollable laughter.

"Now that's a disturbing mental image."

Amnur smiles in his beard, enjoying the joke at the sharp-tongued half-elfs expense. "Heh, but would the babies be safe with you?" he wonders aloud, slapping his knee at the ludicrousness of the joke.

With a sigh of disapproval at the current discussion, Sheila snaps back into Venture-Captain role. "I'm about to cut him free. If there's any equipment or notes you wish to borrow, now would be the time to look for them."

Amnur can't help but jerk back to attention at the tone of command in her voice, and dutifully looks around the room for equipment or notes of possible use to them.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Woo! I crit that perception in the face!

Notes? I'll have an E-flat and make it snappy... actually, I'm ready now...just bought a few alchemist fires

"If we tied a rope around his waist and kept it slack, so there was no pull... unless he tried to walk off a cliff or something... do you think he'd take it off? I just figure if we can tether him that way, we'd be sure not to lose him."

Amnur nods, "That's an excellent idea, and perhaps someone can be scouting out front to try and find a good path in the direction the fellows trying to go. Cause if we do come to a cliff I don't care if he's Torag himself! -I'll be steering him elsewhere." Amnur takes his rope from his pack and ties one end around the sleeping Kalkamedes, and after some consideration ties the other end around himself, looping the extra around his shoulders and pack. There's roughly 20' of rope between them, and Amnur gathers much of that excess into his hands, so he can feed more to the line, or take it in as the need arises.

"We may have a problem if he moves at his full rate of speed, my friend... Can you keep up?"

@Varian: Sheila ponders for a second before responding. "I doubt he would take it off. My first idea was actually to tie him up to note what direction he was going and to investigate in that direction. However, we haven't been able to find anything that would shed light on his situation. For this to work, we need Kalkamedes to be our guide and to show us exactly where he's going. Just make sure to have a good grip so he doesn't actually succeed in breaking his neck this time."

@Amnur: Oddly, the paladin is the one looting the room instead of the rogue! You find a few unfinished maps for the Fenwall Mountains, some of Kalkamedes' travelling gear (an explorer's outfit and matching boots). In the oven, you see a crumpled up and burnt charcoal sketch. Check out the new Night March Map and Notes link under my profile. However, your dwarven eyes also note a lever on the back of the same oven.

@Varian: Depends on how fast Kalkamedes moves and assuming if he takes double move actions, unless you have an artificial way to slow him down to Amnur speed.

Amnur shrugs, "If he's allowed to move full speed I'll be of no use to you anyways in a short while, at least this way I'll be able to slow him down some. Just don't let him get his hands on a blade!"

During his searching he hands the charcoal sketch to Varian and ducks back into the oven, pulling the lever he saw there. "This looking interesting." his deep dwarven voice echoes from inside the oven.

@Amnur: When you pull the lever, a nearby water barrel tips over, falling into a now open space on the floor board. Inside is a steel chest.

Amnur turns his head towards the sound of the falling barrel, banging his head inside the over with a hollow *BONG* sound which reverberates in the room. He climbs to his feet, with a touch more caution this time, and moves to the chest. Hoisting it out he heads over to Shi and plops the chest at her feet, "Time to earn your keep." and grins innocently.

The chest is indeed locked!

Dwarven intuition at it's finest.
Gryne looks at Amnur...well done.

Amnur inclines his head in a mockery of a stately bow, obviously quite proud of himself, "Thank you." Then turns back to Shi with an expectant look, eyebrows bobbing up and down as if to say 'Look what I did! What do you got?'

Come on SHi, do that wiggly fingers thing, Show em what you got! He leans forward in anticipatio, hoping to see exactly the way that she does it.

Even Varian leans in close to see what is found, though when Shi starts her work he backs away slightly, just in case.

Since Shi will pass the result by T10, I'm going to share the contents.

After the half-elf works the lock, a number of items are in it; it is obviously Kalkamedes own adventuring gear.

Inside are a pair of bracers, a mud-splattered cloak, a dried gourd, a vial filled with a clear liquid, a strange, irregularly shaped mithral flast filled with fluid, and a mithral longsword with a flawed crack that goes from the center of the hilt to half-way up the blade. It still appears usable despite the defect.

"While he is unthinking and uncaring, there's no reason to leave his things behind.. perhaps we should bring them along in case he recovers his wits."

oOOooh you boys are SOoooo lucky I was at work where I don't have a chance to post so couln't earlier.. heh *raising a fist* To the moon Alice!

At the sound of Sheila's outburst, Shilyn lets her dagger slip back into it's sheath. "One of these days boys.." she says with mostly feigned anger before she proceeds to unlock the chest for the others to drool over.

Did you hear that Amnur? She said one of these days! That means I have a chance!

"She also said 'boys', so maybe we all have a chance, eh?" Varian wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Amnur is too engrossed in the contents of the chest to partake in the fun at Shilyns expense. He's taking out each item, examining them and passing the for the others to consider. His gaze lingers a bit long on the bracers, fingers itching slightly as he considers what they could be. "Mylvie, my friend, anything here particularly magical in nature?" he asks with poorly concealed excitement.

"She also said 'boys', so maybe we all have a chance, eh?" Varian wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Does "boy" include someone that can shape their arms into swords? Admittedly, that could get a little complicated if you accidentally stab your lover instead of giving her a big hug. He says jokingly

Once again to save time, and the fact I'm pretty sure Gryne and/or Shilyn have detect magic...

The bracers are Bracers of Armor +1, the cloak is a Cloak of Resistance +1, there is an elixir of swimming, a potion of cure light wounds in the gourd, a potion of hide from undead in the jagged mithral flask. Finally, the sword itself is magical, too! Even with the crack down the center, it is a +1 mithrial allying longsword. However, the crack throws off its weight, making it have the broken condition for combat purposes.

Amnur is like a fox in a henhouse as he 'ooh's and 'ahh's over the magical items. He hefts the bracers up, letting the light catch their edges, "So about these bracers. Do they look a bit dwarvish to anyone else?"

Amnur really doesn't need them. I'm just rp-ing. If someone else has their eye on them feel free. Did we lose Mylvie?

I imagine Mylv's busy. Since Kalkamedes is still tied up and the real adventure begins, I'm not worried.

Shilyn takes a look at the man and then to Sheila. "What was he doing before he became like this.. and do we have any idea of what may have caused it?" she asks.

Varian eyes the treasures. "These could absolutely come in handy. I have no need of the bracers or the sword, but I wouldn't mind wearing the cloak unless someone else needs it more."

Hmmm, I could use the bracers, myself. Unless Shi would rather.

Walking over to the the chest, Shilyn closes her eyes and mutters something. cast detect magic "There.. I think.." She gives the others a grin. "Hey, I'm still new at this.. ok? Don't look at me like that." Scowling at Orion, she quickly adds, "and not like that either!"

I hold back, smile and nod encouragingly at Shilyn as she experiments with her enchantments.

Could the sword be fixed with a spell?

"Perhaps these will help on our quest? Certainly, I could make use of a few of them."

I'll rock the drinks in my pack.

Oddly, you do not think so Mylvwara. Mostly because the sword was forged as such, not damaged, so mending or make whole will not work.

Waiting for agreement on loot distribution before the fun begins! So far, Mylv has the potions; there's still the bracers, a cloak, and the sword to allocate.