Hello everybody and welcome to the fourth instalment of PbP Game day! While we wait for the festivities to start, please take a moment to set yourself up.
Have a look at the 'map and handouts' linked above and add your icon to the map (if you're unsure how to do that, have a look in my profile - the easiest way is to use chrome and drag an image from a different chrome window onto the map). Also, please add your init modifier to the text box.
If you have any questions on PbP, feel free to ask them now or during the game.
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Up at the top, click on 'My Account' (You'll probably have to provide your password again)
Then scroll down to the 'Pathfinder Society' section (Should be the 4th section down on the left) and click on the 'Make Changes' button.
This will show a list of all your PFS characters.
Find Miyamoto on the list, and click 'edit'
And right at the top of that page will be a bit for editing your character image for that alias.
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A massive, yet not towering mass of stone and earth walks into the lounge where the Venture-Captain has the Pathfinders waiting - an uncommon sight indeed! Its body seems made of granite, and while it appears to be chipped in many places, the whole of it appears invulnerable, unbreakable, formidable. A beard of orange and red crystal even make it look like a dwarf of sorts.
The creature - for lack of a better word yet - is wearing a finely crafted, solid-looking mithral full plate armor, adorned with veils and shades not unlike those worn in northern Garund among the desert folk. Numerous weapons are his arsenal, ranging from sharp falchions in various metals to a massive spiked hammer. The no-nonsense attitude the creature has makes him look as if he was ready to enter the Worldwound itself, among the first lines of warriors.
"Name's Basalte. I'm Pahmet, from Osirion, but also Oread. Earth folk." he simply rumbles, is voice as low as the deep echoing voice of the earth.
Turning to Voros, he shrugs his massive shoulders as his ruby eyes stare blankly at the alchemist.
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A figure clad in full plate is seated in the lounge. If it weren't for the fact that this man's helmet is currently resting on the floor beside his seat, you wouldn't be able to tell he is a human of Tien ethnicity. A buckler rests propped up against the helm and a sword sheathed in a red scabbard with gold dragon designs along the length is placed across his lap. A single pink a green stone orbits his head, while another, a dusty rose colored one, rests in the unusual-looking wayfinder on his hip. Potions and scrolls are tucked into bandoleers crossing his chest. Around his neck is symbol of a sword resting atop a stylized sun disk.
As the two outsiders converse, Kosuke keeps to himself gazing into the surface of his wayfinder and occasionally looking up.
()
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A rather small tiefling stands beside Basalte, being quite shy after being shrugged for only answer. If most of his flesh is hidden under an ample and dirty cloak, you can see his face, which is pretty ugly and has a scaly grey-red color. You also notice that his teeth are very sharp. A long tail unfolds itself from time to time from under the cloak, acting as a third hand. The only weapon he seems to carry is a longbow.
After a few moments, he eventually decides to present himself as others do so.
"My name is Voros. Tiller Voros is how people call me in some parts of Cheliax and in Andoran. I will put my skills to the good of our mission." he punctuates what he thinks is a bold speech with a wink, and suddenly feels not at ease and makes himself smaller and hides himself even more under his cloak.
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When the dwarf named Noisy enters the room, he lives up to his name. You hear him, long before you see him, as he seems to be a chatty sort, stopping to talk to everyone along the way, and seemingly having no 'inside voice' at all. His every word seems projected to be heard as far away as possible. Other than that, however, he seems a jovial and friendly sort brimming with personality.
"Well met!" He says, upon entering the room and seeing others already assembled.
He smiles in surprise at the sight of Basalte, and a wide grin appears on his face. "Ah, my earthy friend!" He says, cheerfully. "Would appear we meet again, after that cursed business in Sothis. Glad to have you along!"
He turns towards the others and nods. "Name's Noisy!" He says by way of introduction to the folks he has not met before, his eyes gleaming with unvoiced humor.
"Well, technically," He adds after a moment's pause, "Its the Marquis de Noisy. You know us Taldans and our titles." He waves one hand dismissively, clearly not overly caught up in the formality of nobility.
He is dressed in typical adventuring gear, with the hint of light metal armor glinting beneath his clothing. A well worn, and well-used drum hangs off of one him, and a long musket hangs over one shoulder for easy access, its twin barrels gleaming in the light of the room.
"So any word what our business is about today?" He adds, glancing around.
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A slender Vudran woman enters the lounge. She is clad in flowing monk robes and her hands and feet are wrapped in dirty leathers. Each footstep is deliberate as she moves to sit on the edge of a divan on the far wall, dropping her backpack and repositioning her kama for comfort. She turns and eyes the assembled group. After a nervous pause, she speaks.
"I am Therisah of Jalmeray. I too would like to know what brings us here this day."
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Two engraved tomes hang from belt cords on her right, and a longsword modeled after Iomedae's holy symbol hangs in a ruby-encrusted scabbard on her left. Her spring-loaded wrist sheaths are the same ivory and gold color as her gloves.
The young woman bounds into the room, her blond hair in a Galtan braid and bouncing with every step.
"Hello, Darlings!"
Hand on her hip, the woman holds high one of her many wands designed after Iomedae's holy symbol.
"Praise the Inheritor, for Her Providence has placed you under the protection of Her Favored Soul!"
She lowers her wand and holds a dainty hand to her chest, a self-satisfied smile on her lips.
"You may call me Avelina of Mendev or Your Grace. Either is acceptable."
Before the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Swords, Marcos Farabellus, a large map of northern Avistan lies spread across the table. A notched and battered longsword weighs the map down on one side, preventing it from furling closed, while its sheathe does the same on the other side. Farabellus has placed all manner of objects upon the map, each indicating a different landmark or Pathfinder Society resource.
Aram Zey, the Master of Spells, frowns as Farabellus places another piece down upon the map. “This is the lost Sky Citadel Jormurdun, in the very northwestern extreme of what is now the Worldwound,” Farabellus explains, pointing towards a dwarven-minted gold coin, “And this red stone is Nerosyan, Mendev’s capitol city. As you can see, any expedition launched from Nerosyan has to cross the entire demon-infested Worldwound to reach the Sky Citadel. With the recent failure of the wardstones and increased demonic attacks along the border, such a journey would be suicide. It makes more strategic sense to enter the Worldwound from the west—from the Tusk Mountains, home of the Mammoth Lords. It’s a shorter distance and there’d be a whole lot fewer demon armies along the way.”
“Though that may be true, we have no allies or holdings in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords,” Aram Zey interrupts, pushing over a miniature marble elephant, much to Farabellus’ clear annoyance. “However, though we do not intend to forsake our allies in Mendev, the Master of Swords makes a valid point. The Decemvirate has therefore authorized a small reconnaissance mission to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. We are sending you to scout along the eastern border of the Worldwound, find and secure a suitable location that we could use as a staging ground for our expedition, and ensure the cooperation of the local barbarian tribes.”
Once the pathfinders are ready, Zey hands over two parcels of trade goods. Use these to mellow any unfriendly tribesmen.
five masterwork cold iron bastard swords; 750 gp worth of silver jewelry; 20 pounds of Taldan chocolate; a chest of alchemical remedies including six flasks each of antiplague and antitoxin; three potions of cure moderate wounds; three firefoot fennec pelts; six bottles of fine Chelish wine; and a fur-lined cloak of resistance +2
The Realm of the Mammoth Lords is a savage and untamed wilderness, inhabited by great beasts such as mammoths, herds of bison and aurochs, and the tribes of nomadic Kellid barbarians that hunt them.
Despite its remoteness, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords sees many visitors. Raiding orcs from Belkzen to the south, servants of Irrisen’s Witch Queen seeking to expand their borders from the west, traders from Tian Xia brave enough to cross the Crown of the World from the north, and—most dangerous of all—invading demonic forces from the Worldwound to the east. As most f the land’s visitors are hostile, the indigenous Kellids are justifiably cautious around strangers and show a particular dislike for anything demonic or any displays of foreign magic—especially magic that harnesses cold.
Tolguth is a surprisingly warm location, warmed by chains of hot springs and volcanic vents that run along deep glacier-carved valleys. Predatory creatures, including dinosaurs said to have crawled up from poorly understood underground caverns, overrun the jungles surrounding Tolguth. Few Kellids travel much farther to the east due to their mammoths’ aversion to the Worldwound. The resulting no-man’s land is called hrungara—the point beyond which the mammoths do not willingly go.
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Avelina places her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as her mouth turns into a scowl.
"I should hope you do not intend to forsake your allies in Mendev! As proper worshippers of the Glorious, Beautiful Inheritor, we take promises very seriously. You would not like to see Auntie when she is roused to anger."
Avelina folds her arms, glancing away as she twirls one of her forelocks absent-mindedly.
"The Realm of the Mammoth Lords? Ugh. I was so hoping to go slay some demons back home, maybe pay a visit to Auntie."
She suddenly stops twirling her hair as a smile forms. She claps her hands.
"Oh! But this mission provides a wonderful opportunity to bring the Light of the Inheritor's Word to the unenlightened barbarians. Why else would the Providence of the Inheritor brought me here today?"
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The Tian-Min man seated in the chair stands and bows deeply as Aram Zey and Marcos Farabellus enter. He stands throughout their briefing unless one of them motions for Kosuke to sit.
After they are finished, he bows again and begins to introduce himself.
"I am Miyamoto Kosuke, humble sword of the Empress of Heaven. I will admit to little in the way of training as a diplomat, though I have studied etiquette and public speaking. I do not speak the language of these peoples, but I could make use of magic if needed. However, if someone else is more suited, allow me to lend you the power of Shizuru to sweeten your words. She grants me the power by touch to enhance the words of myself or another for about an hour a few times per day."
"My value to this expedition is more likely in my knowledge of demons and my previous expeditions to the Worldwound and in my ability to soothe your wounds and release you from your afflictions."
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The oread's ruby eyes glint as they see Noisy. "Glad to see you, brother. That was a nasty business in Sothis, I'm glad we all made it out of there alive and uncursed."
He nods to Aram Zey, and merely states "I'll make sure nothing happens to them." Whether he is talking about the trade goods or his companions is open for discussion, however.
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Noisy listens to the briefing with a great degree of interest, occasionally uttering a word of agreement.
"I was with the group that located Jormurdun" He says, gravely, once Farabellus and Aram Zey are done. "I'm glad we're taking the importance of that find seriously."
"When we realized where it was, I nearly coughed up a lung." He grins slightly. "Then immediately went home and bought some cold iron bullets for Hilde here." He pats his musket affectionately. "Have forayed into that cursed place before..." He leaves the rest of that thought unspoken.
He seems pleased at the direction of their mission.
"I can speak to the locals if need be." He adds, with a nod. "Hopefully we catch them in a good mood."
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"Not the friendliest sorts, those Kellids. Suspicious of everything and everyone. With reason usually."
He indicates Voros trying to remain inconspicuous in the back of the room. "They're gonna love him... given they live next door to the Worldwound. Just as likely to shoot first once they spot him."
He chuckles slightly before turning back to the venture captain. "So how pressed for time are we? Going to be a long hike from here, if the tapestry's not set up yet."
Hah Farabellus responds to Avelina's remark, on the contrary, we are opening up our options. We are probing the weak area of the demon horde, an date knowledge we gain can be of a fair bit of value to the crusaders as well.
Aram Zey smiles almost approvingly as Noisy admits to knowing Hallit that saves me another valuable resource. These things aren't cheap. I'm glad to hear that one of you has a talent beyond butchery.
He continues I’ll teleport us to a spot just outside of the barbarian settlement of Tolguth. Not too close though—these are people easily startled by magic. Once you find a suitable location, simply snap this ceramic disc,” he instructs, placing a palm-sized, intricately carved disk on the table. “It will form a temporary beacon that I can use to create a waypoint for the Hao Jin Tapestry. With the waypoint, we can easily move agents and supplies to the new base camp, but it takes time to set up; don’t think of this as an emergency evacuation device.”
I suggest that you visit Tolguth first. If you can befriend the barbarians there, they should be able to tell you of a few possible locations. The gifts and trading goods will help you smooth negotiations. It doesn't hurt at all that Noisy understands Hallit, because otherwise you'd have a hard time negotiating.
When the group signals it readiness, Aram Zey teleports them to a clearing three miles south of Tolguth, and gives directions to the Kellid settlement. The lands surrounding Tolguth are warm and support vast stands of great tropical plants such as cycads, ferns, and rhododendrons, which form a dense jungle at the bottom of a deep glacier-carved valley. The clearing features a large, round boulder resting in the middle of bubbling hot spring—a relatively good landmark for Aram Zey’s teleport spells.
Despite the incessant heat, humidity, and buzzing of insects, navigating the jungles surrounding Tolguth is relatively easy thanks to the trampled foliage, fallen trees, and footprint- scarred game trails that cut through the dense plant growth. A gray, cloudless sky peers through the lush canopy as a stark reminder of the northern latitude.
A mile and half out of Tolguth, as the group make its way down yet another one of the jungle’s many wide paths, two vulture-headed creatures charge out of the jungle ahead of them, chattering loudly. A massive dinosaur follows just seconds later, obviously angry.
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Noisy
Voros
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Vulture Creature
Vulture Creature
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Kosuke
Therisah
Avelina
Basalte
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T-Rex
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Avelina smiles at the Master of Swords, her posture straightening with pride.
"How delightful! I am most pleased, which means Auntie will be most pleased."
+8 if about humans.
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Avelina eyes the massive lizard and, seeing it as the most obvious threat, decides to try out a spell she recently learned on it, moving a bit closer to get in-range.
She holds out her arms, palms parallel to the ground, then suddenly thrusts them up, hands pointing up like spearheads.
"Phalanx of Frozen Pikes!"
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Noisy's musket swings around into a ready position as Avalina casts her spell.
"Damnit girl." He mutters as the icy spears thrust from the earth.
"See those spears sticking out of the dino?" He adds, using his firearm to point towards the cloth-wrapped weapons. "Them's local markings, to be sure! If their weapons are here, so are they... and casting ice magics pisses em off more then any other kind!"
He whips his musket around to a ready position, though doesn't fire it immediately.
Instead, one foot starts to pound rhythmically on the ground. The thumping vibrations seem to seep right into the bones of his companions, as if the ground itself were lending strength to their actions.
Noisy buffs up his defences. Adeline conjures two large spears of ice, which startle the dinosaur. It growls as the cold spears pierce its skin, manages to keep its footing.
Miyamoto recognises the creatures from the tales of abyssal horror he read in the past: Vrocks. Vulture demons. These scavengers delight in bloodshed and torture, and will often draw out the suffering of their prey before going in for the kill.
Voros steps up and covers the closest Vrock in two fiery explosions. Though - as with most demons - these creature seem to resist a deal of the fire, the explosions are strong enough to burn the demon to some extent.
The Vrock turns around and lets out an ear-piercing, profane screech, curdling the blood of anyone nearby, with his companion following suit not long after. ()
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Kosuke
Therisah
Basalte
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T-Rex (35)
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Noisy
Avelina
Voros
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Vulture Creature - Red
Vulture Creature - Blue (29)
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They've god DR 10/good, some spells: gr. teleport, telekinesis, mirror image, heroism and summon. They can release spores that cause damage, screech to stun opponents. They can perform a dance of ruin, that continues for three round to deal massive electricity damage.
Noisy seems to be fine as he looks on and sees Kosuke and Avelina freeze in shock...
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Kosuke (stun 1)
Therisah
Basalte
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T-Rex (35)
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Noisy (ok)
Avelina (stun 1)
Voros
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Vulture Creature - Red
Vulture Creature - Blue (29)
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Basalte moves up, and sees a claw swipe past his nose, only to plant his falchion deep within the demonic flesh, cutting it almost from top to bottom. Miraculously, it is still standing, looking at Basalte with a gaze of hatred.
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Noisy (ok)
Avelina (stun 1)
Voros (stun 1)
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T-Rex (35)
Vulture Creature - Red
Vulture Creature - Blue (96)
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Kosuke (stun 1)
Therisah (stun 1)
Basalte
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