[PFS] GM 7thGate's The Wounded Wisp

Game Master 7thGate

When L.B. joins everyone else upstairs, he listens intently to anyone who reads the note. "Elby thinks that we need to explore the mausoleum too," says the wayang. "Too many questions, not enough answers. Whatever happens at the Wall Of Names, Elby wants all the information and clues before we invesitgate the wall."

Pollock takes a look at the note, and the attached name. "How do you get a nickname like 'Evil Grin'? It sounds like a very inconvenient nickname..." A thought occurs to him, and he walks over to Jan the cleric.

"Hey Jan, I think you were the last person I saw with the papers from the Wounded Wisp's cellar. Did you happen to take them with you, and if so, could I have a look? I think there was a list of leads on them..."

"That is quite a nickname," Nixim says. "But I agree, we need to investigate both the mausoleum and Wall of Names. We can go to the mausoleum first."

im not one to stand in the way. Mausoleum it is.

Pollock notices the other pathfinders heading towards the impressive door of the illusionist's tower, and indicates that he'd be willing to examine the papers while on the move to the mausoleum.

Jan grabs a few of the oldest paper and goes upstairs. Jan lingers in Fimbrik's study to retrieve the papers Pollock asked for from a map case, then catches up to Pollock on the steps and hands him the papers from the Wisp. In exchange Jan takes the new note and peruses it thoughtfully, along with the decades old headlines. To Pollock Jan comments "Whoever Evil Grin was the name has come up twice now. It seems more promising than a grumpy stone mason"

"Mausoleum first sounds good to me too," Vinny says as she follows the others.

Sorry for the delay in posting all, I've been having a lot of trouble with the website the past few days.

The group proceeds to Eastgate, following directions to the most prominent necropolis in the area. Found on the grounds of a Bank of Abadar, god of law and merchants, it is surrounded by a stout wall designed to keep out unwanted intruders. Inside, there are a number of graves and several imposing mausoleums scattered across the grounds.

As the group approaches the gate, they notice a well dressed man clearing leaves off the grounds with a rake. He is preoccupied caring for the grounds, and does not seem to have noticed you yet.

Map is up!

L.B. watches the man suspiciously, creeping away from the group and sticking to the shadows around some of the other tombs. Moved on map

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

L.B. stealthily slips into the necropolis, the individual caring for the grounds oblivious to the stealthy Wayang.

Jan strides directly toward the caretaker and asks for directions to the tomb of Arkath.

Hello, friend. sharp outfit. We're looking for the resting grounds of Arkath, the stonemason. Friend of a friend. To pay our respects and all, you know.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
What's a cemetery worker doing wearing such nice clothes?

"Please assist us and give us directions," Nixim says. "Someday you will think back on the day you gave Nixim Suneater assistance."

diplo aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

"Greetings. My name is Kefilwe, servant of Abadar." The man bows to Giovanni. "I am responsible for the care and oversight of the grounds and guarding the interred to make sure they are not disturbed. I would be pleased to escort you to pay your respects, however. Arkath, you say? Please, follow me."

Kefilwe leads Giovanni to the northernmost structure, pushing the heavy stone doors open with a grinding sound. Inside, decorative carvings cover the walls of the mausoleum, and a large stone sarcophagus dominates the center of the room. Kefilwe stands to the side of the entrance, watching the group silently.

Jan is stilllooking at the ground and grumbling about being ignored "... and this place probably doesn't even have a map..." When door grates open. Jan winces at the noise and peers inside, baffled. "Is Arkath in the sarcophagus? Arkath the stone mason? Does Arkath own this whole mausoleum?"
perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Giovanni waits for Kefilwe to answer Jan's questions before motioning back to his work area.

Thank you so much for your help. We'd appreciate some privacy as we mourn in our own way.

Giovanni slips a gold piece into Kefilwe's hand.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Nixim follows along. "Yes...some privacy would be nice."

diplo aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

L.B. follows after the party, trying to maintain his distance. He watches the gravekeeper suspiciously, assuming that any non-wayang is a savage threat.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Kefilwe nods. "Indeed, this is Arkath's mausoleum, and that is his sarcophagus. He paid handsomely long ago to have this resting place constructed and guarded by the church in perpetuity." Kefilwe takes the coin from Giovanni, slipping it into his pocket. "Thank you for the donation. Arkath has been deceased for some time. May I ask how you knew of the deceased?"

L.B. slips along like a shadow, easily remaining unnoticed. The priest doesn't look suspicious, but it is hard to tell with non-wayangs.

Vincenza here, and I are related. It's taken us time to make our pilgrimage. These are are our compatriots. I'm sure you can appreciate the discretion we seek...

diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
laying it on a little thicker before I have to resort to grabbing a lapel and intimidating him.

Nixim puts his head in his hands and weeps.

diplo aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Jan catches on to the ruse and somberly lays a supportive hand on Giovanni's shoulder.
diplo aid: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

"Ah, of course, of course. I'll leave you to your mourning. " Kefilwe looks troubled for a moment and gives Giovanni a long, considering look before shrugging and stepping out of the mausoleum, closing the door behind him.

Vinny plays along with Giovanni, drawing a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbing at her eyes. "It's taken such a long time to get here to see cousin Arkath. So upsetting to not be here when it happened." She blows her nose as Kefilwe walks away. She stuffs the hanky back in her pocket.

"Right, let's see what there is to see around here." She walks around the mausoleum, observing.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

L.B. watches as the cryptkeeper shuts the party in the mausoleum.

Assuming the keeper walks away from the door after doing that... If he doesn't, L.B. will adjust his plans accordingly.

L.B. creeps across the graveyard and lightly taps on the mausoleum door for the party to let him in.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26

Nixim smirks and casts detect magic on the room.

"Let's see what secrets I discover..."

Kefilwe returns to his duties maintaining the grounds, giving L.B. a chance to knock on the door. Vincenza does not find anything of particular note in the mausoleum; it has a decorative stained glass window letting light into the room, but is otherwise plain except for the sturdy stone sarcophagus in the center. Nixim has more luck, however; his spell detects a faint magical aura from inside the sarcophagus.

Pollock follows the other party members, moving at a slow and respectful place. He takes a look around the mausoleum as he enters with his companions.

He takes notice of Nixim reaching out with his magical senses. When it looks like Nixim is done, Pollock asks, in full honesty, "Please tell us what lies just beyond the reach of our mundane senses! It looks like an uninteresting mausoleum to me... '

Pollock quickly reviews his memory. What secrets about Eylysia's unsanctioned activities did Arkath take with him into his eternal rest?

"There is something magical inside!" Nixim says, his eyes glittering with greed.

"Surely this is the clue we seek! Now, if some of you will take positions at each end of the sarcophagus and lift it, my eyes will behold the treasure!"

knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12bah

With some assistance, Nixim lifts the lid off the sarcophagus, revealing the skeletal remains of a long dead human dressed in funerary finery. The source of the magical aura is quickly apparent, as one of the skeletal hands clasps a golden coin that glows when viewed with Nixim's spell.

For anyone with detect magic.

Vinny sees the coin in the skeleton's hand and her eyes get big. "Ooo, shiny!" she says as she reaches towards it. She thinks better of touching a likely magical object in a creepy mausoleum they found because a paper in a house with an illusuory gnome told them about it though, and pulls her hand back. "On second thought, maybe someone who knows more about magic-y things should be the one picking that up. Nixim? Look familiar?"

I actually don't have spellcraft yet...

"This is magical," Nixim says. "But I don't know what it does. Anyone else want to take a look at it?" the gnome says with a sniff.

Pollock takes a look at the coin. "Is it from around here? Or was it minted in foreign lands?"
Kn Local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Pollock squints at the coin. "I can't really tell.. the light is so bad here..." He gives up, then remembers his torch. :-P

Pollock doesn't recognize the face minted on the coin.

Anyone want to take the coin, or do anything else with it? Jan, I think you're the only other party member with the skills to try and identify the coin, if you want to give it a shot.

kn local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
appraise: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Giovanni takes a look and perhaps recognizes some of the markings.

"Perhaps we should take this back to the Venture Captain or the lodge," Nixim says, unsure what it does.

At Nixim's invitation Jan gazes with mystic intent upon the coin. spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24.

When Pollock shines the torchlight on it Jan uses more mundane vision, obviously seeking to yoke the stream of memory to grind flour from the hard corn of this conundrum. Jan's brain creaks with the effort. knowledge geography: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

"We should bring the coin to the Lodge, unless anyone here has a Wayfinder. I think it is a Pathfinder's Coin. It should reveal a message if placed on a wayfinder. Even if we have a wayfinder, one of the Captains ought to hear the message."

Giovanni produces his Wayfinder and removes the ioun stone from inside allowing the purple gem to revolve around his head. Put it in here. Let's see what it says.

"I need to get one of those..." Nixim says as he waits to see what the item does.

Sorry for the delay; my internet went down right as I went to post last night.

When Giovanni places the coin in the wayfinder, it rises an inch into the air and begins to spin. A clear male voice begins to speak from the coin.

"The path and chamber are complete, hidden behind the nameplate of the requested aspirant and guarded by the word you requested. Fimbrik will add more."

Its message spoken, the coin floats back to the surface of the wayfinder and lies still.

Where to next?

L.B. begins to tick off points on his fingers. "So... the password we got from Fimbrik is 'wiffle,' and we're supposed to go to "Evil Grin"'s name... is there anything else?"

"This sounds like something we could figure out at the Wall of Names!" Nixim says, as if the thought could not have occurred to anyone else.

"I suggest we investigate immediately!"

"Could it be that obvious?" Jan wonders quietly. Jan takes a last look around the mausoleum.
perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Pushing open the door, Jan comments to the world at large "I'd like to investigate some dinner. That fungus frost brew does not sit well on an empty stomach."

Giovanni nods and replaces the ioun stone in his wayfinder. He pockets the coin and follows the group.

Sometimes obvious isn't some gnarly trap. Let's check it out.

The group makes their way out of the tomb, passing by Kefilwe who respectfully nods and returns to his work. The group returns to the Grand Lodge without incident, where they easily locate the wall of names.

The monument is a curving wall of black glass that stands atop a small hill at the western edge of the lodge’s grounds. Trees surround the hill, providing ample shade and privacy for those visiting the wall to remember fallen comrades. Carved into the wall are the name and date of death of every Pathfinder killed in the course of duty since the wall’s construction, and most entries also include a sentence or two summarizing either the agent’s greatest accomplishments or how she died.

After some searching, the group locates the names on one of the earliest sections of the wall. The descriptions of the deaths have certain key words underlined.

See the slides for the names.

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

L.B. furrows his brow in confusion as he touches the underlined words. "These... these are aspirant domains. From the Starstone's Shrine Of The Failed." He leans close to the name and whispers "Wiffle."

knowledge (local): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Jan watches the wall expectantly for an instant, then glances around, looking for some change. perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

kn local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

The test of the Starstone is no easy task.

Giovanni stands by to see what effect speaking the name is.

L.B.'s whispering does not seem to have any effect; the stone wall continues to stand there, with no visible change.