(PFS) GM Alice's Mists of Mwangi (Inactive)

Game Master Alice Margatroid

Dracothis' hand slides to his whip, and he unfurls it with a practiced flick of his wrist. Taking a step backward to give himself some room, he snaps the whip at the maddened man (blue) in an attempt to entangle his legs and bring him to the round.

Whip Attack (Trip): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

And will only succeed in lashing himself across the cheek...

Flexing and frowning, Ebon turns his sword slightly as he hefts it to shoulder height. He then moves down around the steel cabinet, arriving just to the right of Mez Bellowing a battle cry and swinging down the flat of his blade attempting to hit the monkey persons head.
These are the types I'm not supposed to kill right?"
non-lethal attack: 1d20 ⇒ 4
non-lethal damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 4 = 13
Ebon asks as he clangs the sword into the floor in a clumsy attempt to not hit with the edge.

"If we just can - take them down - any means - I can save them!" Norine struggles out, while dodging monstrous men.

Norine strikes again, hoping to damage - or at least distract - her opponent enough for Ebon and Mez to hit.

Shillelagh attack and damage: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 2 = 211d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

I ... I hit! Luck comes at Her own time...

I think Norine was in the space Ebon is talking about, so I just moved Ebon up closer. Norine will then, on her turn, take a 5' step up and to the left, flanking the man, if that works.

sure I'm easy. Ebon was just trying to close without getting smacked.

Sorry for the delay all, the site was down all day yesterday when I checked.

Initiative: Todric | Ebon | Dracothis | Mez | Targost* | Norine* | Mist-Tainted*

* = following round

Map Screencap (I keep forgetting to upload these!)

Status
Targost: 4/6

Mist-Tainted (Red): 10 damage
Mist-Tainted (Blue): 12 damage

OOC
Targost, remember you're firing into melee so you take a -4 penalty on ranged attacks. (That still hits, however.)

Tod steps up and thrusts his rapier into the mist-tainted man, managing to feint an attack to the left while piercing to the right side. Ebon clumsily clangs his sword into the ground, and Dracothis almost gets tangled up in his own whip. Mez skilfully uses Tod's distraction to shove his blade in the man's unprotected back side, and Targost fires off another tiny blast of acid into his initial attacker; the man's arm seems twisted and burned with the acid, although he appears to not notice. Norine shifts herself behind the other, finally blessed with Desna's luck as she conks him over the head with her shillelagh.

With a grunt to each other, the two ape-men turn their attentions to Norine, surrounding her on both sides. She sidesteps one kick, only to feel the other brute's arm whoosh past her ears, dangerously close to slamming her in the face...

The sobbing and wailing continues to come from within the steel cabinet, the person inside now begging you to leave him alone.

Tod takes a 5' step to move north of the "red" villain, flanking with Norine, and jabs at him.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 2 = 19
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Tod - you can't move there. That's moving through a table... That said, you still hit without flanking.

Ebon spins around and does an end run by Mez, to come up from behind the monkey-man attacking Norine.
20' move south and east to end right below blue dot guy.
Seeing his diminutive friend in trouble he forgets to be gentle.
attack w/flank: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (3, 6) + 4 = 13
" LEAVE HER ALONE!" He roars as he swings over hand at the foe.
better. but it prolly provokes an AoO. oh well. XD. sorry on IE today and couldn't access map, to move my Icon.

I hate to say it, but it looks like you have a critical threat there, Ebon.

Even the screencap is blocked at work :( Move me as needed, 30' movment if necessary.

Seeing the feint and strike not working so well for Tod, Mez strikes out on his own without any fancy tactics, moving in and lashing out at the closest shade.

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 201d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Can I purposely not crit? Trying not to kill here....but in case I cant pull my hit at the last second....
threat confirmation: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
crit damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2) + 4 = 8

Updating mid-round since Ebon's actions probably matter here...

Tod stabs the first ape-man again, wondering if it would ever cease attacking. Ebon's enraged attack sends the second mist-tainted man slumping to the ground, however, blood pooling around him from the terrible gash in his side. He seems to still be breathing haggardly, though you are unsure as to how long that will last at this rate.

Norine, seeing the ape-man fall, rushes to his aid, calling on the power of Desna to save his life.

I will take a 5' step into the prone ape-man's square (I think that is allowed) and use my stabilizing "Sacred Touch" (a trait) capability on him.

Yay. not dead.8). Mez could use the same action against the other one instead, with a 5'step added in. Unless that chest or whatever it is blocks it.
On his next turn, if it isn't down by then, Ebon will attempt to leapfrog over Norine and take her old space to attack the other one.
Snarling like the Ape-men, Ebon hops over Norine and swings at the remaining creature.
acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 1) + 4 = 11
Leapfrog successful, attack prolly not so much

Initiative: Todric | Ebon | Dracothis | Mez | Targost | Norine | Mist-Tainted

Map Screencap (I tried a different upload site - does this one work, Mez?)

Status
Targost: 4/6

Mist-Tainted (Red): 22 damage
Mist-Tainted (Blue): 25 damage; unconscious, prone, stable

OOC
Moving for Targost and Dracothis.

Dracothis Trip: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Dracothis lashes his whip out, catching around the man's legs and sending him to the ground with a loud thump.

Mez steps up to stab the second ape-man with his rapier; when he pulls back, he notices that there's quite a lot of sweat dripping down his rabid face, and his breathing is erratic - seems like there's not a lot of fight left in this one.

Targost attempts to fling a splash of acid at the brute on the ground, but his spell fizzles out in his fingertips for some odd reason.

Norine steps down and kneels over the dying mist-tainted man, calling upon her innate reserves of sacred power to keep him on this side of Pharasma's Boneyard.

Struggling with the effort and hooting while he gasps for breath, the remaining ape-man attempts to get to his feet...

When he stands, Ebon, Mez, and Todric get an AoO. I'll let you guys decide what you do with that.

Surprised that the thing tries to rise when so many are around it, Mez barely gets his blade into a position to strike. The surprise is evident when he seems more of a danger to his comrades than the shadow man.

AoO: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 51d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

" Stay down little monkey!"
AoO: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 4 = 26 (regular +4, +4 for prone)
damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 2) + 4 = 7

Norine gets ready to rush to its aid, as soon as the creature loses consciousness.

Ebon cuts the man down as he struggles to stand up, and Norine moves quickly to stabilise him. Once again, after being knocked unconscious, the physical changes seem to revert, instead leaving a bloodied mess wearing the torn attire of a scribe.

The howling and wailing continues to come from the locked steel cabinet; the man inside seems to be appealing to every god and goddess he can think of for his life...

Tod rushes over to the cabinet and tries to open it if he can.

Strength check: 1d20 ⇒ 6

I hope that isn't necessary!

The cabinet is very much locked, and Tod has no luck forcing it open.

It's a DC 20 Strength check to force it open, or you can try and get the man to open it from the inside...

Norine asks the blessings and Guidance of Desna, and thanks her for saving the two beast-men-scribes.

"Hey Mister Scribe - don't forget to pray to Desna!" Norine enthuses to the cabinet in her quirky, gnome voice, "It's safe out here now. Well, more safe - we stopped the beast-men-scribes; they are unconscious but they are going to live. There's still the mists, though, so are you immune, or are you wearing a scarf or something over your mouth and nose? If so, we can help you get right out of this place!"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

Bummer. I liked my little speech.

"... Or, maybe some of the big people here can lift your cabinet and take it safely outside..."

Mez heads over to the cabinet Tod tried to force open. "Let Cayden Cailean's might assist with that. Guide me Cayden! Hyaaa!" Muscles flexing to their limits, the cabinet door twists in his grasp until the hinges give way with a metallic pop.

Str check: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 1 = 20

Targost limps over to look at the now subdued men. He quickly searches them for any sign of who they might have been, or anything else that might help them further on.
"These fellows pack quite a punch, that's for sure!"

Ebon nods in approval as Mez pops open the locked cabinet. He then turns and examines the former monkey-men. Mostly looking to see if they had on uniforms or were carrying any keys....
" If this is what happened to the people here, little one, it may be hard to not kill them. They seemed intent on killing us!"

I lost track of who is injured - just Targost?

Norine waves her shiny new wand, says the proper word, and cures Targost of his injuries.

Cure Light Wounds (wand): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Are you injured, Mr. Scribe? Oh, and what is your name?"

The scribe continues to shriek as the party works at opening the door of the cabinet, although when Mez pulls it open he does still stumble out onto the floor, quivering and blubbering. He's a rather large, obsese man, his jowls visibly quavering and shaking with terror as he looks up at the party from the ground.

"I... I... I'm Saldak... Ohh... you're... you're not one of them, are you?" He shudders, staring at the unmoving bodies of the other scribes. "I'm fine... I locked myself up in there once Kadarnik and Yannis went crazy... but oh... it was so scary..." he wails and blubbers, tears running unabashed down his flabby cheeks.

"We were in here just doing work as normal. The offices suddenly flooded with a strange mist early this morning... tendrils of it seemed to pour down Kadarnik and Yannis' throats moments before they went stark mad and... and beat Milgen to a pulp..." Saldak hugs himself around the shoulders and shudders visibly, swallowing heavily as he attempts to rid himself of the terrible mental image.

"I'm sure it's those damn Tik Taan idols! I smelled something wrong with those hideous monkey-faced things as soon as Lugizar brought them out of his pack. I've a nose for trouble, I do! No one listens!"

The subdued ex-beastmen have nothing on them short of their tattered robes covered in ink and matted with blood. They are quite similar to Saldak's in design.

Norine gives him a comforting pat on the back. "That must have been unimaginably terrifying! Don't worry, though, we will get you out of here."

"We have a blade, which legends tell us will tell us can be helpful against the Tik Taan idols, but do you know of anything else that might help us defeat them and this mist?"

"And do you know where the idols are - or were?"

Ebon will sniff loudly and glance in distaste at the man's blubbering
He turns away mumbling something like, 'cowardly hippo...' and begins to keep watch. still glancing at the monkey who tries to appear at his shoulder.

"Snap out of it man, we're here to help, and we can't do that with you blubbering like an idiot. Where are those idols!" says Mez heatedly, barely able to stop himself from slapping the man into focus.

Targost thanks Norine for the healing and keeps his bow at the ready; watching the entrance for any sign of trouble.

Targost and Ebon watch the entrance for trouble, but nothing substantial comes of it. Targost thinks he sees a boa constrictor made of mist strangle around Ebon's throat, but in a blink, the vision is gone. The mists part for a moment, and Ebon spots some crimson blood hidden in one of the concealed corners of the room; closer investigation reveals a bloody arm forcibly torn from someone's torso. It's a gruesome sight.

Saldak does his best to regain his composure, somewhat taken aback by Mez's attitude, although he still sniffles piteously as he speaks.

"All I know is that Nigel was supposed to be taking stock of the idols in storage in the east exhibit storage room this morning right about when it all went down. I honestly don't know much about them otherwise, we were still in the middle of investigating the find. Oh, but..." A look of realisation comes over Saldak's chubby face. "there's that..."

Saldak stumbles to his feet, using Norine as a bit of a hand-rest, and makes his way over to one of the half-collapsed desks in the ransacked office. He mutters to himself, forcing open the broken drawers and rummaging around in them. He pulls out a number of different clipped together stacks of papers, mostly records of transactions and acquisitions by the looks of things, but none of it seems to be what he is looking for. Eventually, he retrieves a small sack jingling with coinage (500 gp) as well as a strange, rather ancient-looking piece of cloth made from beaten bark and inscribed with strange writing. The cloth is tagged with an inventory ticket stating that it was cataloged along with "Tik Taan Idols, courtesy of Lugizar Trantos".

"Here. This. Yannis and I were working on translating this earlier today. It's some kind of ancient Polyglot derivative. It says something like..." Sardak clears his throat.

"Beware the idols of Tik Taan! They have captured the souls of many, and will corrupt ever more! Do not breathe the mists, for they are the evil agency of the Tik Taan!"

"It continues to describe a ritualised chant that is supposed to 'clear the mind of taint', apparently. I can tell you how to pronounce it, but..." Sardak shrugs hopelessly. "I wouldn't have a clue what to do from there. But if it works? Please... if you find Nigel's lost it like the others have, you'll save him, won't you?"

Sardak presses the sack of money and the cloth upon you, profusely thanking you for your efforts. "This money's for random expenses we have to deal with around here. Please, take it in thanks for my life."

If nobody has any other questions for Sardak, he will hurry off and flee the museum.

If I can take 10 to search the room, I will do so.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Norine casts read magic and examines cloth scroll. "It appears it can be used as a spell to break enchantments, but it would only do so once."

Todric casts read magic and looks over the cloth. "It seems that this chant is something I can work into a counter-song to aid those who have been tainted by the mist. Perhaps if we come across any more like those two we just met, it will come in handy. I'll hold onto this, if everyone agrees?"

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Alice, if I use the scroll in this way does it use up my rounds of bardic performance as per normal?

"Absolutely you should take it and use it, then, Bard Todric!"

"Mr. Saldak, we will do everything in our power to save everyone here, including Mr. Aldain. We should escort you out of here, however, since there seem to be many dangers about this place tonight." Norine considers asking what the coins are for, but she remembers - adding to her list of the trivial things humans get all serious about (life, death, religion, politics) - that money is one of those touchy things.

Tod - correct, it works exactly like your countersong does now except that it specifically breaks the mist-tainted curse.

Also, there's nothing really stopping you from taking 10 (or 20 for that matter) at this point. In which case...

Norine discovers a weathered scroll case on the top shelf of the cabinet Saldak had hidden himself in. (No doubt she gets one of the taller gentlemen to grab it for her.) She casts read magic and is able to determine that they are:

- scroll of cure moderate wounds
- scroll of false life
- scroll of dispel magic

Great! I take 10 on perception.

Tod takes a minute to look around the room carefully. With read magic still in place he reviews the scrolls found inside the cabinet and shares them with Norine.

It's either that or a Climb check, lol

"I do not understand this 'false life', but I might be able to do the cure or dispel magic, in an emergency. I will hold them for now and let you worry about singing your special song."

"Saldek. How many more people work in the museum we should be aware of? There is Nigel it sounds like, any more? Did you have any watchmen that may have tried to fight the mists?" asks Mez with a look of concern.

Targost jumps when he spies the snake around Ebon's throat, but before he can do more than draw in a breath to yell, it simply dissolved into the mist. Shaken he keeps his eyes on the doorway, but also listens in to the conversation going on behind him. As none of the scrolls seem to favour his abilities, he says nothing.
When everyone is busier, Targost goes and speaks with Saldak.

Linguistics check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Perception check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Reading over Norine's shoulder, Dracothis nods his agreement with her assessment of the scroll. "We should not linger, then," he says, glancing about.

" There's at least ONE, we won't be able to save..."
Says Ebon in a grim tone, as he hefts a severed arm, and drops it on the desk.
" Recognize it, Saldak?" He asks turning it over and back, looking for identifying markers or jewelry.
He again ignores the discussion of scrolls and papers.

Saldak nods to Mez. "Yes... apart from the four of us scribes and Nigel, our two full-time guards were also here, Maldroog and Sheg..." He seems a little confused at Targost's rather succinct description of the half-orc, but confirms that one of their two guards is indeed the man he is looking for. "Of course, I've not seen neither hide nor tail of the two of them since this morning."

The Shoanti's rather brusque action causes Saldak to visibly pale, his eyes widening and his jowls trembling at the sight of the severed arm. He visibly shakes as he responds, trying not to look up at the gruesome image, "Y-Yes... That... That's Milgen's ring, right there... I... ohh..." Saldak seems weak at the knees, and he grabs onto a table for support.

”Well then, as Dracothis says, we shouldn’t linger longer than necessary. If you are strong enough, we should escort you out of the museum. Tell me, do you have any cloth to cover the mouths and nose of you and your companions? It seems the taint is inhaled and cloth will stop it.” says Mez, trying to show a bit more compassion. After they escort the man and his unconscious co-workers out, he adds to Targost ”Many of us are allied to the Andoran cause, fear not that we will try and find our guardsman and his keychain.”

Ready to move into the next unexplored part after getting these guys out of here.

Saldak is still visibly shaken, but he takes off his sweat and blood-stained shirt and tears off a few strips from the bottom to serve as makeshift scarves for himself and his unconscious co-workers. He's quite happy to accept your offer of an escort out of the building, and quickly deserts the mansion as fast as he can jog (not particularly fast, really).

Headed to the east exhibit hall next?

Sounds like a plan, with the usual buffage done before hand.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 1 = 19

I totally forgot what the faction mission was, lol. Well, fortunately there are some smart people in the group...

"Yes, let us make way to east hall. If it wasn't likely an evil-mist-monkey lavatory, I would suggest a trip there after the experience with the undead - how 'bout you Mez?"

I took the liberty of moving everyone outside the door to the east exhibit hall, "Beasts of Legend Exhibit".

Targost nods his head as the man confirms that the "guard" was present. He follows the party as they escort the scribe out of the building.

"Yes, the east hall sounds good to me." Tod adjusts the grip on his rapier and keeps the newly-found scroll tucked in his belt, within easy reach should he need to attempt his countersong.