[PFS] GM Rinaldo's The Golemworks Incident (4-03) (Inactive)

Game Master The Great Rinaldo!

You have been summoned to the new Magnimar Lodge in Varisia, on the estate of Venture-Captains Canayven and Sheila Heidmarch. When you arrive, you are given rooms in one of the smaller buildings and told you have the day at leisure to rest and prepare for your assigned duties the next day.

------------------------
Introduce yourselves as you meet up on the grounds of Heidmarch Manor. Game will start once everyone has had a chance to join.

There is no other way to say this. Rocky is ugly. He looks like someone took a human sized poop, molded it poorly into a humanoid shape, then taking great pride in their work they shined it up till it sparkles.

"I am rocky. I am a monk. I practice the style of the mighty dragon. I am strong. I am good with locks and traps. And I tell magic things I am not a monk so they will grant me their magic."

A stout woman comes in. She seems pretty dirty but smells of wood and moss. Splinters of wood are tangled in her dark hair. She looks at the other persons in the room and bares her teeth, letting out a snarl, as an animal would do. When she does so, you see that her canines are a lot more developed than those of the humans and seem to have been through a lot of whetting. She carries a big Orc Double Axe in her back. As she steps forward, your senses are attacked by the reek coming off her.

"MUUUUUUh. WHERE IZ MeAAT??" she barks, drooling a little. She doesn't look attractive neither smart or witty.

The party faces are the first to post I see ^^

A halfling clad in light armor with a multitude of weapons strapped to her back and belt observes the others speak, mimicing their mouth movements as they talk. Her face and arms show multiple scars. This halfling clearly experiences skin cuts often. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Nergi Khalka." When the Garundi speaks, she looks at her with interest. She steps forward to the woman with some food in her hand.

"Just dried meat if you are feeling hungry, but we can hunt something down if we have time. A healthy boar, perhaps?"

"Lovely place they have here, don't you think?", she continues with some small-talk.

Marduk drools a lot more, eyes fixed on the dried meat.

With a half-smile, she extends her hand and offers the snack.

"Antonella Schiavo. Pleased to meet you all."

A young woman with ankles grasped behind her arched neck and back ceases rocking on a highly toned tummy. She unpretzelates herself, before rising from a sitting position to her full 5' 6" in height and bows to Marduk.

"I understand goblin tribes find paladin meat tough and stringy, sister."

Her shoulders *shrug* under a royal blue judogi, cinched at the middle with a simple belt of white Osirian cotton.

"However, my particular friend Celidrian will be along shortly. He's a half-elven wizard and appears quite tasty."

As you check out the grounds of Heidmarch Manor, you end up gravitating toward the main house, the ground floor of which serves as the Lodge headquarters. You meet up with a few other seasoned agents as you head toward the dining room for lunch; oddly, however, you do not see any sign of the team of new agents you were expecting to mentor when you were sent here.

Continue pre-session RP as you will. I'd like to get intro posts from WotC and Hermes before we start.

Kel enters, a dusky-skinned elf of obviously mixed parentage... perhaps his human parent was Mwangi if his skin tone is any indication. His hair though is a pale flaxen color like his elven parent. On his shoulder sits a small draconic form with rainbow hued butterfly wings.

He smiles as he enters the grounds of the Heidmarch lodge. I haven't been here in ages... place hasn't changed much. Shiela does know how to make a body feel welcome.

When he joins the others gathered at the lodge, he grins as he greets Antonella. "Hey there, Antonella... haven't seen you in, oh, what? a week or two?" He chuckles softly.

"Stalker!"

The paladin laughs, before enveloping the winvestigator in a warm hug.

She then stands back from him, holding out both hands in an open gesture, like a stage magician's assistant acknowledging the star of the show.

The cleric dips her head at the Wildling carnivore as if to say, Told ya!

"And who is the great wyrm that has taken up residence on your shoulder, brother?"

Antonella bows formally at the waist to Kel's familiar. "I do not believe we have been introduced."

The dragon speaks directly to Antonella: "You can call me Whip! I stayed home to hatch an egg but now that's done, and here I am!" Cirri has the same familiar and since she introduced Riddywipple first in our last game, I decided I left mine home."

"'Whip' because you are as smart as one, no doubt Mistress."

Antonella smiles at the faerie dragon before refocusing on the wizard.

"Have you met everyone, Kel?"

With a theatrical, stage 'whisper' behind her hand, the monk adds "Watch out for Marduk."

"We suspect she bites."

Rocky watches the small talk and waits for a break in the conversation.

"There should be others here I think. We should find out where they are."

Marduk pretzelates herself in a corner, munching slowly her dried meat.

"Marduk no bite pathfinders. Marduk BE pathfinder."

"Nice to meet you all... and I'm glad you don't bite Pathfinders, Marduk. I don't bite either."

"Do you read lips, Nergi?"

The paladin notices the way the bubbly halfling silently repeats the others' words.

"A useful trait in cones of silence I'm sure."

"My ears don't work, so yes.", she offers a welcoming grin and a wink: "Also good to listen in on whispered conversations. Not that I practice it often."

A voice cuts from behind them.

Well, if it isn't the Fanatic. If we where in Rahadoum, I'd have you arrested and flogged.

Turning around, the group sees a tall, handsome man, his skin the color of the deserts and his steely eyes off set by his happy smile. His cloak is white and stitched with gold writing in Rahadoumi, marking him as a member of the Pure Legion, the elite enforcement officers of the Rahadoumi Atheist police force.

Despite his earlier comment he walks up and clasps the hand of Antonella, his grin wider.

You can thank your god we're not in Rahadoum huh? I did not expect that we would cross paths again so quickly sister, but it is good as always to see you.

He gestures at the white cloak on his back.

Our little foray into cultist killing even managed to get me some... leeway with my old officers. I've been reinstated, on probation, as a Pure Legion Enforcer. I am the... ehem... I believe they're using the word "Liaison". Perhaps I might convince my countrymen of the wisdom of freedom for all yet.

Mutahir turns to the others one by one, giving them a look over. Mutahir uses Aura sense and gets alignments from any one who is a paladin or cleric.

Hello Pathfinders. I am Mutahir Hashem. I assure you that I have no intentions of arresting any pathfinders... my vow states that I will protect my comrades from the pathfinder association first, so long as we are not in Rahadoum. Explore, Report, and Cooperate after all.

"Mutahir! So good to see you again!" Kel slips out from behind Antonella... "Don't tell me you've forgotten me already!"

Mutahir claps Kel on the back.

Kel! Brother, it is good to see you again as well! How could I forget the wizard whole spent so much keeping me standing in the face of pure evil!

He flips out a shiny wand and winks at Kel.

Brought my own to make up for my mistakes last time brother. Hopefully, I will spend less time wincing in pain as well perhaps? Thing still makes everything smell like sulfur.

Sheila Heidmarch, the normally composed aristocratic venture-captain of the Magnimar Lodge, strides into the dining room, distracted and overwhelmed by the influx of activity in her home. Seeing the team assembled around the table, she nods in welcome, collects her thoughts, and addresses you in a deep voice.

“Greetings, Pathfinders! I hope the coming and going of so many fellow agents through the manor has not been too much trouble. It has certainly been trying for me, especially with several expected agents never reporting in, leaving me to pick up the slack. If you could assist me with a small task that I wouldn’t normally impose upon agents of your rank and experience, it would doubtlessly save me much stress and increase the lodge’s efficiency and security.

“You’ll find the crated angelic guardians stored in the greenhouse, where they’ve been placed out of the way along with some of the first shipments of Varisian relics brought back by our field agents, which must be analyzed, catalogued, and then sent on to the Grand Lodge. The guardians should be programmed to obey the commands of anyone displaying my personal wayfinder. I trust you’ll return it to me when you’re done arraying the angelic guardians about the grounds.” Sheila draws her platinum wayfinder from her pocket and sets it on the table, unclasping the chain that fastens the compass to her belt. “I can’t imagine such a simple task would provoke many questions, but if you have any, now’s the time to ask.”

With that she places a finely filigreed wayfinder bearing her initials on the table.

The maps page has the layout of the manor. If you have any questions for Sheila, you may ask them now. You can take time to discuss how you want to deploy the guardians, and whoever wants to take the wayfinder and go to uncrate the guardians can go to the greenhouse.

Suddenly, Marduk is standing straight.

"No questions. Let's rush. No time be wasted." she says with on a cold tone. She looks at the party members, trying to discourage them to ask further questions and puts herself in a running stance, ready to rush towards... where she's asked to go.

"Lodge defenses are no small matter. Is there a manual directing us how to activate these golems and have them follow your wayfinder?"

Rocky will want to see the golems being activated then he'll help scout the grounds for the best placement.

Sheila responds to Rocky. "No manual required - they understand spoken Taldane well enough to follow most straightforward instructions. They will only respond to whoever has my wayfinder, though."

She smiles at Marduk's eagerness. "It is good to see such enthusiasm."

know arcane: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 13 + (1) = 16 sadness

Kel picks up the wayfinder since no one else seems inclined to do so... "Other than guarding, do you have any other special instructions for them? And as for tactical acumen, I shall defer to Antonella and Mutahir for their guidance in that matter."

"Use your judgment on what specific instructions to give ... you are experienced enough that I trust you in that regard."

Marduk lets out a snarl.

"Stop with questions now!"

local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Mutahir looks at the wayfinder and starts leading the team out to the gardens.

Angel guardians are pretty strong, but most importantly they can breathe out fire. We'll want to set them a fair distance from the house itself to prevent accidental flames and make sure that we give them instructions not to use their flames when someone is on the grounds of the house itself. Kel, while we walk I'll figure out a order to give them... Golems have a habit of taking things literally.

“And if we were in the Irorium at the Center of the World, you would be welcomed as our brother.”

The paladin clasps Mutahir’s hand with both of hers and smiles.

“Perhaps I might convince my countrymen of the wisdom of freedom for all yet.”

Antonella pretends to look shocked. “Including freedom of religion? Brother, you astound me!”

Knowledge (arcana) DC 18: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

During the briefing, Antonella opens her mouth like she’s about to ask a question, but changes her mind after reading Marduk’s expression.

“Shall we all go together to the greenhouse? I vote for Mutahir or Rocky to carry the Venture-Captain’s wayfinder.”

The paladin ponders the best tactical layout. “This is just thinking out loud, brothers and sisters.”

"What do you think about spreading the golems out evenly around the manor's boundary as front-liners, while the six of us stay together somewhere central as a mobile strike-force?"

Antonella makes an open-handed gesture. "That way we can respond as one to reinforce the Angel Guardian being engaged."

"I got the impression these are meant to be semi-permanent guardians here, while we are only assigned temporarily... So perimeter guards are fine, but if there are enough of them, might want to place a few centrally. Then again, I'm not a strategist, so I'll defer to your expertise, 'Nella." Kel holds out the wayfinder to hand it over to someone else, if Antonella deems it better in other hands.

Marduk shakes her head hearing Antonella's plan.

"Too much expected! Can angel guardians fly? I say we be unexepected and ride golems flying into battle!" says the woman with sparkles in her eyes.

Nergi sits quiet while others speak, her eyes darting about the room. Or rather - the occupants' faces.

"I'm not sure how these golems function, but would you mind lending us your wayfinder so that they know what object are they supposed to respond to? Is that standard procedure?", she looks the pathfinders for confirmation.

To be clear: V-C Heidmarch has given you her wayfinder. Whoever holds it will be able to command the golems.

If you have no more questions for her, she will be going about her business. You can enter the greenhouse whenever you have sorted out what you plan to do with the golems. I just need to know who is carrying the wayfinder so I know who gets to give the instructions.

Eh, she put it on the table. Doesn't mean permission to take it, so just making sure.

Antonella recalls seeing a disturbing play at the Ivy Playhouse in Absalom called Blink, whose antagonists were angelic statues.

“Lady Heidmarch said the angelic guardians are unique to Magnimar’s Golemworks. Perhaps they’re an experimental model?”

The monk tries to respectfully disagree with Marduk, without antagonizing her.

She is not hopeful she’ll succeed.

"I’d prefer to be some distance away from them when they’re made operational, and deal with each of them six-on-one if they do a: *air quote fingers* ✌ Flesh Golem. ✌"

Kel grabbed the wayfinder, so I'm ready to make my way.

Mutahir shudders.

I hate flesh golemns. Bad as undead if you ask me. I know they technically aren't the same thing, but they still feel wrong. Stone ones are at least well behaved, they always do exactly what they're programmed to do. Like I said though, you gotta be careful about your wording...

He winces a little at the memory.

I once heard about a wizard who screamed "F*$@ Me!" in exasperation near a stone golem who was programmed to obey any request. That ended badly.

Marduk makes a sad face.

"No ridings golems, then? Pleeeease!"

Nergi barely holds the laughter when hearing Mutahir's story. "I'm sorry." *inhales* "I must have misunderstood, and I have this hideous, and at the same time hilarious image in my head."

Mutahir smiles at Nergi. He makes a point to face her as he speaks and enunciate clearly.

Your image is probably accurate. Though, I cannot say if that's really what happened, that's just what my commanding officer told me when he thrust a mop in my hand and told me to clean up the aftermath... he could very well have been hazing me.

Marduk shakes her head, trying to understand in vain.

"And what happened to wizard?" she asks genuinely.

Mutahir gives Marduk a grin.

The same thing that happens to a elephant stepping on a mouse.

Oh, this is going to be a fun group, I can tell already. ;-)
----------------------------------------------------------------

Lady Sheila nods and hurries off, leaving you to begin work. You walk around to the roughly circular glass greenhouse, which is home to all manner of flora from Varisia and beyond. Any space not occupied by plant life has been stuffed with crates, sacks, and barrels from the field, as well as decorative sculptures hewn from ancient ruins.

Mixed among the miscellany are four large crates bearing the iconic emblem of the Magnimar Golemworks — an imposing stone fist. Sitting on one crate is an adamantine crowbar with the words “Trusty Buddy” engraved on the handle.

Trusty Buddy is an improved masterwork tool, granting a +4 to Strength checks to open stuck doors, chests, or crates. It can also be used as an improvised club that overcomes DR/adamantine, though it does not bypass hardness.

For your convenience, I will link useful images once, then place them on a slide on the Maps slideshow so you can easily reference later.

Rocky will grab trusty buddy and once the wayfinder holder is ready he'll try to open it.

str check: 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 4 = 28

Effortlessly in fact.

Once the crate is opened he'll set the crowbar down where it was. No point in opening more then one at a time.

Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Strength aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Marduk hurries to help the oread if she can.

know nature: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 8 + (2) = 13 more sadness

Mutahir leans against the door to the area, muttering out loud the possible phrases.

profession Lawyer: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17I felt left out not rolling anything.

If the trespasser is not determined to be a child, you will halt progress towards the house on sight. No, wait, sight won't work, could be invisible. Detected. That'd be a better word. If the trespasser is...

“Did you kiss your mother with that mouth, Infidel?”

Antonella hides a secret smile behind her hand. “Trusty Buddy would make an excellent backup for anyone that doesn’t have an adamantine weapon.”

The monk raises a fist in imitation of the Magnimar Golemworks™ logo. “I am going to trust my hands and heart of the metal oil.”

Aid Untrained Craft (verbal contract): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12

Antonella attempts to assist Mutahir with some bush lawyering.

Mutahir grins, turning his back to Antonella, pretending to be offended. Clearly, this is an old game.

No, but I kiss yours with it, Fanatic. She told me to let you know there are better things to do with your mouth than prayers.

He winks and chuckles, nodding in appreciation at Schiavo's suggestion.

Not a bad thought, but perhaps the first should be refined, otherwise, the overload of not being able to protect pathfinders from far away lands might be to much strain.

He looks at the crowbar and shakes his head.

In a pinch, but I feel like I'd be worthless with such a weapon. I'd be better off just using mine and hitting it as hard as I can.

“Kissing one of Irori’s Champions is like dancing with your sister, Heathen.”

Antonella *deadpans* “It ain’t going anywhere.”

More seriously now, “Oh feel free to modify or ignore my amateur contract as you see fit, Mutahir.”

“There are three more crates to unpack, brothers and sisters. Then we need to get them set up on the grounds.”