[PFS] GM Stonegarde's First Steps Table 2 (Inactive)

Game Master Stonegarde

"The copper handed chest is an illusion," Richelle announces to the others. She moves to the spots here the chest was and looks to see if anything else is present in that particular spot.

"Yes, I sense it too. Someone is watching us."

When they enter the strange room, Gili starts with a quick prayer to Gozreh, then begins examining the various cases for signs of magic.

Detect Magic

The copper and steel chests both have magical auras. The copper chest has an aura of illusion, while the steel chest's aura is universal.

Thorur wander over to the table and sniffs at the liquid, then taps the basket

perception(liquid): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
perception(basket): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Alani makes sure her weapon is loaded properly, then hearing that they might be followed, she keeps an eye out behind, and weapon drawn ready if needed

Joe examines the magic of the boxes for further clues.
Spellcraft (Copper Chest): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Spellcraft (Steel Chest): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Thorur examines the items on the table and finds that the gallon sized clear glass jar is about half full with clear liquid. At the bottom of the vessel sits a jeweled brass key. In addition, the 2-foot-round wicker basket requires no key to open, its lid resting gently atop its wide rim.

Joe takes a moment to examine the magical chests and is able to determine that the steel chest has a prestidigitation effect and confirms that Richelle observations concerning the cooper chest.

Richelle picks up the glass jar and pours out the liquid and the key onto the ground.

As Richelle pours out the liquid small amounts splash up and land on her and Thorur, causing a great deal of pain but minimal damage.

Thorur and Richelle take one point of acid damage

Richelle inspects the key, wanting to be sure it was real and not another illusion. If it is real, she picks it up. "Sorry Thorur, wasn't expecting to to be acid," she groans as she does a bit of a hot foot dance until the acid stops burning.

"Bah! Just a little tickle is all that was"

Joe approaches the wicker basket and warns the others "Please step away from the wicker basket in case there is another trap." Once the others have given the basket some distance, he gently nudges the lid off with the butt of his longspear from as far away as possible.

"What does that key open? The steel chest?" Gili waits until they have wiped it clean of acid before handling it.

Richelle inspects the jeweled brass key and finds nothing unusual about it.

Joe flips the lid of the basket and finds a blue stone
key resting atop a pile of crumpled linens.

Thorur, Joe, Richelle can roll a quick perception check here if the desire.

Perception 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Richelle looks around for a lock that might fit that key.

perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

As Richelle locks for a lock for the key when she passes the basket and notices the linen inside shift slightly and hears a hissing sound.

The only locks in the room are on the chests

"Stop moving! There's a snake in that basket," she hisses quietly. She grabs the blue key and tries to stuff the lid back onto the basket.

"Stop moving! There's a snake in that basket," she hisses quietly. She grabs the blue key and tries to stuff the lid back onto the basket.

Was not expecting that, since you were aware of the snake I will give you an acrobatics check to avoid it when you grab the key

Acrobatics 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Gili attempts to use the acid key on the steel cube chest while the others fiddle with the basket.

Despite Richelle's fore-knowledge of the snake she was not quick enough to escape the viper's wrath. Though she was able to retain the blue stone key and secure the snake in the basket. Fortitude DC 9

When Gili places the jeweled brass key in to the steel chest’s keyhole, the key breaks, falling into dust as it’s twisted in the lock.

Fortitude 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Richelle takes a deep breath. "Holefully there's nothing else in that basket we need. I don't want to have to fight a snake.". She uses the key from the basket and tries it on both chests.

Joe readies his crossbow to attack if the snake crawls out of the basket.

~Chests~
Copper-banded chest - Illusion
Red lacquered chest - locked
Steel chest - locked


~Keys~
jeweled brass key - dust
blue stone key - In Richelle's snake bitten hand


~Other~
Snake safely trapped in whisker basket

"Well Richelle? Red or steel chest? I say the steel."

"Steel chest first, then red chest."

The blue stone key doesn't fit the steel chest, but when you slide it into the red lacquered chest and turn you hear the lock click. Inside the red lacquered chest you find a key forged into the end of a jeweled scepter.

Thorur examines the table to see if it is moveable. If it is he says:
"How about we move the table closer and Joe can cut the key free with his longspear"

"Sounds like a winner. Bet that gold key fits that steel chest! We might have solved this puzzle after all,". Richelle exclaims. If they get that gold key down, she will try it in the steel crate.

"Something seems too easy about this, just like the snake in the basket, something seems like it should go wrong, its just one of those feelings...."

Joe move to cut down the key pointed out to him by Thorur using his longspear. As he attempts to cut the key down he agrees with Alani "You're right, this does seem too easy."

With some inspiration and planning from Thorur, Joe easily retrieves the key. The pathfinders immediately use it on the steel chest and find it contains a map of the Salhar burial vaults beneath Sothis and a wand of knock (CL 3rd, 11 charges).

They than exit the chamber by using the scepter key on the door and find the servant waiting on the other side and tells them they can keep the map and wand, but asks them to give back any keys they may have.

any questions or antics before we move on?

"I don't understand the point of all this, but I'm glad to be out of the room!"

I'm good moving forward.

"Looks like we have one stop left to make."

"Let's head out."

"lets go, before something happens"

I'm good for going on

"Can anyone use that wand? Hopefully that will help us out on the rest of our missions. But, the way I figure it, that's another success for us!"

With an agreement reached, the Pathfinders travel through the streets toward their last destination

They arrive at the estate of the Paracountess, a magnificent gothic structure three stories tall. They are greeted at the ebon lacquered double front doors, wrought with gleaming silver fixtures, by a well-built male servant dressed in tight pants and a half buttoned shirt. He leads them through the well-appointed sitting rooms, ballrooms, and a grand stairway of the estate without saying a word and ignoring all questions. All the way up on the third floor of the house he opens the door of Zarta’s personal study.

A large intricate carpet dominates the marble floor in this room. A chaise sits along the north wall and a desk spans the southeast corner, its chair positioned with its back to the southwest corner of the room. Three comfortable chairs are positioned around a small, low circular table. Sitting in the chair behind the desk, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen regards the Pathfinders with a wry smile, putting away a few papers before addressing them.

"Aldor, you are dismissed. Close the door behind you and attend to your other tasks."

She then turns her attention to the group. "It’s always so incredibly adorable when I see a fresh-faced batch of Pathfinders. I mean, look at you scrumptious little teacakes. I could eat each and every one of you up!" She stops and gives Kame a critical look, "Well, maybe not you"

She continues, "I assume this isn’t a pleasure visit since most of you are terribly overdressed for that manner of occasion, so that must mean you are here for that trinket Valsin has been nagging me about. Seems I can’t get that man around these parts anymore," she gestures, sliding her hand down her body and widening the gesture to sweep out and across the room as if her home were a secondary thought.

"On the good side, he always sends me all the precious new recruits."

As the paracountess talks, a cacophony of booms and crashes sounds from beyond the room’s west door. She sometimes pauses at an extended eruption of these noises before continuing with the conversation.

“Many think we in Cheliax serve and worship devils, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, we use the creatures for their power. They serve us and we sculpt their power in our own interests. The world must come to terms with the order of things. People need to know their place and operate accordingly. It is the only way to make order from this world. Too many people stretch too far beyond their station, making waves and eroding the true order.”

Gili is a little uncomfortable with the Paracountess' sensuous behavior. Finally he croaks out, "That's lovely, Miss. But we need to return with your borrowed item quickly. Please, may we have it back?"

diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

"Well if all you want is to get Valcin's trinket and be on your way so be it. It's in there. One of my servant is greatly misbehaving, so you’re going to have to deal with it in order to get the trinket. You might find this useful."

She holds out a small silver letter-open, a look of boredom spreading across her face.

map updated

Joe responds to Richelle "I can use that wand" as he walks over to retrieve it. He then turns to the Paracountess and asks "Can you tell us anything about your servant make dealing with it easier?"
Just in case
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

"You will see." says the Paracountess with a sly grin "Nothing a group of fine Pathfinders like you can not handle."

Richelle smiled at the Paracountess. She'd heard all the stories. Heck, if I had the time, I might even stay awhile, she thought mischievously. But there was the mission. "Thank you, Paracountess. We will deal with your secant directly."

Thorur whispers 2 blessings to Trudd, one for good (touched weapon glows golden-yellow, treated as good, +1d6 vs. evil), and one for protection (+1 sacred to saving throws, +1 sacred to ac), both lasting 1 minute.

"Assuming it is expendable if need be, I am ready."

Zarta’s bedroom is decorated in the colors of Cheliax—ebon black and crimson red. Silk, rare woods, and carefully carved marble compose every bit of furniture in the room. Goose down now litters the room, covering
almost every surface and the silken shreds of the cushions that contained it lie about like flayed skin . A post on the massive screened bed is snapped in half, collapsed on the bed and drawing the screened curtains into a ripped slope of formerly fine cloth. Vials of perfume and crystal jars of other cosmetics sit smashed on the marble floor around the dresser. A prominent fixture in the room, a large “X” made of stout wood sits along the west wall, complete with leather shackles and chains.

Fiendish wings and a whipping scorpion-like tail lash behind a diminutive, red-skinned nuisance of a creature, which desperately tries to get into some kind of box.

It seems to be ignoring everything but the box.

Thorur move into the room towards the creature, checking the ceiling height as he does

"Any of you muscular soft feel like grabbing that thing and holding it while the rest of us get out of here with that box?"

Thorur move into the room towards the creature, checking the ceiling height as he does

11' 7 3/16"