[PFS GameDay V] GM Greysector's #7-99 Through Maelstrom Rift CORE (Pregens Used) (Inactive)

Game Master James Martin

Starting the gameplay thread in case people want to dot in.

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Orange-and-violet skies streaked with clouds surround the expansive city of Armun Kelisk, the largest settlement on the Plane of Air. Armun Kelisk’s six other districts float far above upon platforms of ice and stone. The pull of gravity is strong here—even objects that are not secured rest firmly upon the ground rather than floating into the air. Hundreds of thousands of genies and other beings of air fly through the streets of this bustling metropolis.

Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance, sits perched on the low roof of a building labeled the Four Winds. Although he represents the most powerful member of the Concordance’s ruling council, his manner is whimsical. A cloud of dust in the shape of an airship flies around his head, bobbing, weaving, and making whooshing noises.

“I am glad to see all of you here. Step inside, please.” He hops gracefully off the roof and enters the building. The dust-airship follows closely behind him. Inside the building, travelers gather around low tables, enjoying the establishment’s renowned cooking. An air elemental carries a trio of plates to a new table, each bearing some sort of pie with a halo of bubbles floating above it.

“It simply would not do to set a team without the proper balance on a task as important as this one—we must combat what may be a grave threat, and we have the chance to gain respect from those who dismiss us as a radically idealistic organization. But I’ve gotten ahead of myself again, haven’t I? Your task is simple in the telling, meaning that it promises to be anything but simple in the doing. That is always the way of things, is it not?"

“Airship captains have reported a region of disturbed currents where the flows of air upon which they rely have become erratic. Several ships have disappeared entirely, and all travel through the area has ceased. As far as I’ve been able to discern, no one has had the crucial combination of courage and dedication to journey to the heart of the irregularities and uncover the sources of the imbalance. Find this source and put a stop to it if you can. It’s far enough away that you’ll need an airship for at least part of the journey. How close you’ll be able to get, well, that I cannot say. It depends upon the bravery of the captains and the silver on your tongues, I suppose,”

Ashasar chuckles. “Any questions for me?”

I'll get variables statted into profile later, but in the meantime
You see a rather dour looking male Sylph with a very pinched and bitter face, wearing leather armor and carrying a spear. He offers a curt bow, saying, "My name is Zephyr, and it is my honor to put my spear, spells and other meager abilities in the service of restoring balance to the elements..." His brief speech drifts to an end as a haunted faraway look crosses his face. Clearly his mind is elsewhere, and it is not a pleasant place.

Kn-Planes: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Kn-Geo: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Zephyr shakes himself loose of his unpleasant reverie, and proceeds to share what he knows of the upcoming mission. I.e. everyone can take a look at the GM's knowledge spoilers

"How urgent is our mission, Ashasar? Would we have time to prepare a little bit before setting sail? Do you know of any reliable airship captains in the area, or even where one goes to hire these airships? And, most important of all, do you know of anyone who deals in rare fungi? I've a hankering for some special mushrooms..." as a spell component

Rhyol's carapace oozes and steams. The air steaming out form rather wispish words. "I am Rhyol. And I am pleased to journey alongside you Uktar."

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"How do dead air pockets form? I ask because maybe this is a dead air pocket."

To Zephyr
“I'd rather you set out immediately. Who knows how many unfortunate creatures will meet a mysterious end if you delay. As far as an airship, I'd suggest you travel to the docks and start asking around. You’ll need someone brave enough to head off into dangerous weather and unstable currents. Besides that, in my experience, airship captains can get a bit touchy around fire, so you might need to reassure them that you are safe passengers.”

He glances at Rhyol as he finishes his sentence.

"I'm no cook, but I'm sure you can find anything you need in Armun Kelisk."

To Ryhol
"I'm not sure what the irregularity could be. I have hundreds of ideas. I’m sure you could come up with hundreds of ideas, too, including a pocket of dead air. If you are asking me whether I have any ideas with a shred of evidence, well, now that is a different question. Regardless of the cause, I would expect powerful magic to be at its core.”

Ashasar turns to address Octaris.

“And that is why I am so pleased that you in particular responded to the summons.”

Planes: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Geography: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

An extremely small Diminutive dragon-like creature flits around the room, with a comically large spear strapped to her back, whipping around with her, dangerously close to poking people and furniture. She speaks in an excited, high-pitched voice..

"I'm sure we'll all perform terrifically But just in case it is dead air, how would we get around? Or breathe?"

Ahsasar shrugs. "You probably wouldn't. So lets hope it isn't dead air."

A regal-looking woman, her hair floating around her, as if held aloft by an unseen breeze, finally speaks.

"Something powerful enough that it is disrupting the airship network is definitely something that deserves to be looked into, and a problem that needs to be solved."

Listening to the briefing and questions of his temporary allies intently is a tall, broad shoulder Oread with pitch black skin and crystal spikes atop his head symbolising hair. He wears a fine black robe, edged in gold and decorated in dark green, over a mithral shirt and carries a morningstar at his hip.

"Greetings all, I am Krakos, Inquisitor of The King Ayrzul, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He helps himself to a slice of the pie offered and looks around the chamber they are placed in, suitably impressed the the elegance on show.

"You assume that Powerful Artefacts or the like may be involved, what is the concordance's stance on such a thing if it is found? Are we to return it for study or make our own decision on whether it should be neutralized?" he asks after a while.

Ashasar shrugs again and helps himself to a piece of pie.

To Krakos
"I leave the judgment for how to handle the situation in your hands. You represent a balance of elements, so I trust that you'll come to the correct conclusion."

Zephyr nods curtly in greeting to each party member, clearly uninterested in pleasantries and eager to get on with the mission. Once the group finishes asking questions and take leave for the docks, Zephyr keeps his eyes open for a shop or two along the way in order to buy a scroll with 2 castings of Air Bubble, and 5gp of rare mushrooms in case he gets a chance to prepare Euphoric Cloud.

"The sooner we're free of this city, the better. Give me the open sky," he grumbles, mostly to himself.

Before you depart, Ashasar hands Jamila a slip of parchment.

“This letter should be sufficient to pay passage, so long as you can find a captain willing to take you in the first place.”

As you exit the Four Winds you spot a group of air elementals putting up fliers advertising today’s special, bubble halo pie. As the elementals spin, the posters fly off in all directions, miraculously all sticking to nearby walls right-side up.

Some time later...
As you travel along a wide thoroughfare lined with market stalls looking for Zephyr's mushrooms, you spot a group of miniature whirlwinds working together to heft a huge cloth covered in exotic fruits and vegetables.

A passing air mephit who is not watching where she is going slams into the edge of the cloth, setting off its precarious balance and causing dozens of fruits to tumble to the ground. The whirlwinds angrily demand that the mephit pay to replace the fruit she ruined, while the mephit blames them for their precarious setup. A pair of sylph guards arrives several minutes later to investigate the situation.

Let me know if you would like to get involved or move on to the docs.

"Companions, how will I eat on this airboat? I need earths and metals in my food. And they need to be just so. I did not eat any of the precious metal that is used to barter either." whispers Rhyol as the group passes through the market on their way to the air-docks.

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

Rhyol doesn't understand what exactly the creatures are, but is fascinated with the way they use their bodies to manipulate objects. And the mephit! Rhyol has always found them fascinating. Fire one especially. "Why are they using loud words?" she asks noone in particular. "The fruits are still whole. They just moved a little."

"Rhyol, I'm sure we can find you a lovely bag of gravel or something to eat. I was thinking of doing a bit of shopping myself."

Ember flies over to the source of the commotion, calling out in Auran.

"Let's all just calm down. It's probably not so bad." To the mephit specifically, she adds, "Help me pick these up, please" before casting Mage Hand to start gently returning fruit to the wysps.

Perform Oratory (Versatile Performance): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33

Krakos nods to the Conclave liason and makes his exit, once again studying the building's architecture as they make their way through the halls. Stepping out into the city proper, the Inquisitor of the Earth Lord marvels at the busy place and stays quiet as they make their way to the docks.

Witnessing the almost set-up display, Krakos' eyes narrow as he wonders if something was afoot here and keeping his eye out for pick-pockets or stalkers.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

The whirlwind creatures and the air mephit calm down as Ember starts helping to clean up. The sylph guards nod at Ember, as he has apparently defused the situation, and move on.

There is a slight shimmer in the heated air generated by the Thoqqa, but Rhyol's "voice" comes out as it usually does. "I'm glad they aren't using the loud sounds any more. Scales-that-fly, do you have the rare metals that are used for barter? Could you not barter for gravel? It's not very filling and usually makes gases come out of me. What are you Scales-that-Fly?"

Jamila nods in satisfaction that the situation has been settled peacefully.

"Well done, little one. Come on - let's see if we can find a suitable Captain that is willing to meet our needs..."

You are each able to find and purchase your desired goods, including food for Rhyol.

Inquiring at the docks yields three possible candidates to transport your group.

• Gaptain Razakim, male djinni
  
• Captain Sisivel, female air mephit
  
• Captain Nix, female gnome

Zephyr attempts to learn more about the three captains by chatting with the locals:
Diplomacy to Gather Info: 1d20 ⇒ 11

Ember will explain to Rhyol, speaking in Ignan in case it makes the Thoqqua more comfortable.

"I'm just me, I guess. Though we take very different forms, fire fuels my soul just as much as yours. It literally keeps my heart beating. I don't think I've met any of your kind either. I guess that just makes us exceptional!

Optimistic after her successful interaction with the mephit and wysps, Ember will try to talk to captain Sisivel about her experience with the area we'll be traveling to, though she isn't quite as charming this time around.

Oratory (VP): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18

An excited burble escapes Rhyol's carapace. "Would heat be enough Scales-that-Fly? I am very hot. I can make your soul be hotter than the magma deeps."

So I'm thinking that there are elemental interactions between our character that would be beneficial to all. Should we take a few moments to try and figure them out?

Ember's heart stops, more or less, if she takes cold damage, which shuts off her fast healing and breath weapon, staggers her, and starts doing damage each round. Including me in any effect that does fire damage (she's immune) fixes that, or she can use her spark SLA to fix it.

Ember also has "firedancer's scarves," a unique item as far as I can tell. I can spend a standard to activate them and a move to continue. All fire spells and effects do an extra point of damage.

So... If you were perched on me/grappling me for a round, you would take 3d6 of not damage since you are immune to fire and it would restart your abilities? I wonder what the rules are with regards to creatures perching on other creatures.

Krakos nods at the quick solution to the problem, glad that none of the other members of their band chose to try and escalate the situation, given how volatile some of them can be. Moving on from the altercation the Inquisitor stops at the docks as they look at the names of the three available captains.

"Well, a Gnome certainly is exotic here, I wonder how they camee to be a captain?"

Like Zephyr before them, Krakos attempts to find out some more about the Captains before they interact, though his straightforward manner may be less than helpful in such a flighty city.

I am sorry about the elemental puns...well a bit

Gather Info, diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Zephyr and Krakos aren't able to find out much about the various captains, beside where they are currently berthed.

Assuming you all follow Ember to talk to captain Sisivel.

The air mephit perches on a pylon at the docks and regards your group. She winks at Octaris before answering Ember.

"I know enough about the troubles in that area to steer clear of them. Why exactly do you want to go there?"

"To end the troubles" burbles Rhyol laconically.

Captain Sisivel nods sagely at Rhyol's statement.

"OK, but how? Who are you exactly?" She scratches her head.

Zephyr makes a point of inspecting the airship, though he has no particular skill in such matters.

UNTRAINED Kn-Engineering: 1d20 ⇒ 10 Max 10

"It's a fine looking vessel you have here. It should do nicely. We are the duly appointed representatives of the Concordance, and we have been tasked with investigating this disturbance and setting it aright. And we are here to determine if you are worthy of the honor of providing us passage to the area. If you are deemed worthy, you will take us there, we will determine the problem and restore the balance."

diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Sisivel’s ship is a slim and maneuverable vessel of dark blue crystal with highly adjustable sails and a cloud dragon figurehead.

She files over to Zephyr and sticks out her hand. "The Concordance of Elements? Wow, I've heard of you guys! Great work, getting all the elements to work together. Don't listen to what other people say. I'd love to help you, but... I don't actually own my ship. I'm a member of an alliance of merchant-captains called the Thousand Wings. We freely share airships and provide each other with favorable business deals. And,"

She coughs.

"I'm a little concerned about your friend there accidentally lighting my sails on fire." She indicates Rhyol.

An almost offended burble escapes Rhyol and a brief heatwave washes over her companions. But it is short-lived and the Thoqqa quickly asks "Is there something I could do to not concern you and not set your sails on fire?"

Rhyol, make me a Diplomacy check.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Jamila steps forward, and attempts to play the part of mediator.

"Come now, surely we can come to some sort of arrangement? There must be precautions that we could make, to satisfy your safety concerns?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26.

aww, but us ugly folk were having so much fun trying to be daplo--dopilo--talk nice. Probably best to leave it to the pros.

Krakos takes the Air Mephit in his sights and reads for signs of unease, though it is odd to read body language in one so small and flighty. Deciding he is best suited to watching patiently and not souring diplomatic relations he is glad when Jamila steps forwards to calm the Captain's worries.

Such prejudices between the elements, I wonder just how long the Concordance will last unless they can be smoothed out? he ponders to himself.

He does think to ask a question however, as inspiration hits.

"Good Captain, may we take a walk around your deck? Just so that we can be best placed to consider our options?"

Captain Sisivel listens to Rhyol and Jamila.

To Rhyhol
"Oh, as long as you just steer clear of the sails I'm sure you'll be fine!"

To Jamila
"The risks are worth it if I can help you stop whatever is happening, and help the Concordance of Elements at the same time! When do you want to leave?"

To Krakos
"Sure, you can have a quick tour! So it sounds like you're thinking about another ship, mind if I ask which one?"

"I can do that." chirps Rhyol, before attempting to bubble softly for her remaining companion's benefit: "What is a Sail? Flesh of Four? Flesh of Winds? Scales that Fly?"

Captain Sisivel flies up to the yards of cloth above her crystal vessel and flits among them.

"These are sails! They catch the wind and move the ship!"

Rhyol bubbles excitedly. "Oooooooooooo"

Krakos shakes his head to the Mephit's question, not wishing to be taken wrong by the Captain or cause a disagreement between them and the Concordance.

"Oh no dear Captain, I am merely intrigued as I do not fly often and have seen very few vessels. We have not spoken with any of the other Captains as yet, you have the honour of being the first.

Tell me, would you need permission from your organisation to take us or is the Ship controlled at your discretion when it is your turn to loan it?"

Captain Sisivel nods her head, then shakes her head, then looks confused.

"No, you've convinced me! If you need a captain I'm your mephit! Just let me know when you want to leave!"

Jamila looks to the others.

"I think sooner rather than later would be preferable..."

"Yesssss" steams out Rhyol cheerfully, before abruptly closing that vent. "I'm sorry, I just don't swim through the air often. I got excited."

Zephyr nods in agreement then strolls to the front of the airship.
He steps up over the railing, spreads his arms wide and closes his eyes, waiting for the theme song from the Titanic to start playing...oh wait, he already can fly. He turns to Krakos, "So, you want to know what it feels like to fly?"

Krakos turns to Zephyr and nods, a wry smile on the Oreads face as they make their way up the gangplank of the Airship Well that was straightforward enough he thinks.

"Hmm, yes I believe it is a good idea to embrace all the Unqiue aspects of our cultures if we are going to make this concordance work. Tell me Zephyr, what does it feel like to control the air around you to allow you to float?"

Zephyr replies, "I'm sure Rhyol feels similar as he burrows through the earth: free, as if the flow of the element over your skin is why you were born..."

then he turns to Captain Sisivel. "You know the way to the area of all the disturbance? About how long will it take to sail there in this fine vessel of yours? And indeed, what have you heard of this area? Even the most vaporous of rumors may contain a tiny breath of truth."

"I am a woman, Child of Winds" emits Rhyol in a somewhat louder stream of steam, a sure sign of irritation. "The men-thoqqa have smaller frames" she then explains in a more subdued, contrite manner.