[PFS] Of Phantoms and Flora ♦ 7-05 School of Spirits ♦ Tier 1-2 (Inactive)

Game Master GM Red

"Fountain is it? With a red lion... I'd think maybe a fountain would be in the middle, water for all those plants maybe? Lets go slowly and carefully here, and as I said before.. stay behind me!" If we get her killed we'll all be back in prison before we even get home!

Mort pulls out Mindy with a ring of steel on steel and rests her on his shoulder as he walks around, bending over on occasion to examine the ground for tracks. Survival (track): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

"Unless we plan on doing some digging it looks like we're going this way." He points to the doorway to the west.

"Bukkah am agree. Only one door. Pathfinders should take that door, then. Can always come back and look through rubble, if need to," Bukkah comments, heading toward the clear door.

Gitano makes a complex gesture with his fingers and utters a brief arcane phrase, evoking four glowing spheres of light that look like will-o'-wisps. He hold up his hand and traces a circle with his index finger.

The wisps of light stay within ten feet of each other as they round the perimeter of the room.

That should help us improve the dim lighting in here.

Gitano scans the room Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13, and then, drawing his rapier and careful to avoid disrupting Mort's search for tracks, he takes a closer look at the hulking tree. Know (nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

He notes Bukkah moving to the door in the west wall, and waits to see what the others do. He holds up his hand to caution Junia to stay close to the exit until the room is cleared.

Gitano spent 155gp at Wally's, purchasing antitoxin, antiplague, holy water, alchemist's fire, and acid.

Mort looks at Gitano with surprise as he casts some weird balls of light spell "Well looks like someone spent the last week learnin' some new s@!~ eh? Took a break from singing at the Grimy Pit did ya?"

Mort doesn't find anything in the way of tracks, and Gitano notes the tree is simply a decades-old withering thorn tree. At some point, it was quite possibly something exotic from as far off as Ustalav.

As Gitano examines the tree and Bukkah approaches the door, a short, gnarled, gnome-like figure with a beard of green mold, an oversized, misshapen head, and long, branched fingers slides out from the thick roots.

The tiny figure steps up and makes a low bow, speaking in a high-pitched, raspy voice. "I am Piiiiip!" He clears his throat, turns his branchy body and looks up at Gitano. "That didn't come out right at all. Greetings, humans, elves, fiery lady, and bird man. What are you doing in Pip's humble lair?"

J peeks out from behind Corona. "A miniature tree person? How strange."

"Like my glittery balls of light trick, eh? Check this out, bro'."

Gitano brings his hands together, as if forming a snowball. The four wisps meld together into a faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape.

"I call it 'Aunt Maggie's ghost'." Gitano makes a walking motion with two fingers, and the figure begins prancing around the trunk of the tree, brightening the shadows.

"Looking for fountain pond with red lion statue. Girl blue jay lost something there and wants to get it back. Bukkah and friends here to help her. Nice meet, Pip."

Gitano returns the creature's bow, "Greetings, Pip. My name is Gitano Frallino, and some call me 'the Luckiest Man Alive.' These are my faithful companions... "

Gitano pauses, while the others introduce themselves.

"We were unaware the Arboretum Arcanis had changed hands. How did this once iconic piece of real estate come to be your humble lair?"

Gitano looks around pointedly at the overgrown vegetation, the holes in the ceiling, and the ominous dark clouds hovering above their heads. "The building appears to have suffered some under the new ownership... "

"Bukkah, my friend, what you lack in subtlety, you make up for in brevity."

Gitano never takes his eyes off Pip, trying to determine its veracity and motives as it responds to the party.
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Tanna examines the small nature-looking creature with delight. So cute! ”Hello Pip!” Tanna covers her mouth and giggles. I wonder if Pip lives here alone. Tanna puts her bow away so she can crouch down on her knees.

Hands on her knees, Tanna looks down at the tree’s roots where little Pip stands. ”My name is Tanna Myrwen, pleasure to meet you Pip. Your humble lair looks like a fine place to live - have you lived here long? I come from a forest.” Tanna extends a finger for Pip to shake if he chooses. "Do you live here alone?" Tanna takes her eyes off Pip to look up into the tree's branches.

Survival (or Perception?): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 They are both +6 GM digression for which one Tanna uses?)

Corona stares with some wonder as the appearance of little tree-man Pip seems to have finally caused Tanna to warm up a bit.

She's not been that friendly with us...maybe it's an elves-and-nature thing?

"Hello New Friend Pip! My other friends are telling the truth," Corona waves. "We're just here looking for a red lion statue and something that's supposed to be left inside of it. I'm sorry that we didn't knock first, we didn't expect to meet any tree-people or anything else living here."

Mort merely watches Pip and nods in greeting, trying to get a bead on the little guy. Sense Motive + Study: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 = 18 If nothing stands out as hostile he sheaths Mindy.

Cadence kneels down. "How wonderful you are! I could think of no one else better suited to guide us to the wonders of this place. Would you do us the honor?"

"Red lion statue? Fountain? Pip's domain has it all!" Pip nudges up against Tanna's leg. "Pip's been here, oh, Pip doesn't know, ... 17 years? Pip lost track of time. He didn't always look like this though, but researching plants for years will do this to someone, he guesses. Or maybe it's that rain," he says as he points his twig of a finger up at the purple clouds.

Tanna recognizes Pip as a mandragora, a small plant capable of draining blood and shrieking in an unsettling way if agitated.

At Cadence's request, Pip happily steps forward. "Pip can guide you, miss. On one condition. To visit Pip's humble garden, you must pay the fee: just a tiny, tiny sample of your blood will go a long way in Pip's ongoing research! All of you, if you would please." He extends the equivalent of his pinky finger, which transforms into a thin, translucent, syringe-like tube with a needle-sharp tip. "What do you say?"

Tanna doesn't see anything more in the tree's branches, and Mort and Gitano get the sense that Pip is being honest about his offer.

J waits to see what you decide, though she shifts uncomfortably with the idea of a blood donation.

"I'll accept your offer and pay your fee, Pip." Gitano crouches down next to the mandragora and holds out his thin, bare forearm. "Please don't disturb the mermaid or the dancing girl tattoos."

Here goes nothing.

Mort sidles up next to Gitano and bares his arm next. The difference between them is striking. No tattoos or inks or decorations dot this thick muscular arm. His veins are striking against his pale skin. Numerous scars can be seen, including ones that may or may not have been made from shackles. "Have at Pip, just be warned. No tricks." He gives him a serious look to let him know he isn't messing around.

"Seems legit enough," Corona responds cheerfully as she too bears her arm, which is a bit on the pale side and bears a smattering of freckles here and there. "We're getting to experience all sorts of new things today, New Friends! When we're done we can tell the story about how we made a blood donation to a helpful miniature tree-man. I'm sure everyone who hears it will be very impressed."

Tanna knits her brows together, nodding at Pip’s explanation and sympathizing. When one lives for hundreds of years, it’s easy to lose track of time. Still crouched down, resting a hand on one of her knees, Tanna extends her free arm. ”You can take a blood sample from me.” Poor thing must be lonely. Tanna outstretches her blemish-free arm, offering the mandragora several different options for drawing blood. ”Do you get lonely out here, Pip? We can come back to visit you if you like.”

Tanna frowns at Mort's comment. Pip wouldn't hurt anyone! It's you humans who do all the damage to the forest and the earth. Tanna watches Pip as he draws blood from each party member, trusting the small plant creature.

Bukkah wasn't quite so eager as the others to volunteer any of his blood. "Why Pip want blood from all? Blood from four nondifferent than blood from five. Four am plenty for you."

Cadence asked to be "botted." Not sure yet how that works. Does the GM do it or another player?

If there are no immediate adverse effects on those of she might offer Pip a finger of blood as well.

Gitano looks for symptoms or other signs that the blood drive has crashed through the barrier and careened off the cliff. Heal check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Gitano then offers to examine the others, "Mort, can you please turn your head and cough?" Delivered with all the deadpan Sczarni innocence and sincerity he can muster.

If there seem to be no serious ill effects and the bloodthirsty tree midget wants more, Gitano encourages Bukkah and Junia to consider paying the toll.

Cadence does indeed roll up her sleeve. "What sort of research on blood do you do?"

"I don't have blood anymore," says Boo. "I have ectoplasm. Do you want any of that?"

Starting with Gitano, Pip sticks his needle-like finger in each of you, except Bukkah, and draws a small sample of blood, sterilizing it in a tiny vial of clear liquid as he moves down the donation line. The blood flows via a long, translucent vein into one of the nodules in his back. J reluctantly agrees to the procedure as well.

All of you, except Bukkah, take 1 HP damage.

"Blood gives Pip energy, so maybe it will also revitalize the other dead exotic plants here. There's only one way to find out. Pip isn't lonely. Not when he has his own personal kingdom right here!" He then looks at Bukkah expectantly. "Well? Well?! What about you, bird man? Pip will guide you through if you do like your friends did!"

"Oh!" Corona gasps as her turn comes around, staring at Pip with wonder as he extracts the blood and adds it to the rest. "How amazing!"

Then she smiles at Bukkah. "It's okay, New Friend Bukkah. It only stings for a moment!"
_______

Phlebotomy is a part of my job duties in the real world so this amuses me very much!

Mort's head picks up after he hears Pip mention reviving some of the exotic plants "They drink blood? Do you think you could wait to try that until after we leave? We wouldn't want those plants to get too blood hungry and try to squeeze us for more if you catch my drift..."

Bukkah shakes his head. He wasn't a fan of this, but if the others did so, he agreed to do the same. He extended a feathered arm while mumbling under his breath.

Phlebotomy is a fun word to try to say.

Pip smiles inasmuch as his barky face allows him to, then scurries over and draws a final drop of blood from Bukkah. "See? No need to be scared, bird man. And don't worry, Pip saves blood for later," he assures Mort. Junia can't help but laugh at jab at Bukkah. "You know, he's actually kind of cute. I wonder how he ended up like this."

With that, Pip hops along to the western door and presses it open. Decaying vines carpet the walls and ceiling of the room. The floor is riddled with narrow cracks and fissures, extending several feet below.

Pip continues on and opens the next door as well. A collapsed sign near the door lists the exhibit that was on display in this gallery at the time of the earthquake: "Flowering Shrubs of Eastern Taldor".

Plants once grew in the large, ceramic planters that still hug the southern wall. Dozens of branches clinging to decaying leaves emerge from the wooden door to the north. To the east, a room with healthy trees and shrubs is visible through a glass door set in a wrought iron frame.

"These are Pip's treasures. Who knows what properties these plants might have had? They've been gathered here from far and wide, and now they're all dead," he says as he looks down and sobs.

J kneels down and smells the dead plant matter. "I guess the earthquake took any possible maintenance of this building with it. It's too bad. It was probably quite something of a museum."

"Quite a shame I guess." Feigns Mort, not being one for the wonders of the natural world. "Where'd you say that fountain was again?" As he peeks his head into the room to have a glance around for anything valuable or important. Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

I'm sure if this all turns out ok maybe J's family would put some cash into refurbishing this place? Who knows how rich people decide to blow their cash.

Gitano applies his newly acquired arcane arts to the party's exploration of this strange and exotic place.

"While we search these rooms, please give me a few moments to check for any magical auras present in either." He turns to Junia, "If we all apply our skills and abilities to the task, the work will go much faster."

Gitano casts detect magic, wraps his fists around imaginary binoculars, and scans each room long enough to detect auras, their number and power, and location.

"Hey, Groot, er, Pip. Does anybody else live here with you? Any other visitors recently?"

"Fountain is just ahead," Pip says, pointing north. "Master gardener is there too. She's the only other one here. Pip thinks? Pip doesn't go in there too often. She's kind of scary."

Gitano's senses are flooded with magical auras from various schools, but he fails to sense exactly what they are. In particular, the watermelons, walnuts, vines of ivy, and cherries in the room to the east all glow with an aura. You can make an independent Kn Nature or Spellcraft check for each of these

As Gitano detects magic, Pip walks over to the glass door and looks up at him. "Ah, the human is interested in Pip's experiments! Since you helped Pip, Pip can show you his magical plants and tell you what they do!" Do you open the glass door and enter the magical plant room to the east, or proceed through the door to the north?

___

@Mort, that room would be Mr. Peppers' wet dream.

Cadence pauses a moment, taking in the room, and concentrates, trying to breathe in the history of this space, and get a feel for the richness of its auras. Surely a garden like this one would have a story behind it.

Casting Detect Psychic Significance. If there are any items with a powerful history or resonance, Cadence might find them with this spell.

"A master gardener? How interesting!" She looks to the others. "Can we at least take a look at these gardens for a moment?"

Oh, you lure me in here with an uneducated meat shield to deprive poor Mr Peppers of the opportunity! I see how it is!

Mort shrugs his shoulders "I know I could and likely will regret saying this, but it can't hurt to check it out right?"

He heads inside with the others, keeping a wary eye on the little Pip.

Know. Nature Melons 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Know. Nature Walnuts 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Know. Nature Ivy 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Know. Nature Cherries 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

At Gitano's proclamation about the magical plants, Bukkah uses his own Detect Magic spell to try and figure out what properties might be in the garden.

Cadence senses a strong feeling of love and care emanating from the plants, as if whoever laid them here treated them as gold. She senses the last owner was indeed Pip, but the vision she gets depicts him as a polite, generous little mandragora, one with no desire for blood.

At the same time, a downpour begins from above. The water is tinted purple and slightly acidic, ever so gently stinging your skin in an almost pleasant way.

The door opens and Pip runs in, eager to show you his collection, but Bukkah's way ahead of the game and determines the properties of all of the magical plants:

When eaten, each of the walnuts (2) provides the effects of a potion of shield of faith.

The ivy functions as a potion of spider climb when chewed.

Two cherries each function as a potion of reduce person.

Two watermelons each produce the effects of a potion of enlarge person to the first person who takes a bite of them.

You can eat any of these as a standard action, not unlike drinking a potion.

"See? Pip's experiments from many years ago," he says. "All part of Pip's domain. If only we could rid this place of the master gardener," he mutters under his breath. "It would be MINE again!"

"Crazy little guy," J snickers. "Grishan says he'd passed by this room before but never thought much of it. Pip's constant care probably made this a poor place to hide something like an intelligence packet."

Knowledge:Local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15 Mort has no clue

"Wow, those fruits sound pretty useful in a fight eh? What's this gardener like?" A rumble in the jungle? Could be fun...

This is like Luurg's secret garden!

Kn. History: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Kn. History: 1d20 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 3 = 25 Using C's Knowledge of the Ages revelation to reroll and add her Cha modifier to the roll.

Corona stares curiously at her hands for a moment as the purple rain comes down, making her skin feel oddly a-tingle. Then she glances upward, her expression thoughtful...and then, slightly worried as she seems to realize something.

"New Friends, this rain might look nice and make your skin feel like what happens when you sit on your leg for too long but we should be careful," she warns. "It corrupts anything living that it contacts...but not right away. It takes years of exposure for it to really kick in. Still, who knows how long it's been falling inside this place?"

She looks around, a bit wary. "Maybe something to think about before asking New Friend Pip if we can eat his experiments, okay?"

Gitano swings at the softball pitch...

Gitano holds his hands out at shoulder height and trills an air flute.

♪♫Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain♪♫
The Artist Formerly Known as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince"

Know (local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 "Yup. What Corona said. About the drizzle and its sizzle."

"Say, Pip, mind if I grab your nuts?" Gitano quips. "I'll settle for one."

"What's your vegan beef with the Master Gardner? We looking for someone with giant green thumbs?"

Bukkah announces the properties of the fruit to the rest of the group, and waits for Pip's response before helping himself to any of the fruit.

Tanna is drawn to the vegetation and examines the plants over. Despite her interest, Tanna is unable to learn anything about the plants.

Knowledge (Nature) watermelons : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Knowledge (Nature) walnuts : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Knowledge (Nature) vines of ivy : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Knowledge (Nature) cherries : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

With Corona’s warning about the rain droplets, Tanna inches away, trying to find protection under a leafy tree or overhanging branch.

Tanna is surprised at the sudden blood-thirsty edge of Pip's statement. "What do you mean by 'mine again?' Did the master gardener steal your plants from you?"

Pip grabs one of the walnuts and holds it up to Gitano. "Go ahead, it won't harm you! Pip promises."

"Pip means his domain - this place - will be his again," he says as he extends his arms wide as if to showcase the room. "The Gardener showed up here a while ago and claimed the main greenhouse ahead as her own. Didn't she see the big 'Now Entering Pip's Domain' sign?" He raises his branchy hand to his chin.

Gitano sympathizes with Pip, "It must have been lonely, though, being the master of your domain."
Seinfeld reference, The Contest, Season 4, Episode 11.

Gitano pockets one of Pip's magic walnuts. This will come in handy, I'm sure.

"Please tell us more about this 'master gardner' while you show us the rest of the arboretum. If you seek our help, you'll need to share what you know about her."

Mort listens along to the description of the fruits and nuts and especially about the magical, devious rain. "You're sure this things are safe then? If you're offering Pip I'd make use of that other walnut and one of those 'melons!" Woah Mindy! Imagine if you were even bigger what you could do! Really tear some new ones!

As he reaches for the goodies he stops and nods along with Gitano "Ya go on about this 'gardener'. How big is she? What kind of weapons does she swing or shoot? Or throw? Is she like one of us?"

K:Local if Applicable: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

"She's about your size," she says as she points to Corona. "Weapons? She has this wooden stick she swings around, but it's really an extension of her arm. She doesn't look like any of you. She looks more like Pip!"

I'll pause in case anyone wants to collect more of the plants before we move to the next area.

Bukkah grabs a single cherry and the piece of Ivy, always wanting to be prepared for whatever might come.

That leaves one cherry and one melon, by my count!

Tanna reaches and plucks a walnut off for later. Mort and Gitano each took one so they couldn't be harmful... right?

Tanna patiently waits for her companions near the door to the next area. Tanna isn't sure if she should have her bow at the ready or not, but she pulls it out regardless. If anyone looks at Tanna, she nods signalling that she's ready.

Corona reaches out and gently plucks the remaining cherry from its home. She studies it curiously for a moment before shrugging and placing it into her pocket for later snacking.

"The cherries make you small, right? You never know when it might be handy to be small for awhile," she says cheerfully.

I think Mort and Gitano each already took a walnut, so there l'smnone left by my math, Tanna.

Cadence hands the other melon to Mort as she eyes his muscalature. "I won't get great use of it, but you might!"

Having collected the magical plants, you head through the wooden door to the north. The path continues for a few moments through several corridors and galleries before ending at a larger greenhouse. A wooden plaque outside reads Plants of Eastern Garund: Please proceed with caution, as some are poisonous.

Unlike the dead and warped growth in most of the Arboretum, the plants growing in this greenhouse seem to be relatively young and healthy. Several raised beds of earth host strange looking plants with long, sinuous vines, and a small, gently flowing fountain with a red lion statue (!) at its center sits near the middle of the chamber. Against the wall stands a worktable and chair covered in gardening tools.

Next to the fountain stands an anthropomorphic plant creature, who shouts at you as you approach. "I knew you pesky Quantium gardeners would be here to harvest me and my seeds soon. Stay back!"

J stays back, frightened yet curious of the plant lady. "She doesn't seem happy. Grishan says he doesn't recognize her either, but that's definitely the red lion statue he was talking about. I wonder what brought her here," she whispers.

See Slide 4. What do you do?

Mort takes the melon from Cadence and smiles "Thanks! Nothin' makes me smile like a pair of good melons!" Heh hilarous!

Peeking into the larger greenhouse Mort does a double take on the weird plant woman What the hell IS that thing...

Sense Motive + Study: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 1 = 14

Mort smiles nervously at the woman "Howdy there. We're just here to admire that fancy lion fountain, hopefully that isn't an issue?"

Bluff (Secret Message to Group: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 Message = She seems to have a screw loose or something..."Isn't that the case everyone? She's one heck of a care taker it appears, look at them plants!"