PFS PbP 5-08: The Confirmation (Inactive)

Game Master Hawkeye127

Dot Here.

A tiefling sits in the corner, a bestial look in his darting eyes. He appears ferocious, and possibly mentally unhinged.

"KILL!" he whispers sharply. "No, fight it!" he responds to himself.

Grimbli Fizzwhizzle - a cheerful gnome dressed in earthen tones - sits in a small chair, a large white tiger curled at his feet. At the tiefling's outburst, the cat's ears flick towards the source of the sound, and its head raises slightly. "Don't worry about him, Fluffy; I'm sure he didn't mean you." Reassured, the cat resumes dozing.

"Actions, not words, speak more to me. A word is a breeze through the trees, making noise but not much else. Now, that falchion of course, could chop down the tree I suppose." Dagnobar speaks softly, trying not to disturb his well groomed beard too much.

Through narrowed eyes, Shaoshu waits anxiously for his first meeting with the so-called "venture captains" of the Society.

Just two weeks ago, he had been invited by Aaqir al'Hakam to attend a wake of the merchant prince's mentor and things had gotten interesting. He had proven himself worthy both in a fight and under pressure. At the trade prince's insistence, he had made the journey over the Inner Sea and now found himself among a number of eager recruits.

Shaoshu looked as if he hailed from Tian-Xa in the distant east. He also looked like he needed a bath, his face was still smeared with dirt and his threadbare garments suggested a level of poverty unusual for an adventurer.

The only thing of real value on his person was a brace of several daggers he wore, each one with a hilt resembling an animal head - a rat, an ox, a tiger and a rabbit. Despite their craftsmanship, these were dirtied as well, showing signs of frequent and lengthy use to accompany their obvious neglect.

A closer look revealed that the man wasn't entirely Tien. His eyes were dark, lacking a definable sclera. His ears were pink and far too rounded.

"When's the Big Boss getting here?"

(Idyllkin aasimar with rat features, basically somewhere between a human and a ratfolk, but closer to human)

My sword axe is at your service.

The invitation delivered last night was remarkably simple, especially given the importance of the occasion: “Start where it all began. Meet us at the Pig’s Paunch one hour before dawn.” The Pig’s Paunch is a run-down building with a faded sign of a large pig standing on its hind legs, arms folded above a corpulent belly. Inside, the air is thick with the scents of human sweat, stale tobacco, and leftover food. In the center of the room, surrounded by inebriates sleeping off their revelries, a familiar elven man stands high upon top of a large round table.
“Welcome! Welcome, my students! Please, have a seat!” With that, Kreighton Shaine, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Scrolls, nimbly drops down to sit cross-legged on the table before looking about the tavern with a sense of reverent wonder. “Can you believe it? It all started here years ago—well, over four hundred of them at least. Under this very roof the Pathfinder Society was born.
“But today! Today you will begin your Confirmation! Master Farabellus, Master Zey, and I all agree you each have shown your worth and dedication to the Society, so there’s no better time to see if you can handle becoming full field operatives. Allow me to introduce you to Janira Gavix,” he says as he motions for an excitable halfling woman to approach. She wears a large backpack and carries all manner of tools, pouches, and scroll cases around her waist. Shaine continues, saying, “Janira here will be going with you on your Confirmation. She was one of my brightest pupils and will no doubt be an invaluable resource on your journey, for she discovered the caves you are about to explore during her own Confirmation.”
Janira speaks up in an enthusiastic and cheerful voice, “Greetings, aspiring Pathfinders! Six months ago, while I was mapping cave entrances in the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, I witnessed a lone gillman entering a concealed cave. I thought little of it at the time, but I saw another one enter the cave again a month later as my Confirmation stretched on. A few days later, after I completed my assigned task, I entered the cave system, but was unable to find the gillmen.”
Master Shaine hops to his feet. “Initiates, for your Confirmation, you will travel to these caves to explore and document its many passages. Additionally, and most importantly, you are to learn what the gillmen are up to in there. Oh, and you need to come back alive as well.” With these parting words, the Master of Scrolls jumps off the table and strolls out of the building while humming to himself.

As Master Shane departs, Janira smiles to the group and says “Right, On to the details of the mission at hand,” Janira says with an eager grin. “After reviewing my mission reports personally, Master Shaine believes it is no coincidence that each time they entered the caves it was during a full moon, so it is also no coincidence that you have been called here now, just a day before the moon is full again. We both believe that tomorrow night is our best chance to find out why these caves are important and what exactly the gillmen are doing in there.
“The caves we’ll be travelling to lie under the base of the Kortos Mounts. We’ll need to spend every minute of daylight possible to reach the caves by foot, crossing over the Cairnlands, taking the paths to Diobel, and finally making our way through the wilderness. With any luck we won’t run into any of the local inhabitants. Once in the caves, we’ll need to work together to explore and determine whether any gillman are present or have been recently. Keep an eye out for any other clues that might hint at the caves’ significance, too. So, any questions?”
Anyone want to give me a Knowledge (geography) or a Knowledge (History) check?

"Ahem. Yes, I have a question. I thought gillmen, as the name implies, needed water. So, is there a lake or river near the cave entrance that they come from?"

Like a snake watching a mesmerizing snake charmer, Insidion seemed to relax as he listened to these words from the Master of Scrolls. He nodded as he heard their mission, then sat in silence.

Zac only has religion and dungeoneering for knowledge, so he can't help there.
I too have a question. What should we bring with us to be prepared?

Grimbli has a look of rapt attention as he listens to the Master of Scrolls, as well as to Janira, but you soon realize that his eyes are just that big. He nods at the end of the description of their mission, satisfied.

"Fluffy and I are, of course, at your service." He pauses in the middle of a brief bow, a concerned look crossing his face. "Well, not your service, specifically. I mean, we serve the Pathfinder Society as a whole, so while we will do whatever we can do to further the mission, we're not your personal slaves." He pauses again, considering his words, then his expression becomes almost frantic. "Not that we think you would treat us as slaves. You seem nice enough, and while you are, of course, in charge, and could tell us to do just about anything and we'd have to do it, I don't think you're the kind of person that would take advantage of the situation." He stops again, opens his mouth, pauses briefly, closes it, then nods to himself, satisfied that he didn't do any irreparable harm.

Insidion looked sidelong at Grimbli. The voice...the eyes...the train of consciousness shattering his new found calm.

His eyes began to dart back and forth again, and he started muttering to himself.

No appropriate Knowledge checks here either, sadly.

Shaoshu nods as the halfling provides instructions on the details of their "Confirmation".

The Tien knife-man repeated his understanding of the mission at hand, since he knew bosses always liked to be certain their instructions were properly communicated.

"Sounds easy. Protect you, Janira, as we go to these caves. See what gill-people do there. Stab whatever tries to stop us."

Pausing for a moment, he considers his last thoughts.

"What might try to stop us?"

Janira looks to the group and smiles as she says "In this order;
We're not sure where the gillmen come from or what they do when they're inside the cave, but you're correct in assuming that there must be some form of water nearby, possibly in the cave itself, or else the gillmen wouldn't be able to survive. Hopefully nothing inside the cave as I don't swim well.
As for what to bring, you never know what you'll run into on the job, so it's good to be prepared for anything. That said, some basic essentials are good rope, a light source, food, a way to make fire, and some source of healing. If you've got the coin, I always recommend bringing with a bottle or two of alchemist's fire and antitoxins, as they come in handy more often than you'd think.
And things that we might run into? Well, Centaurs control the lowlands and surrounding wilderness of the Kortos Mounts. The areas farther up the Mounts are controlled by minotaurs, and the icy peaks are home to tribes of harpies. They’re always vying for territory, but with any luck, we should be able to avoid them and reach the caves without conflict.
Now, if there are no other questions, I'll give you all a chance to make any last-second purchases at the market before we head out. Just meet me at the road outside of town when you're ready."

Grimbli stands, bows, and leads Fluffy out of the room. He takes Janira's advice to heart and stops to purchase a single vial of alchemist's fire at the market. That purchase made, he heads to the edge of town to meet the others.

Shaoshu frowns slightly as Janira runs down a list of additional "recommended" purchases.

Discretely, he eases the strings of his coin purse and counts the thirteen coins that remain within. What would have been a fortune to him just a few short years ago when he was in Goka now provides little by way of purchasing power for the alchemical items the halfling suggests.

He simply shakes his head.

"Shaoshu would like to be better prepared, but lacks the coins to do so. That is why Shaoshu must complete his Confirmation and become a Pathfinder - so he can buy such things."

In case he was not fully understood he decides to add a metaphor.

"Chicken and egg problem."

Standing, he checks to ensure all his daggers are secure on his body before rushing ahead and opening the door for Janira.

"Okay, big bo-- err, little boss? Shaoshu is ready."

Dagnobar looks through his backpack. "Hmmm, I'll grab a bit more food before we head out. Also, I've got this stick here that I was told could heal people if used by people in the know. I'm apparently not someone in the know, but if any of you are in the know, I'll let you hold this stick to heal us when needed." Dagnobar has a fresh CLW wand with 50 charges available for someone who can use the wand.

Insidion was ready to go, and he nodded at the venture captain.

All the talking was making him nervous.

But you know you must be here...you must learn to control the voices...this is the only way...

There is nothing Zac wants to purchase, so he to is ready to go.

Once the party has assembled outside of town, they make their way into the forest leading to the Kortos Mounts. As the party progresses deeper into the forest, the trees towering overhead begin to shield most of what remains of the day’s sun and the vegetation beneath grows denser. Janira pauses a moment and pulls out an intricate silver compass emblazoned with the Pathfinder Society logo: the Glyph of the Open Road. “I received this wayfinder when I successfully completed my Confirmation. Should we be successful on our journey, you will get your own as well.” She flips open the device and holds it in front of her; the initials J. L. are engraved into the inside of the device’s lid. After studying the compass inside for a moment, she remarks, “We’re on the right path. We need to keep heading northwest past those large rocks up ahead.” Most of the trees in this section of the forest have trunks that are too big for any creatures to share their space. Sporadic patches of light undergrowth provide areas for creatures to hide while restricting movement for those passing through. A large rock outcropping to the east rises nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and a small sinkhole to the northwest drops off sharply, descending to the ground 10 feet below
A few hours into the trek, the forest that was alive with sounds of nature suddenly becomes deathly quiet. After a few moments of eerie silence, the reason for said silence makes it's appearance in the form of two snarling wolves as they circle and flank the party.

Zac: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Insidion: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Dagnobar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Shaoshu: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Grimbli: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Janira: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Wolves: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Zac is up first!

Edit: Actually I'm too far away, so I will take a double move to get to a giant flee (F2) and still not reach one.you made these enemies near impossible to reach with a single move.

I didn't, Paizo did.
Janira calls out to the group “As Durvin Gest, exemplar of our Society, saw through the treachery of the fabled Lens of Galundari and chose to hurl the terrible lens down into the neverending Nemesis Well, so you, his noblest heirs, shall stand steadfast against deceit and error, surrendering nothing but your burdens, and falling nowhere but on our foes!” Bardic performance (oratory); Everyone gets a +1 to attack/damage rolls and saving throws.
Dagnobar is up!
P.S. Is everyone able to move their characters on the map? If not, just let me know and I'll make some changes to the map.

To be clear, are we just fighting the two wolves, or are there actually wolves, young hippogriffs, and swarms? I'm going to assume only wolves, and that the rest is just a remnant from some other encounter.

Moving through the forest, Insidion seems distracted. But when the combat begins, he comes to himself, and his falchion is quickly in his hands. He steps forward to protect his companions.

I know I'm not up for a bit, but to keep things moving forward...On my turn, if there is a wolf within range of a move (40')+attack, I'll do that. Otherwise, I will move forward 40' and ready an attack should the wolf come near me.

Falchion Attack- Power attack: 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 5 - 1 = 13 for damage: 2d4 + 8 ⇒ (3, 3) + 8 = 14 This does not include +1 to attack/dmg

To be clear, are we just fighting the two wolves, or are there actually wolves, young hippogriffs, and swarms? I'm going to assume only wolves, and that the rest is just a remnant from some other encounter.

No, The Confirmation allows me to roll to see what you fight for a few encounters. I rolled wolves for this one.

Great, thanks.

Can't move my icon.

Dagnobar will move 20' (S,S,SW,W) and drink a potion of mage armor.

Ok, the necassary changes have been made. Everyone should be able to move their characters.
The first wolf howls and charges at insidion and tries to bite him...
Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 + 2 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

...While the other wolf moves forward to meet Zac and attacks him.
Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Upon being bitten by the wolf, Insidion savagely returns the favor as he cleaves the wolf in two. The one attacking Zac is still up.
The rest of the party is up!

Sorry, wouldn't my readied action trigger before he could attack me? If not, I'm happy taking a bite for the team!

Insidion snarls viciously as he slices the wolf in two nearly-equal halves.

Sorry, wouldn't my readied action trigger before he could attack me? If not, I'm happy taking a bite for the team!

Insidion snarls viciously as he slices the wolf in two nearly-equal halves.

Normally, yes. However, the wolves go before you in initiative. You just posted early is all.

Without a word, Shaoshu darts towards Zac and the wolf, drawing a pair of daggers as he does so.

Double move.

Grimbli orders Fluffy to attack. As the tiger charges the wolf, he grabs at a small flask in his belt pouch and sends a small ball of acid flying at the beast.

Grimbli
Swift action: Order Fluffy to attack the wolf
Handle Animal (Link): 1d20 + 9 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 9 + 4 = 20

Move action: Retrieve acid flask
Standard action: Cast acid splash at wolf
Concentration (DC 11): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Attack (Acid Splash, Mounted): 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 = 12
Damage (Acid Splash): 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Fluffy runs at the wolf, sinking his teeth into the creature's neck when he arrives.

Fluffy
Full-round action: Charge wolf
Attack (Bite, Charge): 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 + 2 = 24
Damage (Bite): 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Critical Confirm (Bite, Charge): 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 + 2 = 22
Critical Damage (Bite): 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

The acid sears the wolf's flesh as the fluffy digs in to it's shoulder. Though greviously injured, it still stands.
Zac is up again!

Zac will attack the wolf that just attacked him attack: 4 + 1d20 ⇒ 4 + (6) = 10
damage: 3 + 1d12 ⇒ 3 + (4) = 7

Janira moves to stay with the group and continues her bardic performance.
Dagnobar!

Dagnobar makes a double move (40') and tries to yank the tail of the wolf to get it's attention off the others.

Shaoshu is after the lone wolf remaining, but I'll post his action ahead of Hawkeye just so we don't slow down. It will, of course, resolve after the wolf.

Assuming the wolf continues to attack Zac or generally stays in a spot that's a single move action away.

Shaoshu cautiously circles around behind the wolf, seeking to plunge his dagger into its side.

Dagger: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

After receiving terrible wounds and watching his ally die, the remaining wolf begins to think that this may not have been as easy of a meal as he originally thought. With a final whimper of defeat, the injured wolf turns tail and flees back to the forest.
Combat is over! Just giving you guys a heads-up but work is going to be really busy for me today, so I won't have time to post anything lengthy until later this afternoon. See you all then.

Insidion wraps a strip of cloth around the wolf's bite, bandaging himself as best he could.

"Let us hope there are not many more of those. We should keep going soon."

Zac searches the area carefully for items. taking 20 on perception for a 21 total

Insidion looks around the forest for more aggressive creatures. "We should keep going," he says.

As you make your way deeper into the woods, the dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead. “Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines,” Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. “This is where I saw the gillmen enter.” As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!” As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group. Wisely assessing that a minotaur is beyond her charges’ capabilities, Janira screams, “A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag,” she continues, pulling off her backpack, “and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!” She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.
So what do you guys do, run or fight?

Grimbli sees the halfling run off, luring the minotaur away, and turns to the cave opening. "Come on, you heard her. At the rate she's going, she'll easily outrun the thing and join us in a bit. I'm sure she'll be fine, really, and we'd really be better off following her last orders to us." He gulps, then says, "Well, not her last orders. I'm sure she'll give us more later. Really." His expression doesn't convey confidence in his own words, however.

Shaoshu stands, both daggers in his hands, ready to leap to the assistance of the tiny woman.

He looks at the entrance of the cave then back to the minotaur.

"Little boss in trouble. Are you sure?"

"She said go through the door! Everyone, do it now, lest her plan not work!" Insidion bellows

Dagnobar moves in through through the door.

Shaoshu takes a step, then hesitates.

He takes a few steps forward and picks up the little woman's backpack and slings it over his shoulder as he watches the minotaur and her engage.

He continues to linger at the cave entrance until they are both out of sight before turning to join the others.

Once inside the cave, he peers into the bag.

Inside the backpack, Shaoshu finds...

long loot list, hopefully you plan to share that, which is what PFs allows you to do anyways.
Zac follows.

Once inside the cave, Shaoshu pulls the backpack open and begins to hand items to the line of Pathfinders gathered around him.

Plucking out the wand of healing, he begins to point it at his various injured companions.

Cure Light (Zac): 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Cure Light (Insidion): 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

That brings the wand down to 6 charges. Feel free to grab items you can use. Front-liners should grab the potions.

Stopping at the edge of the pit, the Tien youth looks to the others for one of the stronger ones to volunteer to climb down and inspect the bundle.

Grimbli peers inside the backpack and grabs the other wand, as well a couple of the scrolls he's more familiar with. "Don't know when this sort of thing might be useful, after all..."

Grimbli will take the mage armor and identify scrolls, as well as the burning hands wand.