[PFS] PbP GameDay VII (session 2): School of Spirits by GM Lupulus (Inactive)

Game Master Lupulus

Nox has been around for quite some time. She's almost a century older than J. She's known many with wanderlust, and few that have ever slaked that thirst. She smiles almost sadly at her inquiry. She doubts the girl will listen, but she can't help but try. "Trust me, child. The search for excitement will lead you on endlessly. Learn to see the things around you and appreciate them as they are. There is endless wonder there if you'll take the time to notice it."
It's so sad how few of them realize how brief their flames flicker, she muses. And she wonders when she got to be so maudlin.

J. doesn't seem to notice the party's suspicions, and Sieglinde doesn't detect any kind of evil presence.

"The city is a bit overwhelming for me too, miss Sieglinde. The manor affords more space than out here in the busy market streets for sure."

She think a moment at what Nox has said before replying with some resolve "I've spent too much time in the Dacilane manor; it is a bit short on wonder I assure you. Even just a little exploration will be good I think."

I am from Varisia. I spent most of my younger days with the family. Most of them are fishermen, so I got to see the sea a lot." She coughs, "Don't go out there. Most recently I just came from Oppara where the society thought it would be a good idea to put me in a Library. We learned my talents suit other things." She has a slight frown upon her face.

Uncharacteristically, Dahrani pipes in on the conversation the women are having.

"Any life spent in shackles is a life deprived of opportunity. These shackles may take different shapes, but their intentions and purpose are consistent.

"Some exploration, regardless of the potential dangers, is better than remaining a slave for the sake of some ideal or 'cause',"

Eminesa smiles at Dahrani shyly. "An ideal or cause, if freely embraced, is not slavery, it is the beginning of freedom. Slavery could be defined as the inability to give oneself to the cause one believes in."

"What Eminesa says makes sense to me. From my experience, freedom of thought always comes second to physical freedom; my ideals and loyalty to my family didn't help me feel "free" while being held and tortured by Chelaxian dogs. My idea of Freedom is very similar to that which Andorens believe in, and it seems to me like our friend J knows her Andoran quite well."

J. nods as she thinks over what the party is discussing. Wow who knew I'd hear so many deep philosophical opinions.

She doesn't say anything in response however, and looks down hoping Balfour doesn't remember that she herself is of Chelish descent despite the way she dresses...

Speaking of the way J. dresses, as the party is literally musing about slavery and freedom, they pass a group of young nobles in Qadiran fashion who fix their glares on J. in her Eagle Knight attire. They start shouting insults.

"Well look here, a real 'freedom fighter!'"

"You have any idea how much you Eagle Knights have cost us?"

"Cowardly abolitionist!" That last one's pretty weak haha, but it's what the scenario calls for.

Nox
Eminesa
Dahrani
Nobles
J.
Balfour
Amarsia
Sieglinde

We have initiative and a tactical map up, but the nobles don't have weapons drawn and have made no move to do so. They aren't heavily armored and only have daggers and nonlethal saps on their persons anyway.

Nox, Eminesa, and Darani are up. But if it seems like your character wouldn't even take any action at this point since the nobles haven't done anything besides shout some insults, feel free to pass. If it sounds like I'm trying to discourage you from killing everything just because you rolled initiative, that's because I know the true nature of Pathfinders!

Nox snickers a little at the silly display of "bravado." "Ignore their impotent threats, dear," she says to J, her voice loud enough to be heard. "I may be new here, but I'm fairly certain the city guards wouldn't approve of a brawl. And, of course, we'd have to explain how all these fellows got hurt. That sounds boring."

no offensive actions

Eminesa seeths at the nonsense. "If your families didn't confuse being a blood-sucking leech with running a legitimate business, you would be fine."

no other actions

Dahrani steps over next to J and looks over the nobles.

"I don't believe this is a fight you wish to pick, gentlemen. Take your rabble elsewhere."

Dahrani keeps a free hand hovering over one of this sheathed swords.

The nobles mutter and shout back things like "We didn't pick any fight; those damned eagle knights did!" and "Oh yeah, you gonna make us, owl-boy?"

Trip: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
The pink noble shoves J. and pushes her to the ground.

The others laugh and keep hurling their insults.

When J. falls, she shrieks out "Grishan help!"

Then a nearby crate flies into the air toward the noble that shoved Junia.
attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
crit?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
The crate crashes into the pink noble, who spouts back surprised curses at the girl.

At the same time, a blue tinged outline of a boy appears over J. He shouts and savagely leaps at the nobles, but passes right through them without causing any apparent harm.

The attack does instill some fear in them however. "What kind of freak is she?!" they shout as they watch with dread as they continue to catch glimpses of the ghostly boy trying to attack them.

Nox
Eminesa
Dahrani
Nobles (pink -5 HP)
J. (prone)
Balfour
Amarsia
Sieglinde

Party is up. J. is on the ground, and the nobles still don't have weapons drawn and look pretty spooked by whatever just happened with J.

"So this is civility?" roars Silglinde. "This is the greatness of Qadira, of Absalom, to pick fights with strangers in the streets? Begone! This is no just vengeance you seek!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Siglinde then turns sharply and, ignoring the hooligans, helps J back to her feet. "Piss-soaked milk drinkers," she mutters under her breath.

Well, if that noble has a +13 to trip, I don't think we really want to tussle with them - or we're all going to end up flat on our backs at this level.

Dahrani grits his teeth and scowls at the men as he draws his blade.

"If you're looking to pick a fight, I suggest you find someone else to pick on! I won't warn you again!!!"

Move action to draw one of my swords.
Standard action: ready to attack with a non-lethal strike if the nobles go after me or J again.

That +13 to trip does scare me, but Dahrani can't let a bunch of pompous nobles push a young woman around like that.

"What's Grishan? How'd you do that thing with the crate just now? Eh, doesn't matter. You lot, get back to quietly complaining about everything that's good in this world in the comfort of your homes; a squabble isn't going to do good to any of us."

Delaying my action to when (if) the nobles attack J.

You guys sound like you are trying to say intimidating things to the spooked nobles; if you want them to matter you need to make that check like Sieglinde, who rolled very badly.

Say intimidating things and roll really badly? Will do, chief.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Already worried about the ghostly apparition running about howling at them, the nobles heed Balfour's command and flee.

The ghost vanishes as they leave.

J. takes Sieglinde's hand up and expresses her gratitude. "Thank you so much. I wasn't expecting something like that."

She looks down at her feet for a few minutes, then answers the dwarf's earlier question.

"I guess I should tell you, considering who you are and where we are going. I’ve been keeping him a secret for far too long in any case. Grishan, can you come out, please. These people would like to meet you, and we owe them an explanation."

The same ghostly boy you saw earlier steps out of J.’s body, revealing himself to be a green-tinted apparition that resembles an emaciated 14-year-old boy with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. He is wearing what looks like a school uniform consisting of a blouse covered by a vest. His legs end just below the knees, trailing off into nothingness and he floats above the ground at the same height he stood in life. His appearance in a calmer setting makes J. smile and puts her at ease, though she watches warily for how her new friends may react.

The boy speaks calmly, in a voice that sounds as if it is traveling from some distance away "Hello, I am Grishan. J. and I are friends, and have been for a long time. We were playing in the necropolis when the quake struck, and trapped us inside. Our friend Cassiel and I starved while we were trapped, but Junia was wearing a magic ring that we found, and it sustained her."

A tear wells up in J.'s eye as Grishan recalls his story.

"After I died, I couldn't leave Junia all alone, there was something evil that moved into the necropolis. So she sealed herself in a safe place, and I hid her soul from the bad thing. The ring kept her alive until she was rescued by Pathfinders years later. We have been together like this ever since."

J. speaks again after the phantom finishes "It is as he says. Sorry I didn't tell you about it..." She watches eagerly for how these new Pathfinders react, and Grishan is difficult to read as he stares somewhat blankly.

Updated slides with J's full portrait to include Grishan.

Nox smiles lightly at the young man's ghost, and at J, as well. "Well now, it seems there is already more to this than meets first glance." She gives a slight bow to the spirit. "You're a noble lad, Grishan. Your family should be quite proud." She rubs her hands together as if to warm them up a bit. "Now then, J. What is it you're hoping we can actually accomplish in the ruins? And is this evil that Grishan speaks of something that you can tell us anything about?"

"You are welcome," Siglinde responds. "But I thought all ghosts were evil. How is Grishan not?"

Dahrani blinks his eyes a few times at the apparition, with some confusion.

"I entirely admit that I don't understand what is going on, however this... spirit seems to have your personal safety in mind. That is something I can respect."

"That is indeed a noble cause. However, as you see people don't take too kindly to your presence. Maybe we should hurry along then talk when we arrive. I would hate to have another episode like that with the locals."

J. looks alarmed when Sieglinde expresses suspensions about Grishan's potential alignment. "No! He's never hurt anyone, he's only ever tried to help me, like with that crate! I don't think that's evil, is it? I mean, I don't know about how most ghosts are, but Grishan must be good!"

When Nox asks what J. really wanted to do in the ruins, Grishan speaks up again. "In truth, I'm the one who has been pressuring J. to return there. I know there is something there that she needs to fully experience in order to understand herself and her potential. And also -" Grishan pauses a moment, looks as if he is either trying to remember something or debating what to say. "Also, I have unfinished business there. My brother used to ask me to spy on my friends' families. I hid a collected packet of intelligence in a place called the Arboretum Arcanis but never got a chance to drop it off. I don't remember why, but it was really important. Some things about life I am not proud of, but I still need to do this. Please help us."

Eminesa stands silently for a moment, taking in Grishan and Junai's explanation. Then she nods and smiles. "I will do what I can to help you."

"I don't know much about spirits. But if you trust it and it has done you no harm, then I say embrace the magic."

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

"Of course, we'll help. That's kind of what we do," Nox says.

"I dunno, something there that she needs to fully experience sounds awfully vague and mighty dangerous," the barbarian grunts. "I trust you mean no harm, but perhaps this supernatural calling you feel to that place does not."

"If whatever is calling them is evil, then we strike it down," states Sieglinde confidently. "That is what Pathfinders do, yes?"

Dahrani smiles at Sieglinde's remarks.

"Haha, now THAT'S something that I can understand!"

Now realizing my character would do this for flavor

Upon the realization that Dahrani has now left the noble house, he begins to take off his stuffy, fancy overcoat.

"I can't believe I forgot I was in this damn thing!"

He manages to remove the coat and put it back into his bag. He then pulls out a thick, leather gauntlet. With a whistle from his fingers, Kaepora swoops down and lands on his arm, over the gauntlet.

J. is relieved at the party's agreement. Grishan is hard to read, either because he's a phantom or because he's forever an angsty teen.

"Oh thank you for understanding! You are right though, we should keep moving." J. cheerfully smiles as you prepare to get going again, but you can also tell she also feeling some nervous apprehension - a mixed bag of emotions.

Adressing Balfour and Sieglinde's concerns, Grishan explains "I'm not sure it's a calling, just a knowing... If there's any danger to J. that's what we are here for. I don't know what we'll find, I just know it will help her if she can see it. We should keep her safe, but she may have to go through some kind of ordeal there to understand herself fully."

At that, Grishan drifts backwards into J. again, seemingly disappearing from the material world entirely.

J. laughs as Dahrani makes himself more comfortable. "Yes, we're out of that stodgy old house. No need for formality, we're on a quest now."

You all have been travelling through the emrchant quarter, so if there were any further purchases you wanted to make, now is the time. I'll update again in a few hours with the next phase!

You finish your trip through the Coins, and arrive at the Arboretum Arcanis. Now in ruins following that earthquake, it was once a haven of exotic trees, bushes, and flowers from all over Golarion. A giant crystal dome overhead is now cracked, but used to provide cover to the many magical greenhouses inside, each temperature and humidity controlled by magic to meet the needs of each set of plants.

Vines have grown through the cracks in the dome, so thick that the interior of the dome is shrouded in perpetual dim light, even on bright, sunny days. The inside of this massive dome is shrouded by overhead in-dome clouds, which occasionally rain down a dark rain and flash silent, purple lightning.

Grishan emerges as you enter the Arboretum Arcanis and speaks. "Yes, I am sure this is where I left that package. It's in a red lion statue that was part of a fountain. It was definitely in here somewhere - but I don't remember where..."

The foyer of the Arboretum Arcanis is in shambles. Debris and dead or dying plant matter cover the mosaic-tiled floor. A gnarled black thorn tree still clings to life in a giant masonry planter. Two massive skylights in the ceiling afford a view of low-hanging, purple and black clouds above; the crystal dome is completely obscured. Piles of rubble obscure most of what once may have been doorways, but a door to the west is free from debris.

What first seems like a gnarly root detaches from the tree as you enter. It looks like a short, gnarled, gnome-like figure with a beard of green mold, an oversized, misshapen and bulbous head, and long, branched fingers. On his back he has numerous small sack-like growths about the size of a child’s fist. It makes a low bow, greeting you politely. "Welcome to the Arboretum. I am Majordomo Pip. We don't have many visitors nowadays. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Map is up on slide 4

kn. arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Before the creature can appear, Eminesa tells the others "The rain here can over a matter of days corrupt things to be evil. We should be hesitant to trust anyone we find here."

She greets Pip hesitantly "Hello, Majordomo Pip. What are you doing here?"

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Amarsia nods at Pip, then does a doubletake and looks closer at it. "Um hello there, I'm Amarsia. Pleasure to meet you." She then looks over to J.

Sieglinde studies the creature before them intently for a few seconds. Given the warning from Eminesa about the corrupting rains, she is hesitant to blindly trust anyone.

Sieglinde detects evil on the plant-creature-thing.

Dahrani raises an eyebrow at the "tree gnome", but lets his party handle things. He's not sure what to make of all of this.

Responding to Eminesa's question, Pip says "Well someone has to try to tend this place. It's no traditional garden anymore, but it still has some amazing specimens."

Sieglinde detects him as evil.

At her rude comment, he replies "Evil? How rude! Worse than that druid thing that moved in last week, and I thought that she was rude! I wanted to offer you a tour but if you can't be polite in my own home, maybe you had best just leave!"

Nox wasn't expecting to ruffle any feathers quite this soon. "Mr...? Pip, we do have permission to be here. We do not wish to be intrusive." Evil or not, it does seem to be his domain. "Perhaps we... wait, I'm sorry. What druid thing were you referring to?"

"Maybe we can go talk to this druid for you..."

Pip rubs his hands together eagerly at the possibility of some cooperation.

"The druid is another plant being, moved in last week or two. Set up her own garden right in the middle of my space! How rude! I'd be happy to take you to her and let you see whatever you want here, for just one small thing in exchange. I need some blood - just a little bit - for some research. If you all agree to give me a few drops, I'll give you the grand tour! How does that sound?"

"That sounds kind of creepy... But if you all think it's what we need to do to help Grishan I'll do it. How do Pathfinders usually handle something like this?"

"My magical studies have made me far too aware of the link between blood and souls to allow a creature of evil to keep even one drop of my blood."

Sieglinde is also having none of this bloodletting nonsense.

"What kind of research are you doing? I don't just help without a cause." Amarsia asks Pip.

Under no circumstance! Nox muses to herself. She puts her hand on J's shoulder, giving her a squeeze of warning. She whispers to the young woman, "You must never allow another creature to have a drop of your blood, J, nor your hair, or fingernails. When we have a chance, I'll explain to you all about contagious magic."

"It appears, Mr. Pip, that your price is too high. Either this druid is a nuisance, which we have offered to help you with, or she isn't, in which case we will simply find our own way."