PFS Refuge of Time

Game Master Vahanian 89

Please dot in here.

Present! (Dylara/StephNyan here.)

A Varisian man in his early fifties, wrinkles starting to cover his bald head. He has a large rune tattoed on his forehead, one that Thassilonian experts may recognize as the Wrath rune. Many other tattoos, either written in Varisian or Thassilonian, cover his body, including the Sihedron rune on his chest. The man is often seen with his chest bare, a red varisian scarf around his waist and breeches covering his legs. A veil of bone and silk covers his lower jaw and nose, embroidered with ancient symbols and Thassilonian runes. He's leaning on a masterfully carved ebony staff.

dotting in

Jory glides in. He unwraps a pungent sandwich with a lean beef marinated in Varisian spices and begins eating.

The infamous Varisian sandwich! I remember it from the very first game I GMed in PbP (Veteran's Vault), where Jory was present. Good times!

-Posted with Wayfinder

The sent of food ripe in the air, a small halfling rushes through the door. His eyes latch onto the sandwich, all 2ft 10in of his little body quivering with anticipation.

"Are you...uhh... Are you going to eat all of that?"

You see a buckler strapped to his arm, the word 'Swash' engraved into the front, and the smallest rapier you've ever seen at his hip.

Jory pulls out four more sandwiches of similar make wrapped in parchment.

"You can have one of these!!"

His jaw drops at the sight. Quickly collecting himself, he takes a sandwich and leaps into a chair.

"Thank you so much!"

The parchment almost flies off and he happily goes at the sandwich.

"My names Buck." *munch, munch, munch* "What about you?" *munch, munch munch* "Any idea where they'll be sending us?"

Buck chokes a little when he notices the aging man.
"Oh boy, if they called for somebody as magiciany looking as you, we must be in for a treat...

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The letter that arrives bears Venture-Captain Heidmarch’s seal, and seems to contain an enclosure. “Greetings, Pathfinders! I have new information for you about our agents’ discoveries regarding the cult of Lissala. When the Ten learned of the cult’s active existence, they sent a team to infiltrate a cell in the industrial town of Palin’s Cove. During that mission we learned that the cult intends to bring back the ancient Thassilonian Runelord Krune to rule Varisia. Pathfinder agents next encountered Lissalans here in the City of Strangers and discovered that the cultists aim to return the runelord by using refuge tokens that he created for his followers to reach his hidden location. Our Pathfinders also uncovered the location of an ancient Lissalan shrine, documented to hold a cache of these refuge tokens. The enclosed map shows the location where the shrine is said to be—the fastest way there is from Kaer Maga west into the Wyvern Mountains.
“Find the shrine and recover the refuge tokens so that we may use them to access Krune’s lair, thus preventing the Lissalans from raising their runelord. Don’t attempt to use the tokens yet—we also need to uncover the proper command words. And hurry, please! A group bearing the Sihedron—Lissala’s holy rune—was seen leaving the city two days ago. They must seek the shrine as well.
”Should you have additional questions about your mission, seek out a trusted informant in the Downmarket District, a textile merchant named Allira Vandane. She will aid you as much as she can. May Desna smile upon you, Pathfinders.”

A pink-ish elf woman with blond hair in a ponytail, feathers stuck in as accessories, and a traveler's outfit consisting of various yellow and brown pieces enters. Two serrated swords rest on the elf's hips, and she has a longbow and quiver on her back. Next to her walks a white leopard, which reaches the bottom of her hips.

"Morning," she greets the others. She gives Shandor a quick once-over, after which she no longer turns to look at him as she continues to talk to the others.

"I'm Shayla, pleased to meet you! This here's my companion, Suri." Shayla points at the snow leopard besides her.

If Jory offers her a sandwich, Shayla accepts it with a bright smile and thanks him.

Shayla quickly reads the letter and nods. "Alright, seems clear enough. I think."

The elderly tattooed man listens carefully to the briefing, yet you sense something burning inside him. A restlessness, an uneasy feeling that something has to be done. As soon as the Venture-Captain has finished explaining the mission, he flares to life, his Thassilonian tattoos gleaming with a reddish color in unison with his swelling anger. His face takes a green, orc-like hue too for a moment.

"Woe to the Lissalans! Should we cross their path, I will destroy them and grasp their secrets. The Society will have its way." Then lightening up a little, he continues. "I was part of the Pathfinders who investigated in Palin's Cove. These Lissalans are crafty, and should not be underestimated. Yet their sins will provoke their demise. Greed, lust, envy... or sloth."

Sitting down as the anger dies down, he looks like a weak old man again. "I'm ready to leave."

Buck is briefly taken aback at the old man's sudden outburst, briefly pausing before returning to devour the last few bites of his sandwich.

Well that was certainly unexpected! I wonder what other tricks he is hiding!

"Would anybody like to stop by the Downmarket District and speak with Allira? She may be able to provide us with valuable insight into the situation." If nobody else would like to go, I have no problems with leaving immediately.

Turning his attention to Shandor, "Wonderful! Would you be able to share with us any of your own knowledge of this cult? I'm afraid I've never heard of them before."

Jory nods:

"We get the information then leave. Let's go Downmarket and see what's up!!"

"Alright, let's go to the market!" Shayla says, and heads for the door.

You head off to the market. You are easily able to find your contact who greets you with a smile.

With a broad grin on his face, Buck greets the contact,

"Hello there! We are with the Pathfinder Society and were told you could help us out."

After appropriate pleasantries/background information is given, Buck will ask the following questions:

"What is the best form of travel from Kaer Maga through the Wyvern Mountains and to our location?
What dangers are associated with these areas?
Any advice for dealing with the Cult?
Are there any other words of wisdom that you would like to share with us before we continue forth with our mission?"

Once his questions have been addressed, Buck will step back through somebody's legs (while dodging their bony knees) and allow his fellow agents pursue their own inquires. While he waits for the conversation to finish, he sits on his step stool and polishes his buckler.

Shandor has a few questions of his own.

"Do you know what abilities the Lissalans have?"

"What do you know about these refuge tokens? How many should we expect to find?"

"“According to our sources, the shrine lies about 100 miles west of Kaer Maga in the Wyvern Mountains, through the Ash-Blown lands. So camels would be best to travel there, unless someone can fly you all there. The research indicates that several dozen are stored in the shrine. We don’t know how many are hidden elsewhere. But we don't really know for sure what they do. We don't know much about the cult so their abilities and numbers are a mystery.” She says.

"Very well, I'm ready to leave." groans the sorcerer with an impatient tone.

"Can we fly there? I am used to walking, but magic has its uses."

"I have no way to fly there," Shayla replies to Jory, meanwhile closing her legs together so Buck cannot steps through them.

What's that little one thinking?!

Before leaving give me a know history and local or diplomacy.

In addition to the ones in my spoiler, or would you like me to reroll?

This is a new check. and for information not to influence someone.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

I can't do better than Buck's check, and I haven't got those knowledges I'm afraid.

Anyone have history?

Buck Knows
The Wyvern Mountains are home to fearsome aerial
predators, such as wyverns and giants. Few expeditions
travel there, so any site could have gone undiscovered.
A fellow Acadamae graduate recognized his former
classmate Naroth Balam as the head Lissalan cultist leaving
Kaer Maga 2 days ago. Back in Korvosa, Naroth focused so
narrowly on conjuration magic that he completely forsook
evocation and illusion spells—he was incapable of even
using a wand or scroll of one of those schools.
The Lissalans abducted several travelers outside
the city, including a dwarven merchant from Janderhoff
and a Taldan noble.
The Lissalan cultists used enchantment spells to
enslave their prisoners and summoned phantom horses
before riding off at an incredible pace eastward.

Jory shrugs.

"Well, we can hump it. I will scout ahead, as I am good at that. Keep us armored up Shandor, I don't want to run out of magical protection."

Jory hands Shandor a wand with loop attached to a picture of a wizard's hat superimposed over a chain shirt.

The attached hide picture has fifty circles in five rows of ten underneath, and a hole has been punched in the first ten of them.

"Punch the holes as you use the wand so I know how much juice is left!! Don't be stingy, there is plenty for everyone. We have much more charges than we do sandwiches!!!"

"With aerial predators in our near future, I'm even more excited to have you around Jory! This talk of limited sandwiches though... do I want to know how many are left?"

Buck turns to the rest of the party,

"Culinary crises aside, do any of you have suggestions on how we should prepare for aerial assaults, a conjuration specialist, and enchantment spells? I have a longbow and the protection of Arqueros to aid me, but I also have some gold 1987gp that I'm willing to spend if it means we will be better prepared. Do we have any way of competing with ghost horses, or are we 'humping it' as Jory said?"

GM V, is it within the scope of the scenario to inquire about the people who were abducted? If it is and the party is ok with it, I'd like to see if we can gain any assistance from whoever wants them back

None of the people that were taken are from this area so its kind of outside this adventure. Would anyone like to buy things before you leave? I know buck brought it up so feel free to let me know what you want.

Shandor snarls, but agrees to the task asked for by Jory. "Very well, if I must. Tell me whenever you want me to use it on you and I'll do it."

No purchases here.

Buck will purchase 2 spring-loaded wrist sheaths for 5gp a piece and spend 2pp on a wand of protection from evil. Both of his wands are in his wrist sheaths.

Jory thinks back to an earlier mission.

"I ran into a manticore that attacked me before. Never a wyvern."

Jory gives Buck a quizzical look. "Buck, you seem to be all right. Your taste in sandwiches and professions indicate someone I would get along with."

Shayla points a thumb at the longbow on her back. "I'll just use my bow. I've got a spell that makes my shots hit harder, so I'll just use that versus big threats."

Whoops also need a know religion as you head out.

The trek is uneventful.
In the mountain valley, sparse trees sprout from cracks in the steep cliffs, bending in the direction of the constant, howling wind. Piles of scree litter the ground at the base of the cliffs. In a hollow with a muddied brook, a hole in the mountainside opens up. It was clearly excavated recently—piles of soil and rock flank the opening. A perfectly square tunnel the height of an ogre cuts through worked stone, leading to a chamber beyond. Light from within reveals muddy tracks in the dust that coats the floor of the tunnel.

Map to come.

Buck does not have Religion. Is anybody able to make the roll?

Woah, whatever carved THAT into solid stone must be one hell of a beast. I hope I'm not on the receiving end of its weapon!

As we catch sight of the hole,
"Alright everybody, how do we want to do this? I suppose it is me up front, Shandor in the back, Jory and Shayla in the middle?"

It'll be a little lonely up there, but I think I have enough fire power from behind me to make sure I don't get knocked around too bad! It'll be an honor to defend this group, Arqueros shield me.

Shandor isn't trained in Knowledge (religion) either.

As the Pathfinders prepare to enter the tunnel, the elderly Varisian makes some last-minute preparation, tracing a magical tattoo with his finger on Buck's skin. "There. Touch that tattoo and my magic will allow you to fly. I can't replace it until tomorrow, so make sure you use it well."

Using Create Spell Tattoo to inscribe a tattoo of fly (CL 10th) on Buck's skin. It works as a one-time scroll which you "cast" by touching it (standard action to cast, provokes like reading a scroll).

He also taps Jory with the wand the dwarf provided (mage armor), then he casts various spells on himself and his companions. Casting see invisibility, false life (from his Sihedron Medallion) Temp Hp: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12, shield, mirror image 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6, fly on me; bull's strength on Shayla.

His magical shennanigans out of the way, he nods at Buck. "Aye, I'll be at the back."

Note: Shandor has his Lesser Toppling Metamagic Rod in hand, the other hand free.

Shayla shrugs at Buck's suggestion. "Sure, I'm fine with that."

"Suri, you stay behind me," Shayla says to the snow leopard accompanying her.

Suri moves to stand in between Shayla and Shandor, growling softly at the latter.

When you go to approach you hear a voice call out, “Halt, tomb robbers! You shall not enter this sacred site. One more step and you will be destroyed.” You don't see the one who called out.

Not even with see invisibility? I cast it with my preparatory spells in my previous post.

Shandor gazes upon the entrance, his magically-enhanced eyes seeking the source of the warning.

"We are no tomb robbers, but we are hunting Lissalans. Stand aside or be destroyed."
Intimidate: 1d20 + 12 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 5 = 25

Note: I altered the marching order. Shandor will remain at the back, flying at 5 feet above ground.

Jory tries to stay unobserved at the very front.

stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

He looks to identify the source of the voice.

perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18 +4 vs. Humans; +2 vs. Evil outsiders

Shayla takes a look around around before asking Suri, "You smell something, girl?"

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 +4 vs. Humans; +2 vs. Evil outsiders

Is there a smell Suri would react to, because she has the scent ability?

Buck looks around for the source of the voice...

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Shandor's methods may be rough, but I'm sure they are efficient!

He turns his head slightly to speak to Shandor, "Why don't you try detecting for magic?" To

To the group, "Can anybody verify if this is, in fact, a sacred site?"

EDIT: Buck will also attempt to search for any traps that may result in their destruction Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Whoops yep Shandor with your see invisibility you can see something. Knowledge Planes. No one else can seem to find the source of the voice.

"Your idle threats mean nothing to me mortal. You are the ones that need to leave or you shall perish." He replies.

Shandor has no idea what kind of creature this is, so he'll cast Glitterdust, showering the extraplanar with golden particles.

No SR, no save against the effect that'll make it appear. Will DC 20 save to negate the blibding effect.

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As soon as you start casting a spell its initiative.

Round 1
Shyla
BG
Buck
Jory
Shandor [Casting Glitterdust]
Suri

Shayla moves into the general direction Shandor seems to be casting his spell at, meanwhile drawing both of her swords, and goes total defense.

+6 dodge bonus from total defense, because I have at least 3 ranks in acrobatics.

Sorry about not posting. Between being sick and life happening the last couple days have ben hectic.

The being casts a spell then flys over and tries to touch Shandor.
Feel free to spellcraft.

Touch: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26 Need a will save. DC 19

You can all now see it and make know planes checks.

Round 1
Shyla
BG
Buck
Jory
Shandor [Casting Glitterdust. Need will save.]
Suri