PFS Scenario #8-02: Ward Asunder (Inactive)

Game Master R D

Uthred nimbly scrabbles up and over the rocks, and he makes it look easy! However, as he surmounts the hazard, he notices that walking on the rocks carries a great risk of dislodging some of them.

If a PC fails the Acrobatics check by 5 or more he falls prone on the jagged rocks (taking damage) and causes the DC of any further Acrobatics checks to increase.

Does Uthred's rope help us at all on that? Is that even possible?

Does Uthred's rope help us at all on that? Is that even possible?

Yep. It helps.

Uthred secures the rope and tosses it back down....he waits for everyone to climb up and then unties the rope when it is Harrow's turn...jk

Lilli tries to climb up the rope.

Climb : 1d20 ⇒ 13

Harrow removes his armor, then climbs up with the others. Once safely to the other side, he puts it back on.

Did Uthred look like he going to untie rope when Harrow climbing? Or Harrow just seeing things?

climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Hmmm, thinks Mareq. He pulls forth a scroll and reads arcane words in Ignan until he feels the gracefulness of a cat suffuse him.

Cat's Grace

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 2 = 13

Lilli starts to climb. But, about halfway up, a loose rock shifts underfoot. Thankfully, because of the rope, she is able to hang on and scramble to the other side of the hazard.

Harrow makes the task look easy. Perhaps he was spurred on by Uthred's sly smile.

Mareq, too, finds footing difficult. He wonders what ills might have occured, had it not been for the rope.

I believe that leaves Husarq, Avril, and Cryxial to get to the other side of the hazard.

Husarq climbs, using the rope to help himself over the rocks.

Climb: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Husarq, like Harrow, makes the task look easy!

Avril and Cryxial have yet to cross.

"Come on, guys. You can make it. Harrow thinks so."

"Here we can pull you if you tie the rope to your waist!"

"I think Cryxial might have trouble with the rope." Avril says. She proceeds to unsummon him, before removing her own shiny mithral breastplate. That done she mutters a quick cantrip of guidance before starting to climb the rope. "Can't be too careful and we got a couple minutes for this. It isn't much in the long run."

Take 10 on climb for 15

Once up she summons Cryxial back again and climbs astride.

The party makes it across the fallen rocks without too much of a fuss.
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After traveling further along the winding path, you notice a shallow cave in the mountainside bears a carving that depicts an erupting, snow-capped volcano. Two timeworn stone statues flank the entrance to the cave. Near the cave, there is a stone fire ring with a long, semicircular stone bench around it.

Lilli (and only Lilli) notices that, from a bit further back, it looked like there might have been three statues. But, there are clearly only two there, now.

Tanbaru: "I vaguely remember the shrine and that the statues look oddly familiar..."

Tanbaru will response to all on queries with an agitated: "I don’t remember!"
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If you approach, I'll provide more details about the two statues. It is not possible to notice anything further from this distance. The distance is unspecified, but you are far enough away that you're just now seeing this sight ahead on the path.

religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Harrow begins to be distracted by Tanbaru's agitated responses.

Sensing an opportunity for some fun, the half-orc begins to pepper the mask with questions.

"You like apple pie?" he asks.

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"What about cherry?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"Chocolate?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"Pumpkin?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

This goes on for quite some time as Harrow goes through all the kinds of pie he can think of, though he seems to have little to add to the analysis of the statues.

Sensing an opportunity for some fun, the half-orc begins to pepper the mask with questions.

"You like apple pie?" he asks.

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"What about cherry?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"Chocolate?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

"Pumpkin?"

"I don't remember!" Tanbaru responds agitatedly.

ROFL!!! :D

Tanbaru: "Wait. I think I rather enjoy sweet potato pie. Got any?"

know religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

survival: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

Lilli points to the fire ring. "looks like no one's been here in a while"

Uthred just shakes his head at Harrow's play-time with the statue.

Presumably, the party approaches? Or do you want to do something about the fact that Lilli saw three statues, but there are only two? Remember, the signs admonished you to stay on the path.

Tanbaru: "Wait. I think I rather enjoy sweet potato pie. Got any?"

"No...it's...all gone," Harrow lies.

Looking over at the statues Lili points to, Harrow says "Why would statue go somewhere? Maybe statues guard path? Maybe not really statues?"

The half-orc looks at them as carefully as he can.

perception take 20: 20 + 13 = 33

"Should we get back on the trail?" Uthred asks the others mindful of magik that can seize a mans mind, which he fears.

I think we ought to explore the cave. It is an opportunity to offer our respect to the God of the Mountain."

So we have to get off the trail to check out the statues and cave?

Harrow shrugs. "Harrow think we not always have to stay on trail. We Pathfinders...supposed to find paths. Maybe to see statues, we get off trail."

I'm good with checking out the statues.

"Maybe the statues ARE on the trail?"

The trail leads towards the statues and cave.

One of the statues depicts a female monk holding an old, pitted bronze gong in her hands. A small bronze mallet hangs on a chain from the statue.

The second statue depicts a monk with a bowl in his hands.

"I fought against a possessed statue once. Maybe these are similar. Just like Tanbaru is a possessed mask, other items can be too. Perhaps the third statue is setting up an ambush or reporting that it saw us to whatever it's master is. Either way, we should be on our guard. Let me check if these ones are magical." She casts detect magic as they get closer.

"Well then..." Uthred chimes in drawing his sabers..."Lets get to it." he says and looks at the statues for a second and adds "I got nuthin"

Local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Harrow hefts his polearm in front of him and moves forward to investigate.

"Harrow not worried," he says.

knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, nature, planes, religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

No "magic" per se. That is, nothing from the standard schools of magic. Though Detect Magic doesn't give you a positive response, you can tell that there is something sacred about these statues.

know planes: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

"Let's check it out. Like I said. An opportunity to make an offering to the god of the mountain."

Mathew puts a few coins in the offering bowl.

Mareq gets the strong sense that, while his offering of money is appreciated, the "spirits" were hoping for an offering of something edible.

Avril tries to give an offering of a trail ration. "Maybe it would have been a good idea to save some of the pie. Though that would probably have been ruined by now..."

know religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

"I'm not sure what they are. Anyone else? Maybe they like pie?"

the additional rolls were aiding rolls... right?

Harrow frowns and looks in his pack. "Harrow think he have one piece of pie left," he says as he places the last slice as an offering.

He tries to conceal the fact that it is a piece of sweet potato pie from their floating mask companion.

"Thanks Harrow. I know you like your pie!"

1d20 ⇒ 7 Tanbaru is oblivious. :-)

The party feels like "the spirits" are pleased.

Anything else you guys want to do here?

Not able to think of anything else to do, Harrow shrugs and looks longingly at the last piece of pie.

"Harrow say go on," he says mournfully.

"Agreed, let us leave this place. It gives me the creeps."

"I thought it was interesting it's always good to see new places. Lilli pats her dog on the head "Come on girl let's follow Harrow"

After a few hours' hike, the party can clearly see the temple looming above them, but getting up there is difficult because there's a massive and perfectly round hole in the mountainside. The bottom of this "crater" is 60 feet below. Tanbaru begins to shake with disgust. It's an uncomfortable sensation for Mareq who is wearing him as a mask. Tanbaru exclaims: “It was here! This is the place where my ward, my path, was sundered.”

arcana: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Yhese narrow steps are the result of both centuries of natural erosion and the use of rock-cutting tools.

And some of the tool marks have been made in the last year. Somebody has been here.

Climbing the slippery, nearly vertical cliff face is difficult, but traversing the narrow ledge carved into the cliff face is much easier.

(Hand-waving the climb.)
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There are two 10-foot gaps and one 5-foot gap in the ledge. Assuming a running start (2 squares with no other creatures in the way), a PC must succeed at an Acrobatics check to get across. There are also many handholds and footholds carved into the wall, and climbing horizontally requires a successful Climb check.

(Hand-waving the gaps. You guys are smart enough to take 10 and/or aid another!)
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I need to know your marching order, however. For the most part, you must go single file, lest you risk knocking each other off the ledge.
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NEW MAP: THE BROKEN TEMPLE

Husarq is within 10ft of Mareq. So... maybe he's second in the lineup and Mareq is fourth.

P.s. My ranks in knowledge engineering paid off! Woot!

I have Uthred beat on AC, but he has me beat on HP. I can go first or second (whichever Uthred doesn't want).

knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"You remember what make this hole?" Harrow asks, not expecting a positive answer.

The half-orc looks around uneasily. "Guess nothing to do but go," he says and begins moving forward.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24

Going to cast shield of faith and invisibility. I think maybe I will go first after all.

Uthred follows Harrow and keeps his sabers out and his head on a swivel...

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

OK. Map updated. The yellow curved line indicates the path that the party took to acrobatics and/or climb towards the temple.

Harrow, when did you want to cast shield of faith and invisibility? At the start of your acrobatics/climb? Or at the end of it?

Lilli goes slow and leads her dog. She looks around for trouble. Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Mareq imagines this is where trouble will begin. He looks around.

"Do YOU see anything Tanboru?"

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21