PFS 1 Adventures (Inactive)

Game Master R D

”My aid is correct, I’m afraid, madam,” says Mareq diplomatically. “And I fear your master may be in the thick of the problems here. Information here, at his mansion, may be CRITICAL in saving Taldor!”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38

"This sounds serious. I'll bring you to the Earl's office, where his safe is. But, I insist on being present during your investigation! The Earl is a loyal Taldan; I must be there to represent his interests."

Again: She's a good, loyal employee. She's also super smart. She's essentially making sure that you're not going to do something bad--like steal, plant evidence, etc. You'll have to kill her or incapacitate her to prevent her from accompanying you.
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Earl Calhadion Vernisant's Office:

Bookshelves line the wall of this square chamber. A fireplace along the far western wall looks well used but presently lies cold. A circular table replete with documents rests in front of it, while two couches face each other near the center of the room. A portrait of a particularly pompous noble wearing a gaudy lion helm hangs along the eastern wall, flanked by two statues of glorious Taldan knights.
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The chamberlain, Ionnia Eckhart, says: "The portrait conceals a safe where Calhadion maintains his most precious documents."

She pulls back the portrait to reveal the safe and adds: "I'm afraid I don't have the combination."

She's honest and forthright. This is the truth. She can't open the safe.

"Anyone have lock picks?"

No picks/tools? Anyone have alternate suggestions? Willing to entertain creative solutions. :)

Hmmm. Perhaps an ally has telekinesis that could open this... thinks Mareq.

Will review list of potential summonable allies and their abilities once I get back to WiFi.

”One of my heavenly allies can turn to mist and enter the safe, examining the materials inside.”

Mareq can summon a Silvanshee Agathion. It is a tiny cat that can assume gaseous form.

The agathion notices a bunch of papers there in the safe. In gaseous form, it cannot really manipulate the papers. However, it also notices that there’s a trap in here designed to incinerate these papers if the safe isn’t opened in an appropriate way.

I got nothin'.

"Gosh! How will we get the papers out of there?"

The silvanshee returns to normal cat form within the safe, picks up the papers, then returns to gaseous form and exits the safe. This assumes the safe is large enough for a size Tiny cat.

Please make a dex check (or disable device) to not-set-off the trap when the papers are disturbed.

Please make a dex check (or disable device) to not-set-off the trap when the papers are disturbed.

The Silvanshee can cast prestidigitation to “slowly lift 1 pound of material.” Can that aid or obviate the Dex check?

Alternatively, if the Silvanshee can touch the papers and then return to gaseous form with them, before lifting them or otherwise setting off the fire trap, perhaps it can survive and still. Make it out alive with the papers.

OR it can gas form in then dimension door out before the trap goes off. I think this is likely the best option to avoid the trap, since the d door is instantaneous.

If it ends up being a save VS the trap fire, do we have anybody who can cast energy resistance (fire)? I’ll hit it with Cats Grace (how appropriate!). And any charisma bump will also help it. It also has DR 5 evil or silver and SR13. Extra HP, as always, would help.

NOTE: Here I am, sitting in a hotel room in the Tropicana in Laughlin NV, not gambling or eating or drinking. Instead, I’m writing a post about how to buff a cat. #rpgguy

Proving to the world you know how to make good choices.

Good choices? LOL. It is currently 99F at this soccer tournament. Ugh.

ROFL! Life Choices! (tm) :-)
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Looking at the Agathion's stats, I don't think it has either the context or the requisite skills to know any better. It has neither Detect Magic nor Spellcraft. It might not have even known about the trap; It's a DC 28 to even notice, and nobody bothered to check. I just wanted to give it to you outright. Further buffing the summoned creature seems beyond the pale. I mean: The DC to bypass the safe/trap in your sub-tier is 35, and you sent in a CR 2 summons.

I'll definitely add some circumstance bonuses for creativity. But, I think this one is up to the dice. I see that the agathion's reflex is better than a straight DEX check--let's use that instead.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 2, 6, 5, 2) = 21

From outside the safe, the party can hear a muffled BOOM! and see the edges of the telltale flare of an explosion. There's a cry of pain as the agathion is badly iunjured. Slowly, wisps of mist trail out from the now-crooked edges of the safe. The agathion crumples to the floor and then fades back to its home plane.

On the floor are a badly burned set of papers.

If somebody has Mending or Make Whole or even Linguistics...

"Oh no!" cries Mareq as the silvanshee expires.

Just BTW, the silvanshee has DR5 and when summoned by Mareq has 17 HP. So it may have survived that, just barely. I only say it in case it could tell us anything before returning to the heavenly planes...

"Let me see these papers that our heavenly ally has brought to us at such dear cost..."

Linguistics +7 (+9 re: Azlanti): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

"Mareq of you don't mind I'll check them out too."

linguistics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Harrow can do nothing more than cast create water to put out one corner of a still-smoking document, then casts guidance on Kelson to help him decipher the document.

"Harrow good with language, but let other guys do this time," he lies.

Even if the agathion was perfectly hale and hearty, it simply hasn't the skills or context to know.

Mareq gingerly grasps the pages. Knowing fire very well, he's able to handle the pages without damaging them further.

Kelson, having a knack for language, examines the pages cautiously.

Though the party is unable to glean every single word, the documents from the safe clearly show that Calhadion arranged the services of dozens of foreign groups to assist with Stavian's planned massacre of the senate and the grand prince's own daughter, Princess Eutropia.

Several organizations and individuals are listed and complicit with the scheme: the Brotherhood of Silence, some local Qadiran insurgents, an overly zealous band of Andoren freedom fighters, and even one noble family from Cheliax.

The last entry includes a troubling footnote that Cheliax's Deckland family specifically requested the honor of eliminating Lady Gloriana Morilla and any allied Pathfinders present at the Grand Day of Exaltation.

Given the great number of adversaries, you will need allies.

Harrow turns to the chamberlain.

"Where your master be right now? Sound like he not doing good stuff."

"I thought him to attend to matters of state at the Exaltation Gala. But this..." she gestures at the papers. "I cant, I won't be a party to this!"

She offers: "I shall remain here and report everything to the authorities. But, I'm afraid that by the time they get here and the facts are sorted out, this massacre will have already occurred. If only there was a way to get in touch with the Lion Blades. Surely, they would know what to do, and they have the resources to put a stop to this sort of thing!"

Ionnia sighs with exasperation. She's frustrated at having been so loyal and faithful to such a bad person.

"That's a lot of bad guys," Mareq says. "We will definitely need more allies. Will the Lion Blades be enough?"

"We have a contact at the Blades. So that won't be a problem. But perhaps we ought to contact Lady Morilla, as well. I can make contact with Major Madris of the Liberty's Edge faction. I have some small pull there. Perhaps he can rein in the overzealous Andoren freedom fighters."

"Liberty's Edge is a good idea"

Lady Gloriana is already at (or near) the Grand Day of Exaltation. She has been see a lot with Princess Eutropia lately. Colson Madris is not really welcome in public at the moment.

(If you've played "A Case of Missing Persons", you know what's up with Colson. If you've played "Birthright Betrayed" you know why Calhadion hates Lady Gloriana.)

The massacre could start soon. You probably don't have a lot of time to gather allies.

"Harrow say find people we can find fast, but Harrow think also need to be there to stop people killing people. Harrow not use inside voice when we get there," he says.

"The Lion blades are close?

"The Lion blades are close?

"They seem our best bet. Let us tell them about it."

"The Lion blades are close?

Conveniently / coincidentally, the Lion Blades are long your route to the Grand Day of Exaltation celebration. ;-P

The party heads back to the Kitharodian Academy. When you arrive, you are quickly ushered in to see the same woman as before. There is an obvious sense of urgency and seriousness in the guards who escort you.

You quickly present the evidence you gathered from Calhadion's villa. The woman, to whom the guards offer great deference and respect, is clearly convinced that Stavian has jeopardized the independence and stability of Taldor by making such reckless overtures to foreign powers. She gives efficient and succinct orders, and mobilizes as many Lion Blades as she can to make haste to the senate building.

Recognizing the potential risk of some subterfuge occurring, she presents everyone in the party (including Zaxxle) with temporary senatorial aide badges, granting you admittance to the senate building.

After offering you sincere thanks, she makes a request of the party: "If there are this many "third parties" involved, I'll need to pull more Lion Blades from other assignments. In the meantime, would you make your way to the building and keep an eye on events? I won't be long, but you'll get there faster."

"But, who should we trust?" asks Berosius, eager to see a great Taldan gala. "If the Emperor himself has gone bad, how do we know who to help or oppose?"

"Perhaps we should see if the princess can be saved?"

"Perhaps we should see if the princess can be saved?"

"Yes, at the very least we should protect the Princess. We know there is some problem with the Emperor, but we ought to preserve the line of succession while things are worked out by internal authorities in Taldor."

"Yes, at the very least we should protect the Princess. We know there is some problem with the Emperor, but we ought to preserve the line of succession while things are worked out by internal authorities in Taldor."

Princess Eutropia is _NOT_ in the line of succession because she's female. This is part of the split within the Taldan nobility--some want to allow her to succeed Prince Stavian; some do not.

Harrow speaks up.

"Harrow say stop people getting killed. So if anyone try to kill somebody, Harrow stop them."

He frowns. "Even if Harrow have to kill them..." he trails off.

Berosius pats Harrow on the arm. "We'll figure it out, buddy. At least for once it's not the cult of the Seven-Headed Phlegm god or some dank hold in the bowels of Golarion. It's a party, and a Taldan party at that. Fancy dress, hors d'oeuvres, snooty waiters and wine. That sounds like a nice change of pace to me!"

"Come on. Maybe we can find a carriage to take us there!" The little halfling sounds hopeful.

"Come on. Maybe we can find a carriage to take us there!" The little halfling sounds hopeful.

Since Cryp beat up the attendants in the yard at Calhadion's place, the other horses have been following him around with dreamy eyes. You have really nice horses to get you there.

The Taldan senate, sometimes referred to as the senate building or simply the senate, is the seat of the senatorial branch of the Taldan government. The structure has existed in one form or another for millennia, though natural disasters, sabotage, and war have partially leveled it several times during the empire’s grand history, leading to many large-scale repairs, renovations, and revisions. The current senate building is a grandiose, T-shaped edifice constructed from white marble. Ostentatious columns carved with glorious scenes of the nation’s history surround the building on all sides, while a pronounced flight of precisely 100 stairs ascends to the main entrance.
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By the time you arrive, according to the schedule, the majority of the attendees have gathered on the senate floor where Grand Prince Stavian III is set to perform the exaltation ceremony.

Sorry everybody. It's written this way, always when you arrive.

Just as the you arrive, the grand prince begins his purge of the senate. While you cannot stop these events from beginning, their actions can greatly curb the damage and prevent it from becoming the full-on massacre Stavian desires. (And, there's a huge tie-in to the War for the Crown Adventure Path.)
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ALL of the outer doors are closed and "locked" somehow.

You have to figure out how to get into the building.

You can hear shrieks of terror and pain from inside.

"Harrow can you smash the doors?"

"Husarq!" cries Mareq to his recently summoned thrall. "Assist Harrow! Get those doors open!"

Berosius draws a knife across his palm, letting blood literally flow in the streets. "Lady Everbloom!" he exclaims. "Send us aid in the hour of our need! Counterrevolutionary forces threaten the innocent!"

He begins to cast summon monster iv.

Kelson casts haste to aid his friends.

Strength Check: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Strength Check: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Between the two of them, Harrow and Husarq break open the doors. Everyone moves with alacrity as Kelson reacts to the apparent urgency of the situation. Berosius summons a divine-templated agent from Milani.

You can now see "The Arcade of Triumphs". Unfortunately, just as you open the barricaded doors, you see a group of 4 guards stationed there with their weapons leveled at you.

"By order of Calhadion Vernisant, you will leave or die!"

Without waiting for your response, they rush forward and attack.

These are CR1 guards. :-) We can fight them for the LOLs, or we can hand wave. Will defer to the party. If we engage in combat, I'll post a map. We can even do this pie-in-the-sky style if we're hand-waving combat. What does that mean? It means: Describe the most awesome or hilarious or cool thing that you love to do (or never get to do!) and that's how you defeat an enemy. There's 4 of them and 4 of you...

Pie in the sky it is!

Berosius, little guy that he is, has no intention of mixing it up with these guards. Instead, he whispers to his spirits and points at one of them. Unseen to everyone else, the spirits surround the guard, pulling at his tabard, his boots, his helmet, his nose. While he is distracted, other spirits loosen his belt and cause him to trip over his own pants and drop his weapon. Berosius smiles at him, says "Boo!" and just for an instant the guard can see all of Berosius's spirits coming for him. He faints dead away and will awaken when all the trouble is over.

Pie in the sky it is!

Berosius, little guy that he is, has no intention of mixing it up with these guards. Instead, he whispers to his spirits and points at one of them. Unseen to everyone else, the spirits surround the guard, pulling at his tabard, his boots, his helmet, his nose. While he is distracted, other spirits loosen his belt and cause him to trip over his own pants and drop his weapon. Berosius smiles at him, says "Boo!" and just for an instant the guard can see all of Berosius's spirits coming for him. He faints dead away and will awaken when all the trouble is over.

ROFL! Love it! :)

Harrow rarely gets to ride his horse, Cryp, and certainly never indoors.

Except today.

Harrow, armored and astride the black, majestically ugly horse, digs his spurs into the steed as the guards issue their challenge.

In response, the horse tries to bite at him and buck him off, and a snarling fight ensues between the two of them. Harrow almost loses control as the stamping, bucking, whinnying stud vies for authority with the half-orc.

One of the guards nears and, having no idea what he is getting into, ends up with the horse's rear end, Harrow's elbow, three of four hooves, and finally the half-orc's nodachi striking him in turn. Though the dueling horse and half-orc aimed all their blows at the other, the guard ends up taking the brunt of the feud.

Harrow rarely gets to ride his horse, Cryp, and certainly never indoors.

Except today.

Harrow, armored and astride the black, majestically ugly horse, digs his spurs into the steed as the guards issue their challenge.

In response, the horse tries to bite at him and buck him off, and a snarling fight ensues between the two of them. Harrow almost loses control as the stamping, bucking, whinnying stud vies for authority with the half-orc.

One of the guards nears and, having no idea what he is getting into, ends up with the horse's rear end, Harrow's elbow, three of four hooves, and finally the half-orc's nodachi striking him in turn. Though the dueling horse and half-orc aimed all their blows at the other, the guard ends up taking the brunt of the feud.

Hahahaha! :) Defeat literally started with a horse's butt!

LOL

Mareq watches the insanity unfold, unsure if his help is really needed.

"Go Harrow!