[PFS/Shifty/GDVI]The Paths We Choose (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Ursahla takes the missive and unseals it. She reads it line by line trying to discern some meaning from it.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Linguistics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28

Red reads the note, looking over Ursahla's shoulder. "Gauril's a poet; I didn't even know it."
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24
Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
Linguistics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
"This message was left for us, but Karela encrypted it in verse. He must have thought we could suss out its meaning. Seems to describe a secret location and clues about how to get there, with Beldren's Bluff as a reference point, and an object or creature hidden therein."

"Can any of you make sense of it?"

Eramos looks over the note and draws a blank.

"I think so too. But does anyone know where Beldren's Bluff is?"

Ursahla and Red both know of Beldrens Bluff.

It is in the Precipice Quarter, which part collapsed into the water years ago, one of the low hills there is known as Beldren’s Bluff.

"Do the references in the note mean anything to you, Venture-Captain?"

Red shrugs and offers a suggestion. "Well, let's go to Beldran's Bluff. Walking the actual ground might help us make sense of Gauril Karela's message."

"We should keep our eyes peeled for any Sczarni minions of the Gael family. If they're looking for Karela, they'll be hoping someone will lead them to him."

"Obviously there's a lot of metaphor and code in there perhaps to mislead any Qadirans and still be well understood by an Absalom native, I am a stranger to this city, but I know of Beldrens Bluff, and from there one can see the Puddles District and Fort Tempest - the “storm of stone”?"

"Sounds logical, sounds logical!"Mavaro adds with a smile.

As Red rises to depart for Beldren's Bluff, he pauses. "Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam, what can you tell us about the two subordinates Gauril Karela took with him when he disappeared? Perhaps it's insignificant, but it might reveal a clue as to his intent or to his plans."

Temporal confusion. Is this occurring on the same day as the previous encounters, or have we awakened on a new day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?

Per above, you handed in the captive, rested up, then attended the next days events. You were on your way home from the celebration, so fully bushy-tailed, but as it was a feast you are probably loaded to the gills with the wide variety of exotic meals and deserts...

"He took with him a couple of talented toughs. I understand Guaril devised numerous contingencies that would help him survive an attack by the Gael family, then hit them where it hurts. I imagine he has lured them to a prepared battlefield somewhere in Absalom. I hope he took enough"

"Shall we head to Beldren's Bluff then?"
Red's ready to go, unless the party has other ideas.

Ursahla is ready to go as well.

You push on through the night to Beldrens Bluff, and can clearly see Fort Tempest in the Puddles. Finding nothing of note on Beldrens Bluff, you cut a straight line to Fort Tempest in the Puddles district, though when you look to the South you realise you are looking out into the harbour and the Flotsam Graveyard. To go South, you'd need a boat.

Red looks out into the harbor, wondering what the night holds.
"The 'black whales' in Karela's note might be the hulls of ships in the Flotsam Graveyard. Heading south we'd need to pass six of them, I think. Then, 'halfway to the light.' A reference to the sun maybe, east if rising, west if setting."

Red looks for a lighthouse or the moon overhead. "Of course, the light could be the moon or something like a lighthouse."

He looks around for a likely pilot or fisherman with a suitable skiff. "Anybody want to pick up a sailor willing to give us a ride?"

Well, as long as we're not having to go through the graveyard proper, we could always take mine.

"You, my lady, are the best-equipped companion ever!" Red exclaims.

Mavaro nods and a adds."I am impressed!"

Yeah its going to be doing a bit of Graveyard sailing... how big is your boat exactly?

It's the ship vanity from the Field Guide, so not really specified. I was imagining a pirate ship, so probably something like the pirate brig (20 crew, 150 tons cargo capacity).

But it likely has a smaller rowboat or ship's boat on board since larger ships can't get too close to shore on their own. We might be able to take one of those and Ursahla has a swim speed, so may not need to be in the boat herself.

I'll assume you can get a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longboat]loongboat from your ship, and a crew of 'non-combatant' rowers. I have the same vanity on my 'Pirate'

Urshala arranges to have a half dozen of her crew bring a longboat around to row you out into the darkness. It doesn't take too long rowing due south of Fort Tempest before you encounter the partially submerged remains of the Silver Wren, a ship whose painted figurehead remains above water and in fairly good shape.

Basically the only things above water are the figurehead, part of the deck, and the mast

Perception checks/actions :P

He cast his other buffs, defending bone and false life before they got in the boat. Temp HP: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Perception, Darkvision 60': 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
Red enjoys his first foray into Absalom's harbor, still puzzling over Gauril Karela's note as Ursahla's sailors ply their oars.
As the sailors maneuver the boat through the wrecks in the Flotsam Graveyard, he spies the Silver Wren.
Red releases his wand of mage armor from his spring-loaded wrist sheath and activates it. An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the tiefling. He stows the wand in his handy haversack.

Ursahla enhances her senses as they traverse the Graveyard. She scans the waters for other signs that match the note.

Use a charge from her wand of Heightened Awareness every 10 minutes. Will expend it for the +4 to initiative if we get into combat. She has favored terrain (water), so she would get an additional +2 to initiative on the water. (+10 total)

Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 26 Includes +2 bonus for favored terrain (water).

Red and Ushula manage to line up behind the figurehead and peer off into the distance, and even in the darkness, their well-honed eyes pick out a line of six dark ships in the distance, clearly you are drawing closer! You also make out a lighthouse on nearby Pilot Island.

"Ursahla and I have our bearings now. The 'black whales' in Karela's note are probably those six ships' hulls. We need to pass all six of them, I think, though there might be something interesting between the third and fourth. Then, 'halfway to the light' probably refers to the lighthouse. Anybody think there's another interpretation?"

Red's ready to give that a try, but he's open to others' perspectives.

Back into the longboat?

"I think halfway between the black whales and the lighthouse we need to look for the figure of a maiden being drowned, probably from a sunken vessel, and follow the direction of its gaze."

Approximately halfway between the lighthouse and The Black Whale is a capsized vessel whose figurehead is a woman with a flowing gown, her mouth open as if she were drowning. Following her gaze, you spot a great flat lumber barge, as Guaril’s hideout.

You begin rowing towards it, Ursahlas crew putting their backs into the oars and bringing you in from the stern one of them looks at Urshala with concern - "Someone has chummed up the water Cap'n!" and even in the moonlight, you can see the oily stain left from blood and fish guts thrown in the water.

The clash of sword on sword becomes audible as you get closer...

You have up to one round of preparation before arriving at the ship

Red casts message on the party.

No actions, just a reminder that my init bonus will be +10 for the next combat.

Noted!

Eramos makes sure his spiked gauntlet is secured, and adjust his grip on his sword.

Nothing to prep, unless someone has a buff for the party?

Mavaro quickly casts lead blades!

Grapples are hurled by Ursahlas crew, allowing you to quickly shimmy up the side of the ship in a classic boarding action - arriving on the deck you see Gauril exchanging blows with a pack of assassins on the deck!

R1
Ursahla
Liz
Red
Eramos.

How are the assassins equipped? Are any of them wielding reach weapons? Can we act now? If so:
Red is worried the assassins might flank Gauril and take him out. He hums a short lullaby and points a finger at the assassin in the orange pants.
Slumber hex vs orange. Will DC18 or fall asleep for 6 rounds.

They all have kukri's in both hands, and those weapons seem to be giving off light...! The men are dressed in dark studded-leather armour.

Yep, initiative is rolled, you are on the deck (per the map) and four of the party members are ready to act

Red simply waves his hand...
1d20 ⇒ 1+mod
And one of the assassins seems to pass out!

R1
Ursahla
Liz
Red - Acted/Hex.
Eramos.

Humans?

Humans?

You suspect as much under their 'hiding our identity' assassins garb, and one has fallen asleep

Eramos steps up to the simple assassin and takes a swipe at him with his greatsword.

power attack, furious focus, vital strike: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
damage: 4d6 + 11 ⇒ (6, 3, 1, 1) + 11 = 22

critical threat: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
extra damage: 2d6 + 11 ⇒ (6, 2) + 11 = 19

Urshala moves to cut off yellow and then tries to momentarily blind the assassin with a rake of his eyes!

Dirty Trick: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28

Blinded for Duration: 1d4 ⇒ 2 rounds plus 1 additional round for every 5 she beats his CMD by. The condition can be ended early as a standard action.

Eramos steps up to the simple assassin and takes a swipe at him with his greatsword.

Ouch, nice crit... kinda fatal at this level!

Eramos steps through and in a brilliant display of timing and grace manages to wield the hefty sword with the skill and dexterity of a surgeon - ending the life of one of the assassins!

Ursahla manages to blind an assassin with her piratical treachery!

Liz up

Ouch, nice crit... kinda fatal at this level!

You are running this at subtier 6-7, right? I'm pretty sure all of us are level 6 or 7.

Yeah, but 41 HP on a mook is 41 HP on a mook :) You might be 6-7, but they aren't

Mavaro gives his weapon the Bane human ability.Standard action

Awaiting Liz first :) If no post in 12hrs will bot and move

Liz readies an attack in case anyone advances on her more fragile fellows!

The blinded assassin clears his eyes and steps back.

Another assassin pops into view, flying off the deck of the ship... a terrible spray of freezing cold washes over the deck!

Cone of cold
Damage 9d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 5, 5, 1, 2, 1, 6, 6) = 36
DC20 Reflex for half.

Saves
O 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Y 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Guaril 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

O 36
Y 36
G
Guaril 18

Party up!

Reflex Save DC20: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23 18 - 5 cold resistance = 13 cold damage.
"Brrrrh!" Red shudders and moves up to Gauril Karela. He kisses the Venture-Captain's ring and says, "Cu respect, Nașul. Godfather."

Spying the airborne assassin with the cold heart, Red pulls a rotten egg wrapped in some wilted cabbage leaves from his spell component pouch, holds them in the palm of his left hand up to his chin, utters a rude incantation and exhales in the direction of the flying green assassin.

A cloud of nauseating fog spreads outward from the general area of the assassin in a 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high.

Stinking Cloud: DC18 Fortitude negates; Duration: 6 rounds; Living creatures in the cloud become nauseated. This condition lasts as long as the creature is in the cloud and for 1d4+1 rounds after it leaves. (Roll separately for each nauseated character.) Any creature that succeeds on its save but remains in the cloud must continue to save each round on your turn. This is a poison effect.

The flying assassin disappears into the cloud...
1d20 ⇒ 6
You can hear coughing and a sound of heaving.

Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Ursahla barely avoids the worst of the spray.

She stabs at the standing assassin first and then tries to dispatch the remaining one if yellow falls.

Rapier: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Confirm: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17
Extra Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Rapier: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Ursahla steps through and stabs one assassin before flicking her blade around to stab the prone one. Both give up the fight and begin bleeding out on the deck!

The prone one being easier to hit!

reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 Ouch that hurts

Eramos pulls a flask off of his hip and rips the cork out of the top, then chugs the contents.

Draw and drink potion of fly

Eramos is now able to fly!

Helikon and Liz up