Qwerty's PFS Gallows of Madness- What Lurks in the Woods (closed recruitment) (Inactive)

Game Master nightdeath

Deldri and Wolfgang see the source of the buzzing, some large flying insect of sorts. The two also hear the scraping of feet along the floor as if someone is trying to hide but bumped into something off to the groups left.

Wolfgang takes aim at the insect and shoots:"Hello? Anyone's there? We heard you were in dire need of some LOVE!" he says as he shoots to kill.

Attack roll: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 -> Damage roll: 1d10 ⇒ 2

Deldri looks at the insect.

know planes: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

"It's another fiendish creature!"

Speaker looks to where Deldri is pointing, with their Scimitar drawn and squints, looking at the large mutated creature. "Hmm, I do hope it stays away." They muse at Deldri's point before turning to Wolfgang. "Is someone there? I can hear very little over this incessant buzzing. We should save those people!"

"All these giant insects! You know what we need? An even gianter frog, that would take care of this problem real quick. Just hop on in here and slurp them all up." he cautiously heads into the room and prepares for battle

Combat 1st Round
Wolfgang, Manaria, Speaker,
Insect (-2)
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko

Wolfgang moves forward and begins the combat by sending a bolt at the large insect striking it and making it mad with fury... i moved you forward 30 ft so you could see and hit the target

Manaria and Speaker also seem to be quick on their heels as they react faster than the other three...

Manaria moves in and readies an action to swing away if it comes adjacent.

Sorry, lots of Goblin related issues, can't move myself right now, 30' straight line

The Speaker darts across the dark warehouse to stand behind Wolfgang and beside her duellist ally. With Scimitar drawn, the holy warrior of Sarenrae slaps their hand on the blade to bring forth the magical flames as they prepare to strike.

ready: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21 for damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

The insect flies straight to the huddled group to its front and tries to attack the bright one after being hit by both Manaria and Speaker...

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9...DMG: 1d4 ⇒ 4

but it misses its attempt to bite and latch on the bard...

out from behind one of the crate stacks a man pops out and shoots at Sammakko with the crossbow...bordered in Teal

Crossbow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12...DMG: 1d8 ⇒ 8

LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU WONT STOP ME!" he shouts out after his bolt misses

Combat 1st Round
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko
Combat 2nd Round
Wolfgang, Manaria, Speaker,
Insect (-13), Gellion
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko

I see a bunch of characters on the map, which is the one that attacked with the crossbow?

Wolfgang steps away from the giant flying bug, recharges his crossbow and shoots the creature!

Attack roll: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 = 27 -> Attack roll: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Edit:

Critical confirmation check: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 1 = 22 -> Attack roll: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Deldri will stow his hammer and get out his crossbow.

"Dammed bug..watch out everyone!"

Samm, the one bordered in Teal

Hearing the tortured voice cry out and the hum of a bow string, the Speaker turns to see their allies' fate and is relieved to see them so far unscathed.

Wolfgang moves and sends a bolt thrown the bugs body nailing the creature to the roof of the warehouse dead...

The others begin focusing their attacks on the man who looks too deranged to parley with...

Manaria re-positions and tries to daze the man...

Daze: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 and the man is dazed for 1 round... ripe for a small green fist to the face...

Combat 1st Round
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko
Combat 2nd Round
Wolfgang, Manaria, Speaker,
Insect (-13), Gellion (Dazed)
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko

Sammakko runs at the man with the crossbow and tries to deliver a leaping kick to the chest.

Charged
Attack vs teal: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 2 = 201d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Sammakko gives the man a glancing blow but does not put him down...

Botting Eris, forgot they posted they were traveling across Europe

Eris moves up next to Sammakko and strikes at the boy with her rapier...

Rapier: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25...DMG: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Possible Crit?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7...DMG: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 NO.

striking an almost critical blow...

The boy Gellion seems to suffer from the effects of the daze attack cast upon him and has trouble doing anything this turn, but he manages to shake it off...

Combat 2nd Round
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko
Combat 3rd Round
Wolfgang, Manaria, Speaker,
Insect (-13), Gellion (-7)
Eris, Deldri, Sammakko

Sam tries to deliver a pair of kicks, but loses his balance and almost falls on the second one.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 2 = 221d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Flurry: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 2 = 91d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"FEEL OUR LOVE!!!" shouts Wolfgang while recharging and taking aim at the deranged man...

Attack roll: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 = 23 -> Damage roll: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

where am I on the map?

@Deldri- you are up at the top by the door

Sammakko bobs when he should have weaved for his attack and misses... but Wolfgang is stil accurate and hits Gellion in the shoulder with a bolt...

Wincing as their allies strike with bolt and blade, the Speaker calls out in distress. "Let us not kill the poor child, we know not the nature of their affliction. Many dark forces cause perversion in the innocent and we would be as bad as they were we to slay them.!"

Beginning Sarenrae's sacred dance, the Speaker weaves as Samm strikes and then brings the flat of their Scimitar onto the boy's chin to knock them senseless.

Scimitar, Bardic Dance, Flank non lethal: 1d20 + 5 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 4 - 4 = 6 for non-lethal, cold iron, magic damage: 1d6 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 9

Re-roll:

Scimitar, Bardic Dance, Flank non lethal, stars: 1d20 + 5 + 4 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 4 - 4 + 2 = 21 for non-lethal, cold iron, magic damage: 1d6 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 13

Deldri hurries with his short legs closer to the boy. double move

"Good idea Speaker! He might be under some evil influence!"

fortuitous re-roll

Speaker moves up and strikes the boy hard on the side of his head knocking him out. He falls down to the ground and the warehouse goes silent.

out of combat

The group now has the unconscious boy in their grasp as well as what they surmise can only be the missing apprentices stuck in the fiendish bile encountered earlier.

I wonder if the bile affected the boy?

knowledge planes: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Let's get these poor souls out of this mess..." says Wolfgang pointing at the people imprisoned inside the demonic substance.

"Speaker! Your sword should do the trick! Save them!" he says before moving towards the defeated enemy.

Thanking the goddess as their well aimed blow strikes true, the Speaker gives a small prayer before being snapped to their sense by Wolfgang. Rushing across the warehouse to the ensnared youths, the Devoted of Sarenrae carefully begins to cut away at the strange ichor, paying careful attention not to cut the poor souls.

"We have you, you do not have to worry."

"Maybe we should tie the boy up just to be safe?" Sammakko then follows the Speaker to help free the young apprentices. "What about that arrow we got at the house? I can use that to help cut away this purple goo."

The apprentices are all unconscious from being in the bile for a lengthy amount of time.

The group recalls from earlier that cold iron and positive energy will destroy the demon bile, and judging from the amount in the warehouse, it will take a while to do so.

"There's a lot of this bile. Maybe we should come back tomorrow with a priest?"

Wolfgang laughs as he hears Deldri speak:"Good one! And leave them to be turned into some unspeakable horror or another? Not that I'm averse to some more demon killing but I suppose these people could not survive the experience so I think we have better set them free... but be careful they are not as out of their right mind as this little s!~! here" he coconcludes, the tone of his voice turning dark as he stares at the fallen apprentice with his crossbow loaded.

"I wonder if he's worth being kept alive..." he mumbles.

@ Sammakko: I think I have taken the cold iron arrowhead and placed it on one of Wolfgang's bolts

The Speaker, still attempting to cut the entangled apprentices free form their bile shakes their head in sadness. "Deldri is correct, we will need a priest to banish this bile, unless we expend my blessed wand to this task, which I am happy to do if it were to free them."

heal: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

Eris agrees with Speaker. "I also have a wand that could be utilized to that effect," she says, holding it out. "Though I have not yet mastered its use..."

"Eris I can use the wand if you wish? I hope it works"

The group spends the needed time to ferry the unconscious apprentices and Gellion over to the temple of Erastil where Ildris can minister the proper healing upon the young adults. The group also takes the necessary steps to wipe out the bile found in the warehouse.
When he comes to following the fight Gellion is an insane wreck, babbling constantly about the “demon worms” and his own insatiable hunger. He refuses to eat, insisting that “only mother can feed me!”

He does not recognize his friends or parents. Ildris Ruvarra spends many days working on the boy and he returns to his old self over the course of a few days, though he is utterly ashamed of his actions and falls into deep remorse over the violence inflicted.

Gellion remembers a desperate urge to ingest the bile, but after that, his only recollection is of disturbing dreams and an obsession with “bringing the demon worms home.”

The kidnapped apprentices express dismay that their friend would cause them such harm, and upon seeing him they insist that he is not nearly himself. Ildris eventually works his healing powers on the apprentices as well, helping them heal the damage inflicted upon their body.

Mayor Sandra Trinelli sends word to the group to rest up and then go to her office to report what transpired. She heard rumors that the group found and saved the apprentices including the once mad boy Gellion.

"Well done..." mutters Wolfgang as the group saves the missing apprentices and captures Gelion. Then he adds:"I'm not sure the lad deserves to live but I guess putting him down in cold blood is out of the question now. We'll see how he can live knowing what he did"

After he learns about what Gelion is mumbling Wolfgang considers to himself:"Demon worms and a "mother" of some kind... unless I'm gravely mistaken things are not going back to normal yet. I bet we'll have to prolong our sojourn in this dark hole a bit longer..."

Helping the good Priest in any way they can, the Speaker sighs at Gellion's outbursts. Poor Boy, there is something terribly at foot here. She thinks as they try and coax out of him what happened. After hearing his story about ingesting the bile teh Speaker shudders involuntarily. Thanking the Priest for their work the faithful of Sarenrae joins their allies to rest and eat before confronting the Mayor about this mess.

"You have no right to say that!" She snaps at Wolgang's callous comment "If you are to be controlled or dominated it is fine for us to end your life? For that is clearly what has happened here. No we must get down to the bottom of this so-called 'mother'"

Wolfgang counters Speaker's indignant outburst with a bout of laughter:"Ah! You get riled up pretty easily I see! This being the effect of domination or mind control is all to be proven. What we know for sure is the boy was the one who spread that demonic slime around town, mutated the fauna, kidnapped his friends trying to sacrifice them in some kind of ritual and almost fed his parents to a giant spider. And in my book that gives me the right to say pretty much whatever I want about him. Mark my words: if he gets back to his antics I'll make sure to put him out of commission. Permanently so I might add"

"Please... please... take your argument outside if you must... but I need to attend to these sickly youths and i cant do that with you prattling about in my ear!" Ildris the priest says aloud and ushers you out of the temple. "I will let you know if I need your bolt or your steel to put him down if I should fail but give me the chance to work in peace" and he closes the temple door.

As Wolfgang and Speaker get testy with each other, Sammakko tries to looks at the situation objectively "I guess our priority should be figuring out what that bile stuff is and where it originated from. I mean, I don't think Gelion created it on his own, right?"

Eris eyes her quarreling companions with a flat expression. "There is no time for this discussion...we are several moves behind in this game, and need to play smart. Let us rest as the mayor suggested, and then see what we can make of this 'mother' figure."

"Yes let's find this mother figure. Maybe she's behind the bile"

I'm unlcear about what we should do now

With another sarcastic laugh Wolfgang shrugs and leaves the others, spending his time inside the Saringallows tavern...

you just have to give a debrief to the mayor to end this part and she already called for you to visit her after you rest up

The group takes the time to clear out the bile and then head back to their temporary quarters to clean and rest up After a few hours pass they make their way to the Mayor to brief her on what transpired.

Eris, after resting, is ready for more investigating.

I'm leveled and ready to go (may have a purchase or two). I've got my investigator level, so I should be good to go on some of the rogue-like abilities we needed before.

The group leaves the town for a day or two to conduct their personal business and then return to finish the job set upon them by the Society. provides a chance for characters to spend wealth if they need to in a settlement appropriate for whatever they intend to buy.

Upon their return Nolaria Wintren informs them that her visiting cousin, Nixa Volsetti, was also a victim of Gellion’s abductions. For some reason, Nixa was bound and left outside of town near the woods, where goblins have been known to lurk, and hasn’t been seen since. During her captivity Nolaria heard Gellion rambling about his plans to do this, and watched him drag Nixa in that direction, but when asked, Gellion himself has no memory of these events.

Once more summoned by the Mayor, the group makes their way to her office. Noticing her visitors, Mayor Sandra Trinelli sighs in determined resignation and steps behind her desk, leaning over it
gravely. “I’m glad you’ve returned,” she says, a measure of relief creeping into her strained voice. “Our town has more than just the missing apprentices you found to deal with. There is an unknown menace beyond our walls has me the most worried.” She takes a deep breath as if composing herself, and sits carefully in her chair, assuming a self-assured posture that seems to come to her much more naturally.

“Specifically, we may have a goblin problem,” the mayor continues. “I’ve recently received reports of goblins lurking
in the woods outside of town. There have been no attacks yet—only minor damage to fences and some stolen sheep, I’m told—but we can’t afford to let our guard down. Given how we suffered during the Goblinblood Wars, we can’t assume that these scattered sightings are meaningless when they might very well mean that a major warband is about to descend on our heads."

“Even worse, it seems that these goblins are covered in some unholy manner of filth—even more so than normal! If word about that gets out, well, folks might start to panic. We are a superstitious lot here in Saringallow, as I’m sure you know. You all dealt with this stuff before when you tracked Gellion down."

“In short, we need to move quickly and deal with these goblins before they become a larger threat. Sending members of the town guard out into the woods, though, could leave us open to attack. I’m sure you see my dilemma."

“This is where I’d like you to intercede, my friends. Find out where the goblins are coming from and who—if anyone—is leading them, then take out the threat. I can offer you a bounty of 5 gold pieces for each goblin you kill, 10 gold pieces for each goblin dog, and an additional bonus of 100 gold pieces if you bring me proof that you’ve destroyed their camp or otherwise dealt with whatever additional threat they pose."

“Most of the sightings have originated from the area northwest of town, particularly near the homesteaders out by Clover Stream. That’s probably a good place to start your investigation. Aside from that, I’m afraid I don’t have much else to tell you. Unless you have any specific questions?”

What do you mean that they are covered in unholy filth? Is it the same stuff we dealt with before. Manaria asks while leaning against her staff.

"So... a well paid goblin extermination mission! Fantastic! Be assured we'll do our best to get rid of these pests for you. None shall be left to menace your beutiful little town!" comments Wolfgang, sounding very pleased with the amount of money the group is being offered for each kill.

"Goblins are easy! Big heads make for excellent targets!"

"Goblins no problem!"