Shifty PFS group Charlie (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Andar drops his weapons,draws and loads his crossbow.

Raoul flourishes his wand of magic missile again, this time directing the arcane force at the spider that is mid-ship. (G9)

MM: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Barham reloads and fires again at the cornered spider.

Crossbow attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

If Raoul didn't drop the other spider, Scrumy will step N and full attack again. If only the one in the corner is left, Scrumpy will get as close as his 40 ft. base speed with let him through the webs, and bite attack if he can.

The spider in the corner is no more, only the spider facing off Scrumpy remains, though Scrumpy puts another heavy blow into it.

Malleck will move to the last spider and slash at it.
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Andar moves to get a clear firing line on the arachnid and lets loose.

Move and fire 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

And with that, the combat comes to a close.

MAP

4d20 ⇒ (8, 4, 9, 11) = 32

The majority of the supplies found on board are clearly of Andoren origin, but searching the ship you find three potions of lesser restoration — their contents labeled in Osiriani — in one of the many containers.

The fore cabin contains a desk and some papers, including the ship’s logbook. That document clearly indicates that the Hanspur’s Luck was ordered by Lady Riverbane to come to this location and await further instructions. Also among the papers found in the cabin are some ledgers, written in Orcish.
Anyone speak Orc?

Nowhere on the ship is there any trace of the crew.

Raoul asks for the ledgers written in Orcish. "I speak Orc. This shouldn't be a problem."

The ledgers contain names of smugglers, contacts, and corrupted officials involved in the traffic of Andoren goods. Hardly honest business.

"Well it seems the crew were involved in typical pirate shenanigans, but I don't see anything that could point to where they may be." Raoul looks around as he thinks of what could have happened.

"Perhaps we could search for any trails on the shore. I am certain that if this crew were taken by malevolent forces, there would be tracks leading, well, somewhere."

I'mma stop saying Guidance before every check, will just assume Barham (and anyone else) can use it unless pressed for time. Scrumpy takes 20 on Perception to search the ship before leaving (25 total).

"Malevolent forces?" Barham considers what could be worse than giant spiders.

Once outside, Scrumpy sets to sniffing about, trying to find any signs of their quarry.

Barham aids Scrumpy's Survival check to track.

Aid another: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

The ship yields very little more of interest and you are comfortable that you searched it well.

Checking for the fate of the crew reveals that they were likely carried up into the trees and hauled off to goodness knows where. You don't suspect that you;d be finding them alive even if you could follow their route.

"I wonder why they would seem to be targeting Andoran ships so heavily?"

Following the encounter on board the Hanspur's Luck, the expedition resumes its course. The next morning, Lady Riverbane anchors her ship and leads you ashore.

"We've made is this far, you have truly shown that it was right to bring you in on this and get the outside help. I'll be staying behind with the crew to ensure that the ship doesn't fall to brigands or abominations, you don't want to have to walk home — from here on out, you are on your own."

She gives you a very simple map leading to the eerie depths of the forest. The journey from the shores of the Sellen River to the location marked on Riverbane's map should take about four hours at normal walking speed.

"Alright everybody, I guess we should head out." Raoul follows behind Andar and keeps an eye out for trouble as they follow the path.

"I guess someone else ought to hold the map, I'm not that strong when it comes to directions."

Most of it will be narrow trails and that sort of thing as it is pretty heavy forest terrain - wild and unkempt - marching order? (mainly single file I'd assume)

Suggest Scrumpy in the front. Decent Perception, most mobile, and least essential. Afterward, Andar, Malleck, Barham, Raoul?

Agreed

I agree.

The forest here is ancient. Dense masses of leafage impose an eerie twilight of dark green while forlorn trees speak of a bygone age where humans wrestled for survival in a land of darkness. Many thick sheets of giant webbing stretch like great shrouds around the gaunt trees and groveling bushes.

Scrumpy barely manages to avoid falling into a pit trap along the trail and you pause to examine it. Covered in gooey webbing, the broken corpse of one of the Black Marquis's men lies at the bottom. As you venture deeper into the maze, you avoid more pits and snares, and also spot a few more dead bodies hanging upside-down in giant spider webs—all members of the ill-fated expedition.

You all finally make it out of the cramped passageways and into a clearing. The web-covered trees here are still as ominous as they were in the labyrinth and dead leaves cover the ground. A few hundred yards beyond, a low hill bare of any vegetation rises from the sea of green. However, what catches the party's attention is a man in tattered clothes laboriously crawling in your direction.

Barham gasps as the party spots the apparent survivor.

"A man!" he cries to his companions. He gestures hurriedly to Scrumpy, and summoner and eidolon dash over to the crawling figure.

"Hello! We are friends!"

Malleck stayed on guard. He wasn't very good at helping people with magic. So he stayed watchful

Other actions?

As the others watch the obvious threat Andar scans the wood line the other direction for any sign ambush calling on Raoul to do the same. Keeping his crossbow trained he calls for an update over his shoulder.

Barham and Scrumpy race towards the man who is clawing his way pitifully towards the party, he looks in really bad shape.

As they approach the man, Barham takes a moment to sense out any magical auras that may be surrounding him.

Detect magic on the crawling figure. Maintain up to three rounds if he senses anything.

"Sir, are you hurt? Who are you?"

Raoul points out the man in the tree. "Best be on our guard - this may be an ambush."

Quietly to your friends nearby or yelling it forward to Barham?

Yelling it to Barham.

Barham, the call comes from Raoul - you are about 30' from the fellow you are looking to save, but you haven't spotted any enemy yet.

Raoul - after you cry out, the chitinous shape remains in place.

Andar would have heard that since he was looking out for danger with Roaul,right?

Anything from Detect Magic?

Barham pauses and motions to Scrumpy as Raoul's warning reaches his ears.

"Oh, buttons," he sighs, not loudly enough for the rest of the party to pick it up. "Everything could be an ambush, could potentially be an ambush. But we must help a fellow in need, mustn't we Scrump?"

"Come on then!" he shouts back to Raoul, motioning for the rest of the party to follow. "We'd best stick together!"

Yep Andar, it was called loud enough for the advance party to hear so you sure heard it :)

Barham pauses to detect for magic, but finds no trace. Barham and Scrumpy discontinue the advance and wait on the others.

The man sinks to the ground, his movements finally stilled.

"Get to checking that body out and let us know what is up."

The wizard jogs a bit to catch up with Barham. "Well... perhaps I'm being overly cautious. But, there is a curious gentleman perched in yon tree."

The elf, having caught his breath, calls out to the man in the tree, "Hello there! You haven't seen any good-natured pirates around have you? Perhaps taken away by giant spiders?!"

Raoul ignores the man on the ground.

3d20 ⇒ (4, 13, 10) = 27

The man remains stilled.

As the party closes in, it is Malleck that draws your attention to a horrific and grisly detail; The man (obviously one of the missing crew) is quite clearly dead, and has probably been to for some time - he is in fact a corpse marionette at the end of translucent webbed strings...

The shape in the trees starts slipping into the trees and out of sight, it is still some distance off and appears to be fleeing through the canopy.

"What the hells was that?"

Great. The spiders weren't enough?

I say we follow but at a very guarded distance and mannor. This is not a good sign for any involved. More so for us.

"Oh! Oh my." Barham gasps as the situation dawns on him. "Is he--he might be--" Scrumpy turns to his halfling handler and shakes his head slowly.

While his master composes himself, the eidolon trods over to the corpse and pokes around for any indication of how the man met his fate.

Scrumpy takes 20 for 25 to search corpse.

Scrumpy moves in on the man.

Scrumpy disappears from sight all of a sudden, another snare has opened up beneath the faithful hound!

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 miraculously his reflexes kick in and he somehow bounces from the side and well clear of the hole.

Taking a moment to have a look in the pit, you notice it is full of webs... a strange substance giving off a really potent aroma covers them.

"Damn it. Watch your step. Which of you will be able to work point with a stick or pole to trip any more of these things before we end up in that stuff."

Raoul draws his wand of mage armor. "Well, I could use this to poke ahead."

He begins walking forward, stooped over, carefully sweeping the wand back and forth over the ground searching for any tripwires.

Mere moments after you clear away from the pit, a rolling mass of spiders, all shapes couloirs and sizes pours from the undergrowth and engulfs the corpse and in particular, the strange substance in the pit, it dawns on you that the substance is some kind of bait – and the hope was that some unfortunate would have been covered in it.

Past the glade, the gaping mouth of a tunnel opens into a bleak, cairn-like mound. Down the dark passageway you find a grisly scene.

The tunnel opens into a large cavern. Thick layers of sagging webs choke the room from floor to ceiling. Beyond the mass of tangles, jade flames burn about a rough pyramid-shaped dais, bathing the whole chamber in an eldritch green glow. Gruesome carcasses and human-sized cocoons dangle from ghastly strands. In places, walls are covered with worn-out bas-reliefs and faded markings. The air smells of dust, decay, and death.

Giant webbings obstruct some areas. The map shows the location of these web patches.

MAP

You have just entered, whats the general state of play?

Malleck will help take point. After he gives himself some magical armor

Noted, Mage Armour it is :)

Raoul notes the magus and follows suit, quickly tapping himself with his wand of mage armor. He stays on the alert, scanning the area as best as he can for anything out of the ordinary.

Using Detect Magic

Scrumpy trots in after Raoul. Barham follows close behind or after Andar, if he likes, crossbow drawn and loaded. Summoner and eidolon glance around the gossamer-tangled chamber, trying to spot any further traps or ambushes.

Barham Aid Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Scrumpy Perception: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 4 = 22

Andar will work in tandem with Topperbush to hold a reguard in case something decides to jump them.

Inbound narrative moment!

Malleck pushes forwards followed by his fearless comrades.

As fate would have it, he trips off yet another trap laid by the cunning and deceptive foes - another stretched and almost invisible strand is broken by his foot, setting off a chain of events... a loud rumbling is heard, not unlike an oncoming train, and a large slab of rock swings from the ceiling, but as it comes in it arcs strangely as one of the supports snaps and its trajectory aims off the trapped area and instead hurls the heavy slab towards a nearby web-covered wall - there is a shriek of shock just before the slab slams home - the shriek cut short as the ambusher is killed by his own trap.

Scrumpy growls towards the altar, and you spy the chitinous man-creature hiding in its shadow...

MAP
Note he has cover relative to the starting position of the party

R1
Raoul
Barham
ENEMY
Andar
Malleck

What sort of terrain/elevation is the ziggurat thing?