The Forgotten God (Table 5)

Game Master Rednal

You weren't able to find nearly as much food as before, but there was enough to feed yourself along the way. Finally, the walls of a true city could be seen on the horizon, as well as a line of people waiting to be inspected by the guards standing in front of the gate. For all of its size, Nisroch - which was what this place had to be - seemed quieter than most ports, less cheerful and carefree than many would expect. In the meantime, you'd have to decide whether to head in through the main entrances or look for another way inside...

Ah, Nisroch. If appearance is reality, this will be a decidedly unpleasant experience....

Astoroth pauses for a rest a fair ways from the main gate - although near enough that he could get a decent view of the proceedings. Before entering, it would be wise to assess the entrance protocol and appearance of the guards.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

The guards seem serious, dutiful, and not particularly nice about things. The most important thing to remember is probably that the entire country is lawful evil. They might cheerfully oppress people, but those who obeyed the law were generally allowed to go about their business. Anyone who violated it, on the other hand, would have little or no protection from the cruelties of those more powerful than they were.

The guards take their time with each person entering the city, clearly examining both the individuals and their belongings. Despite the relative order of the proceedings, there's an undeniably nervous look about the people trying to get inside.

hmmm ... oppression is expected - as is strict following of the law ... unfortunately, i'm not aware of the current laws ... i also don't have a believable explanation of my presence here ... how tight is their security away from the gate?

Astoroth begins a slow circle of the town, searching for an alternate means of entry.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

The town seems locked up fairly well. The city would never hold as a fortress under siege, but the walls are high and well-patrolled, and you're unable to locate an easier way into the city.

On the bright side, most places don't have absurdly specific laws - merely not causing trouble may suffice. Alternatively, you could outright plead ignorance and specifically ask to be informed of anything visitors should know. Demonstrating weakness or ignorance in front of evil isn't always wise, but it is an option.

...And could the god of information-gathering really pass up a chance to expand his knowledge?

As expected, security was strong here. While he could certainly attempt to sneak in, odds of success were slim, and getting caught would only make things more difficult for him. Entering the city via the official channel made the most sense and would also allow him to gather more evidence to support (or disprove) his current theory that knowledge of him had been erased somehow. With that thought in mind, Astoroth calmly walked to the back of the line of prospective city entrants.

It takes nearly half an hour for you to reach the front of the line once you enter it, and three guards stare you down, clearly suspicious of your inhuman appearance. Of course, being a sylph probably isn't a crime - unless they're feeling especially vindictive - but it's clear that they're intensely scrutinizing you.

"What's your business in the city?" one of them growled.

Remembering that the average individual showed nervousness and discomfort when being questioned by an authority figure, Astoroth didn't make eye contact and spoke slightly louder and faster than usual. "I'm looking for work. Been going through some rough times lately."

"What kind of work? We don't tolerate thieves, thugs, or beggars here." the guard growled, his suspicion not easing up in the slightest as he examined you with a critical eye.

Astoroth gestured, and a nearby pebble rose into his hand. "Beggar? Far from it. I'm a scholar of the arcane arts."

The guards glanced at the book you had, but seemed to take it for a wizard's spellbook. That wasn't right, but it wasn't totally wrong either, all things considered. "Aye, well... mind you don't cause any trouble with it. Your magic won't help much against three feet of steel." He waved you through, turning to the next in line, and you finally had access to the port. All right...

Good? This was the most open port of the country. Lots of ships coming and going.

Bad? No money to buy passage, assuming you wished to leave instead of stay here.

Solutions? Hmm... Search for work? Steal? Stow away on a vessel? Goodness knew there were many ways to earn money if you put your mind to it.

Additional factors? There were quite a few guards on the streets - everywhere you looked was patrolled fairly heavily. There didn't seem to be much in the way of dockside entertainment like taverns, either - nowhere loud and boisterous, like a certain god of ale would have gone for. Taverns seemed to be out, so you'd have to look for other places to accomplish whatever you wanted to do.

The first hurdle passed, Astoroth begins to explore the city. While he had no money, in a city this strictly-controlled, there was bound to be a fair bit of crime operating behind the scenes. If he wandered around long enough, the odds were good that an opportunity would find him. If not, he'd still get a fair bit of exploring done, at least.

As you continue to work your way through the city, it's possible to note an increasing feeling of... well... doom. There is no art decorating the streets, no music being played, and no laughs or cheers anywhere you can hear. It's almost unnaturally quiet, even close to the docks, where grim-faced workers are moving boxes around with smooth efficiency under the watchful eyes of customs officials who regularly - and randomly - examine things. Every now and then, you see pairs of people with their mouths sewn shut, and even the toughest-looking citizens look distinctly more nervous around them.

Still, a city is a city, and the layout is straightforward enough. Docks and warehouses by the sea, poor people separated from merchants, both kept apart from the noble district... like a lot of cities, really.

Incidentally, looking for new things to do - such as quests - is basically always an option when you're in a town, and can be accomplished by a Gather Information check. I typically run the game in a sort of sandbox style, allowing you to pick from several different options or continue looking for other things to do. The only parts that truly can't be changed are the core events of regaining divine powers and building up a new church.

In that case...

Diplomacy (gather information): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

At the moment, I only get to use my INT mod to modify attitudes. At least until I hit Empiricist 2. :-)

There's only so much information that can be gathered when your charm is limited, but you've always been rather talented at putting small pieces of information together, and eventually you're able to put together a story about a man looking for some help investigating a piece of property he'd like to buy - he's willing to pay well for someone who can thoroughly examine it, but wants to meet them in person to discuss the terms of the deal. From there, it isn't difficult to pinpoint their location as being in a moderately exclusive club for gentlemen - assuming you'd like to inquire more, of course.

From holder of boundless knowledge to a property appraiser. How far the mighty have fallen. Still, work meant money - and anyone who frequents an exclusive gentleman's club is sure to have plenty of disposable income. It takes some time for Astoroth to locate this particular establishment, but he eventually gets there.

You're greeted at the door by a short, bald man dressed in impeccable items, and he looks you over a few times before allowing you entrance to the room. You're not allowed into the main gathering room, but inside you can see perhaps eight or ten men quietly discussing things amongst themselves. Shortly thereafter, the servant fetches one of them. The man is around fifty years old, with a fairly normal build, and he looks you up and down.

"Eh, so you're the one who replied, eh?" he said, escorting you into a smaller meeting room. "All right, here's the deal. I’m prepared to drop a significant amount of my life’s savings on a manor house. Word among the commoners is that my retirement home is haunted by a tragic past — as well as ghosts and goblins and all manner of mystic spirits, though I don't believe half of it. Be a good friend and spend a night there, would you? Make certain nothing remains that might force me to withdraw my offer. Do take the time to thoroughly examine the manor — I’d hate for some overlooked problem to cause me trouble later. I'll drop by in the morning so you can show me around, and if all is satisfactory, I'll have Edward deliver your payment."

LOL, I've been scanning through my PFS stuff in search of possible adventures for Iris and had ALMOST decided on this one. I got a better idea, though, so I haven't gotten around to reading this one. This'll be fun. :-)

A haunted house? Astoroth was actually mildly interested. After all, spirits tended to linger about an area for specific reasons. This would be an interesting puzzle, to be sure.

"Hunting for ghosts? I believe I can help with that. How much are you paying, and what rumors have you heard about the place? If it truly is haunted, more information will help me determine how best to put the spirits to rest."

"Two hundred, with a bonus of fifty if I'm particularly impressed with your work." he said without hesitation. An excellent salary by any measure, given the amount of work involved. He sighed and shrugged about the rumors, though. "Typical of an old place. Strange noises, odd sightings, floating things... every rumor you've ever heard of any haunted estate. Like I said, I don't believe most of them - the city would've already investigated more thoroughly if there was much substance to them. It could just be a couple of local kids playing tricks. Don't take any stupid risks, though, and recognize that you're accepting whatever danger is there by agreeing to this job."

Spending the night in a haunted house was a very dangerous task. On the other hand, odds were good that there was little to no actual haunting taking place. Maybe a playful poltergeist or two. And 250gp was a good bit of money...

"Very well, I accept your offer. Kindly direct me to the estate, and I'll begin my appraisal."

Your client gives the directions to the house, then shakes your hand - his grip is firm and certain, his smile friendly and easy. Both have probably helped him get where he is today.

It doesn't take long to locate the building once you have the directions, and the mansion looms large in the deepening twilight. Opaque, dirty windows peek through layers of ivy and the overgrown lawn, now more swamp than well-groomed garden, is littered with dead leaves and fallen bits of the house. The entire upper floor of the manse looks to have burned and collapsed and sits a charred and weather-beaten ruin atop the relatively intact ground floor. A battered wooden sign hangs by two chains from a tall poll and swings wildly in the wind next to a wide, weed-choked stone path that leads to the manor house’s elaborately carved double front doors. On the sign, written in faded paint are the words “Dralkard Manor.”

New map at the top of the screen. Entrances to the building have been highlighted with green boxes.

The house appeared to be an absolute wreck - yet more proof that his employer was wealthy. After all, you could probably build a fairly nice house for the cost of repairing this place. I mean, the entire upper floor would need to be rebuilt from scratch. Still, it wasn't his place to judge; he was simply a ghost hunter.

Astoroth began his examination by circling the grounds slowly and attempting to look into each of the windows.

Taking 20 on Perception

The windows are covered with mud and dirt, caked on after who-knows-how-long without care, with one on the east side and another on the north broken. Respectively, they seem to look into a dining hall and the servants' quarters.

A moment later, however, you hear the grass rustling behind you - someone's trying to hide, but wasn't quite able to avoid your perception. The pressing question, of course, is what you're going to do about this...

Realizing that he's being watched, Astoroth continues his circling of the estate. The next time he rounds a corner, he crouches behind a mass of weeds and waits to see what happens.

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Your attempts at stealth are... somewhat less than what would be demanded of a professional, but you're able to notice a woman sneaking forward with a rapier in her hand. It doesn't take her long at all to realize she's been spotted, and with a howl, she began moving forward and pulling her weapon back so she can stab out at you with it.

Initiative (Enemy): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Initiative (You): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Your reflexes were noticeably better than her own, however. Your assailant is currently twenty feet away, and though the ground is a bit sloped between you, it's not steep - or rough - enough to present a problem.

Surprise Round: assume total defense (AC is 27)

Round One
a rapier ... a fencing weapon ... favors a thrusting style ...

Astoroth automatically begins to analyze the woman's movements and weight shifts. "If you're attempting to rob me, I have no money. Or are you worried that I'm going to discover something you'd prefer kept secret?"

Move Action: Martial Flexibility to gain "Improved Disarm" for 1min
Standard Action: disarm the rapier
Disarm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

I'm preeeeeetty sure you can't disarm at 20 feet. That is in Spheres of Power, but I don't believe you don't have the Steal ability for Telekinesis. Speaking of, we should probably add all the powers you get from that to your alias for faster reference, since I don't think SoP is on any of the usual reference sites. Would you like to do something else instead?

Ah, sorry. I had been assuming that she'd use her surprise round action to charge me. If she's keeping her distance, I'll ready an action to disarm if she moves up and attacks.

You were aware of her, she was aware of you, and you beat the initiative. She didn't get a surprise round. ^^

The woman darted forward a moment after you'd steadied yourself, and your weapon flicked out to disarm her - but didn't come anywhere close to successfully doing so. (Using the roll above. XD) On the bright side, your flexible nature when it came to the martial arts meant she couldn't get an attack of opportunity... just a normal attack, and she stabbed out as hard as she could once she got into range.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

It honestly wasn't that bad of a thrust - on a professional level, it would have been called at least reasonably competent. On the other hand, being merely competent wasn't enough to strike you, and she'd have to do a lot better than that if she was going to hit you.

Astoroth sighed in mild annoyance. "Are you sure you want to continue this path of needless violence? It will only lead to pain." He'd give her one more chance to cease her foolish assault before testing his new body's combat capabilities.

Disarm: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Also, I'm unarmed at the moment. Brawlers are fun. :-)

"How about you leave instead of going places you're not wanted!?" she snapped, feinting a strike with her weapon as she tried to draw your guard out of position.

Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

...And doing so quite successfully, as it happened, weakening your guard as she prepared for a followup strike.

"Suit yourself," Astoroth replied matter-of-factly as he fired a quick roundhouse kick at the woman.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Improved Disarm: 8/10 rounds remaining

The woman leaned back to dodge the kick, then thrust forward at an opening in your defenses, clearly hoping to skewer you.

Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

It was close, but she wasn't quite able to hit, and scowled in vexation. It didn't seem like she had any intention of giving up, though, and she quickly pulled her weapon back to prepare for her next assault.

If you plan to do nothing but melee blows, you can roll several rounds of action to help speed things up. ^^

Astoroth begins a flurry of kicks in an attempt at making the woman keep her distance while he analyzed her preferred combat tactics.

Pretty poor rolling on my part. :-( If I start getting hit a couple times (or crit once), I'll use Sudden Block

Your first kick connected solidly, probably breaking a bone somewhere in her body, and she let out a curt cry of pain as she continued trying to make you more vulnerable.

(Round 3) Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

Her next attempt didn't work so well - probably because of said bone - but your followup kick came nowhere close to hitting her as she tried again.

(Round 4) Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

This time she actually managed to draw you out of position, and your answering strike barely missed hitting the side of her head. She thrust out with her rapier a moment later, aiming to plunge the blade into your exposed side...

(Round 5) Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

...and failing to do so. Your next blow managed to catch her in the leg, and she let out another grunt of pain, even as she continued with her efforts to get through your impressively robust guard.

(Round 6) Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

Truth be told, she probably should have practiced a little harder before trying to fight someone else. On the other hand, you were far from normal, even if your heavy kick did fail to strike her.

(Round 7) Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

Finally, she managed to open up your guard again, dodging your next kick and letting loose with another quick stab of her weapon.

(Round 8) Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 for Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 2d6 ⇒ (3) + 1 + (4, 4) = 12

Finally she managed to land an actual blow, and it was a fairly heavy one. Both of your next kicks missed, even as a triumphant look started to make its way onto her face...

(Round 9) Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
(Round 10) Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

...and a fairly outstanding feint turned into a mediocre strike that came nowhere close to harming you.

You can activate Sudden Block on her one successful strike if you'd like to, and I'll roll and resolve that before responding to your other moves. ^^

Since I currently have no healing capabilities, that would probably be a good idea. :-)

AoO: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

*Glances at Wild Arcana* You do know you can use that to cast the Cure power from the Life sphere, right? But I agree on principle that preventing the damage would be a considerably more efficient use of your mythic power, and also recommend getting a heal-stick as soon as finances permit. XD

Second Attack Roll for Sudden Block: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

The attack does not stand, but nor does your free attack - which is not an AoO, by the way, but an extra attack - strike your target. Your move(s).

Heh, I forgot about Wild Arcana. That makes me feel better about surviving until Level 2. :-)

"You've been stabbing at an unarmed man for a full minute and have yet to connect. Meanwhile I've wounded you fairly severely, and you'll need medical attention to fully heal." His tone is neutral, as he's just stating the facts.

I should probably write up the SoP rules for that. *Coughs* Post now, will get to that right after.

The woman responded with a suggestion that wasn't to be repeated in polite society. It seemed like her morale wasn't going to break quite so easily... although it was a bit harder to be confident when your next kick connected with her skull and clearly rattled her.

Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Even as she successfully feinted once more, your next kick solidly connected, and hurt her badly enough that she began wavering once more, even as she made one last, desperate thrust with her rapier.

Melee: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

With one sweep of her arm, you were able to knock it aside... and with a kick, she finally dropped to the ground, either dead or about to be after a kick that brutal. The real question now was what you were going to do next... leave her? Save her? Steal her things and move on? Any would probably do - what was important was sticking to the ideals you believed in and acting accordingly.

Which reminds me that I need to write up descriptions of my powers for easy viewing on your part. That'll be a project for tomorrow after work.

continuing to fight once it was clear that she couldn't win ... so irrational ... will mortals never learn ...

If she wasn't already dead, she soon would be, and it was clear that the woman had no interest in talking to him. While there were ways to speak to the recently departed, the deceased typically had to be a willing participant - unlikely in this case. Besides, her sheer stubbornness marked her as either incredibly unintelligent or some sort of fanatic. Neither was likely to be a valuable source of information alive. On the other hand, you could learn a lot about a person by the items on their person. As the Fount of Knowledge began to search the body, he allowed himself a brief flash of satisfaction. His current body's combat capabilities had been assessed and found ... adequate.

If you don't have the PDF version, just ask me and I'll copy/paste stuff real quick. XD

The woman was not truly wealthy, but she did have several items - a masterwork shortsword, a masterwork shortbow with 20 arrows, a suit of masterwork studded leather, and far more helpfully, two potions of cure light wounds. Not the system of magic you relied on - few knew the arts of the spheres - but they would work on you all the same. She also had 48 GP stashed in a small purse, likely the limit of her worldly wealth.

I have the PDF, but it's on my tablet. I'll copy the file onto my computer tomorrow. Off to bed now; it's almost midnight here.

Well-crafted arms and armor, and multiple healing potions. That's more than your average brigand would possess. A more experienced bandit would likely have retreated when it became obvious that she was outmatched. No, the woman was part of some kind of organization - and by the lack of any sort of uniform or identification, not an official one. But why attack him? More information was necessary.

Keeping the shortsword (or was it a rapier?), potions, and purse, Astoroth covered up the body (with the rest of the gear) with the nearby vegetation and carefully approached the east door of the estate.

Taking 20 to check for traps

...Rapier. *Glares at error in book and shakes fist*

There don't seem to be any traps on this side of the house, nor on the sole entrance you could use to get inside from the east. Probably safe to open, then.

Astoroth calmly tries the door to see if it's locked. If it isn't, he opens it and looks inside.

The door is indeed unlocked. On a cracked but beautifully-painted tile floor sit several oaken countertops, marred by years of cutting and chopping, a sturdy blackwood island, a wood-fired stove and a thick, stone baking oven. The window over the wood stove is broken and dusty shards of glass coat the top of the blackened stove. The back entrance to Dralkard Manor - which you used - lies in the northeast corner of the room near the entrance to an empty, cobweb-filled pantry. The kitchen appears to be overgrown with grape vines, covering the floor, walls, and part of the ceiling near the door in the east wall.

why on earth would he be so interested in THIS house? even if he buys it for the price of the land, he'll still have to spend a small fortune just to make it liveable again.

Realizing that a top-down examination of the manor will be more efficient, Astoroth ignores the kitchen for now and heads upstairs.

Unless those stairs lead to a basement, in which case he'll do a bottom-up examination.

They go down. XD A good rule of thumb on Paizo's maps is that if the end of the stairs are dark, they probably go down. If they're the same color as the rest of the stairs, they probably go up.

You're halfway across the room when some of the vines whip out at your ankles, attempting to grab you and start slamming you around.

Surprise Slam: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Even when surprised, your reflexes are impressive, and you're easily able to avoid the grasping tendrils of the plant - though vines throughout the room are moving, now, and they're clearly not going to give up anytime soon.

Initiative (Enemy): 1d20 ⇒ 8
Initiative (You): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

It's close, but you're able to act just a moment before the vines can do anything else.

Don't forget that I always get a surprise-round action due to Forewarned.

An instant before the vines begin to move, Astoroth senses something is amiss. Calling upon his inner reserves, he creates a force bubble around himself.

Spending a Mythic Point to activate Wild Arcana (Protection sphere: ward). It's basically an invisible force field centered on me that absorbs damage up to a certain point. It'll last as long as I concentrate and regenerate each round. If I spend a spell point, it'll stop regenerating HP but last for 3 rounds.
Ward Stats: 7 HP, Break DC 16

Round One
He easily dodges the plant's initial attack and takes a brief moment to sort through his memories. What's the best way to combat these things? After all, his employer definitely won't want this living in his kitchen.

Knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Plants are very grabby but tend to be almost immobile. Ranged attacks are often the best way to defeat them. The Endless Fount tumbles back the way he came, trusting in his ward to protect him.

Standard action to maintain concentration, Move action to tumble to safety.

I wouldn't, except for the fact that it is literally nowhere in your profile except by your Initiative. It should be listed in your Special Abilities with full explanatory text, along with a citation of how you got it.

The vines - or assassin vine, rather, a non-intelligent but deadly plant - struck out in a quick whipping motion as you moved, clearly trying to grab onto you...

Slam: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 for Damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Damage to Ward: 7. Damage to you: 6. Unless you expend some power and successfully block it, of course.

...and striking your barrier perfectly, hard enough to crack it like an egg and strike you within as you moved.

Grab: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

Rather fortunately, though, it didn't manage to grab onto you as you retreated, and you were able to safely exit the room, coming to a halt twenty feet away. The assassin vine began slithering after you, closing to fifteen feet as it crept across the ground.

Sorry about that. I'm not sure what abilities need to be spelled out in my profile. Forewarned is literally the Diviner Wizard "always act in the surprise round" power and is gained through Divination sphere specialization. I'll add it to my profile and put up the sphere descriptions. Is there anything else that I need to add?

The tendril hurt, but Astoroth's barrier absorbed the worst of the damage. Realizing that it would be in his best interests to avoid further hits from the plant, he stayed well back and begin to fire bolts of raw magical force at it.

Stay 25-30ft away from the vine. Fire destructive blasts until it's dead.