GM Z..D.. Core Scions of the Sky Key part 2 and 3 (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Go ahead and dot yourselves in. Gameplay will start when the standard I am running begins part two.

o

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a dot by any other name....

An unwashed gnome for a dirty adventure.

And his boar too.

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Transmuter dot

Recently, Venture-Captain Nieford Sharrowsmith disappeared on an expedition to explore dwarven ruins in the Bandu Hills. Concerned for his welfare after his prolonged absence, his business associate Aya Allahe dispatched a team of Pathfinders to track the errant Sharrowsmith and provide him support if necessary. clues found in the Bandu Hills suggest a powerful guardian lairs within the ruins, yet the dwarves left a powerful weapon capable of disabling the creature in the hands of a nearby grippli tribe known as the Krihirik.

The journey from Fort Bandu to the Kaava Lands is oppressively hot, but it gets easier as the days go on and the terrain transitions from rugged foothills to open grasslands before giving way to dense jungle. Following the directions from Fort Bandu’s garrison captain, it is not difficult to find Krihirik village, which lies approximately ten miles inside the jungle’s border— and twenty feet off the ground. Narrow rope bridges connect a few dozen tree-dwellings overhead, forming a small but secure community. Bright-skinned, bulging-eyed gripplis go about their daily business nearby. Crates and sacks of trade goods litter the jungle floor, and several gripplis busily inspect a bundle of swords, throwing down their spears and nets in favor of freshly forged steel.

A blue-and-brown-skinned grippli in practical traveling clothes bounds forward and holds out his webbed hands in welcome. “More visitors come to trade with the Krihirik? You are most welcome here, though I fear we have little to offer at this time. Or perhaps there’s some other reason you came all this way?”

Sweat glistening on his brow in the oppressive Mwangi heat, a tall, lanky human takes stock of the village and its small inhabitants. As the presumed representative steps forward, he bends down to shake the frog-man's hand.

"There is indeed a non trade related reason for our presence, but perhaps we could discuss it in private with the local authority figure. Can you take us to them, if it is not you?"

Before the journey...
"Hello, I'm Loni, and this is my humble companion Drootina."

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Seeming to enjoy the journey, a gnomish man with scraggly blond hair and thick eyebrows follows along the party. His unwashed face and dirty appearance seems to be intentional as you don't smell much foul smell coming from the gnome. He wears leather armor and has a club by his side. He has various scrolls and carrying a spell component pouch.

"Wow, a tree dwelling society. These are my kind of people!"

Loni waits for a response to Tomren's inquiry.

Drootina snorts and takes a short breather from the long journey.

Despite the heat, Celebdan remains composed and serene. He walks up besides Tomren, and smiles a warm smile. Holding out his hand in greetings, he continues, "My name is Celebdan. We are in need of the assistance of your tribe. It could be a matter of life and death."

Doodle kept a death grip on the rope bridge, not used to being this high in the air. She sucked in her breath and let the others do the talking right now.

Bryzaglo gives the grippli a nob and a warm smile. "Hello, we are here to find a lost colleague. Has anyone else passed thru this area recently?"

Bryzaglo eye's the well crafted swords suspiciously.

Enjoying traipsing across the rope bridges, Will Hawk watches the others make their introductions and initial queries wearing a small smile on his face.

"I'm guessing you are here for a weapon to take down the guardian. Follow me, I shall take you to the elders."

He then lets out a couple croaks and several Gripplis lower rope ladders down to the forest floor for the PC's.

Rickety rope bridges connect half a dozen grippli tree houses to one another, though to the north, many more appear overgrown and abandoned. One dwelling is larger than the others, hangs over a small pond. Inside, three gripplis with mottled gray-brown skin pass a finely crafted short sword back and forth with admiration. Gwellik announces the PCs to the grippli elders, and introduces them to the PCs: Mother Bogwynne, the lorekeeper and chief elder; Finyik, the hunt-master; and Diblop, the chief brew-mistress and miracle worker.

Mother Bogwynne, the largest of the gripplis, slowly gets to her feet and hands the sword to the trader. “Thank you Gwellik. You have done well in our time of need, bringing both weapons and travelers from afar to lend aid to the Krihirik.”]/b] She pauses and looks over her guests in the meetinghouse. [b]“So, you seek a weapon to fight against the guardian of the Bandu Hills? Word of our tribe’s secret seems to have reached many ears of late. The Krihirik have such an object, but it is a treasured possession, entrusted to us long ago—one we could not surrender lightly. However...” She looks to Finyik, the hunt-master, whose old bones creak as he gets to his feet to speak.
“We are fewer in number with each season, for we are hemmed in by enemies on all sides. Those who would seek our remaining weapon would do well to bring us one in return, and this is the same opportunity we gave to those who came before you. Travel to Deepblood Ridge, where two beasts of the Kaava Lands reign, and bring back one or more of their eggs. These we can nurture as our own, far from the hungry talons of the lizardfolk who fear the beasts and would eat their young. Do this while surviving the dangers of our forest home, and you shall have our gratitude and our respect.”
Finyik sits down, and Diblop, by far the oldest and grayest of the three, speaks. “The great scaled ones are mighty creatures, the king and queen of the Kaava Lands’ many beasts. But the lizardfolk may curses haunt their breed to the ends of the jungle—chased them off, leaving the nest vulnerable. Now is the time to strike! Those who can defy the lizardfolk and aid us now will be most fit to wield the weapon the dwarves gave us so long ago and end the vile guardian’s threat once and for all.”

"Aye! Lizard folk and the froggies are not friends, you say? So we just take a hop and a skip down to this swampy area, secure a fresh egg, and bring it back here lickity-split, and then you hand us this great weapon? I believe we have a bargain!"

"Now, what does this egg look like?"

Tomren listens intently to the elders.

"That sounds simple enough. What more can you tell us about 'the great scaled ones'?"

Celebdan waits for the grippli to reply, before asking politely but cautiously, "You mentioned that there were those who came before us, that you gave this same opportunity. Who were they and when did they come?"

Loni gets excited. "Go out to the woods and fetch out eggs so you can raise them? Forest stuff is my jam!"

"What can you tell us about the lizardfolk?"

@Will, "Oh trust me the egg is easy enough to spot"

@Tomren, “Your kind calls them dinosaurs. They are the mightiest creatures for miles in any direction, dangerous and untamable. The lizardfolk must have suffered great losses in chasing them off.”

@Celebdan, “They are a small group of explorers Gwellik brought back from a recent trade expedition. They seemed eager to help us with our problem.”

@Loni, “They are cruel and disgusting creatures who eat the flesh of anyone they can get their claws on—including us. We have warred with them for many generations, but now they have the upper hand. They think only of resources, and any threat to their food sources is their enemy. If they find the eggs first, they will simply eat them as a way of eliminating a future competitor.”

"How many days travel are the eggs? Those dinosaurs sound scary. We need to be quick, I think."

"Days? It should only be a 2 hours maybe 3 to get to the ravine."

"Ah! Then let's be quick about it and be on our merry way, shall we?"

Will is prepared to go, once the direction is discerned.

"I'm ready too! Com'on Drootina!" Loni whistles to her from the treetops.

*Happy snorts and squeals*

"How big are the Eggs? Will we need a way to carry them?" The Half-Orc interjects politely.

"Some one your size should be able to carry it with out too much difficulty."

Knowledge Geography

Knowledge Local

If anyone as any other questions, feel free to ask, but you got the most important stuff for now.

The Kaava Lands teem with wildlife, from squawking birds and stinging insects to humongous trees that create a dense canopy above. Vines, roots, and large-leaved plants cover much of the ground. The gripplis’ directions lead northwest through the dark, virtually trackless terrain. The myriad sounds of the jungle grow louder, and the undergrowth grows thicker, as the Krihirik village vanishes into the distance.

First Check- I will need everyone to roll survival checks. I will take the highest roll as the main. Everyone who gets above 10 will be aiding.

Survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Loni gets excited and struggles to remember how to navigate.

Knowledge (Geography): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

"It's highly likely that our interactions with the lizardfolk will end in violence, so be prepared. Furthermore, it would seem that the Aspis Consortium is involved somehow..."

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 2

While on the trail, Tomren casts Mage Armor on himself. 4 hour duration.

"Agree. Seems like the Aspis got here ahead of us, and have similarly secured the promise of the grippli. We need to get there ahead of them."

Despite living almost his entire life in the city of Kyonin, Celebdan somehow manages to navigate confidently through the forest.
survival: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (17) - 2 = 15

Survival 1d20 ⇒ 5

Doodle was all turned around. She was no help in heading towards the eggs.

Bryzaglo frowns at the new of the Aspis Consortium being after the same weapon as them. "We must not let the Aspis get the weapon. Let's move quickly." The paladin drops his armor on the ground. "Must lighten the load and plus it is much to hot here for it." He pulls out another outfit and quickly changes.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"This way, lads! Ahem.. and Miss Doodle."

Knowledge (Geography): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Along the way you find a set of tracks. Showing a group of at least six medium humanoids and a smaller set of tracks which shows a barefoot humanoid missing two toes on its right foot.

About four miles from the Krihirik village, the terrain suddenly drops off into a deep ravine. The far side of the ravine is sixty feet away, and its craggy faces descend one hundred feet to the ravine floor below. The gap in the jungle allows a glimpse of the sky above, but the trees grow to the very edge of the ravine, and their dense canopy still blocks out much of the light. Several of the trees have massive, shaggy-barked trunks sporting countless twisting limbs. The trees’ strong roots grow deep into the earth and some even dangle over the side of the ravine.

Knowledge Nature

If you free climb using the roots, cracks and crevices, it will be a DC 10 climb check. You may use rope, it will be at least a 100 feet worth.

knowledge(nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
As Celebdan approaches the trees, he looks closely at them and suddenly holds up his hand. "Be careful! It is a monkey tree. Its bark and roots contain concentrated oils that react upon contact with skin or leather to create an overwhelming, spicy odor." He examines the trunks and adds, "To avoid the roots would likely make our climb more difficult." He turns to his party. "Did anyone bring rope? I am afraid that it had not crossed my mind to prepare that."

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Tomren nods in agreement at Celebdan's assessment, but his face falls when he realizes what that means.

"Eh, right. A rope... I can't say that I've brought one either."

Doodle pointed to the half orc. "I can see he's got some. I don't know if it'll be enough. I didn't bring any. I always forget to buy some when I'm back in Absalom!"

Since one of you got the spoiler. With out a rope it will be DC 15 to climb with out touching the monkey tree. With a rope braced up against the cliff will be DC 10 to avoid the monkey tree.

Loni frowns. "I don't have rope either."

"Well lucky for us I have some rope." He takes the fine silk rope out of his pack. "We can climb down on the rope until we run out of length then make our way down the rest of the way without rope."

"Oh, well... We'll have to suffer from our lack of foresight. I'll lead the way.

Tomren starts climbing down methodically. With the rope, he tentatively makes it nearly half way down the cliff face. Knowing that his free climbing prowess is lacking, he uses the roots to steady his progress the remainder of the climb.

Taking 10 all the way down, and coming in contact with the monkey tree after 50 ft.

Doodle can take ten for a 12 on the rope. Afte that, she'll have to try to use the monkey tree as well.

"Drootina, help me climb down."

Handle Animal vs. Push DC 25: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Drootina makes the normal climb on a take 10 for 15.

Loni is going to use the rope down, taking 10, while Drootina helps him, which means he can get a 10. Beyond the ropes edge, I'll roll a few climb checks (not sure how many he needs).

Climb (Drootina Aid): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Climb (Loni): 1d20 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) - 2 + 2 = 10

Climb (Drootina Aid): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Climb (Loni): 1d20 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 + 2 = 6

Climb (Drootina Aid): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Climb (Loni): 1d20 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 + 2 = 14

From the looks of it, Loni is getting some scent on him. He would rather touch the roots than fall.

So far 3 of you have made it to the bottom. And all three have the Monkey Tree Oil on them. Once the rest of you make the checks we will continue on.

Celebdan dextrously climbs down the rope for the first part. He takes 10 for total of 12.

Once the rope ends, Celebdan places his hands and feet carefully as he descends, taking care to avoid the patches of oil that he spots.
climb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Sorry, folks - busy week with family in town. Will has a50' silk rope we can use as well.

Knowledge, Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Will will take 10 on the climb check, resulting in a 16.

Bryzaglo will go down last and take his time using the rope to stay clear of the money tree.

taking a 10 for a 13 all the way down.

Everyone make there way down eventually. Using up both lengths of rope to get all the way down. Everyone avoids the monkey tree sap.

Bryaglo and Will, you use up your lengths of rope, you may try to get the rope back later, if you remember.

Fallen trees, rocky streams, hanging vines, and other obstacles litter the ravine floor, making travel through this area just as difficult despite the sparser foliage. After several hundred feet, the terrain gives way to a natural trail running through the middle of the ravine. In most places the trail is a mere five feet wide, though it widens to fifteen or even twenty feet in some areas. The ravine walls and the distant canopy still block out most of the natural light along the path.

Where the path narrows again, a humanoid corpse—one hand stuck in its vest as though desperately trying to reach for something—lies sprawled in the dirt next to a thick, thorny plant. Countless biting ants swarm over the corpse, making its features difficult to discern.

How do you proceed?

Please place yourselves in the southeastern corner of the map