World's Most Interesting Confirmation (001) [PFS Standard 5-08] (Inactive)

Game Master Great Green God

....!?!

Tawner, easily a couple of feet taller than Janira, looks over her shoulder, observing the fissure.

Am I supposed to be writing this in my journal?

He looks around to gauge the landmarks and considers pulling out his book and inkwell. He also sees the squirrel.

"Heh, you're lucky we've already eaten, little one."

Airyn examines the concealed entrance, "This is well-disguised. I doubt anyone would be able to find the entrance without already knowing where it is."

He then looks to the ground, hoping to find recent signs of gillmen.
Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

El Garrapata nods at Airyn and smiles at the squirrel. "SQUIRREL!" He makes chittering noises at the rodent.

Hallimir retrieves his notebook from a pouch on his Pack and notes down the path taken from Absalom, the location of the flea attack and the location of the cave entrance.

"I am happy to go in first and scout the path ahead...I can see quite well in the dark and would consider myself to be quite skilled at remaining undetected"

"Good work, Airyn. We have time to spare." The Bas'o giant moves to the cave, failing to be distracted by the squirrel.

"If you like, Hallimir," Sidi says, pausing in the process of ducking under the vines.

"Cheeble." Goes the squirrel. Then is vigorously rubs its face with its adorable little hand-like fore-paws.

"Right. Time for your confirmation to officially begin. Now get in there and see if you can figure out what the gillwomen are doing here, take good notes about your discoveries (it's part of the test after all), and I'll be waiting here for when you get back-" Janira is in the middle of pulling out a bottle of Dreng's Best when she stops suddenly and cocks her head.

The squirrel suddenly scampers away. Followed by a bunny, some chipmunks, a family of quail, a garter snake, and a fox.

"-Do you hear something?"

A large creature is crashing through the undergrowth, from the opposite direction of the animals' flight. Whatever it is the party can feel it's mass and momentum in sound and the fear its coming provokes.

The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!”

With both hands she shoves ineffectually on El Garrapata's thigh trying to get the huge man to move. She might as well be an ant trying to move a rubber tree plant.

The thing breaks cover! Man or beast it is hard to tell. It's face is a mixture of man and ox. The creature stands a good eight-feet tall, is well muscled, and walks mostly upright upon cloven hooves. Its shaggy, grey hair and pallid grey flesh are picked out with bone fetishes, swirling tribal tattoos, and red and white warpaint. It holds a huge axe in its great ham-sized fists. The man-beast takes in the air of the clearing with great snorting grunts through its muzzle, and looks about though crazed eyes. Those mad eyes focus upon the party.

Each character may make one knowledge check. Open all the spoilers that apply.

Tawner heeds Janira's warning and runs in to the crevice, away from the sound. It's dark and he has no idea if he is in front of or behind Airyn. He looks back into the waning light and sees a terrifying monstrous form emerge from the lush growth of brush.

Garrapata chitters back at the squirrel, oblivious to the fact that he can't speak Squirrel. However when Janira shoves him, he looks down and back. "Great Two-Legged Cow-Females! Looks, Janira! Locals! Hmm, he doesn't seem friendly. Shall we persuade him that a smile will attract more flies than honey?"

"What a creature!" Airyn whispers. "I don't think your well-reasoned arguments will convince it, El Garrapata."

Airyn moves into the dark with ease, subconsciously attempting to hide from the large predator even as he studies its markings and movements.

K: Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

"Get inside!" Sidi makes a more effectual attempt to direct Garrapata inside, "Minotaurs are more interest in raiding than pleasantries."

Garrapata sighs. "So little politeness left in the world, isn't there?" He heads inside, and once there, helps the smaller folks through.

Did Sidi say a 'Minotaur'? Why is this happening to me?

Tawner is beginning to think that he made a mistake joining this group, what with Minotaurs as opponents and Shades as allies!

Bless is no longer in effect. Sorry. :/

"It's just that there are so many more fun ways to be rude," Quips Fomalhaut as he covers Lydia's retreat to the cave.

"Yeah, that thing doesn't look friendly...I recommend we retreat!"

Hallimir calls firmly as the beast bursts out of the underbrush. He turns and darts into the darkness and attempts to conceal himself.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"CRAP!" Janira tosses her backpack into the cave mouth behind the party. Then, keeping the bottle of Dreng's Best in one white-knuckled hand, and drawing her whip with the other she shouts. "GET INTO THE CAVE! USE THE STUFF IN THE BAG, AND GET INTO THE CAVE! FINISH YOUR MISSION! I'LL LEAD IT OFF, AND CATCH YOU UP!"

She casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur with amazing alacrity before turning to lure it away.

"MOOOOO!!" It bellows in a near-subsonic basso that echoes through the valley.

The cave entrance is, but a oblong three-foot crack in the cliff face. Beyond it broadens out a little into an irregular tunnel that varies from 3-7 feet in width and on average about 7 feet tall.

Garrapata lets out a cry of shock as the little leader takes off. "Ee gads! That is one fast little person of indeterminate gender! Run, Janira! RUN FOR JUSTICE!" He calls out, desperately wanting to follow, but knowing he's been given an order. He watches her tear off, then sighs deeply. "I hope that little person lives through this trial. I was just getting to like him/her."

"JANIRA!"

Tawner strains to listen but hears nothing save his own blood racing through his head.

"She said finish our mission. How are we going to do that when we're all going to die!"

Tawner starts to pace and then leans his face against the hard tunnel wall, letting the coolness run against his cheek.

Garrapata shakes himself from his sighs. He slaps Tawner across the face sharply, then grabs his shoulders. "DIE?!? WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT DYING! OH NO! We are going to finish our mission and we are going to bother GILLWOMEN! BECAUSE THAT TINY PERSON OF INDETERMINATE GENDER SAID SO, THAT'S WHY! Get ahold of YOURSELF, man! GET a tight GRIP on your COURAGE and RIDE THAT MAGNIFICENT PONY, TAWNER! RIDE IT TO VICTORY!"

Garrapata drops the panicking man.

"Now, I believe we HAVE A BAG TO CHECK!" Garrapata starts removing things and reading off their names as he does. At least the well labelled ones.

Tawner feels the sting. Even when El Garrapata is being gentle he's rough. But rough enough to bring Tawner to his senses. Tawner watches the group as El Garrapata pulls out vials of potions, scrolls, even wands...

Tawner avoids eye contact at the moment and listens for something useful.

"GOOD LUCK JANIRA" Hallimir shouts out of the cave entrance as he sees Janira and the beast disappear.

Hallimir wanders over to Tawner and El Garrapata.

"Ill take one of those cure potions, might help if I get stuck like last time....and that tanglefoot bag and smokestick, they make getting out of trouble easier.

As Hallimir is securing the three items in his bandolier he hears El Garrapata mention a Potion of Vanish and his head jerks around, "give me that!" he exclaims, examining it closely.

Potion of Vanish he reads the label to himself. "Yes...this will definately be useful" he says with excitement has he places the item in his bandolier.

"errr...who can read magic...scrolls are not really my thing"

Sidi frowns as the halfling rushes away and finishes ushering the others into the tunnel before crawling inside himself.

"Why engage it? It clearly could not fit through this crack."

Inside the tunnel, hearing Tawner's hyperbolic lamentation, the large man prepares to shake him to his senses, but Garrapata beats him to it.

"Janira is an experienced Pathfinder. Trust that she has a plan. As for us, we are in no immediate danger or expecting the caves to be especially perilous. Let us continue and see what the gillmen find important about these caves."

Inside the tunnel, hearing Tawner's hyperbolic lamentation, the large man prepares to shake him to his senses, but Garrapata beats him to it.

Fomalhaut queues up behind Sidi in case Garrapata needs additional help calming him down.

"Are you sure we shouldn't be helping her? Her distraction might provide the opportunity for us to win the day." Airyn steps lightly around the others as he looks around the cavern.

Returning to examine the contents of the backback, "Scrolls? They may come in useful, and I do enjoy reading."

"The rest of you may easily see in this darkness, but I cannot," Tawner states with a dejected affect. He pulls out an iron rod from his backpack and strikes its gold tip against the cavern wall. It easily lights up the area so that Tawner can see what the group is passing around to each other.

"Hey, Garrapata. Speaking of wands, how many charges does your wand have? The one you gave me?"

Garrapata does the math in his head. It's not a pretty sight. "49."

"I agree, Sidi, Janira would not have lured that thing away if she did not have a plan for loosing it. Shes strikes me as too careful and calculating to act without a plan."

Hallimir winces momentarily as the bright light from the sunrod takes him by surprise. Irrespective of Janira's decision, we are here and we have a mission to accomplish, I will take a look ahead to make sure the way is safe....Airyn or Formalhout...I could use some backup if you can stay hidden?

"Stay hidden, of course," replies Fomalhaut. "Unfortunately, I'm sort of bound to watch Lydia's back. Considerations both mundane and metaphysical, you understand."

"Then I shall accompany you." Airyn stows the scrolls he had been reading and follows Hallimir along the tunnel.

"Stay hidden, of course," replies Fomalhaut. "Unfortunately, I'm sort of bound to watch Lydia's back. Considerations both mundane and metaphysical, you understand."

"Understood" . with that, Hallimir turns and heads into the darkness with Airyn, staying close to the walls, moving as silently as he can and looking intently for any hidden dangers.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

"Do not get into too much trouble," Sidi cautions Hallimir and Airyn.

"Tawner, do you have control of yourself?"

Garrapata watches the two disappear. "Invisibility? WHAT A CONCEPT!"

"Yeah, look I just...it's just that I thought we were exploring. I've never killed anything other than a rabbit or two."

Tawner thinks back to the bug attack and realizes he still hasn't killed anything other than some rabbits.

"I'll be fine. Just need to catch my breath." He smiles at the group, Sidi in particular. It makes Tawner look like he's wincing.

He sets the sunrod down, and takes out his journal and inkwell. With his inkpen, he tries to chronicle the journey so far.

The narrow tunnel twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a wider passage. The deeper in the damper the air becomes. Water dribbles down the walls and stalactites.

As the passage widens ceiling rises to about 10 feet and is refreshingly free of stalactites. A large, water-filled pit spans the tunnel’s width and stretches ten feet down the path. There's a dark, unmoving shape near the bottom, in the southwest corner.

Each character may make one skill check. Open all the spoilers that apply.

Map updated

Knowledge Untrained: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Garrapata admires the pretty caves, but doesn't know anything about them.

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Airyn examines the dank cave and shivvers, "It appears this hole has been purposefully excavated. The edges are rounded to prevent easily climbing. But, it is at least a year old."

"Climbing? I can climb quite well! Let me see if I can get in there!" Garrapata lowers himself into the pit and splashes around to see if he notices anything. He lights a torch and looks around.

Sidi opens his mouth to speak as Garrapata climbs into the pit but shuts it and goes to the side of the cave without comment. He examines the wall for a few moments and then, finding a handhold, he begins to climb across the side of the cave over the pit.

Climb, ACP: 10 + 8 - 1 = 17

"Climbing? I can climb quite well! Let me see if I can get in there!" Garrapata lowers himself into the pit and splashes around to see if he notices anything. He lights a torch and looks around.

Lighting a torch under 10 feet of water is a pretty good trick! To be clear the pit is 20 feet deep and half filled with water.

Watching Garrapata trying to light a torch whilst swimming, hallimir chuckles to himself

"Here Garrapata, try this..."

Hallimir grabs the glowling sunrod from Tawner and throws it towards Garrapata.

"can you see what that figure in the water is?"

Airyn steps back and takes a running leap over the pit.

Activating his Aerial Agility ability
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 2 + 1 - 1 = 14

"It is good to fly through the air." He stops looking down at Garrapata. "Do you need a hand?"

"Blurgle! Blory blurgle blurgle!" Garrapata calls back from under water. Swim: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 I'll dive down to see what's under water!

Sidi opens his mouth to speak as Garrapata climbs into the pit but shuts it and goes to the side of the cave without comment. He examines the wall for a few moments and then, finding a handhold, he begins to climb across the side of the cave over the pit.

Sidi finds no purchase on the damp cave wall. Climb DC 22.

Are you certain?

knowledge (dungeoneering): 1d20 ⇒ 6

Tawner watches El Garrapata try to light a torch. He doesn't mind that Hallimir takes the sunrod to help out the warrior. But somehow he really is starting to like the man in blue and would have preferred to watch him go at it for the next few minutes. It's almost comforting.

He's got the innocence of a child.

"Hallimir," Tawner turns to him, "Should we even be in the water right now? Isn't that the domain of these gill, um, people?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Airyn flys easily over the pit.

Are you certain?

Typical dungeon walls are DC 20, these are slick with water for an increase of +2. Ship's rigging is typically 10, trees start at 15, I'm going with the idea the walls are harder to climb than trees the way trees are harder to climb than rigging. On the plus side, Sidi can test the difficulty over the cave floor before moving over the pit and thereby avoid a tumble.