World's Most Interesting Confirmation (003) [PFS CORE 5-08] (Inactive)

Game Master Great Green God

Yangrit reacts in a flash, leading the way as fast as her stubby legs can carry her. She hastily encourages the group to follow her: "Come on!"

Whatever is coming sounds big enough that the narrow cave entrance might protect them from whatever clearly large and probably dangerously powerful creature that is. She's no coward, but she knows a tactical advantage--and disadvantage--when she sees one. This is one of those times.

Duncan racks his brain to see if he knows what this thing is.

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 ⇒ 3

"I ha' no idea what that beastie be, but I dinnae think it be a friendly one! Let's get inna cave now!"

Duncan darts into the cave!

"CRAP!" Janira tosses her backpack into the cave mouth at Tusk. 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!!" the thing bellows in a near-subsonic basso that echoes through the valley.

Tusk is about to rush the beast with glee when he sees his wimpy teammates duck into the cave. Janira is the only one brave enough to battle the beast.

Hmmm... Would it be all that bad if the half-pint bag of annoyance gets torn limb from limb? She practically begged us to let her fight the thing alone. Right?

Reluctantly the half-orc turns from battle and slowly moves deeper into the darkness, rummaging through the bag without turning back, and finding the one potion (barkskin) he likes before the others can argue.

Liv seems almost relieved that Janira is running off to get killed and practically skips to the cave entrance.

Telos gets a look of shock that Janira is really "handling" the beast on her own.

"Well, she did say she was only leading it away..." He picks a few scrolls out of the bag see discussion tab and turns to start down the tunnel.

"This is cramped, even for a halfling. One-by-one it is."

Inside the cave, Yangrit hastily grabs the holy water, then more sedately selects an alchemist's fire and all 5 of the lint.

If anyone asks about the lint, she says, "What? I have a collection." It's hard to tell if she's joking.

Liv gives a grim smile and pulls out a tiny jar full of knuckle bones Collections are a lot of fun aren't they? I hope we can find enough of Janira for me to add to mine later....

Ironshanks looks a bit torn at the decision, but knowing the group needs him he chooses the many over the few. "Liv, yer as morbid as a crypt. Janira looked pretty damn fast, she should be ok. Hopefully. Lets go."

He pulls a few things out of the pack and leads them down the tunnels. Take 10 as he goes on perceptions: 17

Note, the tunnel is pitch dark so before we go on someone is going to have to explain how the half of the party without darkvision proceeds.

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 the 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 Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Liv has no light source and calls upon Carrion, her rat, to guide her by scent until such a time that someone lights a torch.

That pit trap there....designed to capture something but its well over a year ood. Curious that

Ironshanks looks at the stubborn Liv and her rodent "Ya gut two hands Missy, why don't ya put a sun rod in one of 'em! Mine hands need ta be free fer axe n shield!" He grumbles something about kids these days.

Survival, DC10/15: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Grumblestiltskin stops short of the pool of water, a look of annoyance mixed with slight fear crosses his bearded mug "Aye, the dreaded flooded pit trap is it? I can't tell ye how many of my kin have died in such traps throughout history!" He salutes them with a bang on his chest plate with his gauntlet, then unslings his backpack and starts pulling out his length of rope, grappling hook, pitons, and hammer.

"I dunno 'bout the rest of yas, but walkin' round in wet full plate ain't my idea of a vacation. Watch n learn about how we Dwarves fish stuff outta these pits!" He ties his grappling hook to the hemp rope and starts fishing for the body at the bottom of the pool.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 9

"Why not leave the thing down there? A better use of time would be to find a way across. I suppose we could climb down and back up again. Anyone got rope besides the fisherman? He'll be busy for awhile it looks."

Duncan had cast Light on his buckler before going into the cave. I posted that earlier just before the Mino showed up.

Duncan will attempt Knowledge (Dungeoneering).

Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 1d20 ⇒ 18

"You know, this sorta reminds me o' a coal mine. I got a song for that."

"Workin' in the coal mine
Goin' down, down, down
Workin' in a coal mine
Oops, about to slip down
Workin' in a coal mine
Goin' down down, down
Workin' in a coal mine
Oops, about to slip down

Daddy, workin' in the coal mine
Goin' down, down, down
Workin' in a coal mine
Oops, about to slip down
Workin' in a coal mine
Goin' down, down, down
Workin' in a coal mine
Oops, about to slip down"

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

"Hey, long shanks!" Yangrit almost snaps at the know-it-all orc. "Take a running leap and see if there's anything on the other side that we can tie a rope onto so we can all get across." Let's see if he goes for it before I unpack my rope. Though he'll be insufferable if he succeeds.

Tusk merely looks at the short gal with stubby legs like shes an idiot.

"You first."

He smiles Ha ha ha ha. Good joke.

See two posts ago, Telos had cast Light on his longspear and was using it like a walking stick. He should see just fine.

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

As the others argue about the pit, Telos straps his spear to his back, cracks his knuckles, and backs up for a running start.

Acrobatics, jump 10', DC10: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"Less talky, more jumpy folks! It's simple."

After he lands on the other side, he takes his lighted spear in hand and looks around at his new surroundings.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Yangrit smirks at the half-orc. "At least the halfling wasn't afraid."

She calls out to Telos as she bends down to fish her rope out of her pack: "What do you see over there?"

"I dunno 'bout the rest of yas, but walkin' round in wet full plate ain't my idea of a vacation. Watch n learn about how we Dwarves fish stuff outta these pits!" He ties his grappling hook to the hemp rope and starts fishing for the body at the bottom of the pool.

After a few tosses of his grappling hook (the object is on the opposite side of the pool after all) Ironshanks snags it and hauls in what turns out to be a brightly-colored, sequined cape.

"Less talky, more jumpy folks! It's simple."

After he lands on the other side, he takes his lighted spear in hand and looks around at his new surroundings.

Map updated (for Telos mainly).

Telos carefully scans the walls and ground for both interesting objects and signs of gillfolk-tracks.

Does the previous perception roll reveal anything other than the plank?

He quickly comes upon the wooden plank, and casually drags it back to the side of the pit opposite his teammates, calling out to them.

"Well, I found this for easier crossing, so the rest of you don't have to worry about embarrassing yourselves in attempts to jump for yourselves."

He smirks as he lays the plank across the pit. "Join me on this side, will you?"

He notices that Ironshanks is holding something new.

"What have you got there?"

Tusk returns the dwarfs smirk with a glare, then crosses the bridge, dismissing her as beneath his notice.

How did that little halfling manage such a long leap?

Duncan smiles as Telos brings back the plank and says to himself, "Whew, now I dinnae have to try to leap that hole. I should have paid more attention to the leaping and jumping classes."

He crosses over the plank to the other side and says, "Thank you, Telos. That be a right handy bit o' work there."

Having defeated the hole in the ground and recovered some damp apparel party presses onward.

The the irregular path continues into the depths. The air grows musty. The ceiling drips and the walls run with condensation, and pale moss-like fungi. An unseen river rushes through the stone nearby into some subterranean estuary, its power marked by noise, and vibration.

Increasingly as the party progresses deeper in, they note at points the pattern of the fungi becoming more regular. Soon it becomes apparent that the blue-green moss is clinging to parts of the wall where various hands, by various means, have, over the span of centuries, etched the walls with petroglyphs depicting rough humanoid figures, aquatic flora, fauna, strange spiral sigils, and other less identifiable drawings that seem to be some combination of the others. The drawings seem to grow older the further the party plumbs, the extra glowing blue-green fungus growing in their ridges making them stand out a bit from the rest of the wall.

At this point the party is not exactly sure how deep they are only that they have been traveling for about a half-hour.

Condition: Damp stone floor Acrobatics checks made in the caves are made at +2 difficulty.

Condition: Dim lighting The fungus casts everything in a dim light. The party of course still has its glowing spear to see by.

Ironshanks raises his eyebrows a bit when he pulls up the cloak and shakes it off, sequins shimmering in the light "Aye, now I see why someone tossed this thing down that wat'ry pit! Musta been made by the Elfs or one of them techno crazed gnomes!" He hands it over to Liv "Put this one, mebe it'll brighten yer mood!" He chuckles before eyeing up the plank and carefully trudging across.

K Engineering Untrained: Will this plank hold my heavy arse?: 1d20 ⇒ 8

Take 10 on Acrobatics if needed for a 5

PS, Telos: Having a movement below 30 gives a -4 penalty to jump checks for every 10ft below. Not that it would matter in your previous jump but figured you should know for down the road your jump checks are only +1 vs +5

Seems I was GM Ninja'd! Adding in below for the new stuff.

Having survived the greatest slayer of a long line of Dwarven fighters before him, Ironshanks continues leading the group through the caves, not saying too much until they come across the glowing fungus. "Eh. Fungus. Lots of it. If ya was lucky enough to grow up a Dwarf, at least the kind that grew up under ground, ye learned to like eatin' cave fungus. Mind you they ain't all the same!" He stops to take a look to see if they lucked out on some tasty ones. Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Ironshanks raises his eyebrows a bit when he pulls up the cloak and shakes it off, sequins shimmering in the light "Aye, now I see why someone tossed this thing down that wat'ry pit! Musta been made by the Elfs or one of them techno crazed gnomes!" He hands it over to Liv "Put this one, mebe it'll brighten yer mood!" He chuckles before eyeing up the plank and carefully trudging across.

Take 10 on Acrobatics if needed for a 5

He's doubtful of the board's structural integrity even though it seems a fine board. With a total of 5, Ironshanks just makes it.

Duncan will cast Light on his buckler again as it seems to keep going out.

"I wonder why all these carvings were made here?

As the group descends deeper into the cave, Yangrit's brow furrows smooth out and her jaw relaxes. Even in the dim light anyone who looks can see that she doesn't look grumpy anymore. She gazes at the fungus as a surface dweller would gaze upon a garden of roses. Pulling out paper and pencil, she begins to sketch the patterns and images as she walks. It's not a masterful rendition, but it's well enough done for someone to decipher the meanings, if they can read it. Having no clue herself, Yangrit hopes some researchers back at the lodge will be able to understand what is depicted so beautifully on these walls.

For those of you Pathfinders who wish to take a closer look at the drawings.

sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 1

While the others stare at the stupid stuff on the walls, Tusk is warily eyeing the approaches to the party. Caves are dangerous places.

Telos looks over Yangrit's shoulder.

Sense motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

It really doesn't seem like anything he learned in his arcane training. He quickly loses interest and thumbs back through the scrolls he found earlier in Janira's bag.

He looks back and forth at the dark approaches from which anything could surprise them while his teammates stare at the glyphs.

Better safe than sorry...

He uses his fingers to trace the runes on the scroll of Mage Armor.

Activate Mage Armor scroll (CL6), +4 armor AC, duration 6 hours.

He then goes through his own scroll collection and pulls out a scroll of Cure Light Wounds.

Use Magic Device, DC21: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Use Magic Device, DC21: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Use Magic Device, DC21: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

After fidgeting with it for a short time, the runes disappear from the velum sheet as his wounds begin to heal.

Scroll of cure light wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Telos looks over Yangrit's shoulder.

How precisely (without an acrobatics (jump) or climb check)? ;)

Sense Motive DC20: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 Ironshanks is far too concerned with edible fungus than for whatever is hidden beneath it. "Eh, best we continue on people." He continues his clanking through the caverns, trying not to slip on the wet stone.

Telos Downshot wrote:

Telos looks over Yangrit's shoulder.

How precisely (without an acrobatics (jump) or climb check)? ;)

hehe "peeks around Yangrit to ineffectively look at the glyphs... "

Duncan looks at the markings on the wall intently.

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 19

"Interesting." Then he breaks into a song.

"I've been here before
But always hit the floor
I've spent a lifetime running
And I always get away
But with you I'm feeling something
That makes me want to stay

How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here I'm suffocating
I want to feel love, run through my blood
Tell me is this where I give it all up?
How do I live? How do I breathe?
When you're not here I'm suffocating
I want to feel love, run through my blood
Tell me is this where I give it all up?
For you I have to risk it all
'Cause the writing's on the wall"

He follows Ironshanks down the passage.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Yangrit feels that she's just on the cusp of understanding the glyphs, but she can't quite put her finger on it. She knows the foolishness of staying behind, so when the group trudges onward, she reluctantly falls in line with them. Maybe I can spend some more time on them when we are finished exploring.

The damp tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. The air is cooler here. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls, casting everything in their weird light.

Map updated.

Deciphering the images and writing is difficult because of their eroded state.

Each character may make one Skill check to decipher the images in this room. Open all the spoilers that apply. The writing combines Aquan and Azlanti, and a PC receives a +2 bonus on his skill check for each of these languages he can understand.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Sigh, more weathered inscriptions of glyphs I cannot understand. Perhaps I should have broadened my studies a bit...

DC 17 perception: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Tusk is a little startled when the others pause to examine all the pretty pictures, like a bunch of kids. But what else would you expect from their like? Besides, he knew what he was getting into when he joined the sharp end of the society. So he tolerantly waits while the others sketch and debate, while keeping an eye out for trouble.

Perception + Stone Racial?: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 2 = 29

Ironshanks pauses as he sees the carvings into the stone wall "Hold up here kiddos! This looks like some important Pathfinder bookworm type of shit. Get out yer pens n papers and start copyin'!" He then proceeds to translate the writings and markings as only someone of his advanced age can.

After waiting for the pens and papers to arrive he begins his lesson:

"The carvings here are different in style from the petroglyphs found elsewhere in the caves, and are much older. Scattered throughout the cave are inscriptions from The History and Future of Humanity, the principle holy text of the century-dead god Aroden, and images that depict these passages. He ain't no Torag, but he wasn't half bad." Ironshanks muses, pausing to check that notes are being taken.

"The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity: the artist, beggar, craftsman, farmer, fisherman, hunter, merchant, scholar, shepherd, soldier, tailor, and thief." He snorts as he mentions the thief at the end, shaking his head in disapproval.

He moves over to focus on the first avatar "This one, for example, depicts The Fisherman, an old salt in yellow rain gear holding a ship's wheel, and presiding over a huge haul of tiny stick-shaped fish! You'd think he'd catch something better, huh." He scratches his beard, a few crumbs falling out.

He pauses to let everyone catch up before continuing "This one is The Artist, a young man with a tin of paint beautifying the city with big, colorful, stylized lettering upon the facings of it's buildings, bridges, and walls. Most depict the god's own name, but some are short phrases of encouragement!" He laughs "Real colorful stuff, bet he hired a team of buzzed out Gnomes for that." He continues on.

"Bah, this is the The Thief, a diabolically sly fellow in a skintight black suit that hides his identity. He steals only things worth taking. In the light of day all of his worthy victims proudly gossip that they too have been robbed by someone who knows quality when they see it!" He stands for a moment, mouth agape. "What a bunch of rubes! Geez."

As he gets to the final avatar he stands proudly "Oh my goodness! It's The Hunter, a big tough guy who with the help of giant constructs, and techno-magic weaponry defeats the evil, giant monsters bent upon destroying his city on a nearly weekly basis! He's seen besting a giant moth, a fire-breathing lizard, a big ape, and a flying turtle, and then parading about the defeated beasts in the now half-ruined city while accompanied by huge cheering crowds!" He looks at the Hunter avatar then at himself a few times, raising his eyebrows and referring to himself. After a few moments of nonrecognition he throws his hands up in the air and scoffs "Finish yer notes, time to move on!" These young folks can't recognize greatness when it stands right before 'em!

Duncan looks the drawings over and tries to understand them.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

It is plainly obvious to everyone in the party that Duncan clearly did not spend much time learning anything about deciphering cultural symbols at any stage of his education.

Tusk grabs some colored rocks and scribbles a stick figure of some orc god in a bare corner. At least you think it may be an orc god since it has fangs and a big double bladed ax weapon. Or it could just be a self portrait. He's not a good artist.

"There. That's better."

Telos listens to Ironshanks translations, not really taking as thorough of notes as he should.

"Wait, why just hopes for humanity? Did Aroden favor only the humans? Or did it mean to say humanoid...anity... or something similar? I suspect the gillfolk would likewise appreciate a looser, inclusive translation."

Ironshanks just stares at the others, especially Tusk as he defiles the ancient writings "Yer... yer... I give up." He finishes his lesson and continues on, shaking his head. I'm definitely putting that in my report, they're all dirty barbarians!

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Yangrit begins to decipher the glyphs, but stops once Ironshanks gets going. She furiously scribbles notes, trying to keep up and maintain legibility. He sure knows his stuff.

Liv tries to makes sense of the Arodenite statuaries.

History: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

She keeps it to herself because the loud mouthed dwarf has beaten her to it.

But she smiles smugly at her superiority over the rest.

She then tries to see if the statuary can be moved.

Liv tries to makes sense of the Arodenite statuaries.

She keeps it to herself because the loud mouthed dwarf has beaten her to it.

But she smiles smugly at her superiority over the rest.

She then tries to see if the statuary can be moved.

They are not free-standing statues but rather are faded reliefs set into the walls. They have been worn by time, the elements, and geological shifts (i.e. there is a reason that only four of Aroden's dozen guises, and those so faint as to be easily missed remain). They could be removed with some major excavation involving heavy equipment, the widening of tunnels, and either a lot of dwarves or magic.

Time passes in the cave while the Pathfinder initiates take notes, make drawings and contaminate the site with their own primitive graffiti.

MEANWHILE....

**Puff, puff** Well, I finally lost him. Thank Desna that's over! I was almost out of breath there. Now all I have to do is head back and wait.

Janira turns a corner and walks into a camp of a dozen minotaurs.... They all look up.

"Oh crap."

Her note taking finished, Yangrit packs up her pencil and paper. Looking about at the group, she grunts, "Ready? We should move on. If we stay here too long we'll get surprised by something."

"But we need a lot of dwarves...you know, I got a song for them to work by too. It goes like this."

"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's home from work we go

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's home from work we go"

"That be a great tune. I hear all the dwarves love it!"