[PFS_CORE_Aerondor] 05-Special Siege of the Diamond City (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Lybram will move into the east room and look around for any secret exits.
perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
"Looks like a room and it is clear. I guess we head back the other way."

Kinosis has a look around.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Xusius will move into the next room and look over the books carefully using both Perception and casting Detect Magic.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Argus steps uncertainly into the east room with Xusius and calls out, "Hello? Pathfinders here. We are seeking Venture-Captain Jorsal and were told he could be found here."

He strains to hear any response.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

No replies are heard to the words echoing through the empty house.

Xusius notes the books are all on pretty common lore.

Moving things along slightly just to avoid too much wasted time.

Checking the northern door in the first room reveals a short passageway with three other doors off it.

Lybram will let the others know about the 3 doors.

"I think we should try the one on the right." at a slightly elavated volume.

But in contrast he shakes his head and points to the one on the left and mouths "that one".

With axe ready, he waits for one of his group to open the door and the rest to arrive as back up.

Just to keep things moving
The entirety of this room is littered with barrels, chests, and crates. The doors to the room only open about halfway before bumping against sundry containers

Lybram will peek inside and see what he can see.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

If he sees the stairs, he will mention it to the others.

He will move on to the door at the end of the hall.

Argus returns to the others and checks the door to the north.

Opening the door.

A quick glance is enough to confirm that this room will takes hours of heavy lifting to properly search...

Not saying you can't, but you should be aware of the time implications during the attack

Argus looks at the storeroom and then tries the next door instead. Honestly, you would think a paladin wouldn't shirk at the thought of hard work. Especially not one with strong orcish blood in him. But no he has to try the other door. Locked. Serves him right.

Truly, Shelyn is punishing his laziness. XD

Argus grips his glaive, looks at Lybram and Gromther, and nods toward the final door in this hallway inquisitively.

Argus opens the door, only to be confronted with the form of a massive demon at the far end of the room!

A great table fills the center of the chamber, surrounded by high-backed leather chairs. Bookshelves fill the walls, each with an eclectic assortment of tomes and papers, some bound in flesh and other unspeakable substances. Doors exit to the north, south and west, and in the southeast corner, a powerful vrock stands forever posed as if ready to attack—this demon did not survive its battle with the taxidermist.

Status,
Shaeri
Gromther
Argus
Kinosis
Lybram
Xusius
nothing happening here.

"Why would someone waist all that time and energy to make that ugly thing?" " Good place to hold gold maybe?"

Lybram does a quick look around. perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

If he doesn't find anything he will head for the west door. And if no one objects he will open it axe raised and ready.

Nothing obvious, although, perhaps unsurprisingly, the books all seem to be about demons and demonic rituals. It would take hours to go through them.

The table itself is bare, and it looks like nobody has been here for days.

The door beyond leads into a guest room.

Two beds lie opposite one another in this long, narrow chamber. An elaborate portrait of Iomedae hangs from the western wall. A single door exits to the south.

Argus snarls. "Demon here!" Then, after a moment, his glaive droops. "Oh. Er... never mind." Cheeks burning crimson, he steps into the room and looks around.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

Argus finds nothing of significance in either room.

Lybram checks with Angus as to whether there is any more rooms that way. After hearing there is not anything else, Lybram will turn back to the locked door.
"I think we have to use a little muscle in place of a key here." Maybe a few good wacks with an axe will do the trick."

Smash, Bash goes the pathfinder team.

Crash goes the door.

Lets hope nobody was on the other side.

Bookshelves line three walls of the room, each filled with tomes of varying size and subject matter. A door exits to the south and east.

Argus steps into the room and checks the bookshelves for anything of interest.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

Xusius will step into the room and attempt to perceive anything interesting on the books along with Detecting Magic.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

More books on the area and demons.

"So many books...it makes one wonder."

knowledge religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

"A final door it seems." Gromther sashays toward it.

"These books are dark stuff. Rituals to demon lords and such. No wonder it is locked up. Who would collect such stuff?"

perception on door: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Assuming he finds nothing funny Lybram will try to open the door.

With nothing else obvious, the team checks out the last door...expecting the worst.

However it is locked.

[ooc]And, assuming you take the same approach as before..[/oc]

Bash, Smash" goes the team.

Crash goes the door.

A well-made bed lies against the eastern edge of this room. Beside the bed is a small table. A piece of parchment rests on the table, the edges of which are embedded in cooled wax. Above the table hangs a framed portrait of a howling minotaur depicted as floating above a labyrinth made of pure ivory.

Lybram growing ever more frustrated, "Search well, there has to be some clue as to how or where this Thurl is. He has to be here somewhere."
aid to search: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Xusius if you could search this room and we all aid. I think we can probably maximize our chance of finding the next clue.

Xusius will move into the room and search it.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

That piece of paper on the table looks interesting. Very interesting. So interesting that you might want to read it.

If so, go to the maps and scroll down to the end
Feel free to keep those perception add rolls coming though.

"Mon amis, I zink we haf a traitor in ze Society as well as a spy here. Or maybe ze spy has left to meet zis TD? Ze questions now are who ees eet and has zis runner been here or not? Eef not, zen we haf an opportunity to catch zem. I haf ze feeling zo zat we are too late for zat."

Fresh from their victory in the Outer District, the group of seekers, Candi Payne and her companion Donna the Viper, Obsidean, Sister Ayako, Slimjim Son of House Shady, and Elric promise aid to the Pathfinders, should they need it. The team leaves a token in the hands of the junior Pathfinders in case they should ever need their help!

Argus squints at the letter, silently mouthing the words as he reads. When he finishes, he sets the letter back down on the nightstand and shakes his head. "Damn. Who would be stupid enough to work for demons?"

He sighs and looks at the others uncertainly. "M-maybe there's... tracks? Or... I dunno. Some kind of clue as to whether we're early for the runner or late? I say... um... I say we look around? Maybe?"

He clears his throat and starts scouring the room.

Perception (aid): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

... Yep.

Actions? And next area that you will want to go explore?

Kinosis starts looking around for any signs of the runner.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Vote for next area after this is maybeeee... I dunno. Confluence District? We haven't gone there yet.

"I guess we take this note with us and let them know we have a traitor in our organization."

Confluence is fine with me. I guess we are not supposed to find this Thurl character.

You take the note back to the VC who asks you keep this to yourselves for the moment. "We have a lot of distractions. Let's not upset folk more than required. But we will need to get to hte bottom of this."

"The Confluence district to the southwest is entirely old city. The Windings neighborhood is full of streets that are confusing even by the standards of old cities. Two Cs is named after Cayden Cailean, the patron deity of this raucous neighborhood. Coopertown is home to mostly staid and respectable businesses as well as the famous Starrise Spire, and Riverside is halfway between slum and supply depot, having transformed over time from a thriving hub of river trade to a military port that services few boats except those needed to ferry crusaders across the rivers. Heading over there to help out would be a good idea. Head down to the Starrise Spire to help the master of scrolls with a ritual..."

And indeed, the eclectic master of scrolls is (for once) exactly where you expect him.

"[b]Friends, the demons have found their way into the Starrise Spire and show no signs of relenting. Even now, agents battle them within the lodge, and we cannot keep this up. Luckily, I have been researching some ancient rituals that should allow us to keep the demons outside of the Spire, and give us time to regroup. I know the rites, but I need protection while I enact them. I trust you will protect me while I do this dangerous deed, yes?[b]”

Argus stands up straight, gripping his glaive in his hand. He looks surprisingly confident. "Aye, sir," he says. "We can do that."

"We will protect you to the best of our ability."

Lybram knuckles his hat in a salute.

Well, I guess we are on guard duty now. Are we supposed to try to get into the spire or just protect the master of scrolls?

perception for bad guys: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

"Zomehow I zink ze guard duty will not be boring. I am pretty zure ze demons will be paying us a call zoon."

"I assure you, we will do all we can to allow you to complete your task"

Kreighton nods "Keep your eyes opne"

The master of scrolls readies himself for his ritual. Various vials of blood and packets of dried bone emerge from his pouches and folds of his robe.

"The ritual is based on various text that were discovered by other pathfinders exploring the Darklands." he explains before starting.

Leading you outside to the streets just outside the Starrise Spire he sets up various circles and starts his ritual.
Round 1
Shaeri
Gromther
Argus
Kinosis
Lybram
Xusius
Please put yourself on the map, where you want to be. I've scattered you around the entrance for the moment. The three circles he will work within are on the map.

Kinosis stands with her weapon drawn in the middle of the street, ready to rush to where the action is. She can feel her blood pumping with the excitement of another encounter, one she feels she is thoroughly prepared for. "Shelyn guide my blade."

"I'll take this flank." Gromther grunts and draws the cold iron weapon he was gifted.

Xusius will attempt Knowledge (Arcana) on the ritual.

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

He them moves to where he is now.

"I'll watch the North passage," Argus says, and moves into position to block ingress from the northern end.

Positioned on map.

A pair of wolves, smelling oddly of Brimstone come round the street corners. They leap forward to the attack, closing the distance with terrifying speed.

Round 2, bold may post
Shaeri
Gromther
Argus
Kinosis
Lybram
Xusius
Round 3
Wolves

Ready for the brawl, Gromther takes two swings at the furry oaf.

flurry of blows 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
flurry of blows 2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
damage 1: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
damage 2: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

First attack will be a stunning fist attempt. If it hits -- DC 14 fortitude save or be stunned next round.

GM, did I receive an AoO for it passing through a threatened square? (Reach weapon)

It was technically a surprise round on you that they closed in. Written as such into the scenario. So, sorry no.

Lybram mumbles a short prayer. "Blessings all, Erastil smiles on us."

Casts bless on the group.

Then pulls out the cold iron axe.