GM XaveTheNerd's Scions of Sky Key Series (Inactive)

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@Gardol: It wouldn't be a handle animal check because it's not an animal, it's a magical beast. It would be a Wild Empathy check, which can affect magical creatures with an Int score of 1 or 2, which a basilisk just happens to be (using my meta-knowledge), but if you make an attempt against such a creature (magical beast with an Int score of 1 or 2), then you take a -4 penalty on the wild empathy check. Meaning your total bonus would be -4 (+2 level -2 Cha -4 magical beast). It's a long shot, but it's a shot nonetheless.

Gotcha, thanks...guess we'll see what the GM says...

Wild empathy, bluff, and Handle Animal will all work. The scenario gives me DCs for all 3 of those checks.

Ferdrin realizes that the creature, having not already attacked, must be particularly docile for its species.

Would Malthus have any reason to believe that he could Bluff this basilisk (odd that there's no Diplomacy)? The only reason I as a player didn't think of that is because bluffing an animal-intelligence creature isn't a thing you can normally do.

Will attempt to use Handle Animal since I have the best mod for that...will include a save (Fort?) as I'm guessing this might expose Gardol to its gaze...

Gardol will attempt to soothe the animal with soft cooing noises, putting away his bow and slowly coming closer with open hands...

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

As Gardol approaches the beast, he feels the hairs of his arm begin petrifying, but he's able to resist it spreading to his skin. The lizard stares at him in the eyes for a bit (a dangerous game), but the creature, surprisingly, nuzzles up to Gardol's hand. As Gardol tries to pull away the hand, the lizard steps forward like an expectant pet, wanting more pets.

Gardol, you have gained its trust. You may attempt another check to get it to do something you want, but it is no longer actively defensive towards YOU. It still doesn't trust the rest of the party, though.

While Gardol will try to avert looking it in the eye, just in case he does...

While not looking directly at the basilisk's face, Gardol will lean down and pet the creature, scratching it lightly behind its ears, cooing to it soflty...

While doing so, he'll look to the others. "Stay back and keep your distance...I'll try to keep it calm while y'all search the area..."

GM: What are the limits to what I can get it to do? I'm guessing the basic commands of stay, sit, etc...what about sleep or close your eyes? Guessing if I'm trying to get it to do something will expose me to its gaze? Not sure I want to risk that again...

Malthus stares at the reflection in his blade in sheer disbelief, almost forgetting not to look and almost turning around to see if What was in his blade’s reflection was the truth—almost.

That actually worked?!

Well, hmpf, that was unexpected.

Jerrid is surprised by Gardol befriending the dangerous beast but decides to go with it. He raises his blind fold and looks around, glad the creature is not near him. He decides to head to the center of the room, avoiding the direction he heard Gardol's voice.

He looks at the center object in the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Gardol, it will follow simple orders. "Close your eyes" is actually a listed one, though that one has a more random duration than the rest, of course.

Jerrid's meandering into the center of the room leads him to a fountain. At the center of this large fountain, a white marble statue of a dwarf in scholarly robes faces east in a defiant posture. In one hand, the dwarf holds a staff, and in the other an open book. While most of the statue's elaborate details are still intact, its face has crumbled away, and water pours down from two holes where the statue's eyes had once been. Due to the perception roll, Jerrid also notices pickaxe marks, suggesting the statues has been vandalized. He also notices writing in the book. It'll be a linguistics check to read it. If you speak dwarven, you may attempt the check untrained and receive a +5 bonus to the check.

Ferdrin follows Jerrid into the center and looks more closely at the book held by the dwarven scholar statue.

Well, now that the big lizard is under control, this looks interesting.

linguistics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

The book reads "Home is far behind, our kin scattered to the four winds, but we endure."

Ferdin reads the translation aloud for Jerrid.

"Home is far behind, our kin scattered to the four winds, but we endure."

This, likely referring to the separate migrations of dwarven clans after the Quest for Sky.

"Someone didn't like that statue. Probably the kobolds."

So, what's the plan, guys? Specifically, what's the plan Gardol.

Ferdin has a sudden recollection.

The talisman that Mother Bogwynne sent us with! If this is indeed the Golden Guardian, then it is within its presence that we must unseal its power!

He fishes the clay talisman out of his pack, and carefully moves back into the area with Gardol and the basilisk, but still keeping his eyes towards the floor and his wide-brimmed hat pulled low.

He begins by holding up the talisman towards the beast, presenting it to see if there's any reaction. still, with eyes covered by the brim, so he aims it in the general direction of the beast.

GM, what is needed for this to work? Presenting it only? An arcana or UMD check?

”We were told the guardian was draconian in appearance, correct?” Orzworth cautions. ”This statue does not match that description.”

No Orzworth, not the statue, the basilisk. To some folk, it may seem draconic enough, though not a true dragon.

He continues waiting for a reaction.

Don't really know...I'm in unfamiliar territory...so I'll wing it...

Gardol will try to teach the basilisk a couple of commands...

First, he'll try teaching it to close your eyes...

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

...and then he'll try teaching it to stay...

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

If successful, he'll try rewarding it by giving it some of his rations...

No longer with the blindfold on, Jerrid looks back and sees he passed a door. He heads back to the door and sees if it is unlocked/unbarred.

Moved on map. Door that leads to northwest section.

I'm hoping I have the right of it with the talisman. It suddenly hit me the other day that the grippli had told us *something* about this encounter and I had to look it back up :P

"Gardol, is the basilisk golden?" Orzworth calls out, uncertain if it is safe to look yet and not wishing to needlessly expose himself to danger.

Gardol manages, surprisingly, to get the beast to close its eyes and stay put. Threat nullified! Good job guys!

As Jerrid opens the door to the area after determining it's not locked or trapped, the smell of incense is almost overpowering. He recognizes the area as a "house" of sorts, where shelves full of jars and vases of different sizes line the walls. Three kobolds lie motionless in stone beds.

The basilisk is NOT golden. Good try, though. You haven't found anything that screams "golden guardian" yet.

Using the sleeve he ripped off for a blindfold as a mask, he pulls it down to cover his nose and mouth as he back away from the room.

The basilisk is NOT golden. Good try, though. You haven't found anything that screams "golden guardian" yet.

Darn, got ahead of myself :D

I don't have a lot of experience in medicine, but I wonder what put these kobolds down...

Heal, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Ferdrin identifies that the kobolds in the room are dead.

Next?

Craft (alchemy), untrained, DC14: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Ferdrin peeks in a sampling of the jars.

Some of this seems to be for preserving bodies, some of it religious in nature.

So if that wasn't the golden guardian, what is significant here, or are we off to another place?

"Lets avoid the room with the strange gas."

Jerrid walks back toward the center statue and then south to check the door and what is beyond there.

GM: Is Gardol free to roam around now or does he need to stay near the basilisk to keep it calm and in one place?

@Gardol: You've got a few minutes before the basilisk grows bored of sitting there with its eyes closed, so you're free to move around.

Jerrid opens the door after determining it's safe. Animal hides and furs have been laid out on the six dwarf-sized stone beds in this room. A crude set of dice lies scattered on the floor. A number of weapons have been stashed in a pile to the north. Kobolds play Pathfinder too!

Malthus, instantly intrigued by the pile of weapons, begins inspecting the weapons' craftsmanship when he stops short of one blade...

N.S.?

"Hey...what was Sharrowsmith's first name?"

Ferdrin follows Jerrid into the room to look around.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Dice...? They were playing games here?

He first turns his arcane eye on the dice, and then moved on to the pile of weapons.

Cast detect magic

He approaches the pile of blades last, noting the one Malthus has already picked up.

I don't remember, but there's definitely something special about that blade. Hold it up for me...

knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Survival DC12: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Hmpfh. Look here, how the dust rises from this bed when you strike it, but not that one? Only three of these beds have been used recently.

At the mention of a special blade, his ears perk up.

Let me see that. Is this possibly...?

Knowledge Arcana, Aid Another: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

It might be!

Glancing around the room, "Barracks it seems. No bodies like the other room though."

Oooh, so close! Aid Another, anyone?

Auto aid from Ferdrin on Spellcraft check.

The item is identified as a Nieford Sharrowsmith's old sword, a Lesser Blade of the Open Road. In this state, it is nothing more than a +1 longsword with a Glyph of the open road on it, but higher versions do exist (And access is given on the Chronicle) to better versions of the sword. A regular Blade of the Open Road functions as a +1 Aspis Bane Longsword, while a GREATER Blade also gains Ominous and Heartseeker against Aspis agents and employees. ALSO, upon wielding any version of the sword, any wayfinder the wielder carries grants a +2 bonus on ALL survival checks, not just checks to avoid becoming lost.

Whew.

K, now where to? The perfect little basilisk is sitting there, tail waggling, eyes closed, waiting for some more pets.

Jerrid walks across the room and opens the door to the southeastern door.

Many bits and pieces of metal lie on stone shelves carved into the walls. Several ornaments made from animal bones hang from the ceiling. A crude, on-foot-tall statue of a horned and winged creature stands on a stone table set next to a wall.

Next?

Ferdrin backs up Jerrid, checking his target door for traps.

perception: 1d20 ⇒ 1

He notices that there's a door there... yuk yuk

Missed the GM post by 9 seconds, according to the website timestamps :)

craft (traps), untrained, DC13: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

knowledge (nature), DC19: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

There are a lot of odd objects in this room. That statue over there on the stone table is of a gargoyle of some sort. If it weren't only one-foot tall, I would be concerned about it springing to life, stone to flesh!

He then turns to Jerrid.

Are you ready to try the last room? I'll be right behind you.

Herald moves into the room near him.

Malthus listens to his companions describe the sword to him then move on through the area. The noble shrugs and straps Sharrowsmith's longsword to his back.

Finders, keepers, I suppose.

Untrained Craft (traps): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Jerrid nods, "One more room to go before we head onward."

He leaves the room and heads for the door leading into the northeastern room.

As Herald opens the door nearest him, he's overcome with the reek of dung and sweat that permeates this small room. Heaped in a corner, ther eis a pile of cement pellets, and in another corner lies a grotesque, stuffed leather back with two oval patches sewn on it.

Upon examination, the bag appears to have a bunch of bite marks on it.

-----

Jerrid's room features a stone pillar bearing numerous lines of runic text standing amid pieces of stone furniture and heaps of miscellaneous junk. The walls feature crude paintings of dragons

----

Lastly, Gardol begins taking a look around and notices the area near him is covered in rubble due to a cave in of some sort. It appears there used to be a cave heading westward from where he is, but the cave in has blocked access. It's unclear what caused the cave in, but it appears recent (as in, within the last month).

knowledge (nature), DC12: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Ferdrin makes a slightly disgusted, irritated expression.

Is that.. yes it is. The stone pellets are basilisk dung. Can't they put down animal skins or old scrolls newspapers to collect the stuff? Folks should really mind their pets better...

He moves onto Jerrid's room.

Heal: 1d20 ⇒ 8

Hmm, this looks like Dwarven. Not a language I know well, but perhaps I can figure it out...

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

These are names and dates of death, though not in Absolom Reckoning. Many seem to occur suddenly in a short time, indicating some disease must have ravaged the dwarven colony here near the end of its occupation, quickly killing a large number of them.

Heal DC15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Mind what you touch in this room, Jerrid. I believe it was used to house sick people at one point.

Herald ignores his own advice and searches for anything useful.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12