Outpost II: Dungeon Master S's "Debt to the Quah" [Core 3-4] (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

Kaya steps into the room and moves up next to the group. She pulls out the map, showing her allies. "Okay, so we have mostly a big loop to run, with a few offshoots. I'm sure our battle here probably alerted every creature in the tomb to our presence, so if we don't move quick any advantage we had will be gone. I say we tie these guys up quick and get moving. I figure this will be the last room fixed, so let's wait on cleaning it up until we get back around to it and are ready to leave."

She points to the door in the back left corner of the room, "my vote is heading straight into the maze area next where our intrepid explorer blasted the lightning dogs. That at least is an area we can start fixing up as we clear it."

She searches the two ogres for valuables and things that had been looted from the tomb and then moves into position quietly, ready to move along into the next room, whichever way the group chooses.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

After the ogres fall to arrow, blade, fist, and spell Ironshanks grins and raises his axe to finish off the downed giants, but he sees Ninn out of the corner of his helmet so he lowers it with a sigh "So you wanna rush through here quickly and cleanup on the way back yer sayin? I guess I can see the wisdom in that."

He wipes the ogre blood off his blade like its contagious before giving the room a once over for useful tidbits. "Any of you familiar with bones? Some of these we may need to put back in graves and some could just be wildlife.."

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
Survival: Hunter's know game bones when they see them.: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

If it looks like they want to try being quiet Ironshanks puts in what little effort he can to keep relatively silent.. while in full plate. Take 10 stealth for an 8

Telka stands in the room, in the midst of battle apparently rather stunned. My, that was fast, who are these people?

I agree we should clear the place out quickly, we can repair and fix things after it is secure.

Before they head on he does take a quick look over the bones.

Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

With the talk of lightning dogs Telka takes out a scroll and activates it just in case.

Using a scroll to cast resist energy electricity. Lasts for 30 minutes and gives resist 10

Kaya replies quietly, "well I don't mean rush or anything. Still take normal precautions, but no dilly-dallying."

She wanders over to the bones to see what everyone is so interested in.

Knowledge Check all except Nobility/Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Sir Ninn grabs one ankle on the nearest monster, and looks at Pavo. "We should at least make sure these ogres can't cause anymore trouble, but Kaya's advice is wise."

Wyatt nods, and moves to help Ninn drag the ogres out.

The party gathers around the bones, and these seem to match the description of the destroyed guardian.

As the party looks over them, one of you says, "Are we hear to simply look, or should we clean the place up a bit?" Before you can answer, you realize that the voice isn't one of yours!

Turning around you see that it comes from a translucent figure!

"Ho! Strangers. Fear not. I am not a foul spirit, I assure you. I am the Hearth Keeper, the spirit bound to this place. It seems like there's quite a mess in here. It's not your doing I hope!"

Wyatt looks mildly surprised.

"Well. How interesting. No, we are not the ones who caused the mess, but we are the ones who have come here to fix things."

He then nods to the pile of (stolen) objects, that the party has brought back to restore.

"I don't suppose you could tell us where all of these belong, could you? We want to put things back the way they are supposed to be..."

"Well, except for the ogre blood," Pavo confesses. "That is our fault, but we were planning on cleaning after ourselves!"

Telak steps back involuntarily, alarmed at the sudden appearance of the spirit. Err, hello, my name is Telka and as my friend here says we are here to try and fix things. Could you help us with that?

Knowledge religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Sense motive: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32

Kaya bolts away (withdraw) from the thing and hides behind her allies, "GHOST!!!!" When it doesn't appear to be eating their tasty brains or whatever ghosts do, she peeks out from behind Ironshanks.

She whispers to her allies, "are there such things as good ghosts maybe? This one doesn't seem so bad."

K: Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Ironshanks takes a step forward as some of the others take a step back. He looks at the spirit who seems to be dressed in combat garb, which for him is a good sign. "Ironshanks Magee. We're Pathfinders here ta fix some kid's screw job on this place. If ye think ye can help us get it right then we'd be happy ta share a couple pints with ya." He thinks about offering up a handshake to the spirit but isn't quite sure how that'd work.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"So how'd ya end up cooped up in here? Did ya die in a glorious battle I hope?" He blurts out the most obvious questions on his mind.

“Ah! Those are relics infused with magic replicating the courage and honor of the heroes who once wielded them! Well, not the relics, exactly, but the weapons the heroes wielded in life. I think they’re symbolic. Those should belong in the room to the east, although I don’t remember exactly where they go…”

Well, that's a start. I am sure we can work things out, perhaps you might remember more as we explore? Are you able to come with us?

"I.... don't think I can. I think I'm stuck here. I think I know where those items go, but I can't go with you. Also... something's wrong. I think... ah yes."

The spirit points out a stone plate which is cracked. "There's the problem. I don't suppose you can help me fix the stone plate I'm buried under?"

Telka looks over the stone plate to see if anything can be done without using the magical geegaw they have brougt.

Any relevant knowledge or other checks we can try?

Kaya grabs the magical doodad and attempts to use it to fix the stone plate, "this seems like exactly the thing to use this on. And while I'd happily move along and work on this room last, there is now a good reason to fix it first."

She looks up at the ghost thing, "I'm sorry I was scared Mr. Spirit. I've never seen a ghost and all the stories indicated they weren't exactly happy with the living. So anyway, I'm Kaya Leafwing and I'm pleased to meetcha!"

"Ghost?! I'm n... well... I... oh bother. I suppose I am. It's a pleasure I suppose, though things are out of sorts."

Telka looks, the stone slab is broken in half with bits shorn off. There's no mechanical way to do it.

There is a bit of writing on the pieces. Can anyone speak or read Shoanti?

If no one can, Kaya will use her prepared Comprehend Languages spell. Does the doodad not work?

No help with Shoanti or magical stuff here. Just trying not go paladin mode on the undead.

The stone seems like the best option.

Telka looks over the slab. I dont speak Shoanti sorry. I have a scroll of comprehend languages which I can use but its probbaly better to use your spell first Kaya. Bah, I could kick myself, I could have prepared mending and make whole but I didnt think! I did say I wasn't very clever

We should probably fix if with the stone but lets find out what the inscription says first.

Ironshanks chuckles a bit if anyone looks at him if he knows the barbarian language "Don't look at me like that. I can hardly speak the common tongue straight sometimes! They should make Dwarven the universal language... back in my day everyone spoke it, even the gnomes!"

Kaya shrugs and activates her spell, looking intently at the words.

Cast Comprehend Languages, lasts 40 minutes.

"No, Shoanti is not a language that I have picked up," Pavo confesses. "Are you supposed to be buried under that stone plate?"

"I am certain that I am." Indeed, Kaya's spell little insight.
The plate has two lines of carved Shoanti text, with each facing opposite directions as to be read by someone either entering or exiting the sepulcher: “Be Welcome, My Cousin” entering, and “May Your Spirit Guide You” exiting.

It seems there is naught left to do other than fix the stone and/or explore deeper.

Let us fix the stone, it might reveal more of the text says Telka.

"Fix that thing already!" Grunts Ironshanks as he works on dragging the dead, or soon to be dead ogres out of the caverns and into the sight of crows, ravens and vultures. Once I get out here where Ninn ain't seein' I can finish off this rotten ogre!

With a huff and a puff and a few heaves, Ironshanks starts the slow trip of dragging the large brutes outside while the others do the 'minutia' of the mission.

Ironshanks gets underway with the grim work while the others test the Scavenger's Stone. Just as the Venture-Captain said, the stone begins to knit itself back together. After nearly a minute, the slab is exactly as it was before your erstwhile agent entered the sepulcher.

When you turn to speak to the ghostly guardian, you find he's no longer there. While no new writing shows itself, you've clearly and literally begun to undo the damage caused by Lumketul.

5 charges used. Where to now Pathfinders?

Pavo makes several notes on his loose leaf journal (because actual journals are not Core). "Kaya, what did those say again, precisely?"

When the spirit vanishes, he frowns with disappointment. "Drat. At least he is at rest."

Kaya replies, "Be Welcome, My Cousin”, and “May Your Spirit Guide You” while the stone is being mended. She puts her knife away, pulls the scroll out that Sir Ninn gave to her earlier so it is ready and points at the door or doorway leading into the maze area, "shall we?"

Mr Magee looks down at the now mended stone and nods in gruff satisfaction "Good work, now let's get moving again. Keep behind me and this'll go well."

He draws out his trusty darkwood shield and flips up his visor to give the northern door a hard look before opening it up. Just assume Ironshanks' regular procedure is to take 20 perception before opening a door to move the group forward. 30, +2 with stonecunning.

Before they open the door Telka takes out and activates his wand of bless, Just in case, he says with a shrug.

Ironshanks deems the door safe. It's damaged, and it looks like the fight spilled into the pillar-filled room beyond. Pillars of stone fill this space. Each is etched with some sort of writing, but the inscriptions are chipped, scorched, or otherwise damaged or obscured.

The dwarf immediately notices that the damage in here is severe. There's a section of ceiling close by that is extremely unstable. Marked on the map 1e style

"Ah shyte, look at that ceilin' there fellas, could cave in. Somethin' else we gotta fix. Let's hear some ideas on it." He points to the damage, keeping the others away.

Ironshanks concludes that so long as no one walks underneath the weakened area, the party can maneuver. There are 10 pillars here, and one charge for each should do it.

Once Ironshanks finishes checking the door, Sir Ninn approaches him, "Perhaps we should risk a less thorough search in the future? That may be too much time to spend on every door?

The gnome retrieves a couple of wands and uses them on himself, then offers each to his companions. "Even though that ghost didn't seem dangerous, perhaps we should still be cautious?"

Offering protection from evil and bless weapon . Will recast both before opening each new room.

Delay ate another minute off my shield, but I know it's a short term buff so I'd rather take the time to perception things than to blunder into a trap.

Kaya looks at the crumbling ceiling, "well, let's make sure nothing is gonna jump out at me from behind those pillars and I'll get to work on fixing the columns while you clear the rest of the room."

She pulls out the stone and puts the scroll away to keep a hand free for shenanigans and once the group has moved into the room a bit (and nothing is trying to eat them) starts mending the first pillar.

Moved my Pog up to the doorway. Does anyone need me to move theirs for them?

"How many doors do ya think them barbarians built in a tomb? Can't be that many. I ain't fond of fallin' down a deep hole half filt with water neither." Grumbles the Dwarf as he moves into the room and looks around while Kaya fixes the pillars.

Not sure how long it takes for that stone to work, but he'll spend that time looking around this room and the door to the next. Taking 10 on perception for 20, 22 vs stonework.

Ironshanks makes his way through the odd room checking for dangers before coming back to the only doorway onward. He takes his time and looks it over regardless. Take 20 on the door for 30/32.

"Well, I feel a bit useless since that egg is doing all the work," Pavo says, writing down notes about this section of the tomb. "If we are fortunate, we will only encounter friendly Shoanti spirits and not more trespassers," he tells the little dragon.

Telka heads around the room with Magee, keeping a wary eye out for dangers while the stone does its work.

Tske 10 on perception for 27, 29 for unusual stonework. He will activate the wand of bless once per minute just in case.

Telka and Magee note that there are some other spots where the ceiling will crumble. Apparently, Lumketul really did a number on the place. Added to the map.

Looks like you could fix the pillars by carefully avoiding those sections of the floor. 1 charge per pillar for a total of 10.

Wyatt helpfully stretches up, carefully avoiding the weakened areas, until the stone manages to repair them.

If there is nothing else to do in this room, I guess we move on to the next one?

Ironshanks points out the additional weakened ceilings "If we ever find Lumketul I plan to give 'em a swift kick in the crotch fer this." Ironshanks waits til the work is done then heads over to open the next door.

It takes a little longer to repair this room, and a fair bit more of the stone's power, but the party does manage to right the wrongs of the past. 10 uses. 35/50 remain.

How long does it take, asking for a buff using cleric friend...

Telak nods at Magee, And I will likely join you. I would like to know how he caused all this damage, what was he doing!

10 pillars, "mapping" the ceiling, and moving.... Call it 15 rounds.

Kaya finishes up the last low portion that she can reach and drops the stone into her pack. She pulls out the notes and looks through them as Ironshanks inspects the next door.

"Okay, so should be heading into a hallway. If we head to the left then go around the corner and then head straight there is a room with some broken pots we need to fix. And according to the notes, there aren't any enemies remaining in the dungeon, though obviously we can only take that with a grain of salt. Anyway, I'm ready. I'll keep out the map and notes."

Indeed, the door seems safe. Beyond is a hallways with three different options, all ending in doors.

Ironshanks nods at the Halfling as she reorients the group "Left, got it." He marches down the hall towards the next door, having a look then opening it up.

Continue with taking 10 on perceptions. Since people have active spells he'll just take 10 on the doorway vs 20. 20 totals, 22 with stonecunning.

"Keep yer lids up fer any random damage that twat wad may have left behind." He chews on the ends of his mustache as he walks.