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

Game Master Chris Marsh

"Kaya, can you read the pillars?" he asks, pen out.

Indeed, with the power of her spell she's able to read the pillars. Inscribed on the pillars here are the names of Shoanti ancestors. No remains are stored here it seems; rather, the descendants of the Shoanti of the past recorded the names to symbolically inter their ancestors alongside the heroes in the Muschkal Sepulcher. Each line contains a Shoanti’s honorific on the left and their birth name on the right, and each pillar is inscribed from floor to ceiling.

Ironshanks deems the door safe, and opens it. Within is a small area, a closet. There are crates which lie empty. In looking about, the undisturbed dust tells you that it was not looted by your erstwhile agent.

"Big surprise here. Our little buddy didn't get into the broom closet..." Ironshanks closes the door without taking too close a look. If this was a normal mission I'm sure I'd have browsed around in there...

The Dwarf leads them back and down to the next door, checking things as he goes. "What's gonna be in here again?" He asks the Halfling as he looks the door over with great care. Take 20 on the door, 30/32 perception. Then open it up if deemed safe. FYI: Ironshanks does his exploring with shield drawn and weapon hand free.

The next door, too, seems safe. Ironshanks opens it to reveal some of the worst offenses. Pottery shards in a variety of vibrant hues litter the room here. The staircase leading to the east leads to a dead end.

This is obviously going to be more problematic than the pillars. The shards are all intermixed. You'll have to sort through them first...

Sorting through them can be accomplished in a variety of ways. If you have knowledge of such things, that's an option: Appraise, Craft/Profession (Pottery). If you are meticulous and deft-fingered, you can treat it like a jigsaw puzzle: Sleight of Hand. If you the player have an idea and can paint a cool picture with it, I'm all ears for a skill check.

Kaya moves up with the frontliners to keep an eye out and help with the fixing of stuffs. She seems quite saddened by the damage to the beautiful pots, "why? Why would these be broken. I mean... you could just open them if you wanted to steal whatever was inside. And honestly, ugh. What a jerk!" She begins the process of sorting, organizing, cataloging and prep for repair. She starts by looking to see if there is anything written, using combination of her spell and her skill with words to match things up. If there is no writing, she simply matches colors.

Rolling Linguistics (+7) hoping to take advantage of her Comprehend Language Spell. If that doesn't work, just subtract 4 from the roll which would be her craft: pottery or appraise skill.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

I gave it to you simply via Comprehend Languages. :-)

"Holy hells. This looks like Torag's slag pile in here! This could take hours... Maybe we should deal with this after we've booted out any vagrants?" Hopefully more of them stinkin' ogres... He grins as he remembers finishing off the unconscious ogre outside with a well placed dagger stab.

The Dwarf helps clear a safe walking path to the nearby door and checks it while the others decide to fix stuff now or move on.

Telka sifts through the fragments while Magee checks the door. Such vandalism, this makes no sense

Trying to get a sense of how long it will take to sift through the fragments into relevant sections. Would perception work to spot consistent patterns on different pieces, very much like trying to separate out multiple different jigsaws which have been mixed together?

"I can at least help with this," Pavo says, squatting down to help sort the shards of pottery. "Oh, I should have told you, Ironshanks, that if you want to stand back from a door that you want opened, I can open things with magic."

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

"Pretty!" the psuedodragon purrs as she hops down off of Pavo's shoulder and begins to explore the colorful shards. "This is kind of sad. It reminds me of broken eggs."

Sleight of Hand (aid Pavo): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

"Just cuz I'm old don't make me useless Pavo! I've still got enough strength in these old hands to open a door!" He huffs and slings the door open when they're ready.

Sir Ninn takes one look at the enormous puzzle of broken pottery and immediately smiles, "This will just take a little patience and precision--both basic skills that they taught everyone at the monastery!"

The little gnome plops down on the floor, pulling out a jeweler's lens and several differently sized tweezers, and begins examining pieces.

Craft (sand art) (T10): 10 + 13 = 23

Pavo, Ilma, and Sir Ninn work together for about 15 minutes to sort through the pieces enough to put something together.

Telka determines that the edges are too jagged to simply spot them in the mess.

With a single charge a pot is easily restored. Unfortunately the party looks about and determines that there are 4 more to go.

So, Perception won't cut it, unfortunately. I'll let the party curate and organize the rolls for aiding and the lead. There are 4 left to go. If you decide to stay here until the job is done, someone can post a block of rolls. Appraise seems to be easier than Sleight of Hand, but both work.

Pots Restored: 1 of 5.

I might be just as good at Appraise as Pavo is at Sleight of Hand, and everybody can aid this way, since it is not a trained only skill.

After a few minutes following Pavo's instructions, Sir Ninn begins to remember some training he received on a previous mission, and starts working on another piece of pottery.

"I will need everyone's help, but I should be able to put the rest of these back together."

Take 10 for 12 Appraise, 13 if you allow my archaeological expert boon to count.

Pavo tries to follow Ninn's instructions in reconstructing the shattered containers. "This is becoming more tedious than trying to find--Well, anyways, it's tedious," he says.

Ilma crawls over to the gnome as he gives his instructions, purring and clicking. She moves around the piles of shards, returning with one shard at a time and holding each up to the gnome.

Kaya jumps into attempt to Aid Sir Ninn's appraisals.

Telka shrugs and puts away his wand of bless. No point in wasting charges

He squats down on the floor and starts to help to sort out pot shards.

My this is tedious. I thought pathfindering would be exciting.

Ironshanks stands over Telka as he works and shakes his head often, the bottom of his beard tickling the top of Telka's bald head "I'm not quite sure what you're doing, these aren't rubies man. Sort by color not shape!"

Cracking her neck when finally done, Kay stands up and stretches out her little frame. Shaking her head to get the images of pottery shards out of her eyes, she realizes her magic reading glasses are gone. With a small frown she steps forward and nods to Ironshanks as he stands at the next door, "I'm ready."

Leaning against the door, half asleep, Ironshank's eyes snap open when Kaya speaks up "We done here? Good work. Torag rewards the patient and persistent, let's see what he's left us in the next room."

If this is another pile of broken shit I'm gonna need a drink.

At the center of this room is a pit of flame, suffusing the area with
a faint glow. The only way in or out is the way you've come.

Sir Ninn works through a few slow yet graceful exercises to get his blood flowing again, then follows Ironshanks to the door.

Kaya pulls out her map and notes, then starts jumping up and down happily, "oooh oooh oooh, this is where the wolf figure goes! Look for a spot where it may have been taken from!!!"

Kaya looks as well, shining her light in all the corners.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Pavo makes a perfunctory search of the fire pit's room. "Nothing else damaged in here?" he wonders aloud.

Ironshanks pushes open the door and looks around a bit before stepping inside "A magical fire? Or is something hiding in here waitin' ta spring on us?"

He looks around, hand on his axe handle. Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Telka does some impromptu strentching exercises, Ooh, all this sitting around is no good for me, especially in thsi ridiculous armour

He peers into the room and casts a simple cantrip to detect magic while having a good look around. Lets be careful, that idiot might have caused more damage or disruption to the magical protections I assume this place would have had.

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19

Looking about it seems that there's something missing in this room.... the brazier of which reads, “May This Light Illuminate the Forests of the Night.”

I don't think anyone who notices can do anything, as it's REALLY hard in core unless you're a cleric.

Ironshanks and Kaya notice that the very light given off by the flame seems to be failing.

If either of you have the ability to damage a haunt, I'll let you rewind to this.

Suddenly the room is plunged into total darkness!

Telka: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Ironshanks: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Kaya: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Wyatt: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Pavo: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Sir Ninn: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

The blackened room shuts down all vision, even the darkvision of dwarves! The sound of a wolf baying cuts through and strikes your ears with a force from beyond the grave.

Start your turn with a Will DC 15 versus fear. Failure means you're shaken.

The wolf's howl shakes your core. You suddenly know that you are prey, and the wolf is hunting you. You feel like you need to run away, but the room is black!

Suddenly you see in your minds eye the wilds of the Plateau. You see before you a means to escape! It's a chasm, and a large one. It's the only way to escape the wolf, and you know this in your bones.

You can make an acrobatics check to escape the wolf!
Telka: Go
Pavo: Go
Wyatt: Go
Kaya: Go
Ironshanks: Go
Sir Ninn: Go

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 5 - 2 = 19.

Despite shaking with fear, Wyatt makes a credible attempt at leaping the chasm.

Will Save DC 15 vs. Fear: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Kaya calms her allies with her soothing voice, "fear has no hold on us, it's purely a mental construct. Merely focus and overcome!"

She continues, "take the leap! YOU CAN MAKE IT!!!"

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Telka is a cleric and can certainly damage a haunt

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25
I assume this notices the haunt?

Will save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Telka raises his hand which has the mark of the butterfly on the palm. Desna guide us in the darkness, let us come through safely to the other side

Channel to harm undead, dealing 3d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 1) = 6 positive energy damage

Sir Ninn draws a glowing gem from his pocket, then almost trips on his own feet while trying to leap the chasm.

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (16) - 5 = 11

His mind momentarily overtaken by the haunt, he finds himself the prey of a wolf in the dead of night. The darkness changes to the moon-illuminated Storval Plateau and, there, a chasm that would protect him from the hunter if only he could leap it. He runs.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Confused by the darkness, the pseudodragon flies around madly. Once the path to escape is revealed, she flies as hard as she can to get away.

Fly: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

Telka realizes that the room is haunted! The cleric tries to banish it with deific power, but it seems to be utterly muted against the darkness.

Sir Ninn's aura protects him and those around him.

As some of the party plummets into the abyss! Others, yet to jump see the entire vision melt away....

------------------

All of a sudden the vision changes. Everyone is again standing together. There's no sign of the chasm. Another wolf bays in the night, ever closer. You see a fast-flowing river before you and a nearby log
that is large enough to serve as a bridge across it. If only you can get across before the Child of the Night!

Knowledge (Engineering) to intelligently place it or STR to brute force it.
Telka: Go
Pavo: Go
Wyatt: Go
Kaya: Go
Ironshanks: Go
Sir Ninn: Go

Going full bore into the obvious illusion-ish event, the little halfling can't think of a way out other than forward. Kaya dashes ahead and tries to pick a good spot for the log. If she finds one she waves to the group for help moving it.

Knowledge: Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Knowledge(Engineering): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10.

Wyatt tries to place a log properly, but he is distracted by the baying of the wolves...

Pavo rushes to the river's edge to assist the dream-Kaya and the dream-Wyatt with building the makeshift bridge.

Knowledge (engineering): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

I havent actually rolled acrobatics yet. Is this immunity to positive energy something specific to the haunt in this scenario? That is quite weird if so.

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (19) - 5 = 14

Telka tries to barrel forward with little chance of success.

Str check: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (13) - 2 = 11

Adrenaline rushes through the little gnome's body, helping him force a log into place, despite the fact that it's far larger and heavier than his tiny frame.

Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Will vs Fear: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Ironshanks fumbles with his visor as the room goes dark. Total darkness isn't something a Dwarf sees very often unless his eyes are closed. "Alright, who's playing tricks... a wolf? Gotta get away from the..."

His only escape (and likely a doomed failure) melts away into his greatest fear... running water. "We gotta make a bridge! Dwarves don't float man! We sink like iron!" He runs up against the tree and tries to shove it down like a bridge.

Strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

To answer the question in Discussion, no, once the vision has been completed by enough of the party, the whole party moves to the next.

Kaya quickly forms a plan as the others move the vision-log. Always the wolf bays in the background. It's constant.

But soon something shifts in the vision. The howl of the wolf comes from directly above you. But the feeling of fear wanes like the moon. You are the hunter, not the hunted.

The vision shifts again. There's a sheer wall before you. Above is the wolf howling. There's nothing you can do but go up.... and up.

Only by climbing the wall can you complete the vision!
Telka: Go
Pavo: Go
Wyatt: Go
Kaya: Go
Ironshanks: Go
Sir Ninn: Go

Kaya frantically tries to scramble up the wall, seeking hand and footholds wherever she can.

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

I'm assuming this is more of a roll the skill and move on where magics and retries aren't really available?

Wyatt frantically tries to climb.

Climb: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15.

Ironshanks wipes his brow as the water disappears and instead a wall of solid stone stands before him. "Walls a stone, now there's somethin' I'm good at!"

He spits on his gauntlets and starts to climb towards the sky, doing his best to not think about falling... Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Telka looks up and up and up at the wall and sighs inwardly. Desna sends us trials and we must overcome them

He strikes out at the stone, trying to climb upwards despite the weight of his armour.

Climb: 1d20 - 6 ⇒ (15) - 6 = 9

Oof, I need to start working out more.

"Ah ha! Well, I'm coming for you," Pavo says, grabbing hold of the wall. "As soon as I can find a good path..."

Climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Sir Ninn takes a running start to try and jump the first few feet, and runs headlong into the wall, falling flat on his armor.

Climb: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2