GM Redelia |
You are all members of a fringe organization called the Concordance of Elements, which promotes cooperation between the forces of air, earth, fire, and water, and holds that the balance among these four powers to be vital. You have been summoned to complete a mission for the Concordance.
Orange-and-violet skies streaked with clouds surround the expansive city of Armun Kelisk, the largest settlement on the Plane of Air. Armun Kelisk’s six other districts float far above upon platforms of ice and stone. The pull of gravity is strong here—even objects that are not secured rest firmly upon the ground rather than floating into the air. Hundreds of thousands of genies and other beings of air fly through the streets of this bustling metropolis.
Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance, sits perched on the low roof of a building labeled the Four Winds. Although he represents the most powerful member of the Concordance’s ruling council, his manner is whimsical. A cloud of dust in the shape of an airship flies around his head, bobbing, weaving, and making whooshing noises.
"I am glad to see all of you here. Step inside, please." He hops gracefully off the roof and enters the building. The dustairship follows closely behind him. Inside the building, travelers gather around low tables, enjoying the establishment’s renowned cooking. An air elemental carries a trio of plates to a new table, each bearing some sort of pie with a halo of bubbles floating above it. "It simply would not do to set a team without the proper balance on a task as important as this one—we must combat what may be a grave threat, and we have the chance to gain respect from those who dismiss us as a radically idealistic organization. But I’ve gotten ahead of myself again, haven’t I? Your task is simple in the telling, meaning that it promises to be anything but simple in the doing. That is always the way of things, is it not? Airship captains have reported a region of disturbed currents where the flows of air upon which they rely have become erratic. Several ships have disappeared entirely, and all travel through the area has ceased. As far as I’ve been able to discern, no one has had the crucial combination of courage and dedication to journey to the heart of the irregularities and uncover the sources of the imbalance. Find this source and put a stop to it if you can. It’s far enough away that you’ll need an airship for at least part of the journey. How close you’ll be able to get, well, that I cannot say. It depends upon the bravery of the captains and the silver on your tongues, I suppose," Ashasar chuckles. "Any questions for me?"
Pregen of Noral |
The tiny dragon flutters and buzzes in the inn.
At the table, the creature hovers midair, listening intently.
Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
"I know that we know each other but you should also that I am called Ember, the Chronicler of the Planes, so if you could please speak clearly I would much appreciate it!"
Ember hovers lower and starts speaking very fast.
"How many ships have gone completely missing? Are the currents like a river? Do they have a point where they begin or do they just appear?“ Ember asks completely in the mood for adventure!
Octaris, water mephit |
"Courage! Dedication! And you forgot unparalleled Arcane Power! It is little wonder that I, the famous Water Wizard Octaris, have been requested for this task. Never fear, with my great power success is assured!"
Octaris, an animated water mephit, takes a piece of pie and swallows it with gusto.
"Put that in your chronicle Ember!"
Jamila the Janni |
Jamila, a janni who usually maintains human guise, smiles slightly.
"Indeed, your mastery of arcane lore will doubtless prove vital, Octaris. Yet each one of us has something to contribute, and only working together will we find success."
A hawk, clearly native to the Plane of Air, circles overhead.
Krakos_the_Avalanche |
Krakos, a solidly-built oread nods slowly. When he speaks it is with a calm and quiet rumble. He looks down at the floor of the inn, as if for reassurance as he quietly finger a handful of stones and dirt somewhat fretfully - the touch of the bits of earth seemingly comforting to him.
Balance is important. Has an airship already been secured?
The Storm Zephyr |
The Male sylph looks pensive as he hears the mission, "This might be connected to the imbalance that destroyed my homeworld! Of course, we should look into it. For those who do not know me, I am called The ZEPHYR of the Forgotten sun. I gladly greet you."
Zephyr looks at Ashasar, "What are we to do when we find the disturbed currents? Assuming we can find a brave enough airship captain."
Cwethan's Iconic |
Rhyol, a worm composed of crusty plates of metal and stone over hissing magma listens very carefully as Ashasar explains the mission, trying very hard to make certain that no details slip past her.
When she speaks her skin buckles, the plates that make up her exoskeleton shifting just enough to allow specifically shaped and timed whistles of steam to form her words. "Hhhave any captainssss'scaped the currentssss?" Clearly interested in Octaris's opinion, she respectfully asks, "Hhhhhave you heard of anomalieszzz like this beforrrrrre?"
Octaris, water mephit |
"Have I - ? Have I, Octaris the Far-Seeing, heard of anomalies like this? Why, of course I have! No doubt that is why my presence was requested here" says Octaris inbetween mouthfuls of pie.
"Anomalies like this are fairly common on the elemental planes, in fact. I could explain how they are caused by the interplay of cosmic energies, but it would take forever and you wouldn't understand and besides, there's pie! Oh, but it goes without saying that this particular anomaly is much larger and longer lasting than is typical. That is no doubt why we need to investigate. After the pie."
"Put that in your chronicle, Ember!"
Pregen of Noral |
Ember laughs out loud.
”You are all very confident as far as I can see and of course my chronicles are going to include your exploits as well! Mine too!“ the little dragon says with a grin.
”And don’t you all worry! Of course I can find a captain and I will not only find one but convince him or her to bring us as near to this phenomenon as possible! They will know that they are participating in an epic adventure and for that reason alone it will be their duty to support us!“ Ember says full of confidence.
Jamila the Janni |
Jamila enjoys the food but finds excuses to be close enough to each member of the team at some point during the meal to whisper encouraging words.
"Octaris, please don't hesitate to speak up if you notice anything odd as we approach the site of the disturbances. No one here possesses your arcane genius."
"Rhyol, you'll be our first line of defense should danger arise. I'm confident that if you keep control of your passions, you'll be victorious on the field of battle."
"Zephyr, your connection to this plane makes you perhaps the most valuable member of the team. We're relying on your expertise of the Plane of Air and its inhabitants."
"Krakos, your determination and strength will see us in good stead no matter what obstacles we must overcome."
"Ember, your experience as an explorer across the planes will no doubt be crucial to our success. If you see anything familiar from your travels when we reach the anomaly, don't be afraid to share."
GM Redelia |
"You will need to secure and airship for yourselves. Travel to the docks and start asking around. You’ll need someone brave enough to head off into dangerous weather and unstable currents. Besides that, in my experience, airship captains can get a bit touchy around fire, so you might need to reassure them that you are safe passengers."
Ashasar provides you with a letter of credit for the airship fare. He says, "This letter should be sufficient to pay passage, so long as you can find a captain willing to take you in the first place."
Pregen of Noral |
Ember is ready!
”You have to let me do my job and find the captains that would really make sense for us!“ she pleads.
Gather Information to find captains: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Octaris, water mephit |
"Do you know any brave and skilful airship captains that you might recommend, Ashasar?" says Octaris, reluctant to leave the bubblicious pie behind.
The Storm Zephyr |
Zephyr gives a respectful bow to Ashasar, "Thank you, we will find a captain and airship."
Turning to the group, "While I am not a native of the Plane of Air, I have spent some time here, and can probably find the docks."
As a last minute thought Zephyr turns to Ashasar "It might be instructive to newcomers to explain how one moves around in the Plane of Air?"
GM Redelia |
Some things you would know, as dwellers in the elemental planes:
Air-Dominant: Most of the plane is comprised of
breathable air. Creatures with the earth subtype are
somewhat uncomfortable here because of the lack of natural
earth. This discomfort does not confer mechanical penalties.
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the
air descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create air function
as if their caster level were 2 higher than normal.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the
earth descriptor or that use or create earth are impeded.
Such spells fail unless the caster succeeds at a concentration
check (DC = 20 + the level of the spell). If the check fails,
the spell is lost.
Subjective Directional Gravity: Inhabitants of the plane
determine their own “down” direction. Inanimate objects
do not move unless an outside force acts upon them.
You are also welcome to make knowledge:planes and geography checks to see what else you know.
Pregen of Noral |
GM, please see above for her gather information roll. Thank you.
Ember is really excited!
”Team, I really have the feeling that this is going to be a challenge but at the same time I trust in our abilities and believe that we all will be able to re-write history!“ Ember says and she flies into the air to look at all of you.
”The Concordance of elements is a force that nobody can ignore and the balance between the elements is so important that we need to succeed and spread the news about our victory and success! You are far more than the individuals you represent ... together we are a game changer!“ Ember says with a grin.
kn planes : 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
”And now let me tell you what I know about the planes and this phenomenon!“
GM, please assume that she shares all information with the team so you can post it openly! Thank you.
Krakos_the_Avalanche |
Krakos will take the time before they go to acquire a bit more dirt and rocks in the marketplace so that he can create a slightly more familiar environment around him as he travels through the home of the element furthest from his elemental home environs. As part of this, he'll try to pick up a few rocks suitable for use with his magic stone SLA. While acquiring stones and dust, Krakos will also spend 2 gp on a pair of wooden holy symbols of Ayrzul as insurance against sunders or other misfortunes.
Can we sell any of our starting equipment? I'm not sure if these characters count as "iconics" for those rules, but I noticed we seem very shy of healing in the party.
Octaris, water mephit |
You're not kidding, there's not much healing resource. However, Ember has Fast Healing 1, looks like constantly. Octaris has Fast Healing 2 when in water, and limitless use of Create Water, so with a little creativity out of combat should be ok. Ember has 15 charges of CLW on a wand. We probably each have enough gold to afford a scroll or two of CLW as well, and most of the party can cast or UMD that.
GM, Octaris would like to buy 2 scrolls of Cure Light Wounds please (50gp). Then he's ready to go.
GM Redelia |
The metropolis of Armun Kelisk is the largest settlement on the Plane of Air, boasting over six million residents. The most common inhabitants of Armun Kelisk are the air genies, known as djinni, followed by whimsical air mephits. After mephits rank the spherical elemental servitors known as air wysps, air elementals, and sylphs. All of these races are as familiar to you as humans, dwarves, or elves would be to a typical PC hailing from Golarion.
Travel in the Plane of Air takes many forms. Those who are traveling a relatively short distance rely upon their own natural abilities to fly. For faster transportation, travelers use flying mounts or rent an airship.
In the Plane of Air, there is no sun, but the genies who rule the city create an artificial day/night cycle in Armun Kelisk. They also stabilize gravity in the city to facilitate trade with people from other planes.
I don't see any kn:geography checks yet; those can provide different information.
Cwethan's Iconic |
I mean, I could throw my +3 Knowledge (planes) out into the world and see what comes back :-p
Rhyol's attention is hard to gauge, but appears to center on Ember and Octaris as the group discusses preparations, and travel options and other planar brouhaha.
In a series of hisses and blasts she asks, "hsshall whee go?" Th' anomaliesszzz will not stop p'on their own."
GM Redelia |
Airship captains rely on their knowledge of the Plane of Air’s currents to travel. Reliable and fast currents form the plane’s primary transportation network.
The greatest danger to airship captains and air breathing travelers alike is pockets of dead air, where the air becomes extraordinarily heavy and dense. In such places, airships stall, and the air becomes unbreathable.
Last chance for anything you wish to do in the city before I move us forward to the airship captains. Please double check your handout to see if there is anything you might want to do.
Krakos_the_Avalanche |
Last chance for anything you wish to do in the city before I move us forward to the airship captains. Please double check your handout to see if there is anything you might want to do.
I was waiting for an answer about if we can sell our starting equipment to purchase alternate equipment. If we can, I'll sell the steadfast gut stone and purchase a 2 5-casting scrolls of cure light wounds and a scroll of see invisibility.
As they travel Krakos continues to say little, taking comfort with his small supply of dust and stones that he continually handles and sometimes sets down part of, as if trying to ensure that he'll have some stability upon his return to this alien plane.
Octaris, water mephit |
GM, I should like to change one of Octaris' purchases. Instead of 2 x clw scroll, I should like to buy 1 x clw scroll and a collapsible bathtub.
Krakos_the_Avalanche |
Sorry, I have purchased 2 wooden holy symbols, 2 scrolls of cure light wounds (5-castings each), and a scroll of see invisibility. Sold the steadfast gutstone. Will also spend 2 gp on rocks and dirt, which is probably some sort of commodity on the plane of air.
Jamila the Janni |
Jamila says to her companions: "Perhaps a brief word with each to see if they are suitable and willing, and if more than one meets both criteria, we can confer before choosing."
She approaches Razakim. "Well met. My companions and I are perhaps interested in booking passage aboard your vessel. Are you accepting passengers? Could you tell me a little about your ship?"
Pregen of Noral |
Ember starts to beam and approaches the gnome Nix!
”Did you ever dream of adventure? Did you ever dream of seeing a phenomenon that few can ever witness? A crisis in this plane that brings chaos to this world has affected several air ships. You and we are the only ones that can find out what happened! Please guide us so that we can investigate this phenomenon!“ she says.
Diplomacy : 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
Octaris, water mephit |
Octaris approaches the mephit captain and addresses her in the Auran tongue.
"A-ha! A fellow mephit in command, as it should be! I am Octaris, renowned Water Wizard of the Concordance of Elements! Tell me, cousin, are you desirous of great adventure, danger and excitement? Do you have a ship and crew capable of great deeds? Only YOU can prevent planar catastrophe!"
Krakos_the_Avalanche |
Krakos sighs and says sourly with the disgust of smelling ten-thousand miles of sewer in his voice Gnomes
I suppose as long as I'm anticipating their inevitable betrayal, it won't be so bad...Krakos thinks to himself, not bothering to try to confirm the motive of the gnome and instead joining the others in discussion with the other captains...
sense motive on the air mephit: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28
sense motive on the djinn: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21
GM Redelia |
OK, to make this go smoothly in PbP, I'm going to just give you what sense motive and conversation would give about all three captains.
Razakim seems wealthy and good natured, and willing to be convinced to help you, if you have a good reason for your journey.
Sisivel is supportive of the aims of the Concordance of Elements, but afraid of damage to the ship if she helps you.
Nix is a daredevil, and sounds excited by the possibility of your dangerous trip, but wants to be sure you are worthy of help.
Please pick which one you want to try to convince to help you. You will need to make several skill checks to convince that captain. If you fail, you will be able to try with one of the others.
Octaris, water mephit |
"Sisivel is the obvious choice, but, well, Nix wouldn't worry about his ship so much and will probably be more fun. Razakim is entirely boring. This should be an adventure, after all!"
Jamila the Janni |
"Don't worry Octaris, we don't need a ship captain to help us find adventure! I'm sure we can make our own, if need be. What do you say to giving Razakim a chance? He seems like a likable enough fellow, and you might even persuade him later to let you steer!"