GM Roxxie's 9-14 Down the Verdant Path (Inactive)

Game Master Roxxie613

With a grim look on his face at all this talk of eating, Umbaraki brushes past Boom Sticks, the nimbus of frosty energy coalescing into a hammer's shape as he crashes into the younger frog.

Frost Hammer: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 Vs. Touch (apparently flat-footed touch for now)
Cold: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Path in purple

Umaraki smashes a cold hammer against junior's skin... only to find it didn't hurt the frog as much as he expected.

Father frog hops up and tries to bite the half-orc, not finding a frosty dwarf a threat.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 - 2 = 9

The bite completely misses, as the father is eyeing the ranger further off.

I'll give Grimaldi a few hours today before botting to move things along.

Grimaldi rides Friend into position and launches an arrow at the father.
Double move by Friend, ride check impossible to fail to guide with knees

shortbow, riding penalty, melee penalty: 1d20 + 3 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 4 - 4 = 15
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

crit confirm: 1d20 + 3 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 3 - 4 - 4 = 4

The arrow firmly plants itself in the father frog's side, and he croaks in pain.

Son frog attempts to eat Boom Sticks!

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Free Grapple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Junior bites into Boom's plant-flesh and grabs hold, not letting go. Both are Grappled

Father frog croaks with delight. It doesn't take Jamila's translation to know that the father is encouraging his son.

Seeing the frog grab Boom Sticks, Tazra snarls in rage and swings her great axe at him. Unfortunately her fear of accidentally hitting her companion causes her to swing wide.

Greataxe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
S. Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Standard action: Attack
Move action: None

"Help! It's a vegetarian!"

Boom Sticks focuses, and aims a silver-shod fist at junior's froggy face.

cestus vs junior, rage: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Boom Sticks' rage adds to STR and DEX, and does not penalise AC; so his raging CMD becomes 20. I've not adjusted my attack roll for the Grappled penalty since froggy also has a penalised AC.

Eranahu will lean against a mushroom at his side for extra stability and aim a shot at younger frog again.

longbow: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 201d8 ⇒ 4

mine action to enact bulls eye shot, +4. Firing into melee -4.
Regular shot after all negatives and bonuses

that frog just swallowed boom! Swallowed him!

Tazra's axe narrowly misses the younger frog as he is busy keeping the writhing vines in his maw.

Boom Sticks' fist knocks the frog unconscious, causing it to release the Vine Leshy.

Feel free to change your action Eranahu, but for now I assume you shoot at daddy frog Eranahu adds another arrow to the father's collection, and the father cries out in pain, both at his own wounds and at seeing his son fall. He's looking hurt, but not out of the fight.

Jamila translates, "He's saying 'we will be back, and we will find you, and you will be food!"

Vari continues circling around through the mushrooms, closing off at least one avenue of escape as she draws her rapier.

Umbaraki scowls at the ineffectiveness of his icy power, lets his hammer disperse, and simply slugs the larger frog.

Cestus: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Cold Iron B/P: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Vari continues to stalk through the mushrooms.

Umbaraki lands a solid punch to the remaining frog.

The frog bites at Umbaraki, knowing it will die, but believing it will be back soon enough to settle the score.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

He can't find grip on the icy dwarf.

Junior is bleeding and everyone is up! Dad is now at -13. Sorry no combat card, rushed mobile update.

"Phew! These frogs are crazy!"

Boom Sticks skips behind Umbariki and Tazra, and draws his hammer, letting his empty blunderbuss fall to the ground.

aid Tazra's attack, fatigued: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 - 1 = 24

Ending rage, fatigued for 2 rounds.

After taking a few steps south to allow more combatants access, Tazra continues swinging wildly at the frog. Even with Boom Stick's encouragement, she still can't hit the creature.

Greataxe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
S. Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

The dice do not like Tazra this combat.

Grimildi will slide from the saddle and take a steady shot.

shortbow, melee penalty: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 3 - 4 = 12
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Boom Sticks switches to a hammer and tries to help Tazra behead the frog, but the prismatic-skinned beast dodges out of the way, just to find an arrow sticking between his eyes coming from Grimaldi. He falls limp without another sound. Father and son both are on the ground bleeding side by side.

Falbin comes out of hiding, and Jamila flies down, and both congratulate everyone for deftly handling the frogs.

Upon closer inspection, you may find some interesting things...

Frustrated, Tazra glares at her greataxe as if to blame it for her poor performance before sheathing it roughly on her back. Then she switches her glare to the frogs.

K. Nature, Free Inspiration: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + (1) = 11

The glaring doesn't reveal any new information. Just two unconscious frogs. She forces herself to take a few deep breaths and try to calm down.

"Should we finish them off? If they're going to try to eat random travelers, we don't want to leave them to wake up later."

kn. Nature: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

"Oh! I recognize these frogs! Well, not these individual frogs, but their type. Sorry, that sounds racist... But anyway, v these types of creatures are definitely from the first world! They have hopped over from a weak link between our worlds. One point for Jamila.". Halfway through, Eranahu begins collecting arrows, and passing off those not belonging to him.

After a slight pause "Whose floppy hat?"

Know nature: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Grimildi takes the offered arrows from Eranahu, balancing the arrows, in one case removing the iron head and tossing the useless shaft.

Spellcraft untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Falbin looks to the ground, while Jamila cheers. "I knew it! I knew there must be something interplanar going on here! But the First World? I did not expect that!"

Falbin is kicking the dirt, reluctant to admit defeat until confronted.

If anyone wants to attempt to even the score and make it a tie, they may do so. If not, tomorrow I will post the settling of the wager and we will continue moving towards the center of the verdant zone

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Umbaraki examines the frogs curiously. He's uncertain about whatever clues indicate that they're from the First World, but their color shifting seems to indicate that they're responsive to the atmosphere, and perhaps the seasons as well.

His own attempt at securing a sample doesn't make best use of his surprisingly nimble fingers, so he turns to look levelly at his companions, quickly rapping on his tablet for attention.

"Can one of you take a small sample of one of the frogs?" DC 15 Heal. If it's permitted for non faction members to help out at least :-)

"Oh, cool hat! And shiny stones, what are these?"

No spellcraft type stuff here.

"Can anyone use this wand on me please?'

cure light wounds wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"These frogs change colour, look! Maybe to do with the seasons?"

heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Boomy reloads their blunderbuss with cold iron pellets.

"A sample of the frog? Sure. Why do you want this piece of the frog for?"

heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

"Let me see those rocks Boomy. If someone can cast detect magic for me maybe..."

Grimaldi will happily help Boom with his wanding needs.

"There is magic, I can assure you of that much, but I do not know what it's purpose is."

Umbaraki and Boom Sticks try to skin one of the frogs, but just wind up with a mess of sticky azure blood all over them. Eranahu knows to cut a little deeper, and, though spurting the same deep blue blood all over himself from the other frog, manages to get a sizable skin sample. The frogs perish, unable to withstand the sampling.

I'll definitely allow non-faction to help! Just tell me who is gonna hold onto the sample. Also, since they were not quite dead at that point, Eranahu, Boom, and Umbaraki are now covered in blue blood.

I want to see if Vari wants to tie the bet up, or cut her losses and consider losing 50gp to Jamila and gaining a tangleburn bag to be worth it, as I believe she was the only one to bet against Jamila.

Eranahu, you successfully know that amongst all of the non-magic stones and normal hat, there is one pearl of power (1st level). Everything else is just shiny.

A warning to all: things are about to get weird. I hope you enjoy it =)

"Ugh! That's a lot of blood! Anyone got any soap?"

Boom Sticks tries to clean himself up with water from his waterskin unless anyone's got Create Water or Prestidigitation?.

"Shall I carry that sample Umbaraki?" I don't mind at all if you prefer to.

Once he's a bit cleaner, Boomy applies a strong-smelling unguent to himself. "I should have put this on earlier, then I wouldn't have been nearly eaten! BOOM!"

"Wow, that is the second time I have found one of these pearls just lying around. Mind if I hold onto it. If you have a basin I can fill it with fresh rain water."

Tazra raises her eyebrows as Umbaraki, Boom Sticks, and Eranahu skin the still-living frogs, but makes no move to stop them. I did suggest killing them, but maybe the sample needs to come from a live animal? I don't know enough about these creatures or exactly what Ashasar wants to be certain. She grimaces, and is sure to back away from the gory mess. Or maybe they were even more frustrated with the frogs than I was!

Turning her mind to more pleasant topics, she pulls out her journal while the bloody Pathfinders clean themselves. In addition to putting a tick mark in Jamila's column, she starts chronicling the strange sights they've seen so far. Explore, Report, Cooperate...

"Oh.. Eranahu walks over to Jr. And puts him out of his misery. He got caught up in the moment and didn't even think about the frog still being alive. How cruel.

He will then hand the Pearl of power over to Grimaldi.

"I believe this would be of more use in your hands.

o_o
Didn't realize the frogs were still alive...

Umbaraki nods to Boom's suggestion of who should carry it, then starts by dry washing his hands and gear, but as he continues, creates enough water to truly clean himself Using basic hydrokinesis. Once he's finished he looks questioningly at Eranahu and Boom, hand raised in an offer of the same.

After starting incomprehensibly at Umbaraki for a moment, he then begins moving. He hands the sample over to Boom and holds his hands out to Umbaraki, all the while muttering, "Didn't even notice the frog was still alive. Too caught up in the moment. I should have thought to check..."

"Oh thank-you Eranahu. It was unconscious though. At least, it looked like it was unconscious. I can't claim to be any sort of expert in talking vegetarian frogs.

Yes, please, Umbaraki. A shower is just what my vines need now! Just let me put my gun and powder horns to one side - it's not good to get those all wet"

Moving right along

Vari owes Jamila 50gp.

Falbin approaches Boom Sticks, Grimaldi, and Vari and presents them each with one tangleburn bag each. He also hands Jamila the 150 gp due to her.

"A bet's a bet. Your theory has three points of evidence, and mine only two. I concede that it might be a planar rift. Though I am certain we will find the cause sooner rather than later."

Everyone resumes their travels through the increasingly tropical conditions. After another mile, the party arrives at Deepstead, a long-abandoned elven settlement. Much of it is in ruins, with the only structure in tact being a low stone well.

The riotous jumble of ferns and fungi gives way to a glade with a low stone well at its heart. Wet, warbling sobs escape from a small gray figure slumped against the mossy bricks.
The gnome appears bleached of all color—even their gaudy costume and intricate tattoos seem incongruously bland and ashen. Their tears flash briefly with iridescent rainbows as they fall.
As if half-waking from a dismal dream, the gnome looks skyward and cries, “A love so close, so far! I’d give all and more for a drop of crimson or a dab of teal!” pictured on slide 1

Taking the liberty to assume someone will ask who the gnome is

"Azure, as I'm sitting here, but blue of a different hue without my palette. But it's nearby, just on the other side. In my grayest hour, I'd welcome knights of any shade. Maybe you?" They only just get through this introduction without another blubbering outburst of sniffles and rainbow-tinged tears.

Azure clearly has a penchant for dramatics based on their clothes, but these tears seem to be of genuine anguish.

"Greetings Azure, I am Grimildi, I am a wild fire of the Shriikirri-Quah, I am no knight but I am at your service.

Eranahu thinks about making introductions, and then decides that the bleached gnome probably doesn't care.
"Azure, you said ,'The other side.' Do you mean to say that you lost something over to the first world somehow?"

"Something? SOMETHING?!? I'm nothing without my indigo and verdigris, and one of the Eldest in the First World knew that! How dare you, you... I didn't catch your name. It doesn't matter!" Azure's emotions are all over the place as they are fighting through the stages of loss. They turn to Grimaldi and smile. "I appreciate the help, Grimaldi. There's a hole here, to the many-splendored First World. I confess my own heartbreak tore it open. You see, long back, one of the Eldest caught me borrowing a bauble or two, and knowing how bad it would hurt me, he plucked my colors right out of me and stuffed them into a bindle bag! Now it's ever so close, but I'm too yellow to cross!"

Tazra has trouble following the gnome's rambling diatribe. He looks like he's suffering from the Bleaching...but he doesn't act like it. One of the Eldest 'plucked his colors'? How would that even work? Then again, the fey are strange creatures...

"Hello Azure. I am Tazra. You say that your 'colors' were stolen? Would it be possible to return them to you?"

Leaning closer to the others, she mutters, "If his heartbreak did indeed cause this rift, perhaps relieving his suffering would close it."

Plus, melodramatic as he might seem, he has cause to be. The Bleaching is no laughing matter. Thievery is wrong, of course, but hardly deserving of a death sentence.

A spasm of discomfort crosses Umbaraki's pallid features as he looks upon the bleached gnome, but he masters it and leans in closer, listening intently for Azure's reply to Tazra.

"I am Boom Sticks! Agent of Gnashbakk, agent of Pathfinders, agent of Concordance! Is that the First World, through that whole? What's the First World? Who're the Eldest? Won't they be angry if we get your colours back? Will that close the hole? Do we want to close the hole? Do you like my flowers?"

The little leshy hops from one woody foot to the other in excitement.

It makes me so happy when people know about the Bleaching.

Azure begins to answer Tazra's question and quiet statement, when they are startled by a talking plant!

"You look fresh from the First World yourself! I'm quite jealous of your violets and such, particularly because I'm lacking their hue. The Eldest, in this case Ng the Hooded, are akin to, say... Calistria, Zon-Kuthon, and Lamashtu in this world, though maybe not so powerful."

Coming back to Tazra to address her muttered remark, "If it was yearning for my colors that made it be, then as long as I'm bleached, it's sure to stay. Ah, what does it matter? I'll fade to nothing in a day or two..."

Looking to everyone, Azure begins to sober and regain control of themselves. "Yes, through the hole leads to the First World. I peeped through once, but the wild hunt nearly spotted me. They first caught me, back before, and beat me black-and-blue. Now they guard the Bramble Bank, in the Heartgrove, where my palette hangs. Be wary of those wily ones from the moment you cross through!"

Azure gives what they think is a hopeful look, but, lacking color, they still look rather pathetic and beaten. "Will you be my knights to bring back my fabulous colors?"

Unless she recedes her earlier offer, I'll take Grimaldi as a vote to yes. Feel free to ask more questions, as there's a plethora to interact with, and once I have 3 total votes to help the gnome, we will move forward.

Oh, and one final note, please answer a question over in discussion.

"I could be a knight? That sounds great! What does a knight do? Do they have guns?"

"A bauble or two". Eranahu mutters to himself. "Azure, do you happen to still have the baubles that you borrowed from the eldest, Ng was it? Perhaps if we returned the baubles, we could make amends for you."

Eranahu gives it a thought and smiles at Boom. He then gives Tazra and Grimaldi a warm smile and nods to Umbaraki.

"If amends can not be made, you can count on this scoundrel to retrieve your colors in some other way. Do you have family here Azure?"

"The Eldest cannot lightly be defeated. Eranahu is right; appeasement may be the surest course.
Azure? What hunters await us beyond the veil?"

"I agree we should return these 'baubles' if at all possible." The somewhat stern look on Tazra's face softens as she looks at the heartbroken gnome. "But regardless of whether or not that is possible, I will help retrieve your colors. Where is this rift to the First World?"

"Ng reclaimed those before laying claim to my colors..." The gnome says ashamedly. They look to each of you, a semblance of bittersweet settling in on their face. "I have no family to speak of, here, there, or yonder."

"The wild hunt is a bickering bunch of bouncers under Ng's employ. The only thing they agree on is their job, which is to guard the Whirlwood, and even then they disagree on how."

"The Pathfinder Society will gladly help you reclaim your colors, Azure." Jamila, along with Falbin, finally join the group proper from where they had been off to the side discussing the situation. "Agents, I will stay behind and work with Azure to make a ritual, ensuring that the portal closes once their colors are returned."

Falbin on the other hand looks nervous. "An aunt of mine crossed over once. She came back with a thick mustache, and bluebells growing from her ears. I'd rather not travel there myself."

Azure looks as hopeful as a gnome drained of color can. "Thank you, shining knights. Take this magic scroll, and may it aid you in this cause."

Azure points at the well behind them. "Here lies the rift" In the well Azure had been leaning against swirls water with specks of green, orange, and icy blue. "To enter, you must enter the water and hold aloft an offering, some trifle you're not too attached to. While submerged, you must spin around thrice widdershins before resurfacing. On your return, enter the same body of water you enter the world in and spin thrice more in reverse."

So now everyone must pick an item in your inventory as an offering. This can be any item, magical or mundane.

Once everyone selects their item, please post your selection in the discussion tab, as this will affect your Chronicle for this adventure.

Past this is why I collected everyone's swim and climb modifiers. This skill check is required to move forward, could take a week by itself, and is boring to boot. Once everyone has selected an item and at least one person has correctly defined "thrice widdershins", I will roll the required checks until either everyone succeeds or input is required, else we would have at least two full rounds of skill checks and, given the modifiers, likely more. Is this fair to all? I intend to check in over the weekend and answer any questions posed or retconned in, and will move forward on Monday with the skill checks.

And finally, would everyone who is able roll a Knowledge (Planes) check.

Spellcraft, Free Inspiration: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 8 + (2) = 23

Tazra looks curiously at the scroll, but is unable to determine what kind of spell it might be. Not that it much matters, as she probably couldn't cast it anyway. "Thank you Azure, I'm sure it will be very helpful." Never hurts to be polite!

She digs through her pack for a moment before shrugging and pulling out an arrow. "Hopefully this will be a sufficient offering; I don't have a lot of trifles I'm not attached to." She starts towards the well, then pauses as a thought occurs to her. "If anyone doesn't know, 'widdershins' is counter-clockwise. Spin towards your left shoulder three times." She demonstrates just in case, (feeling a little silly as she does so), then takes a deep breath and jumps in the well.

Grimaldi pulls out the discarded arrow head and moves to the water but then winces and steps back, she pulls open her purse and pulls out a bone leather working needle to use in it's place.

She spins three times and follows Tazra

spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Thank you for this scroll Azure. Umm... What is it?" Eranahu looks at it, but can't make heads or tails out of it.

"Widdershins. That's great, I'm going to have to remember that one. So, we spin counter Widdershins on the way back? Haha!"

Eranahu looks through his meager pack for a triffle that he is not too attached to...

"I could possibly need everything in this pack... Except for... No, I couldn't..."

Eranahu, after much internal debate, pulls forth his wooden holy symbol to Erastil.

"It's not as if I can actually do anything with it yet anyway. And it's just a simple thing made out of wood... Easy to replace..."

Before he changes his mind, he hands it over.

I think that you are handling our skill checks perfectly. You are right, it would be tedious and take forever

Umbaraki nods gravely to Azure, then puts forth his raven-feathered quill, rather than his everyday stylus, but not before gathering a sample of the well water in his spare inkpot.

"Swimming? I'll have to empty out my gun first. The powder horns should be ok though. Does anyone have somewhere dry to put my cartridges?"

After prepping and making safe his powder, Boom Sticks takes his solitary tindertwig, and gives it as their offering. "Now I've got black powder, I don't think I need this." It's mostly wood.

"I'm going to take some of this well water." Boomy fills his waterskin.

"Ready."

GM, if we get stuck swimming Boomy will spend rage for +2 to Swim - for up to 2 rounds, more if it's the difference between drowning and not!