[PFS_2_Aerondor] 01-01 The Absalom Initiation (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

The bonus is to a single check.
Gather information checks are done in secret in Pathfinder 2 as there are false bits of information often available if you fail or fumble.

You learn a bit as you make your way through the city.
Milday hears that Tavvar has been working on some ritual quite hard. Even working after the normal closing hours.
Hopper asking around finds a student to admits that Tavvar's ritual is supposed to create partially real shadows.
Arrus overhears another student commenting that "They are from the memories of real people. It's just not right, pulling memories from real folk for viewing pleasure of others. Voyeuristic."
Pell learns that the experiments have been taking place in the Blackros museum. "the ritual pulls an unpredictable amount of shadow energy from the Plane of Shadow, which might drag other material—or creatures—along with it!" exclaims a suitably horrified grad-student.

Milday's keen ears hear the same person lower her voice as she mumbles into the ear of her friend "Of course she’s testing at the Museum, not just because of its longstanding ties to the Plane of Shadow but also because the museum has an intricate series of wards and protective measures to guard against a variety of supernatural mishaps..."

Pell buys a drink for another member of the faculty who complains "And she has taken the best research assistants with her. That makes life harder for the rest of us. And we are all under the same pressures. If we don't publish, then any of us could be out on our ears. I do hope she isn't cutting any corners." he adds, shaking his head.

Pell shares what he learned with the party. "Sounds like something shady may be going on at the Blakros Museum." he notes. "Sounds like a simple task. It's just a museum, after all. What could possibly go wrong?"

Milady nods to Pell: "You are right. Only old things in there..."

She tries to recall anything she might know about Shadows and things from the Shadow Plane.
Occultism, all Lores @+0 and Religion @+1 ; all Untrained

"So, off we go?"

Hopper listens with attention as he drinks his beer. He smiles on the idea of going into the Museum, he doesn't think that he ever been in one.

"Yeah, let me just finish my beer."

Occultism and Arcana +7. Religion -1

With nothing better to do, Anjo strikes up a conversation on the subject, but wary of the information he receives.

Trained Diplomacy +3

It has been a loong day, and Absalom is a Big City. By the time you arrive at the museum it is well after normal closing times.

The front door stands closed.

"After hours is probably the best time to investigate. We can avoid the crowds this way."

Zanderel stands ready.

Milady talks a bit with Hopper in Goblin--

Anjo raises an eyebrow, "So...should someone case light on my blade?"

"Allow me," he says, reaching out for Anjo's weapon. When the ranger acquiesces, Zanderel murmurs a quick cantrip that causes the blade to glow with a warm white light.

Hopper looks at Milady thinking heavily.

"Anyone has a key to these doors? Or a set of pick-locks? How about we all turn our backs on the door and whoever wishes to take his chances with the lock can do so, while we both cover him from sight and see nothing if the interrogation comes."

With saying that Hopper turns his back on the lock looking at the street.

He goes through his bandolier and pulls out two potions, one of red color the other grey.

Holding Alchemists fire and a Quicksilver mutagen.

A quick check shows the door closed... but not locked.

"Shall we waltz in?" Says Goblin suggesting that he is not eager to go in first.

"Yes, let's get in there. No time like the present!" Flint will boldly step in.

Sorry for vanishing, getting caught up now. I was busier than expected.

Milady pulls out some picks from her thieves' locksmith kit, and is then a bit sad she does not have to use it.

She will stealthily slip inside, weapon in hand, behind Flint.

Slipping through the door you enter the vaguely creepy museum. The team can't but think of all the various tales of pathfinder blood that has been shed in these halls.

Without any real idea of where to go, you head down the main entrance, where you are greeted by a friendly "Hello there!" from a man who appears to be the cleaner.

MIlady tries to see if the man is cleaning blood?

"Err... hello there!"

Anjo scans the area for tracks of any other creatures.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Anjo can clearly see where the floor has been recently mopped. In the unmopped section there are signs that lots of people have been past in the last day day or so.

"You do realise the museum is shut now?" he asks.
"It would probably be better if you came back tomorrow."

"Oh, but we are here on a mission!
Did you see anything amiss?"

Arrus shows the Janitor his wayfinder in hopes the longstanding alliance between the Pathfinder Society and the Blackrose Museum still stands.

"We're worried about a ritual going on here, and thought we'd show up before Nigel Aldain came running rather than before."

"Oh.. Tavvar's ritual? She is on the third floor. We certainly wouldn't want Nigel disturbed. No, no. Head on up..."

He takes out his mop and starts on the dirty bit of the floor.

Map updated for the second floor. Feel free to describe where you are heading and make your moves on the map. If you can leave a dotted trail showing where you walk that would be helpful to me.

Milady will listen up to spot any sounds--
Perception +6
--and move quietly along--
Stealth +7
--to the corner, and look around and listen up again.

Flint follows suit, moving straight up behind Milady. Red dotted line.

It being his first time at the museum, Pell takes a somewhat circuitous route, trying to take in a few sights before following the party upstairs.

Dotted blue line for Pell.

Arrus moves forward cautiously, having heard many horror stories regarding the Blackros Museum. Keeping his eyes out for trouble.

Anjo follows behind Milady, scouting for signs of conflict.

Scout mode, following Milady's path.

The team cautiously advances into the middle of the floor.

The square room with the twelve posts in it that Pell looked at but didn't go into appears to be a display about spellbooks.

Carefully framed spellbook pages hang along this room’s walls, while eldritch relics stand in small display cases in the room’s center. In the far corner, shadows hang thicker than the rest of the room, and it seems a boisterous half-orc woman stands there, surrounded by vague figures, as she welcomes newcomers. Her voice is thin and reedy, but eerily familiar. “Congratulations! Let me spice up that punch a bit for you—to celebrate, of course!”

He then gazes left (south)
A gigantic reptilian beast is on display in the center of this expansive gallery, ferociously leering over the collection of taxidermy animals and monsters. Shadows flit between the displays, meandering and shuffling shapes reminiscent of museum patrons. Then a distant shriek echoes off the walls, as the shadow of a stuffed owlbear lashes out at one of the shadow-visitors with its talons. The shadow of the tyrannosaur in the room’s center departs from its source and snaps at the misty image of another patron, tossing its head back and seeming to swallow its meal nearly whole. Other shadows snarl and hiss, scuffling amongst themselves as shadow-guests panic and run toward the exit...

"Should we not proceed directly to the third floor? I feel as if this is now a more pressing matter," Zanderel hangs back, watching the group wander about.

GM: Are the steps up the ones just east of the steps we ascended?

Milady looks with great interest at all the strange things going on.

"Fine by me if we go straight up... but museums seem like interesting places!"

"Agreed, I feel this may be some sort of attraction for the daytime patrons." Anjo keeps his bastard sword drawn.

Hopper goes behind Milady listening to what others are saying:

"Wow, this is a cool place. What's with those shadows?"

The steps up are the ones the other side of the chamber to the south.
Past the tyrannosaur...

"Figures... the steps are over there.
Let's see what goes..."

Milady will try to move stealthily in... imagining that hiding in the shadows from Shadow creatures will not work very well.

"Probably be calling my dogslicer shadowslicer soon..."

+7 Stealth along yellow line

Still vigilant , Anjo whispers, "I suggest we don't' touch anything."

Milady slips past without any concerns. Well, without being bothered. To say she wasn't concerned about the massive shadowy t-rex snapping up fleeing shadowy people wouldn't be quite fair.

Anjo follows Milady's path.

+6 Stealth

Milady perspires greatly... but then is happy to have made it across.
She waits to see if her companions will too--

Not to be outdone by the goblin, but realizing that he, as a larger human may pose more of a tasty treat to any carnivore, Pell raises his shield and follows in Milady's footsteps.

Both Pell and Ango also make it across the room without attracting the attention of the shadowy dinosaur. Pell is pretty proud of himself actually. Anjo made Milady wince once as he was keeping his eye on the t-rex and didn't notice a display case that he banged right into.

Not taking any chances Arrus takes his crossbow out and takes up a covering position as his allies move past the T-Rex.

The no nonsense elf noble whispers a cantrip allowing him to detect the presence of magic, then moves along the hallway. He stops beside Flint, letting the others lead the way.

"We made it! So... up we go?"
Milady points to the stairs leading up, ready to move when all have made it safely across the room.

Having cautiously passed the shadowy dinosaurs, the team continues upstairs to where the ritual is taking place..

Droning voices echo off the mahogany walls and domed, plaster ceiling of this luxurious room. The sumptuous furniture has been pushed to the sides of the room, making space for eldritch markings and mystical paraphernalia laid
carefully over the plush carpet. The chamber seems muted and dim despite the crystal chandelier overhead, and a bonenumbing chill seeps through the space along with a metallic scent. A ritual is obviously underway here, but it doesn’t seem as though it’s working as planned. Shadowy energy lashes out from a twisting breach in the center of the room, and indistinct shapes flit and scuttle along the walls.

Tavvar stands at the head of a ricle, her face twisted in a determined grimace while her assistants each frantically gesture and chant. The ritual is obviously wearing them down!

Status, bold may post
Flint
Milady 2 damage,
Arrus 3 damage
Zanderel
Anjo
Pell
Hopper
Ritual - init 17
Tavvar - right
Assistant 1 -top
Assistant 2 - left
Assistant 3 - bottom

Roll your initiative, anyone equaling or beating the following may act:
ritual init: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Ahh, but how do you act? Well, the ritual is having some problems. You can use an occult check to help get one under control. You also learned a bit about Tavvar, which allows you to guess at the flaws that she may have inadvertently put into the ritual. Thus you can also use arcana or thievery. Of course participating in the ritual may have some risks as well. And those not trained may find there are some other things they can do to help once we know what everyones init is.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Hopper walks up the stairs and glances at the situation, seeing that the ritual goes badly he decides to join the assistants and help them. He experienced enough of odd situations to be able to help them.

Occultism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Flint looks at the whole disaster and hesitates for a moment Not trained in any of those.

Stealth Init': 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Creeping up carefully, Milady remains unseen, and is able to step right in--

As Hopper rushes over to help the assistants, Milady looks at Tavvar, and realizes that she is exactly doing as badly as expected... and in just the wrong way!
Milady slips over to her, and tries to push the woman without her really noticing, so that her posture is better suited for the ritual.

Thievery, trained: 1d20 + 1 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 1 + 2 + 4 = 22

Milady rapidly grabs the spectacles off the lady, wipes them off, and puts them back on: "It's best you can see!"

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Perception (Init): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Not trained in any of the listed skills

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Pell, too, is untrained in the listed skills.