Hester Motts |
Hester most definitely passes on the information, happy to at least be an extra set of eyes as everyone works on gathering information.
He stands back and talks quietly with Louis to avoid startling the creature, "It's not calmness, I'm just as terrified of dying as anyone else. But I've been through a lot of combats, so... you get used to the adrenaline dump and recovery after. It doesn't make it easier really, but I at least know what is happening. It helps if I have something to do, so thanks for letting me give it a go. Hope you feel better!"
GM Blake |
Perception, Louis: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Religion, Tarku: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Louis enters the temple. Dust-covered pews stand in silent rows in this small chapel, and shelves line the walls. Facsimiles of candles occupy the candelabras here—mounds of congealed wax and burned wicks.
A small corpse—charred, broken, and its features mostly burned away—rests against the pew. The corpse is covered in a layer of fine ash and scraps of charred fabric that seem to be all that remains of the clothing it once wore. Around its neck is a soot-covered chain bearing an ankh.
He also finds the census records and historical documents kept by the town council of Goldenflame.
Olnik finds a low-grade cold iron buckler underneath the bed in the guardhouse.
Tarku passes underneath an old painted sign of a flaming chariot wheel and the name of the inn, "The Flaming Wheel," hanging by one remaining chain. He recognizes this as an important symbol to the Iomedean faith.
Inside, a broken circular table and door, part of a makeshift barricade, rest near the entrance of this modest tavern. Other similar tables and accompanying chairs are scattered throughout the area. Long-dried blood smears decorate the floor and walls. The bar is haphazardly covered in tankards—signs of the final celebration of life.
A body lies on the floor. This corpse has been heavily damaged by zombie teeth. A broken piece of plate armor lies nearby, bearing iconography of a flame and the hilt of a sword.
Inside one of the guest rooms is a purse with 10 silver coins in it.
Left to act this block of time: Bella, Louis.
Corpses: Olnik retrieved a wayfinder, identifies a zombie
Guardhouse: Olnik finds a cold-iron buckler
Armory: Bella finds a broken cart
Temple: Louis finds a pile of charred corpses and historical records.
+ Examine Scorch Marks (10 minutes, Arcana)
+ Examine Corpses (10 minutes, Medicine or Perception)
+ Examine Ankh (10 minutes, Religion)
General Store
Apothecary: Tarku finds candles, oils, and herbs.
Inn: Tarku finds a purse of money
+ Examine Corpse (10 minutes, Medicine or Perceptions)
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Religion)
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Society [separate check])
Fix Cart (Crafting Check and 10 minutes work)
Calm/Befriend Horse (an appropriate skill/ability/tactic and 10 minutes work)
Olnik Shadowstone |
Olnik looks over the wagon. "Anybody got a repair kit? Might be able to get this up and running. Would be good to carry the remains back for burial. Someone should check the general store for more supplies."
He glances at Hester. "You want to see if you can figure out what killed these folks? I'll see if I can identify the magic at work."
I will begin examining scorch marks. I assume that's a secret check. My Arcana is +5
Is everyone at full HP?
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Bella searches the general store as everyone spreads out to quickly cover all the ground.
Perception (E): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Hester Motts |
Hester is down a bit, but is planning on saving his last spell for a big channeling heal if they run across undead again. What he really needs though is a nice night of rest.
Olnik Shadowstone |
Olnik pulls out a scroll. "Can't have you fallin' down on us."
Cast soothe scroll on Hesper: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 HP healed
Hester Motts |
Thanks!
Tarku |
Tarku takes a closer look at the corpse in the Inn.
Medicine (T): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
GM Blake |
Apologies. I was rather ill yesterday after work.
These checks do not have Critical Fails, so no need for secret checks. I will roll your Arcana now, though. If you do want to roll a secret check moving forward, use the semi-secret method using spoilers that I described in Discussion.
Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Olnik determines that the pattern of the scorch marks is consistent with a magical fire or explosion.
Given the body in the chapel's large head and pointy teeth, Louis determines that it was a goblin.
Tarku determines that the body in the inn is that of a gnome or halfling.
When Bella enters the general store, a fungal ball near the entrance explodes and releases spores into the air. (Bella: Fortitude Save
30 minutes Spent
Corpses: Olnik retrieved a wayfinder, identifies a zombie
Guardhouse: Olnik finds a cold-iron buckler
Armory: Bella finds a broken cart
Temple: Louis finds a pile of charred corpses and historical records.
+ Examine Ankh (10 minutes, Religion)
General Store: Bella stepped in it (Fortitude Save)
Apothecary: Tarku finds candles, oils, and herbs.
Inn: Tarku finds a purse of money
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Religion)
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Society [separate check])
Fix Cart (Crafting Check and 10 minutes work)
Calm/Befriend Horse (an appropriate skill/ability/tactic and 10 minutes work)
Olnik Shadowstone |
Can we repair the cart if no one has a repair kit?
Olnik moves on to examine the suit of armor. "Tarku, see if you can get that horse to come with us. Maybe it can pull the cart."
Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
I'm sure this is likely defined in the scenario, but let me just say that 10 minutes to identify a goblin corpse seems particularly absurd.
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Hero Point Re-roll
Fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Hatrabella coughs and snorts, then blows her nose hard. A big slimy black moldy booger shoots out and splatters onto the floor. She wrinkles her nose and backs out of the location, headed to meet up with her allies and see what is up.
Did she see anything in there worth pursuing or was her whole 10 minutes used battling the mold?
Next Check but not sure what is allowed to be done untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 2 +1 to untrained craft check, if not then +1 to untrained religion check, if not then +1 to untrained nature to calm the horse and if not to all those then +6 perception to search/look over the zombie corpses?
Tarku |
Olnik ducks into the Inn and interrupts Tarku's examination of the corpse. "Horse, you say? And not with its flesh a-drippin' from its bones? Poor thing. Aye, lemme see if I can't sweet talk it."
He gestures to the body. "Got a wee feller here, gnome or halfing. Maybe you can make sense o' this armor? Is this one of our missing Pathfinders?"
Tarku and Brick head over to the wandering horse. Motioning Brick to stay well back, Tarku approaches and sees if he can calm the animal.
Assuming a pack horse is not hostile or unfriendly, so Command Animal rather than Wild Empathy?
Nature (T): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
If Diplomacy per Wild Empathy to Make an Impression
Diplomacy (U): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
GM Blake |
No, but I had to see if you survived to do the rest of the store.
That also reminds me, Louis gets +1 Hero Points for his gambit to distract the zombies.
This appears to be a makeshift repair rather than an actual Repair action to the best of my current understand of the text, so I will not require the Repair Kit at this time/this run.
Bella manages to avoid the worst effects of the fungal spores through dwarven hardiness. She searches the general store but finds most of the food stuffs to be spoiled with mold or worse and the mundane supplies ruined or taken during the exodus. She does find one bag of unspoiled rolled oats. They would make a tasty snack or very bland meal.
Tarku calls the horse over to him. The white horse seems shy but warms toward the dwarf gradually, despite the presence of a young bear. The horse bears leather barding embossed with the symbol of the Path of the Open Road and gold and green caparisons. The saddle bears the names 'Desert Wind' and 'Larraz Virtanne' engraved in the wood.
Looking into Desert Wind's saddle bags, Tarku finds two potions labeled in the Pathfinder fashion, 'Minor Healing Potion.'
Time Spend: 30 minutes; Left to act: Bella, Olnik, Louis
Corpses: Olnik retrieved a wayfinder, identifies a zombie
Guardhouse: Olnik finds a cold-iron buckler
Armory: Bella finds a broken cart
Temple: Louis finds a pile of charred corpses and historical records.
+ Examine Ankh (10 minutes, Religion)
General Store: Bella found rolled oats
Apothecary: Tarku finds candles, oils, and herbs.
Inn: Tarku finds a purse of money
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Religion)
+ Examine Armor (10 minutes, Society [separate check])
Fix Cart (Crafting Check and 10 minutes work)
Desert Wind: Befriended by Tarku
When you feel you've finished here, you can move on to the college.
Olnik Shadowstone |
I said I was examining the armor, and got a 17 on my Society check.
I have a +5 on Crafting, so I will try to fix the cart for my next action.
Louis "Jabberjaws" Puddles |
(Thanks for the hero point!)
Louis will gather the historical records and put them in his backpack, knowing the history of this town needs to be remembered. (Unsure if this is implied when finding them or if it takes a separate 10 minutes.)
Louis then makes his way to the cart, trying to lift it so Hatrabella is able to concentrate on the repairs-"If we find any injured, this cart will be real useful!"
Aid on repairing the cart?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Bella hands off the oats to the horse whisperer and starts working on the cart.
Crafting (U): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
She looks up with an exhasperated sigh, "Hey, how about I lift and you work on it?"
Olnik Shadowstone |
Aid in 2E requires a DC 20 check, typically, so at this point it's likely easier to make the actual roll than to make the assist roll, unfortunately. It seems to really be designed for a fairly-competent person to help someone else. Untrained people (or even merely Trained people at lower levels) just aren't experienced enough to typically be that helpful.
Hester Motts |
I suggest everyone who can roll Religion try those checks next round. Everyone else just pile onto attempting to fix the cart. Hopefully we can get the cart running and maybe hook up the horse and pile in all the stuff we have gathered. But if not, we at least move onto the college and try to find actual survivors. Of course, Hester can't do anything but he'll cheer from the stump where he is resting.
Olnik Shadowstone |
Crafting: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Olnik focuses on getting the cart functional. "Gather the dead we can. Best to take them back for proper burial. Tarku, see if you can get the beastie harnessed to the cart once I fix this wheel."
GM Blake |
Olnik--despite Louis' 'help' and Bella's efforts to fix it by breaking it--manages to get the cart into a rickety state of function. It could use a little more work to ensure its stability if you would like to take the time, but it will do for now for what you have found so far. Tarku has no problem leading Desert Wind to accept the cart.
Time Spend: 40 minutes
Corpses: Olnik retrieved a wayfinder, identifies a zombie
Guardhouse: Olnik finds a cold-iron buckler
Armory: Bella finds a broken cart
Temple: Louis finds a pile of charred corpses and historical records.
+ Examine Ankh (10 minutes, Religion)
General Store: Bella found rolled oats
Apothecary: Tarku finds candles, oils, and herbs.
Inn: Tarku finds a purse of money
+ Examine Armor of the Knight of Lastwall (10 minutes, Religion)
Fix Cart: Olnik has upgraded it from broken to rickety (10 minutes, Crafting to stabilize it)
Desert Wind: Befriended by Tarku
When you feel you've finished here, you can move on to the college.
Tarku |
Tarku gently maneuvers Desert Wind into place at the head of the cart, preparing the horse to transport the cart and everything they wish to stow aboard.
Assuming no check given the horse's disposition, but if required - Command Animal (Nature): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Olnik Shadowstone |
We'll take the ankh and armor with us, as well as what bodies we can, and perform the Religion checks later. I will, however, cast a quick detect magic cantrip to see if any of these things we've found are magical in nature, or if someone else can do that while I'm working on the cart.
Hester Motts |
Hester looks at the collected items and sighs, "No survivors, place checked, let's go to the college."
GM Blake |
With the cart stabilized and hitched to Desert Wind, you load up the historical records and bodies you've found onto the cart. You then make your way south toward the Goldenflame College and away--but not by much--from the slowly approaching undead titans. It takes roughly a quarter of an hour to reach the college grounds.
Inside the college walls are 10 ft high and light level is normal.
Two wide staircases lead into the college, and centered above them is the religious symbol of Iomedae. Engraved into the graying stone is “Goldenflame College, Est. 4083 AR.” A pair of sweeping staircases lead to a veranda across the entire front of the college, with entrances to a reception area and the main hall on either side.
Lying face down on the porch is a body of a small humanoid, clawed and chewed beyond easy recognition.
This small corpse’s hand is outstretched to the door of Goldenflame College. The body is clad in dirtied white and red robes with gold trim, shredded from the back as though by cruel claws. A small notebook has fallen nearby, its pages stained with dried blood.
Academia Lore or Society (Not Secret) check to read and interpret the bloodstained book.
Medicine or Perception (Not Secret) check to examine and identify the body.
Religion (Not Secret) check to examine the clothing.
Hester Motts |
Any of these skills doable untrained and/or by a person who is fatigued?
Olnik Shadowstone |
Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Olnik notices nothing about the architectural style.
He shakes his head with pity at the fate of the small creature, then begins examining the body.
Perception(examine body): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
I'll go ahead and do the other rolls, if no one else gets them, just to keep things moving. I'm a dwarven bard, after all. I drink and I know stuff.
Society(examine book): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Religion(examine clothes): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Hester Motts |
Society (U) Architecture: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Society (U) Blood: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Medicine (T) Body: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Religion (T) Clothing: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Bella eyes the dead body, "Looks dead." She watches carefully for whatever hacked the poor soul to bits.
Perception (E): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
GM Blake |
Between you, you determine that this was a gnome or halfling who was mauled to death by tooth and claw likely by humanoid undead given the situational context. The clothing is similar to ceremonial robes worn by Iomedean priests. And the book contains esoteric diagrams that seem to be some sort of field research into the arcane.
Moving on to the reception area, you find a dusty sofa and small chairs are the only furnishings that remain in this modest room. Two small windows to the east look out over the front lawn, and doors exit to the north, west, and south. The map on the slides is sideways.
Olnik Shadowstone |
Olnik proceeds into the building, his mace pulled and at the ready.
Exploration action: Scout
Tarku |
Tarku and Brick move along with Olnik, focusing on examining the space in some detail:
Exploration action: Investigate
Hester Motts |
Explore Action: Yawn & blink a lot.
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Hatrabella Searches for any survivors, knowing that hidden passages or blockaded doors would be the best hope.
GM Blake |
Perhaps once majestic, this cavernous hall now truly resembles a cave: dark and dank. Dirt and standing water obscure the once-pristine white and gray tile, and stone colonnades stretching to the ceiling are covered in grime and mold. Sweeping staircases to the northwest and southwest lead upward, as does a spiral staircase. Smashed statues and torn paintings line the walls here: the signs of a struggle. Several doors exit to various rooms to the north, south, and east.
One of the paintings has survived the damage caused by battle. It is a portrait of a distinguished, handsome halfling woman dressed in pristine white finery.
Hester Motts |
Hester moves up to the painting, wracking his brain to recall who it might be.
Society (U): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Olnik Shadowstone |
Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Grime and mold? How long ago did Lastwall fall? Is this more disrepair than we would expect to see after a couple of months (or however long) of abandonment?
Crafting(recall knowledge): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Tarku |
Tarku and Brick investigate the room to the left of the entry hall.
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
GM Blake |
Given the state of flooding in this chamber, Olnik is not surprised by the amount of mold taking advantage of the humidity.
Tarku enters one of the side chambers. The velvet-lined sofa pushed up against the north wall is caked in dust. Broken chairs rest in the southwest. A small closet and empty office, both with their doors torn off or kicked in, are to the west (the little rooms off of this chamber). Closed wooden doors lead to the east and south.
The dwarven druid can faintly hear muffled sobbing coming from beneath the sofa.
Hatrabella Hillguard |
Bella tries to keep everyone in sight. She follows as one of the dwarves disappears into a side room and goes to check out what he has found, waving for the others to stick close.
Hester Motts |
Hester's adrenaline spikes a bit and he follows close to his friend as waved.
GM Blake |
"Aiee!" screeches a terrified half-orc man. He continues to scream uncontrollably and attempts to drive himself further toward the back of the sofa. Louis can make out a tattoo on his forearm when the man tries to shield his face. The tattoo looks like it might be a leaf or flower petal.
Olnik Shadowstone |
"Hey there, buddy ... We're here to help ya ..."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Not a great roll ...
Hester Motts |
Hester moves forwards, crouching down with his hands out palms up, ”Easy friend, we are the rescue party. Take a slow breath and look around. We can get you out of this nightmare.”
Diplomacy (T): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 Make an Impression
GM Blake |
The young half-orc slowly stops screaming as the bard and sorcerer try to convince him that they are allies and not necromancers or brain-eating zombies. "R-r-rescue party?" he says hesitantly and uncovers his face. Doing as bid, he begins to take slow breaths. "Who sent a rescue party? Have you seen any of my comrades? Gibb? Kailli? Osprey? Oh, my horse? Have you seen Desert Wind?"
Louis "Jabberjaws" Puddles |
Louis smiles at the half-orc and says-"We've seen Desert Wind alright. Tarku here was able to calm him down...he'll be glad to see you safe and sound."-trying to bring some good news to the man.
Standing up and extending his hand, Louis continues-"We were sent here by the Pathfinder Society. What did your comrades look like?"