GM supervillan's Feast of Ravenmoor [PFS Gameday VIII] (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

En route to the manor, Golthwur recalls the burned effigies of Desna that he had seen their earlier, the mention of the "Dreamer" at the festival and his concerns regarding an active cult of the Gossamer King within the town.

He considers what he knows of the relationship between the goddess of dreams and the king of parasites.

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Golthwur can think of no links between Ghlaunder and Desna.

Jeskit you still have 7hp damage from the fight with the qlippoth.

Yagaji volunteers to sleep on the floor of the elderly comedian's room and keep watch for part of the night. He does not like sleeping alone.

Despite some misgivings, Byron is willing to sleep in the Manor house.

"I'm happy to take a round of watch duty."

Jeskit will seek assistance with his wand. 1 charge of Infernal Healing should do the trick.

Angela takes the offered Dream Tender with a worried smile, and tucks it away to analyze later. She heads back into the manor with everyone else. "A watch sounds like a good idea. I'll take second watch. It should give me some time to try analyzing this Tender and see what it might actually do."

She then takes a moment to reflect on what she knows about the Gossamer king, Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (15) + 7 + (2) = 24.

Seeing Jeskit wanting some help with his wand, Angela extends a hand. "Here let me give that a try for you. Do you know the activation word if there is one?" The little halfling then and gives it a whirl.

UMD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Seems like whirling this is not the right way to use it. Just a second..."

UMD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

"Nor does a twist and flick...hrmmm"

UMD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

"You are positive there are no activation words?"

UMD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

"Oh, this has to be inserted into the intended recipient's ear before it works? Unusual! But there you go!"

She then retires to her bed room, setting up a good fake halfling out of extra bedding in her bed before pulling out her alchemist's kit and trying to analyze the Dream Tender that the villagers were so insistent on her using.

Not sure if I can analyze the tender (assuming it is alchemical or mundane in nature and not a magical effect) but Angela would love to try. If it is not mundane, she will use her wayfinder to cast detect magic and spellcraft to try identify it.
Craft (Alchemy): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 7 + (6) = 22

Hah, thanks!

Jeskit you can activate your wand yourself. Infernal Healing is on your spell list.

I'll give Gronkh a little longer.

Sorry, family in town this weekend and kid's birthday.

Gronkh joins the others at the Manor. "We should set a watch. I don't trust this place. Me and who for the first watch?"

Jeskit you can activate your wand yourself. Infernal Healing is on your spell list.

Ahh, but nothing like having a secretary activate it for you. Also must be hard to get into the ear right on your own....

In all seriousness, though, I'd forgotten he was a bloodrager until after posting and was kinda confused why he couldn't heal himself with it.

It's on my spell list but I don't have the spellcasting ability yet, can I?. I should research this further.

Yup spellcasting classes can use completion items if the spell is on their list but they don't have the casting ability yet. Paladins are specifically quoted to work that way. Makes the investigator losing wands that much more frustrating though.

So how, when and where will you keep watch? Jeskit is in Byron's room, Yagaji is in Golthwur's room; Angela and Gronkh are both available for watches.

Jeskit will take the first 4 hours of watch and allow Tetch to sleep in that time. They will switch roles in 4 hours.

Divide us between 3 rooms, with each room having 1 person sleeping and 1 watching? Will that work?

That sounds reasonable, although I'm not opposed to sleeping on the floor in someone elses room to concentrate our eyes and maximize the amount of sleep we can get.

Works for Yagaji. He insists on sleeping on the floor for whomever he's sharing a room.

OK, I think you've made a rough enough plan. The rooms are too small for many of you to cram in, but two to a room works fine and Angela has made a 'dummy' sleeper out of spare clothes (there is no additional bedding).

Angela realises very quickly that the Dream Tender tokens are fashioned from flayleaf. Burning one would release the plant's mild intoxicant in smoke that would be inhaled. Aside from the obvious fire risk, this may promote vivid dreaming if the smoke were inhaled as one falls asleep.

You settle down as best you can, unsure of the meaning of the events you have witnessed and none the wiser about the missing taxman and gold, but harbouring plenty of suspicions.

You catch the faint whiff of flayleaf smoke on the air, seeping in through cracks in the old wooden manor house, but otherwise the first watch passes uneventfully.

Tetch wakes Jeskit by jostling him.

Byron, what does Compy do?

Tetch wakes Jeskit.

Given that it's a holiday weekend for many of you I'll wait another day or two for Byron's post. (I'm a Brit in Belgium, none of the Thanksgiving stuff here :o ).

Compy nudges Byron awake, but watches the strange woman carefully.

Byron sits up.

"What's this now, Shel?"

Shel Lupescu looks at Byron, Jeskit and the two reptilian familiars. She blinks once, and for a moment seems uncertain, then practically throws herself at Byron. She puts her arms around him and kisses him passionately.

In breathy whispers, the girl addresses her 'king': "Oh, Byron my love! I couldn't wait for you!" she glances at Jeskit. "I don't even care if you spent the evening with that - that lizard there! Come with me now, I know a place where we can be alone. You need a real woman, not a - a lizardman! I can do things for you that he never can!" She squeezes Byron meaningfully.

Jeskit is taken aback,

"I can do things for you that he never can!"

Well, you don't know that.

He goes about donning his breastplate since it looks like Byron is being beckoned outside.

Angela gets up from the corner of Gronkh's room where she'd been trying to hide herself and stealthily moves over to the sleep half-orc and gently wakes him in Orc. "Bangon. Adunay kauban ang among mga higala."

She then gestures that she is going to sneak over to the other room and that he should keep an eye out. She then snakes her way out of the room as silent as possible.

Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Possible bluff to send a message?: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Gronkh's eyes fly open and he nods wordlessly to Angela, quickly sitting up and donning his armor as silently as possible, while listening to hear if he can hear anything of note.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

"Ah, you misunderstand. I actually saw a rather ribald play about this very thing once..."

He tries to remove her meaningful squeeze as gently as possible.

"Pathfinders often double up as a security measure. Its harder to sneak up on two than one. With the disappearance of the man we are here searching for, it seemed a prudent course."

Sense Motive on Shel: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

"You mean you're - ? Oh, what a relief! Well come on then! Let's go and have some fun, just you and me. Tomorrow I'm joining your Pathfinders." Shel tugs on Byron's arm. "Don't keep your Queen waiting now. I want you!"

Jeskit and Gronkh continue dressing. Angela sneaks along the hallway.

Angela you hear hushed voices from Byron's room. Sounds like Byron is talking to a woman. Gronkh, you're too far away and making too much noise with putting your armour on to hear anything.

Gronkh continues fiddling with the straps of his armor. Dang it, ain't a true knight s'posed t' have a squire fer this nonsense!?!

Angela tries to get in close and listen to what is being said.

Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
I wonder who that is. Is it his 'queen'? The weaver? What is going on. Does not sound like Byron is in trouble, for the time at least. And Jeskit is not making much noise either... Hrmm, Should I burst in and act offended my 'husband' is hanging out with another woman? Did I not have a ring set aside for something like this?

Angela is going to use her feat 'Well prepared' to see if she has a pair of sanctified rings on her person. The set costs 5 gp thus a DC 15 Sleight of Hand means she has it. Adding inspiration just in case.
Slight of Hand, inspired: 1d20 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 6 + (2) = 13
Arugh, those would have been useful to have. For a couple of reasons.

"Ah, yes. You understand, of course," he says to Jeskit.

"I'm afraid I'll need to cast a spell before we depart. Its a, ah, a wizard thing. A thing wizards must do. Before, you see."

Bluff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Jeskit smirks, Of course. Just let us know where you'll be. We don't want another monster pig spoiling your good time.

"Oh? Is it a spell for me, my love? Are you going to bolster your stamina?" Shel urges with a lascivious grin as she leads Byron by the hand. "Stop teasing, let's go!"

"We'll be in the old church, nobody goes there." she whispers to Jeskit.

Angela creeps closer: that's Shel Lupescu's voice, and someone's either putting on or taking off armour.

Byron, you've had enough rest to prepare new spells if you took the time - obviously Shel doesn't want you to dally though ;)

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Jeskit nods slyly, Got it.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

"Something like that, yes."

Byron casts message, including Jeskit. He then gathers up all his gear and gets ready to leave. He then casts mage armor off his wand, just in case.

As we are leaving, he'll use message to whisper to Jeskit.

"Follow as quietly as you can. Somethings up; she's scared."

DC 25 perception for her (or anyone else besides Jeskit) to overhear.

"My, what an impressive wand you have!"...

As Byron emerges from his room, led by Shel Lupescu, the couple almost stumble upon Angela creeping down the landing towards them.

"Don't you pathfinders ever sleep?" asks Shel, as she nearly drags Byron towards the stairs.

Quiet. Of course. Maybe Angela can help. Jeskit finishes donning his breastplate and goes to gather the others.

We need to follow Byron to the old church. Angela, we need you close without being detected. Golthwur, do you have means of communicating with Angela or Byron at a distance?

It's four minutes to put your breastplate(s) on Jeskit and Gronkh - though if Angela wakes the sleepers and you get help that can be reduced a little.

Angela, what do you do?

I'll don hastily, please.

Angela gives the retreating couple a smile, silently cursing herself for not getting out of the way earlier. She makes a pithy comment about insomnia and waits for the two to round the corner, before turning to Jeskit. "Alright this probably needs everyone. Gronkh is up and getting ready, but can you, or your familiar, get Golthwur and Yagaji up for me? Extra muscle never hurts and, as much as it pains me to say, we could use the magic." She then turns, adjusts her longspear and moves after the couple, trying to stay silent.

Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Jeskit bounds up to Golthwur and Yagaji's room to rouse them.

Gronkh will continue to get his armor on and ask any of his friends who are standing around if they can get the zipper in back - it's always hard to reach.

Over the course of the next half a minute or so, Byron and Shel leave the manor house; Byron's faithful familiar follows.

Angela, after asking Jeskit's help, slinks down the stairs on Byron's trail - but sneaking is slow going with her pack and her spear.

Angela: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (6) = 17

Angela isn't sure if Byron and Shel left by the front or the back door. She pauses in the library trying to guess.

Jeskit leaves off pulling his breastplate on for long enough to wake Golthwur and Yagaji.

Gronkh continues putting his own armour on.

We're not in combat rounds here, but I am tracking the amount of time that your actions take.

Those of you with daily resources (rage, inspiration etc) your pools have refreshed - it's early in the morning, a couple of hours before dawn. Wizards can prepare spells again - assuming they take the time.

I'll be GM-ing the conclusion of Eyes of the Ten all day tomorrow - likely won't be able to post again until Sunday or Monday. Please bot me as needed. Once Gronkh has his armor on he will join the rest of the group. If there's time to get his horse he will (unless that's going to make too much noise) but won't object if it's better to just go together on foot.

Jeskit bounds up to Golthwur and Yagaji's room to rouse them.

Golthwur, a bit groggy, nevertheless manages to get himself upright. He half listens to any explanation the nagaji offers, then says, "Why don't you fetch me my spellbook, whatever your name is. Sounds as though I have some preparations to make. Now, where did I place my hat?"

Byron will be moving slowly and with exaggerated stealth to let his companions keep up, occasionally whispering back to Jeskit his current whereabouts to keep them in pursuit.

"So, I don't think we talked earlier, but what exactly are the duties of the queen? You have to go on an adventure, sure, but what are the rules, exactly?" Byron asks in a stage whisper.

"Come on Byron, it's really cold out here and all I've got on is my night-gown. I want you to warm me up, my handsome king!"

Shel practically drags Byron by the arm...

CMB vs DC11: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

...and the young lass is strong enough to pull the elf along, though his resistance still slows their pace.

"You can save the pillow talk till we're a-bed, Byron!" she urges.

Jeskit gets a Message from Byron telling him that the couple are headed down the road towards the farms.

Jeskit follows with the rest of the gang. They're headed toward the farms. Golthwur, let Angela know. We should be inrange to help if necessary.

Angela would have left her pack back in the room. She was thinking there might be some combat and not planning on heading out

Angela having lost sight of the couple in her dilly-dallying gives herself another short mental cursing for her second mistake of the night. She pauses for just a second before deciding that the ultimately the back door would have been faster and easier to get to in the dark house. She heads that direction, hoping she hasn't messed things up completely.

His preparations complete (and updated in his header/profile) Golthwur finishes getting dressed and heads out of the room. "Who's headed where?" he asks one of the nagaji, "And where is the petite Pathfinder? The abbreviated adventurer?"