[Gameday VII][PACS] Cartmanbeck's Hao Jin Cataclysm (Tiers 1-3) - Gameplay (Inactive)

Game Master cartmanbeck

Hello everyone!
Please "dot" into this thread by making a post and deleting int. I'll get a Discussion thread going as well where you can talk about character concepts and strategic plans, but try to keep this thread relegated to actual turn-taking. The game starts on August 26th. Thanks!
Tyler

10-00: The Hao Jin Cataclysm
The Hao Jin Tapestry contains a vast wealth of locations, treasures, and peoples that the sorcerer Hao Jin tore from Golarian long ago. The demiplane has begun to unravel, and if the Pathfinder Society doesn't act quickly, it will collapse, destroying everything and everyone within. Ships are crucial to reach several areas in distress so, trusting in your skills as a Pathfinder agent and an experienced sailer, the Pathfinder Society has sent the Thresher, a junk from the Dragon Empires, into the tapestry for you to command. It is up to you to decide where to help first. You have three choices:

dot

Hello everyone. In case you haven't seen through other means, we've unfortunately had to push back the start date of GameDay by two weeks. We'll now be starting on September 9th. The reasons behind this were out of our control, unfortunately. Please feel free to start roleplaying with your characters here on this thread, if you'd like, in the meantime!

Just a quick reminder that we're starting on Monday! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your characters. Looking forward to getting started!

just wanted to let you all know that I had quite a busy weekend, I'd planned to get the initial post up tonight but it will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Thanks for your patience!

Former Master of Spells Aram Zey addresses the assembled Pathfinders as more agents stream into the Grand Lodge.
“Pathfinders, an entire world is in danger! The Hao Jin Tapestry is on the brink of collapse. If we do not act now, all its wonders and its people will be lost to us forever. Find your assigned group, aid in our preparations to enter the demiplane however you can, and await further instructions.”

Countless Pathfinders stand ready in a large stone room deep beneath the Grand Lodge. A ragged tapestry covered in clashing colors and abstract symbols rests on an inclined slab in the center of the room, surrounded by scaffolds and ladders. Scholars frantically rush along the scaffolds, studying a flurry of rips appearing on the tapestry.

A harried oread woman approaches. “I am Master of Spells Sorrina Westyr. I won’t mince words—the situation is dire. This cloth is the famous Hao Jin Tapestry, an ancient relic the Pathfinder Society acquired in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament six years ago. It contains a vast wealth of locations, treasures, and peoples torn from Golarion by the sorceress Hao Jin. We have explored many regions of the tapestry, struggled to keep the Aspis Consortium from turning its populace against us, and devised a means to use the tapestry for fast travel across all of Golarion. But now, it has begun to unravel. We must act quickly to repair the tapestry—and that means sending agents into the demiplane itself. Our former Master of Spells, Aram Zey, knows more about the tapestry than anyone here. He is preparing a formal briefing. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with your team, discuss any previous experience you may have with the Hao Jin Tapestry, and gather what information and resources you can.
One more thing, and this is important: you will be able to retreat safely from the tapestry to Absalom. However, we cannot risk damaging the tapestry further by sending groups back and forth. Be sure that you gather everything you need before entering the tapestry, because once you return to Absalom, you will no longer be a part of this mission.”

10-00B: Slavers in the Night

Dara, your halfling boatswain, slaps her hand on the ship’s
table. “Slavers!” she says, as though she finds the word itself
distasteful. “Slavers all up and down the river.” In every
harbor and fishing community, the stories have been the same:
entire households kidnapped in the dead of night. In the morning,
neighbors find burst locks or shattered doors, and signs of struggle
but few other clues. Tracks lead away but disappear over stony ground.
Occasionally, trackers find a corpse; it’s clear that anyone resisting the
kidnappers is casually murdered and left to rot. The villagers huddle
behind their doors each night, praying it won’t be their turn next.
You’ve got a distinct advantage in investigating these kidnappings: at
the helm of the Thresher, you can speed quickly from village to village,
comparing the timing and reports of the disappearances. The Pathfinder
Society relies upon these communities to report on disturbances
throughout the Hao Jin Tapestry —which is why they undertook the
expense to send the Thresher in the first place. The communities initially reported on strange and accelerating deterioration of the tapestry; rips in the ground and in the air with nothing behind them but an unusual silvery void. Now, the communities are not providing
any more detailed reports, because they are too worried about the
kidnappings. If you want to learn more from them about these rifts,
you’ll have to find these kidnappers and bring them to justice.
It was Dara’s idea to compile information about the disappearances
on a map in the captain’s quarters of the Thresher. The map is spread
before you, each kidnapping labeled with dates, times, and distances.
Dara’s numbers were all off—she excels at driving the crew, but it
seems that calculations are not her expertise. After a few corrections,
however, you’ve noticed a grim correlation. All of the targeted
communities are within a few days’ travel of a mountain where
duergar have labored for centuries: Slave Mountain. A few years ago,
the Pathfinder Society quelled a slaving operation there, forcing the
duergar to focus on defense. Now, it seems, the duergar are active again.
You find the timing particularly suspicious. Just as the villagers
could give genuine information about the tapestry’s deterioration,
they’re forced to cower in their homes in terror. Perhaps the duergar
have chosen this moment to expand their raids not just to capture
slaves, but to silence the villagers. There’s more going on here, and
you’ll have to catch the leader of these slavers to learn more.

During This Adventure: PLAY THESE SCENARIOS AS DIRECTED:
10–00A: The Serpent’s Fangs
10–00B: Slavers in the Night
10–00C: Storm Surge
10–00D: Astral Reavers
10–00E: Into the Astral Sea

At the start of this adventure, choose whether you wish to count the adventure for purposes of tier advancement. If you choose not to count this adventure as tier advancement, you do not gain feats as provided in the Guide, but you do gain scenario rewards and
deck upgrades as normal.

Do not read any scenario’s villains or henchmen before playing it.

Use the Thresher as your ship.

If you are dead at the end of a scenario, you may play another character for the next scenario.

If you fail a scenario, immediately replay it.

During This Scenario: 10-00B: Slavers in the Night

If a Duergar Lashmaster or Duergar Slave-Taker is undefeated, shuffle your character token into your location deck. You shouldn’t know where your token card is while you are shuffling. When your token is examined, encountered, or would be returned to the box or removed from the game, remove it from the location deck and place it at that location. While your token is in a location deck, you may explore, encounter cards, and play cards; but you cannot move, and you must evade any banes you encounter.

Scenario Level (#): 2

Turn: 0

Top of Blessing Discard Pile:

[b]Blessings Deck

Location #1: Festhall
At This Location: If your check has the Swashbuckling trait, add 1d4 to it.
When Closing: Summon and defeat the henchman Buccaneer.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, succeed at a Charisma or Diplomacy 8 check to draw 2 random allies from the box; choose 1 to add to your hand and return the other.
M: 2 Ba: 0 W: 2 Sp: 1 Ar: 0 I: 1 Al: 2 Bl: 1 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: Enora/Eslibedesh, Merisiel/WilderRedbeard, Oloch/Gimry, Agna/Grimsnik, None

Location #2: Smoking Den
At This Location: At the start of your turn, you may reveal a card that has the Poison trait to examine the top card of your location.
When Closing: Summon and acquire a random ally that lists Diplomacy in its check to acquire.
When Permanently Closed: For the rest of the scenario, a character at any location may bury a card to add 1 die to her check that invokes the Human or Poison trait.
M: 1 Ba: 2 W: 2 Sp: 1 Ar: 0 I: 0 Al: 2 Bl: 1 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: None

Location #3: Tengu Rookery
At This Location: At the end of your turn, you may examine the top card of another location deck.
When Closing: Banish an item.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, you may examine the top card of your deck; then you may recharge it or give it to another character.
M: 2 Ba: 2 W: 2 Sp: 0 Ar: 0 I: 2 Al: 1 Bl: 0 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: None

Location #4: Warehouse
At This Location: At the end of your turn, you may recharge any number of items and weapons in your hand.
When Closing: Succeed at a Dexterity or Disable check with a difficulty of 4 plus the scenario's adventure deck number.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, summon and encounter a weapon, an armor, or an item.
M: 3 Ba: 2 W: 0 Sp: 0 Ar: 1 I: 2 Al: 1 Bl: 0 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: None

Location #5: Floating Shipyard
At This Location: Add 3 to your checks to repair ships.
When Closing: Succeed at an Intelligence or Craft 8 check.
When Permanently Closed: You may bury a card to repair your ship.
M: 2 Ba: 2 W: 0 Sp: 2 Ar: 1 I: 0 Al: 2 Bl: 0 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: None

Location #6: Merchant Marina
At This Location: Add the adventure deck number of the current scenario to your checks to acquire boons and checks to defeat banes.
When Closing: Succeed at a Charisma or Diplomacy 6 check.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, each character at this location must discard a card.
M: 1 Ba: 1 W: 2 Sp: 0 Ar: 1 I: 3 Al: 1 Bl: 0 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: None

PLUNDER ROLL: plunder: 1d6 ⇒ 3 => Armor

Please choose your starting locations and post your starting hands.

Starting Location: Warehouse

Hand: Blessing of Cayden Cailean, Blessing of the Gods 2, Repelling Pike +1, Fortified Leather Armor, Conch Shell, Saber Toothed Tiger,

Displayed:
Deck: 11 Discard: 0 Buried: 0
Hero Points: 4
"NOTES:
Available Support: Blessings are available for use."

"

Merisiel will start at the Tengu Rookery.

Hand: Cockroach Coat, Quick-Change Mask, Dredge, Dandy Brute, Old Salt,

Displayed:
Deck: 12 Discard: 0 Buried: 0
Current Location: Warehouse
Hero Points: 1
NOTES:
Other: Dice Re-Roll Used for 10-00B?: N

Aram Zey cries out in alarm as a massive rip appears in the Hao Jin Tapestry. A silvery void dances within the breach. “The rifts are widening—we’re running out of time! Quickly, Pathfinders. Finish your preparations and gather around the tapestry.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Aram Zey’s gaze remains fixed on the tapestry as he addresses the crowd around him. He is harried and pale, with dark bags under his bloodshot eyes. His hands tremble slightly as he sets a mug of coffee down on a table already littered with empty cups. “Pathfinders, the Hao Jin Tapestry is falling to pieces. Both the physical object you see before you and the mystical realm it contains have been unraveling for several months, possibly even longer. My only hope is that there is still time to save the tapestry and those who live inside.”

The former Master of Spells glares at the tapestry for a moment, and then a new rip catches his attention. He jabs a finger at the frayed fabric. “There! You see? The degradation is causing—or perhaps caused by—rifts to the Astral Plane that are appearing throughout the demiplane. Fixing these tears is not as simple as stitching fabric or performing a few rituals. We must enter the tapestry itself, find the rifts, and repair them as best we can. But the tapestry is in chaos—undead horrors are emerging throughout the demiplane, and we do not quite understand why. On top of that, the people and creatures of the tapestry are reacting to the chaos, and they are only making matters worse! That, Pathfinders, is where you come in.”

Aram Zey finally turns to face the crowd gathered around him. “The tapestry is a massive realm, and we have spent years exploring it and using it for travel. I fear that our activities are at least partly responsible for the degradation. I don’t think it’s a coincidence many of the six most damaged areas of the tapestry are sites of previous Pathfinder missions.”

Zey’s face twists into a pained expression, “My efforts to repair the demiplane over the course of the last several days have met with nothing but failure. The decline continues to accelerate. I have no choice but to send you into the tapestry to deal with the chaos around these six sites. I’ll be sending in other teams to perform the laborious work of patching the rifts once you’ve established control of the situation. Then I can work on a permanent solution. Time is of the essence. By my estimates, in a little over two day’s time, the entire demiplane will collapse without your efforts. I don’t care what motivates you, whether you want to preserve powerful artifacts, save innocent lives, or be a good Pathfinder—get in there and get the job done.” Aram Zey returns his gaze to the tapestry, raising his hand to his forehead and wincing in pain. In a low grumble, he adds, “You all are this demiplane’s last hope. Don’t let them down.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin approaches. “As Aram Zey said, we have identified the six most damaged areas of the tapestry. Unfortunately, each of these areas is populated. In some of them, you’ll find allies who require aid, and in others long-time foes that would thwart our efforts. We must defeat these foes or win them over to our side. Choose your missions carefully! If you have visited the tapestry before, its people are likely to remember you, for good or ill.
“I do have one piece of good news—the tapestry’s attempts to repair itself have caused loose threads from these six locations to connect to each other. What that means for you is that traveling between those locations once you’re inside should be straightforward. Advance scouts tell us these connections look like bridges made of tattered fabric decorated to resemble the two locations in the tapestry that the bridge connects.
“As for getting back home, when you enter, you’ll leave a little blue portal behind you. It’s called an astral eddy, and it’s your personal connection to the Material Plane. Walk back into it, and you’ll reappear in Absalom. Once you’ve come home, though, we won’t be sending you back in.
“You have two days to complete as many missions as you can, but don’t be so hasty that you throw away your lives. Take the time to rest if you find a safe place.”

Table BRs, Part 2 has begun.

Turn Order (also listed in the campaign header:
1 - Enora/Eslibedesh
2 - Merisiel/WilderRedbeard
3 - Oloch/Gimry
4 - Agna/Grimsnik

During This Adventure: PLAY THESE SCENARIOS AS DIRECTED:
10–00A: The Serpent’s Fangs
10–00B: Slavers in the Night
10–00C: Storm Surge
10–00D: Astral Reavers
10–00E: Into the Astral Sea

At the start of this adventure, choose whether you wish to count the adventure for purposes of tier advancement. If you choose not to count this adventure as tier advancement, you do not gain feats as provided in the Guide, but you do gain scenario rewards and
deck upgrades as normal.

Do not read any scenario’s villains or henchmen before playing it.

Use the Thresher as your ship.

If you are dead at the end of a scenario, you may play another character for the next scenario.

If you fail a scenario, immediately replay it.

During This Scenario: 10-00B: Slavers in the Night

If a Duergar Lashmaster or Duergar Slave-Taker is undefeated, shuffle your character token into your location deck. You shouldn’t know where your token card is while you are shuffling. When your token is examined, encountered, or would be returned to the box or removed from the game, remove it from the location deck and place it at that location. While your token is in a location deck, you may explore, encounter cards, and play cards; but you cannot move, and you must evade any banes you encounter.

Scenario Level (#): 2

Turn: 1, Enora/Eslibedesh

Top of Blessing Discard Pile:

Blessings Deck

Location #1: Festhall
At This Location: If your check has the Swashbuckling trait, add 1d4 to it.
When Closing: Summon and defeat the henchman Buccaneer.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, succeed at a Charisma or Diplomacy 8 check to draw 2 random allies from the box; choose 1 to add to your hand and return the other.
M: 2 Ba: 0 W: 2 Sp: 1 Ar: 0 I: 1 Al: 2 Bl: 1 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: Enora/Eslibedesh, Oloch/Gimry, None

Starting Location: Festhall

If you haven't played with Oloch before, I can display any of my Weapons or Blessing for a +2 to *any* of your checks.

Hand: Cure, Blessing of the Samurai 3, Fireproof O-Yoroi, War Drum,

Displayed:
Deck: 13 Discard: 0 Buried: 0
Hero Points: 2
"NOTES:
Available Support: Feel free to display any weapons/blessings for +2 (Total Uses: 1)"

"

Starting Location: Smoking Den
Enora strolls down the ship ramp, head held high as she glances up and down slave mountain. Behind her, Oloch, Mirisiel, and Agna follow her off the ship. They all turn to one another and finalize plans before heading to a different part of the seemingly abandoned mountain. Enora treks into the smoking den, a vile place where so-called "Nobles" come to flaunt their purses in exchange for not getting their hands dirty. She enters the bar, and prepares for anything that could come her way.

Enore explores and uncovers Blessing of the Gods

Luckily, instead of the dirt and grime she was expecting, she felt a rush of power, and used it to keep exploring.

Collect Blessing of the gods, immediately discard to explore again. Explores Shortbow

Enora spots a worn-out shortbow leaning up against the wall.

Dex 3: 1d6 ⇒ 5

She decides to collect it, just to hold onto in case.

Discards shortbow while resetting hand, ends turn.

Hand: Fly, Chronicler, Electrified Web, Blessing of Pharasma, Clinging Venom, Blessing of the Spellbound 2,

Displayed:
Deck: 12 Discard: 2 Buried: 0
Hero Points: 0
"NOTES:
Other: "

"

During This Adventure: PLAY THESE SCENARIOS AS DIRECTED:
10–00A: The Serpent’s Fangs
10–00B: Slavers in the Night
10–00C: Storm Surge
10–00D: Astral Reavers
10–00E: Into the Astral Sea

At the start of this adventure, choose whether you wish to count the adventure for purposes of tier advancement. If you choose not to count this adventure as tier advancement, you do not gain feats as provided in the Guide, but you do gain scenario rewards and
deck upgrades as normal.

Do not read any scenario’s villains or henchmen before playing it.

Use the Thresher as your ship.

If you are dead at the end of a scenario, you may play another character for the next scenario.

If you fail a scenario, immediately replay it.

During This Scenario: 10-00B: Slavers in the Night

If a Duergar Lashmaster or Duergar Slave-Taker is undefeated, shuffle your character token into your location deck. You shouldn’t know where your token card is while you are shuffling. When your token is examined, encountered, or would be returned to the box or removed from the game, remove it from the location deck and place it at that location. While your token is in a location deck, you may explore, encounter cards, and play cards; but you cannot move, and you must evade any banes you encounter.

Scenario Level (#): 2

Turn: 2, Merisiel/WilderRedbeard

Top of Blessing Discard Pile:

Blessings Deck

Location #1: Festhall
At This Location: If your check has the Swashbuckling trait, add 1d4 to it.
When Closing: Summon and defeat the henchman Buccaneer.
When Permanently Closed: On closing, succeed at a Charisma or Diplomacy 8 check to draw 2 random allies from the box; choose 1 to add to your hand and return the other.
M: 2 Ba: 0 W: 2 Sp: 1 Ar: 0 I: 1 Al: 2 Bl: 1 ?: 1
Located/Displayed Here: Oloch/Gimry, None

Turn 2: The hour of Gozreh
Remain at Tengu Rookery

Being an orphan herself, and familiar with the greasy underbelly of society, Merisiel's blood boils ever-so-slightly at the mention of slavers. After splitting off from the rest of the group (her favourite method of getting work done - solo), she heads toward the Tengu Rookery to question the feathered humanoids about the recent kidnappings.

Display Cockroach Coat
Free explore of card #1:

Merisiel and her rather foppish half-orc companion approach approach a ship's quartermaster at the rookery with the intent of gathering some information from her. The quartermaster is rather curt and provides them little to no information before heading back to her ship. The half-orc points out a spyglass the quartermaster left behind but Merisiel decides that irritating the locals by "borrowing" their goods is unwise.

Reset hand and end turn

Hand: Gambeson, Dredge, Old Salt, Blessing of Bastet, Blessing of Abadar,

Displayed: Cockroach Coat,
Deck: 10 Discard: 1 Buried: 0
Current Location: Tengu Rookery
Hero Points: 1
NOTES:
Available Support: Blessings available. Gambeson will be displayed at the start of the next player's turn.
Other: Dice Re-Roll Used for 10-00B?: N

Hourglass Discard:Blessing of the Gods
WHEN THIS IS THE HOUR: NONE

It feels good to be back on solid ground again with that Halfling again. Her reliance on the Arcane shows weakness, but she can handle herself. I do question these other two, however.

Everyone knows that the dregs of society always hide in the Festhalls, so I head there first.

Melee 8: 1d12 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

As I approach the Festhalls, I spy a weapon someone carelessly laid outside.

Finders Keepers, am I right?

When I reset my hand, I am going to discard the Cutlass. However, at the start of the next turn, I will recharge my War Drum to draw the cutlass into my hand, so this reflects that. Important because it does add an additional +2

Hand: Cure, Blessing of the Samurai 3, Fireproof O-Yoroi, Cutlass +1,

Displayed:
Deck: 14 Discard: 0 Buried: 0
Hero Points: 2
"NOTES:
Available Support: Feel free to display any weapons/blessings for +2 (Total Uses: 2)"

"

The hour is of Erastil.

The ship starts to take on water as they approach the warehouse. Str 7: 3d10 + 3 ⇒ (2, 9, 8) + 3 = 22 Discard Blessing of CC. Recharge Saber Tooth Tiger to explore

Searching the warehouse Agna finds a ripped bag.Dex 6: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Agna has a vision of a bar fight at the Smoking Den. Playing Conch Shell to examine Barroom Brawl on top of the Smoking Den.

EOT- Recharge CS 7: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Examine top card of Warehouse- Giant Wasp

Hand: Blessing of the Gods 1, Blessing of the Gods 2, Repelling Pike +1, Fortified Leather Armor, Shock Glaive +1, Earthbreaker,

Displayed:
Deck: 10 Discard: 1 Buried: 0
Hero Points: 4
"NOTES:
Available Support: Blessings are available for use."

"

Location- Warehouse
Banish Cards #1 Taking on Water and 2 Helpful Haversack
Examine #3 Giant Wasp

Location- Smoking Den- examined #1 Barroom Brawl

During This Adventure: PLAY THESE SCENARIOS AS DIRECTED:
10–00A: The Serpent’s Fangs
10–00B: Slavers in the Night
10–00C: Storm Surge
10–00D: Astral Reavers
10–00E: Into the Astral Sea

At the start of this adventure, choose whether you wish to count the adventure for purposes of tier advancement. If you choose not to count this adventure as tier advancement, you do not gain feats as provided in the Guide, but you do gain scenario rewards and
deck upgrades as normal.

Do not read any scenario’s villains or henchmen before playing it.

Use the Thresher as your ship.

If you are dead at the end of a scenario, you may play another character for the next scenario.

If you fail a scenario, immediately replay it.

During This Scenario: 10-00B: Slavers in the Night

If a Duergar Lashmaster or Duergar Slave-Taker is undefeated, shuffle your character token into your location deck. You shouldn’t know where your token card is while you are shuffling. When your token is examined, encountered, or would be returned to the box or removed from the game, remove it from the location deck and place it at that location. While your token is in a location deck, you may explore, encounter cards, and play cards; but you cannot move, and you must evade any banes you encounter.

Scenario Level (#): 2

Turn: 5, Enora/Eslibedesh