[PbP Gameday VIII] PFS 9-16 Fallen Family, Broken Name by Lamplighter (Inactive)

Game Master Scott Young

Spots, also being nervous, hesitates for a moment, but charges the demon!

Back to rounds?

Spots, also being nervous, hesitates for a moment, but charges the demon!

If the map is correct, that may involve pulling a fastball special.

Yeah, the demon is standing on top of a 20' pillar...

Do you wish to fight the demon, give her the ring, or negotiate a different conclusion?

Related question: can any of you fly?

I sure can't! I don't much like our odds in a fight, especially if she can just fly around and stick us with arrows (or worse). Also not wild about setting her loose on the world.

Hey, so long as I've got the ring on, I'm good right? So what's the problem? But yeah, as a GM I've run encounters with fury archers vs even higher-level characters before, and they turn into several rounds of trying to close with them without benefit of cover while they are shooting at you, followed by them simply moving somewhere else they can shoot at you from. I had to end one encounter at 10 rounds just for time's sake.... Natula doesn't plan on using the default Pathfinder Society, automated response, problem-solving method here, but she is still trying to get a better handle on what the other (uncharmed) mercs are doing, first. Until then she does her best to ignore the "demon".

Nervous from the intimidate, Juxian panics a bit, "Spots, kill the demon!"

"Actually Juxian, she's a devil. You must be from one of those 'progressive' denominations that have a bunch of bards hanging around to liven up the Sunday services."

Ha! I have a couple options (you'll be shocked to learn that one of them is casting glitterdust even more) that don't rely on brute forcing her spell resistance, but neither of them gets her down where we can reach her.

Trying her best not to hyperventilate, Junko stays crouched behind the low stone wall. Come on, come on, think!

Fair warning, outsiders typically have good saving throws vs everything, so even if we do manage to blind her it likely wouldn't stick for long.

For sure. I'm not planning to be the one to start the party. :)

I'm still willing and wanting to fight her, but I don't know of an easy way for our melee characters to reach her.

As much as it would pain her to admit it, Natula probably doesn't have enough ranged firepower on her own to bring the fury down in a straight up fight, but I (and Natula) think we might be able to talk our selves out this--she is a devil, and not a demon after all.

Wait for it.... Natula gets ready to wince when the first arrow hits if she is wrong.

"I see you need convincing. Very well." The fury takes aim at the remaining un-charmed thug, and fires 3 arrows faster than should be possible.
arrow: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 plus 1d6 ⇒ 4 fire damage
arrow: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 plus 1d6 ⇒ 2 fire damage
arrow: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 plus 1d6 ⇒ 1 fire damage

Two arrows hit the thug in the chest while the third enters his surprised mouth. His corpse bursts into flames as it collapses.

She then turns and points her bow meaningfully at Natula, another flaming arrow already knocked.

"Give me the ring. Now. Or I won't do you the courtesy of killing you as quickly."

Hey, guys. I'm o coward, but I think I know when we're at a distinct disadvantage. Want to let the higher ups deal with this one? Konner says, sweating a bit more than he was a few seconds ago.

"Sure." Natula says to Konner (though she doesn't use his name because she's only 60% sure that it is 'Craig'). She turns to the remaining thugs and in a raspy whisper says "I would run if I were you."

Even though he had been trying to kill her just a short time ago, Junko winces as the merc is casually snuffed out by the devil. "Any ideas?"

Why don't we all take cover out of line of sight so she has to get off the pillar to shoot us? If we can't do that, I think we have to surrender unless someone can command her to get off the pillar or something.

That seems like a decent idea to me. Even if she is teleporting or flying around to get us that would make it harder for her to just delete us like that poor guy.

In case folks are confused about how a fiendish woman with a flaming bow got to the top of a 20-foot-tall, stone pillar, she probably looks a little like this.

Oh right, wings. I guess we surrender and hope she doesn't kill us anyway.

The Society’s love of trinkets isn’t worth our lives. I say give her the ring.

Junko, bleeding and scared as she is, doesn't say anything out of fear of drawing more attention to herself. Can't take her, not like this.

"Fine. You can have the ring as long as you agree to do us no harm." Juxian says, knowing that devils tend to keep to their word.

"You both had better not be talking about MY ring." says Natula to Ratesh, and... Chad was it? All she really knows is that he is wispier than a broom, and his advice is as unsound as broken drum. All-in-all the worst cleric of Bast she's ever met. He's so wimpy, he grunts when she's the one getting getting hurt.

She turns to the devil. "And just who the Nine Hells are you anyway, lady?"

The erinyes stares down the length of her arrow at Natula. "Your ring? Hardly. You mortals, always thinking you can own something. How long before it falls from your cold, dead fingers? That ring will endure when you are dust! Who will deal with it when you and your friends are all gone? No, keeping it doesn't stop... whatever you think it will stop."

She relaxes her pull on the bow slightly. "So, I can be patient. The only person who knows the ring's secrets is dead." She smiles wickedly. "And I wonder if the other items you stole are as well-guarded."

The fury launches herself into the air, laughing. "So farewell, fools! Know that you have earned my enmity, and that I neither forgive nor forget such insolence! Sleep well, until we meet again. Oh, and don't fight over that ring... even though the one wears it is the only one who may survive to suffer longest."

She flies away and disappears into the darkening sky.

I assume that you don't try to shoot at her as she leaves you alive...

What now?

As the devil flies off, Junko stands and stares after it in disbelief. It just...left?

She spends a few seconds looking around at the aftermath of the recent chaos. "I guess we should get the h-get out of here? We probably ought to warn the Venture Captain."

At least we lived to tell the bosses about our findings. Anyone up for a drink...or ten?

Turns out that the ring prevented the erinyes from attacking the wearer and all allies within 60 feet. So she was bluffing, she knew she couldn't hurt any of you. (While there might have been valid questions as to whether Natula considered any of you "allies", I decided that your Pathfinder bond counted regardless of intent. ;)

I'm starting to do Chronicles, but you still need to tell em what you report back to V-C Bracket. [/ooc]

"I didn't know this thing had a radius of effect." comments Natula looking down at the ring.

Natula's other plan was to use Pava as a quasi-human shield, but she apparently liquefied that bridge....

Gonna write this down in my journal: "Party member's in-character greed prevents TPK."

"What a strange and lucky turn of events," Junko muses. "This'll definitely be a story worth sharing."

Probably not enough left of Pava to bundle up for a speak with dead Q&A back in Absalom. We'd checked in with Bracket immediately before coming here so what's left to report is that we recovered the ring, Pava attacked us, and that when the erinyes appeared Natula forced it to flee.

Technically, it's more like "entitlement" or "selfishness" than actual "greed". I'm too much of a wizard to die here. I still have a lot of important things to do. ;)

Probably not enough left of Pava to bundle up for a speak with dead Q&A back in Absalom. We'd checked in with Bracket immediately before coming here so what's left to report is that we recovered the ring, Pava attacked us, and that when the erinyes appeared Natula forced it to flee.

"That about sums it up." Natula says at the debriefing. Then she yawns, and stretches her arms from her comfy seat.

OK, I will finish up Chronicles today. There was a 100gp "bill" for the destroyed merchant wagon that we decided we could discuss at this stage... how do you want to pay for it? A couple of people offered to pay, and one person offered to kill everyone so there were no witnesses. I'd prefer a monetary solution since it's a lot less paperwork. ;)

[ooc]lol..Konner will pay his share...[/b]

I'll pay a share as well.

I'll pay whatever is left that we need to cover; I'm planning on retiring this PC after this scenario, so I really don't mind covering the whole thing as well.

"THIS AGAIN!?" A halo of lightning makes Natula's hair rise. "I should have killed that idiot in self-defense! In fact I might still kill him just so he doesn't breed a whole line of incompetent heirs to plague the world with their stupidity! Why in the name of all four Horsemen did that Shoanti-giving, otyugh hand us a bunch of treasure if he was just going to tax us to death, and for what? For saving his fool life, that's what!"

Muttering darkly as she does so, Natula hands over a particular coin among how ever much it is (just take it out of her chronicle treasure rewards if your going to) that she has arcane marked and marred in a memorable way so that she can follow it via locate object to make it easier to find that sniveling little bastard. Later, while under the effects of a disguise self spell she plans on bestowing a curse upon the lack wit (the one that gives targets a permanent -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks).

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

The cost was paid by those who offered to pay for it.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote:

Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

Subtle? I do not think that word means what you think it means...

Thank you, folks, for an entertaining game. I'm sorry for the many delays, my real life got in the way too many times to keep this on track. Please find your Chronicles here.

Thank you! This was my first PBP game in Society and I had a lot of fun.

GG....thanks guys!