[PFS2] GM Rinaldo's Escaping the Grave (1-03) Table 2 (Inactive)

Game Master The Great Rinaldo!

Not sure how far general knowledge extends, but common followers of a major religion should be somewhat well known right?

Zherayiss stands and stretches before stepping down from the raised dias in the center of town. "I say we move on now. Aren't most followers of Iomedae knights or crusaders of some sort? Might just be some knight or other. But there maybe people still alive but holed up at the college and I'm surprised we haven't been ambushed by an undead horde yet!"

I'm inclined to think the body in the inn is a red herring. It's an inn and Iomedae follower of what used to be a country of knights and we have no idea what state the college is in. There maybe be another series of checks we have to do there which means we should be careful with time.

Not sure how far general knowledge extends, but common followers of a major religion should be somewhat well known right?

I'm afraid I don't understand your question ... could you rephrase it?

Moving on to de college seems like a good idea. We’ve done what we can here I fink. Just up de road was et? Shall we bring de horse and wagon along den?

If you are moving on to the college, please list for me which bodies and/or found items you are packing with you, and whether specific items are on the cart or being carried by someone.

Zherayiss Taniyia wrote:

Not sure how far general knowledge extends, but common followers of a major religion should be somewhat well known right?

I'm afraid I don't understand your question ... could you rephrase it?

Sorry that might have been a bit of early morning muffle headed-ness. Mostly I was asking if it's general knowledge to know what kind of people commonly follow well known gods. Gozreh followers like nature/might be druids. Gorum people tend to be all about battle/mercenaries. Iomedae people are often knights/crusaders, etc. In effect, I wouldn't have to roll to know some of the most common stereotypes, right? If she couldn't then she couldn't readily say that the person in the inn was likely some non-pathfinder knight.

Zherayiss helps in loading the last of the things into the cart and pets the beautiful horse as the others hook it up to her. She does glance at the wayfinders, holy symbol and census records. "Those are a bit too important to potentially lose if we have to abandon the cart. I'll take them for safe keeping... unless someone else wants to hold onto them?"

I say we take all the bodies if they can fit. Also the oats might not be a bad idea for our horsey friend... assuming they aren't moldy of course.

"I agree, if the cart can bear the load, we should put as many bodies on it as it can take. While the servant of Iomedae may not be of importance to the Pathfinder Society, they could be of importance to someone else, and now is not the time to forget...charity.

Agreed, I think it's time to proceed to the college. Lets load up all the victims on the wagon along with the symbol/sign I discovered.

I still have the wayfinder from the zombie horse with me, but otherwise, we can load everyone in the cart along with the sign from the inn.

Klank nods as the others are ready to move on. He helps load the bodies that seemed significant into the cart. He keeps the cold iron buckler he found tucked away into his backpack just in case he would need it. "So who's gonna drive this horse n buggy anyhow?"

He prepares himself to get back to hiking and keeping his eyes peeled for survivors, or patrols. Perception on the trip.

Conso assists with the grim task of loading up the bodies as well.

Ezekiel, you seemed good wif the horse earlier. Would you like to ride?

"Thank you Conso, I would be happy to guide Desert Wind onto the College. I often attend equestrian demonstrations at the Arcanamirium where I help teach classes on practical applications of magic."

I'll take the driver's seat on the wagon and make any needed Nature checks to handle the animal.

Zhera: Ah, I see. No, you're good there. :-)

Conso: No checks needed to simply guide the horse along. The cart is more of a wagon - no place to sit. You just lead the horse.

After just short of an hour exploring the town, you pack your finds onto the card and lead Desert Wind on the path toward the college. The trip there is uneventful. And very conveniently takes exactly 10 minutes. ;-) It has now been about an hour since you first arrived at the town.

==================

Although run down, Goldenflame College still bears signs of its once-beautiful architecture: dirty and ivy-wrapped columns, majestic archways, and a partially intact stained-glass window portraying Iomedae herself.

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 small sized body. Its hand is outstretched toward 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.

So now we have a combination of "explore the building" and "make investigation checks". Opening doors to see what is beyond doesn't take significant time, but making investigation checks takes 10 minutes, as before. I have added a slide listing the investigations that are available and will add to it as we go. Any time you want to stop to make investigation checks, everyone tell me which (if any) of the checks you are trying and your bonus. Anyone not making a check is considered to be simply watching.

There are three investigation checks you can make here, or you can open the doors into the college and look around first to see what else there might be to do.

I saw the Lore (Academia) and immediately thought 'Oh Zhera could do that!' but double checking her character sheet she doesn't have that bonus lore skill from a second point in spells. Oops. That needs to be fixed, but later.

Zherayiss eyes the body suspiciously, as if expecting it to rise up and attck if she got too close. "If a childhood in the Mwangi wilds has taught me anything, places infested with evil aren't to be trusted. I have a distant 4th cousin who played around in an old demon summoning ruin and nearly got himself possessed." She gives a shudder and then looks up at the doors. "But zat looks promising. If the doors are closed it could mean some people are still living. It could mean more undead but I want to hold out hope. I'm going to try the doors!"

Going to check the doors, unless people think we shouldn't in which case she'll use perception.

Degbie leans down to take a good look at the body, giving some semblance of rites to the fallen. And yes, I completely believe Cayden Cailean's last rites are to pour one out. "Rest well, lad," he utters as he turns over the bodiy to study its wounds.

Medicine +5

Degbie, making that check will require spending an investigation round (10 minutes). Do folks want to wait outside while he spends that time (and possibly assist or do the other checks) or look into the building first?

I'm cool with spending a bit of time in caution and study if you guys are

I'm for pushing into the building myself, but am willing to wait if need be.

Anoder one... Conso frowns down at the body.

Rinaldo, did Conso have time on the walk over to regain his focus point?

If not, and if we, take a moment here, Conso will use the 10 minutes to do so. Otherwise, Conso will investigate the corpse with Religion +5.

Klank gives the fallen a solemn salute before moving into the room "It doesn't take the lot of us to check over this fallen one. Let's see what's inside." He pushes the door open with Zhera.

forgot I wanted to try that Society check in the earlier post!
Zherayiss, assured that the group isn't going to be attacked for the immediate moment, lowers her bow and takes a good peer at the stained glass windows.

Society DC 12, Untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
And of course it's information I have no way to explain her knowing so well! lol.

"Oh, I remember this style of architecture! I went to a lecture on Lastwall Architecture styles for some extra credits during training.... Ironically it has proved to be more useful than I expected, especially with the fall of Lastwall. But if you look at the tops of the columns and especially in the perspective of the windows, this is clearly pre-Chelliax, and something we could have expected to see in Vellumis, if it was still standing."

She then loops the bow over her back and moves up to the doors.

Picking up the notebook, Ezekiel starts flipping through its pages to make sense of the information within.

I'll do a Society check on the notebook.

Conso: Refocussing takes all of your attention, so can't be done while travelling in a dangerous area. You can spend an investigation round on it, since it takes 10 minutes.

Degbie and Ezekiel want to study the body, which will take an investigation round. I'm holding off on that to describe what Zhera and Klank see as they look into the building. Map has been updated.

=====================

Zhera and Klank step past the body to look into the college. In the front, a dusty sofa and small chairs are the only furnishings that remain in the modest reception area. Two small windows to the east look out over the front lawn, and doors exit to the north, west, and south.

Perhaps once majestic, the cavernous main 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.

Searching the main hall counts as an investigation, and uses a Society check to study the art and architecture.

The doors in the main hall are hard to see, so I have marked them with yellow arrows.

"Aye... this sure isn't a center fer learnin' these days." Laments Klank, but he wasn't expecting much better after what they saw in the center of town.

"I'll take a look 'round the main hall here, why don't you Zhera check out them wall decorations since you're so well studied at Pathfinder Camp." He lets that last bit linger a bit, clearly as a slight joke.

Perception on the main hall then. +7

I was studying the notebook, not the body. Just clarifying in case that yields separate data.

Perception on the main hall then. +7

Main hall doesn't use Perception, it uses Society.

I was studying the notebook, not the body. Just clarifying in case that yields separate data.

I wrote it in my notes correctly, then said it wrong in my post. :-)

Kernal Klank wrote:

Perception on the main hall then. +7

Main hall doesn't use Perception, it uses Society.

Ok sorry misread that.

Klank presses on and opens the northern door closest to the entrance and searches the room.

If the investigation is similar to the last area with a number of spots with different checks then can we run it the same way? People without the appropriate check I would think would spread out and start investigating things they are familiar with vs not. Klank will continue to explore this floor until he finds something he'd be familiar with.

Yep. You can open doors until either something tries to eat you, or you decide to stop and do investigations. I just need to you tell me which doors you are opening so I can check the "things that eat you" list. ;-)

Klank opens doors on the northern side, seeing a series of offices. Dirty rugs, shattered desks, and smashed-in doors are all that remains. Papers and long-dried inkwells are scattered among the detritus.

In the northwesternmost office lies a body surrounded by chunks of gray zombie flesh. Heavy claw marks and deep rips mar this corpse, which lies sprawled and partially covered by the broken desk in the northwest corner. The desiccated flesh of zombies litters the floor around it. Scraps of cloth hang tattered around its mangled hands, which even now are locked into fists.

Investigation checks available here:
Search the offices (Perception)
Investigate the cloth in the corpse's hands (Crafting)
Examine the corpse (Medicine or Perception)

Map and investigation list updated. Feel free to move your tokens into the explored areas if you wish. Once you decide to stop for an investigation round, we'll put everyone in the appropriate locations.

"Ahh, quite the fight happened here I say." Says Klank in a voice that is probably louder than it should be, back to the others. "I'll be in this office taking a closer look."

May as well put that craft to use: +4, +5 for blacksmithing.

Once we get to an investigation round, I’ll spend it regaining my focus point (forgot to update it in my header when I used it to heal Degbie.

Zhera steps into the reception area and her face falls. "I was hoping we'd find some survivors in here. This is not looking good. But if people aren't holed up in here why are the doors closed? I would thing a mindless undead wouldn't care. And an smart one would try keeping this place clean if it was living here... Right?"

She moves into the main hall avoiding the standing water as best as possible. "Rule number 3 of the jungle, avoid standing water as best as possible."

"I'll take a look 'round the main hall here, why don't you Zhera check out them wall decorations since you're so well studied at Pathfinder Camp." He lets that last bit linger a bit, clearly as a slight joke.

Zhera stops for a moment and bursts out laughing. "To be honest I only took that archetecture class because the lecturer was hot. I mostly focused my time on studying magic, or and organizing small supply shipments home. I know people not objects!"

She contemplates moving on and looking at another room, but decides she might better be served by staying with someone else just in case. And instead follows Klank into the offices. "I'll take a look at the... uh.... body. Klank promise me you'll chop its head off if it starts moving, right? I really don't like dead things and I hate moving ones even worse. Luckily this one is old enough there's no fresh blood."

Perception for me then on the body +3... Yeah I know it's low she was built for interacting with the living not the dead.

"No problem. Two pair a eyes are better than one... and way better than a ghosty set givin' ya the creep through the bushes!" He lifts the broken desk off the body with one sweep of his right hand.

"This fella could have been a good smith with those arms... swing that hammer all day n night." Torag watch after his soul. Keep it warm and keep it busy. Eternity is a long time to be idle.

Do I still count as using my 10 minutes to study the notebook, or do I need to enter and pick new actions?

"No problem. Two pair a eyes are better than one... and way better than a ghosty set givin' ya the creep through the bushes!" He lifts the broken desk off the body with one sweep of his right hand.

"This fella could have been a good smith with those arms... swing that hammer all day n night."

"I... I don't quite know what that means, but thank-you. Now step back, I want to make sure that he's not going to hurt us." She pulls off her bow and gingerly taps the poor man in the arm. "You're right about those arms. Even in death they're like rocks... but seems he's not interested in attacking us."

Ezekiel: I have you down for the notebook.

Veshki hasn't posted since Tuesday. I'm going to have her roll Perception on the body outside.

As the group starts to examine the college, Conso takes a few minutes to center his mind and renew his magical focus.

Veshki and Degbie look over the body outside the college. The agree that the body was probably a gnome, though possibly a halfling; the remains of the clothing make this appear to be someone of note, rather than a student or visitor. The Religion or Society check here could shed further light.

Ezekiel looks at the book, and it is clear that they are some sort of field notes. There are esoteric diagrams and notations. This person was probably a researcher of some sort.

In the offices, Zhera doesn't see anything particularly noteworthy about the corpse, though Klank recognizes the torn cloth as the remains of handwraps, like those used by brawlers and martial artists. The Perception/Medicine check on the body could be retried.

=================
That's 10 minutes spent in the college. Let me know if you are opening additional doors, going upstairs, or taking time for further investigation checks on the things you currently have. I've noted the completed checks on the slide.

"Brawler, or maybe a monk. Usually Stu up front deals with them when they hit the shop. I make metal weapons and armor... not frilly cloth gloves." He snorts and shakes his head, almost like he's recalling a particular event.

"I'll take a closer look n see if he's maybe that Hassan guy.. he half orc brawler." He butts himself in between Zhera and the corpse, pushing away zombie chunks and broken office equipment.

Perception via corpse, +7

"I am familiar with the layout of college campuses. Let me do a quick examination of the front offices, we might be able to glean more information of who taught here, who studied here, and possibly who could still be alive, the gods willing." Ezekiel says as he moves in to begin rummaging through the front offices.

I'll use my action to search the offices with my +6 Preception.

Degbie considers the body and calls on his teachings in the Publican House to inform his memories of other religions. "I suspect ye'd not be drinkin' with the Accidental God in Pharasma's realm since ye'll likely nae be his follower. But, he'll wait to drink yer woes away anyway."

Religion +5

Seeing Degbie take a closer look at the body on the steps, Conso walks through the main hall, not seeing much that catches his attention. He enters the office and sees Klank examining the body there. Mind if I take a look as well?

Medicine +5

Veshki heads up the southern staircase and tries the door there.

Heading to the south section and exploring

Zhera seeing there's not much she can do in the offices follows Veshki up the stairs. "Hold on we should be moving together. If something attacks us two people are better than 1!

Veshki and Zhera are opening doors, so I'm holding everyone else's investigation checks for now.

Veshki and Zhera go to the southern end of the main hall and open a door. In this large office, a 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. Closed wooden doors lead to the east and south.

As you peer around, you both think you hear ragged breathing from the area of the sofa.

Zhera gives Veshki a side long glance and then quietly motions for the woman to stay very still, as she backs off some and tries to quietly gather everyone else together.

In the offices in a quiet voice she comments to everyone. "We have something that is still breathing! It might want to kill us though, so could you, uh, leave Mr. Clearly-Dead and maybe help us with Mrs. Maybe-Dead-Maybe-Not-Dead?"

She then tries to sneak back to the room of the door with Veshki, gancing over her shoulder to see if everyone is following.

Probably needs a stealth check, she has a +3 to stealth.

Klank looks up from studying a bent piece of metal as the 'ladies' come back into the office "You found a survivor? We march." He draws out his shield and heads with them.

Zhera gathers everyone, then steps back into the room.

She follows the sound, and realizes it is coming from behind the sofa, which is not quite pushed all the way to the wall.

Anyone who wants to can be gathered in the hall outside the door. Zherais inside, next to the sofa, listening.

Degbie gives Conso a shrug. "Guess we follo' th'lass."

Conso nods. Let’s see vat dis is all about.

Looks out from the offices, papers strewn about the desk and floors. Seeing the more immediate concern of a potential survivor, Ezekiel follows the rest of the group.

I'll go ahead and join people outside the door in the hall. If need be, I can perform a Medicine +6 check on the person to help determine how bad their wounds are and potentially stabilize them.

Zhera gives a glance back at everyone staying well out of the room. Hrumph! Cowards! before turning and realizing that she's shaking herself. Hrumph... Coward. She steadies the shaking arm with another shaking arm and then gently clears her throat.

"Hey there, dearie. We aren't going to hurt you. We aren't undead, in fact we're Pathfinders. Not that being Pathfinders means we couldn't also be undead but... Uh I guess what I'm trying to say is why don't you come out from behind the couch. We know you're there and we're not leaving you alone."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Dangit that was a low roll!

Dangit that was a low roll!

Thankfully, you said the magic word!

"...pathfinders? Really?" A plaintive voice speaks from behind the sofa. "...I want to believe you ... tell me who sent you ... what venture-captain?"

Klank leans a head inside the room as he was definitely eavesdropping, drawing out his personal paperwork "Evni Zongnoss, a very busy Gnome with a turban."

He stows his shield back over his shoulder and steps into the room. "I'm Kernal Klank, who might you be?" He tries to peek behind the couch.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25