[PFS1] 5-08 The Confirmation (GM Watery Soup) (Inactive)

Game Master Watery Soup

Rectitude closes their eyes for a moment, CRASH SLASH BASH MASH Memories of minotaurs over lifetimes flood their head. Knowing they are no match at this time they heed the direction. Let us seek refuge in the cave. Come with me. They charge into the cave and retrieve the bag.

Rocko wastes no time, following Rectitude into the cave.

Kaliban waits to be last in, after the others. His eyes scanning...

Rectitude opens the bag and scans the contents.

Tok crouches, feathers ruffled when the noise starts. Upon seeing the minotaur he decides to follow his team, pulling up his hood.

Dalgur is last to react and takes a few quick steps towards the minotaur before shouting, "We shouldn't leave anyone!" He points his spear towards the creature as his team sensibility follow instructions.

Taking four heavy breaths the dwarf looks disappointed and turns around. Dalgur stomps back to the cave and joins everyone.

Kaliban eyes Mizzie, about to take her but the hand.

Mizzie is frozen with fear, but Dalgur and Kaliban grab her hands and pull her into the cave.

"What was that thing?" she asks incredulously.

The sound of metal clanging gets more and more distant as Janira draws the minotaur away.

The narrow tunnel twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a wider passage. A large hole spans the cave’s width and stretches ten feet down the path. At the bottom of the pit lies a small bundle of cloth.

Kaliban is pleased everyone made it into the cave. That thing? Looked like a chimeric manbull, I've heard of minotaurs but never seen one.

This pit however, I've seen the likes of... it's not natural, someone or something carved it.

kn dungeoning, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
survival: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"Will she be--" Mizzie realizes after they've gone deeper into the cave that Kaliban still has her hand. She blushes and pulls it away. "Will she be okay out there?"

Focus, Mizzie, focus. You can't help anyone if you don't get it together.
She surveys the gaping hole. "Natural or not, it's too wide to jump across. Anyone have any rope?"

10 feet deep?

The pit is 20 feet deep and 10 feet across.

Rectitude calmly approaches the edge of the pit and hops down. acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 16

He approaches the bundle.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Rectitude, the acrobatics check will only negate the first 10' of damage, you will still take 1d6 nonlethal from the second 10'. Can you confirm this is your intention? If so, roll the non-lethal damage.

i've even GMd this many times and I always transpose those values. Can i try to climb? Will wait for a rope if necessary. +2 climb

Sorry, Miss Mizzie... Just trying to keep you safe.

I have rope, though I haven't been practicing with it. It's there a good place to tie off?

Kaliban produces a length of hemp rope.

Look: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"You could probably tie it to that," says Dalgur pointing to a sturdy protrusion.

knowledge dungeoneering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Tok takes a look at the pit.
" This is an exposed pit trap. It looks like it's a year old. We will need to climb down and back up and avoid falling."

Dalgur points out a protrusion that nobody noticed, not even the GM, allowing the rope to be anchored and Rectitude to climb down safely.

Rectitude, at the bottom of the pit, approaches the bundle. It's not a bundle but a wadded up cloak - and assuming someone casts detect magic, it's a magic cloak.

Tok not only has seen this type of trap before, but he's actually built one himself. He recalls that the makers of the trap had a clever way of getting themselves out of the pit. He locates a few hidden handholds and easily guides everyone out of the pit.

The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.

There are 12 inscriptions, but only 4 are intact enough to be deciphered.

The Artist: a beautifully painted inscription splashes across a petroglyph of a man holding a paintbrush.

The Craftsman: a woman pulls an object (obscured) out of a forge, with an inscription underneath.

The Farmer: a farmer plows a field, with the inscription written on the growing plants.

The Scholar: a woman reads from a scroll while an audience gathers around. The inscription is on the scroll.

You will need a Knowledge (history), Knowledge (religion), or Linguistics check to decipher the inscriptions. Additionally, you can use Appraise or Perception - which can be aided - but with a -2 penalty on every roll (DC 12 to aid, DC 17 to hit).

Please remember to specify which inscription you are attempting to decipher, and if you are aiding, who you are aiding.

Rectitude takes out a pen and stationary. He goes about jotting down all the depictions and their details.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

He inspects the depiction of the Artist.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Then the Craftsman.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Then the Farmer.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Then the Scholar.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Rectitude shares the insights about the Artist and the Farmer.

Hmm... I'm better with the animate. But, I think this looks like...

Kaliban shares what he's surmised.

perception, Craftsman: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
perception, Scholar: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Dalgur spends more time than we would like looking at the murals. He spends a little more time pointing out details to the smarter people. "Is this helpful to anyone?" says Dalgur as he finishes with the murals.

perception DC 10: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Apparently, this all refers to Aroden and Absalom as a model city... [/B]

Tok stares and stares. Moving from picture to picture scratching his "chin". Opening his mouth as if to say something but each time closing it without a word.
After his companions explained each one he smiles.
"Glad you guys could figure it out. Heh heh. I'm not much for non physical riddles. I'd be happy to finish the farmers riddle."

With the translated inscriptions, you look to the far side of the room.

The soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s eastern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the north and south.

Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.

Kneeling in the water is a medium sized humanoid, facing away from you. You'd think it was human, except it has gills on the side of its neck.

Position yourself however you'd like on Slide 2.

Thinking that if a fight breaks out he has the numbers advantage Dalgur shouts out and waves to the person, "Do you speak common?"

There is no indication that he heard you. Not even a flinch.

Tok sneaks around the corner staying on the cautious side.

The two people who have moved forward have not triggered any reaction from the gillman.

You may all move your pawns 30' from him if you'd like.

He appears to be very focused on the pool of water - not the giant statue of Absalom, but the water itself.

Kaliban moves closer, stretching his senses.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Rectitude throws a pebble in the water by the figure.

"Hello?" Mizzie calls out in Common, followed by Elven, Aklo, Draconic, and finally in Sylvan, hoping for and answer.

Kaliban and Mizzie probe for any reaction but get absolutely none.

Rectitude throws a pebble into the water and suddenly the gillman turns around. He is old, with piercing purple eyes full of wisdom. He gently smirks, as if he were amused, and then simply turns back around and stares intently at the echoing ripples in the water.

Rectitude trudges forward to kneel by the gillperson. They presents the cloak they found in the pit. Do you know about this?

sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 16

He summoning something? The ripples and all...

Rocko William leads Walfredo around past stalactites and stalagmites to the left, circling around to keep an eye on the gillman from the side.

"What are you doing here, friend? We were sent to find you and talk to you."

Diplomacy: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (6) - 3 = 3

The gillman doesn't look like he's summoning anything. He is not engaging in any somatic or verbal activity, but merely staring at the ripples created by Rectitude's pebble.

He does look up as Rectitude kneels by him, and eyes the cloak with some interest.

He also stares intently at Rectitude's and Rocko's mouths as they speak. He nods in understanding, and then opens his mouth. Strange sounds come out at first - he has not spoken out loud in some time - but gradually he forms some recognizable words (in Common).

"My name is Uori. I come to the holy waters to listen, although I am unable to hear any more. Your group looks well-armed but you should be careful - there are monsters in the caves to the north and the south."

What is this cave to you and your people? Do you know this cloak?

Tok tilts his head in curiosity as the gillman speaks. He creeps closer to the water, crouches close, tosses a pebble in the water, and tilts his head again to listen.
perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

"The cave is a sacred place where we come to 'listen' to the waters. We come here to-"

He pauses to watch Tok throw pebbles in the water and put his ear to the water.

"Not with your ears. Listen with your heart, and listen with your soul," he gently corrects, with the wisdom of a lifetime of learning.

Turning back to Rectitude, he continues.

"We come here to pray or meditate, and to hear what the gods have to say in response. Sometimes people hear words, sometimes people see visions, and sometimes it's just a time of solitude. It was our place of worship long before it was yours,[b]" he says, referring to the Arodenite artifacts.

"[b]That is a fine cloak," he comments. He notes the similarity to his own cloak, in style and color.

At the gillmans comment tok hops up and chuckles as he straightens his hood.
"What kind of monsters are we talking about here? Do you know why they came?"

Rocko comes closer; he makes sure to have the gillman's attention before he starts speaking, so that the man may read his lips. "Uori, do you mind if I step into the water to examine the city?"

If allowed, Rocko will do so.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Kaliban moves to the diorama, and seeing the trinkets... deposits a gold coin. Then, he moves to the tunnels... first north, then south... listening.

perception, listen at north tunnel: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
perception, listen at south tunnel: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Mizzie moves closer to the water, skeptical but willing to humor him. "Have you seen or heard anything?"

There are reports of you and another coming here recently. Was this cloak theirs? Would you like it back?

Dalgur follows behind Kaliban just in case they're not alone.

To Tok: "There are some undead creatures lurking about."

To Mizzie: "The waters speak of a cleansing. Listen."

Uori stares with Mizzie into the waters. They are shallow, but look what only can be described as eternally deep. Something appears to stir at the bottom of the water, a darkness and a light swirling together, and the light taking over and dissipating.

Mizzie feels like she should slay some undead.

To Rectitude: "I am the only one in my community who still makes the journey to the waters. There were others, long ago, but some have fallen to natural causes and some to ... Uori looks toward the north tunnel ... unnatural causes. I will gladly bring the cloak back to my people, but if you have the courage - and the might - to cleanse this holy place, I encourage you to give it to me after your quest is completed."

Kaliban listens at the north tunnel and hears the shuffling of clumsy feet. There are gutteral whispers, consistent with the grumbling of the undead.

If you are going to explore the north tunnel, please post a marching order. The tunnel is only wide enough for one person at a time.

Dropped us on the map.

Age before Beauty... right behind you, Rocko.

Rocko leads Walfredo and himself down the tunnel, making sure the rest of the Pathfinders are close behind. Darkvision 60'