Kamil, Survival was not one of the listed skills, so you would need to justify to me how it applies here, or use one of the suggested checks.
Dob, I just read your post again and realized you were trying to slow the horses; that requires a Nature check. Your Athletics check can be used for rescuing passengers instead.
For reference, your suggested choices were:
* Leap onto the carriage and try to help passengers off to safety (Acrobatics or Athletics)
* Calm the horses (Nature)
* Create a barrier to force the horses to slow down (Athletics or Crafting)
I will try to check back in a few hours. I will bot something for Bhadrim, and if Kamil hasn't responded I will pick something for him as well.
Sorry about how long this event is taking, it's another case of "easy to do at the table, but has complications in PbP".
Ezekiel is temporarily flummoxed as he tries to recall the right way to calm a panicked horse, and the carriage flies past him on the road.
Vengis jumps into action, pulling debris from the road to force the horses to at least take a safer, straighter path.
Lissi tries to climb onto the top of the carriage, but has trouble getting her balance. Meanwhile, Dob jumps on to sideboard and steadies the reins while Bhadrim and Kamil stand on the edge of the carriage helping people off.
Three of the four passengers make if off, though the last one trips Badrim, causing him to fall. Bhadrim takes 1d6 ⇒ 3 damage from the tumble, thanks to a critical failure. :-(
While you are trying to rescue the last passenger, Ezekiel shouts a warning that the carriage is about to go into a deep ravine. The rest of you on the carriage leap off, but not in time to save the final person.
You gather back together, and the shocked passengers tell you that they were travelling through the forest and suddenly these giant mosquitoes were swarming the horses. They thank you for saving them, and before they try to find a way down to the wreckage, one of them places a small purse in Bhadrim's hand. "Thank you for saving us ... please, take this in gratitude. A reward, and a potion to help your injuries."
The purse has a treasure bundle worth of jewelry in it, plus a minor healing potion.
And because I expect you to ask, checking the wreckage for the last passenger and seeing to the horses is not in the scope of the adventure. The carriage is destroyed, and there are no survivors other than you who rescue.
I know this encounter feels pretty random; sadly, you got like 95% of the clues available in town, but not the one that would have given you any warning about this.
=============
Resuming your original path, eventually you notice a very small wobble in the compass. Encouraged by this, you do your best to follow the wobble, and within an hour reach a point where the compass ceases to function, spinning randomly around.
Investigating the area, you discover creepy runic carvings on the trees. You also find a scrap of red cloth and a discarded compass.
I will take (trained) checks in Survival, Occultism, Scribing Lore, and/or Occultism.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Ezekiel and Vengis agree that the writing is not, in fact, language of any sort, but meaningless scribbles intended to resemble occult writing. Kamil sees that they are not magical in any way.
Looking around and watching for trouble, Dob notices that a little bit away from the scrap of cloth, piled near another tree, are a short sword, a dagger, and gold-plated half-plate armor, along with a vial of non-magical liquid and another vial of magical liquid. The latter is in a very old-looking container, and seems out of place among the other items. According to my notes, nobody is trained in Arcane, so you won't be able to identify the magical liquid. Correct me if I am wrong.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Kamil and Ezekiel take some time to study the vial of magical liquid.
Kamil:
You realize that it is a very old version of an invisibility potion.
Ezeiel:
You realize that it is a very old version of an invisibility potion, but it is cursed, and the imbiber would be subject to a fear effect as he hallucinated for several seconds.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Ezekiel places his hand on Kamil's forearm as the sorcerer holds the potion out to the group, concern evident on Ezekiel's face.
"I hate to be one to disagree with a fellow practitioner of the arcane arts, but while you are correct about it being an older version of an invisibility potion, it is also curse. Whoever should drink of this vial would find themselves wrapped in fear, imagining their worst woes. I recommend we do not use this potion, but it would be useful to find out where it came from."
Human Sorcerer (rogue) 8 | AC 26 (27 wShield) | HP (10)72/72| F +14 R +14 W +13| Spells: 1: 4/4 2: 4/4 3: 4/4 4: 4/4 | SP: 2/2 | HeroPoint: 2/2
Kamil almost drops the vial as Ezekiel tells it’s cursed but finally kept it in his hand.
Are you sure? he asks looking more closely at the vial.
After a short silence he says Could be the reason why the guy in golden armor have drop all his equipment here with no apparent reason...
Kamil then put the cursed vial in his pocket and looks at the equipment abandoned by the golden armored guy. If this stuff real? Or is it only for show?
As he looks at the equipment he answers Lissi’s question No idea, it’s not magical, is all I know...
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
"It is in fact magical, as there is a distinct difference between what a Alchemist can produce for regular consumption and what is imbued with magic beyond such mundane creations. No, this is not a alchemical creation. It is an item of magic, foul magic at that."
I'm trained in Herbalism Lore but I do not think this is Alchemical Item.
"So--someone stripped off all their equipment and left it here."
At Kamil mentioning the gold-armored man who had been in town, he nods. "Indeed--it could very likely be him."
Just a memory jog for you: the gold-armored person was actually a female half-elf, according to the innkeeper.
At this point I will take another round of Survival checks as you continue to try to find the source of the weird magnetic effect.
Human Sorcerer 7 | HP 71/71 | AC 22| F +13; R +12; W +11 | Speed 25 ft | Morningstar +9 (1d6 P) | Perc +9
"Wait--I remember this isn't a man--it was a female half-elf," Vengis says. He examines the breastplate to determine if his recollection is correct and if this looks like a smaller female's armor.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Survival:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
"Unfortunately I'm not not as familiar with the terrain or fauna of their forest and I'd like to be, I'm not really sure as to where to go my friends."
"Wait--I remember this isn't a man--it was a female half-elf," Vengis says. He examines the breastplate to determine if his recollection is correct and if this looks like a smaller female's armor.
It does.
Failing to find any trace of the former occupant of the armor or any tracks, you continue following the wild movements of the compass. After another 30 minutes, you come across one of the many ponds this section of forest holds, but note that this one is absolutely teeming with mosquito larvae. Lying on the shore, with his head and torso floating face-up in the water, is a man with fine brown hair and white clothing. Despite the mud, his clothing is pristine.
Approaching cautiously, you see that there are mosquitoes crawling into and out of his mouth and eyelids.
Anyone willing to go all the way up to him and trained in Medicine can make a check. Let me know whether you are touching him, or just giving a visual inspection.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Doing his best to cover himself with his blue tweed jacket, Ezekiel follows Dob to the man in the mud. Bending down Ezekiel helps examine the poor soul, touching him despite his inner voice screaming to do otherwise.
As Lissi puts a hand on the body, the man suddenly coughs up a wet lungful of drowned insects. Quickly pulling him from the water, she, Dob and Ezekiel give him a thorough check over. As he starts to come to full consciousness, you realize that he has contracted a bizarre and possibly magical lung disease, which is progressing rapidly.
Since Dob and Ezekiel both succeeded (and Lissi did not critically fail), you have both identified his condition and provided First Aid to stabilize him, but if you want to take time to Treat Disease, you could ease his symptoms and make him more able to move under his own power. If you do so, only one person can make the check, though anyone else could try a DC 20 Aid Another.
He looks around at all of you, and at himself, and says weakly, "Where am I? How did I get here?"
-------------
Lissi "Sparknozzle" du Galt wrote:
I think my check is what got us to the lake.
That is the case - failing that check would have significantly increased the amount of time it took, which could have had consequences for this poor fellow. :)
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Leaning down Ezekiel begins looking after the less immediate life threatening aspects of the man's condition and starts trying to treat the underlying illness, knowing that it'll be key to ensuring he's able to escape this place on his own.
Treat Disease:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
"I knew a physician in the Arcanamirium in Absalom, wonderful fella who knew all there was to know about various ailments, though all of his treatments began with a stiff sip of whiskey. While I'm not opposed to a glass from time to time, on the rocks of course, I seriously doubt it's universal applications in the field of medicine." Ezekiel mused as he treated the wounded man.
Vengis is incredibly surprised to find the man alive. "You tell us! Who are you and how did you get here?"
In case you glossed over it:
GM Rinaldo wrote:
He looks around at all of you, and at himself, and says weakly, "Where am I? How did I get here?"
=================
Lissi "Sparknozzle" du Galt wrote:
A +4 isn't great and I have no idea what happens when you critically fail an Aid Another check so I'm just going to step back.
Aid action wrote:
Critical Success You grant your ally a +2 circumstance bonus to the triggering check. If you’re a master with the check you attempted, the bonus is +3, and if you’re legendary, it’s +4.
Success You grant your ally a +1 circumstance bonus to the triggering check.
Critical Failure Your ally takes a –1 circumstance penalty to the triggering check.
I'm going to go easy on you and not apply a penalty from Vengis' critical fail on his aid check, since we're all still pretty new at this, but do please be aware that almost everything has a penalty for critical failure, so only attempt to aid if you think you can make that DC 20.
=================
Normally, Treat Disease is a downtime activity, but this scenario specifically allows you to do it as an exploration activity to prevent him from taking negative effects as you travel. It doesn't specify the time required, so I'm going to use the example of Treat Wounds and call it 10 minutes. You can tell that you are going to need to repeat this every 2 hours to prevent the disease from affecting him further, until he can receive proper treatment.
Ezekiel spends time examining the man, and determines that he can at least keep him comfortable and able to move for now, though he will need long term care and rest, and possibly magical help, in order to fully recover.
While he does, the man tells you that his name is Andor Oronce, and that he had come to Shimmerford to see if he could help find the cause of the mysterious pest invasion. "I have no idea how I got there, though ... I remember arriving in Shimmerford and preparing to venture into the woods ... but I can't recall anything after that. I vaguely recall a set of terrifying red eyes staring at me out of the darkness."
=================
Let me know if you are doing anything else here, then give me another Survival check to continue searching the forest. As long as at least one person is actively assisting Andor, you won't be significantly slowed by him. Whoever is not making the Survival check or assisting Andor can state an exploration activity they are doing, since you can tell things are getting more dangerous.
Human Sorcerer (rogue) 8 | AC 26 (27 wShield) | HP (10)72/72| F +14 R +14 W +13| Spells: 1: 4/4 2: 4/4 3: 4/4 4: 4/4 | SP: 2/2 | HeroPoint: 2/2
Yes, busy working from home.
Strange...
Can't you remember who's the last person you talk to? to the best of his knowledge Kamil give a list of all the person still in the village, he even mention the half-elf in golden armor.
CN female Bleachling gnome (Umbral gnome) Rogue 1 | HP 17/17 | AC 17 | F +4 | R +8 | W +6 |Per +6 | Stlth + 6 | Spd 25 | Focus -- | Active Conditions: None
Being equally adequate at either activity, Lissi opts to help continue treating Andor.
"Red eyes? Sounds unpleasant. I am guessing you do not remember where you saw it?"
Assisting Andor as my exploration activity. It has been a weird couple weeks. I miss my mom. I can't go visit her because she has a compromised immune system from a kidney transplant. :(
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Can't you remember who's the last person you talk to?
The man looks totally bewildered. ".. no! It's all a haze ..."
Lissi "Sparknozzle" du Galt wrote:
"Red eyes? Sounds unpleasant. I am guessing you do not remember where you saw it?"
"It's like something from a dream ... just an impression, not even a memory."
Continuing your search, the compass starts moving even more wildly. You try to find a path, but spend some time lost in the woods. Eventually, however, you hear a familiar sound: a deep bark, interspersed with whines. Following the sound, you find Peaches the dog in a clearing, beset by four bloodseekers!
Putting Ezekiel in the front, as he is using Survival to navigate, with Dob next to him, using the Scout activity to watch for danger. Kamil is is using stealth and moving through cover. Lissi is in the back, assisting Andor, who is not represented on the map as he will not be taking combat actions. +1 to everyone's initiative for Dob's Scout activity.
Male CG Male Human Wizard 1 | HP 15/15 | AC: 15 | F +4 R +4 W +8 | Perc +6 | 25 feet | Focus 1/1 | | Class DC 17 | Active Conditions: None | Active Spells: Mage Armor
Ezekiel calls forth his trusted companion, who immediately starts snapping at one of the giant bugs. He manages to get his teeth on it briefly, but finds its carapace very tough. Attack #1 hit, 2 damage taken.
