GM ZD 01-The Absalom Initiation (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Bubba drowns out the sounds of the whispers of the haunt, making sure it does not effect anyone.

With this side of the house thoroughly explored, the agents head back across the main hall.

This time, both Broch and Bubba notice something. You hear the sound of numerous hands clawing from beneath the floor boards.

This time, it is only a trained religion check to exorcise them.

Whoa, this haunted house is really haunted!

Who did that exorcism song? Linda ... Flare? Care? Dare?*

Is this something where Bubba could use Bardic Lore?

I was 12 when The Exorcist came out. A friend and I sneaked into a theater to see it, since we were underage. It f***ing terrified us.

Before she can help, her comrades already have taking care of the haunts.

It seems like the slave smugglers have really forgotten their merchandise here...

"We could make up a song about exorcism ..." Emdi suggests.

Spiritual hands break through the floor. Most of them missing fingers and covered with tattoos. Emdi performs a prayer, driving back the spirits. They withdraw back under ground, leaving the floor unharmed.

Dining Room
The furniture in this once-fine dining room was crushed by the debris falling from the floors above. What remains is sodden and mostly unidentifiable. nothing to see here

Parlor
A large, long-cold fireplace stands in the east wall of this expansive parlor, but the furnishings are all rotted. A dank stench of mold lingers in the air. The ceiling overhead has collapsed, leaving the room open to the sky. The floor in the room’s southern end has followed suit, leaving a gaping hole into darkness.

Masigonde is the first to spot the structural weakness of the wooden floor around the hole. He knows any weight in the boards will send the person into the pit.

Need a craft check to reinforce the floor with beams found around the room

Emdi will offer to tie himself to the crafter so nobody accidentally falls in. Emdi doesn'f have Crafting.

Bubba doesn't have any crafting expertise either, so he offers to keep watch for additional threats while the work on the floor is going on.

"Hand me that beam," says Imiriax. "And get that one ready. No, the one next to it. Yes, that one."

Imiriax allows Emdi to tie a rope between them, then edges himself forward to try to shore up the sagging floor.

Crafting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"There. That ought to do it," he says after several minutes of arranging beams.

Trusting Imiriax to have done his work, Masigonde says, "I can climb down to see if there is any sign of the remains we're looking for. Does anyone have a light that they can pass to me? Or magic?"

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Emdi will move the rope over to Masigonde before he heads down.

Imiriax easily reinforces the floor and it is now stable enough to allow the PC's to investigate the hole in the floor. At the bottom of the pit lay a lone figure in a awkward position.

Once someone is gets down there, it is obvious the person is deceased and an the early stages of decomp. You find a holy symbol of Pharasma on a chain around the deceased's neck, as well as a small, slender box. Inside are thin sticks.

The body itself counts as 6 bulk for the purpose of recovery. Will allow you to work out how to get the body out.

Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Look, these are funerary incense. Burning them will put the spirits of the decease at rest. May be we can do that here?

Shandra helps recovering the corpse. She propose to tie a rope around her waist and make one people go down and then pull the rope with the help of other to get the corpse out.

"Give a yell if you need my help getting that body out, otherwise I'll keep on keeping an eye out for additional trouble."

Two of us can split the Bulk. Let's move the body to the entrance and finish scanning the rooms unencumbered.

This is the last room. Nothing else to explore

Emdi and Masigonde should be able to split the Bulk without even being encumbered, if someone volunteers to hold Emdi's glaive (2 Bulk).

"I can take that fine looking glaive."

Bubba starts quietly singing.

"We found a body in a hole, do dah, do dah ...

Broch comes helping Emdi and Masigonde moving the body around.

He will also say a silent prayer for the dead.

Well, I wrote this post a dozen times in my head... darn lack of cybernetic technopathy implants.

Masigonde calls out of the ruined cellar, "Does anyone have something to wrap a body with?"

Whether he is blessedly able to wrap the body or not, he wrinkles his nose at the smell as he hefts the corpse over his shoulder and then climbs the rope back out of the hole.

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Masigonde is able to gather the remains and climb out of the whole with the aid of the others.

The agents are able to then leave the mansion and return the body to the Pharasman temple, where it can properly be put to rest.

West Gate District

Need a secret check for diplomacy to gather information

Arrived at the temple, Broch starts asking questions.

3d8 ⇒ (7, 3, 5) = 15

Broch is able to find out that a crowd has begun to form along the sides of the Statue Street. They are lead by three individuals. A Socialite, a smith and an actor.

Statue Street
For several blocks, the quiet lanes of Westgate’s residential neighborhoods feature small houses, low-key cafes and taverns, and the occasional specialty shop. The fragrant scent of tended flower gardens in the warm sunlight blends with the low hum of distant conversation over what would normally be a pleasant boulevard. But the stone statues—at first appearing only here and there, like odd decorations—now number several per block, and the otherwise plain square ahead is outright cluttered with stone figures. They take countless forms, from humans and halflings to orcs, lizardfolk, and even stranger, all forever frozen in acts of desperation, defiance, or despair. The quaint, statue-filled square is also filled with people; several dozen townsfolk shout and argue, their voices somehow out of place among the silent statues.

As you approach the statue of the lone Naga, you hear murmurs of how the way it used to be and how they should stick to tradition. One of the figures step forward, quickly followed by the rest of the group.

A shorter man covered in sutt and wearing a canvas apron speaks first, "You must be the one sent to undo hundreds of years of tradition".

A older well dresses man steps next to the smith, "Correct, this is a part of Absalom history and one of the many things that differentiates us from other city's."

A female in early adult hood speaks next, "That and think about the many plays and shows that have been created to show these events for the ones who were unable to view it. Losing it would be like losing our muse."

We are going into "Social Rounds". Each character has a chance to attempt a skill check and win over/bully the leaders of the crowd. For the Blacksmith, you can use either Crafting or Guild Lore. The Socialite, Society or Absalom lore. The Actress, performance or theater lore. Of course, Intimidation is also on the table

Everyone make make one skill check.

Bubba begins a sad, slow blues song about a falsely accused man who was tragically turned into a statue, hoping to appeal to the actress (in more ways than one).

Performance: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Do we have rerolls? If so, I think I'd like to use mine now.

Each of us has one check overall, or each of us has one check against each leader?

Emdi will target the blacksmith.

Intimidation: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

"History does have its value, but every day we have an opportunity to write a different story. I came from Nidal, a land of history - a dark history of shadow worship. I want to see Nidal be a place of history - but a history of beauty and redemption. I see your history - a history of cruelty and punishment. I want to see your history be one of redemption and forgiveness. It's Shelyn's way. This finely crafted glaive is an instrument of great cruelty in the hands of Zon-Kuthon, and the same glaive is an instrument of kindness in the hands of his sister. Let us free these people - and write a new chapter in your history."

It's a social encounter. We each have one social action per round.

"Wait. Your argument is that these creatures must remain imprisoned in stone--rightly or wrongly--so that your neighborhood can be special?" Masigonde asks the socialite with angry incredulity. "That's absurd! I ought to beat some sense into your head!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (2) + 0 = 2

Emdi pokes his quiet friends.

Emdi pokes his quiet friends.

Just waiting to find out if I can use a reroll for that fine "1" I rolled earlier.

Broch stands tall in front of the Socialite:

"Not all traditions are meant to be kept. Inequities must be eradicated"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

If rerolls are allowed I would gladly reroll mine as well

If you have a Hero Point, you can reroll. That's one of their uses.

I'll use my Hero Point to reroll, if GM is against it, just ignore the reroll

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Sorry, I hadn’t access to the form yesterday and forget to go here when I had...

Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Shandra tries to talk to the socialite but remains speechless in front of him!

Totally forgot about Hero Points, I'll be using mine also if that's OK.

Performance Reroll: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Oh yes, I have my Coin that gives me a second HP! Totally forgot it

After a short silence, she finds something to say!

You known, it could be some sort of tradition, but not all tradition are equal. For me it seems barbarian and for the modern Absalom too. Cheliax as also new “traditions” do you want them ? Or don’t you agree that they are bad?
Society (HP): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Police came in, they caught me red-handed
Creeping in to the magic store
Picture this, I was empty-handed
But looked like I was poor
How could I forget that I had
In my pocket a skeleton key
All this time I was standing there
The shop keep had his eyes on me

They caught my by the counter - wasn't me
They saw me being smuggler - wasn't me
I even had a retainer - wasn't me
They even planted a dagger - wasn't me
They saw the marks on my shoulder - wasn't me
They said I gotten bolder - wasn't me
I screamed "innocent" louder - wasn't me
For me, they said it was over

With the combined efforts the PC's are able to calm the crowd, even with the crowd fearful of the Naga.

They finally apply the ointment to the statue of the Naga. It takes a moment for it to work. Eventually the grey concrete become shiney green scales. The naga yawns as if awaken from a deep slumber.

"Hmm...guess the gorgon got me." Her eyes focus on the PC's. "So whos favor do I have that got me released from my prison?"

"There is beauty here, my friend," says Imiriax to the Smith. "Beauty, but no art. These are not truly statues carved by hand, but victims of a cruel monster. Why these are insults to the creativity of art and artisans, to say nothing of the lives thus suspended. Shall they be forever lifeless because we can add nothing better wrought by our own hands?"

Crafting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

"Calisro Benarry, of the Pathfinder Society!"

"Ah. The Pirate pulled through for once." She reaches up and unclasps her pearl necklace and hands it too Emdi. "Have this to show my gratitude and make sure you are properly compensated for your efforts." The naga then notices the fearful glances from the crowed. "I better leave before they get their torches and pitchforks. Thanks again"

The PC's head back to the party and give full reports to the Faction Leaders.

Janira Gavix races down the hall, her blond hair flying in her excitement. “I just heard you made it back—congratulations! It sounds like everything went, well, about as well as anyone could expect. Come with me, I have something for each of you.”

The halfling woman leads the way into a small office and distributes finely crafted wooden boxes. Within each, a gleaming compass lid emblazoned with the Glyph of the Open Road and an engraved name lies upon a cushion of silk. “I’m not sure if you’ve picked up your own wayfinders yet, but when you do, you should have ones that prove that you belong. Now it’s official,” she beams. “Welcome to the Pathfinder Society!”

Conclusion.

Thanks for playing along. I will begin working on chronicle sheets as I get your information. You got full reward for this adventure.

"That adventure was sick! You guys are all invited to my underground rave tonight! It's gonna be lit!"

Bubba nods enthusiastically

I'll hit up my big sister and her dad for party supplies. I hope everyone likes whiskey and ether.

Thank you GM!

Shandra is quite happy to have passed the test and become a true Pathfinder.
She thanks Janira and meets with the others.

Seems great! It have been eons that I've not been in a party!

"This was harder then expected" then, looking at his comrades, "but also more fun!"

Thanks a lot!

"Thank you," Masigonde says. "I will treasure this token!"