PFS 2E 1-10 Tarnbreaker's Trail (Inactive)

Game Master Slothsy

Rip Fang's stretches really do pay off. After limbering up, he is able to scale the tree and grab the egg before the tree bends too far.

Keep in mind that you're welcome to talk to race officials for any advice (with a diplomacy check) or other teams!

Waiting on Rainesong!

"No; thank you," Chulyin politely declines the brew and takes time to visit with the Varki team while they rest.

"Greetings," he says to the competitors. "I am Chulyin of the Pathfinders team. You all are doing well, I trust. While my grandparents came from lands not unlike this, this is my first time traveling this far north. I think it is true for several of my companions. I hope that we can keep up with experienced northmen like yourselves."

Lilic goes over to the Without Trace or Fail team.
"So, folks, how are you preparing to cover the upcoming part of the trek without leaving any trace? What kind of terrain or such must we prepare for?!"
Diplomacy, Tr.: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Nina will talk with the race officials.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"What are the success criteria? Are there any ways to score points besides getting the egg?"

She will not offer the race officials a sip from her flask.

Savna will talk to the race officials about what the weather looks like for the coming days.

Diplomacy, Trained: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

"Hey, I need to ask you a question. It's... very important. A subject matter that I very clearly and plainly remember. Right now, I definitely did not forget. I... um. Lightning???"

Dr Ripfang celebrates his success while his monkey familiar claps.

Runa Frostleaf greets Chulyin politely enough, but as he starts going on about the nearby lands their face goes blank.

"I am confused," they say. "Are your grandparents' ghosts with you? I do not know how your lineage will assist you."

-------------------

The race officials definitely favor Lilic in the ensuing conversations, easily falling into a conversation about the local area. A half-orc woman starts describing the upcoming forests, including some of the notable caribou trails and the hard-to-spot streams in the woodier areas.

+1 circumstance bonus for the next leg of the race!

Nina walks off in a huff. Do they even know who I am? Hmpf.

 »We can follow the baricou, racibou, caribou... whatever that is, trails! It’ll help some! »

"No. My ancestors do not walk with me--at least not in the literal sense as some are capable," he explains to the Varki. "I meant it only to explain why one descended from the people of the mammoth was so out of depth in the north and to note the nostalgia my parents instilled in me with their tales. I descended from Sarkoran refugees who managed to make it all the way to Nantambu. They believed the Magaambya might hold secrets to defeating Deskari. The Old Mage defeated the King of Biting Ants, after all. Other brave souls dealt with the Worldwound before any of my kin or I learned anything of special use. I suppose there is a lesson there on devoting too much of one's energy to preparation and not enough to the actual doing."

Raine clasps his hands together. "TIME TO CLIMB!" He exclaims as he takes several large steps back. Suddenly, he charges forward, doing several impressive gymnastic flips and jumps before hopping up the tree. Flying from limb to limb, he swings around the top branch several times before daintily grabbing the egg that has probably been replaced several times at this point.

Acrobatics (Trained): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Coming down, Raine finds a relatively branch free area to slide down, cupping the egg safely in his hand.

"Did I do it? Did we win?"

----- (later) -------

Raine blinks at Chulyin. "Jeeze, you talk a lot."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4d6 ⇒ (6) + (1, 1, 2, 6) = 16

"I'm with Lillic. Clearly we have to follow whats-their-names!"

Chulyin looks at the elf evenly for a moment, allowing time for him to expound. "Perhaps to some," he then says.

Is this leg completed? Or are we still waiting for something?

It is! I got slammed at work and then had an in-person PFS game tonight.

With the egg safely in hand, Rainesong completes the trial and earns another laurel for the team.

The officials and other teams chat politely with the team members, including the members of the Two Houses offering Nina a glass of real drink to enjoy with a pickle brine chaser. The officials give the entire team a quick phyiscal before clearing you to continue on in the race.

However, as your team goes to start on the trail again, your equipment has been disassembled! The backpacks with your gear in it have their frames were taken off, the packs strewn apart, and worse.

It will take 8 hours to reassemble. You can attempt to put them back together faster with an Engineering Lore or Thievery check in order to reduce the time lost. Of course, if there's something else you'd like to do or if you'd like to investigate, feel free to do so!

Dr. Rip Fang exclaims "Oh no! Who did this?" as he looks down at the packs.

Dr. Rip Fang goes straight into resembling the packs with the help of his strange monkey like creature, putting in twigs and strange pieces of metal to replace any missing pins.

As he works "Dr. Ripfang good at assembling junk, maybe othershanks figure out why it happened?"

thievery: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"Oh, ho! I did not realize this was to be part of the game," Nina muses.

She looks for clues as to who did this.

Lilic goes over to help the good Doctor Rip Fang and get the stuff put together faster--
Thievery, Trained: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
--but he keeps on confusing the Goblin with the little monkey figure, and removing twigs...
He is not much help.

Grumbling he gives up...

If he still has some time left--
If we have only one action then forget what comes below
--Lilic starts walking in ever increasing circles, starting from the backpacks and disassembled gear.
He is trying to find tracks that might lead back to where the culprits came from.
Survival, Trained: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

If there's time, Nina will go to the paladin's team and ask if they know who did sabotaged us.

Savna will stare at her equipment with concern, then look around the area for any trace of who might've done this.

"No. I suspect that this was cheating," he says to Nina. "We may need to post a guard over our gear at each future stop."

While the more mechanically inclined see about reassembling their packs, he searches the area for signs of the perpetrators.

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Lilic finds a pair of tracks. Following where they came from, Lilic ends up where Without Trace and Fail is camping.

Sanva and Chulyin simultaneously find a small set of tools carved from elm. Chulyin recognizes it as the same wood that the jewelry of one of the members of Without Trace and Fail wears.

Faegrim Axebringer smiles as Nina approaches. However, as she asks about the sabotage Faegrim shakes her head as she says, "I may not be able to assist you, but I have faced sabotage in my prior years. There's such treachery in this world."

Lilic will report his findings to the group: "Without Trace and Fail, I believe that's the several Ulfen rangers and the cleric that were in the sleigh we came in on."

Lilic tries to recall what deity the cleric served, if he saw some kind of symbol.

Nina will whistle innocently and make some comments vaguely condemning cheating, before takinf her leave of Faegrim. She also reports back to the group.

"That is disappointing," Chulyin says. "We also found discarded tools that resemble the craftsmanship of the jewelry that one of Without Trace and Fail's member wore. I suppose it is possible someone is framing them, but that seems excessively elaborate. Nina, you have had a good rapport with the officials. If you would, see if this sort of behavior is permitted or not. If not, mention our concerns. In the meantime..."

He joins the others in trying to reassemble their packs.

"Faegrim said this has happened in the past. I mean, if it's part of the game ... isn't there a case for treating it like part of the game? We could probably dish it out as well as we can take it."

"Where there is competition, there will be cheating," he answers. "That does not necessarily mean it is permitted."

Dr Ripfang speaks up "Didn't Mr. Bjersig say playing with honor more important than winning?"

Nina looks around nervously.

"Mmmmaybe....?"

"So... we confront them?
Hit back?
Or just protect ourselves?"

"Let's bring any evidence we have to the race officials. And if you saw me casting any spells during the egg challenge, keep your mouth shut."

"This is... concerning. But I do not feel that lowering to their level is the solution. I would rather protect our interests."

Sounds like you're all taking the information to the officials. Who is presenting it and what are you saying?

Nina will volunteer.

"My dear referees, I must alert you to some sabotage that has occurred. Someone disassembled our packs. Nothing was missing, but we had to put things back together, causing us significant delay. We found some elm tools that they used, and followed some tracks. We believe the culprit was Without Trace and Fail, as thr tracks and tools both point to them."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Chulyin accompanies Nina as a witness, but he remains silent unless called upon while the sorceress speaks.

Dr Ripfang is too busy beaming over his reassembly job to help with the reporting.

The referee, an Ulfen woman with strawberry blonde hair, takes stock of the presented evidence.

"I will have to report this up the chain," she says after reviewing the tools. "We take cheating allegations very seriously. Unfortunately, we can't take action at this time, so Without Trace or Fail will continue to participate in the race. If you find any additional evidence, please let us know immediately."

Dr. Ripfang's assembly job is glorious.

-----------------------------------

The weather the next morning is clear and sunny. The cold still bites at any exposed skin, but it's downright balmy compared to yesterday.

Your team will need to make an overland travel check. This can be a check of your choice, as long as you can justify it story-wise. Examples include Athletics to power through, Survival to help identify animal trails, or Nature. It is not a secret check. Your result indicates how well you're doing in the race.

Today's weather is clear and is mildly cold.

Survival, Advice: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 1 = 26

The jaguar bounds ahead of the others, seeming to enjoy the modest reprieve in the weather.

Chulyin forges forward, scouting out animal trails that lead through easier paths and other natural short cuts.

Lilic plods ahead, keeping his eye on the terrain, a bit used to the outdoors from the farm and forest, but not used to trekking nor these lands--

Nature, trained: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 1 = 27

--he still seems to manage.

I double added the advice bonus: into the modifier and then again as a separate +1, so I got a 25.

Survival: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Dr. Ripfang travel.

athletics: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 2 + 1 = 15

Savna travel!

athletics: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 = 12

She is still just. Really not used to this snow.

Gonna poke Rainesong to post, then we'll move on to the next challenge!

Nina throws a snowball at Rainesong.

Snowball (Dex, untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

She brushes the snow off her gloves and pretends Dr. Ripfang did it.

Deception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Lilic sees a snowball appear out of nowhere, and hit Rainesong between the eyes.

"Some invisible winter-witch is amongst us!"

Lilic looks around: "Let us move along, and have our comrade catch up. Else the other racers get too far ahead!"

Nina throws a snowball at Lilic.

Snowball: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

She brushes the snow off her gloves and pretends Dr. Ripfang did it.

Deception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"Hey, Doctor, what the heck?!"

Dr. RipFang Muk Muk looks over to Lilic having no idea what just occurred. "Huh?"

"Your getting us all cold with your childish snowball tossing!", Lilic tells Ripfang.