World's Most Interesting Overflow Archives (002) [PFS CORE 6-15] (Inactive)

Game Master Great Green God

Xusius moves over to the left of the stairs. He crosses his arms over his chest and taps his lips with his forefinger deep in thought as he consider the scene before him and also the poem.

"Truly a fascinating creature. Ze ability to carry one's water would be for us to carry one's air. Zis ees truly remarkable." He snaps his fingers and exclaims.

"As for ze riddle, we are meesing a crow. We zhould ask Meester Owl and Meester Albatross about zat. Zese creature zeems to have been zummoned by ze zcroll which means eet must have had a conjuration buried een eet somehow."

Xusius moves over to the left of the stairs. He crosses his arms over his chest and taps his lips with his forefinger deep in thought as he consider the scene before him and also the poem.

"Truly a fascinating creature."

Um, you rolled a total of 10 on that check, so Xusius doesn't know any of that. To be clear the "You can open spoilers and links as if you are Yangrit" does not mean you get to open them all (because I don't think Yangrit can). You only get to click on or open the ones that she specifically got to look at. As a side note, remember you can Take 10 on knowledge checks.

The jury will disregard council's last statements in relation to the monster in question.

Deluge pokes his head out the top of the floor but does not go any further than that.

"Um, hi. Is it friendly?"

The fish continues to dance to its unseen orchestra, rhythmically squirting water all over the place.

What (if anything) would you all like to do about it?

Yangrit is untrained in knowledge (arcana), so she wouldn't know anything about it beyond what she can see with her own eyes.

Sigh. Of course. Nothing is ever easy. As her teammates join her on the mezzanine, she quietly snarks to the guys: "The fish likes books." She shrugs nonchalantly, then straightens her posture as her face drops back into its customary scowl. "It likely has some nasty abilities. What are the odds that we can sneak up and flank it?" Does it have a high enough intelligence to negotiate with it?

I had rolled a 18 Arcana, but I can't seem to find any answer. I must have missed it somewhere.

I had rolled a 18 Arcana, but I can't seem to find any answer. I must have missed it somewhere.

That would be the post directly preceding the post you are siting. (Click the link 3 posts above this post).

”Hey fish! Stop destroying our library! Be nice and we won’t have to thrash you,” Pau yells at the monster.

The creature stops short its revelry and its four eyes lock on Pau. "ਅਕ! ਤੂੰ ਕੌਣ ਹੈ?" It burbles an exclamation.

Yangrit's head slowly swivels toward Pau, an incredulous expression breaking through the grumpy crust on her face. Are you out of your mind? "Pau." <grumpy sigh.> "Why must you antagonize every living thing we encounter? There is no need to make this harder than it already is!" She stands there, fuming at the taller human, wondering how a monk could have so little wisdom. "Now, does anyone understand what it said?"

”I’m pretty sure it is threatening me! Someone tell this thing to calm down and to cooperate!”

"There's a spell for that. Unfortunately, I did not memorize it."

I ALWAYS have a scroll of comprehend languages in my gear. But, I go and look, and no scroll. Please tell me someone else had the foresight!

Xusius listens while wondering where the missing crow is at and attempts to interpret what the fish is trying to say. He is very interested since most fish do not speak.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

He also reaches into his backpack and rummages around for his scroll of Comprehend Languages just in case he needs it.

The fish is DEFINITELY speaking a language Xusius does not understand. Linguistics will not help decipher what it is saying unless you can get it write out what it is saying first.

The fish continues speaking(?) and to eject water into the mezzanine as the party observes it. It seems to be getting more and more agitated.

Think laterally.

"<sigh>" Managing to avoid rolling her eyes at the group's ineptitude (barely), Yangrit holds out her hands to show that she means no harm, and begins walking toward the fish-creature.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Does the fishy look like it's looking for a book/scroll? Does it look like it's going to attack?

She addresses it with perfect enunciation: "Hello. Are you looking for a book or a scroll? Do you speak Common?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 9

The ranger stands at the back, watching this all unfold. "Sorry, but unless that fish can produce ale, not sure i want anything to do with it."

"<sigh>" Managing to avoid rolling her eyes at the group's ineptitude (barely), Yangrit holds out her hands to show that she means no harm, and begins walking toward the fish-creature.

Does the fishy look like it's looking for a book/scroll? Does it look like it's going to attack?

Quick note for everyone--mostly for future reference, sense motive is usually a minimum of a minute to use--often it can be hours. It doesn't yield much at present.

The creature's four eyes track the motion of Yangrit's stiff, tiny tentacles.

She addresses it with perfect enunciation: "Hello. Are you looking for a book or a scroll? Do you speak Common?"

Fortunately for the party given the roll, the fish-creature does not seem to understand a thing Yangrit just said.

It burbles a bit more in consternation. Then it gestures with its fore-tentacles in a sort of shooing motion.

Getting warmer....

Xusius opens up his scroll of Comprehend Languages and begins to cast it.

Once finished, he looks at the fish seeking to understand what it is saying.

Xusious, while comprehend running, feel free to open the Aquan spoiler above as well. There will be some repetition from this strange speaker.

”Why would the Society send us to talk to fish creatures when none of us speak fish-tongue,” Pau fumed.

Deluge moves a little further up the stairs, now exposing a third of his body. He pulls out the fragment of the scroll he's holding and waves it tantalizingly in the air.

"Is this what you are looking for water beastie?"

{Uncomprehending four-eyed squint}

This goes on for a while....

Like a while a while....

{Sudden comprehension}

The tentacled sea creature begins burbling excitedly while pointing with its tentacles at Deluge.

The creature's face suddenly looks thoughtful. Then it shifts to clever. The fish wraps some of its tentacles over its back, and begins whistling to itself, rocking back and forth on the rest of its tentacles. The fish occasionally glances over at Deluge with one, or more of its eyes, turning away if Deluge looks back. Then, it slowly begins inching closer to the druid while trying not to seem like it is.

To speed things along, I will assume that Xusious translates what the thing says into whatever it is that the elf speaks in when he is talking to the party. If you decide otherwise Xusious, let us know.

And you were so close too.

It makes it difficult still, we can understand it, but we cannot talk to it or ask it questions...

After the translation.

He sticks two fingers up in the air, and talks very slowly at the fish, "There are moooooooooore of these pieces of paper?"

Xusius translate what the fish is saying to the party.

"I zink ze feesh ees also wanting zee pieces of ze scroll. Zis ees most interesting. We need to find out how many eet has now and compare zem against ze ones we have. Also, I zink eet likes zou, Deluge."

Closer, closer...

”Want me to walk our part of the scroll over so that thing can take a look at it? What’s the chances on it trying to eat me? Maybe we ought to send the chubby guy, since it’s got its eye on him,” Pau suggests.

"I know...", says the Hannar the Wild, "How about Deluge play act like he is trying to find the pieces to put the scroll together."

"Hm. That is a good idea, Hannar. Who has the scraps we've collected so far?" Yangrit takes a step back and looks around, just in case she spots anything.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Additional +2 vs. unusual stonework

Deluge would have tried to collect all the pieces himself. Let's just say he has both of the pieces.

"Sure, sure, Pao. hand it over and lets see what happens. But let's keep the second piece in reserve."

Deluge hands the paper to Pao and then lowers himself again so that only his head is poking out.

Sylvan subtitles "YES! Now I just need the rest of it, and... and um, ...OH YES! Whatshisname!"

The fish creature gabbles excitedly at the offered piece of paper.

wisdom: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Wisdom check 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Wisdom Check vs. DC=12: 1d20 ⇒ 13

[dice=wisdom]1d20+5

** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **

Nothin'.

Wisdom: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Xusius waits for the fish to speak again.

Wisdom check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

"Hey guys! Try every language you know, one at a time. Our task will be so much easier if we can communicate with it."

@TWMIGM: In my last post, I included a Perception roll. Are there any scroll scraps near her? What about that rubble in the corner. Is that pertinent?

The rubble in the corner is old, probably from the Great Earthquake that hit Absalom in 4698. A lot of publicly unused spaces around the city still show signs of the earthquake years later. There are a lot of books, folios, and loose bits of paper washed off the nearby shelves on the floor around the fish creature, but none seem to be a part of, or even like the Name of the Fox scroll.

The fish reaches (almost reverently) out for the scroll now held by Pau.

If no one objects, Pau shares the scroll with the fish monster.

The pats Pau on the top of his head making small suction noises as the suckers pop off. It turns, muttering to itself in its strange burbling language that only Xusius can translate via magic--seemingly taking no further notice of the people around it.

Aquan subtitles "OH! what a good little -er girl(?) you are! Or perhaps you are the boy, and that is your mate on the stair swollen with eggs. It is hard to tell with all that crusty, fibrous debris that is covering you both. Regardless are both good things whatever you are. Too bad none of you are able to speak properly. That would make my job ever so much the easier." The fish chuckles.
"Now why was I holding this again!?" It looks at the paper draped upon its tentacle tip, squinting at it with all four eyes.
Then after a very long beat the creature says "Oh, yes! Of course--The Maker's words."

It begins to read the Sylvan text in a burbling baritone, spraying water from its sides, and top as dramatically appropriate.

Aquan subtitles "I wonder what that means. Ah well, back flushing that miscreant out!" It slaps the parchment down on a high shelf and begins flooding the area in earnest.

Xusius translates what the fish said to the party and then speaks in Sylvan to the fish.

"I zink we can help each other out eef zou would just tell us what eet ees zou are looking for. Ze flooding of ze area ees making eet hard for us to help zou."

All in Sylvan subtitles this time

"ACK!" Shocked, the fish jumps back knocking a bookcase over. "You speak the common tongue!? You should have said!"

Regaining its dignity it rises to its tentacles and says in a very proper female baritone "Well, at least now I can tell you to get out of the way so I can flood the surrounding area.... Why was I going to flood the surrounding area again? .... .... Hmm? Don't you go telling me now! .... AH! I REMEMBER! My obligation to the Maker!"

The fish takes a deep breath puffing up to nearly double the size, and then--and then lets it all out again.

"Wait. Who are you? I am Mistress Koi."

Xusius continues in Sylvan.

"My apologies for not speaking ze common tongue zooner. I was rather zhocked to zee zou here, for after all, zis ees not zour usual habitat. Please hold off on flooding ze area. Eet makes eet very deeficult for us to zearch ze area. I zink we are all looking for ze zame thing and eet would be most beneficial to all were we to work together."

Xusius gestures to the other bipeds in the room.

"I am Xusius Xometh and zese are my friends. We are of ze Pathfinder Society. Speaking of zat, zis ees ze Pathfinder Lodge. We have come to zee why eet ees flooding in here. I zink we know what ees causing ze flooding, but I do not understand why zou are zearching for ze Maker's words. Zou said zomething about an obligation to ze Maker?"

Sylvan "Hm? Oh yes, I'll need them to get back, and to get Whatshisname back too. If you really want to help--um... er, um, I want to say 'Todd'--you'll find the rest of this scroll and that smartypants Who's-it and bring them to me."

Pau taps his foot, creating little bubbles impatiently. ”So what are we doing here? Anything need thrashing? Is the fish saying bad things about me?”

Once Xusius translates Mistress Koi's words, Yangrit suggests: "Perhaps you should ask her about the owl and the albatross down there. And Pau, I would be surprised if Mistress Koi cares two flicks of her fins about you. Stay focused!" She glares at the other monk, clearly disgruntled about having to reprimand him.

Once Xusius translates Mistress Koi's words, Yangrit suggests: "Perhaps you should ask her about the owl and the albatross down there...."

If asked.

Sylvan "Who?"

Once the "Who" is translated, deluge quips sotto voce, "That's what the owl said"

Pulling his head down below the floor/ceiling, Deluge takes a cautionary look around the lower floor. All that talk about The Maker and Whatshisname starts a makin' his nether regions feel a bit vulnerable. As usual there is no safe place to just observe pathfinder proceedings! How inconvenient.

By the way, just loved your monster eyed view of Deluge :)

Xusius continues to translate for his friends and Mistress Koi. Finally one of these languages I took is worthwhile!

He speaks to Mistress Koi in Sylvan.

"Zis person, ze whats hiz name zou are looking for. Can zou geeve me a description? We need to pool our informazion so as to minimize ze time spent looking for heem and ze pieces of ze scroll."

He continues to probe for more information in Sylvan.

"Forgive me, mademoiselle, but you neglected to tell me why zis "Todd" ees wanting zese zings. Eet ees obviously of zupreme importance and we would like to help you and heem out, but eet would be helpful to understand why as well."

Sylvan again! "'Todd?' OH! Sorry! I though that was you, um, err, Craig was it? Well, he's about your height and build (two eyes, and no proper tentacles), a bit of a ponce. He has pointy head fins like you...." Mistriss Koi starts looking closer, and closer at the elf wizard.

"Hm...." she says circling Xusius. "But his nose is more developed. Stronger, more defined cheek bones. Surprisingly piercing eyes even if he only has two of them. He has a certain regal air to him, an animal magnetism that is not at all like you, Craig. He certainly smells better too. In short, he's a bit like you, but much, much better. Though he was certainly not at all my type. And his name is um.... well. Give me a minute.... It's on the very tip of my tongue. Rhymes with 'orange', or was it 'rainbow'...? .... Sorry, what were we talking about again?" says the befuddled lady fish.

"Whatever it was, I should probably get back to trying to flush him out." Mistress Koi says, and readies to start her sprinklers again.

Xusius as translator can translate what he likes.