[OutPost III, PFS(2)] PFS(2) 1-06 Lost on the Spirit Road (Inactive)

Game Master Blake's Tiger

OutPost III commences March 30.

Each of you have arrived in Minkai within the past few months. You were assigned to assist Venture-Captain Amara Li in laying the groundwork for a Pathfinder lodge in Minkai--each of you assigned to tasks best suiting your abilities. The Venture-Captain has been collecting relics from around the world in order to preserve them in a museum dedicated to Minkaian history, particularly recovered relics from other nations. She has been traveling across the nation to receive donated relics or to purchase them from the less altruistic owners. Occasionally, she has assigned Pathfinders to guard the transport of these relics.

Currently, you are working in Sakakabe, a prosperous city well known for its trade in silver and pearls.

Venture-Captain Amara Li has summoned you to meet with her in one of the gardens of the Kiniro Kyomai teahouse. The geisha-owned establishment is popular among the locals and travelers due to its fine food, tea, and samisen music.

”Welcome,” the Tian Venture-Captain says as you enter. ”Please. Sit and enjoy your tea.”

A pair of geisha pour each of you a cup of tea before leaving you to your privacy. Amara Li waits for you to finish before she speaks again.

“I fear that misfortune may have struck some of your fellow agents. I hope that you can help them return here to safety, but I fear the task I have to request of you may instead center around recovering what you can from your fallen allies and, if it is safe to do so, completing the mission in their stead.”

She pauses to gauge your reaction before she continues.

Assuming none of you object to being assigned to a recovery mission…

“Last year, I received a donation of relics from Taldor. The route is lengthy and complicated, so I will spare you unnecessary details. A caravan carrying the relics safely arrived in Hongal to the north, where it met up with a pair of Pathfinder agents, Lin Po and Ti Lan. These agents inspected the cargo, sent me a missive indicating that all was in order, and joined a second caravan to take the Spirit Road through the Forest of Spirits. The journey is understandably long, taking over two months to complete. Still, the caravan is late, and I fear that they may have run into trouble along the way. They were supposed to reach Sakakabe two weeks ago.

“While it’s possible that they were waylaid in the northernmost parts of Minkai, I believe it’s far more likely that they ran into trouble in the Forest of Spirits, a mystical place that shelters departed souls and most of the world’s kami. Kami are spiritual guardians with a deep connection to certain living locations or living things. The locals pay great respect to the kami, never intruding further into the forest than their one coastal road, the Spirit Road, and a number of small settlements built around shrines. This should make tracking the caravan simple, since there’s only a single road along which they should have had to rest or resupply at some point. I need you to check each of the roadside settlements until you find the last one to have seen the caravan, then track it from there and figure out what happened.

“Be sure to respect the kami and the local traditions honoring them; I don’t want you to come to harm in your journey. The kami are mostly benevolent, so long as they receive the proper respect, but there are some dangers that might have harried the caravan. Bandits, hobgoblins, and giants, among other creatures, dwell within the forest. The forest also hosts some aggressive plants and animals, not to mention malign spirits such as the oni, the sworn enemies of the kami. The locals will know more than I what perils to expect.”

Semi-Secret Recall Knowledge: Nature or Lore (Forest or similarly pertinent category)
To make a Semi-Secret Check, make your roll inside of a spoiler and, ideally, do not look at it.

Landitho sits down and thanks the geisha for the tea. She listens to Amara Li explain the Forest of Spirits.

When the Venture-Captain is done, Landitho speaks up. "I unfortunately do not know much about kami. Are they dangerous? What about the departed souls? You also mentioned honoring the kami. How do we honor them? I don't want to disrespect them."

Victus hesitates for a moment when asked to sit, but ultimately does. He then listens eagerly at the prospects of a rescue mission.

"Yes, please, tell us more. I do not know much about the kami, but I wish to respect their traditions and in particular any local laws."

"Oh that is no good. No good at all!" Gurnk shouts at the prospect of a recovery mission, his sharp teeth entering and exiting holes in his lips as he speaks. He's dressed in simple leather and has a matt of red hair messily sticking up between his ears (like those old troll dolls.) "We will do what we can so they didn't die in vain."

---

"So we go to scary forest and find probably dead people and get the stuff back here. Got that right? Don't piss off the Kami, but probably other scaries there too. What do kami look like, so Gurnk knows not to stab them?"

Katerina sits with the others, looking over the others that she'll be working with for this mission. She frowns as she listens to the mission that is being given. "What do we know about the caravan that they were traveling with? Any one of note that runs it or involved in it?"

"Let's not assume they're dead yet, if they're still alive then we should try to get there fast and we might yet help them! Pathfinders always stick up for each other!"

The voice comes from a big, big gnome. You know, blue-purple hair in a mohawk, one of those telltale crazy gnome flail weapons, but about six foot tall and highly muscular. She's got the basics of heavy armor on, and you can see a holy symbol of Erastil around her neck.

Kang is a tanned half-elven Tian man, rather well-groomed yet careless about his appearance at the same time. Hair is neatly combed back but loose strands are sticking out, and he doesn't seem to have shaven in days. The robes he wears is rather fine and exquisite, but is wrinkled at places. As he waits, he looks around apprehensively, yet when addressed, he is poised and well-mannered in small talk. That is until the briefing begins, and he is transfixed, occasionally stroking the fur of the tiny fox in his arms.

"The kami! How exciting!" Kang exclaims, clearly energised by the prospect of meeting the exotic kami. It has been sometime since he's last visited Minkai, and this time not as part of his family's entourage, and things are already looking up. He calms down eventually to think through the mission. "Hmm, could you tell us more about Lin Po and Ti Lan? How skilled are they? That would give us some gauge of what might have been able to overwhelm them."

"The kami are generally not dangerous but can be riled to anger by damaging their homes," Amara says. "They are invisible to the mortal eye. You usually see the objects they sometimes inhabit. Locals honor them by leaving them gifts of food or drink."

She turns to look at Katerina as she answers, "Well, we--the Pathfinder Society--run the caravan they were with."

Amara gives you a description of the two Pathfinders. "They are about as experienced as yourselves," she adds, answering Kang's question. "For your journey, I have requisitioned a pair of horses to draw a wagon and filled it with food, water, and feed as well as a map of the area and a repair kit."

"Gurnk can't stab things Gurnk can't see, so Gurnk won't stab Kami."

Gurnk has no more questions and is ready to set out.

"Hm, Invisible to the mortal eye. Well, then, I guess we'll need to be extra careful not to disturb them."

Victus also has no more questions.

Slot boons and select School items in the Discussion, if you have not already done so.

Once you have satisfactorily provisioned yourselves, you set out for the Forest of Spirits. While Sakakabe is the closest city to the Forest of Spirits, it still takes several weeks of travel along the winding road across the Osogen Grasslands. You meet several travelers, merchants, and the nomadic herders who call the grasslands home, but none of them have seen any sign of your caravan.

Upon reaching the forest, the air noticeably cools and becomes damp. Snow blankets the ground and clings to the evergreen branches of the towering spruce and pine. You note many bird, squirrels, mice, and foxes who all keep a good distance from the road but otherwise move across the forest floor without apparent worry for your presence. Occasionally, you spy small deer with short antlers and a large bear or two in the distance. More eerie are the shaking branches, flurries of snow rise up from the ground, and moving shadows for which you can find no explanation. Every so often, when you look away from the forest and look back, you could swear that the trees had been shuffled around.

Looking around, Kang realises the group might not know much, or anything, about the forest, and he starts to intone. "The Forest of Spirits is a dense and frigid pine forest home to numerous supernatural forces. The trees grow so close together that there is no undergrowth, and the area is almost always covered by snow. Human establishments are rare even on the edges of the forest, but quickly peter out as one enters deeper into the forest. Animals are plentiful as are incorporeal spirits which give the forest its name, and the kami. Kami are mostly benign spirits that can possess living creatures to share memories but exert little control over their hosts."

Lan gets a little nervous moving through the forest. Upon hearing Zhao speak, she feels a bit reassured.

Landitho starts to play her violin, every so slowly. She starts to sing softly in a language most people will not know but may recognize as Sylvan. When she's done, "That was a lullaby my mother would sing to me when I was an infant. Hopefully the kami and the spirits enjoyed it."

Victus seems rather unfazed by the eeriness of their surroundings but thanks Landitho for sharing her tune.

He keeps an eye on the road and their surroundings for anything noteworthy.

Snow begins to fall heavily, obscuring your view. As a result, you nearly pass a village on the side of the road but manage to just make out the light of cook fires and lanterns through the flurries. Stopping to inquire about your lost caravan, you notice that while the villagers seem happy and untroubled as they go about their work, everyone squints.

You take a -2 penalty to your Perception for the remainder of the scenario as you pass into this enchanted village.

A white-haired Tien man manages to spy you through the falling snow and waves to you. "Welcome to Basaru, travelers," he says in heavily accented Taldane (common). "Do you need food, water, supplies, a bed for the night?"

Since the journey took quite some time, would Kang be able to spend 1 hr to learn the spell from his school boon (magic missile)? If so, arcana, DC15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 and 2gp.

Leaving his teammates who are more glib of tongue to engage the villagers, he steps away briefly and casting a simple cantrip, scans the area for magic. (cast detect magic)

Gurnk physically shakes in fear, but finds a bit of solace in the bard's lullaby before returning to quaking in his boots.

"Yes, yes, probably not, and maybe." replies Gurnk to all of the questions. "Have you seen anybody come by recently? Other than us?" he asks the woman before she can respond.

Landitho speaks up. "We're Pathfinders. My name is Landitho. Another group of Pathfinders should have passed through here not too long ago. Have you seen them? Any information would be very helpful."

The big gnome puts a motherly hand on Gurnk's shoulder, as if to signal that it's all going to be ok. "Pleased to make your acquaintance mister. I'm Zenobia, and yes we're Pathfinders looking for some of our friends who seem to have gotten themselves lost."

Victus stands behind his fellow agents without introducing himself for the time being. His face is rather emotionless and he seems to be somewhat pre-occupied. Soon my studies and adventures will pay off when I can become a hellknight armiger. He continues to day-dream until the Tien man responds.

"There have been several caravans travelling through in the past several months but not many small groups like yourself," he answers. "Could you give me more details?"

Assuming that you share what you know of the Pathfinders and their caravan route...

"Oh, I think those people passed through six weeks ago," he says. "You should ask others in our village. They might have a better knowledge."

The villagers are friendly people, warm and welcoming. Not a few of them are blind, and many of them seem to bear injuries from careless accidents: sprained ankles, minor cuts on their hands, bumps on their heads.

Information can be gathered in the village by talking to, helping, or entertaining the local villagers using: Diplomacy, Medicine, or Performance.

Katerina nods in thanks before going further into the village. While she doesn't know Tien, she does know people, so she heads further into the village to ask about the caravan.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Not detecting anything particularly magical about the village (I assume), Kang finally starts paying attention to the villagers. Then gets alarmed. "Oh dear, oh dear. How did you get such a large lump on your head?" He starts fussing over them like a mother hen.

1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Apologies, Zhao Kang. No, you did not.

Gurnk walks over to the nearest kids. Though likely larger than him, he begins singing goblin songs in call-and-response style, trying to get the kids involved as best he can.

Performance: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Gurnk probably should have chosen songs that weren't about things like burning trees and skinning rats. Probably a bad choice on Gurnk's part.

Landitho pulls out her violin. After Grunk's amazing goblin song about skinning rats, she'll perform an old Gnomish folk song. Something a bit upbeat to get the kids involved too.

Performance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

She sings about the mysterious First World. Parts in Gnomish and Sylvan for the suspense, but others in Common.

Zenobia indeed spends some time explaining what the Pathfinder Society is - it might sound like a rather rose-tinted view, but she's earnest about it. And hopefully it'll help the locals open up about any other things they know.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Maybe she's just a bit too naive though.

Victus snaps out of his daydream and catches himself walking without knowing where he's going. Hm. Right. Help people.

He finds someone who is injured and offers to help.
Medicine: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Katerina finds that many of the villagers have a fair grasp of Taldane despite their remote location. She encounters a trio of women washing clothes in a tub of steaming water who are more than happy to chat with her. "Oh, yes," one woman says. "People matching that description came this way and spent the night. Nice people. Very polite." The other women nod in agreement.

The second woman frowns and says, "Yes, so sad they didn't heed the warning. I do hope they're alright."

The third woman clarifies, "They set out on the eastward branch of the Spirit Road. You have to be careful out there because the paths change on you. However, they were determined to take one of the older forks that heads deep into the woods before returning to the main road. Never did say why, though."

Meanwhile, Zhao Kang tends to fellow with a bruise on his head. "Oh, this?" the man says with a chuckle. "That's nothing. Wasn't looking where I was going and walked into the door post of my own house! Kind of you to care."

Gurnk's performance goes over splendidly for the children. Unfortunately, children are not always the most reliable source for information on the doings of adults and he gets eight conflicting different answers for where the caravan went.

Landitho, however, manages to pull quite the crowd with several of the villagers putting down their chores to come listen.

Zenobia speaks with a man for a long time before she realizes that he, apparently, does not speak Taldane and is simply listening and nodding to be polite.

Just as Victus finds someone to whom he can offer help, there is an alarm at the edge of the village. The villagers stop what they are doing and scatter, heading for their homes or the nearest place to seek shelter. Through the obscuring snow flurries, you catch glimpses of giant fox-shaped creatures darting between the buildings.

Link to Map

Gurnk and Zhao Kang dive for cover at the sound of the alarm.

Encounter Mode. Round 1. Bold may act.

Gurnk (undetected)
Zhao Kang (undetected)
Red Fox
Landitho
Yellow Fox
Victus
Katerina
Blue Fox
Zenobia

Nani? Why are foxes attacking the village? Kang quickly gestures for his fox familiar to flee into a nearby building. Still uncertain if the creatures are indeed hostile, he takes the easy way out. He looks around his party and sees Victus very intimidating halberd. He mumbles some arcane words, "шидэт зэвсэг" and lays his hand on it. The weapon almost immediately starts to glow with a faint silver light.

He then flicks his hands to summon a shield to protect himself.

2 actions: cast magic weapon on Victus halberd, 1 action: cast shield (AC17).

Victus: Your weapon is now a +1 striking weapon: +1 attack, 2 damage die

"What...what's going on? Where'd everybody..." Gurnk then spies one of the foxes. "Oh." is all he utters as he draws his bow.

He Sneaks off to the side and fires an arrow at the blue fox.

Sneak: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 Nope. That's a miss

EDIT: @GM: If Gurnk gets attacked, he plans to use Nimble Dodge as per the Rogue feat.

Zhao Kang enchants his ally's weapon and then wards himself.

Gurnk fires an arrow from hiding, but even caught unaware the fox manages to dodge the missile.

One of the foxes (red) darts out from between two houses and snaps at Victus. Its teeth grab ineffectually onto his armor while its paws scrabble at the ground near his foot.

Stride, Pounce, Strike: all misses

Encounter Mode. Round 1. Bold may act.

Gurnk
Zhao Kang (undetected)
Red Fox
Landitho
Yellow Fox
Victus
Katerina
Blue Fox
Zenobia

Lan already has her violin out from playing music for the children. With the foxes arriving, Lan gets down to business. She starts to magically enchant her music. Her friends around her start to feel some effect.

Lan will use the focus spell Lingering Composition and attempt a Performance check as a free action.

Performance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Versus standard DC of highest level of target. Succeeds but does not critically succeed. (We're all level 1 right?). Will cast the composition cantrip Inspire Courage that will last 3 rounds as 1 action.

Everyone within 60 feet has +1 status bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves versus fear effects for 3 rounds.

For two actions, Lan will cast Forbidding Ward on Victus and Red Fox. Victus gains +1 status bonus to Armor Class and saving throws against the target enemy's attacks, spells, and other effects for up to a minute.

Music starts to echo throughout the village. It starts off slowly but by the end of her turn, it sounds like the whole orchestra is playing.

Another fox (yellow) sprints out from behind a hedge, leaping at Victus and clamping down on his arm painfully. As its paws flail in the air before it falls back to the ground, one of its large, clawed feet catches the Hellknight hopeful painfully across the face.

Stride, Strike, Strike: hit, critical hit

Encounter Mode. Round 1. Bold may act.

Group Effects: inspire courage (3): +1 to hit and damage

Gurnk
Zhao Kang (undetected) (shield)
Red Fox (*ward)
Landitho
Yellow Fox
Victus (6/21) (magic weapon, forbidding ward*)
Katerina
Blue Fox
Zenobia

Seeing Victus get swiftly mauled by this fox, Katerina cautiously steps around behind him, and makes a swift chant before reaching out to the little devil with an electrically charged hand.

Action 1 - Step
Action 2-3 - cast Shocking Grasp on Yellow

Shocking Grasp(IC): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 1 = 16For(IC): 2d12 + 1 ⇒ (12, 6) + 1 = 19

Victus caught off guard decides to put some distance between him and the foxes. He then draws his Halberd and strikes at red. "You'll regret this!" he shouts as though they could understand.

Strike Red w/ halberd: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24 damage piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (9, 1) + 5 = 15

Actions. 1. step. 2 draw halberd. 3. strike

Will AoO if anything strides from threatened square

The battlefield illuminates briefly as Katerina sends a powerful charge through one of the foxes. Its bones can be seen in negative within its illumined frame for a moment before the light fades, leaving a smoking but alive and angry fox. Victus steps back and cuts deeply into the other fox within reach.

A third (blue) fox pounces on Gurnk. Even his agile reflexes are not enough to save him from the fox's fangs, although it may have saved him from a more savage wound.

Pounce, Strike, Strike: Pounce hits, 2 misses

Encounter Mode. Round 1/2. Bold may act.

Group Effects: inspire courage (3): +1 to hit and damage

Red Fox (-15) (*ward)
Landitho
Yellow Fox (-19)
Victus (6/21) (magic weapon, forbidding ward*)
Katerina
Blue Fox
Zenobia
--2--
Gurnk (16/20)
Zhao Kang

Zenobia steps in closer and draws her flickmace and tries to give the red fox a good whack.

flickmace: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
bludgeoning: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

After that she eyes all the foxes intently, ready to mete out retribution (paladin reaction: an ally within 15ft is struck) if the foxes attack her companions.

"Why are the foxes attacking us? This isn't what foxes normally do!"

Red Fox is down.

"Not that I know of. Huli (Kang's familiar) has never attacked me! Oh wait, except that time that I accidentally stepped on her tail."

Even as he is chattering away, Kang summons an arc of electric that descends onto the two remaining foxes. Then, again he keeps his shield up.

2 action: electric arc. 1 action: shield (AC17)
One thing I'm not very clear. Electric arc gives range of 30ft. Both of the foxes are 30ft from me, but are not 30ft from each other. If I can only target one, then yellow.

electric arc: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 Ref DC17 for half

Reeling at the bite, Gurnk looks the fox over. "Bad orange doggie! BAD!" he shouts before..well...biting back.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

As Gurnk pulls back a face full of fur, he tries to punch the fox.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 7 - 4 = 5

He did make the mistake of swinging with the arm the fox had bitten, though.

He then retreats back to the other Pathfinders with a Stride, visibly angry.

Definitely hoping to use that same reaction if a fox continues to go for Gurnk.

While I acknowledge that the spell is not as clear as it should be, I will rule that the targets must be within 30 ft of each other.

Zenobia cracks a fox's skull with her flickmace. It falls to the ground, unmoving. The fox manage to dodge to the side as the lightning strikes, but it is not enough to save it, and it collapses. Gurnk struggles a bit trying to fight back and then retreats.

Encounter Mode. Round 2. Bold may act.

Group Effects: inspire courage (2): +1 to hit and damage

Landitho
Victus (6/21) (magic weapon)
Katerina
Blue Fox
Zenobia
--3--
Gurnk (16/20)
Zhao Kang

Katerina faintly breathes a sigh of relief as the Kang finishes off the fox that she electrocuted. Still, noticing the remaining foe, she swings around Landitho, calling on her inner furnace for a mote of flame to hurl at the last fox.

Action 1 - Stride
Action 2-3 - Produce Flame

Produce Flame(IC): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 1 = 18For(IC): 1d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7

"Victus! You look hurt!"

Landitho starts playing a soothing tune on her violin. (Casts Soothe for two actions.)

Soothe: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 Victus recovers 13 HP and has +2 status bonus to saves against mental effects for the duration (1 minute).

Suddenly the music changes tone to something akin to Violinic Death Metal.

Lan will attempt to demoralize the last fox (Blue) - it is just within 30 feet I believe

Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Thanks Landitho!"

Victus then runs towards the blue remaining fox and attacks twice with all his might. He no doubt feels his weapon is stronger than normal thanks to Zhao's spell.

Strike: 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Damage piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (6, 10) + 5 = 21
Strike: 1d10 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (10) + 11 - 5 = 16 Damage piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (8, 9) + 5 = 22

Actions: 1 Stride, 2 strike, 3 strike

Katerina scorches the remaining fox with summon flame. Landitho soothes Victus' wounds with his empowered music. The restored warrior strides forward and decapitates the last of the foxes. Around you lay three fallen giant foxes, each the size of a pony.

The remaining shadows at the periphery of the village fade away, and the villages begin to emerge from their homes in the silence.

"Thank you, heroes," says an elderly woman. "We have never been attacked by the spirits like this before. We were fortunate that you were here when it happened. Take these as thanks. They may aid you if you encounter more of those beasts." She offers you three flashes of lesser alchemist's fire.

Status

Landitho
Victus (19/21)
Katerina
Zenobia
Gurnk (16/20)
Zhao Kang

Katerina frowns as she accepts the gift. "The spirits here are normally more sedate, yes?" she asks cautiously. "Have they been more aggressive in general lately, and if so, since when?"

"No. No. This never has happened before," the woman answers. "The only thing different is your being here."

From her tone, the old woman has apparently not yet made an association between your presence and being attacked by giant foxes.