[PFS1] GM Losonti's The Horn of Aroden 05-19 (Inactive)

Game Master Losonti

Aldona Reflex: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

As Aldona steps in to tear out Bahram's throat with her enormous teeth, her foot slips in the magical grease he conjures beneath her. With an almost comical yelp, she falls directly onto her face. Before she can even attempt to get up, another bomb from Torvald hits its mark and sets her ablaze.

The smell of burning fur is horrible.

As the sound of battle fades, each of you is now able to hear the muffled sounds of fists pounding on wood and the unintelligible shouts of a young man, coming from the largest tent.

Combat over! That one was making me nervous, but you pulled it off with some good thinking and some clutch rolls. Well done!

I thought that I might have been a goner there."

Picking himself up, Bahram looks at Aldona and then his vicious bite.

kn. Local: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 2 = 20

Giving himself a bit of luck, he reassesses the situation.

"Sounds like Lander is trapped in the tent."

Also, as you may have noticed by me not asking any of you to make Fortitude saves, Aldona was not a natural werewolf. There's no chance of any of you becoming cursed like she was.

Aww dang, I was hoping it was a stealth curse, one that activated during the next full moon leaving us with a surprised and surprisingly hairy android! I kid, of course.

Yates looks over the downed people and smiles. "Alright that went well. Now should we go get the nobleling out of the tent... assuming that it is him in there and not someone else."

Yates moves over to the tent in question and puts away the sledge hammer, pulling out a boot with what looks like a dagger blade attached to the bottom. He turns to the group, asking "Should we go in through the front door or just cut open a hole and get him out that way?"

Bahram pulls out the smaller of his two cure wands and hits himself one time with it.

clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"I think that anything that is going to try to hurt us is already down and out. Should be safe Yates."

"Gotcha, I'll just extract him the quicker way!" He then takes the skate in hand and slices open a circle in the tent, before peering in himself.

With a bemused shake of her head, Laafdahni chuckles as she checks in with Magelia and Bahram. "Are you two going to be all right? How are your wounds? I have some things to help if you need them. --Haha! The quicker way? Yates, you are incorrigible!" She positions herself so that she will be one of the first people Lander sees when he exits the tent.

Inside the tent, you find no Lander, but you do find a few unusual things. The first, in the corner of the tent, is a large chest that, judging by the noise and shaking coming from it, seems to have a very agitated person inside. Since they haven't already escaped, you can guess that it's locked, but a set of keys hangs from a peg on one of the tent's support poles nearby. Next to the chest is a set of well-crafted equipment, unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

In another corner, you find a disgusting bedroll covered in matted fur, next to which sits a table. Around this table, there is a mess of feathers, bird bones, and the remnants of a large bird cage. Still resting on the table is a note.

If any of you search the belongings of Aldona's gang, you find the following equipment:
3 potions of cure light wounds
15 masterwork arrows
3 longbows
3 longswords (with a total of 58 arrows)
6 tanglefoot bags
6 thunderstones
3 sets of leather armor
3 longswords
3 saps
144 gp

On Aldona herself, you find:
A shortsword
A chain shirt
A light crossbow with 20 bolts
Moonstone and ivory jewelry worth 250 gp

One of the tents also holds two Aldori dueling swords. Every weapon you find bears a maker's mark of an eagle clutching a pair of tongs.

Brushing aside the tent-flap and following Yates in, Torvald sweeps the note off of the desk and gives it a read. "Hm. This doesn't reflect well on our friend Marek," the dwarf comments as he passes off the note and turning his attention to the chest.

Assuming someone opened it while Torvald was reading the note! :)

Laafdahni follows Torvald into the tent once it is apparent that Lander won't be coming out on his own. As soon as she spots the keys, she nabs them and unlocks the chest. "Lander? Is that you?" She gives a warm smile as she lifts the lid.

Yates steps into the tent avoiding the bed and thinking about the keys but loosing out on grabbing them to the much faster Laafdahni, Yates takes a look around the rest of the tent collecting items and starting his old former museum slave habits of documenting them. "Seems like a lot of this is pointing back to Marek and not in a pleasant way. Don't tell me he was the natural born lycanthrope?" He does keep an eye on the chest as Laaf gets it open.

Bahram, entering the tent as Laafdahni pops the lock, will pick up a potion of healing. "Oh, don't mind if I do. Your hospitality is impeccable, Aldona."

clw pot: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Lander Lebeda is indeed inside the chest, though somewhat the worse for wear. His violent capture, followed by several days of neglect and abuse, have left him bruised and bloody. One eye remains swollen shut and his hair is a complete mess.

Once the chest is open, he slowly sits up, then stiffly climbs out and to his feet. He then tugs on his clothes in a vain attempt to stretch the wrinkles out. Lander looks over the group of you, then in a stiff tone, he says, "I must thank you for the rescue. Now, if any of you have a mirror, I should like to see what these vagabonds have done to me."

Yates pauses and his shoulders slump some at the mirror statement. "Uhhhh, that's sadly something I don't have in my pack... Hrmm just a second!" He digs around in the pack and pulls out a few things, a goblin based pickle extractor, the continously burning torch, and umbrella, his tent, some glue before pulling out a small bag from which he fishes out a small glass vial of ink. " This work?"
Sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

sense motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

Bahram looks at him speechless for a moment. "Heh. I can tell you what they did to you. They beat the crap out of you, same as they did to me. I had the luxury of have these other fine folks with me as well, thank goodness! That Aldona was a sands blasted werewolf!".

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18 aww...

Sketching a small bow, Torvald moves to assist the young man the rest of the way out of the chest. "It was our honor to assist, young lord Lander. There wasn't anyone else with you when you were captured, was there? Our understanding was that you were alone, but I'd hate to leave anyone behind."

Lander squints at the vial for a moment, thinking, before he sighs and waves it away. Bahram's commentary causes him to scowl at first, but his expression smooths over and he gives a serious nod. "And a coward, as well. I repeatedly offered her the chance to regain some of her lost dignity by facing me in a duel, but she was clearly so frightened at the prospect that she locked me away in that chest."

Lander turns to Torvald, saying, "No, I was not aware of any other prisoners. There may be more bandits about, however. I must re-arm myself before that happens." He looks from Torvald to the pile of gear next to the chest, then back to Torvald. He says nothing, but he clearly expects Torvald to do something.

Following the young man's gaze to the pile of equipment, Torvald steps out of the way. "Of course, my lord," the dwarf says.

Does he, perhaps, have dueling swords in that pile?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Laafdahni just barely manages to prevent herself from laughing at Lander. Straight out of the box, and he cares how he *looks*?! Hahaha! She gracefully steps out of the way, purring: "I'll give you some privacy for a bit, my lord." Slipping just outside the tent, she keeps an eye out for the additional bandits Lander mentioned. (She's hoping that he'll be more cooperative if he doesn't have to act all macho in front of a woman.)

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

He does! Lander is equipped with a masterwork aldori dueling sword. The quality of it is immediately apparent to you.

As Torvald steps out of the way, Lander moves forward and, with slow and painful movements, begins to re-equip his bespoke "adventurer's outfit." It is stained with mud and blood, and has suffered other damages, but it is clearly well-made and expensive.

Once he feels sufficiently put together, Lander turns back to the group. Hands on his hips, and chest puffed out in what he presumes to be a heroic pose, he says, "Well done, all of you, in dispatching these foul bandits. Before we go and deal with their remaining comrades, however, I must get the measure of you. Who are you, and what circumstances brought you to my aid?"

At this point, feel free to answer Lander and ask questions of your own, before presumably you head back toward Silverhall. Once everyone has had a chance to speak, I would like one person to make a Diplomacy check to improve his attitude toward the party.

Yates looks over at the man and his equipment. "If you 'd like I can make some water so you can clean off, and I could help mend the nicks and damages on your equipment. A fresh shower helps so much in making you feel better after some trauma. Take it from a former slave. Anyways we're part of the Pathfinder Society and we're here because some people were concerned about your well-being..."
He then glances to the rest of his group in hopes they would decide who would be better to mention in this case.

"As Yates said, we are all of us Pathfinders, on our first assignment together. I myself am Torvald Stonecask, from faraway Janderhoff. To be frank, my lord, we were hired by your mother to...look in on you--though she did not know of your plight with the bandits."

Could Torvald scan the dueling blade to see if it also has Marek's forgemark?

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

I have a +8 to diplomacy (and can give myself a +2), and would be happy to make the roll after everyone has had their say, unless someone objects.

"An Alduri sword Lord in the making, just as we were told!". Bahram exclaims once he sees his swords. "Equal masters of politics as well as dueling masters! I would be happy to help you clear out any more bandits before accompanying you back to your family estate."

Magellia stays quiet, picking up the existence of under currents if not the nature
Sense Motive: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (13) - 3 = 10
Her silence may have something to do with my head cold too :p
Also, a +10 put my diplomacy to shame so go for it

Laafdahni's Diplomacy is just +4. I nominate Bahram. :)

Hearing nothing to give her reason to believe any other bandits are in the area, Laafdahni wanders over to the corpse of Aldona to examine it. Hmm... What does a werewolf really look like?

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

sense motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6 Bahram tries to see if what he said resonates with the young noble, or if a different approach is needed.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 2 = 17

"What say you, Master Lander? Shall we have a grand quest on our way back home?"

eh.

Torvald: You can't see a maker's mark, but the blade itself is sheathed. A closer examination would be needed to know for sure, but it would be a reasonable assumption to make.

Under the combined assault of the party's kind words and actions, Lander's sullen mood visibly improves and eventually melts away. By the time the party is ready to leave and begin the journey back toward Silverhall, he is downright chatty, and pesters Magellia and Bahram with questions about their weapons and fighting styles.

Bizarrely, he has also taken to calling Torvald his squire.

Well done! That was, in my opinion, a really high DC Diplomacy check, especially for subtier 1-2, but between Bahram's crazy high Diplomacy bonus (and some hidden floating bonuses/maluses), you managed to beat it and improve Lander's disposition one step. If you head straight back to Silverhall, the journey will be about two days, but you can take longer if you like. Don't worry about the captured bandits, they'll be rounded up before anything bad worse happens to them.

I think that the sooner we can get him back home, the better. If he allows it, that is!

In addition to talking with Lander about the use of my axe, I regale him about tales I've heard, or read about, concerning Aldori Sword Lords. I make special emphasis about the mastery of statesmanship they had and how much more POWERFUL that made them! I'll make sure not to mention the blacksmith's connection to the bandits until we get him back to his estate.

Picking up on Bahram's ploy Magellia also speaks highly of the Aldori swordlords. She offers to duel Lander during their travels and tries her hardest to best him.

Should she hold her own Magellia will suggest he needs further practice
and that taking his time about it is critical.

She tells tales of the horrors of Numaria and reflects on the folly of over confidence. She does try to avoid insulting Lander or insinuating he erred with the bandits. The fragile male ego is something she has observed before.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Sorry for no post yesterday, it was kind of a rough day for me personally. I'm assuming the rest of the party is on board with a quick return to Silverhall?

Sorry to hear that. I hope today is better. Laafdahni is fine with a direct route back to Silverhall.

Laafdahni, too, plays along with the group's coddling of the lordling. During of the day, she angles herself so he can see her sweat-soaked brow, and she doesn't shy away from getting dirty when necessary in the hopes that some of the "shininess" of adventuring wears off for young Lander. Around the campfire at night, she relates the circumstances of her last mission, dealing with the cause of a persistent forest fire. "Many missions are like that. People who can't see eye to eye, blaming each other, when the problem is caused by something else. In all honesty, I've done more talking than fighting in my experiences."

I looked up Numeria lore for some story ideas... wow... just wow... my Thunderstone thing now seems very mild.

A return to Silverhall seems best.

Lander eagerly accepts Magellia's offer of a duel, whereupon she absolutely thrashes him. Remarkably, this also seems to beat some of the arrogance out of him, and he shows himself to be a gracious loser. "Sir Magellia," he asks, after a rest to recover his breath and his dignity, "you are you are quite the warrior. I would be glad to study under you, for at least until we reach Silverhall. Would that be amenable to you?"

This improves Lander's opinion of the party even more, and he is now Friendly. Magellia, if you agree to take him under your wing, you can add your BAB to any Diplomacy checks you make with Lander. You and Bahram can also use Intimidate instead of Diplomacy, if you use it to brag about the martial challenges you've overcome.

While Lander has demonstrated no interest in Laafdahni's more flirtatious tactics, the tale of her most recent assignment captures his full attention, as does the lesson she relates to him. He spends some time in contemplation, before reluctantly nodding. "I...see. I am not blind to the lessons your group has been trying to impart upon me, I am not a complete fool. But I also cannot deny the reason in what you say." A troubled look passes over his face and then disappears. "You have given me a great deal to think about." Following the next encounter, you can make another Diplomacy check with a +5 bonus.

The first portion of your return journey is otherwise uneventful. You make your way back to the game trail near the pond, follow it back to the main road, and begin the trek toward Silverhall. You make better time than your trip out, since you're no longer trying to follow Lander's tracks.

On the morning of the second day, you reach a river crossing. The road narrows here, leading over a well-worn stone bridge that crosses a stream. Trees dot the landscape to both sides of the bridge, and the rushing of water and the croaking of frogs give the scene an air of tranquility.

You crossed this bridge as you traveled from Silverhall and encountered no difficulties. Now, however, there appears to be a pair of axe beaks on the far side, at the top of a small hill. As soon as your group comes into view, the two of them turn to watch you intently.

Lander immediately places a hand on the hilt of his sword, but waits to see what the party does, rather than blindly charge into combat.

nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

If I can descern their favorite prey, I can create a silent image accompanied by ghost sound, and lead them away.

"I can can create visual and auditory illusion of a ______. That's their favorite meal. They would chase that to the extent of spells.". Looking over to Lander, "It is always advisable to avoid needles combat. It tends to put more sand in the glass."

Just in case, Laafdahni casts Mage Armor on herself, though she turns to the side so the birds don't think she's challenging them directly.

Magellia is happy to continue to instruct him on their travels dueling him each morning following her spell preparations.
His humble side endears him to Magellia who has always found baseless arrogance illogical.
This is boosted further when he acknowledges the party’s points.

————

As Bahrain studies the axe beak Magellia grips her right hand firmly and twists hard. With an unpleasant crunch her hand rotates 180° then folds back the fingers and locks them to her forearm. She then draws her rapier and removes the guard.
The bared tang of the blade is then slotted directly into what was her palm and clicks into place. It then secured with several steel pins.
I’ve just re-flavoured a Locked Gauntlet. I’m an Android, I couldn’t resist an excuse for a detachable sword hand :p
If this provokes questions of extremely obvious odd looks she explains ”My designers clearly felt you can do nothing with a weapon no longer you no longer have control over. ”

"These two are diatrymas. With there being two, they're most likely a mated pair, which means that might have babies to guard. Let me try something, then we can try to go around?"

Bahram will cast ghost sound to imitate a baby diatrymas down new the water, under the bridge.

Torvald holds his position, keeping half an eye on the two axebeaks while his main attention turns to mapping out a rout around the birds.

Yates stays towards the back of the group curious as to all that is going on around him, he stops and tries to memorize the birds to sketch them later, before reaching slowly for anything nearby that could be used as a weapon...

Diatryma Will save to disbelieve, DC13: 1d20 ⇒ 13 huh, okay

The attention of the birds does not waver. If anything, they seem even more focused on Magellia than before. They dig their huge claws into the ground, perhaps bracing themselves.

Torvald: You don't see any obvious fords, but you could probably find one if you elect not to cross the bridge and spend time following the river up or downstream until you find one. You could also try to swim across. Both options could allow you to avoid conflict with the axe beaks, but it's likely some other travelers will encounter them sooner rather than later.

Yates looks up at the pair of beasts directly for a moment. "We leave them here and there's going to be problems for the next group, and they might not be as heavily armed. Anyway we can knock them out and relocate them and their nests? Lander, you have any appropriately remote land that your family wouldn't object to you using?"

"Uh oh. Doesn't look like my ruse worked. These guys will fight to the death, Yates, we may not be able to just knock them out. Get ready. I'll grease the bridge and maybe they'll fall while charging at us."

Don't charge them Lander, don't charge Bahram says to himself as he casts grease.

Magellia adopts a defensive stance, readying for what seems an imminent assault.
"I don't want to leave them here if they are likely to hurt others. One way or another it is our responsibility to deal with them now.
We should let them come to us. This is a good position here."

Yates has a puzzled look for a second. "Can't we at least use the flats of our blades? Try to conk them out instead of cutting them open? I'm not formally trained in using weapons, so I might be speaking out my rear, but I thought that was possible... But yeah I agree leaving them here would be unconscionable."

"I can cast a spell that will likely daze them for a bit." Laafdahni volunteers. She moves to the front of the group, an unusual tactic for her. Conscious of Lander's perception, she keeps her nervousness at being up in front firmly in check. "I just have to wait until they're close enough. Fifteen feet should be good."

"I'd prefer not to kill them, if possible. But if they're a threat to others in the area...well, I won't risk any of your lives to save theirs."

Ready a Bomb: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11 Damage: 2d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5, 5) + 4 + 1 = 15

As soon as Torvald approaches the bridge, the nearer of the two birds screeches and charges. It closes an alarming amount of ground, and could have easily reached the dwarf if he hadn't had a bomb ready to throw. Though he nearly fumbles it in the throwing, it hits its intended target, spraying fire and shrapnel in every direction. The axe beak crashes to the ground, smoldering.

Round 1
Torvald
Green Diatryma -16 HP, dying
Laafdahni mage armor
Blue Diatryma
Lander
Magellia
Yates
Bahram

Laafdahni is up!