[PFS2] Q01 The Sandstone Secret (GM Watery Soup) (Inactive)

Game Master Watery Soup

The sandswept nation of Osirion is truly ancient. Its first pharaohs arose from the warring factions along the River Sphinx, and a succession of pharaohs ruled over the land for millennia. This period came to an end in conquest, when the forces of Kelesh assassinated the pharaoh and brought Osirion under their rule. But just over a century ago, Osirion regained its independence. Under its new pharaohs, the Osiriani people have worked to preserve their cultural history and protect it from outsiders who might seek to exploit their ancient treasures.

Please introduce yourselves!

Dressed in loose clothing of muted blues and woodland greens with a Horizon Hunters brooch clasping his cloak at his neck, Roahn (pronounced Row-ehn) scans the room with his sparkling yellow-green eyes.

Humph. First one here.
He takes a seat in a comfortable chair and waits for the others to arrive.

I did hear that Meadow and Silence the Owl will be joining us. Will be a pleasure adventuring with them again. I hope Silence will like what I have for him. He thinks to himself.

He holds a small leaf-wrapped package tied neatly with a bit of twine in the palm of his hand and waits patiently.

A tall Iruxi with a large crest and a massive suit of metal armor arrives next. Seeing Roahn she bows very slightly as she introduces herself briskly "Samantha" before finding a good position to stand formally.

A 3' tall Halfling with reddish brown hair and green eyes, dressed in fine black and green clothing with ruffles at the collar and cuffs, wearing a suede black Cavaliers hat (Think 3 Musketeers hat) with a large white feather protruding and a rapier belted at his waist walks in, takes a deep bow and states, "Mylow Metcalf at your service. Pleasure making all of your acquaintances."

A young man approaches the group, his gait and attire reveal his noble birth. Although his features are clearly of Tian descent, his manners are more akin to those of western nobility. He wears a somber suit, worn from long travels, but elegant nonetheless.
He makes a slight bow, then says with a subtle though recognizable varisian accent "Good day, my name is Matei Nakayama, and I will accompany you in this assignment". He then takes a seat, and after a pause he asks "Is this your first mission for the Society?".
Where are we precisely? In a tavern, in a Pathfinder lodge?

As other Pathfinders arrive, Roahn stands and places the small packet back into his pocket hoping none of them notice the smell emanating from it. Although he is half-elven, he steps forward with a touch of elven grace to introduce himself to the others.

Greetings, Samantha. He says with a courteous nod.
You are the first Iruxi Pathfinder I have met. I look forward to learn of your culture and what it is like to be an Iruxi...
He glances at Samantha's exotic weapons.
...and to observe your skills in combat.

A pleasure to meet you as well, Mylow. He nods with a friendly grin.
That is quite the hat. Did you serve aboard a ship? I've seen skilled sailors and ship captains wearing hats similar to yours. The feather adds a nice touch.

Well met, Matei. He holds his hand up in greeting.
First mission? Oh, no, no. Actually, I have been on a few missions already. This is my first time in Osirion, however. I must say, this heat is quite unbearable. He pats his brow with the sleeve of his cloak.

I've played this a couple times and don't remember where we start. I think in a PF lodge in Osirion. *shrug*

You are in the Sandswept Hall, the Pathfinder Lodge in Solthis.

The shaded gardens outside the Sandswept Hall provide a welcome respite from the sweltering midday sun. Venture Captain Norden Balentiir reaches up to one of the date palms overhead, pulling down a bunch of ripe fruit to share with the table. “They’re good for much more than shade, my friends. But I did not call you here to enjoy my garden. A few months ago, I finally received confirmation that we would be able to execute one of the last excavation permits issued by the Osiriani government. The site is a desert location where the dunes have shifted, revealing the beginnings of a staircase leading down beneath the sands."

The exact location isn't specified in the scenario, but it's a few hours through the desert from Solthis."

“The Osiriani government is protective of its cultural history, and with recent changes in their stance on allowing foreign archaeologists to work inside their borders, I wasn’t sure this permit would even stand. The bureaucracy was rather slow this time around, but it turns out we were approved before they stopped issuing permits. I’ve already secured your provisions, including camels, tents, food, water, tools to perform the excavation, and a map to the site. As you know, it may take many weeks to clear the site of debris. The desert can be unforgiving, so don’t hesitate to return here to rest as needed."

“The government has already sent guards to oversee the site and protect against any potential thieves. Remember—keeping up a good reputation in Osirion is vital to the Pathfinder Society’s continued presence here. Don’t antagonize the guards."

"Do you have any questions??

At the arrival of the Venture-Captain Matei stands up from his seat and makes a slight bow.
"Sir, do we know anything about this 'staircase'? I mean, are there any mention of it in ancient books or maps?" he asks politely.

The sounds of an argument precede the young half-elf woman in leathers that strides through the door. She is red-faced and clearly angry at someone behind her.

"...care how hungry you were you don't run off like that when we have a client. Besides I had that rat in my belt pouch for you!"

She holds the door open for a snowy owl that flutters into the room.

The owl flies atop a tall bookshelf and hoots softly.

"I know you haven't had a rabbit in weeks but you still know better than that. Well anyway the jokes on you. I was going to use some of the money they were going to pay us to get some of that tien barbeque that you like. So there!"

She sticks her tongue out at the bird.

The owl flaps his wings and squawks indignantly.

"Screech!"

"Well I'm not buying any now. We don't have the money for it. Oh you're just impossible."

She turns and notices everyone for the first time. She waves at Roahn.

"Oh hi Roahn." She gestures towards the owl. "You try talking to him for a bit. He's being a complete pill and lost us a paying client. We were supposed to find some honeybees for them but someone can't stop thinking with his stomach."

She slumps into a nearby chair and sighs heavily. She perks up a bit as she addresses the other pathfinders.

"Hello everyone. I'm Meadow and the irresponsible owl over there is Silence. I'm an archer and Silence is...well...an owl."

So good to see you again, Meadow. He says with a small wave and a smile.
Yes, and you too, Silence. Don't look at me like that, you onery owl. How could I forget you?

Roahn whispers to Meadow as she makes her place among the assembled group.
Remind me after our briefing, I have a treat for Silence. He can probably smell what I have from over there. He pats the pocket containing the leaf-wrapped treat.

Ahem. I beg your pardon, everyone. He says, slightly embarrassed for disrupting the briefing.

Sir Balentir. Must we keep our association with the Pathfinder Society a secret? Do the guards that are keeping watch on the site know that we will be arriving?

Samantha listens and nods "Not glorious, but a bit of important research." she comments.

Mylow takes one of the offered dates and tries it. He listens to the Venture Captain's briefing and is about to ask questions when Meadow & Silence boisterously enter the room. He looks quizzically around at the rest of the group to see if they know her or if this is a normal occurrence.

Not quite knowing how to take her entrance, at Meadows greeting he just responds, "Uhhm...., right." He awaits the interchange between the two friends and as Roahn continues with his questioning,

He turns back to the Venture Captain, "Sir, what does the permit detail in regards to how this site can be accessed and excavated? Are we to only investigate it or if we uncover any artifacts, are we permitted to extract them? What dangers may we encounter as encountered in other discovered sites or the surrounding terrain?"

He will ponder on what type of dangerous creatures they may encounter on their trip to the site in this type of terrain.

Nature Recall Knowledge +6.

Silence twists his head around at an unbelievable angle and stares enigmatically at Mylow.

"Sir, do we know anything about this 'staircase'? I mean, are there any mention of it in ancient books or maps?" he asks politely.

"There are no records, which is itself a little suspicious. Ancient Osirianis loved to keep records of ownership for tax purposes, so there being no records suggests that this was some kind of a secret place."

Sir Balentir. Must we keep our association with the Pathfinder Society a secret? Do the guards that are keeping watch on the site know that we will be arriving?

"It's quite the opposite - you must make your presence as Pathfinders known. Not everyone gets an excavation permit, and us holding one of the last ones handed out means that they should be turning everyone else away!"

"Sir, what does the permit detail in regards to how this site can be accessed and excavated? Are we to only investigate it or if we uncover any artifacts, are we permitted to extract them? What dangers may we encounter as encountered in other discovered sites or the surrounding terrain?"

"You are allowed to bring found items back, but they must be turned into the Pathfinder Society. We'll make a cataloguing report to the Osiriani government, and they will decide what happens to treasure. However, the Society will reward you personally if you bring back the artifacts."

He will ponder on what type of dangerous creatures they may encounter on their trip to the site in this type of terrain.

Nature Recall Knowledge +6.

Mylow knows that there's not much that can survive in the harsh desert environment. There are several types of insects that can survive by hiding during the worst of the heat - centipedes and scorpions will find shelter in caves and burrows.

What precautions will you all take as you travel through the desert?

I don't think I have special preparations to do before our trip through the sands of Osirion, except from wearing a hat to avoid a sunstroke.

We are being supplied with camels, tents, food, water, tools to perform the excavation, and a map to the site. I think it best to travel at night and time our arrival at the site in the early morning.

"Good idea, Roahn. Before we leave, I would also suggest everyone purchasing a vial of Antidote for poison if you are inadvertently bitten or stung by something poisonous. I would also recommend a change in attire for the circumstances and make sure we all have some type of veil covering to keep from sun blindness and help breathing if we are beset by dust storms. I know it is just a couple of hours journey but better to be prepared than not." If there is nothing else, Mylow will head off for preparations. He sees about obtaining hot weather clothing with a veil and any ointments for sunburns.

I'm not certain that hot weather clothing is actually a thing in 2e like it was in 1e.

We are being supplied with camels, tents, food, water, tools to perform the excavation, and a map to the site. I think it best to travel at night and time our arrival at the site in the early morning.

"I agree. Nighttime would be our best time to travel. It gets far too hot for Silence during the day."

Meadow will see about purchasing some live rabbits or chickens or other small critters as well as some feed for them so that Silence will not have to resort to eating scorpions. I suppose some sort of hat and loose robes are also a good idea.

Roahn notices Meadow inspecting her rations and supplies. He approaches her while she's mumbling about picking up feed for her owl.
Ah. Meadow. I have a little treat for Silence. I'm surprised he stayed quiet for this long.
He glances at Silence with a quick smile and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out the small leaf-wrapped packet tied with twine, pulls the twine loose, and unwraps the leaves revealing a small silvery-yellow fish with black stripes.
It's a small perch, but when I heard you and Silence were going to be here, I had to bring a treat for the little rascal. I heard owls like fish and don't eat them very often. I caught two this morning in the river and had the bigger one for breakfast. Anyway, I hope he enjoys it.
Roahn lifts the fish by the tail and gently lobs it to Silence's eagerly awaiting beak.
Here ya go, boy.

The group wisely decides to travel in the cooler parts of the day, and arrive at the dig site without too much of a sunburn.

When the group arrive at the ruin, they find that the ruin’s entrance has already been excavated. A canvas fence secured around staircase keeps most of the sand away from the opening.

Nearby, a guard sits under a tarp, humming to herself to stave off boredom while two additional guards nap in the shade, resting with four camels. She rises to her feet to greet the groups, with a sneer on her face.

"More Pathfinders? You probably think you're so clever, waiting to join the expedition until all the hard labor of clearing the entryway had already been finished."

Silence adroitly catches the fish, tilts his head back and swallows it in its entirety. He then resumes his one-sided staring contest with Mylow.

A look of concern crosses Meadow's face as she bites her lower lip.

"That was nice of you Roahn but I'm afraid I'm going to make him sleep in your tent for the next couple of days. Fish makes him really gassy."

She waves her had in front of her nose.

Samantha, more used to the wet heat of the jungle is a little uncomfortable even at dusk, upon arriving she listens to the greetings of the guard. She responds quizzically though "What do you mean more...?"

When the group arrive at the ruin, they find that the ruin’s entrance has already been excavated. A canvas fence secured around staircase keeps most of the sand away from the opening.

Nearby, a guard sits under a tarp, humming to herself to stave off boredom while two additional guards nap in the shade, resting with four camels. She rises to her feet to greet the groups, with a sneer on her face.

"More Pathfinders? You probably think you're so clever, waiting to join the expedition until all the hard labor of clearing the entryway had already been finished."

"Oh my goodness did you clear that out by yourselves? Thank you very much! I'm sorry we didn't get here in time to help you. Would you like to go inside with us when we look around? I bet nobody has been in there in 10,000 years. I bet there will be traps and scary mummies, and probably a curse! This is so exciting!"

Meadow peeks over the fence at the digsite.

"Thank you very much for your work, gentlemen" Matei says to the guards. "But, you have said 'more Pathfinders', are we not the first to come here in the name of the Society?"

Roahn's eyes widen when meadow mentions "curse".
I sure hope not, Meadow. And undead would be just as bad. I wonder if the pathfinders in there are safe. These other pathfinders may have secured a permit from somewhere else.

Roahn turns to the guard.
Did they have a permit?

To the guards, "Greetings and please excuse our tardiness but we arrived as soon as we could. We just received your governments permission and permits yesterday afternoon and after obtaining supplies, left just first thing before the dawn." Mylow looks around at the others.

"You see we were instructed by our chapter captain that your government had already sent you here to oversee the site and protect against any potential thieves. We were told it would take weeks to uncover the dig site. How long have you been here? If the site has already been uncovered then someone in your government has delayed us and those inside may not be who they say they are as we were not told of any other Pathfinders to be sent."

"Hopefully you have not let them abscond with any of your peoples relics and they are still inside. As Roahn asked, did they have a permit?" He looks questioningly at the guards.

How many players do we have? I've only seen the 5 of us post anything. Do we have a 6th before going further?

"This expedition began over a month ago, but much of that time was dedicated to clearing and securing the entrance - the hard part that you apparently thought you were too good to participate in.

Of course they have a permit, do you have a permit?"

RePete/Temp posted in Discussion but I haven't seen him post in Gameplay yet. I'll ping him on PM, but if he doesn't show, he can catch the next run. You guys will be fine with 5.

Mylow will try to discern if the guard is being degrading to them because they are foreigners or another reason. Society (T) +6.

"Of course we have our permit." He shows it to the guard. "As I stated before, we just received it yesterday after long bureaucratic delays. How many other so called "Pathfinders" have remained behind? Because we were not aware that there were any others given a permit but us. If the Expedition has been here over a month then they do not belong to the Lodge within your country."

He looks over to the other napping guards, "As for the "Hard Part", that is just beginning but then, you can leave that to us. Where is this Lead Pathfinder? We will discuss this with him and let you get back to your ... duties." He gives her a knowing smile.

"Obvoiusly we have a permit. We're pathfinders," she pulls out her new wayfinder and proudly shows it to the guard, "and since the permit was issued to the pathfinder society...ipso facto habaeus corpus...we get to explore this scary ancient mummy tomb."

She smiles brightly at the guard but quickly her smile turns into a frown.

"You seem to be angry with us. Why is that? We haven't done anything wrong. We just want to take this final opportunity to explore your country's rich history firsthand. We'll be sure to be respectful and catalog all of the artifacts before turning them over to your people."

Basically I'm trying to be friendly and win over the guards with kindness. My diplomacy is +4 if I need to make a check.

A viny creature with a large bulbous pumpkin head scurries up to the group. "Sorry...first time with pathfinder society...didn't realize the letter was for real."

"Names Tempest Steward."

Turning to the man, Tempest nods vigorously. "No need to be mean. Pathfinders are good. They helped my kind out when we had a mishap."

No Diplomacy check required.

The guard looks over your papers.

"Everything is in order. I don't know where Nefaram is, we're not allowed in the ruin unless one of you is dying."

She is pacified by Meadow's promises, but she'll only really be convinced by seeing the results.

With your final team member joining, you head in ...

---

A 10-foot-wide staircase leads from the surface into this ruin. Sandy dust covers the floors of the underground complex. Each of the rooms is dimly lit.

If you don't have Low Light Vision, Darkvision, or a light source, you will take a 20% miss chance in combat.

Several of the pillars in this once-grand entryway have collapsed. The statues around its edges depict scarab beetles.

Please place yourselves on Slide 3 and describe what you're doing.

Do we have to make our own tokens? I can see only Mylow's one.

Matei takes one of his torches from the backpack and lits it with flint and steel.

As Roahn's low-light vision adjusts to the dim light of the interior, he wanders about the room focusing on the floor looking for footprints.
Maybe I can figure out how many people passed through here recently.
Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Society(T): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

"I would be very careful with where you walk and what you touch." He points to the Scarab Beetles. "In Osirion, scarab beetle iconography is common place in tombs and other places associated with death."

"Let me take a look around for any traps. Everyone stay where you are for now."

Mylow will search for traps and direct which areas he deems safe to the group starting on the left side. He will only search within the room but will visually inspect each statue and each opening. Looks like a door to the left which he will not open but searches.

He has the Low Light Vision, the Trapfinder Class Feat & Perception +9 with +1 bonus already included.

As soon as Mylow mentions "traps", Roahn's eyes widen and he stops moving about. He glances up at the ceiling just to make sure there isn't a loose block of stone ready to come crashing down on him.
Good idea, Mylow. I'm going to stay put right here until we know it's safe to move about. The last ancient tomb I was in had clever traps and very dangerous golem guardians.

"If the other excavators were sent home as the guards stated and they were not allowed inside then there should only be a few tracks here, those of this Nefaram and anyone else who stayed with him."

Are there any obvious tracks and can we determine how many? Does it look like they searched the area or went directly through and followed a certain path?

Samantha will cast light with her wayfinder.

Samantha will draw her katana in 2 hands "I've got a bad feeling about this place" Samantha will keep her eyes up, looking around for dangerous creatures and covering the party's more detailed search for traps.

society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Good idea, Mylow. I'm going to stay put right here until we know it's safe to move about. The last ancient tomb I was in had clever traps and very dangerous golem guardians.

Meadow's eyes widen at Roahn's words and she laughs nervously.

"Haha you weren't afraid of that golem were you Roahn? He didn't scare Silence or me at all."

deception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Perception-Sense Motive 8

She slowly pulls her shortbow out while glancing around the room cautiously.

"Keep your eyes open Silence. We don't want to be ambushed by a golem again."

Ignoring the half-elf, Silence glares at Mylow and flaps his wings menacingly.

Meadow gets an annoyed look on her face as she scolds the owl.

"Oh will you knock it off? You're being ridiculous. That is most definitely not an owl feather in his hat you silly bird! It's probably from a roc or an albino peacock or something exotic like that. Why don't you just ask him?"

Maybe I can figure out how many people passed through here recently.

Track is a secret roll, so I'll use your modifier and make a secret roll.

There are many footprints, which makes it difficult to track a single one. But it looks like the corridor that leads east is far more used than the ones heading north or west.

"Let me take a look around for any traps. Everyone stay where you are for now."

Mylow and Samantha look for traps.

Mylow and Samantha find pressure-sensitive panels in the floor of the northern corridor, connecting to a stone slab hidden in a hallway’s ceiling.

Anyone trained in Thievery can attempt to disable the trap. You can roll openly - there is a chance for critical failure, but it will be obvious if you critically fail.

[dice=deception]1d20+4

Perception-Sense Motive 8 ** spoiler omitted **

FYI: There are no opposed checks in PF2. If you want to Lie, you would roll a Deception check versus the Perception DC (10+Perception Modifier) of the target you're lying to. If you want to Sense Motive, you would roll a Perception check versus the Deception DC of the target you suspect of lying.

As Mylow is searching around the area he says, "Meadow, your bird friend, Silence, is not that far off. It is the plume off of a Snowy Owlbear. As for whether he thinks that is a relation.....Whoa, whoa whoa. We have hit a Midnight here." He points to the pressure-sensitive panels in the floor next to where he and Samantha are standing.

"Now that is a trap! I would recommend everyone stand back just in case it gets set off while I try to disarm it."

He pulls off his backpack and pulls out his "Tools" and lays them out. He meticulously views how it can be disabled then asks, "Samantha, please hand me some of those shims in my pack. Thank you. Cross your fingers."

Thievery(T) to disable Trap: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

FYI: There are no opposed checks in PF2. If you want to Lie, you would roll a Deception check versus the Perception DC (10+Perception Modifier) of the target you're lying to. If you want to Sense Motive, you would roll a Perception check versus the Deception DC of the target you suspect of lying.

In that case everyone gets to take a peek at the spoiler.

Stepping back, Tempest watches the experienced pathfinders with awe. 'I prolly woulda just walked over that. I'll have to keep my eyes open more.'

Looking around, he watches for any enemies while Metcalf works on the trap.