GM Badblood's Tyranny of the Winds Series (PFS) (Inactive)

Game Master Lance K

Ashasar answers Hosser's query: ? “Jamila left on a vessel bound for Port Eclipse, an airship harbor of ill repute. It is one of the few pieces of solid ground in the Endless Sky that is not controlled by the djinn. The port hides within a massive hollow rock, and its buildings cling to the inner wall. While Port Eclipse provides discretion from the djinn, it does so at a cost. Keep your wits and blades about you in there.”

Last chance to ask questions or buy equipment. You can also learn about Port Eclipse with either a Knowledge:Planes check or a Diplomacy check to Gather Information, although players that aren't proficient in Auran will have a significant penalty to their Diplomacy checks.

I'm good.

if i can prepare Comp Languges ahead of time i can speak Auran...or i can buy a wand with PP...i dont mind...

Knowledge, Planes: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

"Port Eclipse, you say? Oh, yes, a wonderful place! Wonderful! I, uh...wait, I have been there, yes? I was almost certain of it..." The bird tries to remember anything he's heard about that through the holes in his memory

[ooc]ok...buying the wand of Comp language with 2 pp...taking the bull by the horns here.]/ooc] Therin tries to glean any information from some of the locals

diplo gather info: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Just a reminder about comprehend languages. It only lets you understand the language not speak it. It also only lasts 10 minutes and using Diplomacy to Gather Information takes 1d4 hours to complete, so even if it helped it could burn quite a lot of charges. Even with those limitations, its still a pretty good spell to have either on a scroll or a wand, but I'm okay if you want your PP's back.

Javon somehow happens to know that Port Eclipse is a seedy port town on the Plane of Air. It’s built on the inside of a floating landmass, and is physically concealed from outside forces. The resident djinni of the Plane of Air lay no claim to the settlement, and Port Eclipse acts as an anarchist’s haven among the otherwise lawful realm of the air genies.

With this knowledge in hand, the party goes to the docks to meet their captain. The ship is a clearly a fixer-upper, a piecemeal barge composed of scrap metal, crystal shards and patchwork sails. The captain is a fierce gnome with pink and orange hair. She strides down a plank to the group, looks them up and down before spitting off the edge of the dock into the unending sky below. She holds out a grime coated hand and says, "I'm Captain Nix. I've been paid enough to not ask questions and I expect the same in return. This is my ship and if I tell you to do something I don't expect to hear nothing but 'yes, Cap'n! I know these airs better than anyone alive and if tell you to do something, you need to trust that I'm telling it to you for a reason. Is that understood?"

In his usual flat voice, Rhu replies, "Yes, Captain."

Hskoro looks down at the colorful gnome, taste the air with his forked tongue, and then responds. "Aye Cap'n!"

i'm good with spending the PP's...been stockpiling them...how many do you figure it would take?

Your ship, your rule, Cap'n. Is there anything we can do to help out...extra eyes on a watch? Please don't say swab the deck...

Javon nods. "Gerald, you hear that? If the Captain tells you something, don't argue. Just get it done. Very good..."

The half-orc rolls his eyes a bit, but then nods to the gnome Captain wordlessly.

"Okay, then!" she shouts, clapping her hands. "Get on board!"

Despite the haphazard construction of the vessel, it becomes quickly apparent that the ship is actually quite fast and maneuverable. Later in the day the ship gets caught in a pocket of dead air. The ship comes to a complete stop as in drifts into the windless, completely silence area. Not only does the ship come to a complete standstill, but when everyone tries to breath in, they find nothing entering their lungs. Suddenly, red-faced and with puffed up cheeks from holding her breath, Nix runs over to a mechanism and begins turning an iron crank. A spring-loaded fan begins to wave, and the ship drifts out of the deadly void.

Nix anchors the ship to a floating island as night falls, then sets out again first thing in the morning. As a dark cloud with flickering blue lights begins to form in the distance, the captain curses in Gnome. As the cloud gets nearer, the blue lights can be seen to be small, humanoid shapes dancing in the air. Several of the creatures land and one of them speaks to everyone on deck in Auran.

Nix quickly translates,
"These are wyrds. They're servants of the Duchess. They're telling us they want us to 'submit to the flames.' I'd recommend following my lead or there's gonna be trouble." Nix strides forward and allows the blue flames of the speaker engulf her. She appears uncomfortable, but the flames don't burn her. After about a minute of silence, she says, "Okay. The rest of you need to present yourselves to the wyrds."

Slightly reluctant but seeing as the gnome is unharmed, Hskoro steps forward to be engulfed by the strange blue flames.

Rhu silently follows suit, frowning.

Therin presents himself confidently, his holy symbol hanging proudly from his neck.

Javon flies down to land on Grax's arm. The small bird looks at the large half-orc. "Gerald, Present us!"

Grax nods and steps forward. He speaks in a monotone voice. "I present my master, Javon, a Pathfinder. We welcome the flames and humbly submit to you." He gives a slight bow.

"Walk any road, float any river," Hosser grumbles to himself. He stands up and puts his arms out at his side. "C'mon, let get this over wit'."

The wyrds engulf the Pathfinders and as they do, each can feel that the creature is telepathically probing their mind. It is not a pleasant sensation as they seem to find the most shameful and unpleasant memories that are available and deliberately push them to the forefront.

"Yes, yes...you've felt a lot of rejection I can see; but what do you think the reason is? I can think of several..."

"Did they tell you that it happens to everyone? It was nice of them to say that!"

"Oh...you shouldn't feel bad about letting people down. They probably didn't need your help anyway. They probably wouldn't even notice if you never existed at all."

At first the voices sound shrill and almost demonic, but eventually they take on more familiar tones; parents, friends, rivals and unrequited loves. As they mock and shame the adventurer's, they also occasionally give them a nasty shock that is strong enough to be painful but just weak enough to not cause any lasting injury. In between their cruel jeerinigs, they also ask questions about the party's destination and the purpose of their travel.

Inured to feelings like these due to his asura heritage, Rhu answers the wyrds' questions to the best of his ability.

Although Rhu is not the first to be engulfed by the wyrd's flames, he is the first to be released. The creature is visibly frustrated as it flies away from him.

Oh...terribly sorry...Y thought they were rhetorical questions...or didn't require answers. Yes, I have been rejected in the past...but I would like to think it was because someone was more suited or better prepared than I was...not because if any inferiority on my part...

The statements are meant to be examples of the kinds of things that they say to each person as they communicate with them telepathically. They would actually get much more personal and meaner, as they have the unique ability to fill their victims with debilitating shame.

Hskoro hisses at the wyrds, revealing his teeth but clinches his fist, so as not to strike out at the unpleasant creatures.

Does everyone else just take the bullying from the wyrds? And is anyone attempting to deceive them about what their destination is?

Not caring about the bullying, though he barely remembers where they are actually heading.

Therin takes it...he has his beliefs to guide him..

The petty, cruel wyrds torment the Pathfinders for awhile, forcing them to relive their most shameful moments and endure their mockery. They also learn that the party are all Pathfinders and that they are headed to Port Eclipse; but oddly they don't probe them for more information. It is almost as if they aren't particularly interested in exposing enemies of the Duchess despite being agents of the state. Eventually they grow bored and fly off towards another air ship.

Nix curses again in Gnome and spits off the side of the deck. "I hate them bastards. They like to nothing more than to make a person feel small so that they can seem big by comparison. Glad you didn't get goaded into a fight with them though. That's not trouble that I need."

Later the captain presents the party with a scroll and a copper wand molded in the shape of a large eagle feather. "I don't want to know what you're gonna do in Port Eclipse, but I have a feeling its something that's might knock the Duchess of her high perch. A passenger of mine left these items behind and I'm thinking maybe they'll be of some use to you."

After two days of travel the ship nears Port Eclipse. As they approach the destination, Captain Nix makes some unusual turns and loops around different objects floating in the sea of air. The Pathfinders quickly become disoriented and realize that the gnome is obscuring the path to the city so that it would be hard to find it again on their own.

Nix’s airship coasts into a world turned inside-out. What must be Port Eclipse clings to the inside wall of a great, hollowed-out stone sphere, its buildings dotting the outer edges like unnatural growths. The cavern housing the settlement is nearly a quarter of a mile in diameter. Airships jut out at all angles of the spherical city, connected to a latticework of docks resembling a spider web.

Nix points at a squat building half a hemisphere away, indicating it as a good a starting point for their investigation. "That there is the Aching Anchor. Its a good place for a drink and a hot meal and you might find some information or a guide to the city there. I'll pick you up there a week from now." As the party assembles their gear and gets ready to leave the ship Nix says, "This place can eat up the unlucky and foolish. You best be careful, lest you find yourself beaten, robbed, sold into slavery or just killed and thrown into the sea."

Smiling at the last statement the gnome captain says, "I'll protect my companions. Nothing gets by my shield."

He then looks toward Aching Anchor and licks his lips, "My skin is a little dry, could use a drink."

Spellcraft on the first: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Spellcraft on the 2nd: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

"Ain't got a clue on the first, but the second is a scroll of glide".

Sorry, I was away for the weekend.

Grax emerges from the blue flames with a snort and a cross look on his face, while Javon continues to try and reply to the wyrd. "And see here! How dare you speak to me like that?! I am no mere bird! I am a Pathfinder!". The half-orc corrals him onto the ship. "Oh Gerald! Thanks goodness. Did you hear all of that?" Grax merely grunts and carries their things aboard.

Once they exit the ship, Javon caws and flies upward to get a view of the city. He flies back down. "Oh, marvelous! This is an exquisite sight! Yes, we should find a place for some refreshments and to meet the locals! Perhaps one of them has seen Jamila."

Rhu bows to the captain. "Thank you. In a week, then." He follows the rest of the party "ashore."

oops, it is actually a wand of glide, 4 charges.

"Well, I'll be damned, this scroll here done changed into a wand."

You have to roll them up really tightly for that trick to work.

Thank you, captain. A week it is... Therin says as he departs the ship.

Those wyrds sure know how to play with one's mind...thankfully I just focused on a few chants I learned during my training at the abbey. Just repeating it over and over in my head got me through it....

Rhu shrugs. "My heritage is a divine mistake. Nothing that the wyrds could say was worse than that."

I tried to tempt one of you into fighting them, but no one took the bait.

Without any leads yet, the party decides to make their way to the Aching Anchor.

Unlike most buildings on the Plane of Air, this tavern has a door on the ground floor and no aerial access. The interior of the Anchor looks like any other alehouse or tavern in the Inner Sea, with a few notable exceptions. Each chair and bar stool has an attached leather seat belt to keep patrons not used to subjective gravity from flying away if they lose their concentration. The flagons have thumb switches so that the tankards stay closed in between drinking and most of the food is served on crystal skewers. A small water elemental moves through the tavern, cleaning up spills and snatching crumbs and bits of food that are floating in the air.

Behind the bar is an elderly dwarf with a clean shaven head and a gray beard tied into neat braids. He is wiping the counter between serving drinks, just like a typical barkeep back at home.

Therin floats over to the bar. He nods in a silent salute to the barkeep.

Good day, my good man. What do you have for wine? A Qadiran red would be nice if you have it. And a snack plate as well, please and thank you. This is definitely different than the taverns back in Absolom...I'm Therin, servant of the Everlight...

diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Grax tries to sit at a table and bring out some snacks for Jaxon. While he straps himself in and the bird has no problems perching on the table, the crunchy beetles keep falling away from the table. Javon flies off to catch them, then lands on the bar where Therin is speaking to the bartender.

"Oh yes, we are new here. Have you lived on this plane all your life? My name is Javon! Perhaps you can help us."

The elderly dwarf gives a wide, gaped tooth smile and says, "Oh ho ho! Golarion?" Then he grasps his belly and laughs. "Room is three gold! Beer is 1 copper!" A small, white colored creature with bat-ike wings emerges from a cauldron of boiling water and flies towards the bartender, trailing steam behind him. The creature drifts towards the bartender and whispers something into his ear. The dwarf then says, "You need translator? I know three translators!" He points to the implike creature and says "That Simmer!"

The imp smiles widely, and opens his mouth to speak when the bartender then says, "Falren translator too." He points at a female slyph sitting in the corner. The woman's right arm is missing from about six inches past the shoulder and the stump is still wrapped in thick bandages, and her left arm is busy lifting a tankard up to her lips.

The imp smiles again, but just as he is about to speak the bartender than points to the windowsill and says, "Ceru also translates!" At first it appears that he is just pointing at the window but then the Pathfinders realize that the old dwarf is pointing at a blue jay that is perched on the ledge, picking away at the seeds inside a wire and wood birdfeeder.

At this point the imp lets out a long, irritated sigh. "Yes, the name is Simmer. I have spent a considerable time in the Inner Sea and managed to get a good grasp on the language while I was there. I would be happy to help you with all your linguistic needs for your stay here; all at the quite reasonable price of 50 gold pieces per week."

Floating toward the bartender, he gives a look over the imp, the sylph, and the blue jay. Then reaches into his pouch and draws a coin, placing a single copper piece down on the counter. "Beer." Deciding to let someone more keen to pick up on things to decide which translator to go with.

Rhu waits silently.

Javon flies over to the blue jay. He speaks to the bird in his typical nasally tone. "Hello! Your name is Ceru? I am Javon. Are you a translator, as the bartender said? We may be looking to hire you. What languages to do you speak?"

The bartender smiles, takes the coin and walks over to a keg. The first few drops float away in the air but the rest of the beer makes it into the mug. The dwarf carefully seals the lid shut and hands it to the nagaji.

The bluejay turns its head towards Javon and emit a long chirp before speaking in a melodious voice, "Excuse me! I had a seed caught in my throat. Yes, I have assisted outsiders with translation services in the past. I wouldn't say that I do it as a job though. It's not like I need, right?" Ceru lets out a string of chirps that sound a bit like laughter. "I am from Golarion originally, and I speak a number of the local languages there. Taldan, which you presumptively call 'Common', Varisian, Tien, Erutaki...I think there's some others that its been awhile since I've spoken. And Thunder there is teaching me a little Dwarven. Of course what you need is Auran, because that's what everyone here speaks."

Javon squawks. "And how much do you charge for your services? That imp there seems eager to work with us. Why should we hire you instead of him?"

I really need to learn more languages one day...the abbey has a good teacher...Brother Landros...supposedly he can speak 12 different tongues..not including dialects... Therin says as the two chat away.

"Oh, I'm not for hire. What would I do with a bunch of gold coins? I do sometimes help people out for fun though. Especially if they seem interesting and fun."

Ceru might be persuaded to be a guide with Performance.

Hskoro takes the beer and goes to sit down at the table with the others, sipping it. "Free sounds good. Lets try getting the bird then."

Hmm...let's see...where do I start... Therin says as he ponders where to begin his tale. Ahh...I know just where to begin. So, my fellow agents and I were sent to accompany a senior agent...poor fellow began sleepwalking for no apparent reason. Oh...and the best part...he has a sentient blade...I know..odd, right?

perform oratory untrained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

lol...nope...i tried....not very hard obviously...

Perform can be attempted untrained

Ceru doesn't find Therin's story to be engaging and goes back to eating seeds out of the bird feeder.