[Outpost IV PFS2 1-05] GM Chadius - Trailblazer's Bounty (Inactive)

Game Master chadius

"What is it, boy?" The man reaches down to pet his dog. Even as the cold winter winds blow across his face, he is able to focus his hearing. A bear, roaring against something inhuman. And then a snap.

The man frowns and shakes his head. "Something's going on, eh? I guess you heard it first." He pulls out a bottle and takes a swig. "Let's go inside. Come on."

1-05 Trailblazer's Bounty

As the man rises to leave, he spots lithe shadow of a dark gray-skinned half elf woman approaching. She draws her arms close to her torso as the cold wind buffets her, then raises a hand, hailing the man in a flinty voice: "Hello! I'm Nal Bagura, with the Pathfinder Society. Lovely weather, eh?"

Behind the young half-elf makes his appearance a young follower of Gorum with a huge sword hanging from his back. Greetings my name is Ahmad and as she said we belong to the Pathfinder Society"

A goblin servant wearing a stained apron and clean white chef's hat comes out from the kitchen, carrying various orders of food that he delivers. Overhearing your conversation, he says "Pathfinders, eh? Yah, me too. I just work here occasionally in exchange for room and board. I love to cook, and it helps me unwind. Anyways, there is a table in that back corner large enough for all - go have a seat and I'll bring some hot soup back for all to enjoy while we get our next marching orders.

"My name's Beltch, by the way. Yah, I had typical goblin folks, they like their traditions."

"Ah, you're all from the Pathfinders? I was wondering when I'd meet the new occupants. The Society rented a few rooms for you all." He holds the door open and you are blasted with yellow warmth from within. "Welcome to the White Stag Inn. I'm your host, Grey." He waits for you all to enter before looking at his rottweiler and waving her in. "Come on, Pitch."

The door closes and you see the wide fireplace and a few tables. Most of the patrons are still wrapped in animal furs, keeping to themselves over mugs of ale.

"Alright, here are your keys. Your rooms are upstairs in the back." Grey points to the stairs. "Can I offer you a drink? Water, Hot Cocoa or something stronger?" He grins, barely exposing his elongated incisor teeth.

A slightly taller than normal kobold with a long dark hooded cloak tied at the neck barges through the door of the tavern and looks about the room in some agitation. As he tries to catch his breath, his eyes fall on the table in the corner and its somewhat motley collection of occupants. Spying what appears to be the edge of a wayfinder on one of the adventurers, he quickly scurries up to the table and is about to speak when he catches himself. Before saying anything, he looks about to make sure that no one can overhear him and in a lowered voice says, "I do verily hope that I've come to the right place. I only just arrived in the city after a rather unfortunate series of delays and rushed right over."

He opens a pouch on his belt and pulls something out of it which he tries to hide from the rest of the room while showing it quickly to those at the table. It is a wayfinder. Seeing recognition on their faces, he visibly relaxes. "Oh, thank the great Apsu. With all the brouhaha on the way here, I thought I'd arrived too late for the convention." He puts his wayfinder away and sits down in one of the chairs, sighing contentedly. A moment later, he sits up and adds, "Oh, I forgot. My name is Haechi by the way. Very pleased to make all of your acquaintance."

Now that he's stopped moving, everyone gets a good look at him. Rather than the usual mottled coloration of his kind, Haechi's scales are almost entirely the same unvarying color: A bright bronze. Hanging on with her claws from one of the kobold's shoulders is a tiny, but similarly colored draconic-like creature with wings and a bored look.

Haechi then flinches slightly and makes a pained face. Turning to his familiar, he says, "Ow! What's the problem now? Oh, ah. It appears that I forgot to introduce my little friend here. This is Haetae. Please feel free to ignore anything she says; she tends to be in a bad mood much of the time."

From her usual perch at her master's shoulder, Haetae gives everyone at the table an experienced looking over and then mumbles something into Haechi's ear that is barely audible to the others.

Please feel free to ignore anything she says

"Easy enough, when I don't understand the language. I'm Nal. Pleased to meet you. Oh, Grey, can I have some hot cider? Thanks!" Nal seems relaxed and unguarded, but her feet and center of gravity are placed such that she can bolt upward instantly, and her eyes linger on Grey's mouth as she addresses him. Those incisors are really long. I wonder...

The door opens once more, letting some cold air to blow into the common room. A man enters, quickly shutting the door behind him. The newcomer is a Garundi, clad in heavy furs in a way a person unaccustomed to the climate does. While the man looks like he could use some warmth and soon, a falcon sitting on his shoulder doesn't seem to mind.

"I am Raj." the man says, his voice deep and low. "Here on Pathfinder business." he continues, observing if the that evokes any response from the others.

It's Feb 14 somewhere. Let's begin.

A sailboat takes you across the Iseld RIver in Chileax, and you quickly join a caravan after reaching the Conerica Straits, After a bumpy, wet ride you finally arrive in the Isger capital, Elidir. Traders and merchants move around the town, bartering for fur and other goods.

You enjoy hot cider, hot cocoa and drinks at the White Stag Inn. The door swings open and Grey nods at the new person. "Ah, here you are. Your Pathfinders are over here." A human woman with an intricate braid and a well-worn outfit approaches you.

“Ah, good. You made it. I’m Karla Wesver. Welcome to Elidir, and welcome to the White Stag. It used to be that we Pathfinders had a bit of a strained relationship with the Chelaxian government. It still isn’t all sunshine and roses, but with the opportunity before us, we can now move about in public without fear of conflict or reprisal.

“A quick geopolitical lesson: Isger is still a vassal state of Cheliax. The Chelaxians have bled Isger dry for years, but the increased demand for goods like Chelaxian brandy and other luxury items in Molthune and beyond has resulted in Cheliax finally getting off its ass and investing some resources in Isger. Normally these goods go through Druma to reach Molthune, but Druma has been raising import taxes. Cheliax issued an open bounty to explorers the world over: establish a new trail through the Menador Mountains between Isger and Molthune, suitable for pack animals to traverse. So, this presents a rather rare opportunity for us to find a way through the Menador Mountains into Molthune. Calisro Benarry, leader of the Horizon Hunters faction, has a special interest in this bounty. She is hoping you will take to this challenge with gusto. She sent a package ahead for you.”

Karla pats a large brown paper package, the size of a basket. She then hands you a letter.
Check out page 3 in the slides to see the handout. Or you can read the spoiler below:

“All good then? I’ve arranged for a river barge to take you out to the Menador Mountains and packed some provisions for the journey. Not all of the food you’ll need for the journey, mind—carrying all of that would be too heavy, and likely to attract unwanted attention from the wildlife. You’ll want to forage along the way, if you can. My friend Jasikah Marten will be waiting for you in Canorate. She will help you file your paperwork with the Chelaxian officials, and she’ll also have a warm and comfy bed ready for you.”

Feel free to ask Karla any questions about the mission.

"Lady Karla my name is Ahmad and I am so happy to get involved in a new adventure but I must ask you some questions about this mission:
If there have always been problems with the chelish how is it that nobody has looked for a route through those mountains before?. By the way, can you tell us about them? its orography complicated? what kind of beasts are in them?"

The more Haechi hears about this mission, the more apprehensive he becomes. "Why in the blue blazes was I selected for this task? Wild animals; orcs; freezing weather; foraging for food!!! I can think of no individual less equipped to deal with these obstacles than I. Dearie me, I do so hope this mission proves uneventful." For an instant, Haechi wonders if being put on this team was some sort of twisted punishment for what happened at the end of his most recent mission.

He turns his head slightly to see what Haetae's reaction to all this is.

Haetae listens to Karla's rundown of the upcoming mission and can almost feel her master cringing through his cloak. When Haechi looks over, she stares back at him blankly before twisting her lips to one side, raising an eyebrow and shrugging.

Karla nods, deep in thought. "No one moves until there's a sack of gold involved. Besides the Orc tribes and tourists, no one wanted to cross the Menador Mountains. I'd suspect there are wolves, bears, and of course orc tribes. Until Druma started raising their import fees Chileax didn't think it was worth the cost to explore.

"Guess what, we're their guinea pigs. But we also have a chance to help the people of Isger with a cheaper trade route. Every note you take will help the engineers, and they in turn can carve out a safe path for Isger to get rich and shake off Chileax." She shines her amulet and turns up to you.

"Obviously you should be ready to climb, deal with the cold- and I mean it, once you pass the snow line you'd better be quick- and be careful with that gin. It's really strong stuff."

A Society or Mountain Lore check will help you get more answers about the Menador mountains. You can also try a Nature check to know more about the climate. You can either a) make the roll yourself behind a spoiler or b) you can post the bonus and I'll make the roll for you. That way you don't spoil how good the results are to your teammates.

Nal wants to know more about the climate and the Menador Mts.: Nature +7; Society +4

Nal leans back with apparent unconcern as she listens to the briefing. Guess I oughta take a survival type class one of these days. This keeps coming up, and I can't stand being a newbie all the time.

She addresses the group nonchalantly: "Well, before we go, does anyone already have a wayfinder or compass? Or know how to do orienteering? I've heard of it, but haven't learned how yet. I guess before we head out I'll pick up whatever we think of to help us out. I've got a climbing kit and a pup tent, but we'll probably need more than that up there."

+5 Nature, +3 Society for the checks if Raj would know more

"OK." is all Raj says after Karla's briefing, and then stays silent for a time - perhaps deep in thought, perhaps waiting for someone else to speak.

Only Nal's question seems to pry a word out of the Garundi. "No compass. I know my way around in the wilds. But not really at home in a cold place like this."

"I don't mind bears and orcs and wolves, though. Straightforward."

nature +3 society 0

"Raj I think this mission is more appropriate for people like you, we will try not to make things difficult for you"

"Oh, how wonderful," thinks Haechi ironically, "now she's talking about bears and wolves as well, not to mention climbing. Me, climbing? What a lark that should be. It will no doubt be quite mortifying, and probably mortiferous to boot. Dearie me. What to do?"

Haechi's eyes instinctively flicker to the exit, and he begins to wonder whether feigning a heart attack or a stroke would be the best way to get out of the mess he found himself in. But the moment passes and his draconic pride takes control. "No. I mustn't despair. I mustn't abandon my new friends to their fates while there is still life left in my body."

When Nal asks about wayfinders, Haechi pulls his out again. "I have a wayfinder," he says, eager to be of use. "Much like you, Nal, I can see quite well in the dark, so I generally use it to identify myself as a Pathfinder, and only occasionally as a compass. If we find ourselves in a situation where our human colleagues have difficulty seeing, then I can either light the wayfinder or cast light spells to help ameliorate their impaired vision."

Society +8 is all Haechi can help with right now.

You all take a moment to think about the Menador Mountains and its inhabitants.

Haechi mumbles under his breath "Hmmm, the Menador Mountains... Why does than name ring a bell?" Haechi takes a minute to rack his brain for anything he can remember about the place.

"Oh, I know," he says a little louder than he would have liked. "I remember reading in Professor Faranth's "annalium aurea dracones" that the Menador Mountains is where Veznagazraden defeated Parnoneryx and confined him in a tomb of ice. A truly epic battle which fortunately for us happened a long long time ago." He pauses recalling the descriptions of the place. "The mountains are described as freezing cold and extremely hazardous, with avalanches being quite common, and most of the routes through the mountains being effectively one way trips."

"Yeah, that last part's all I knew before. Here's hoping we don't meet any dragons." She chuckles briefly, before a though occurs to her. Living or undead. Shaking her head once to clear it, she continues: "All right. So Haechi's got a wayfinder and light spells, and Raj has experience in the wilds. We've all got winter clothes now, and I've got a climbing kit and one tent for two people. Well, if Haechi and Belch share a tent, we could fit three in it. We'll probably need to pick up one more pup tent, especially since firewood'll be scarce once we get high enough up the mountain."

Haechi snaps his fingers. "Now that I think about it, there is one more thing I overheard some people talking about on that last boat I took to Elidir. They said that the mountains to the northwest of the city should be avoided at all costs because they were the home of a particularly ferocious tribe of orcs called the Shattered Fang." Haechi gulps visibly. "It now appears that they were um, ah... most likely referring to the Menador Mountains." Haechi once again considers feigning death.

"Shattered fang? Sounds like they may not be so bad, what if their teeth are so brittle. I don't mind sharing a tent - I don't take up too much space."

"I think the trip will not be as calm as we thought apart from the complicated terrain and the local fauna, now we have to worry about a band of wild orcs, this does not stop changing for the better" while smiling ironically.

"Alright. You all know the details. Good luck, out there." She stands up and heads to the bar. "Hey Grey, give me some ale."

The half-orc is pleased to help. "Hey, you paid in advance, you get the goods." He pours the drink out. "Say hi to my brother Bark if you meet him."

Karla Wesver wishes you all good luck and you make your way out of town. A chilly breeze blows past as the town shrinks upon the horizon. The bright sun does little to alleviate the cold climate.

Feel free to retroactively purchase goods and equipment.

You make your way through the mountains. It’s quiet besides the sounds of birds chirping. You catch the sight of a wolf, guarding several rabbits. It bares its teeth at you, but it quickly runs away with its food. You hear the sounds of howling in the distance.

Three days pass without any trouble. At dusk you begin to see the red glow of fire and smoke from a campsite. You can tell three men and two women are setting up camp and preparing food. Their gear is appropriate for the cold weather, but it’s relatively new.

"Shall we see if we can join them? Or do we want to make our own camp for the night?"

Haechi watches the campsite from a distance and examines the five travelers in their new clothes. Whispering to the others, he says, "They do not look like orcs, bears or wolves to me." Examining them more closely, he says, "I'm guessing they're just explorers like us. Probably looking for a way through the mountains to collect the bounty. If their new equipment is anything to go by, I suspect they're not very experienced."

"Should we test my hypothesis by issuing a greeting of some sort?"

Turning to his familiar, he says,

Her master didn't often issue her with orders, so Haetae was a little surprised when he asked her to go for a quick look around to see if there was anything amiss.

She rolls her eyes and in a voice dripping with sarcasm, says,

She then launches herself into the air and makes several flights around the camp, skillfully cutting left and right through trees. She spirals inwards as she goes, but remains a safe distance away. If anyone at the campsite seem to notice her presence, she says "Hoot, hoot" in a terrible impersonation of an owl.

Haetae then returns to her usual place at her master's shoulder and reports on what she saw.

Haechi will relay the information to the rest of the group.

Haetae flies over the small camp, noting the 5 people preparing food over a campfire. Burnt meat wafts into her nostrils, reminding her of a good feast by an open flame. Her mouth salivates.

She notes one of the people is staring up in her direction, but he doesn't feel frightened- just curious. She doesn't notice any particular threat from them. She returns to Haechi to report her results.

"Well, if they're out for the bounty, they won't take kindly to any competition. We may be stepping right into a fight or some sabotage or theft if we do. It'd be best to avoid them, if you ask me." Nal turns away from the camp to cast her eyes on their flanks and rear, just in case anyone or anything is watching them, and casually suggests: "We should press on for a bit before making camp, so they don't see our fire. Just in case."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Haechi frowns at Nal's comments. "Oh, I don't know about that. These adventurers are clearly amateurs. Why, from what Haetae tells me, they didn't even post any sentries or try to shoot her down. If we had been orcs, bears or wolves, these poor fools wouldn't be enjoying their dinner, they would be dinner."

"I think it would be a friendly gesture to say hello and perhaps suggest that they be a little more wary when trekking through the wilderness. Plus, Haetae says their dinner smells delicious, and I must admit to being a might peckish right at this moment." Right on cue, Haechi's stomach make a loud grumbling noise to punctuate his sentiment.

"I agree with Haechi it would be rude not to introduce ourselves and warn them of the sensitivity of the matter and that they should exercise extreme caution if they do not want to become someone's dinner"

Raj shrugs. "Either way. We can go see who are we competing with. Or we can try to avoid them."

So far the trip has been pretty pleasant, but now the wilderness starts to feel a bit crowded. Would camping in yet greater numbers prove to be more or less dangerous?

"It is getting dark. We can press on only for an hour or so if we want to keep distance to them."

Raj glances up, to take his thoughts away from this social dilemma. Against the darkening skies, he sees his falcon circling above. Horus seems to enjoy these mountains, at least. Keeps his distance to the strange flying lizard, though. Perhaps for the best.

Alright I got 2 for talking, 1 for avoiding, 1 neutral and 1 abstain.

After careful consideration, you decide to introduce yourselves and scope them out? Competitors? Tourists? The fire is nice, at least.

As you approach, the humans look amongst themselves, then back to you. Their poses soften, and they breathe a sigh of relief. ”Alright, alright, let’s introduce ourselves, shall we? I’m Jasper Caperinas. These two gentlemen are Amyas Charthagnion and Dacian Julistarc. And I am honored to be in the presence of two wonderful women: Sarevi Tilernos and Leonie Ciucci.” He bows mockingly at his four allies. Some smile while others roll their eyes.

You have 5 humans you can speak to. I'll give you their names. Feel free to speak to them.
-Jasper Caperinas
-Amyas Charthagnion
-Dacian Julistarc
-Sarevi Tilernos
-Leonie Ciucci

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Pfft. Amateurs. Still, just because they have no experience in the mountains doesn't mean they're not threats in other ways. Nal doesn't bother to introduce herself just yet. She hangs back a bit, at the edge of the firelight, to observe the groups' interactions first. We'd better post a watch tonight. I'd feel better if I wasn't also guarding for attacks from within, though. Her years of experience with criminals hasn't given her much cause to be trusting of others outside her organization, to say the least. She tries to ascertain how much of a threat these folks really are.

Perception to sense motive +7 on the lot of them, please.

survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Raj."Raj says and nods to the strangers.

"Crossing the mountain? I see your gear is not half bad." he continues, pointing towards groups assorted equipment. But what he doesn't say aloud is that they don't exactly look like competent mountain-climbers.

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Ahmad is dedicated to watching cautiously and at the moment he does not initiate conversation with any

Once Haechi is convinced that their new acquaintances are merely the harmless inexperienced explorers he'd suspected them to be, he replies, "We are most pleased to meet you on such a cold evening. I am Haechi, and..." pointing out each of his companions in turn, "... this is Raj, Nal, Ahmad and Beltch. We are members of the Pathfinder Society. Would you mind if we shared your camp for the night? I think we'll all be a lot safer from marauding orcs, bears and wolves that way."

Assuming they agree.

Haechi settles in near the fire and speaks to Jasper. "My friend Haetae here noticed your camp on one of her flights, so we thought we'd come by and say hello. I see she was right about the meal you're preparing. It does smell delicious." He inhales deeply. "So what brings you and your friends out here to the wilderness, Jasper?"

"Oh yes, of course! Safety in numbers!" Jasper calls you over while the others continue preparing camp. He directs Haechi to sir near the campfire. "We just started making rabbit stew, plenty of extras for the rest of your... er, quiet friends."

”Are… all of you Pathfinders?” Jasper gawks at you all before composing himself. ”My uncle, he told me about some of your exploits. Imagine my surprise when Pathfinders came to my family estate to protect them from fiends. I’m already preparing myself for similar situations, but I could always use a few pointers.” He smiles a smile clearly practiced in front of a mirror before turning to his backpack and pulling out a journal.

”I’m quite the accomplished swimmer, see?” He flips to a journal entry of his victory in an Absalom swimming contest, along with a rubbing of some kind of medal. ”Also, I’ve read several books on identifying footprints. I’ve put checkmarks next to all of the creatures I’ve found- it’s wonderful!”

There is more to identifying an animal than just footprints. You talk to Jasper about how to identify scat of the most common mountain predators. This is a DC 15 Nature check. Other skills are allowed here- be creative.

While Haechi and Haetae talk to Jasper, what will the rest of you do?

Jasper's enthusiasm is a welcome change from the usual suspicion that Pathfinders ran into in the field. "Ah, yes, well. Thank you, Jasper. We Pathfinders do pride ourselves on leaving the world a better place than we find it. Oh, and don't worry too much about my colleagues' reticence. They're a naturally cautious bunch, which given the extremity of the dangers we'll face in the mountains, is probably a good survival tactic."

Haechi looks with interest at Jasper's rubbing of the swimming medal. "That is indeed a very impressive prize you have there, though I'm not sure that there's a lot of swimming to be done in the mountains. Usually streams and such is the worst one runs into. Still, I'm sure those strong legs of yours will prove most useful when you find yourself having to run for your life from a horde of orcs, ha ha."

When Jasper shows him his book on animal footprints, Haechi brightens up some more. "I'm no expert on the matter of footprints and such animally things. That's more up Nal or Raj's alley. My line of work is more in the form of magical support, oh oh... and dragons of course. Do you mind?" Haechi takes Jasper's book and flicks through it quickly, but ends up disappointed. "I see you haven't found any dragon footprints... yet. Maybe you'll have more luck higher in the mountains. You have to be careful though, sometimes dragon footprints are hard to identify. See here..." Haechi points to the footprints of a Bronze dragon, and on the facing page, those of a Black dragon. "...these two footprints are almost identical. The only way to be sure which is which is to find some of their scat; it's usually not hard to find; just look around for a pile of smelly poo the size of cow. If the pile is more conical in shape, it's a Bronze dragon. If it's more patty shaped, then it's a Black dragon. It's best you don't mix those up, or it'll be the last mistake you ever make, ha ha."

Haechi laughs like he's made the funniest joke ever, but after a few seconds, he sobers up, wipes a tear from his eye, and becomes serious again. "No, but seriously, you really don't want to mix those up. Scat is a fascinating subject though and I suggest you get yourself very familiar with it; it can tell you a lot more about the dangerous creatures you'll face in the mountains than you'll get from just their footprints. For example, I've seen Nal glance at a pile of bear dung and tell me not only what sex the bear was, but also who it had eaten for lunch the day before - and for breakfast - poor souls." Haechi shakes his head as if to clear an awful memory.

Haechi is not trained in Nature, so I don't know if this roll is of any use. Perhaps Nal or Raj should come over and give it a try.

Nature: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

But he is trained in Dragon Lore (including their scat :), so as long as the scat conversation sticks close to dragons, he's good to go.

Dragon Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

If it isn't obvious by now, Haechi is trying to scare the scat out of Jasper and convince him that going into the mountains will almost certainly result in his extremely painful death. After all, the fun adventure ends when the grizzly bear rips your head off.

Keeping one ear tuned to the conversation and one to the surrounding wilds, Nal's mouth cocks into a small half smile as Haechi exaggerates her knowledge about animal scat. Heheh. Scare the newbies so they'll head back home. Good call. Don't want 'em dying out here. Useless waste of life.

Still searching the night for trouble, Nal throws in her two coppers. With her back turned to the fire and her flinty voice, she seems older than her years. "The wild animals aren't what worries me the most out here. It's the bands of orcs. They're too smart to scare away, and they'll attack you even when they're not hungry and you're not threatening their young. Plus, you know, this fire can be seen for miles. Gods only know what's coming this way to investigate it. Speaking of which, I'll be back in a while." And with that, she melts into the darkness outside the ring of firelight to do a perimeter sweep.

Perception +7, with darkvision, to see if anything is coming toward the campsite. She'll do a wide loop around, stopping occasionally to listen for movement, etc.

"Incredible...I never thought about dragon prints before. Or their... er... waste." Jasper digs his feet into the ground and stares at them, his eyebrows wrinkled. "I'm in no mood to look for dragons. Although the Pathfinders who protected my family were very experienced. One elf said she shot a black dragon in the eye with a bow and it hunted her for months in revenge before she put it out of he misery. Turns out he tripped an fell into a ravine when she blinded his other eye." Jasper takes a long gulp.

"I came out here because we wanted to make a name for ourselves. I can swim in pools back at the Chilieax Country Clubs, but outdoors it's so different. Liberating, even." He takes a deep breath and holds it. "Amyas suggested we travel out here and I thought- why not? But dragons, bears and orcs? Maybe we're a bit too far from society. Maybe we should go back."

"So, do we set camp here?" Raj asks from his teammates, largely ignoring the stories of the Chelish trekkers.

Haechi looks at Jasper with both relief and a little sadness. The boy was clearly out of his depth in the wilderness and keeping him out of the mountains was without a doubt the best thing for him and his friends. Still, he felt a little guilty at having had to deflate Jasper's enthusiasm for the adventurer's life.

"Ah, Jasper my friend, there is no shame in swimming away from the deep end of the pool if you find yourself out of your depth, so to speak. ha ha." Haechi was quite proud of himself at weaving in a swimming analogy to make the boy feel better about backing out of his crazy plans.

"If you really want to experience a life of danger and adventure in the great outdoors without dying gruesomely on your first outing, then I would suggest heading to Absalom and joining the Pathfinder Society. After a few years of intense training under some of the greatest instructors on Golarion, you too will then be ready to face anything... well, almost, anyway."

Turning to Raj, Haechi replies, "Since our new friends have so kindly invited us to share their camp... and their food... I think it would be churlish of us to turn them down. By all means, yes, let's camp here tonight. Perhaps we can teach them a little more about how to stay alive in the wilderness for more than a day or two. ha ha."

Now that he is closer, Haechi casts an eye over their gear.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

As he suspected, good quality, but practically new. Turning to the apparent leader of the group, Haechi says, "Amyas isn't it? Jasper here tells me that this little expedition was your idea. I expect you must have a lot of experience of all the hazards one might find in these mountains. I certainly do hope so, for all your sakes. ha ha."

"Perhaps you could share a story or two of your exploits in the area. This is our first time in these particular mountains, so anything you can tell us that will help us survive the coming ordeals would be most welcome." Haechi looks at Amyas in an expectant manner.

Amyas's picture is on slide 4

Amyas straightens out his red hair as you approach. A hand emerges from his scarlet-dyed sleeve. Armyas Charthagnion, at your service. I’m the leader of this group. I’m an expert at the outdoors. Hiking, tenting, hunting- I’ve done it all. I know how my friends think, how prey think, and I solve problems. Go ahead- ask me anything!”

He closes his eyes and nods. "Haechi, Haetae. Good to see you both! I've gone hiking through snowy hills in Irrisen. Of course those had a bit more supervision, since I was new back then. As long as the fire is warm, we'll be mostly alright." He gives a killer smile.

"This is our first journey together this far away from civilization. But I told them: our families bicker, but our friendship will last. We'll always remember this trip and find personal fulfillment." He nods.

You could ask him about the rigors of the wild, and how new types of terrain pose different types of dangers. This is a Survival or (harder) Nature check. Other skills are allowed here- be creative. Anyone can join in on these checks.

"Greetings to all, my name is Ahmad and as my partner Haechi has said, you have to take some precautions when you decide to camp in lonely and dangerous places like these, during dinner we can talk a little and compare experiences".

Ahmad approaches the fire and examines the food and looks what kind of equipment these adventurers are wearing.

"Have any of you traveled these lands before? What can you tell us about them?"
survival check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Ahmad notes the equipment- top of the line tools, and new as well. He begins trading notes with Amyas. While the lad puts on a brave and knowledgeable front, it soon becomes clear Ahmad knows a lot more.

"That's... an interesting water collection technique. I had never thought of that before." Amyas studies his notes, carefully. "It looks fantastic. I... no, all of us may be better served preparing our tactics before we venture any further. I can already see Jasper having doubts..." He cranes his neck to the side to watch Jasper staring at the flame, maybe trying to absorb something from it.

"Say, maybe you can ask Sarevi, Leonie or Dacian how they feel about going further? I'm going to, er, double check these ideas right before dinner." Amyas returns to his tent to continue studying.

It isn't long before the stew is cooked, and everyone is called to sit down and enjoy the rabbit stew. It's quite tasty. And it's very warm.

Returning from her scouting circuit, Nal squats with her back to the fire.

Sarevi=1; Leonie=2; Dacian=3: 1d3 ⇒ 2

She notices Leonie giving her an odd look and explains: "Leonie, right? Best to always have at least one person on watch so you're not surprised, and facing away from the fire will preserve your night sight better. By the way, did you guys decide which watch you'll take through the night yet?"

Nal returns from her scouting to sit by the fire. She gets a bowl of rabbit stew and notices Leonie is by herself. Nal approaches, Leonie sighs and reluctantly slides across the makeshift bench to give some room. ”Oh joy. Pathfinders...” She sighs.

”I’ve heard all about your group. You roam around and kill everything that moves, then take their money for yourselves. You loot tombs. You mete out your own justice as judge, jury and executioner. I’m sure you’ll kill lots of monsters and bathe in the experience or something. I hope you don’t make a mess of our journey.”

Nal pushes through the conversation, asking about watches. "Oh, you'd better believe we're taking watches. You don't know what dangers lurk out here." She keeps her eyes on Nal as she reaches into her backpack. ”This compass and this map of the area are pretty new. Bought the map off of a local cartographer. I learned a lot about tracking animals when I was young and it became my hobby.” She admires the new compass, finally taking her eyes off of Nal. ”I have to admit. I’m happy Amyas talked us out here.”

"I'm taking first watch. Then Amyas, Sarevi, and Dacian. Jasper always wakes up early so he's taking last watch." She finally responds before returning to her stew.

Maybe you can talk to Leonie about the dangers of terrain, like unsafe rock walls. This is a Mountain Lore or more difficult Survival check. You can also try other skills if you feel they are useful.