PFS 1e - # 8-12 Tyranny of Winds, Part 3: Caught in the Eclipse (Inactive)

Game Master MauveAvengr

Seeing multiple people come up to him, Ghassan immediately tenses up. He starts as Unfriendly as more than two people came to talk to him. And will have Maud's Diplomacy be the base check with everyone aiding her

The djinni looks at Maud strangely as she 'word vomits' out her experiences, before stuttering, "Can... can I help you with something?". He is clearly uncomfortable with so many people around him. He seems to wants you all to leave so he can get back to feeding his bird.

With Maud's check and Yulau's aid, he has become Indifferent. If Cevrik and Willard both aid, he will become Friendly.

Not sure if I can use the handle animal to aid the diplomacy, so subtract 4 from this if it has to be diplomacy.

Cevrik smiles at the bird and makes a strange, warbling bird sound as he holds out a gentle hand to stroke the bird's head.

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

"A lover of animals, like myself," Cevrik says to Ghassan, giving the djinni a broad smile as he pats his faithful steed and adds, "Feel free to give Dumpling here a scratch behind the ears. It's his favorite spot."

Botting Willard's Diplomacy.

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Ghassan doesn't speak much, but he focuses all of his attention on Maud. He stutters as he speaks and wants you to leave as soon as possible. He more or less repeats what Wan Feng had told you - look for documents marked with a storm cloud inside an intricate wreath of lightning bolts, which is one of Ranginori's sacred sigils.

Who do you talk to next?

"Um...let's see, we've not talked with Fairuza or Lineji yet. Or I guess Mithradatha and Zhalla bint Rathmozen but those two may not know anything or be willing to talk if they saw us talking to Wan Feng earlier," Liora muses. "How about..."

1=Fairuza, 2=Lineji
1d2 ⇒ 2

"...we try talking to Lineji? Gnomes are usually pretty chatty, right?"

"Chatty Gnome sounds like a sensible choice," Cevrik agrees.

Are there options other than just diplomacy for this one?

As usual, Yulau takes it on herself to perform the initial approach on the gnome, Lineji. ”Greetings Mr. Lineji, I’m Yulau, and it’s an honor to meet you. These are my friends. This Azure Hall is something special is it not? What a library!”. Using the library as her opening had generally served her well, so she tried it yet again.

Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

The Pathfinders set off to search for their next target: a middle-aged gnome with frizzy, orange hair and bulging, mismatched eyes. You find her, and several others, flying kites nearby. As they approach... the kite flies right into a tree.

"Drat. That was my favorite kite.". She points to the Pathfinders as they approach and introduce themselves. She raises an eyebrow, viewing them with suspicion. "What do you want? Maybe if you help me with getting my kite back, I can help you with what you want."

You can try a Climb check to retrieve the kite. Or a Knowledge (planes) to prove you are not ignorant tourists. Or Diplomacy works as well.

It is a nice kite, and given the conditions of gravity and wind current here on this plane, should we yank on the string just so, it should fall free the recently reserved scholar points out, yanking on the string to try and make the kite fall.

knowledge, planes: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Barring that, Munnin will take off from Willard's shoulder in a flap of feathers and retrieve the kite from the tree...

Liora looks as though she's about to try climbing up the tree and then, glancing over at Willard and Munnin, seems to think better of it.

"Well, that got right to the point," the sylph responds to the wary gnome. "We're looking for some information, but we'll wait to bore you with the details until we see if Munnin can grab your kite for you."
______________

Going to see what the outcome of Yulau + Willard's actions are before I roll anything~

So you guys have to decide if you want the Diplomacy check or the Knowledge (arcana check). Unfortunately, it's too busy/hectic in the party to attempt both. But you can still Aid in the check.

I'm not trained in knowledge planes, but I could guidance Willard if we want to go that route.

I thought we had to use Climb to retrieve the kite? I can assist with either check but she is more confident with climbing

There are three checks you can do to impress her. Climb to get the kite, Knowledge (planes) check to prove you aren't ignorant tourists (she's distrustful of any strangers), or the standard Diplomacy check. The rules say the group can only do one of these checks to impress a person, so you'll have to choose as a group which one you want to do and then anyone can then aid.

The Knowledge (planes)/Diplomacy use the typical 'improving attitude'. Though, for her, if you get her kite, she'll become friendly.

”I can cast Monkeyfish, a neat little spell on myself. It’d give me a pretty good chance to climb up and get that kite,” Yulau asks the others, waiting for a decision on how to proceed before she acts.

"Yeah...the lady really seems to want her kite back so why don't we get her kite back," Liora agrees.

Rolling his neck, Kamishah moves to climb up the tree, his arms shifting slightly to be better suited to the task.

Climb, Monkey Aspect: 1d20 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 4 = 26

If the mwangi can’t quite get the kite, Yulau would cast her spell and assist.

As Kamishah goes moving towards the trees, Cevrik (atop Dumpling) rushes forward and pats the larger fellow on the shoulder while calling out, "Good luck!"

Casts guidance, +1 on the check

Kamishah manages to climb the tree and get the kite for her! She's ecstatic! "Let's fly the kite while we talk." She hands over the kite to the Mwangi and watches him fly the kite.

Talking to her about Jamila, she replies, "Jamila? That name doesn't sound familiar, but I recently saw a janni matching that description speaking with a dark-haired suli man in the Godsward district. They were near the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeeze, a temple of Pulura."

Who do you talk to next?

"Mm...now we're getting somewhere!" Liora remarks excitedly after they eventually take their leave of Lineji. "Still, while we're here, we might as well be thorough. I think Fairuza Bereket is maybe the only person we've not talked to yet that might know something."

The Pathfinders approach a female djinni who matches the description of Fairuza Bereket. She is a gentle woman with a mild temperament. She looks extremely neat and orderly, almost to a fault. You find her rearranging some nearby plates into a clean and orderly pile.

She looks up as you approach. "May I help you?". She seems polite but cautious to speak to them.

Feel free to roll the standard Diplomacy check, with Aid. Anyone may also do a Sense Motive check as well. What do you ask her about?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Watching with mild curiosity at the djinni's task, Kamishah holds his tongue for a moment.

After interacting with the painfully shy Djinni earlier, Maud is careful to read the woman as her party approaches.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

As usual, Yulau takes it on herself to perform the initial approach on the djinni. ”Greetings Ms. Bereket. I’m Yulau, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. These are my friends. This Azure Hall is something special is it not? What a library!”. She doubted the party goers had a chance to meet and discuss the Pathfinders tactics, so she used the library as her opening yet again.

Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Maud realizes that Fairuza is paying very close attention to them. "Yes, this is a special place. I love it here." She seems a bit tense and doesn't open up much.

"Don't blame you," Liora nods. "It's beautiful here. The sky, the buildings, everything! I can see how a person could live their entire life here and be happy."

She smiles; it's admittedly a pleasant thing to think about.

Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

In fact, it's so pleasant that she loses her train of thought completely.

"Uh...anyway, we were talking about...er, what were we talking about?"

Diplomacy Aid Another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

"It's beautiful indeed!" Cevrik says, jumping in to get Liora's train of thought back on the tracks. "The sheer breathtaking wonder is enough to leave anyone lost in thought, as my friend just displayed," he adds with a wink and a smile.

Do you have anything specific you want to ask her?

She curtly nods at the Pathfinders. "Yes. Now, can I help you? If not, I must go.". Maud notices she is tapping her fingers together, which might be from anxiety.

” Of course, we don’t want to bother you and take up much of your time. We are here for knowledge of course, and this is the best place to find it, I’d wager. We are seeking information on two different topics…..the Concordance of Elements and an artifact we’ve heard tales of called the Untouchable Opal. When we heard about all the collective wisdom gathering in one place, we just had to see if anyone could assist us.”

Willard takes notes on the different people the party meets, scribing quick pictures and descriptions of their behaviors. He'll continue to let the talking folks talk, and leaning in his information as needed.

Sorry folks, work's been overwhelming the last few days. I haven't posted much lately.

Fairuza visibly tenses up as Yulau begins talking with her. "Ah. Yes. Information. I have plenty of that. Did you know that there are trillions of volumes at the Azure Hall in nearly any language you can think of, and various in languages you can't think of.". She seems aloof and wants to be change the subject. She begins tapping her fingers again, more noticeably.

She sighs. "You want to know about the Untouchable Opal? Have you heard of the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze? Many prefer to study at the Azure Hall, but with most of it closed to the public until the grand re-opening, you might want to look into other options. The Cloisters are dedicated to Pulura and while it isn't the most prestigious of the temples in the Godsward, it boats an impressive collection of historical documents about the planes."

She doesn't seem to want to talk about anything more about the Untouchable Opal nor the Concordance of Elements. "If you excuse me, I need to go talk to a collegue.". She heads out and disappears into the crowd.

You have to people left I believe: Mithradatha and Zhalla bint Rathmozen. They will likely start unfriendly as you allied with Wan Feng. Or you can just enjoy the rest of the party and report to Jairo.

Maud notices Fairuza's odd behavior, and ponders the warning of Venture-Captain Norden Blentiir at the beginning of the quest...

"I advise exercising discretion though - we do not know who may be allied with the Concordance."

She was going to thank the librarian for her suggestion of the cloisters before leaving - she thinks people like it when you take an interest - but the djinni took off so suddenly.

(Would I need to make a religion check to identify Pulura?)

She comments to the party "That is what I do not understand about this 'diplomacy' - how do you ever get information without being obvious about what you're asking? How do you know whom to trust? This Fairuza seemed awfully anxious, but I don't know why." It is obvious no one has ever explained the concept of guile to her. Or perhaps they tried and it just didn't stick.

Maybe we split up for the last two? Perhaps they might not be as on their guard if smaller groups approach? Or what?

Sure, feel free to roll a Religion check on Pulura if you want to learn more.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

Maud, my father always said diplomacy was so you could raid another's stead without the crown coming for you, it sort of made sense at the time? the Ulfen offers without much real help. Here's what I know about Pulura, .....Insert text here...

Willard knows basically everything there is to know about The Shimmering Maiden. She is an angel empyreal lord, mistress of the stars and the aurora, and the patron of those travelers that become homesick, lost, or injured in the snowy wastes of the far north. She is Chaotic Good with no known realm, preferring the Material Plane to Elysium.

Yulau had been holding back as she expected her new friendship with the dragon might color these final two’s opinions versus the group. ”Do one of you want to take the lead with these two?”

Liora looks around at the rest of the group and fights back the urge to (good-naturedly) laugh.

Not the most diplomatic group, are we? Aside from Yulau and Cevrik, kinda.

"Sure. Sure, why not? I'll go see what Mithradatha's up to."

The sylph takes a deep breath and wanders over to the djinni, summoning up the best smile she can muster.

"Hello! This is quite the party, huh? Whoever made the invite list could've been a little pickier though, if you know what I mean."

Diplomacy (?): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Hah!

”What my friend Liora means is that obviously you should be at the top of any invitation list, friend djinni. Isn’t that right, Liora? We are here hoping to do some research in the library. How about you?”

Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Mithradatha looks at Liora with a frown. "Please go away. I don't need help from you."

But then Yulau comes up and starts speaking. "Ah, research. Good luck with that. I'm no researcher. Just a diplomat." He seems a bit disingenuous in his reply. "Can I help you with something though?"

Diplomacy aid (Pfs Chronicles bonus): 1d20 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) - 3 + 2 = 0
"We, uh, heard you are like, a rebel or something? What social protocol did you get in trouble for breaking? A knowledgeable diplomat could help us learn to blend in to your society better. Oh, and we're interested in learning more about the elemental planes and artifacts of such!" she beams, proud of her contribution.

Then watches his response carefully.
Sense Motive (Hunch): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

Mithradatha simply turns around and walks a few paces away without saying anything. Maud senses that she hurt him emotionally with her words.

(He has a sad story.... )

"Geeze, just trying to make conversation..." Liora grumbles under her breath, though she does do as the diplomat requests and puts a little distance between herself and him.

"Here's some advice." Mitharadatha turns around. "Whatever you do, do not talk with Zhalla. She is a [unsavory word]." He spits at the mere thought. "And that dragon? He's too sanctimonious. Think he's better than all of us!"

Other than that, Mithradatha has nothing more to say. None of the diplomats know anything about the Untouchable Opal, the Concordance of Elements, or Jamila.

Do you go talk to Zhalla now? Or are you done?

I vote that we are done. We’ve done pretty well overall, I’d guess.

Crossing his arms, Kamishah looks to the rest of the party. "The time for talking is done."

I agree with Yulau, we could talk to Zhalla but I don't think we will get much out of it.

"Yeahhh...I think we've learned enough to go on," Liora agrees. "Sounds like we should check out these Cloisters of the Hidden Whatzits, if we can get in."

The Pathfinders decide not to talk to Zhalla bint Rathmozen and leave the gala and head to the Cloisters of the Hidden Breeze. Shortly after, as the group wanders into an alley way nearby, a lizard jumps out and blocks their way! And it speaks to them in an airy language that Liora immediately recognizes as Auran.

The lizard takes up a defensive position as it watches the group closely.

Updated map here

Willard stares at the small lizard, curious as to its origin, and why it is speaking. What's he saying? So unfortunate that I don't speak the language of this place, who'd have thought... he trails off, not wanting to derail whatever translation may be occurring.

Yulau didn’t understand the tongue either. Assuming she receives a translation, she advises the group to continue conversing with the lizard and find out what it is referring to.

"Oh, well, okay," Liora frowns as she listens to what the lizard has to say. She turns to her companions. "So...they're saying we should abandon our mission and that we don't know what we're getting into."

The sylph thinks on this for a moment and then laughs.

"We're Pathfinders! Isn't that how we operate about half of the time anyway?"

She turns her attention back to the lizard, eyeing it carefully before answering back in Auran.

<"Oh really? Who wants us to do this?">