GM Dustin's #7–24: Dead Man's Debt (Inactive)

Game Master dwilhelmi

Ash tries to maintain a post while they speak, semi-successfully. "Not to be rude, but can I leave this bag over here? This jungle chewed me up. I'm kind of spent."

"It's why we're here! And it would be an honor," Essilor answers the half-elven emissary.

Fola bounces up and down happily, and immediately hops up. To Ash, she says "Sure, you can leave whatever you like here, but we likely won't be able to easily retrieve it. There are healing services available at Jalunth that should be able to help you feel better, if it helps."

The group quickly gets their things together and they head off, the elves sticking largely to themselves, but Fola showing a lot of interest in the Pathfinders. "I get so little information about the outside world. What sorts of things have you done?"

Going to leave a little bit of time here for RP, if anyone wants to brag to Fola about their various exploits (real or imagined). I can fast-forward to Jalunth if people aren't interested or when the RP action slows, just let me know!

Ilarien starts to say something, then shakes her head. "If I had not been there, I would not have believed that one. Travel in time--" She shakes her head again. "A more believable tale: Far north of here, in a place called the Echo Wood, there is a ruined tower of green translucent stone. It dates back to Azlanti times, and I was part of a group of Pathfinders that explored all of it that lies above the ground. There were stairs leading below, but we chose not to continue down. Who knows what secrets lie unplumbed in the depths of the earth?"

"Yes, well. I don't mean -my- bag. I have necessary things in there. I meant this bag that your friends asked us to take."

He drops the sack on the floor, and looks up at Fola.

"Wow traveled in time? Sounds like a party. What was that about? I'm not the bragging type, exactly. I've traveled a bit, freed a few slaves, killed one actual devil - that I know of... There's a few things. What interestes you, exactly? Which part of the world?"

"Most of my time has been spent up where it's cold and snowy, so it's been a nice change to be here where it's warm and there are plenty of plants. I did kill a dragon one time, though. Not a big one, but still..." Essilor chimes in with false modesty.

"A dragon? That sounds like quite the tale."

"No, it wasn't too long," Essilor answers, holding his hands out a little more than shoulder width apart.

Fola's eyes swell to the size of saucers, her face rapt with attention as the group moves deeper into Ekujae territory. She pushes her way through some low hanging vines and says "You lead with time travel, then tell a story of an unexplored basement? I would hear more of the first! Not that an ancient ruin is nothing, but it does pale in comparison..."

To Ash she replies "Oh, I'm interested in pretty much anything outside of this jungle! I've made quite a home for myself among the Ekujae, but world travel isn't a part of that. Why were you fighting a devil?"

Her eyes twinkle with joy at the mention of a dragon, and a rather unladylike snort escaped her at the tail comment. She quickly composed herself, though, and move on. "The clan took down one of those once. A rather nasty jungle drake. I got to help, though only just. What sort of dragon was yours?"

Sakura remains silent for a long time.

”My adventures have not been published so confidentiality and honor forbid me to speak about them!“

"It was a white dragon. It's been my experience that's what you encounter most commonly up in the northern reaches," Essilor answers, not mentioning that the extent of his experience with dragons is that one.

"It was admittedly young and small, so not too impressive. But it WAS a dragon," he continues, eager to sound neither too humble nor too proud.

To Sakura, Fola gives a small bow of her head, disappointed but respectful.

To Essilor she smiles widely and says "I don't think even a small dragon is a small thing. A small dragon can be a great deal of trouble! How many of you were there to bring it down?"

Ash takes a while to recall the details, but once Essilor is done, he speaks. "It's complicated. A friend of our organisation was having problems sleeping. Sleepwalking in the woods, and such. So we tied him to a rope and followed him. I won't bore you with the details of the journey. But we did end up in a hollow a few hours away from his home. Turned out there was a demon trapped inside that was influencing his dreams to free itself. So we... took care of it."

He sighs. "I'm not a talker, apologies."

"I think there were six of us? There must have been. It's always six, isn't it, guys?" he asks his fellow Pathfinders.

"But Ash's story sounds much better. Beating a demon has to be as good as beating a dragon, doesn't it? Was it a little demon?"

"Six at most. I've heard of smaller teams, but not often."

Bob keeps quite, taking in what the Elves are doing. Watching how they move through the jungle, and interact with the land.

"I've never encountered a demon before! They sound scary. I wonder who would win if a demon tried to fight a dragon? I suppose it would vary greatly depending on the kind."

She looks slightly puzzled. "Why only ever six? It seems like there is safety in larger numbers for some larger threats. Our clan scouts with smaller parties, but when there is a larger threat we come together to bring it down. Is it not so for Pathfinders?"

I am going to move us along narratively tomorrow morning, just so everyone knows. Thought about doing so today, but it is a lot to write up, and I'm painting today.

Bob, can I get one more fort save from you? My last call for fort saves came when you were otherwise distracted by migraines and it got missed I think.

Ilarien puts a finger to her chin in a pose of reflection. "I think it has something to do with coordination when individual Pathfinders are shuffled from team to team as needed. We're also spread thinly, so there's an incentive to keep the teams as small as possible."

"To be fair, this one was imprisoned for a while and weakened. He put up a fight, but it was not the flaming wings, whip made of fire, shakes-the-floor-as-it-stomps-around kind of creature.", Ash puts things into a more humble perspective.

Bob Fort Bot: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The group makes steady progress through the next couple of hours, chatting about their various exploits the entire way as the elves look on in silent amusement.

As you walk, you notice that the appearance of the jungle shifts subtly here over the course of a few hundred yards, moving from thick undergrowth among towering trees to more controlled vegetation. Several small buildings formed of woven branches and grasses rise out of the ground. In the surrounding trees above are many other buildings that match the style of those on the ground, although they seem to flow even more gracefully from the vegetation even than those below. A series of vines hang from branches throughout the area. Some are short enough only to swing from one treetop building to another, while others reach all the way to the ground. Colorful birds and noisy monkeys call out from all around, yet their calls are fainter here than those in much of the surrounding jungle.

You have finally arrived at the Ekujae village of Jalunth. However, not all of you made the journey quite as healthily as the others. The mosquitos of the jungle bring strains of disease with them, and though your preparations have helped, they could not fully prevent the effects of the journey through the jungle.

The scenario handwaves some of the disease management of the jungle journey in a sort of summed up way. I have calculated the impact each of you have from disease below. This is based on the sum total of your various fort saves along the way.

When you arrive at the village, you encounter yet more Ekujae guards; they have a quick discussion with Fola and the various elven guards that are traveling with you, and you are quickly lead deeper into the village. As you walk, you are given a rare glimpse into the lives of these very secluded jungle elves. Most go about the daily business of survival, as they prepare food, repair buildings and tools, and share stories. Only about a third of the village is on the jungle floor, however, and much of the activity takes place in the trees above.

On the south side of the village in the branches from 10 to 20 feet above, the Ekujae children play a game where the goal is to hit a target with a blunt arrow, but they move only by swinging on vines. Most startlingly, each team has a player with a knife who tries to cut the vines of the opponents. The elves call this game Makasse. If you approach or try to communicate with them, the children stop their game suddenly and stare.

Both on the ground and above, Ekujae work to shape and change their homes through a combination of magical and mundane effort. As the PCs move about the village, it becomes clear that the Ekujae are continually reinventing its appearance and function. There is a sense of action, motion, and life, while permanence and the past don’t seem to be valued much. Any investigation would reveal a lack of preservative magic that is often seen in the structures of other elves.

Scattered groups of elves, mostly younger, sit and listen to storytellers. The oral tradition is the primary means the Ekujae use to communicate about the past and hold information, and there are very few examples of writing anywhere at all. Most of the stories being told are about day-to-day life in the jungle, and typically revolve around hunts as well as patrols of the borders of the land by the scouts. If these storytellers notice you listening, they stop and stare silently until the outsiders move on.

Near the center of the village is a 60-foot-wide area where the canopy does not block the sunlight. This space has been cleared of underbrush, and a single, 20-foot-tall tree with a straight bole, smooth gray bark, and a wide crown of emerald leaves stands alone. Arranged in a seemingly haphazard way around the tree are a series of smooth river stones each two to four feet in diameter. Nearby elves offer your group places to sit on the stones, then take seats themselves.

Within a few minutes, two elves, a male and a female, move to the tree and pat it gently. They then approach your group. Although the jungle elves eschew anything resembling a hierarchy, they treat these two with great deference, and the paints that decorate their bodies are so intricate that their faces are almost entirely covered. They are the oldest members of the tribe and its primary storytellers and record keepers.

The female elf speaks first. Her gray hairs attest to her great age. She is soft-spoken, but has an edge of iron in her personality. "My name is Elder Kalwe," she says, "and this is my husband, Elder Nolanu. We have been told of your deeds in resucing our people, and for that you have our thanks. Fola also speaks very highly of you." She smiles gently at you and says "you certainly seem to have a knack for impressing others. You have shown yourselves to be friends thus far, so let us speak to one another as friends. Why are you here?"

Your exploits in the scenario thus far, as well as your hiring of Mitarat as a guide, have increased the elder's starting attitude toward your group to Friendly. You may make a diplomacy check with a total of a +4 circumstance bonus to try to improve their attitude to Helpful if you would like - this may impact what questions they are willing to answer. You also may take this time to ask them any questions you might have.

Devin takes in the surrounding thoughtfully. Puts he's hands behind behind his back, smiles and waits for the more eloquent folks in the group to speak.

Thank you for welcoming us into your beautiful village. My friends and I are here on behalf of the Pathfinders Society. We're here to pay the debt owed to your people, by one of ours.
But first, we'd really like to know what this debt was fro your point of view?
diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 it's + 12 if it's gather information

Sakura bows to show her respect and tries to emphasize Bob’s question.

Auto aid diplomacy for +2 on Bob’s roll.

With the +4 circumstance bonus, that is enough to pass the check. They are now Helpful, and will answer pretty much any question. Congrats! Use your power for good; if you get too personal, like asking if they like pears or something equally in poor taste, I may have to knock you back down a notch or two...

Kalwe and Nolanu look at each other happily, a quiet smile on both of their faces. Nolanu speaks up for the first time. "We had thought Sharrowsmith had backed out of our arrangement. It speaks well for you and your organization that you are willing to step up and keep his agreement in his stead. Thank you."

Kalwe continues after him, "There is an evil that has been troubling our people, but the source of this evil is a place where our people are forbidden to go. It is a place in the east called Dehu Inu. Sharrowsmith promised to investigate this evil, since we were unable to do so ourselves. If you wish to settle his account, please stop whatever it is that has arisen there. Since our stories tied to this place tell us of great battles in the past fought by heroes wielding yellowheart weapons, you may wish to take some of these weapons."

Though Essilor is feeling under the weather, he is both respectful and curious about the elven village. It is a wondrous place but it is clear that the citizens neither want nor are accustomed to visitors.

He gladly sits on on of the smaller stones when they come to the clearing and listens intently as Kalwe speaks.

"As Bob has said, we owe you a debt but do not know the nature of it. We want to keep your people as allies so want to pay the debt but cannot do so if we don't know what it is," he adds to the conversation.

Diplomacy (aid): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Ninja'd! Fortunately, my help was not needed.

Ilarien shivers slightly despite the heat and works her fingers. "How far is Dehu Inu from here, and what dangers are between here and there? It's best to be prepared."

Sakura nods.

"We are of course going to help. Any more information that you can give us about this evil you are mentioning?"

Ilarien shivers slightly despite the heat and works her fingers. "How far is Dehu Inu from here, and what dangers are between here and there? It's best to be prepared."

"It is a couple of hours east of here, and the dangers should be pretty much the same as you have already seen. It is jungle land."

Sakura nods.

"We are of course going to help. Any more information that you can give us about this evil you are mentioning?"

"We do not know exactly what this evil is. From time to time, creatures of darkness, usually ones that hide under cover of night, emerge from Dehu Inu and bring increased danger to the jungle. Before now these threats were easily dispatched outside its boundaries. Lately, however, the attacker has become clever and specifically targets Ekujae. Entire families have gone missing. The first sign of this trouble was when a patrol led by one of our best scouts, Kaghaze, disappeared several weeks ago."

"I'm not much one for weapons myself. I much prefer using my mind," Essilor says, literally speaking the truth. "But I'm sure my allies here could use some of them if they are effective against the threat."

He looks up at the sky, trying to judge how long it is until the sun goes down. It's hard for him to tell in the constant twilight created by the canopy of leaves.

"May we stay here for the night so that we can be freshly recovered in the morning? And do you have any healers? I'm not feeling my best."

Both elves nod at this request. "Of course you may stay here. My husband is a druid, and he can help with some of your illness. The jungle is regrettably hard on visitors."

Elder Nolanu can provide up to two castings of remove disease and three castings of lesser restoration for free. If more is needed, the village has stores that can sell you antiplague for 50 gp a vial, and castings of remove disease at CL 5 for 150 gp each.

"We can also supply you with your choice of four masterwork yellowheart wood weapons. We have spears, longspears, clubs, greatclubs, terbutje, and quarterstaves. You are also free to take up to 50 pieces of yellowheart wood ammunition, arrows or bolts. They don't do quite as much damage to normal creatures, but are believed to be more effective against some beasts."

Mechanically speaking, yellowheart wood ammunition takes a -2 penalty to damage rolls, but may be useful for overcoming some forms of DR. Yellowheart wood melee weapons do not suffer this damage penalty.

"Do you have any other questions?"

Sakura bows.

She will take a yellowheart wood greatclub. My familiar is not going to receive any spells here.

Devin looks over the weapons. Picks up a spear and tests the balance, nodding his head.

Good craftsmanship. I think this will do the job nicely.

Devin takes a yellow heart spear.

Ilarien takes ten yellowheart wood crossbow bolts. "I would gladly accept a lesser restoration; I contracted dengue fever, and although I've shaken the infection it had debilitating effects on my coordination."

I'll allow my more martial colleagues to have the yellowjeart weapons. But if there's no-one more in need of a lesser restoration than me. I could use one

Ash looks at the armaments, wipes some sweat from his head again. "Thank you. I carry my own weapons wherever I go. Unless an amputation is needed.", he claps his hands together. "An old friend once told me that the best warriors don't need steel to subdue the enemy. I try to stick to that. Don't mind the bow.", he laughs heartily. "Anyway - what lives in that part of the jungle? Besides these evil creatures you speak of, any animals we should worry about? Is there a source of water"

He pauses, but goes on in a short moment. "Also - any local customs we should keep in mind? Like ... don't cut down trees for firewood, don't step on or anything of the sort?"

"I could use some curing. I STILL have a fever and I'm feeling its effects," Essilor says as no one else speaks up about needing any magical healing.

Beyond that, he just listens quietly. Despite the longspear strapped to his back and the crossbow he's carrying, if it comes to a point where he has to wield a weapon something has gone drastically wrong...even more drastically wrong than usually happens in a Pathfinder mission.

Elder Nolanu begins a series of castings, walking among the group and touching as requested.

Devin, there is not enough castings of Lesser Restoration to go around, and you have the least amount of dex damage at only -1. Since you are spending the night here before heading out, that -1 should heal naturally overnight. So going to have the castings go to the others.

Ash, you currently have 2 points of Dex damage and 3 points of Con damage. Lesser Restoration has to target just one attribute, so your call if you want it to heal Dex or Con. Bear in mind you will also heal 1 point of damage to the other attribute overnight.

Remove Disease CL check to cure Essilor, DC13: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Lesser Restoration Dex Healing for Essilor: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Lesser Restoration Dex Healing for Ilarien: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Lesser Restoration Dex or Con Healing for Ash: 1d4 ⇒ 4

My familiar is not going to receive any spells here.

Sakura, there is still one more casting of Remove Disease available, and your hedgehog is the only one still diseased. Are you sure you would like to decline having it cast on him?

"Anyway - what lives in that part of the jungle? Besides these evil creatures you speak of, any animals we should worry about? Is there a source of water"

He pauses, but goes on in a short moment. "Also - any local customs we should keep in mind? Like ... don't cut down trees for firewood, don't step on or anything of the sort?"

Elder Kalwe responds to Ash's questions while her husband is busy casting. "We don't know what lives in Dehu Inu, nor what natural resources it has, as we are not allowed to enter. The boundaries of this area are close enough that I doubt you will have much to worry about before reaching it."

She glances at the single tree in this clearing, the one she had touched on the way in. "As to local customs, this village operates much as most other places I would imagine. We would be quite wroth with you were you to cut down this particular tree, though. This is a yellowheart tree. Many Ekujae villages are home to one. Our oldest stories tell us that we must nurture such trees, for they help us to know when it is time to move. Once it has reached an age when it loses a limb, we cut down the tree and use its wood. Then we move on and begin anew. As you can see, this village is still quite young." She smiles at Ash, as a brief flash of fierce protectiveness crosses her eyes. "It is quite special to us, and not to be used for firewood. Regardless, you shouldn't have to worry to much about that. There is plenty of firewood around here, and plenty of other trees, and the journey isn't too much further anyway."

After this exchange, Fola gestures to Elder Kalwe, and they briefly go off to one side to chat quietly together. After just a minute, the two return. Fola speaks up to the group. "I have discussed with Elder Kalwe, and she agrees - I would like to accompany you to Dehu Inu. As I am only half Ekujae, we believe this would be allowed. As we are so close, it would be good for us to learn more about what is in there, and I normally wouldn't have that chance because I can't go in alone. Also, I would very much enjoy getting to be a part of one of your stories. May I come with you?"

Ah perfect GM! I thought there are more diseased characters. See below.

cl check remove disease : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

“Thank you very much for healing my trusted hedgehog!! I am very happy!“ Sakura says in a rare display of emotion.

Sakura turns to Fola and bows.

“It would be an honor to have you accompany us!“

"Ah...much better," Essilor says, giving a few experimental jumps and flexing his fingers. He touches his forehead, too. "I think I'm totally cured."

"The more the merrier," he says to Fola. "Just show us where we can bunk down and we'll leave first thing tomorrow."

Well, second thing. Breakfast first. Can't go adventuring on an empty stomach my old mother used to say
Bob slumps down on the floor, wiping sweat from his eyes.
But yes, sleep would very much be welcome

"Indeed, rest would be best."

Scattered groups of elves, mostly younger, sit and listen to storytellers. The oral tradition is the primary means the Ekujae use to communicate about the past and hold information, and there are very few examples of writing anywhere at all. Most of the stories being told are about day-to-day life in the jungle, and typically revolve around hunts as well as patrols of the borders of the land by the scouts.

Sakura contemplates on her observations and eventually dares to express her opinions to the elders.

”Elder Kalwe and Nolanu, I have observed that you do not value written knowledge as much as I do! I have dedicated my whole life to protect written knowledge at all costs. For me the preservation of a valuable piece of written work is more important than my own life! Written knowledge ensures that future generations benefit from its wisdom … “ Sakura says and breathes heavily.

She closes her eyes to choose her words, ” … and still I observe that although your Ekujae culture is so rich, you mainly trust in your storytelling and don’t use the written word! Is there any chance that I convince you to start recording your way of life and your experiences with much more vigor?! Maybe a more stringent recording of your history would prevent that you actually don’t even know what kind of evil you are securing and why you are not allowed to enter a certain territory! But I also know that some believe there is such thing as knowledge too dangerous to be allowed to exist, and seek to destroy it! What are your reasons??“

Both of the elders listen pleasantly as Sakura begins her entreaty, but their faces darken as they understand more of what she is driving at. They are silent for a moment when she completes. Fola freezes, glancing quickly between Sakura and the two elders. Finally, Elder Nolanu speaks. "You would like to know if we would be willing to drastically change our culture and way of life to better suit your beliefs?"

He looks as if he is set to say more, but Elder Kalwe places a calming hand on his shoulder. Her gaze meets Sakura's, then she slowly stands and walks to the nearby tree. She places a loving hand on the tree, then speaks. "Our ways must seem quite strange to you. I assume you meant no offense with your questions, but merely seek to help. The Ekujae, you must understand, do not place a high priority on permanence. Instead, we embrace fluidity and change. When I mentioned earlier about this tree, I said that when it reaches an age when it loses a limb, we cut down the tree and use its wood and we move on and begin anew. I mean that quite literally - this entire village will move on to a new place in this jungle, and settle around a new yellowheart tree. We will begin anew. Our houses do not use the preservative magic that other peoples use. We are like the jungle around us, ever changing, ever growing."

She looks at Sakura, and a harsh look passes through her eyes. "Do not presume that our lack of emphasis on permanence means we lack a way of accurately remembering our past. We live a long time, and our storytellers are very good at what they do. Every member of our tribe is a repository of information. If the information was lost, it was lost for a purpose. Of that I have no doubt."

Sakurea looks at them and seems to understand.

She bows again.

"Thank you for your explanations. I hope you do not mind that I write this down! I am ready to leave to the territory whenever you are."

Ilarien taps one foot impatiently. "We should be resting up for tomorrow, not trying to convert our hosts."

The brief sidebar concluded, the group quickly disperses and is shown where they can rest for the night. Now that the elders have given the group their approval, you find the rest of the elves to be more friendly to you than they were before. You have plenty of time to make any final purchases you would like to make here. There is also the ability to purchase more castings of lesser restoration for 60gp if you would like. Ash, after resting for the night you should now be at either 1 Dex damage or 2 Con damage, your choice. One purchase of lesser restoration would get you back to 100%.

In the morning, Fola gathers you early to begin your quest. Once more you push forward into the jungle, heading toward whatever vague evil awaits you in Dehu Inu. After just a couple of hours, you begin to notice the jungle changing again. Ahead the jungle foliage thins and becomes an open area of stunted, low-growing brush and grasses that is nearly half a mile wide. The perpetual sounds of life in the jungle fall silent. A series of worn stone monoliths, each roughly ten feet tall and spaced evenly every 100 feet, marks the perimeter of this clearing. On the northeast border, a 60-foot-tall cliff rises to a plateau above. More of the stone monoliths loom from the top of the cliff. About halfway up the cliff, a ledge juts sharply into the clearing. It is a DC 15 climb check to scale the rough cliff face. There are 188 markers all told, each covered in ancient elven script.

Linguistics : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Sakura looks around and writes down some notes.

“Look there everyone! The elven script on the monoliths is a dialect that is several thousand years old, and they all contain dire warnings of the dangers beyond. They describe some variety of winged, shadowy evil. Dehu Inu roughly translates to "Blood Maw"!! “ she says and checks if you all are taking notes.

linguistics : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

After studying the script some more she finally looks at the letters she was able to discern.

“Please everyone take a look at these icons. You will discover that there was some sort of a deal struck in the past between Old-Mage Jatembe, who was an ancient great Mwangi wizard, and the Ekujae people. This deal declared the Ekujae as the keepers of the evil within Dehu Inu, jailers of a sort, tasked with keeping the evil contained!! And this is exactly the reason why writing something down is so important!“ she says and compiles the most important information for her final report.

"Assuming whatever you wrote it down on doesn't get destroyed," Essilor comments, examining the worn stone monoliths.

"And assuming the important information easily accessible and marked in a way that tells you that it is important...and that you trust the person who wrote the information to determine what is important. What if someone didn't have time to look at all these and only one of them held the secret formula for destroying the Dehu Inu?"

He smiles in a way that is probably supposed to be reassuring but just stretches his face in an odd way.

"But in this case, yes, having it written down was the right way to go. Thank you for working this all out for us," he says.

Sorry for being slow. Work was stealing all my time

I'll take the lesser res for 60 gp, thanks.

Feeling a lot better after a good night's rest, Ash wakes up and stretches his limbs for a while. He gets ready for the trek through the jungle once more. Hoping to meet less mosquitoes and stirges on the way.

"Not all things written down are truthful. I'm not talking about these writings in particular, but you get the point."

He looks around as Sakura studies the inscriptions, and notices there are no mosquitoes. There is not much of anything, really, and the place is eerily quiet. He looks at the cliff face ahead, drops his backpack, and asks for some extra rope from the pathfinders. He ties the ropes at their ends, coils them over his shoulder, and attempts to climb the cliff.

"If I fall, tell my sister to dig out Coocoo. She lives in Diobel." He starts climbing, stops after a few seconds, and turns around. "My sister lives in Diobel. Coocoo, as context implies, doesn't live anywhere anymore."

Climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21