[PFS1e] GM Deussu's #6-05 Slave Ships of Absalom CORE (Inactive)

Game Master Deussu

Nya's dog continues to pester its trollhound, going in for another bite.

Erica's sword hits the trollhound, but the beast refuses to stop living although it does get unconscious.

Wardak reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
The captain has no trouble staying on a slippery surface.

The earth elemental slams the trollhound, but doesn't drop it yet.

Yet another flaming sphere appears on top of the unconscious red trollhound! Unable to avoid it, the flames consume the beast and burn it into a crisp, ending its abominable life once and for all!

Rilla Nevon, the rescued gnome pathfinder, moves the other sphere on top of the yellow trollhound.
Yellow trollhound reflex save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Instinctively it can avoid the heat.

The yellow trollhound would want to swipe its claws at Droogami, but it doesn't see it. The big cat moves a bit to bite the beast. It's not enough to drop it yet.

Enlarge person gives onle +2 strength, so there's +1 attack and +1 damage too much. It still hits Wardak.
Florin's massive size makes her blow even harder! The captain manages to keep herself standing in the slippery grease.

Ny'a and her dog slice and dice the trollhound so badly it drops to the deck. And with Rilla's flaming sphere, it'll soon burn it to ash.

The captain realizes her situation is most grim. She tries to slip out of the grease back into the room.
Acrobatics DC 10: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
And manages to move onto sturdier floor, pick a potion from her belt and drink it. With that, she vanishes!

Round 5
Here is the link to the map.
Bold may act

Captain Waheeda Wardak (19 damage, GONE?!)
Erica (12 dmg)
Sylvester .
Will (1 damage)
Umdar .
Rilla Nevon .
Droogami (18 damage, prone)
Florin (Mage Armor, Shield, Bull's Strength)
Ny’a (15 damage)
Kinore (34 damage, prone, dying)
Trollhound, red (34 damage (10 fire), outlined)
Trollhound, yellow (49 damage, flaming sphere, blinded, outlined, prone, unconscious)

"What's going on in there? New player? Second captain?"

Will stands ready in case a threat appears, but since he doesn't see anything, not much to do.

Sylvester calls out to Will and points to the cabin.

"Yes, the captain is here! Go get her."

With those words he moves closer to Florin avoiding his Grease spell entirely. He casts a spell to at least outline his opponent and hopefully blind her.

Glitterdust cast into the tiny cabin where the Captain was last seen drinking the potion of Invisibility. Will DC 18 to resist being blinded.

@GM Deussu - We can sequence my character's action after her position is mentioned by one of the other characters that did see her disappear but it seems natural that one of them would say something as it happened. The medium of Play-by-Post as opposed to playing live does limit this type of natural real time interaction. :)

Yeah Realized I put her bonus too much after hitting the submit button. Will adjust next round.

Florin in response to the captain's trick replies with her own.

She casts a spell to see past the captain's trick.
casts See Invisibility.

@Sylvester: That's reasonable. Also, there isn't much room for error there. Glitterdust fills almost the entire room.

Sylvester's spell covers the captain's cabin with fairy dust.
Wardak will save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Although able to resist the gnome's magic, her silhouette is now clearly visible.

Rilla Nevon's flaming sphere burns the last trollhound dead.

And while the rest of the group can see Wardak's outline, Florin can see her alarmed facial expressions! She knows what's up, and it's not good for her.

Only the poor captain left.

Round 5
Here is the link to the map.
Bold may act

Captain Waheeda Wardak (19 damage, outlined)
Erica (12 dmg)
Sylvester .
Will (1 damage)
Umdar .
Rilla Nevon .
Droogami (18 damage, prone)
Florin (Mage Armor, Shield, Bull's Strength)
Ny’a (15 damage)
Kinore (34 damage, prone, dying)
Trollhound, red (34 damage (10 fire), outlined)
Trollhound, yellow (49 damage, flaming sphere, blinded, outlined, prone, unconscious)

Umdar seeing a new attacker appearing and disappears decides to capitalize on it. He deftly draws his string holding a prepared bullet, and swings it, aiming to the outlined surprised invisible captain.

Droogami, bloodied,but still strong, seeing her foe going down in a blaze and seeing another attacker appearing from the room to the side, moves around the corner, hops over the pool of grease and attacks the captain

The Earth Elemental turns, facing the wooden divisor wall and tries to bash through the wall

Is the map up to date? I don't see the captain. Is she in the room that's still covered?

Erica hears Sylvester's cries, and moves straight to the captain's cabin. She figures out that the strangely sparkly shape standing in the middle of the room must be said captain.

"Want to surrender?" she offers generously.

Double move

Is the map up to date? I don't see the captain. Is she in the room that's still covered?

Bah, she was invisible for a while, and technically still is, even though it doesn't hide her anymore.

Droogami's movement cannot move through a corner. Either she risks an attack of opportunity or stays on Grease.

Mage Armor, Shield, Enlarged
AC 19/11/17
Reflex save 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Attack 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 1 - 1 = 213d6 + 5 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 5, 2) + 5 + 2 + 1 = 19
Will likely Draw AOO as she has to step into the room.....since there's someone in the square.. May or may not be an illegal move since there's a bed in the way too.

Florin steps into the grease slowly and then spotting their foe has her now really large axe thrust into the room aiming for the captain!

sorry about that, Droogami will stay on the Grease, then, provided allies can still go past her. Otherwise she will take the AoO

Erica moves to better see what's going on. Erica acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 - 4 = 15 Without falling, too!

Umdar's slingshot in a swinging ship doesn't go down well.

Droogami dashes past everyone, over the grease, next to Captain Wardak. (Her speed is JUST enough for her to move with half speed through the grease) As if happens, the captain has a chance to swing her kukri at the cat.
Wardak atk @ Droogami: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 111d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
But she fails.

The earth elemental makes an attempt to go through the wall. It'll take a while.

Rilla Nevon begins to open the other slaves' ropes to set them free.

Florin has half speed on grease, and has to squeeze going through the doorway... so it's quarter speed. Just moving where the token now is takes 40 ft of movement. If Florin wants to reconsider her movement, I'll allow it. She can attack from the other side of the door, but then it would provide cover for the captain.

Round 5
Here is the link to the map.
Bold may act

Captain Waheeda Wardak (19 damage, GONE?!)
Erica (12 dmg)
Sylvester .
Will (1 damage)
Umdar .
Rilla Nevon .
Droogami (18 damage)
Florin (Mage Armor, Shield, Bull's Strength, Enlarge Person)
Ny’a (15 damage)

Will hears the call and rushes for the door too, trying to avoid slipping in the grease. Unfortunately, he hits is and slides past the door, falling on his bum.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15

He spends the rest of the round getting back up.

The acrobatics DC for the spell is a static DC 10 regardless of the initial Reflex save. So Will, with that +13 bonus, simply cannot fall down.

I'll just take that swing from where I am. Use my reach.

Nitre follows the action, guiding her dog over to the captains room, and sees the room is a bit too crowded to even consider entering. "You guys got this, right?" she asks, not really expecting an answer, but it had to be asked. She looks to her right and sees Nilla working on freeing the remaining slaves, so looks to her left and notices the door beside her; she tries to open it.

Sylvester thinks of dispelling the Grease spell but with the room already full he reconsiders. He pulls out his wand of Magic Missile and attempts to plug the captain with a duo of missiles.

MM,CL3: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 4) + 2 = 10

"People let us try to keep this one alive for a change. We need some answers."

I thought I had to be the caster's DC... cool!

"Harder to keep him alive if you keep blasting him."

Then to the room, "You sure you don't want to surrender and talk like proper gents?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"Talk?! You really think I believe this is the correct time to have tea and biscuits?! This isn't a g+$+@*n therapy session!" the captain blasts, being seriously hurt by Sylvester's magic missiles. For her fortune, the massive half-orc lady's blade misses as the tight space limits mobility.

As the smoke from the burning papers in an iron brazier begins to get thicker and thicker, the captain has the biggest conundrum. There isn't an option to flee, there are no window holes on the deck, and there's grease, a huge greataxe in the way, a panther... pretty much everything in the world is against her now. This is it, so long, and thanks for all the fish, she ponders, knowing she has nowhere to go, no place to hide.

She takes a bottle from her belt, and smashes it into the brazier. The hungry flame grow larger, hotter, other parts of the captain's cabin catch fire. "If I'm going down, you're going with it!" she screams.

DC 12 Survival as a full-round action to fight the flames, or creating a large amount of water.

Round 6
Here is the link to the map.
Bold may act

Captain Waheeda Wardak (29 damage, outlined, invisible)
Erica (12 dmg)
Sylvester .
Will (1 damage)
Umdar .
Droogami (18 damage, prone)
Florin (Mage Armor, Shield, Bull's Strength)
Ny’a (15 damage)

Not really able to squeeze in to do much to the captain, Will does what he can to fight the fire.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Will is able to contain the fire from spreading any further, using the many blankets and other fabrics to quench the flames. They are relentless, however, and won't go down that easily.

"You're an idiot," Erica hisses at the captain. There's little time to feel incredulous, however, and let the panicked woman burn down her own ship.

Sheathing her sword, Erica fumbles for her waterskin, spreading water on the fabric Will threw on the flames, stomping on the now damp blankets and curtains to further quench the fire.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Full-round action, fighting the flames

"I guess you are going down then!"

Sylvester lets loose another blast from his wand.

Magic Missile, CL 3: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1) + 2 = 4

"Or maybe not..."

Please keep attacking her. The Glitterdust does not last forever. :)

Florin continues attacking the lady.

Only one person in our party has create water.
Mage Armor, Shield, Enlarged
AC 19/11/17
1d20 + 6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 1 - 1 = 203d6 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (3, 5, 5) + 5 + 1 = 19

"Someone douse those flames."

Umdar Seeing the flames igniting in away to can take them down and the whole ship, spreads his fingers and with open palms wills water from thin air, spraying over the newly created flames.

Move to get a better view into the room
Cast create water (8 gallons) spread over the flames

The Earth Elemental continues his attempt to create a door
Strength Check to break down the wall
Str: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

The captain, receiving a beating, still has to deal with Droogami

Bite: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Bite confirm: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 nope
Trip: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Claw: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19dmg: 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Claw: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16dmg: 1d3 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"What is going on in there?!?" Ny'a calls as the flames grow in intensity.

Any description of the room beyond the door that Ny'a opened? Doubtful that she'll make that a focus given the captain's actions, but still would like to know.

The combined efforts of Droogami and Florin make sure captain Waheeda Wardak no longer breathes, or continue her exploitation of human lives!

Erica join Will to quench the flames with satisfactory results. Even the alchemist's fire Wardak plunged into flames wasn't enough to bring the ship down in flames!

COMBAT OVER!

Seeing what was burning, they see a stack of completely charred paper. There's very little left of them to read, but one corner of a paper has a signature on it.

Muhlia

The scenario is basically finished! You have a chance here to react, and I'll then make one final post to debrief and sign the chronicles.

Sylvester sighs as the last of their enemies fall. He was hopeful to capture at least one of these cretins alive for questioning however the Pathfinders have once again lived up to their well deserved reputation of being complete murder hobos.

The little gnome looks over the burned scraps of paper and doubts that his minor magics (Mending and Prestidigitation) can have any chance at all to repair the document. He shrugs.

"All is well that ends well or so the saying goes."

"Or more aptly it has gone very well for us and very poorly for these pirate fools."

The spells restore the flakes of papers, but not what was written on them.

On the flames that remain alive on the ship's hold and room, Umdar waves his hands and water sprays from his fingers to put them out.

Seeing Droogami's state, Umdar grabs Droogami by her head and they touch foreheads "You were very good and very brave, I'm proud of you".

He then proceeds in ensuring that the slaves are all freed and on their way up.

With that resolved, he proceeds to search the bodies of the captain, the half-orc, the first mate and his helper for whatever leftover loot he might find. A Pathfinder must pay his bills after all.

I don't know how loot is treated or how gold is given. Remember 1st time Society game

I'm guessing trying to know who Muhlia is would require a Knowledge (local) check?

"We survived, at least. Crap," Erica grumbles after taking one look at the charred documents. A signature was still a lead, at least, but she doubted their employer would be satisfied with it, unless they got very lucky.

Perhaps if they had been faster, they could have salvaged more of the evidence- but who could blame them, with Will taking a bullet to the head? It was already a miracle that the Caydenite had survived. That they had all survived, and not a single slave had been harmed.

Rescuing the powerless- wasn't it what had mattered the most all along, even more so than the spying? Or was it about not feeling like a failure, for once?

"If there's a way to restore what was written, I don't know one," she says, throwing a glance at Florin who has proven herself to know her way around the study of difficult texts better than most. "In the meantime, let's grab what we can and go. How did you get into this mess?" The last question is for Rilla Nevron. "Were you investigating on these slavers?"

Florin gathers the ashes as well as the paper with the signature.
"I do not have the magics to restore this and we have no prisoners." She sighs.

"We'll still make our reports back to who we need to and perhaps the one one who wants our report will have stronger magic to restore this." She wasn't pleased with herself or the results of this mission.

It seemed like this whole mission was a failure with the way their team was handling it with their own near deaths as well.

Ny'a sighs as she helps to get the remaining slaves free; she seems distracted. I should be happy; these people are free now! Someday we may see an Absalom without slavery at all! But I so wanted to impress Lady Darchana, and I fear we've done nothing at all she requested of us. Could I have done better? What should I have done differently?

"There are those prisoners over there..." Will points to the ones that were shackled when we came down. "Maybe they can tell us something?"

"What say you all? Fancy a little freedom? Tell us what you can as we remove those shackles."

Rilla Nevon was way ahead of Will with freeing the people, who nod to Will's gesture. They tell various tales of how they were captured and put into the hold, none of them giving a hint of the true perpetrator.

The Pathfinders gather what they can and return to see Zigil on the deck, inspecting the slavers' corpses, kicking them to see if they are alive. "Typical," the dwarf comments with a straight face, and looks at the group emerging from the cargo hold.

"Fighting stopped. You done?" she asks, but rather than wait for an answer, motions them to get back to the rowboat. "No crew, no navigation to port. Tomorrow then," she sighs, and assigns the Pathfinders again to row the boat back to the Harbormaster's Grange. She has to take two trips, since now the freed slaves are with them. On Pilot Island, inspector Lilia Ginsi rushes over to the pier as she sees the boat coming back.

"Have you people any idea how well sound travel on open waters?!" she yells with a hushed voice, "whatever was going on there, I'll need an explanation!" Explaining what occurred on At Sea makes her a lot more contemplative. "Slavers? Indeed, and a bounty as well. Then... I guess it was justified. I'll have a crew navigate the ship back to port at dawn. Since you were the ships, err, liberators, the bounty would fall onto you. I'll prepare the paperwork for that and send it to... right, the Grand Lodge. Of course."

The trip back to the docks is uneventful, and the streets are empty at this time of night. Tired, the Pathfinders take a short night's rest before going to report their adventures to both Lady Darchana and venture-captain Ambrus Valsin.

It was trivial to schedule an appointment with Lady Darchana, and she sees the Pathfinders first thing in the morning. They are treated well with exquisite cuisine and drink. After their tales of zigzagging around the city to find one culprit after another, Lady Darchana is pleased with the results. "Pathfinders, you have done a great service to Absalom today. The full extent, understandably, may never be widely known or recognized by the sleeping masses, but know that the Pathfinder Society can count on me as a friend and ally, and I hope that I may call upon you again in the future should the need arise."

Upon returning to the Grand Lodge, the debriefing begins with the task at hand. As Ambrus learns the papers had a signature "Muhlia" on them, he sighs heavily. "A former ally of the Society? I wonder what she is after... but this is definitely a clue. A shame you were unable to retrieve the documents intact, but some foes are smart enough to destroy damning evidence."

Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri was the faction leader of Qadira when the campaign started. She has been mentioned in several occasions.

Rilla recounts what she can to Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin and the Pathfinder Agents about her time spent in the Okeno slave markets on Stonespire Island, confirming several interactions with a heavily veiled humanoid woman who forcibly took blood samples on two occasions.

"What about my colleagues who were assigned with me, captain? Any word of them?" Rilla Nevon inquires.

Ambrus Valsin shakes his head, "No contact,"

FIN