[PFS2e Gameday X] GM Chadius: 1-10 Tarnbreaker's Trail (Inactive)

Game Master chadius

Khenari folds her arms, trying to stay warm being the highest on her concern list. If she could swear some sort of vengeance on the cold she would, instead using that as focus to help her compatriots win.

Argoni waves to the crowd enthusiastically. He pulls his coat around himself to keep him war, but also to show off the magnificent colors. "Man, they don't like those Varki, do they?"

Then he waves to the Ulfens of Two Houses, realizing that they are the ones related to Grehunde. He goes over to say hello. "Hi! I'm Argoni, do you remember me? I didn't know racing was in your family too!"

Diplomacy +4

”Greetings, Pathfinders. I’m Dahlia, the host here.” The gray haired woman strides towards you. ”Every team racing in the Balgirdtrek gets a starter pack. Even if they don’t start the race.” She snaps her fingers as an elf runs up and offers you a bag.

You receive a race pack containing three minor healing potions, a single climbing kit, vouchers for lodging in Frostgarten, flint and steel, a signal whistle, and a list of supplies. She eyes each of you as you look through the bag and read the list.

”Here’s a list of equipment you might want to purchase. You should definitely make sure you have some of the winter clothes, tent and a hatchet. You’re going to be out there for 4 days. Every year one team gets buried in a snowstorm, or they wander from the checkpoints at night and need rescue, or they lose their supplies in the branches of a tree they can’t cut down. But I’m certain that won’t happen to newcomers like you, right?”

The list reads:
- winter clothes
- tent
- hatchet
- rations
- healer's kit
- 100 feet of hemp rope
- repair kit

”You have about 3 hours until the race begins. Feel free to buy supplies from the merchants here.” She pauses. ”Do you need a refresher on the rules, or can I deliver supplies to the other teams?”

You can spend 1 hour to make a secret Diplomacy check to Gather Information from the clients. You can either spoiler the skill check or provide me the bonus and I’ll roll for you.

Aldonza doesn't get a lot of recognition from the Ulfen, but she finds the Faegrim Axebinder of the Wryding Wayfinders clapping and paying attention.

Argoni, I'll assume you talk to the Two Houses team after meeting Dahila.

Aldonza heads over to Faegrim Axebinder, and introduces herself with a curtsy. ”They said the competition would be impressive, but I didn’t expect the Winter Queen herself!”, she says with a smile. ”Any advice for a polar bear cub like me?”

Diplomacy +6

Khenari already owned a good amount of the supplies including that of a pup tent, a healer's kit, and at the least 50 feet of rope in her backpack. She expected those around her to have the rest of the needed supplies to be able to do the rest of the trek.

Argoni will buy a pup tent, a repair kit, and winter clothing.

Zoresk will leave the talking to the ones with a silver tongue. He goes to the supply room and purchases a pup tent and hatchet. The other supplies he has with him already.

Does our resident healer have a healer's kit or do you rely on the Divine....

Does our resident healer have a healer's kit or do you rely on the Divine....

Argoni has a healer's kit for out of combat healing. In combat, we might rely on Khenari for healing.

_Zoresk_ wrote:

Does our resident healer have a healer's kit or do you rely on the Divine....

Argoni has a healer's kit for out of combat healing. In combat, we might rely on Khenari for healing.

As statted in rp context, I wrote that she had one already for use including a small tent

Then he waves to the Ulfens of Two Houses, realizing that they are the ones related to Grehunde. He goes over to say hello. "Hi! I'm Argoni, do you remember me? I didn't know racing was in your family too!"

"Who the- oh! It's Argoni!" Leif gets up and gives Argoni a backbreaking hug. "You're on the mystery team, eh? Come on, let me show you around!" He turns to his friends. "Oluf, get over here. Stop checking out the roasted figs, we got a bushel of them waiting at home!" Oluf rolls his eyes and moves along side his mate.

"This is the love of my life Oluf. And over there are my second best friends Steen and Unn. Steen's good at breaking locks with things besides his head, and Unn runs the local apothecary when she's not bandaging his head!" He slaps his knee and laughs as he and Leif practically drag Argoni over.

Steen and Unn are checking out some of the various ropes on sale. Unn picks up one of them. "So this was Sherri's Rope Emporium, I'd recognize it from anywhere. She has a a beautiful view of the lake. We should go there this year, after the race." Steen picks up another length of rope, and pulls it to test its strength. "Barney always liked this rope- remember when he almost tumbled off a cliff when his beard got tangled in it? He said the rope was almost as strong! We should visit him and his archery range afterward- I'd love to do some target practice."

Leif catches their attention and then pushes Argoni to the front. "He found your grandpa's gorget? Incredible!" Steen lights up. "I've never cracked open a hydra's mouth before. You gotta tell me more about it!"

Argoni realizes the Two Houses team have taken quite a shining to him and are very Friendly as a result.

Aldonza heads over to Faegrim Axebinder, and introduces herself with a curtsy. ”They said the competition would be impressive, but I didn’t expect the Winter Queen herself!”, she says with a smile. ”Any advice for a polar bear cub like me?”

"Winter Queen? That's a new one." Faegrim turns to Aldonza. "But I like that title- it boasts a bit." Aldonza can smell a bit of ale off of her breath. "The squires will love it. Winter Prince and Princess. Sassa will make it a new headline, I can tell."

"But right, back to your question. Wax your skis. The easiest way teams lose time is by driving rough skis across this terrain- too much friction. And keep your eyes peeled for danger, you never know. Someone always gets lost in a snowstorm or caught in an avalanche."

She looks at her squires running around, arguing while buying supplies as a human woman follows them, her head buried in her notebook. "Before the crowds form again, should I sign your logbook?"

Aldonza knows the Wryding Wayfinders are now quite Friendly towards her team.

After your preparations complete, Dahila returns to you. "Alright, time to go over the rules."

"You're going to make an overland trek to each checkpoint. You won't see civilization again until the end of the race, so take it in now." She grins. "Each checkpoint has some kind of obstacle to overcome. I'll tell you what they are when you get there, so don't worry about that."

"The winning team not only gets there the fastest but also completes the tasks successfully. Two Houses technically crossed the finish line first a few years ago, but Wryding Wayfinders did really well on the river crossing, earning them the victory. So don't feel terrible if you fall behind."

You notice some of the officials are already sledding out of town, en route to the first checkpoint. Others are returning to the town square to officially begin the race.

Zaos after putting on his winter clothes starts moving along. Coming along the rest of you Pathfinders, this should be fun.

Zoresk smirks as the race is set to begin. "Agreed. Let's go make a name for ourselves."

Aldonza comes huffing back from her shopping trip. She smiles at Zoresk. ”That’s the spirit!”, she declares.

Argoni comes back with a warm woolen overcoat and other supplies. "Ok, Roadies! Ready to go!"

You finish your purchases and return to the starting position. Already the other teams have lined up at the start line. "Come on, slowpokes! Enough tourism for today, you've got a race to win!" Dahila waves you over as some of the crowd chuckles.

"As Balgrid once said, persistence will save the day but speed will keep your butt warm! Good luck to everyone here. We'll see you in four days at the finish line. Now go!" One of the officials makes an arcane gesture and sparkles fly into the air giving a loud POP!

And you're off!

Pick a skill that will help you traverse the landscape for the rest of the day. Relevant skills might be Athletics, Nature, and Survival, but if you can explain other skills I’ll allow it.

Zaos powers through athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 Unless this is a secret check, you know my modifier is +6

Argoni tries to use the natural features of the land to help guide them and avoid any dangerous drop-offs.

Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

So bundled up in plenty of clothing that any Calistrian, let alone one of the priesthood would be caught dead seen wearing such, Khenari trudged through the snowy land as the race began, "This can't be too bad, maybe Calistria has granted me the strength to percevier through this repugnant climate," she speaks of one clearly accustomed to warmer weather.

Nature Check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Aldonza steps lively over the snow and ice.

”We’re Agents of the Open Road! Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’re always in Adventure Mode! Hurrah! Hurrah!
We travel over hill and dale!
We kick some ass, then we prevail!
And we’re Balgirdtrekkin’ across the frozen north!

“Hmm, gotta work on that last bit”

Athletics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Zoresk begins the trek, trudging through the snow, looking back ever so often to check on the others.

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Will go ahead and reroll that.

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 better

Argoni hits the snow, full of energy on this clear day. He's so energetic he finds himself playing with the snow, kicking it and melting it between his toes. Aldonza spends her time helping him get back on track, slowing both of them down.

Zaos has no trouble finding a good route. Zoresk seems lost at first, only to correct himself.

By the first hour, Khenari was already tired of the wintry climate. She had to tie up her boots so snow wouldn't fall in. She had to cover her arms because of the biting wind. And her hair was entombed within an insulating fox hood. The sooner she could get to the checkpoint the sooner she could let loose. Zaos and Zoresk were taking too long for her tastes, so she chose a path and simply ran ahead. Fortune favors the bold as she found several shortcuts the rest of the 'Roadies could follow.

When you reach the first checkpoint, Dahila waves you all over. ”Enjoying the race? Good. You're on pace for victory, but your first major challenge is up ahead. Come on, I'll show ya."

A small, frigid stream runs between the dense pines, opening onto a frozen pond. To the east, a few small columns of smoke rise above the trees from several small campfires. To the north, a dozen caribou walk along the surface of the ice, snuffling and pawing at the thin grasses poking up from the snowy shoreline. As a race official watches over the small herd, the wind carries the gentle sound of bells.

Dahila watches the crossing with a smile as warm as the summer. ”Balgrid’s pack horse was lost in a blizzard. So what did he do? He tracked a herd of caribou for an entire week. They almost trampled his brains out. But let me tell you, when you tame one of ‘em they bond with you for life. Reminds me of Old Tucker...” She loses her professionalism for just a moment before resuming.

She turns to you. ”Listen up. There are a dozen caribou on that ice. Four of them have bells around their necks. You need to be kind or quiet as you approach them and get those bells. You need at least one bell to proceed, and you’ll earn more points for more bells. Just… don’t get trampled in the process.”

One of you should perform a Perception check to notice a caribou with a bell. Then you should make a Stealth or Nature check to actually approach the caribou and get that bell.

The rest of you can also attempt to get a bell with a Perception + Stealth/Nature check. OR you can try to Aid your teammates. OR you can choose to do nothing.

Khenari was still in a foul mood and had made no exceptions between nature and her teammates, "This was, come on. I'll be damned if we don't win this thing!" she spoke, near commanding her teammates as she lead them through unexpected shortcuts, the cold wind biting at her the entire time. She was far from a team mother but somehow fulfilled that role in what could be said to be an unpleasant way.

When she arrived she could finally relax a little, but only enough for her to be in comfort of what could be said to be civilization. When she heard the challenge she was far from excited. "You want us to not spook a herd of wild animals..."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Calistria smiles upon me, another crit success. Though I am not jinxing it.

"One of you want to help get it?"

I can get that bell, me goblin. stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Argoni walks up to the edge of the field, squinting to look at the necks of the various caribou. When he thinks he's spotted a bell, he pulls out two reagents from his satchel and mixes them. He swallows down the mutagen and then he tries his luck to sneak up on his target.

Using Quicksilver Mutagen. 4 points of damage.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Stealth (mutagen): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 6 + 1 = 18

Seeing that his team mates seem to have the obstacle handled. Zoresk hangs back and takes a breather.

Khenari manages to spot all 4 caribou with bells. Maybe Calistria is enjoying watching one of her own suffer.

Zaos quickly and quietly moves up to one of the Caribou, sneaking off with one of the bells.

Argoni drinks some liquid down. It burns on the way down, but it also gets him to a second caribou quietly.

Two belled Caribou remain.

Do you want to try your luck against the other two or call it here?

Aldonza puts her black cloak aside, to reduce her contrast against the ice. She then slinks along the surface on all fours, creeping toward the caribou like a spider.

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Oh, more bells, okay.
stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 Why not, we goblins greedy, so I grab two.

One of the officials moves up, clapping. "Er, congratulations... Agents of the Open Road. Are any of you hurt? Injured? Do you need to take a rest?" He scans all of you for injuries.

"No injuries at all? Er, well, congratulations." The official begins fiddling with an arrow head, slightly agitated. "Ah, Dahila's coming. I'll leave you to it, then." The official turns and makes a hasty retreat.

Dahila approaches you a few minutes later. "Four bells? Four points. Good job... Roadies." She takes a swig from her waterskin. "You're tied for first. The Two Houses team have a patented strategy that involves Steen making so much noise the herd doesn't notice Oluf grabbing two handfuls of bells. Dumb luck if you ask me."

At this checkpoint you can speak to the officials to get information about the next challenge. Make a Diplomacy check to Gather Information.

OR You can speak to the other teams here to improve their opinion of you.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Argoni watches the official leave. "Hey, did you see that? Almost like he was wanting an excuse to delay us. And that arrowhead has markings like one of the Without Trace or Fail team. I mean, you don't think there's a connection do you?"

The halfling goes to hang around the race officials seeing if he can chat them up.

Diplomacy +4

Aldonza’s eyes narrow at the official’s receding back. ”Tricky tricky”, she mutters to Argoni. ”Let’s keep an eye on that one”

Then she heads over to the Fangs of the Remorhaz. ”Greetings, fellow underdogs! Aldonza Delamorte”, she says with a curtsy. ”How about those caribou?”

Diplomacy +6

Argoni tries to talk to the officials to get a hint on the next leg of the race, but they are keeping their mouths shut. He isn't able to make much headway.

Aldonza sits down with the Fangs of the Rhemoraz. "Oh hey there!" Ylva waves hello. "Sit down, sit down. Olin is preparing some caribou stew. You add some rosemary, some garlic and YUM!" She pats her tummy and stares longingly into the cooking tent.

Her twin brother Marbin laughs. "Runa had a great plan- emphasis on had- but then Ylva challenged me to a match of Hop, Skip, Jump. She botched the Jump just as Runa got underfoot. The caribou panicked and almost trampled Olin."

"I didn't lose, it was a practice round!" Ylva snaps back. "And Runa saved him. Runa's always saving our butts." She sighs. "Hopefully our luck picks up, but it's been pretty fun so far. I hope you're having fun."

Olin pokes his head from the tent, still scuffed from bruises. "Soup's ready- whoa!" He points past you to the scene of the murder.

Just outside of the camp, you see a caribou carcass on the ground, kissed frozen by the air. Something tore it apart, but what?

If you want to examine the body, make a Nature or Medicine check.

If you want to look for animal prints or clues, make a Survival check.

"He could have been just looking out for us, but, that arrowhead is odd."

Later he examines the Caribou carcass.

nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Zoresk notices the massive paw prints that was stalking around the caribou herds. There must have been one heck of a bear prowling around these parts, easily twice as large as the normal bears around here.

If anyone wants to recall these facts about the bear for the purposes of Hunt Prey or a similar ability, you can do so now.

I could designate it as my prey and it could give me a bonus to track it. I do not have Monster Hunter, so no free check to recall knowledge. I can attempt a recall knowledge on bears though with a +7

"Some massive bear prints here." Zoresk tells the other. "best be on the look out"

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

The elven woman didn't seem to like the idea that one of the officials was being paid off by another team. it just meant that they'd have to work harder in order to get back at them, "Best then for us Mr. Slate that we make our leave from this place as soon as we can and continue onward, Calistria smiles upon those proactive. Let our potential victory be the perfect revenge."

Know. Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Looking down at the carcass she could hold herself from grimacing before turning away.

Zaos will examine the body nature: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

"Yeah, that's a big bear, Zoresk." Olin breathes uneasy. "I guess that's why we're supposed to stay at the checkpoints overnight."

Zaos takes a look at the caribou's wounds and sees wounds from a single claw strike. The size suggests the wounds are the size of his waterskin, maybe even larger.

"Everyone keep a look out for this thing." Marbin looks at the paw prints. "I'll warn the officials about it. Save some stew for me!" He runs off just as Olin stands alert. "Oh jeez, the stew!" He runs back to the cooking tent. "Burned the pot a bit, but it should still be mostly edible!"

Anyone else wants to chat with the officials or talk to a different team? Otherwise we can fast forward to the next day.

Distaste for the Without Trace or Fail grew in her stomach as she attempted to find out more information from the lot of them about. Using a bit of wordplay and deception, she might be be able to coax them out into a proper confession, deciding to pick on one when they were somewhat alone.

"So... is it true northern men and women swim in the nude here, jumping into cold waters in the morning to rile them up?" she says, being completely sincere or at least acting like it

Diplomacy, though if you want Deception is +6: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Gruen cleans his bearskin cloak, one stroke at a time. It's important to get each dirt speck and push it away. The natural oils will get the water out before it freezes, but too many strokes means your arms will freeze right off.

Khenari's very presence shocks him out of his cleaning, and he has to wipe his arms dry. "What do you know of-" he catches himself. "Some do. There are some hot springs around here, but the cold rivers and lakes are much easier to find." He quickly shakes the water out of his cloak and shrugs before donning it.

"Adults who are finally of age and newly married tend to challenge themselves. The strength of your bond determines how much you can endure." He holds his arms closer to the campfire. "Sometimes there are group swimming events. The Bluetongues are infamous for going every month and dominating all challengers, like they were made of ice." He suppresses a smile. "I once met Sigrun there, half submerged and smiling. She even winked at me when she caught me lost in thought."

"Er, where was I? Oh yes. Rumors were exaggerated, but there is a bit of truth in it. Alright, away with you. I have 3 other cloaks to clean and I need to concentrate."

Khenari realizes she made some inroads, and the Without Trace or Fail team will be quite Friendly from here on out.

With your preparations complete, it's time to take a rest.

Storm clouds block out the sun, and bitter winds lacerate the landscape. Still, you see the other teams press on.

Time to travel for another day. Pick a skill that will help you traverse the landscape for the rest of the day. Relevant skills might be Athletics, Nature, and Survival, but if you can explain other skills I’ll allow it.

Zaos powers through again athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Argoni tries to shelter from the chilling winds using the natural features as he moves across the landscape.

Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Zoresk will stick to survival.

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 +1 circumstance if it is forest terrain

"I'll have to remember such strange customs when I return to Absalom," she says, at least getting on someone's good side before she returned to her group.

Nature: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Much like the day before, Khenari does well to get through the day even with the current weather.

Aldonza greets the morning with a cheery smile. ”Another day, another snowdrift!”, she declares, as she high-steps through the frigid terrain.

Athletics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10