[PFS1e] GM Deussu's #2-03 The Rebel's Ransom CORE (Tier 5-9) (Inactive)

Game Master Deussu

The adventure begins in Sothis, Osirion. Please make a post and delete the post, so the campaign shows in your active campaigns page.

The shifting sands of Osirion have been known to swallow entire communities, wiping them from the face of Golarion. Those same dunes sometimes uncover that which has been lost, revealing secrets from the past. In a nation with a rich and mysterious history, such discoveries set off a rush of exploration, but the deserts are not a safe place, and more than one group of treasure-hunters has donated their bones to the sands. When Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir contacted the agents this morning in Sothis, the story was a familiar one. A group of Pathfinders has gone missing in the desert and he would like to send another to find them. The new agents have been asked to meet at his office to discuss the rescue.

The hastily gathered group of agents meet at the Pathfinder lodge in Sothis, Osirion. It's past breakfast time in the morning, and venture-captain Norden Balentiir wipes the remaining bread crumbs from his cheeks.

"Welcome, dear agents of the Society. Excellent that you made it here with such urgency," Norden Balentiir says with a thick Osiriani accent, "please, get acquainted with each other. It's important to know whom you work with, especially since the mission at hand will take you to the desolate desert. You'll need cooperation more than ever."

The venture-captain expects each pathfinder to introduce themselves, giving it ample time. Meanwhile he fills the vases with fresh water, and some other menial chores. Once introductions are done, he continues. (As described, please introduce your characters to one another.)

Norden clears his throat and stands at the end of the table. "Just over a month ago, a merchant traveling through the Parched Dunes stumbled across the entrance of an ancient tomb, uncovered by the sands. Most likely a strong sandstorm. He sold the location of the tomb to the markets here in Sothis, where the knowledge was quickly brought to the Ruby Prince's attention. He contacted me later the same day to arrange for a group of Pathfinder agents to explore the tomb and bring back its riches. The group left the next morning. They kept in contact via magic for most of the journey, but shortly after entering the tomb itself," Balentiir pauses, and sighs heavily, "they lost contact and have not been heard of for four days."

"Understandably I'm worried for both their and your safety. My intention is to send you to this very same tomb, find the missing Pathfinders, and complete the mission, if possible. Please, if you have any questions regarding your mission, do so now. I intend to send you on your way immediately after briefing."

The [u]Google Slides document[/u] has been updated. Please see page 3 for the portrait of venture-captain Norden Balentiir. You may write notes on said page in the reserved field.

Irizati is a burly man of medium height and homely features. He seems oddly comfortable in full plate (If we are in the desert I would be casting Endure Elements on myself and Baloo every night.) made of black dragon scales. Outside you spotted a Dire Tiger but it was wearing Mithral barding, had a training harness, and is hitched to a post with a cord that is clearly just a token gesture.

He nods to everyone as they enter.

"Hello. I'm Irizati. A druid of some repute wherever exotic components are bought and sold. Outside is Baloo. He is a good boy. I'm glad to be back on the material plane for a bit."

A stooped old man wearing a scholars robe and rather thick glasses stumbles into the room. He removes the glaseses, polishes them, puts them back on and then examines the room with a wary gaze.

"Is this the Patched dunes expedition? I was told you needed at Osirionist? " he asks.

Then, taking in the members within the room he carefully takes a seat, lowering his aged bones to the rather comfortable setting.

"Khellek, scholar and historian. You have probably heard of some of my work? "

He does glance nervously over his shoulder toward the entrance. "You would never believe the creature I just passed coming in here. It was like one of the guardian statues from the time of the pharaoh of plagues." he shudders.

Turning toward Norden he asks. "What can you tell us of the team we are trying to locate? And how did they stay in magical communications with you? "

He pauses before adding "I don't suppose they sent any indication of the age of the tomb before they vanished? Inscriptions? Rubbings? Anything at all? Could we maybe talk with the person who discovered the ruins..who knows what we might learn from them?"

A blue haired gnome hurries into the room, grabbing a chair. ”Sorry I’m late. But you all aren’t going to believe what I just saw. A tiger as big as a house, seemed like. It didn’t growl at me, but I didn’t get to close. Im Doodle. I’ve got a bit of dragon blood in my family. It flares up in weird ways sometimes,” she says with a shrug of her shoulder and a grin.

”Heading to a scary old tomb? That sounds like something we do! I hope the others are okay. Anyone ever been to that desert before? I wonder what type of creatures hang out there?”

Under the cover of the gnome's ebullience and charm, a tall, pale-haired elf slouches silently into the room. The hilt of a curve blade protrudes over one shoulder, and a cased bow rides over the other. All of his garb and armor seem to have been carefully darkened to avoid any betraying gleam of light. He scans the assembled group quickly (and a little nervously, it seems) before relaxing and smiling. "Khellek, it's good to be working with you again. Have, ah, is Alaric part of the team?"

As Doodle arrives he tries to suppress a shudder. "Oh... I think I saw that too. " he looks carefully behind her. "You're not that gnome that hangs about with Ms Apopolanna are you? ". With a sigh he adds "Someone please tell me that young lady, and I use the term lightly, is not on this expedition."

Then Tere arrives. A smile cracks the elderly scholars face for the first time.

"Ahh, young, or perhaps not quite so young, Mr di Montefeltro! Did you remember that essay I set you on the immediate after effects of the Eye of Abendego on the people of the Mwangi Expanse? Because it has not yet crossed my desk..."

”Wow, I haven’t seen Apopolanna in a long, long time. If you run across her any time soon, please tell her I said hey! I hope she’s had some fun adventures over the years,” Doodle exclaims, clearly not understanding that Khellek wasn’t remembering his past with her former friend fondly.

Norden Balentiir smiles at Khellek, "You are the right place, scholar. This is indeed the Parched Dunes expedition."

"The previous team was a small group of just three experienced explorers. Led by Jilarni Golgarna, a veteran from Galt, the group also included Jojack Harnast, a dwarven trap expert, and Gilleon Samsil, a human sorcerer of some skill. They used a Sending spell as their form of communication, which had been imprinted on a magic item for their use. It's possible the magic has worn off and they just haven't been able to send messages but are alright themselves, but I cannot trust that."

"The tomb itself is called the Hall of Seven Scepters and it is supposedly the final resting place of a powerful merchant prince. Unfortunately, I personally haven't had time to read about this particular tomb.”

Khellek has +26 to Knowledge (history), so I don't bother to put but one spoiler.

"And regarding who found the tomb, well, he has wished to remain anonymous after selling this information. It has been proven, however, that the seller is not luring people into a trap. At least of his own doing."

"There are no rubbings or other inscriptions provided yet, and that was the first Pathfinder group's mission to retrieve as many artifacts as possible and to bring them back to Sothis where they would be properly compensated by the Ruby Prince."

Khellek scratches his head for a moment.

"That name sounds like something from the Age of Enthronement. Wait a moment..."

He reaches into a satchel and rummages for a moment before pulling out a book.

"Yes... Hall of Seven Scepters. I thought it sounded familiar. It is briefly mentioned as the final resting place of Alkhet Utmari, a powerful merchant prince from the early 1200s AR. Definitely age of Enthronement, and prior to the Keleshite Satrapy. The seven scepters refer to gifts he gave to his six wives, copies of the instrument he carried himself. The location of his tomb was lost after a great sandstorm. "

He pauses and pulls out another book. "Yes, in the accounts of Amud-re... we see him again, he spent a fortune on architects and engineers. And these...these were famous for the nefarious traps and diabolical puzzles they could construct."

He looks up. "I see why the previous expedition had a trap expert with them." A questioning look crosses his face as he eyes up the rest of the expedition. "Are any of you good at finding such things... without walking into them?"

Irizati looks clearly dismayed at the bit about puzzles and traps.

"Finding? Yes. Walking into them? Yes."

Norden Balentiir looks apologetic. "You must understand that professional trapsmiths are scarce. I tried to contact some within the Society, but none were available in such short notice. At least not in Sothis."

"But you look like folk who are skilled in arcane ways. I might suggest potions giving keen eyes, or just good plain old find traps."

"And bring with you so much rations you are able to explore the tomb for an extended time. If you rush it, it might become dangerous."

"Can you tell us any of the other preparations the previous team made?" asks Khellek.

"I do worry about others trying to find the tomb. Once word got out about it, others could have either found it by searching, or tried to track down the man who did find it...and offered inducements to provide its location."

From the way he emphasizes "inducements", makes it clear they may have been unpleasant inducements.

He does nod at the suggestion of extra food.

"And ways to deal with the heat as well. Last time I was in the desert... it was not comfortable."

That said, while the old man fans himself and makes a big thing of the heat, not a drop of sweat can be seen on his brow.

”It might be smarter to throw in on a wand of endure elements. I’ve also got a few scrolls for backup. I definitely need to buy much more food,” Doodle says, cataloging the VCs words.

"If we are worreid about food, then there are some magical steps that could be taken.." suggests Khellek.

"Simple rings of sustenance are not expensive. But if more than one of us requires them, then perhaps investing in a spoon of sustenance may be better."

"How far away is the tomb? Is there a map for the route?"

The venture-captain nods and walks over to a drawer, pulling it open and reveals a large map of Osirion, which he lays down on the table.

"West of Sothis, in the Parched Dunes. On the other side of the Pillars of the Sun. The Scarab river maybe once during history reached the tomb, but it's already 25 miles away. You can make a stop at Eto to refill, it should be 50 miles from the city," Norden Balentiir explains, as he places his finger on the map, tracing all the local landmarks, "it's far from any established trade routes. You shouldn't expect to encounter caravans."

Earlier:

The elf looks crestfallen at Khellek's question. "Wait, I thought that was due next year. I'll get on it once we finish the mission."

During the briefing:

"I'm, ah, adequate at disarming traps."

Eto.. again." sighs Khellek. "Last time I was there... oh well.. So we travel by boat to Eto, and then we go across the Parched dunes? I seem to recall we can acquire camels in Eto... Is that still the case Captain?"

He peers over his glasses at Tere, but says nothing. The look however is one which more than one tardy student has suffered.

"Eto? By boat?" the venture-captain looks confused, "you must be confusing it with some city on the River Sphinx. Eto is built upon a sizeable oasis."

"Best if you catch a caravan to travel to Eto, and from there either by foot or with camels." (But in core you cannot get camels.)

Please tell me when you are ready to advance. The trip to Eto will most likely be quite uneventful since it's a well-traversed trade route. From Eto the last stretch is when you are on your own.

"I'll rent a horse when we get to Eto." sighs Khellek.

"I seem to recall hearing there had been a recent run on camels there, and they could not be acquired for love or money."

As soon as the meeting with Norden is over Irizati introduces everyone to Baloo.

"Friends. Okay? Don't eat them."

To the party "Don't worry, As long as he is well fed things will be fine. Deserts are not my specialty but I'll do my best to keep everyone alive on this trip."

He then makes some quick purchases.

Tere looks from the druid to the tiger, and back again. "Does he like snacks? I've worked with, with another druid who has a raptor companion, and once Shredder figured out that I was a soft touch he turned into a little pig."

"Anything bloody will do. And pets behind the ear."

Leaving Sothis behind, the Pathfinders begin to travel towards Eto by caravan. Although not the absolute fastest mode of transport, it is reliable and comfortable in the scorching desert. The caravan route stops at an oasis or campsite each evening. The caravan consists of the usual bunch; merchants, couriers, adventurers, and guards.

After seven nights on the sandy trade route, the lights of Eto finally come to view. The small city often benefits from trades and provides a hub for adventurers who seek treasures from the hidden tombs of the desert.

It is from there where the Pathfinders must make their last stretch of travel alone. From what Balentiir explained, it should take maybe three days of navigating in the hostile desert to reach the ancient tomb. This sun-baked land has few markers and little in the way of respite from the relentless heat.

Since you most likely have endure elements active, there is no reason to roll Fortitude saves. And whoever is navigating may roll a survival check to stay on course.

Food is often a neglected feature, but since there’s a chance you are searching the tomb for multiple days, I’d wish you to count the rations. Irizati can cast create water, so you won’t run out of that.

Khellek sits on his horse, squinting into the distance. As the rock walls surrounding Eto finally heaves into sight, he heaves his own sigh of relief.

"Let us hope the guards on the gate are not, once again, going to try and shake us down for artefacts and baksheesh." he mutters, having experienced the over zealous guards and customs agents on more than one trip to the town.

"There are a number of quite acceptable accommodation providers" he adds. "And for the sophisticated, there are more salubrious establishments for refreshment than the watering holes down at the caravamserai. I highly recommend the Dancing Dunes myself. At least during the day."

He does cast a bit of a look at Baloo though. "I don't recall their policy with regard to pets, but I suspect they may draw the line at someone his size..."

"He's housetrained. If they have an issue with him me and Baloo can wait on the outskirts of town. Anyone have a Wayfinder I can borrow?"

survival to stay on course not counting any aids or loaned Wayfinders: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32

Irizati will also be using a combination of the Survival skill and late day Commune With Nature to top up supplies.

Survival for food not counting aids: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28
aid from Baloo: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Daily buffs are Greater Magic fang on Irizati and Baloo and Longstrider on Irizati. All extended via lesser rod. Also casting 3 Endure Elements and Commune with Nature each day.

Khelelk sighs. "Of course, I picked it up during my confirmation".

He fishes around inside the pockets in his robe. First one, then another.
"I'm sure it is here somewhere.."

Eventually it turns up, in the second pocket he checked initially.

"I'll put a chain on it and hang it around my neck one day."

Irizati is a well-traversed pathfinder, and even without Khellek's trusty old wayfinder, he'd find the way. After a long walk in the endless dunes, going up and down the monotonous sandy hills, they find a small oasis on the bottom of a valley between two taller dunes. Khellek's horse, for instance, is eager to get a drink. The oasis looks like it's seldom used by travelers as a campsite, though there aren't many clues. A few strands of twine hang from the small palm trees indicating a visit within a month.

First night out in the open. Care to prepare yourselves for the night?

Since the plan was for Irizati to cast Commune with Nature a bit before we camp he will know the following within a few miles: general animal population, presence of powerful unnatural creatures, and since water is covered, people.

Doodle will have cast Mage Armor with her new extend Metamagic rod which will last 18 hours.

Irizati's magic tells of only minute creatures like small lizards and other desert animals to be about, but they pose no threat to the pathfinders. Regarding plant life, the surrounding oasis hold all plant life there is within the spell's radius.

"I'll take first watch. Tere how about you take second and Doodle takes 3rd. I'll look around for food."

Irizati investigates the surroundings near the camp during his watch. He leaves Baloo at the camp guarding but Irizati makes sure not to wander out of sight of the camp.

Khellek gets wearily off his horse and finds a position in the shade near the oasis. Rummaging around in the saddle bag as the horse goes for a drink, he finds his own mug, and then, taking a few steps away from the horse, has a drink of his own.

"I'll brush up on ancient Osirion architecture..." he suggests, taking out yet another text from a suspiciously small bag he has slung over his shoulder.

"Ahh, here we go 'Common themes in Osirion funeral architecture of the second age.' It's a classic."

The elf nods. "I'm probably the best suited for the midwatch. If something happens I'll try to rouse Irizati and Baloo first." He doffs his light tan kheffiyeh and makes sure his weapons are ready to hand before bedding down during the first watch.

Khellek, would you mind carrying spare rations for all of us, in case the horses get spooked and run off? I'm figuring we're keeping most of the food in saddlebags.

"By all means. Just make sure they are well wrapped. " agrees the scholar.

"I made the mistake of putting a class load of assignments in my bag once without checking them. One had marmalade over it. You can just imagine what that did to my copy of 'Ice Sculpting in the Frozen North - a treatise on the Soturi family'. " he sighs.

"I had to return to the northlands in order to secure a replacement..."
A sly smile crosses his elderly face. "And quite the trip that turned out to be..."

"I'm no expert, but isn't there magic that would've cleaned it off?"

"Have you seen what that *magic* does to old tombs? Honestly... half the value of the books is in their annotations and..."

He shakes his head. From his bluster, you would guess he either didn't think about that, or didn't actually notice the damage until it was far too late to do anything about it.

With a roll of his eyes he concedes "Subsequent to that misadventure I have learned a spell that would help. But do you know how many books I have stored in there? It'd take a week to clean them all. A week. Maybe two."

And maybe he exaggerates.

Tere nods. "Right, and even if you magicked the marmalade off of the book, it wouldn't put smeared ink back into place. So no marmalade. I'll use honey instead." The elf tries to keep a straight face and fails.

Khellek pauses for a moment before recognizing humor. Then realises it is humor at his expense. Pauses again and then sinks to the ground to consider what a witty response might be.

"Ahh, yes. Even honey would have a hard time making your words sweet." he eventually delivers.

Tere shakes his head. "I'm, ah, not the best at this, but I can still tell that you need to put a few ranks into Perform (Comedy) if you want to do that."

Eventually the friendly banter ends when one after another dozes off. Irizati vigilantly stays up as the rest crawl into their bedrolls or tents.

First watch is uneventful albeit the cloudless sky gives a magnificent view to the open starlit sky. Irizati gets to wake Tere up for his turn to gaze upon the stars.

Tere seems to enjoy the silent night more than the others thanks to his profession, and the wild life is not there to bother his practice. He thought he heard some rustling, but it must have been merely a small vermin eating other vermin. The curse of keen senses. He, too, gets to wake Doodle up for the third and final shift.

Doodle has ample time to try out some alchemical experiments during her shift. The calm night continues, and the stars begin to fade away to the light of the Sun. Just before the rays hit the campsite beyond the horizon, the gnome wakes up everyone to be get ready to continue.

An uneventful night (which is good) in the open desert; everyone is well rested, as they had no fear of being ambushed by wild life or thieves thanks to Irizati's divining spell. The second day breaks to a beautiful, sunny weather. Once the party has eaten their breakfast (whatever it may be) and looked through their tomes, the Pathfinders set off to seek the Hall of the Seven Scepters.

Right, more exploration! A survival roll, if you please. Also, I absolutely love the banter between Khellek and Tere!

"Try to get along. We must cooperate to survive."

Irizatu does his usual morning preparations then again follows the map.

survival to stay on track before Wayfinder and aids: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22

The elf gives a quick smile as he finishes his biscuits and honey. "We do. Khellek and I go a long way back...and perhaps a little ways forward, too." He shakes his head. "The Sky Key changed things for me somehow, I think."

The scholar nods.

"Sometimes I wonder if that sense of deja vu.. Well, did we actually come back to where we started, or could it be we 'returned' to some other, parallel, timeline. I admit it is a little confusing either for me. I come to a town and think 'have I been here? Or is it that I am going to be here sometime in the future?'"

He shakes his head. "I had worried that it was just me getting old..." he concedes.

Irizati isn't as confident with his navigating skills now that they've been on the desert for a whole day now. Nevertheless, his experience with the wilderness proves to be strong. The group continues its journey towards the ancient tomb.

The rolling dunes of the Parched Desert seem to go on and on, without change. Beyond each ridge is another, and another, and another. As the Sun begins to set on the horizon, just over the next ridge next to a small oasis lies a nest of bones, rocks, and sand—a very large nest. This is likely the only oasis within range before the night falls.

"The watches turned out well. Same again yes?"

How many days left to the tomb?

Irizati assumes there to be only a day's travel left to the tomb.

As in we get there before tomorrow night?

The elf looks on the scene with some trepidation. "Khellek, what would nest in a place like that?"