Longroads Coffeehouse 2.0

Game Master chadius

Bella tilts her head to the side to avoid the lightning blast, and can't help but smile as Tombu isn't as lucky. "All bluster, no bite. That is the folly of a fight."

Khiari giggles. "Oh, I've met plenty who were big talkers but poor performers!"

Flat Check: 1d20 ⇒ 4
Athletics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Khiari tries to trip the rodent but she kicks up nothing but dust. "Oh well, I hope you like trees." She stomps her hoof, another tree rises from the ground and she kicks it over on the rat. It deals Bludgeoning Damage: 5d4 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 4, 1) = 10

◆ Trip misses due to Concealment
◆◆ Cast >Timber< Reflex DC 19 18 Save.

Stitch peeks out from behind his shield, hair standing up on end, and peeks at the falling Tombu "Heh"

He ◆ draws out his clan pistol and tries to take aim at the remaining smoky rat. He pulls the trigger, touching off the hammer and igniting the gunpowder charge.

BANG! Is what it should have sounded like. Instead there's just a puff of smoke and the steel shot rolls out the barrel and drops to the floor boards. "Damp powder.."

Concealed DC5: 1d20 ⇒ 13
◆ Ranged: Overdrive: +1 Striking Clan Pistol, Sickened: 1d20 + 12 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 1 = 12
Damage (P)(Fatal D10): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 = 6

"Roll in there and finish that ratty!" He ◆ commands.

Meat Wagon immediately downshifts into low gear, and for some reason rolls ahead and over the corpse of Tombu, blades pulsing a few times before rolling down through traffic and into the smoke cloud to attack the last rat.

Conceal DC5: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Melee (Overdrive): Bumper Ram: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Damage (B): 2d8 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2) + 4 + 3 = 11

Reflex: 1d20 ⇒ 15

The rat gets out of the way but a sharp SQUEEEEEEK! indicates that some of the tree came down on something important. Stitch fires at the rat but only a poof and a clack is heard as the shot bounces off Meat Wagon.

Meat rolls in and crashes into the rat, knocking it for a loop. It's still holding on by its bootstraps (if it had boots, that is!)

Fran again looks into the future and sends another pointy rock at Old Yeller.

TKP: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 for Piercing: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 5, 2) = 11
TKP: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22 for Piercing: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 3, 6) = 17

The rock flies true and a dull THUNK is heard. The smoke dissipates and you see a dead rat with a pointy rock in its torso.

Turning back to Tombu, you suddenly see something crawl out of his mouth. It resembles an oversized pinkish worm with four long tails that end in writhing fibrils. Its mouth splits into four segments like a profane tulip lined with rows of dozens of pointed teeth. It writhes for an instant before dying on the forest floor.

COMBAT OVER

The forest reverts to its true self. Mist pours in and a gentle rain falls, leaving a smoldering yet natural stretch of Finadar Forest with no enemies in sight. You find Urwal nearby, caught in a thicket. You also find a smoldering demon mask on the forest floor near the tear in realities you passed through.

You have an overnight rest so we can handwave medicine checks. If you have changes to your daily preparations, go ahead and make them. You won't get another chance :)

"That is... unnatural." Bella takes a practiced step back from the worm as it writhes before collapsing. "A emissary from hell?" She picks up the mask and grimaces. "It is well made."

Khiari waits for the rain to pass before she casts Timber again. This time a normal tree erupts from the earth and she exhales in relief. "Okay, looks like that is gone." She sighs and goes to retrieve Urwal. "Back to lizardsitting."

Stitch hurls over the side of Meat Wagon, finally clearing the persistent sickness from too much smoke "All I can taste is smoked rat... I'd rather almost anything else." He reloads and climbs down to check out Meat Wagon's damage.

"Fangs through some hoses.. and roasted igniters.. not the first time." He fixes it in a jiffy then turns his attention to helping out with anyone else's wounds.

"You're a great lizard sitter.. an even better lizard walker though!" He cackles at the HILARIOUS joke, nudging Nicole with an elbow to make sure she gets it too.

Deception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

No prep I can make really here. Also, does anyone even have intimidate trained? I do not. Meat Wagon does but can't use items.

At seeing the worm crawl out, Vardarel says “Verlik! Their disgusting form is likely the reason they hide in corpses.” He does look at the mask left behind, but doesn’t touch it. “Not my style.”

Khiari keeps her mouth shut, but her hooves picked up in tempo. Bella smirks.

As they stop for a night’s rest, Vardarel asks “Think we will have to put out any more fires?”

"It's the Finadar forest. If any place is flammable, it's this one." Clover gathers some smoky herbs. "Who's up for soup?"

As they stop for a night’s rest, Vardarel asks “Think we will have to put out any more fires?”

"I mean.. there's always a few sparks that get away right?" He side eyes Meat Wagon who's parked quietly behind Stitch, making a good back rest.

"Forest fires - carefully controlled fires - can be useful to prevent larger disasters." Bella recites. "Mother tried explaining in more detail but... that's what the rangers are for."

“If it is a normal fire, we have ways of controlling them. Guess it isn’t quite worth it.”

Daily prep done.

The next morning, Urwal leads you to a cliff with sculptured reliefs depicting images of Jadirahx’s long lineage and the dragons who preceded her

A cliff wall soars upward some sixty feet, featuring sculpted, rotating cylindrical sections of stone that display carved images of constellation scenes of dragons. Along the edges of the cliff-face artwork, carved dragon heads loom, all in poses of gnashing teeth. Near the cliff’s top, some forty feet above, lies the entrance to what appears to be an enormous cave, its arched mouth similarly etched in decorative stone, though sealed behind a portcullis shaped like stony teeth. Still in a trance, Urwal begins to climb.

Urwal climbs the cliff but gets stuck about 20 feet up, right about where the rotating sections start. From below, you can see that From 20 to 35 feet up the rockface is a section of wall adorned with rotating stone cylinders, each of which is decorated with constellations. Each cylinder turns to reveal different images: blank faces, single stars, or clusters of stars in patterns.

The 3 rotating cylinders are key to this puzzle but you still need to get up to Urwal.

DC 22 Perception to find an anchor point for the rope Urwal gave you

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
"Hmm... I do have that >Gecko Potion<. Now would be an excellent opportunity."

Khiari's Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
"Hey sis, think you could attach the rope over there?" Khiari points.

Vardarel's Survival (E): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

With Khiari pointing out a good spot, Vardarel gets out the rope of climbing the group was given and uses it.

Now having an easy way up, he goes to examine the wheels.
“The patterns match the stars in the night sky, the cosmic caravan.” He then starts pointing them out.

DC 18 Occultism: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

"You are right," she agrees to Vardarel. She then traces her fingers on the patterns. "These scenes depict various constellations and the various constellations match the Cosmic Caravan zodiac. Here are the Stargazer and Stranger constellations from Urwal's visions!"

Stitch calls up from down on the sturdy ground "So... now what?" He asks, knowing he'll likely disapprove of the answer.

Khiari finds a point to attach the rope.

You have options on how to proceed:
a. Either place the rope in Urwal's hand
b. Stop the rotating cylinders
Note that no matter what, you still need to unlock the portcullis.

Also how are you getting up the wall?

Actually, I'd like to know how Meat Wagon is getting up the side of a mountain! :)

Bella drinks the >Gecko Potion< and feels her hands as small hooks grow over her hands.

It's time to climb the wall.

Assuming Bella can make the climb, she tries to carefully stop the cylinders. "Urwal, one moment... Right, you cannot perceive me."

Nicole brings out the rope out of her bag but it is only 50 feet.

"Anyone with another rope? We can tie them together to make it longer and let someone secure the other end from the top of this cliff."

Nicole, we have a greater rope of climbing that Urwal gave us.

Thanks, I missed that.

Realizing she has a better rope to use, she ties it to her mundane rope to extend the length. She then animates it to reach the top of the cliff and secure itself to something sturdy.

"We can all climb up now with this rope."

"Well that's a handy rope, wonder who invented that?" He scratches the hairs on this chin, leaving some fresh grease over some old grease.

"If I had lots of time I could modify Meat's wheels for superior climbing grip, but I don't think we have that sort of time on our hands." He nods his head at Urwal stuck on the side of the cliff.

With downtime I can change my innovation's modification, but alas that's not an option: Reconfigure: Level 3: You've become an expert in all crafts and are always adjusting your inventions. You can attempt to change the modifications on your innovation by spending 1 day of downtime tinkering with it and attempting a Crafting check, with a high DC for your level. On a success, you can change one modification you've chosen for your innovation to a different modification of the same kind (initial, breakthrough, or revolutionary). If you have any modification feats, on a successful check you can choose to instead retrain a modification feat to a different modification feat. The new feat has to meet the standard restrictions for retraining.

"We got some tackle right? A magic rope, some climbing equipment.. if we get to the top I can build a crane out of that stuff and a couple sturdy trees in a jiff." He hops off Meat and starts sketching out his ideas in the dirt, poking Nicole to show off the design.

Craft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

"This looks fantastic, Stitch! If we have some free time, would you teach me how to make things like this?" Nicole examines the sketch, noting that even though it's drawn in the dirt, she can still make out the details.

"I think this is all good. Let's implement it!" she says with excitement.

Taking the rope of climbing, you easily scale the cliff face. With Vardarel and Nicole's guidance, you manage to stop the rotating cylinders into the proper constellation. With a grinding sound, the portcullis at the top of the cliff rises. Also, with the cylinders stopped, Urwal makes it up to the lair's mouth.

With some added time and some creativity, Stitch manages to haul Meat Wagon up the rope as well.

The cavern near the top of the cliff spirals down underground. Urwal staggers out of his trance as you all head into the cavern. He indicates that you’ve arrived at their destination and that he’s completely exhausted from the trance. He still accompanies you inside but still takes a secondary role. He lets you take the lead, that Urwal wants you to take credit for the accomplishments on this mission. A subterranean pool lies inside, with a simple wooden boat that you can use to go further into the lair.

Urwal paddles the boat towards a structure at the far end of the pool. An immense draconic form in dark green scales hunches in an immense stone entry chamber that opens up onto a rocky shore. Fungal blooms dot the massive form, while tears on the scales weep with a sickly violet liquid.

"You were almost too late." The wounded dragon wheezes, barely able to raise her head. She sits on her legs, attempting to display some sense of majesty, despite her vicious wounds. "I am Jadirahx, last of the guardians of the Finadar Forest, and I will not live much longer. I have required your presence so that I may impart my last wisdom onto you, and to ask a favor. I need protection for my forest after I pass."

"For generations, my family has guarded this forest, but a rotting sickness has caught hold in recent centuries. To protect the Finadar, I took most of the blight into myself. It has prevented me from combating the other evils that now assail my realm. You may call me evil for how vigorously I’ve defended this forest from outsiders," Jadirahx admits. "However, your kind has been as much a plague on this land as the rot that now twists in my veins. I seek only to protect this forest, and I think you and your Society do too. The Finadar needs help." The dragon coughs. "I will not leave my forest unguarded. I have watched you explore Min-Khadaim, and seen you disrupt the demon worshippers there. Will your Society care for the Finadar when I am gone? I hold precious information about the recent events happening in the Finadar Forest, as well as the cyclops city of Min- Khadaim. Imparting this information will be my last act, taking all the strength I have."

Urwal clears his throat before speaking softly. "I know of a ritual, one I learned in the Sodden Lands, that might manifest the corruption out of Jadirahx, but it brings great personal risk. If I perform it, you will need to slay the manifested corruptions that emerge… or be slain by them. This will be in no way an easy battle, and you could easily lose your lives. In fact, I would be unable to assist you during such a struggle. I offer you a choice: do you choose to hear Jadirahx’s last words? Or do you want to take a deadly risk to save her?"

Please decide as a group if you'd like to save Jadirahx or not

"We must save Lady Jadirahx, at any cost." Bella does not hesitate. Khiari looks at her with a mix of confusion and pride.

"Sister, while we do disagree about how to preserve Lord Sidare's legacy, I wish we did not lose Father in the first place. It is a pain I do not wish on Jadirahx's children-"

Khiari's hug seems to catch Bella by surprise. But it is welcome. And reciprocated.

Bella readies her cold iron dagger. The same one used to end her father. Using it to save other lives is the sweetest revenge she could ever offer.

Vardarel says “Taking the guardianship of the forest would be a great honor. Those of my faith are trained to hunt demons and drive them from the forest.”

—-

Vardarel is still thinking about Urwal’s idea when Bella and Khiari step forward volunteering the group to rid Jadirahx of her corruption.

“I would like to hear more about the ritual and what the dangers are.”

Nicole is more inclined to know more about the recent events happening in the Finadar Forest, as well as the cyclops city of Min- Khadaim.

"What corruptions will we be facing if we choose the ritual?"

Stitch and Meat Wagon roll slightly closer, but not TOO close. He tries to identify the sickly fungus, and recall what he knows of this dragon guardian Jadirahx...

Recall vs sickness and the dragon to help educate Stitch. But in general he's leaning towards getting the wisdom and gaining a forest for the Society over risking life and limb...

"Mostly creatures that will be manifestations of Jadirahx's illness. I cannot be more specific as I have never performed this before. Suffice it to say, it will appear to be creatures that are related to the rotting disease she has. Your task would be to keep me safe while I complete the ritual."

Vardarel accepts Urwal’s answer.

He thinks a bit before saying “I could accept either solution. Another forest to protect or risk my life in order to protect a forest guardian who also detests demons.”

I am replaying and don’t want to be the one who makes the decision here. It can be a deadly battle.

"I want Jadirahx to peacefully rest after all they have endured as a guardian. It’s about time someone else takes their place. Contacting Urwal means they trust the Pathfinder Society to assume their role in the forest." Nicole votes to prioritize listening to the crucial information they need to know rather than engaging in combat with the unknown affliction plaguing the dragon.

"Whatever ails Jadirahx must be incredibly powerful. Not to belittle our abilities, but we don’t know what we’ll be facing that could overcome a dragon."

"I would like to aid Jadirahx," Clover says. "No creature should suffer like that when we're available to help."

Appears Stitch is somewhat of a tiebreaker... 2 vote Help, 1 abstains, 1 votes not sure

Just want to make this clear: does the option to help the dragon mean performing the ritual and fighting the corruption, while not helping the dragon mean listening to the dragon's last words? Because I am voting for the listening the dragon's last words part.

Correct. Helping the dragon means performing the ritual and fighting whatever comes out

But a grateful dragon might be willing to offer us advice as well...

Urwal nods as you all agree to help Jadirahx. "All you need to do is keep the corruption off me while I complete the ritual. There is no need for any of you to participate as a secondary spellcaster. Are there any questions? Prepare yourselves and let me know when you're ready"

Please position yourselves accordingly on the MAP

Everyone gets 1 hero point unless you're at your max

This is the time before the big boss fight in all the video games the following spells are cast -- Bless, Prayer, Haste, Minor Globe, Mirror Image... and multiple copies of the game are saved!

"Thank you. All of you." Bella breaks character. "I must help. Sister and I- we cannot sit by and watch another Master die. We must do whatever we can to help."

She pulls out her cold iron dagger. And she drinks her >Potion of Leaping.<

Khiari stays at her side. "We can do this. For Dad."

Vardarel gets into position.

“Will you be able to signal us just before the corruption comes out?”

Regardless of the answer, Vardarel indicates he is ready. He watches carefully to try and best guess when in the ritual the corruption will come out.

Fran casts Mystic Armor (formerly Mage Armor). She has 2 haste slots if anyone needs it. Mister Midnight takes to the air as well and stays clear of the nastiness

Vardarel holds up his hand when Fran asks who would like a Haste. He is willing to step back if there are two others who want it.

Vardarel cast his mystic armor during daily prep.

Nicole draws her shield and raises it to Defend herself. She also readies in another hand to throw whatever vial she needs.

Bella switches from her dagger to her short bow.

"If you can haste me, I will be quite thankful."

Fran casts Haste on Bella and Vardarel. Mister Midnight takes flight and perches on top of one of the walls...

Clover and Stitch - any final prep you wanna do?

Stitch hauls out his steel shield and trusty can of WD9999 for this special occasion, blasting it on thick for the fight to come. Then he pulls out his clan pistol, raises his shield and swallows hard. "We're ready!"

Overdrive ◆: Overdrive: Standard Craft Check, DC20?: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
*Crit Success: +5 damage to personal and construct damage rolls for 1 minute.

Clover asks, "Would anyone like to be above the action with Helpful Steps?"

Clover also says, "If possible, I'd like to cleanse as many of the pollution as possible who might be approaching us with a Fireball, so long as I can avoid my colleagues and Jadirahx." Seeing everyone standing very close to the dragon, she asks, "Jadirahx, can you step back a little? Same with Bella and Khiari. I would like room for at least one big boom. Thank you!"

Other than Helpful Steps and Protector Tree I have no good advance spells. But I don't want the poor tree in my blast radius.