[PF 2e] GM Ladile's A Fistful of Flowers (Inactive)

Game Master Lady Ladile

In A Fistful of Flowers, you take on the role of one of four unique leshys —plants who have been granted sapience and wills of their own. When new sproutlings are snatched out of the woods and taken away to civilization, it's up to your band of furious flowers and pugilistic plants to set things right!
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This game will begin on or after July 27th, 2022.

Chef Popcorn wears a scorched toque blanche; the glade where she does her cooking has been swept clear of all the flammable underbrush. When the local forest sprites hide her jar of peppercorns or salt shaker she tries to laugh instead of smashing everything to bits, because getting mad only eggs them on. HA. HA. HA. HA. Nevertheless, sometimes there's shouting and a racket…

Today Chef Popcorn's "kitchen" reeks of garlic. She has several pounds of cloves piled on her chef's table (a shattered old farmer's cart), and is mashing them up with her war flail before tossing them into a dangerously overfull pot of oil. Something inside pops.

Garlic popcorn! Enough garlic to kill every vampire in Ustalav! She leans over the pot and wafts the pungent smoke into her nostrils, breathing deep. Yes… hmmm… needs more… GARLIC! The flail pulverizes another three bulbs in quick succession. Into the pot they go.

Chef Popcorn, known to her friends as Chef, would never EAT the food she cooks. That would be ridiculous! It's not what a leshy would do. She loves all the amazing smells that lighting ingredients on fire can create. She is an artist of smell. And of course, every Chef is driven to share their creations with their friends. She is excited to see what they think of today's new recipe.

A leopard leaps out of the bushes and rushes the pot. Behind it a pumpkin-headed leshy shouts “Stop Entropy!”

Looking at Chef, they ask “What did you put in this batch, cat-nip?”

The leshy has a big green floppy hat on it’s head. It is wearing hide armor and has a spear and shield slung. The face on the pumpkin is intimidating. Their vines and leaves have faint patterns of flames running along the veins.

There is something strange about this leshy.

"A glorious day for the continue to shine down upon us and watch our triumphs and successes." A leshy with a mane of golden petals around their head strides forward as they smell the air. "I'm glad to see you are of good health chef, I was concerned for a moment that, based on your calls, that nefarious ne'er-do-wells had infiltrated your kitchen and we would be forced to drive them off!"

With a flourish Fluff Fang pushes their cape formed of leaves aside as they take a confident pose. "However, that glory well may need to wait for another day. Unless your concoction is a potion rather than a mere setting to break fast that is."

Here and there in the wilds, a seemingly normal plant suddenly reveals themselves as a leshy, a curious little human-shaped plant crafted by a druid as a companion or minion. Sometimes, leshys outlive their druid creators, while many others are set free to live their own lives. You are but four of these stories, whose paths now cross within the Verduran Forest, the largest woodlands in Avistan.

It's hardly unusual for the leshys of Verduran to come and go as they please, but this morning it has become impossible for Chef Popcorn and Fluff Fang to ignore the fact that their numbers have dwindled significantly. Many of those who remain grow fearful, and as the larger and more powerful leshys in the area, it's their duty to protect the smaller spirits. It's time to admit something is wrong. It's time to investigate...though it might be nice to have more than just the two of you doing it!

Normally you might call upon Reaching Rings and Bottlespeaker, two other local leshys that are equally as capable as yourselves, but you've not seen either of them lately. However, your forest home does sometimes see leshy travelers passing through, such as this strange-looking leshy who just burst out of the bushes...
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Feel free to continue character introductions and such. Popcorn & Fluff Fang are obviously local to the area and know each other, while Scary Gourd and Jackpot are (presumably) visiting or passing through for reasons I'll leave up to them to determine :)

*Sniff* *Sniff*

The leopard is careful of the flames, but very curious about the strange smell coming from the pot.

The pumpkin leshy comes up beside the leopard, checking that it isn’t going to tip over the pot that is cooking. Evidently satisfied that the cat isn’t going to hurt itself, it then turns to you.

“Sorry if I’m intruding. It seems the scent got my cat’s curiosity.”

“I am Abyssal Flames of Fallen Leaves, although most just call me Scary Gourd. Are you to native to this forest?”

"A glorious day for the continue to shine down upon us and watch our triumphs and successes." A leshy with a mane of golden petals around their head strides forward as they smell the air. "I'm glad to see you are of good health chef, I was concerned for a moment that, based on your calls, that nefarious ne'er-do-wells had infiltrated your kitchen and we would be forced to drive them off!"

No. Not today. It's too quiet around here. I'm garlic-mashing and popcorn-burning because I'm SO MAD about our friends disappearing. Her war flail trails fire as it descends like a comet oon another bulb of garlic, which ends up smeared across a splintered piece of the old farmer's cart. She throws it into the pot, wood and all.

“I am Abyssal Flames of Fallen Leaves, although most just call me Scary Gourd. Are you to native to this forest?”

Your cat has good taste if he likes my cooking scents! Chef approves.

Maybe we can collaborate on a smell together. I've never worked with abyssal fire.

But first, we should find out why our friends are disappearing! Then after we destroy whatever the problem is, we can have a party with everyone. Except for the forest sprites. What do you think?

Another pumpkin leshy appears, this one with a cheery face. "Parties sound good. Finding friends sound good. So are we off on a glorious and possibly doomed adventure?"

Maybe we can collaborate on a smell together. I've never worked with abyssal fire.

“I wouldn’t recommend cooking over abyssal flames.”

Chef Popcorn wrote:

Maybe we can collaborate on a smell together. I've never worked with abyssal fire.

“I wouldn’t recommend cooking over abyssal flames.”

Hrmph. I'm not afraid of a little burn! Is it hotter than dragon fire?

Scary Gourd wrote:

Chef Popcorn wrote:

Maybe we can collaborate on a smell together. I've never worked with abyssal fire.

“I wouldn’t recommend cooking over abyssal flames.”

Hrmph. I'm not afraid of a little burn! Is it hotter than dragon fire?

“It isn’t the heat you should be worried about. Most flames cleanse, abyssal flames corrupt.”

"I only hear tale of fiendish flames, but I have yet to get the chance to test my blade against their source or tell the harrowing deed of another performing the same."

Fluff Fang gives a bow to Scary Gourd and Jackpot as they say, "I am Fluff Fang and it is a pleasure to have your enter our corner of the forest. My apologies for the lack of singing and music to your arrival but, as you can see from the rustling of leaves and unjoyous whispers throughout, these are troubling times indeed. As Popcorn announced, while we can't give you a proper welcome, your entrance may be fortuitous if you are able to aid us in the resolute rescue of those that have been disappeared into the dark."

Gesturing outward, throwing back their cloak Fluff Fang boldly declares, "as it was, this may have been a tale of doom and despair this day, but with your aid I'm certain we can make this a bold tale worthy of celebration and inspiration to all!"

“Do you have any clues as to what happened to the others?”

As you get to know each other a little bit and ponder how to begin your investigation, the nearby bushes rustle as yet another leshy steps out. This one is smaller in stature than any of you, face framed by ruffled petals of red and gold - a marigold leshy by the name of Sunbright. She seems on the verge of tears as she looks at Popcorn and Fluff Fang.

"Fluff Faaaang...Summer Shade and Willow Shade went down to the river to play this morning and haven't come back yet," Sunbright snuffles, wiping at her eyes. "I'm too afraid to go looking for them because what if I don't come back either? What if they got eaten by a rabbit or a goat or a vegetarian?? Maybe that's what happened to all the others!"

She looks around all the four of you, her expression pleading. "Will you go look for them? Pleasepleaseplease??? That's what you were talking about, right? I bet that big cat there could scare off a vegetarian, easy!"

Fluff Fang takes their full attention to Sunbright and kneels down low to comfort her. "Settle your petals, if is fine to be cautious rather than press forward alone, you did the right thing to come to us. In the stories I've told you, even the greatest of heroes work along many friends. I will do all I am able to return Summer Shade and Willow Shade safe and sound."

Looking at the others and turning with a look of resolute confidence Fluff Fang says, "I admit I had no hint of story of the direction we might take, but it seems Sunbright has given us the lead that will begin this tale. If you may offer your twigs, brambles and wit to our aid today."

GAHHH Vegetarians make me angry!

Chef takes the oversize pot off the coals. She doesn't clean anything else up though, the smells will become more interesting by the time she gets back to her glade.

“I wouldn’t blame the vegetarians too much. They can’t just soak in sunlight to survive like we do.”

“In any case, Entropy and I are ready to investigate this! Hopefully we will be able to find Summer Shade and Willow Shade.”

Hearing it’s name and having the pot taken away, Entropy glides over to sit next to Scary Gourd. It patiently waits about half-a-second before head bumping the leshy and stretching out its neck.

Scary Gourd starts scratching at Entropy’s neck and behind the ears.

Sunbright looks relieved and reassured by the group's words and offers a wobbly smile. "Thank you! Thank you so much! If anyone can find them, it'll be you guys!"

She glances over at the cooking pot that Popcorn just took off the coals and then to the snapdragon leshy, shyly shuffling her leaved feet. "Um...I can stay here and watch your stuff, if you want," she offers. "I'll make sure nothing catches on fire and I can even stir the pot or add whatever you need me to, while you're gone!"

Whether or not Popcorn decides to take Sunbright up on her offer, you quickly finish gathering what you need and set off to the river to see what you can find.
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You follow a trail well-worn by the forest's numerous leshys from Popcorn's glade down to the nearby river. As you walk along you wonder if maybe Sunbright might have been overreacting, for all seems as it usually is - the sun shines brightly through the treetops overhead and the forest is alive with the chirping of birds, the chittering of squirrels and chipmunks, and the humming of insects. Perhaps the two missing leshys simply lost track of time? But as you approach the river, you hear no sounds of leshys at play - only the sound of the flowing waters.

The trees overhead open up and the trail comes to an end at the gravely bank of a river, which flows along at a swift pace. Tied to a nearby tree are the remnants of what look like vines and you can see similar vines hanging from another tree on the far shore. It doesn't look like there's anyone else here but the four of you.

Optional Background Music

Nooo! "Comeback Bridge" is gone! Who DID this!?

Chef dashes up to the vines to inspect them. As she does so she talks to the necwcomers.

I built a rope bridge bridge here myself, you know. An answer to the horrible sprites always stealing my ingredients and then taunting me from the other side of the river. They didn't laugh anymore when they saw me sprinting across my beautiful rope bridge, flail on fire, screaming for my peppercorns!

Crafting (T): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20, +9 to craft food/drink

… And now it's gone. She holds up a vine. Do you see? Cleanly cut. Deliberate.

Perception (E): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10, 30' scent raging (imprecise)

She looks up and down the river, but doesn't notice anything amiss.

Nature T: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Perception E: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Scary inspects the vines and agrees with Popcorn. “Clean cuts.”

They look around, but don’t find anything else that looks suspicious.

Perception (E): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Perception (E): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

"Do not be dismayed Popcorn. We will craft you a new bridge and it will carry on the legacy set forth with your first bridge. Although you may wish to leave out the bit on the flaming flail." Fluff Fang glances around and nods with agreement on the appraisal of the others. "Or at least lead to a moral at the end. We don't want to teach the seedlings to go chasing after each other with fire, weapons or both."

"If the Shades, Summer and Willow were on the other side, they would have had a troublesome time getting back after the dastardly demolitionist destroyed the passage. This may the reason why they couldn't find their way back, but even then I would have hoped they return here."

Gesturing with grass blade across the river, Fluff Fang declares, "such trials are a common occurrence in any great tale. We need to cross the river quickly so we may still have a chance upon the trail!"

If there were any lingering doubts about the two Shades' disappearance, it's quickly put to rest with the discovery that Popcorn's beloved rope bridge was cut! Deliberately! Someone will answer for this outrage!

But first, you need to get across the river. It's too bad you aren't bigger, otherwise you could probably just wade through it. The river looks like it's flowing at a fairly good pace but not so fast that a particularly strong and hardy leshy couldn't swim their way across. On the other hand, you have everything you need right here so maybe it would be safer to just try repairing the bridge. Or perhaps there are other possible ways to tackle the situation!
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If you want to try and swim across, make a Swim check. Provided you can reach the overhanging vines and branches on the far side (some of the pregens have the means to do so), you can try to repair the bridge with a Crafting check. Or you can try something else completely to repair the bridge or otherwise get across the river - I'll usually entertain alternative solutions to things, especially if they're backed up with sound reasoning and/or good RP :)

"Or at least lead to a moral at the end. We don't want to teach the seedlings to go chasing after each other with fire, weapons or both."

Popcorn grunts. The moral is "Don't mess with chef!"

She rips vines out her arms and windmills them around, the tendrils spiral out and wrap around the vines soon the far side. Grasping Reach, if it works? She pulls them over and ties up the bridge.

Crafting (E): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

She works as quickly as she can to repair Comeback Bridge.

Indeed it does!

Having already done this once before, Popcorn knows exactly what to do. Using some of her own vines, she whips and windmills them about to grasp the hanging vines and branches on the far side of the river. Once they're reeled in, she wastes no time in getting to work on repairing Comeback Bridge. In no time at all she presents you with Comeback Bridge 2: Electric Boogaloo, ready to see to all of your river-crossing needs!

Scary Gourd goes up and inspects the bridge.
Go ahead and bot the roll if needed. Crafting +6

“Well, that should make crossing easier! Shall we cross and see if there are any clues on the other side?”

Fluff Fang is speaking aloud already trying to build the tale in their mind. "The heroes began our journey through the forest, but before long they were faced with their first test. Comeback bridge was broken and torn, they found that the vines were shorn."

They stand back and watch as Popcorn proceeds to mend the bridge. Fluff Fang smiles as they watch the pieces come together.

"Popcorn knew exactly what to do, if she could build one bridge then she could build two!"

Attempting to help, Fluff Fang tries to put a bit of their general skill to try to help Popcorn.

Labor Lore: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 If needed

"That was an incredible job Popcorn! This is a perfect display of inspiring talent. Lets keep going though. The Shades should still be ahead!"

Fluff Fang also helps on the work with Comeback Bridge the 2nd and proves themselves plenty capable of bridge-craft. Afterwards, Scary Gourd gives the entire thing a thorough inspection and as far as he's concerned, it's pretty solid work! Barring anyone cutting the vines, again, it should hold up well against the elements of the region.

Ready to carry on, you cross over Comeback Bridge: The Comebackening, perhaps enjoying the rather pleasant but-not-too-extreme sway it has to it as you go.
Once you reach the far side, which is rather muddy along the bank, you look around for any sign of where the Shades might have gone but nothing stands out. However, Scary Gourd notices out of the corner of his eye that Entropy seems to be interested in something on the ground and sniffs at it with obvious curiosity. When you investigate, you discover the footprints of what looks to be a bipedal creature of medium size. Based on the direction of the tracks, it looks like they came out of the river and went up the embankment into the forest. The other notable thing about the tracks is that whatever made them was wearing shoes.
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If you'd like to try and follow the tracks, I need a Survival check :)

“Big shoe prints!” Scary says, pointing to where they come out of the river. Rubbing Entropy’s ears, they then tell the leopard “Good job!”

They then start trying to follow the tracks.
Survival: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 T

Jackpot hangs a little back, trying to figure out the right song for the occasion.

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago...

"Nope, too depressing. Maybe something with a beat?" He taps his foot on the ground...

Perception on Riverbank: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

...and notices purple petals! "Hey, our flowers went this way!"

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"Let's follow the trail!"

"I do agree, we may need a bit of tension building as the adventure pushes forward, but it will need to end on an upbeat tone with the success of the heroes!" Fluff Fang tips their blade form side to side along with the beat as they follow along.

"Your skills strike quite a chord! It is more than forituitous that you have arrived. My knowledge of cobblestone trails and muddy alleys, but you are able to find every step along the paths that have taken the pair away!"

Jackpot smiles at his fellow bard. "Some people claim I'm empty-headed." Jackpot thumps his pumpkin head. "But they're wrong. I have a Wayfinder and healing serums in there too!" Jackpot turns to Fluff Fang with interest. "So... Are you a musician? What do you play? I do performances of all kinds, but ultimately, I'm an actor!"

Thanks to Jackpot's eyes and Entropy's nose, you confirm for sure that the Shades *were* at the river crossing like Sunbright said and that someone wearing shoes was also in area quite recently. Now that they know what to look for, Jackpot and Scary Gourd are able to pick up and begin following the trail of footprints, with Fluff Fang and Chef Popcorn right behind.

Though the situation seems to be getting more worrisome with each discovery made, leshy spirits tend to be nothing if not irrepressible and so you pass the time with friendly conversation as you move along...
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As a GM I like to allow space and time for RP to happen, so sometimes I opt to let conversations play out before moving the action/scene along. All this to say, I'm here but want to leave a little more time for Fluff Fang and Jackpot and anyone else to chat a bit if they want to. I'll look to move things along later :)

“Deep footprints, trampling everything. Doesn’t have the sharp edges of steel treads. Likely an orc or human. Do you have many orcs around here?”

Fluff Fang gives a smile as they toss back their cape when presented with Jackpot's question. "I do cherish music and the feelings evoked, but I admit my instrument is my word and tale. I've learned a few instruments when playing in the city, but I am a teller of tales much like you! I love telling stories for heroes and their valiant tales! I'm curious to see one of your performances; what is your favorite play Jackpot?"

Fluff tries to remain resolute and brave in the face of the fate of the Shades. "And I do hope this tale is one we can perform later." Focused the the prints and then Scary Gourd, Fluff Fang shakes their head, "more humans by my count. There are others from around find their way through the forests. Most pass by as we keep the little ferns and buds out of their path."

"Orcs? Humans?" Jackpot muses. "How do you even tell the difference between them? I mean, we're all leshies, and there are far more differences between us than between the average orcs, humans and elves. Why do they even have these divisions, any way?"

Then Jackpot shrugs. "Too much to think about today! Today, our minds must be filled with finding. Finding friends. Finding stories. Finding adventure! Oh, what a play this will make!"

“Their feet are as different as the leaves on different trees.”

“Elves feet are narrow like a conifer and their tread light. Dwarves feet are wide like a lily. They often like to clad them in metal. I can not always tell them apart, but I have seen patterns.”

“We’ve worked with many races, Jackpot. Have you never looked at the trails they leave?”

Chef follows along, observing the prints.

Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

I've chased down a few sprites in my day. They have different feet too, but it's neither here nor there as they'd never steal the Shades. Whoever took Summer and Willow will give them back, no matter who they are!

"I don't have much sense for the trails left, but there are lots of differences once you look for them. Like lilies to dandelions, both growing free in the wild."

Fluff Fang attempts to look over the prints themselves, but quickly concedes failure as they opine, "maybe they were looking for the Shades to help them. I don't know what other reason why they would come into the forest for the Shades. It is a mystery in the plot on why or who cut Comeback Bridge down."

After about an hour of trekking through the forest following tracks and talking about feet, you emerge into a small clearing. It looks as though it's recently served as a campsite, judging by the divots in the earth that match up with a tent having been pitched and the presence of a small campfire, now cold. Near the campfire you spot what looks like some half-burned candles as well as the leftovers of a mostly-eaten meal of trail rations.

Chef runs over to the campfire and tries to smell what they were cooking; what do burning tril rations smell like? In addition, she looks for other clues.

Survival (T)/Cooking Lore (T): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Scary Gourd says “Looks like we’ve found something!”

Since Chef is already checking the campfire, they start by looking at the candles and then search the area for any other clues.

Crafting T: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Nature or Survival to inspect camp T: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
If it should be perception, they have Perception +10 E

Looks like the dice roller is stuck on 10s. :)

"Good catch. Clues lead to more clues as our heroes follow the trail." Fluff Fang follow behind Scary Gourd, trying to help investigate the campsite. "Whomever pass through didn't know much about hiding the trails. I don't know why they want candles here. If they have big campfire, what would they use smaller candles for?"

Everyone spreads out and begins to look over the abandoned campsite. Chef Popcorn carefully sifts through the remnants of the trail rations and finds, as best as she can tell, standard fare - bits of some sort of jerky, hardtack crumbs, and pieces of dried fruit. She vaguely remembers that some trail rations contain items that could be used to make a stew of sorts, as long as there's a pot or some other vessel to cook them in.

While Chef Popcorn inspects the campfire and trail rations, Scary Gourd takes a closer look at the half-burned candles. They smell quite strongly of jasmine and look to be relatively well-crafted. They're not really sure why someone would be burning candles out here, especially if they already had a campfire going - maybe the owner just really likes the scent of jasmine? It's a question echoed aloud by Fluff Fang, who doesn't have any idea either.

As Fluff Fang and Jackpot also begin looking around the campsite, they both catch the glint of something within the ashes of the campfire as Popcorn rummages around. Closer inspection reveals a scattering of of shiny shells, smooth stones, and mostly burnt feathers among the ashes and now cold coals. All four of you recognize these things as 'lucky charms' often carried by smaller leshys.

The only other clue of note that you stumble across are the tracks, same as the ones that led you here, exiting the far side of the camp.

“Were any of the missing leshy based on jasmine?” Scary Gourd asks.

Chef Popcorn and Fluff Fang don't personally know of any jasmine leshys living in the Verduran Forest, nor do they know of any that might simply be visiting the area like Jackpot and Scary Gourd currently are. In fact, now that Scary Gourd and Jackpot think about it, jasmine isn't even native to the area as it's primarily found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Of course it's always possible that it's been imported from somewhere else or specially cultivated.

I wonder what carbonized jasmine smells like? Not the leshy kind of course, no!

Well, we should get on with it. Popcorn makes to follow the tracks once again.

Survival (T): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

"Oh this a far more villainous tale than any I would have told. I had thought it was only the Shades, but there are even more leshys that have been taken?" Fluff Fang pulls takes hold of one of the shells as they note, "a fiend has taken so many leshy for some nefarious collection. I can only hope they are safe."

Following Popcorn, Fluff Fang strides forward with blade ready, "you are right Popcorn, we must go forward with all haste."