GM chadius |
I hope this letter finds you well. The Pathfinder Society has found itself in dire need of agents in the Gravelands region, so I am requesting your help for a mission. My home lodge in Vigil is, shall we say, inaccessible at the present time, so please meet me in Caliphas at my temporary headquarters in the Vodavani Lodge and present this letter to me upon arrival.
Destination: Goldenflame
Thank you for your assistance,
Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss
No matter where you were or what you were doing, you received a letter bearing the Glyph of the Open Road on the back. The Gnomish Venture-Captain calls for you.
As you approach the town gates, you meet other like minded allies.
Feel free to introduce yourself.
Nal Bagura |
Folding away the letter, Nal mutters: "Ominous." Packing her few personal effects, she slips out the door on her way to the meeting place.
"Harsk here! I'm not too bad with these axes!"
Harsk hears a chuckle from a swath of nearby shadows. Well, he's a subtle one. I'm going to have to watch his back. A tall, lithe half elven woman with deep gray skin, black hair, and black clothing flows into the light like a liquid shadow. "And I'm not too bad with my sword." She lifts her shortsword in its scabbard a few inches to reveal a matte black blade before settling it back in place. "I'm Nal. Pleased to meet you, Harsk." She offers her hand for a firm shake.
Topias |
Behind Nal a brawny half-elf dressed in a chain shirt appears "And I'm not too bad with shield and scimitar. Topias is my name." he says with dynamic voice
Gregor Blackmane |
A male Andoran with shoulder length black hair, a close cropped black beard dressed in gold & blue explorer clothing over which he is wearing chainmail, a scimitar and wooden shield embossed with an Angelic Ankh on the front. He looks over the letter then folds it and puts it away. He looks over the others, "It appears that we are headed to the same location. I am Gregor Blackmane, Warpriest of the Dawnflower."
Ranzak the Dark |
A dark blue female goblin in an explorer's outfit approaches.
"Are you answering Venture Captain Zongnoss' summons too?" the goblin asks almost shyly. She has a dagger and rapier in sheaths at her waist and wears a backpack on her back. She finishes eating a pickle and piece of bread followed by a drink from her waterskin.
"We can resupply here, righ'? I'm out of food." she says hopefully. "Um yeah, my name is Ranzak the Dark. I'm a rogue and acrobat by trade. Ranzak finishes talking as she looks around nervously.
Harsk dwarf ranger2 |
Folding away the letter, Nal mutters: "Ominous." Packing her few personal effects, she slips out the door on her way to the meeting place.
Quote:"Harsk here! I'm not too bad with these axes!"Harsk hears a chuckle from a swath of nearby shadows. Well, he's a subtle one. I'm going to have to watch his back. A tall, lithe half elven woman with deep gray skin, black hair, and black clothing flows into the light like a liquid shadow. "And I'm not too bad with my sword." She lifts her shortsword in its scabbard a few inches to reveal a matte black blade before settling it back in place. "I'm Nal. Pleased to meet you, Harsk." She offers her hand for a firm shake.
Harsk shakes Nal's hand. "Nice to meet you! I wonder what trouble the VC needs help with today!"
Nal Bagura |
Nal makes eye contact as she greets each of the others. "Good to meet you Topias, Gregor, and Ranzak. Looks like we have a capable team. I'm a rogue too, Ranzak. It's good to have a stealthy duo. And if we get into a fight, you and I should have fun teaming up on a target." Double sneak attacks!
Ranzak the Dark |
"I know how do sneaky attacks. I do good work with my last team." Ranzak says happily. "Could you tell me what this word means?" Ranzak asks shyly, pointing to the word 'inaccessible' in her letter.
Roleplaying: Ranzak is just barely literate.
Nal Bagura |
"Yes. 'Inaccessible' means you can't get to it." Nal gives a respectful nod and a fist bump to Ranzak. She knows first hand the merits of improving oneself, and while her own path involved leaving a life of crime rather than learning literacy at a later age, she likes to encourage all attempts to better oneself.
Topias |
A male Andoran with shoulder length black hair, a close cropped black beard dressed in gold & blue explorer clothing over which he is wearing chainmail, a scimitar and wooden shield embossed with an Angelic Ankh on the front. He looks over the letter then folds it and puts it away. He looks over the others, "It appears that we are headed to the same location. I am Gregor Blackmane, Warpriest of the Dawnflower."
"How encouraging to meet another worshiper of the Dawnflower! I'm sure we're going to have a fun trip together."
Nal Bagura |
Nal fixes her face into an expressionless mask. She's seen a lot of worshipers of various gods. They all seem to end up in two categories: people whose gods don't seem to affect their lives at all and people who cause problems in the name of their gods. Either way, she doesn't see a benefit to picking favorites among the gods. She has no problem with other people worshiping them, though, as long as they don't become destructive zealots.
Naple Leonne Von-a-Port |
A woman in shiny breastplate with warhammer ready in one hand and a steel shield stowed behind her joins the others as they approach the town's gate. She flips her long and wavy hair as she comes to a stop. She drops her weapon and begins introducing herself. "Greetings, everyone, My name is Naple. I sense that we have the same mission. I wonder what needs to be done in the Gravelands. They haven't stated much of the details in the letter." she complains while extending her hand to them for a handshake.
Gregor Blackmane |
Gregor nods at Topias' statement. He greets Naple and responds to Ranzak, "Each God has a different doctrine so you would have to visit many religious sites to learn about each of them. The Dawnflower as referred to by her followers is known by many names such as The Cleansing Light, The Everlight, The Healing Light, The Healing Flame or Sarenrae and is one of the most popular deities. Protecting allies, providing aid to the sick and wounded, sacrificing to do better, taking a risk to redeem another are a few of the deeds you can perform to gain favor. Her faithful try to teach temperance and patience in all things as well as compassion and peace. Any who are cruel, evil and take glory in the slaughter of innocents such as undead and fiends are the enemy of her church as in most cases they cannot be redeemed. More than likely, I have been summoned to the Gravelands region as a militant extension representing her faith to aid with the undead problem. But who knows. We will find out soon enough."
GM chadius |
The Vodavani Lodge in Caliphas is quite crowded. The outside is bustling with activity due to an influx of refugees from the former nation of Lastwall. The interior is a cacophony rising from dozens of Pathfinders discussing missions, sharing documents, and gathering supplies for their quests. At the center of it all is Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss, calm and vigilant. She continues to relay orders to Pathfinders.
"Get more water for the refugees, the drought didn't help them on the way over. Deliver the alchemical silver to the blacksmith, we need more arrows. Tell the food hall we'll double their pay if they will make room for newcomers."
As you introduce yourselves and begin conversing, she can't help but overhear your discussion. "Temperance often refers to self-restraint. You can't go drinking all day and all night like those Caileans." She grins. “Gather around over here, please.”
Evni motions over to a nearby table upon which rests a parchment map stuck with miniature flag partly obscuring the label Lastwall. “Apologies for the out-of-date cartography, but it’s the best we can do at this time.
“The re-emergence of Tar-Baphon dealt a devastating blow to the Society, so we’ve been scrambling to consolidate resources. The Society is focusing on missions into the Gravelands for two reasons: to track down the whereabouts of Pathfinder agents who went missing when the undead hordes struck, and to recover the fragments of history and culture that yet survive. I believe you all should have received a letter from me containing your assigned destination.”
GM chadius |
Evni points to a flag in the southeast portion of Lastwall. “Goldenflame was an idyllic place surrounding a college sponsored and supported by the church of Iomedae. Fortunately, most of the town was able to evacuate swiftly, but we know that some residents stayed behind out of a sense of civic duty to defend their home against evil.
“Goldenflame College is known for its documentation of the history of both southeastern Lastwall and the activities of the church of Iomedae in the region, as well as its collection of invaluable local curiosities accrued over time. Those relics and stories—if they can be recovered, then Lastwall can live on.”
Evni excuses herself and shortly returns with a bundle of paper. “These dossiers contain information on all known Pathfinder agents in the region surrounding Goldenflame. Although we must hold out hope, I cannot truthfully say I am optimistic. Nevertheless, closure is important, and we can properly mourn for their loss and celebrate their lives if we know their fates. Perhaps these documents could be of some use to you in this quest. I’ve also completed and signed travel documentation stating your reasons for being in the Gravelands. Present this document to the border crossing, and you can then be on your way.”
Evni walks over to a nearby bench to a relatively massive pack, where she begins sorting through its contents. She pulls out a bundle of sacks. “Here. These are for you to transport any items or—” she bows her head “—remains you might find. I know it is a sad and gruesome task, but retrieving those fallen Pathfinders would bring closure to their loved ones.” Evni then closes the pack and shoulders it. “I’m also heading into the Gravelands myself. May Desna guide us all on our journeys. Hopefully we can find what we seek.”
GM chadius |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Pathfinder Dossier lists 10 agents last seen entering Goldenflame. Each sack has a single name for them.
Home: Iadara, Kyonin
Ancestry: Elf
Background: The youngest in a family of wealthy museum curators, Ardyl Loralin embraced her family’s legacy, devoting all her time reading about different cultures and regions all across Golarion. This childlike curiosity and passion led her to join the Pathfinder Society, believing that the Society could help her discover the rarest and most unusual treasures the world has ever known. A devout adherent of Findeladlara, the elven goddess of art, Ardyl seeks out ever more glorious finds. Through her adventures, she has developed keen scouting senses and a sure shot with the bow, and despite her somewhat spoiled attitude, she is not one to be underestimated.
Home: Tymon
Ancestry: Half-orc
Background: Bryrigar Hassen was raised by the arena, becoming a powerful gladiator at a young age in his birth city-state of Tymon, striking fear into the hearts of foes with his rage and his mighty punches. Yet his interest in the arena waned, as few could muster even the most minimal challenge for him. This did not go unnoticed, and eventually Bryrigar was recruited by the secret Pathfinder Society lodge in Tymon. Bryrigar now journeys across Golarion looking for ever more glorious challenges, in accordance with his Gorumite values.
Home: Oppara, Taldor
Ancestry: Human
Background: A minor noble from Taldor, Clement Marten grew up in the shadow of the higher-ranked nobility that control Taldor. Wanting to escape the stagnation and lack of social mobility, Clement joined the Pathfinder Society to explore the world and experience all it has to offer. Always over the top, Clement is known to appreciate the finery associated with the Taldan party scene, dressing in the finest clothing and enjoying the most decadent food and drink every town has to offer. Having taken dueling classes as a youth, Clement employs his rapier with a deft and sure hand.
Home: Highhelm, Five Kings Mountains
Ancestry: Dwarf
Background: Eking out a threadbare existence in Highhelm was not how Dargrim Margenstrom thought his life would go. He found a new opportunity to use his adept command over alchemy and the forge with the Pathfinder Society, and he now fights foes with alchemical fire and frost vial alike, creates sturdy and sharp weaponry, and enjoys pints of ale with the eclectic folk he meet on adventures. Although he rarely returns home, he carries it with him in the form of a warhammer stylized to appear as that of the Father of Creation, Torag.
Home: Absalom
Ancestry: Goblin
Background: Formerly a mischievous orphan terrorizing the streets of the Puddles district in Absalom with her pyrotechnic prowess, Gibb has become somewhat respectable as a wizard in the Pathfinder Society. Taken in by priests of a temple of Sarenrae in Absalom, Gibb learned that even she could be forgiven for her transgressions and vowed to use her talents for good. On recommendations from the church, Gibb joined the Pathfinder Society, where she is known as a rambunctious yet highly skilled wizard in her own right.
Home: Absalom
Ancestry: Gnome
Background: Regarded as unfocused and undisciplined in school, the rambunctious Kailli Thimbleberry found herself in music, donning loud outfits and putting on jaunty fiddle performances to the delight and annoyance of visitors to the Merchant’s Quarter in Absalom. Wanting to discover stages the world around, Kailli took up with the Pathfinder Society in the hopes of gaining troves of adoring fans. She enjoys visiting large cities, particularly urban centers in which her deity Shelyn is worshipped, where she can aim to impress even the most discerning listeners.
Home: Katapesh, Katapesh
Ancestry: Half-orc
Background: Despite his parents’ best efforts, Larraz Virtanne had no intention of pursuing secondary education, preferring to further his connection with animals and practice his druidic magic. Shortly after his graduation from a small private academy in Katapesh, Larraz joined the Pathfinder Society, eager to adventure the world and see what wonders nature had to offer. An adherent of the Wind and the Waves, Larraz honors Gozreh by traveling with a horse partner, Desert Wind, and wearing a tattoo of a dripping leaf, the religious symbol of the faith.
Home: Urglin, Varisia
Ancestry: Human
Background: The warrior-diplomat Osprey Pierces the Tide of the Shriikirri-Quah was tasked to facilitate relations with the orcs of Urglin. When necessary, Osprey Pierces the Tide’s fists become mighty weapons, and orcs who have seen his combat prowess certainly factor that into negotiations. Osprey Pierces the Tide joined the Pathfinder Society in hopes of furthering diplomatic relations between the Shoanti and the rest of the Inner Sea region. Osprey Pierces the Tide prefers to live modestly and travel lightly, preferring freedom from material triviality.
Home: Yanmass, Taldor
Ancestry: Halfling
Background: Playing the trade routes of Yanmass can be competitive indeed, and the self-made Raelyn Mumblewort dealt with the best of them. She dreamed of exploring the world in search of all manner of finery and strange trinkets, and the Pathfinder Society was just the group to throw her lot in with. Sporting a religious symbol in the shape of a key, Raelyn calls upon her deity Abadar to guide her business dealings and bless her spells when she is required to fight.
Home: Absalom
Ancestry: Goblin
Background: The brash former Captain Zinno Dark Hook was captured in an ill-fated attempt to commandeer a slaver ship, after which they were shipped to Misery Row in Absalom. After escaping in a fortuitous moment, Zinno found the Grand Lodge, where they set about finding a new crew for their pirate adventures. Zinno has found a love for land-based adventuring, but they still sport their signature eye patch and wooden boot, and they honor Besmara the Pirate Queen by carrying a ragged skull-and-crossbones pennant. In combat, Zinno prefers to rely on tricks, diverting foes’ attention and making sneaky strikes with their dogslicer.
A link to this post will be in the campaign summary at the top of the page.
GM chadius |
"Now then. Any questions for me?"
Feel free to ask questions and make preparations for your journey ahead.
You can make a Society check here to Recall Knowledge about Goldenflame.
Nal Bagura |
Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Glancing over the number of bags, Nal realizes what a big mission this is. "Do you have a rough idea of how long it should take, so we have enough rations? We should bring some extra too, in case the survivors don't have enough. And what kinds of undead are expected out there?"
Gregor Blackmane |
Society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Not sure how critical's work with skill checks. Would he get the final top info? Gregor relates the bottom two bits of info to everyone.
"Are you going to be providing a horse drawn wagon or cart to haul what relics, documents and remains we do find? It would be very difficult to travel being loaded down especially if we have to make a hasty retreat. Do you have any intel on what type of undead we may encounter?"
Naple Leonne Von-a-Port |
Naple's face grimaces as she read the word Lastwall, but she tries to hide the pain inside. It is already in the past and what is important now is to help those that need her in the present. It is no time to be emotional. "Aside from finding those Pathfinders, hoping they are all alive, what else do we need to find there? I mean, you mentioned relics, but what exactly should we be looking for if you would like us to retrieve them as well?"
GM chadius |
Gregor knows a lot about Goldenflame. He's also heard of a few definitely false rumors. Gregor knows the >top 2 spoilers< are true and the bottom spoiler is false.
"I will make sure you have some extra rations. But if you're out there for too long, food will be the last of your worries." Envi signals one of her assistants to gather needed food. "You should be able to go there and return here within a day, if the gods will it."
"While at Goldenflame, be on the lookout for any religious texts and historical records—hopefully the troops of Tar-Baphon have overlooked them. You might also find items of cultural or religious significance: things that Goldenflame could be remembered by."
She sighs as Gregor asks for horses and wagons. "Unfortunately we are stretched thin. Every horse is at a premium for the defense. The Tyrant knew that has twisted many herds into mockeries of life and death. The few that remain and aren't in use are quite expensive. I'm afraid you'll have to travel on foot."
"If you're lucky, the undead armies won't see you. But you may see them: skeletons, zombies, some as small as a cat and some towering over the trees. Cover your tracks and be quick about your investigation."
Gregor Blackmane |
Gregor also relays, "That is unfortunate about the wagon and horses. Goldenflame College contained a fantastic statue of Iomedae’s servitor Jingh, and many regarded it as the college’s most valuable possession. Is this one of the relics you may be referencing?"
How large & heavy would it be to move? Is it even possible or is this just info.
GM chadius |
"Ah yes... Jingh. The statue was chiseled of raw marble. The elf who crafted it says a bolt of lightning struck it as she put the finishing touches on. She was unharmed and the statue seemed to glow in the sun. A blessing from the gods. Or she wanted an epic tale to embellish her efforts." Evni chuckles.
"With coordination, maybe 3 or 4 of you could carry it together."
Topias |
"This will be hard if we have drag them all for burial, while running away from army of zombies." Topias sighs
Nal Bagura |
Grimly, Nal replies: "If it's life or death, we prioritize the living." She leaves unspoken the thought that the dead could soon rise to follow them.
Is any of these sacks magical, or are they all mundane?
GM chadius |
Scenario doesn't state whether they are magical. But I'll say they are.
I'll post this to keep the game moving, since I'll be at a client's office for most of the day. Feel free to finish your preparations and ask questions retroactively.
"Be smart, be quick, be safe: that's what keeps me alive." Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss stands tall as you finish preparations and make way for the border crossing.
The Knights of Lastwall patrol the fortified iron gate from Cliphas. A dwarven guard walks up to you and investigates your documentation. "Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye." She nods and scans through each. "Muther said I would be a librarian, but it turns out I'm good with an axe." She finally looks up. "You can't fight your way through that army. If you're lucky they'll kill ya. If not, they'll turn ya. Get whatever you can and get back in one piece, alright?" She smiles grimly. "I don't like tardiness."
The gates shut behind you, clanging like a bell. The early day is clear and bright, but the landscape is desolate and quiet, the gently rolling hills devoid of life. Goldenflame is a few hours’ travel southwest of Caliphas by foot. Evni’s map provides clear instructions.
Silence smothers your ears as you travel through. No birds chirping, no cows mooing the day away, even the wind is dead. You see the trees sag over, leafless, trying to return to the land before something worse happens. The only sign you see was defaced long ago. Now it reads Rathliss was here, scratched out of the wood with claws..
Your ears reach out and finally hear something. You instantly regret your senses. From far off, you hear uncoordinated marching, like a platoon. Then you hear more platoons. Far off, you see the shadows of large creatures, possibly giants, marching through the plains.
An army of undead march patrol this road. They haven't seen you yet, perhaps you can quickly reach Goldenflame before they notice you.
GM chadius |
This is a skill challenge. You'll need some kind of skill check to succeed. Critical Success and Critical Failure count. The more successful you are, the sooner you will reach Goldenflame.
For each challenge, one of you can attempt to make a more difficult Setup check. If you succeed, you will grant your teammates a +2 circumstance bonus to their check for the obstacle.
For each challenge, each of you may decide to Hustle instead. You automatically succeed at the challenge, but you must make a DC 19 Fortitude Save. If you Fail the save, you are Fatigued and cannot Hustle against the other obstacles.
Creative solutions will give you a bonus on your check.
GM chadius |
The Hill
A large, steep rise blocks the most direct path through the area, and the road diverts around it.
Setup: One of you can make a Scouting Lore, Survival (easier) or Perception (more difficult) check to find an efficient path up the hill.
Otherwise, you can make an Athletics check to simply power your way up hill and help your teammates keep up.
You can also Hustle the long way and use the road that winds along the hill to proceed.
Gregor Blackmane |
A bit confused about the skill checks. Are you saying only one of us can make the Scouting Lore, Survival or Perception check and the rest needs to do Athletics? If so then apply his roll below to Athletics +3 and it should be discussed who would be best for the task before rolling.
Gregor looks around as well to find a good path.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Nal Bagura |
Wishing it was night so she could blend in with her surroundings, Nal ranges ahead of the group to try to spot the easiest path over the hill.
Scouting Lore: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Ouch.
GM chadius |
A bit confused about the skill checks. Are you saying only one of us can make the Scouting Lore, Survival or Perception check and the rest needs to do Athletics?
Correct. This is an optional check that exactly one of you can attempt.
Due to the confusion, I'm going to use the highest bonus as the special check. For everyone else I'll keep your rolls (unless your Athletics is better.)
Harsk quickly notices a short path through a groove dug into the hill. Once he points it out, everyone else aims for that path.
Gregor is first, and quickly pushes some of the fallen tree trunks aside like they were twigs. Ranzak is quick to follow.
Nal lags behind as the daylight betrays her sense of direction.
Challenge 1: The Hill
Harsk - Success on special check
Gregor - Critical Success
Nal - Critical Failure
Ranzak - Success
Naple
Topias
Naple Leonne Von-a-Port |
Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Naple looks around and compares the surroundings to see which way is better to go. "Let's go here. This path is better, I think." she says while climbing up the steep area she tries to climb up into.
Topias |
Topias sprints up the hill.
athletics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
GM chadius |
Topias reaches the top of the hill and watches Naple struggle. Eventually he offers a helping hand.
Challenge 1: The Hill
Harsk - Success on special check
Gregor - Critical Success
Nal - Critical Failure
Ranzak - Success
Naple - Failure
Topias - Success
The team Succeeds and makes good time.
GM chadius |
Challenge 2: Undead Troops
As you pass the hill, you see the shuffling of a large undead horde. The slither, march and consume the earth. Your only defense is silence.
They have not noticed your presence, and it's clear you should keep it that way. How can you pass quickly without raising a racket?
Optional: Exactly one of you can make a Deception check to divert the horde's attention while your teammates pass without raising suspicion. Your teammates gain a circumstance bonus.
Otherwise, you can make a Stealth check to quietly slip by the horde.
You can also Hustle with a quick burst of speed, not stopping until you are past their watchful gaze. Make a DC 19 Fortitude Save afterwards to determine if you are Fatigued.
Topias |
Topias tries to move stealthily.
stealth: 1d20 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (17) + 3 - 1 = 19
Nal Bagura |
As the group attempts to slip past the hordes unnoticed, Nal cringes as Gregor's movements aren't quiet enough. Quickly slipping out her sling, she flings a bullet as far and low as she can to give them something else to inspect instead.
Deception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Hero Point re-roll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Sigh