[PbP Gameday XI] PFS1 Special: Race for the Runecarved Key (subtier 12-15) (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

A scenario for levels 12-15. Begins on September 11, 2022.

You have been invited to a large gathering at the Pathfinder Lodge in Magnimar.

Feel free to introduce yourselves. The game proper will begin on Sunday.

Noke is a small Wayang woman with shadowy long hair that almost darkens her surroundings. She has a mithral buckler in her hand and wears a custom-fit Haramaki suit that looks like it has been recently oiled.

Resting on top of her chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Chaldira Zuzaristan is visible.

Noke is sitting on a military saddle on top of a riding dog that looks like a mixture of a black wolfhound and a mastiff. It is clear that Noke is not really fully in control.

On Noke's shoulder you see a tiny horned lizard that has dark black scales which in some areas have a red coloring that curiously forms the holy symbol of Chaldira and glows.

Noke, her riding dog 'Happu' and her tiny horned lizard familiar 'Divune' enter and you see that Noke is somehow almost out of breath.

"Divune, Happu and I are here to support you and bring luck into your lives ... if destiny allows." Noke says to the team with a strange smile.

A tall, beautiful elven male steps out of the shadows in the corner of the room - and the shadows come with him. He wears Osirian-style desert robes and carries a bow and a rapier. He smiles serenely and gestures - a short, complex sequence. The shadows coalesce into a sphere, within which appear a thousand tiny points of light, as if they were a vast distance away. As quickly as it appears, the sphere recedes. In its place is a tiny dragon, black as midnight, with a long tail ending in a barbed stinger. The creature flaps its wings and settles on the elf's shoulder.

I am Quenlariel Saelgwath, the Jacinth Sage. You may call me Quenly.

I can see words upon your lips, if you face me when you speak, but it is easier by far to communicate by thought via my dragon. You need only be nearby. It will convey your thoughts to me, and mine to you.

The voice is heard in the native language of all present, but neither the elf nor the dragon has spoken aloud.

Noke is clearly fascinated by the dragon.

“Quenly … a sage … you are surely a renowned elf … are you a scarab sage?“ she asks.

A small halfling steps into the meeting room. She looks at the gathering of agents and turns away relative unimpressed. She reaches for a pitcher of water, and fills her glass to the brim. She adjusts her pack as she sits down on a comfy looking couch, making sure her wicked looking kukri didn’t catch on the material.

”Im Shel Whispertongue, soon to be Senator Shel Whispertongue. I’m here to make sure we all stay out in the field. Traps, locks, all those unpleasant things, I’ll take care of them. Just listen to what I say, and things should go just swimmingly. I’ve not lost a crew yet, and you won’t be the first…”

A ship sails into magnificent harbor of Magnimar, its cloaked Captain a the wheel steering it into dock. Once docked and tied off, an owl flies down from the crow’s nest hooting loudly and incessantly.

The Captain shakes his head at the bird as they disembark. ”No, Archimedes, we’re not late, we’re right on time…we may be cutting it close but dropping those Pathfinders off in Kalsgard was my duty as well…”

They swiftly make their way through the Docks into the city proper, eventually to the Pathfinder Lodge in the Naos district. He finds his way to the room where he will be briefed, nodding to those present, smiling when he sees a face he recognizes. He pulls back his hood to reveal long flowing blonde hair and a face with sharp Elven features.

He bows, saying, ”Flyndyngylyn, at your service; but you can call me Flyn. Long trip for me and I’m starving…hope they’re going to feed us…”

Turning to the other Elf and the mini-dragon, he smiles broadly, preparing to speak mentally.

At the request of hosts Canayven and Sheila Heidmarch, you have been invited to attend a private meeting at Heidmarch Manor. A large number of your fellow Pathfinders have clearly also been given a similar invitation, however the appearance of Sheila Heidmarch suggests all is about to be made clear. She calls for your attention, and as the noise dies down she begins to speak.

”Dear friends, welcome to Magnimar and the newest Pathfinder Lodge—Heidmarch Manor. For those of you who do not yet know me, my name is Sheila Heidmarch—venture-captain of Magnimar. This lodge is also my home, which I share with my husband Canayven. While we are far from the comforts of the Grand Lodge at Absalom, we shall do our best to accommodate you with our humble Varisian hospitalities. My husband and I both spent many years in the field, so we know well what you do and appreciate that you have answered our summons. We are both extremely grateful to receive you and your support.”

”As you well know, Heidmarch Manor is a new lodge. Presently it is funded almost entirely from my own resources. Although I adore Magnimar, we have as many enemies here as friends. This being the case, I seek to court the favor of more powerful allies, specifically members of the Council of Ushers and the Office of the Lord Mayor.”

”This brings the conversation to our current situation. On one of their more recent salvage runs, the wondrous artificers of the Golemworks uncovered a strange relic while dredging stone from the bottom of Magnimar’s harbor. The relic appears to be some sort of a giant key, etched with ancient Thassilonian runes that their learned arcanists speculate may even predate the coming of the mysterious runelords. Because the key falls outside their area of expertise, the Golemworks donated the curious artifact to the Office of the Lord Mayor. In turn, the Lord Mayor intends to auction off the key to the highest bidder in short order, to fund municipal projects. The auction will be run by the Cathedral of Abadar, gold in hand—meaning immediately after the final bid is accepted, the bidder must pay for his prize in full.”

”We want the key. However, we want it legally. Our establishment in Magnimar is relatively new and our footing tenuous. We need to secure more stable political relationships with the Lord Mayor’s office and the Council of Ushers to ensure the Society’s long term success in this city; especially since the Aspis Consortium already has such a strong foothold here. The legitimate purchase of the Runecarved Key from the local authorities would demonstrate our respect for the city’s government, which would go a long way toward improving our public image with these people.”

”That said, we can greatly increase our chances of winning the auction by persuading our competition to back out. While there are some we believe we can outbid, we are a new lodge with far fewer funds than many. Thus, we must find out who else is interested in the key, how much they can bid, and whether or not we can knock them out of the auction.”

”To assure our success, our espionage must be extensive. Therefore we have divided the task between our agents. While division stands to place field operatives in greater danger, we cannot risk revealing ourselves by working en masse. If you are discovered, we will disavow any association with you. We cannot aid you if you get arrested or fall into the clutches of the enemies of our Society. While this is unfortunate, I hope you can understand our position.”

”For now, please make yourselves at home. We have provided accommodations for each of your groups. Feel free to drop off your things and prepare yourselves. Then meet me in the manor’s theater in five minutes.”
______________

Table GMs, you may begin introductions if you have not already done so. Act One begins in a little under 24 hours.

Noke raises an eyebrow after the Halfling’s speech.

“Well, I’ve got no issue with someone that gives orders … following orders is sometimes difficult for me Whispertongue but I’ll try. So go ahead and lead if you want … and I should mention that I hold Chaldira, a Halfling goddess, very dear to my heart!“ she says with a genuine smile.

She then turns to the newly arrived elf.

“Oh, the renowned Venture Captain Flyndyngylyn!? Really nice meeting you!“ she says and the little woman walks forward.

“You are famous of course but I heard a lot about you from Zaarah. We spent a lot of time together when she studied metamagic with the Wayang Spellhunters and formed her black blade from the essence of the shadow plane on Minata. She is a contagious woman. No wonder she left me the lessons of Chaldira which I never let go. So are you still sailing the V? Tell me: how are you Venture Captain?!“ she asks a little bit too curiously.

Shel nods at the wayang’s compliment of one of the halfling gods. Her face turns sour, however upon hearing mention of the bastards of the Apsis Consortium.

”Whatever we do, we have to make sure those Apsis don’t succeed in getting their hands on the key. And you best bet, they aren’t going to play by any rules trying to ensure fairness!”

I am the holder of the Jacinth Sage Jewel, yes Quenly's telepathic proxy informs Noke and the others. And also a senior member of the Ancient Lorekeepers of Kyonin, charged with keeping the histories of my people.

Quenly 'listens' to the Venture-Captain's introduction, watching her lips whilst his dragon relays Heidmarch's words telepathically.

After playing a few pbps with Quenly and his dragon now, I am largely settled on using telepathy with Quenly's alias rather than with the dragon's.

Flyn nods and bows to Noke. ”You honor me too much, m’Lady, I can assure you Zaarah has over exaggerated my abilities. I have not seen her lately…how is she doing?”

The Elf nods in agreement with Shel as he hisses. ”Yesss, the Assspisss are bast…umm, not my favorite folk…to put it nicely…”

Noke shrugs.

"I heard she was promoted but I have not seen her in a long time to be honest. You probably know more than I do. But it is great that we are here together ... I feel much safer to be honest!" she says with a smile.

Omrax appears as a tall, fair haired knight of with obvious elven heritage. He removes his winged helm as he enters the room.

Under his red cloak, he wears a new suit of polished fullplate along with a shield bearing the crest of Iomedae on his arm.
His longsword is well kept and shows signs of recent battles.
Strapped to his back is a longbow and greatsword.

It is my honor to travel with you. By the will of the Inheritor, I will do all I can to ensure success of this mission.

Even before the venture-captain arrives, the theater in Heidmarch Manor is crammed with Pathfinders. Heidmarch enters quietly, then slips through the crowd, takes the stage, and speaks.

”Tonight, the Council of Ushers is sponsoring a pre-auction gala, to be hosted at the Cathedral of Abadar. During the party, the auctioneers intend to display the Runecarved Key in order to entice potential bidders. Anyone serious about entering the auction will be required to place a deposit of ten thousand gold coins in an escrow account at the cathedral.”

”We need you to attend this event, both to submit our deposit as well as to determine who else might be interested in the key. While most of those attending received invitations, the event is semi-private and open to anyone with enough money to place serious bids. While the city provided me with an invitation, my appearance would give our many enemies cause for suspicion. For this reason, I ask that all of you go in my stead, and enter as my proxies. Still, we do not want our enemies to speculate on our own intentions. For this reason, you must keep a low profile and avoid seeming too eager about the key. Each of you will be given a portion of the full deposit to take to the temple to present to Proctor Imikar.”
______________

Table GMs, begin Act One!

Each of you is gibven a sdtrongbox containing a portion of the Pathfinder Society's deposit and instructs you to proceed to the Cathedral of Abadar.

Upon your arrival, you witness a steady stream of guest as they ascend the stairs and enter the cathedral’s main sanctuary, where the viewing is being held. Rows of paladins donning white tabards stitched with the golden key of Abadar flank the main entrance. Their hands clench tightly around their gleaming swords as they stand almost motionless, ever-vigilant stares upon their faces.

As you enter, various low-level priests greet you and invite the Pathfinders to partake in food and beverages while you mingle about. One of the acolytes directs them to Proctor Jyronn Imikar, a pleasant Osirian priest who runs the temple, to handle the deposit. Imikar is responsible for taking the bids and logging entries. When you present their deposit, they have the opportunity to peek at his ledger to see who else might be participating in the auction.

Anyone who wishes to do so may make a Perception check. The amount of information you obtain depends on each individual's result - no aid another allowed.

As the deposit is delivered, Flyn tries to subtly peruse the ledger to see who’s bidding…

Perception: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (6) + 27 = 33

Before attending the event, Noke casts heroism on herself.

She looks at the ledger!

perception: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 17 + 2 = 31

Omrax would cast eaglesoul prior to entering as well

He will look at the ledger

Perception : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Perception 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (3) + 19 = 22

Of course, Shel takes the opportunity to glance at the list. If observed, she smiles and gives a little wink to to the Proctor.

One moment, friends Quenly's telepathic voice intrudes before the Pathfinders set out for the auction. I will enhance our senses and speed.

Tendrils of shadow reach out and touch the group as Quenly gestures. Each recipient of the elf's magic feels at once more in tune with their surroundings.

Casting Hunter's Blessing, granting +2 sacred bonuses to Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, Survival checks, attack rolls and damage rolls vs Humans and a +2 sacred bonus on initiative checks, Perception, Stealth, and Survival in an Urban setting.

Quenly also beckons Noke over. I would benefit from some of your spells. My power can fuel your magic. Allow me to demonstrate.

Quenly employs Channel the Gift to 'cast' heroism on himself without it costing Noke her spell.

At the Cathderal, the ever-present shadows seem to cling to Quenly more closely...

perception, heroism, hunter's blessing: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 19 + 2 + 2 = 42

GM please add +2 to everyone else's Perception result for Hunter's Blessing.

The Pathfinders peek at the ledger as they pass by with their strongboxes.

“Of course Quenly!!“ she says and allows for Quenly to enjoy heroism.

Noke notes down the names and gives them to everyone who didn’t see all names.

“Here team! Let’s find them and let’s then compare notes about what we know about them!“

She then starts to check out the crowd.

@GM: Diplomacy gather information take 10 for a result of 27 including buffs to find the respective people on the list in the crowd.

She also tries to remember details about these people after she finds them!

kn local Maiveer Sloan / Aspis Consortium : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28
Falrig Sneve / — : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Kresch Vaor / Underbridge Exports : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
Dymal Rinks / independent : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
The Duchesses / NONE : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31
Doctor Ernst Landis / Museum of Ages : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29
Zimandi Kaddren / : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

@Noke, that will be resolved after the next overseer announcement.

”Well, that’s a good start. Hopefully we can figure out something to use against all these people. Sorry for their loss, but we’ve got our orders,” she whispers.

Since between you, you have seen everything, I have revealed the image of the ledger on the slides.

A squat man in white robes steps upon the cathedral dais to address the room. Introducing himself as the sexton of Magnimar’s High Cathedral of Abadar, he greets his guests with a broad, welcoming smile. "Good evening, friends! I’m pleased to see so many of our distinguished and honored guests could attend. For those of you not fortunate enough to have participated in our pre-auction festivities, please feel free to take part in all the luxuries and wonders within these halls. And with my welcome, I have the pleasure unveiling the auction’s feature lot. Enjoy!"

With the utterance of the final word he pulls aside the veil, displaying a gigantic key. It stands roughly three feet tall and is made of stone etched with glowing arcane symbols. The crowd applauds and people turn back to their companions to discuss the key. The crowd is an eclectic mix of landholders, merchants, and other notable figures from all over Varisia, wide-eyed and curious to glimpse the mysterious Runecarved Key. Hired servants and acolytes continue to weave through the crowd bearing luxurious platters of fruits, sweetbreads, and oysters or trays topped with crystal goblets of heady red wine. Guests mingle slowly, socializing amicably but cautiously with longtime acquaintances, as they feel out potential competitors.

Noke quickly chats up a few members of the crowd and obtains some useful information about the Society's competitors.

A gaunt, fashionably dressed Chelaxian handshakes his way through the room, accompanied by a half-dozen followers who appear to be equal parts attendant and bodyguard. This is Maiveer Sloan, head of Magnimar’s chapter of the Aspis Consortium.

Dymal Rinks, a squat halfling dressed in plain clothes, skates about the edge of the crowd, his eyes flitting back and forth between the key and the exit. Noke hears that Rinks is a compulsive gambler and spent the past three months in Magnimar betting on the bullfights at the Matador’s Lodge.

Toward the back of the room stands a gray-haired man in his early fifties, dressed in fine silken robes and flanked by two muscular guards. The man, Falrig Sneve, nervously fingers a small silver coin, flipping it about in his fingers. Rumor has it that he is extremely supersititous.

Zimandi Kaddren, the current matriarch of one of Magnimar’s founding families, is a strikingly handsome Chelaxian woman with deep, dark eyes and black hair who steps forward to admire the key. She is richly dressed in a flowing gown cut to the very latest in Magnimarian fashion. Zimandi only recently inherited her position after her parents vanished during an expedition to mysterious fortress known as Viperwall in central Varisia, and Kaddren blames the disappearance of her parents upon the Pathfinder Society.

A guest points out Kresch Vaor moving slowly through the crowd . An uncomely woman with large teeth and a shrewlike nose, dressed unbecomingly in the drab clothing of a stevedore. Slight in stature with a slightly stooped posture, she behaves in a mostly standoffish manner. Slipping to the edge of the crowd, she nervously waits for the key. Spotting the artifact, she make a few quick notes then slips off.

Near the front of the gathering, vying for a look at the key, stands a balding, weathered old man wearing heavy robes stitched with runes. Despite his age, his face beams with a boyish grin as he gazes at the curious artifact. This is Doctor Ernst Landis, curator of Magnimar’s publically funded Museum of Ages.

Two women stand to the side of the cathedral, conversing softly between themselves. Both are dressed in Varisian travelers’ clothes draped with thick cloaks. This pair goes by the collective name "The Duchess".

If you would like to interact with any of the bidders, let me know who you want to talk to and what you would like to discuss with them (including whether you introduce yourselves as Pathfinders).

This section only takes 15 minutes at a live table, so no individual would be able to talk to all of them. It's up to you if you want to focus on a small number, divide them up or let them be.

Shel approaches the other halfling, Dymal Rinks. ”I wager that we will end up with the key, Dymal,” Shel says with a giggle, letting the man know she knows of his vice.

”Im the Baroness, Shel Whispertongue, here representing the Pathfinder Society. Are you enjoying the evening? I’m just here meeting and greetin, and I have the unfortunate duty of informing everyone else that I plan on winning the key…”

Diplomacy 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29

"You needn't try to intimidate me," Rinks replies nervously. "I'm only here to appraise the key for a wealthy client who has expressed an interest. I am not a buyer myself, I merely broker deals between Varisia's merchants."

That one, Falrig Sneve, with the coin Quenly advises the pathfinders, if he is as superstitious as I have been informed, he could be dissuaded from bidding if he were to 'learn' that the Key is under a powerful curse. Such forms of misdirection are not my strength, but perhaps one of you could do this?

Quenly instead seeks out Doctor Landis, the scholar of antiquities.

Doctor Landis, your reputation precedes you Quenly bows to the curator with a flourish. I am Quenlariel Saelgwath, wielder of the Jacinth Sage Jewel and representative of the Jeweled Sages and the Ancient Lorekeepers of Kyonin. I am not surprised to find that you and your esteemed museum are interested in the Key, and I would be delighted to facilitate joint research between the learned organisations that I represent and your museum staff, but I will have to insist that the Key itself leaves Magnimar with me. Preserve your public resources, dear colleague, and look forward to many fruitful collaborations with the Sages and the Lorekeepers both.

diplomacy, heroism, sage: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 22
Or perhaps Knowledge (History) might influence him?
know.history: 1d20 + 26 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 26 + 2 = 41

"I am sorry, sage" Landis replies pleasantly. "Alas, it is not truly my decision to make. I have a donor who must be satisfied, so I will be bidding as vigorously as you on this relic."

Omrax will meander towards the pair known as the Duchess.

”Good evening. This even has drawn quite the assembly of interested parties. I truly wonder whether this key has half the power it has been claimed to have. Would you agree?“

Diplomacy : 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (5) + 22 = 27 small talk

"You needn't try to intimidate me," Rinks replies nervously. "I'm only here to appraise the key for a wealthy client who has expressed an interest. I am not a buyer myself, I merely broker deals between Varisia's merchants."

”Any interest in telling me who you are representing? It’s always good to be prepared for curve balls. Of course, there are many merchants around who might owe the Society a favor…”

Flyn nods to his companions, murmuring, ”I’ll take my chances with the noblewoman…”

He approaches the key, looking at it standing a couple of paces from her. ”Fascinating isn’t it? I see scholars, merchants, and gamblers all taking about this artifact. Pray tell me, m’Lady, why does a noblewoman of Magnimar admire such a key?”

Knowledge (Nobility): 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 7 + (6) = 23

”Good evening. This even has drawn quite the assembly of interested parties. I truly wonder whether this key has half the power it has been claimed to have. Would you agree?“

"We are Ordellian Caravan guards," one of them says amicably "I'm sure that half of what what we have heard isn't true," the other continues, "but half would be enough tokeep our interest." You do not seem to be keeping their interest, though, as they are already flitting away.

”Any interest in telling me who you are representing? It’s always good to be prepared for curve balls. Of course, there are many merchants around who might owe the Society a favor…”

"If my sponsor wanted to be known, I'm sure they would have announced themself." He then takes an hors d’oeuvre from a tray and takes a bite. "Well, at least the food here is better than at the Old Fang Inn."

He approaches the key, looking at it standing a couple of paces from her. ”Fascinating isn’t it? I see scholars, merchants, and gamblers all taking about this artifact. Pray tell me, m’Lady, why does a noblewoman of Magnimar admire such a key?”

"Oh, the rumors of this key's power are fascinating," she responds, clearly hitting upon a favored topic. "Of course, what it opens is the hottest subject of debate, but clearly it has powers in its own right. Why, there's an alchemist down on Willow Road who says..." She is willing to expound upon her theories for as long as you are willing to listen.

Flyn stands there politely nodding, adding in a word of agreement here or there as appropriate. When the noblewoman stops to catch her breath, he queries nicely, ”Very intriguing indeed; how much do you think it’ll go for?”

"Oh, I wouldn't care to hazard a guess! Hopefully no more than I have in my possession. The possibilities with such an unusual artifact are..." going to keep her talking for as long as you let her.

The sexton steps back up to the cathedral dais and claps his hands to get the room’s attention. Clearing his throat, he calls out, ”The pre-auction gala has ended; all must leave the cathedral immediately. Thank you for attending and we’ll see many of you back here for the auction!”
______________

Your first task done, you exit the cathedral and make your way back to Heidmarch Manor. The theater is filled with your fellow Pathfinders, all buzzing with excitement. Sheila Heidmarch, raises her hands and quiets the room before speaking. ”Well my colleagues, I trust you were successful this evening? Anyone have information to share? Let’s see some hands.”

A tall, thin half-elf with jet black hair and piercing green eyes is the first to volunteer information. ”We met a halfling named Dymal Rinks, who said he was only acting on behalf of one of his clients,” he explains. ”But I heard a rumor that Rinks actually has a pretty big gambling problem and it’s gotten him into debt at the Matador Lounge, betting on bullfights. Might be worth keeping in mind.”

A young woman sporting a magnificent tricorn hat and a rapier on her hip calls out, ”Lady Zimandi Kaddren was in attendance! She seemed interested in the Key as a potential object of arcane study. But when the subject of the Pathfinder Society came up - entirely of her own volition, by the way - she seemed angry and said something about her parents having vanished on a mission. I think that she blames the Society for their disappearance…so it might be best to tread lightly there.”

Next, an undine male clad only in swim trunks and a backpack speaks up. ”I can report that the curator of the Museum of Ages is also interested in the artifact. Doctor Landis has secured a donation for the key, since he can’t use museum funds for the auction. He thinks it is an item of great historical significance, and that it was created by Emperor Xin to unlock a temple of seven paradises.”

”I learned a little about two women dressed in travelers’ outfits,” volunteers an attractive aasimar in full plate, holy symbol of Iomedae emblazoned on the front. ”They claim to be Varisian and both go by the pseudonym ‘The Duchesses’. Not very chatty but people seemed to think that they’re not locals.”

Before Heidmarch can comment on the information that has been shared, a servant rushes in and hands her a note. She takes a moment to read it, her expression intrigued.

”Well, my friends, it seems Desna smiles upon us. My sources have just informed me that the Aspis Consortium has fewer funds than we first imagined. Thus, they have sent word to an ally in Korvosa to ship them more gold. Fortunately, I still have a few spies in Korvosa.”

”A few days ago, the Consortium hired a Varisian caravan to carry a sizable shipment of gold to Magnimar, presumably to help them secure the Runecarved Key’s purchase. The caravan was traveling along the Yondabakari River and should be nearing the outskirts of the city in a few hours. I need you to ride out to the caravan before it gets within sight of the city walls and ensure that gold never reaches the Aspis Consortium at Bronze House. Take whatever gold you can, but try not to draw attention to yourselves as Pathfinders. It’s bandit territory out there anyway, so caravan raids aren’t uncommon. That said, rest assured the caravan will be armed. As soon as you’re finished, hurry back here. We don’t want Maiveer Sloan to catch on to our plot. I’ll send a white raven to signal you to return before the situation becomes too risky.”
______________

Table GMs, you may begin Act Two. Act Two will conclude on September 22nd.

”Hide your wayfinder asap,” Shel hissed under her breath, jumping in before the group even receives their assignments.

Several miles outside of the city walls, a side trail branches off and away from the Yondabakari and winds south into a forest of ancient evergreens. Off to the side of the path, nestled into >a deep pocket of spruces<, sleeps a small Varisian caravan, only two wagons strong.

A number of people are asleep around a campfire.

Please place your tokens within the yellow box.

Perception 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30
Perception 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29

•Look over there! There’s people sleeping near a campfire and their wagon has the Apsis symbol painted on it! It’s so ugly,” she grumbled.

”And there’s a guard over there between the wagon and the road. Maybe we can take that guard out quickly if we surprise them!”

Would someone please place Shel on the map? Anywhere is fine. Thanks!

The knight considers the word and pauses in meditation

Perception : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

• I will guard the honor of my fellows, both in thought
and deed, and I will have faith in them.

• When in doubt, I may force my enemies to surrender,
but I am responsible for their lives.

”By the Inheritor.
Although, are we certain these are Aspis agents?
Seems very suspicious. But we could certainly detain them for questioning or the local constabulary if that is what you mean by take them out. “

"Sneaky" guard added to map. Didn't think you'd have a problem with those DCs.

So do people want to try to talk to the caravan or skip straight to combat? Any preparations you want to make first?

Sorry, GM, tried to post this earlier, had internet issues and it got eaten…

Flyn gives the paladin a doubtful look, whispering, ”I’m afraid that’s not what she means, my friend…we can’t detain them, as they might tie us to the Society, and we can’t turn them over to the local authorities as, sadly, being an Aspis agent isn’t a crime…she means either render unconscious or kill. I have no qualms killing Aspis agents, evil bastards, but I’d imagine some of these might be hired mercenaries or contractors…perhaps there’s another way…”

Having packed away his wayfinder before setting out, the Elf nods to Shel. ”I’ll scout out the perimeter and return shortly…won’t get too close, no worries…”

He taps himself with his wand of mage armor and then activates a 10-minute increment from his adaptation ability (+2 natural armor) just in case things go south…

Securing his hood over his head, he quietly circles the camp, using what cover he can to conceal himself as he moves, Flyn looks over the camp, looking for anything significant or dangerous, traps, hidden guards, etc…

Stealth: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (12) + 30 = 42
Perception: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (18) + 27 = 45
Survival (Tracking): 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (17) + 24 = 41

I added a yellow line to the map depicting his route; he’ll not get too close, just wants to try to make sure all is as it seems…

Current AC: 32
Applicable Abilities:
Darkvision
Low light vision
Hide in Plain Sight

Noke casts a message spell before coming near the caravan to be able to communicate quietly.

"I can easily slumber the guard. Then someone sneaky can go into the wagon and put the money in a bag of holding and get out as fast as possible! If something happens then the rest of us are here!" Noke says confidently.

Seeing that Flyn wants to move forward with stealth, she prepares herself to invoke her patron and then slumber hex the lone guard if he reacts in any way to Flyn moving around.

So this is ready action. I know its not possible outside of combat. But should the hidden guard that is awake react then:
Swift action: Invoke patron Curiosity: The DCs of the invoker’s hexes and patron spells increase by 1.
Standard action: Slumber hex, DC 26 or asleep 12 rounds.

”Understood. Scouting and getting more information is wise. I have no problems killing active combatants or even known criminals. However, we have no proof of either yet. I do want want a paint on the side of a wagon accidentally condemning innocent to death. “