[GD XI] Redelia's Race for the Runecarved Key (Inactive)

Game Master Redelia

After nearly a minute an a half of keeping the hydra at bay and very, very nauseated Axetongue gives a signal and several dozen of his guardsmen storm the floor. Dozens more rush from teh wings with chains, ropes, and sedatives, quickly overwhelminga nd subduing the beast. "Well done." Axetongue calls at having a good show against the Hydra.

+1 point for staying in the arena for at least 6 rounds.
+1 point for each additional round the PCs stay in the arena past round 6 [max +3].

★ -- ★ -- ★ -- ★

“Prior to the founding of our lodge, the Pathfinder Society had few contacts and fewer resources here in Magnimar. One of our best was an alchemist and a sage name Darga Cranstone. Cranstone kept a small lab in Ordellia, performing specialized research using rare herbs that grow wild in the Mushfens. Yesterday, word from Absalom arrived that several years ago, our organization paid the alchemist an advance of over a three thousand crowns for some research. Several months later, Cranstone had only turned over half her findings, and eventually failed to complete the commission. Then for a short while, the Society lost all contact with her. Just days before the Decemvirate sent a debt collector to hunt down Darga, her apprentice suddenly sent word that his mistress was still working on the project. This kept on for several seasons, with the apprentice’s notes becoming more infrequent, until they simply petered off. While the sum was fairly significant, other matters put recouping the lost sum on hold, and after a few years, it was eventually forgotten. Now that we have again been reminded of this debt, I need you to go to Cranstone’s tower and collect the fee she owes us, with interest.”

Lady Gabrielle despised this aspect of the Society leadership from the moment it was exposed to her. But she had managed to keep away from the Decemvirate's attention for years by not fighting it directly.

"How much does she owe in total?" she asks, her face completely hiding her anticipation of being quoted an incredulous sum.

Rilke shrugs and puts on her angry face. "Maybe she got replaced by a mimic? I hear those are nasty."

"Meh, just send our resident lawyer." Arnaut gestures over his shoulder at where Hendric stands next to Sentry, then leans in to clarify in a stage whisper, "The one on the left."

Falling Rock hides a sigh at what promises to be an unpleasantly tedious task. Then he hears Arnaut's comment, and hooks a thumb at Rilke. "Barrister. Believe it or not."

"Dear gods, they're multiplying." Arnaut swoons on the couch.

"More than enough for us to pay a visit in this time of need."

You arrive at Cranstone’s rundown tower to find it long abandoned. The doors and windows have been boarded up and dozens of old, faded notices plastered on the door warn trespassers to keep out and that the property has been seized by the lord mayor’s office. Still, it appears like a long time has passed since anyone from the government has paid the premises a
visit. The boards pry off easily, allowing access to the ground floor. Long looted of all valuables, it contains nothing but rubbish and rats. A rickety wooden staircase curls about the exterior wall leading a good 60 feet upward to a second floor.

Falling Rock looks around in distaste, but searches thoroughly, despite the off-putting nature of the place.

Perception (urban): 1d20 + 27 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 27 + 4 = 49

"Over here. Two lockboxes, both trapped," Falling Rock says in a low voice, pointing out both hidden containers and their security measures. "Do any of you have the skills to bypass them the quiet way?"

Rilke grins toothily at Arnaut, unintentionally exposing something stuck in her teeth.

Perception: 1d20 + 35 ⇒ (8) + 35 = 43

She takes a look at the boxes and fishes out a set of lockpicks. "I can... Gotta have someone better than me."

"I do have a bit of a knack for this," Lady Gabrielle suggests.

If the traps are magical, she will use a scroll of Aram Zey's focus to give herself trapfinding as well as +4 to these checks.

The Lady gently fixes the position of her glasses on her nose, then retrieves several small tools from the undergarments beneath her daytime dress.

Taking 10s yields 51s, 55s if the traps are magical.

Moving fast!

Sir Hendric nods to Rilke.

"I too am a barrister. One more avenue by which I might fight for justice, defend the innocent, and vanquish the guilty. For those times when sword and lance are not appropriate.

In this case, I fear that it is no simple legal matter, but may have something to do with the nature of the arcane research. There was some particularly unsettling Consortium research that I came across some time back."

"Ugh. Research. Give me a good fist pounding fight any day."

As you begin prying up floorboards and dragging the chests up to a more comfortable level a beautiful ghostly woman drifts through the floor from below. Her hair flows around her face in a rage. "Who is making all this noise and stealing my gold!" She floats out to attack!

★★★
Dead Woman's Debts! Round 1

Battlemap

──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Lady Gabrielle (181/181 HP)
➤ Rilke (192/192 HP)
➤ Cazic (244/244 HP)
➤ Sir Hendric (174/174 HP)
Undead (-0 HP)
Falling Rock (246/246 HP)
Arnaut (139/139 HP)

Sir Hendric will stow his shield, draw his lance (needs 2 hands when dismounted), and enter Snake Style (which he took just to deal with touch attack).

Cazic steps to an adjacent space and channels to repel the ghostly figure.

5 ft step and channel to harm undead DC 28, channel: 9d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 5) = 26

Lady Gabrielle calmly steps behind the vigilant Sir Hendric, fluttering the summer morning heat away from her face with her fan.

"Miss Cranstone," she greets the ghost. "We mean to recover the results of your painstaking research, to preserve your findings. What did you learn before your demise?" she asks.

Swift to activate Crane Style. Move to get behind Ser Hendric. Standard to ready an attack, defensively, if the ghost comes within reach with hostile intent. Her AC against incorporeals will go up to 37 in such a case.

will save against channel: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29
so she takes half damage.

I know some of you have played together in the past, so know each other's characters better than I do. Would someone feel comfortable botting Rilke?

Rilke messages Cazic to be a puppet master

Rilke says "scary".
(+5 adaptive distracting, greater impervious limning seeking composite longbow, with deadly aim. 19-20 crit threat, +4 on crit attack)

attack 1: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (5) + 32 = 37 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (9, 6) + 18 = 33 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 5
attack 2: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (14) + 32 = 46 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (10, 10) + 18 = 38 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 6
attack 3: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (16) + 27 = 43 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (10, 1) + 18 = 29 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 6
attack 4: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (11) + 27 = 38 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (10, 4) + 18 = 32 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 3
attack 5: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (5) + 22 = 27 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (8, 9) + 18 = 35 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 1
attack 6: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (14) + 22 = 36 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (1, 4) + 18 = 23 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 2
attack 7: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34 for damage: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (2, 8) + 18 = 28 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 3

All seven of Rilke's arrows hit. Some of the damage doesn't work because the creature is incorporeal. (133 HP damage)

status: undead -146 HP

The undead creature begins to emit a hideous, heartbreaking wailing sound.

each of you must make a DC 23 Fortitude save. If you fail, you are sickened and take 140 damage.

The entire party is now up.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (18) + 26 = 44

Falling Rock grimaces at the ghost's keening, but he easily resists its effects. Realizing that his merciful earth shaker won't hurt this thing without wasting precious seconds to command it to do lethal damage, he draws his sword and swings it two-handed at the ghost.

Checking a box on Bane of Urgathoa boon to give one attack ghost touch, undead bane, and +1 to crit multiplier. Then single two-handed attack with Power Attack, Furious Focus, and Greater Vital Strike.

+1 adamantine (ghost touch, undead bane) longsword: 1d20 + 24 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 24 + 2 = 43
damage (S): 1d8 + 3d8 + 26 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + (3, 1, 5) + 26 + (6, 4) = 52

Fortitude vs DC 23: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

“Oh Shelyn’s plumed backside, that’s awful.” Arnaut grimaces and begins to whistle - a long, warbling sound that calls to mind birds singing sweetly in green pastoral meadows and not a ghost wailing in a dank basement.

Starting a Countersong performance (+49) and pulling out lesser Threnodic rod.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (1) + 27 = 28

The Lady is struck with a piercing headache that attacks her entire self!

HP 66/181. I'll wait till after Rilke goes before acting.

each of you must make a DC 23 Fortitude save. If you fail, you are sickened and take 140 damage.

Cazic saves effortlessly saying "That isn't very nice.".

Should anyone take damage, please remember to feed me 5 damage per round for 5 healing.

If anyone took the 140, Cazic will heal them 150 points of damage by moving to them, cast heal, and touch. If there is no path that does not provoke, she will provoke.

BTW, would someone please move me adjacent to the ghost. I can't move my token when doing this on my phone.

The banshee turns to mist as Falling Rock's attack hits.

Rilke save roll: 1d20 ⇒ 20
passed.

No one failed the save, so the banshee did not damage anyone.

Returning to your work, you find the money you were sent for, and return to Sheila Heidmarch.

OK, I think we just barely have time to make one more mission fit before this part ends.

"It seems the Runecarved Key has attracted the attention of a small exporting company run by the dubious Vaor family of Underbridge. Why the Vaors are interested in the key, or even how they came up with the deposit, is beyond my imaginings. I doubt they have much in the way of finances, but one can never tell. Perhaps they represent someone else more powerful, perhaps not. In any event, I need someone to head down to Underbridge and find out. This map should get you to their warehouse quickly. Best of luck, Pathfinders."

You easily find your way to the warehouse. You are now standing just outside it. What now, team?

Fort: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (19) + 21 = 40
Sir Hendric resists the undead's wail, and attacks with his lance more or less at the same time as Falling Rock.
No need to roll as the fight is over, but it's what he would have done.

Cazic says "Should we walk in like we own the place and start making diplomatically enhanced "demands"?.

Arnaut bows to Cazic and Gabrielle both with a flourish of his hat. "An excellent idea, and I'm sure the Duchesses will not take as kindly to competition as the Society."

The Lady considers the situation for a moment. "That is an excellent opening gambit," she comments, before pointing to the upper floors with her fan. "Meanwhile, I will make the upper stories our offense with a bit of second-story inspection. As a Duchess, of course."

Okay, so we are looking at Cazic and Arnault at the front door, and Lady Gabrielle at an upstairs window so far.

For our notes, Lady Gabrielle is proposing to wall-walk the outside up to a window with some sort of upstairs room, Disable Device through any shut windows, and Stealth/Perception her way around the upstairs.

Also, mark of a heal there Cazic, as Lady Gabrielle rolled a nat-1 on her banshee save. Natural 1s fail in PF1E, right?

The warehouse does not appear to have multiple stories.

Windows? Any possible entrances besides the front door?

No, from the map, it appears the front door is the only way in or out.

I've put the relevant map at the top of the list of maps, and I've pulled in the masking rectangle to show the edges of the warehouse.

Yikes. Someone should call Health & Safety, because this employment site is a public health hazard.

I guess alternatively "The Duchess" could dimension door into a quiet corner while the party chats with whoever is on the other side, and Stealth from there.

No OSHA here

Rilke will wait patiently outside for the talking people to do talking things. "If you get into trouble, I'll come a-runnin'." She leans against the building and tucks her hands into her armpits.

"Darling, I can tell from your face that you're overthinking things again." Arnaut flaps a hand at Gabrielle. "Just use the front door and bowl them over with your stunning personality."

"It would be foolish to give up our advantage for the sake of simplicity," she replies. "But if you insist."

Front door it is! Let's go, Cazic!

Falling Rock is also content to see how far talking gets them this time, and sets to propping up a section of wall on the other side of the door from where Rilke slouches. There's a glint of amusement in his eye as he says to Cazic, "Run along and enjoy yourself. We'll be here if you need us."

In their past adventures together, Cazic had a habit of eagerly rushing ahead to see what was in the next room, and who she could try to make friends with this time. It happened regularly enough that Falling Rock gently but firmly pushing her behind him became a running joke in our group. He hasn't needed to in quite a few levels, but encouraging her to go ahead without him is still unusual enough to amuse him.

The minute you walk in the door the rats attack you, giving you no chance to talk. It looks like they don't want any outsiders to see whatever they are up to. It seems to involve packing up goods into crates.

bold may post:
Lady Gabrielle
Cazic
Falling Rock
Rilke
Vaors
Sir Hendrick
wererats
companions
Arnaut

Assuming this isn't totally against what we're supposed to be doing. If it is, I will rewrite.

"Huh. Literal rats."

Rilke takes a step away from the wall she was leaning against and clicks her heels together. "No death, right?" She peppers a variety of enemies with 1 arrow each in an attempt not to kill anything outright.

(Haste attack, nonlethal. +5 adaptive distracting, greater impervious limning seeking composite longbow, with deadly aim. 19-20 crit threat, +4 on crit attack. Attacks numbered on map.)

attack 1: 1d20 + 32 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 32 - 4 = 36 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (8, 9) + 18 = 35 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 2
attack 2: 1d20 + 32 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 32 - 4 = 43 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (8, 4) + 18 = 30 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 3
attack 3: 1d20 + 32 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 32 - 4 = 35 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (6, 2) + 18 = 26 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 4
attack 4: 1d20 + 27 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 27 - 4 = 40 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (1, 3) + 18 = 22 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 4
attack 5: 1d20 + 27 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 27 - 4 = 30 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (10, 5) + 18 = 33 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 1
attack 6: 1d20 + 22 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 22 - 4 = 19 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (5, 9) + 18 = 32 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 5
attack 7: 1d20 + 22 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 22 - 4 = 35 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (8, 4) + 18 = 30 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 1
attack 8: 1d20 + 17 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 17 - 4 = 23 for damage, nonlethal: 2d10 + 18 ⇒ (3, 6) + 18 = 27 plus acid: 1d6 ⇒ 3

The blue guys look like normal rats, with no intelligence or anything.

The yellow guys look like wererats, and so likely have some intellingence, but are clearly 'servants.'

The red guys are the four leaders. One was one of the bidders at the auction, Kresch Vaor.

(you were given no reason that you should not kill someone who attacks you here)

Rilke's shots 4, 5, 6, and 8 outright kill four rats, even though she used non-lethal.

Shots 2 and 3 knock some of the 'servant' wererats unconscious.

Shots 1 and 7 badly hurt, but not knock out, several of the Vaor sisters. (they both appear to be at about half HP)

The Duchess purses her lips with frustration. "We just want to talk about working together..." she shouts to them in exasperation, before ending her thought with "Oh, sod it," all in the Duchess's usual accented Varisian.

As the arrows begin to fly around her, she spies a room in the corner, then vanishes from sight as she steps towards it.

Swift action to vanish. Afterwards, standard action to dimension door into the corner room. She is Stealthing at 54 to keep quiet in there.

"That lasted about as long as it usually does," Falling Rock comments to Rilke in Orc as he passes her on his way into the warehouse. He takes up a position in front of Cazic and lunges at the foe directly ahead of him.

Power Attack, Furious Focus, Improved Vital Strike, Lunge (reach, -2 AC), vs. the red foe marked "1."
+5 impact impervious merciful adamantine earth breaker: 1d20 + 36 ⇒ (1) + 36 = 37
Nat 1, so miss. As an immediate action, use second chance strike hunter's trick to reroll at -5.
second chance strike: 1d20 + 36 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 36 - 5 = 36
Damage (B): 3d6 + 35 ⇒ (2, 2, 2) + 35 = 41 plus Greater Vital Strike: 9d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 3, 3, 6, 1, 1, 5, 1) = 24 plus Merciful: 1d6 ⇒ 4 = 69 nonlethal

Assuming that drops red, Cleaving Finish on the yellow wererat due south of Cazic.
+5 impact impervious merciful adamantine earth breaker: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (15) + 31 = 46
Damage (B): 3d6 + 35 ⇒ (3, 2, 1) + 35 = 41 plus Merciful: 1d6 ⇒ 3 = 44 nonlethal

As you go about the tasks set to you, the magically-enhanced words of criers can be heard out on the city streets:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Cathedral of Abadar will soon open its doors for the public auction! Anyone interested in participating must be within the cathedral in fifteen minutes. Once the auction starts, the doors will close. This is not an open door auction and no one will be admitted to the auction once the bidding starts!"
______________

Table GMs, begin wrapping up Act Three if you haven't already. Act Four begins tomorrow, October 12th!

Cazic sprouts wings and begins to fly.

swift for fly 60, moves to where she is now as high as possible.

Then points to red at bottom with a Gift of Madness. DC 28 will for 12 rounds of Confusion.

will save: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 35

The red one Cazic targeted babbles incoherently.

The other red ones surrender, and order their followers to surrender.

"Why did you attack us?"

yeah, I know, you didn't attack them; the scenario is written weirdly here

Rilke draws her bow back, aiming at the one who speaks, but holds her fire. "You started it."

The Duchess carefully and quietly examines the contents of that little room. What's back there?

"Why did you attack us?"

Cazic says "I merely tried to mitigate aggression from your side. We came to inquire about a certain deposit made on an object. Could you tell us more about your interest in this object?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 48 ⇒ (3) + 48 = 51

We only have a few hours left, so I'm going to push hard to get this done.

Lady Gabrielle perception while searching: 1d20 + 41 ⇒ (15) + 41 = 56

Under a pile of papers in the small office she is searching, Lady Gabrielle finds the note that is now revealed in the map deck, labelled handout 2.

The woman who responds to Cazic (who you saw at the auction as Krescg Vaor) explains that she doesn't actually care about the auction; in fact, she is only going to show up to collect her deposit. The deposit was a gift for a favor in an unrelated matter. She refuses to specify what that other matter was.

OK, mission complete, with full credit. I'll add the points to the tracker, and we're waiting for the House GM to post the start of the auction later today. Great job, team, that's a lot accomplished.