GM Ubi #1-12 The Burden of Envy (Inactive)

Game Master ubiquitous

Illnore beams; the excitement of being *this close* to freedom is infectious. "Good luck, everyone! Yuleg, Vurna, thank you so much for all your help. We really couldn't have done all this without you." She gives them both a hug.

She's ready to go.

You're welcome. Now we have to do the same for others.

Darius smiles and adds, ”Farewell, and safe journeys. Glad we could help.”

You return through the sewers, an easy trip with no need for the raft, and not shoving Seddothrum's bulk through.

The Rockfish Inn is quiet when you return, that is, until the raucous forms of Taffrit and Maffree come bounding out of hiding when they recognise you. The questions come thick and fast - where did the others go, a secret cove how did you get there, the sewers ewww, how did the big stone man even fit, did you punch a shark, what's a reefclaw, you had to come back through the sewers double ewwwww.

Daffrid finally rounds them up: "I'll get Maffree to fill a bath. There's a bit of odour gracing your steps." She indicates her husband who nods by way of introduction. A tall, lean man, he has a similiar spectacled scholarly look about him.

Flitch pokes his head out of one of the bedrooms and calls down the corridor: "I'll be in here, layin' low and napping if you need me. Got my papers after all, can't wait to leave this dung heap."

Here's where you get to do any pre-planning for your excursion to the docks tomorrow. You have well-made forged documents. You have a diguise kit donated by Flitch. This is your chance to nail down any cover stories, figure out any disguises you wish to enact, that kind of thing.

"Hi kids! Yup, we smell like gross stuff. Oh, a bath would be lovely. Thank you!" Illnore waves her gratitude to Daffrid's husband.

Once everyone's freshened up, she's all business. "Okay. So what's the best way to do this? I'm thinking Daffrid's family should go first, then after a bit Filch can go, then us a while later. Our paperwork is legit," I think, "so it shouldn't cause any trouble when it's inspected. I figure each group will take about half an hour--ish?--to get past the guards. If we space ourselves out by just over an hour, with the last group coming in at 4:00 so we can be sure to make our 5:00 deadline, that means the first group should leave..." She pauses to calculate. "...in time to get there between noon and 12:30. What do you guys think? And what about the disguises?"

Once the order of operations is decided, she starts thinking about cover stories. "Gosh, I don't know enough about this place to know what would be believable. Daffrid, Manfree: do you have any suggestions?"

Anyone have a way to conceal the armor? I would imagine the guard would want to know why we have it if they see it. Though the dirt we have on Ellvard might let us past him without too many questions.

"If only we had the dirt on Ellvard. I have no idea why she thought she could just hand us those documents right there in front of the other guards and get away with it. Honestly, though, if you were wearing armor on the way in, it should be fine to wear it on the way out."

Garrla's dirt we don't have. You're right. But we did just deliver his accountant out to sea and he had something almost as good. Dolan produces the affidavit of the art sales. We still have evidence of his shady dealings. Whether it was theft or forgery doesn't matter. The law is harsh here.

And it's Garrla's armor I'm worried about, not my own. Payment isn't much good if it's confiscated.

"Oooh, right! Hmm... Yakuthiel or Darius, could you wear it? If it's better than your armor, that is. Or pack it in your luggage and claim it as your backup armor if they ask? Of course, my highest priority is getting the people out safely. Maybe they should all have disguises so no one recognizes them, even bystanders. If they stop to chat it will give more time for the guards to cause trouble."

@GM Ubi: As far as I can tell, the forged documents would say a name, sex/gender, age, and reason they're permitted to leave. Does that sound right?

Astrid/Garrla's armor: it doesn't bear any Emerald Guard specific marks, it seems she was high enough rank that she commissioned it herself as opposed to being standard-issue, same as the blade.

Forged documents: yes, it's a passport-like travel document essentially establishing the refugees as members of your mercantile business (or their kids), whose proper home lies elsewhere in Golarion. While they may cross-check with the entry/exit notes for your ship, there are plenty of other members of the crew who have been coming and going and filling up the log that the refugees should fall through the cracks.

Daffrid interjects, face writ with concern: "I thoroughly dislike this strategy of splitting us up: if anything were to go wrong with our papers or passage you would not be on-hand to smooth things over. My husband and I are not glib talkers, and Flitch - presents well - but he is a scribbled mess of nerves. You also have this...dirt with you too. It will be no help to us if we are not together."

"Hmm. Fair point, and you know more about the way things work around here than we do. Okay. Here's my new idea. We all go together. We can say you're our servants, which would explain why we're talking for you so you don't have to convince the guards yourselves. You can carry most of the luggage to make that more convincing. And we should do some simple disguises so that no one who knows you would recognize you. How does that sound? And can you impress on your kids how important it will be for them to stay quiet until the boat has left the harbor? Little kids have big ears, and if they repeat the wrong thing at the wrong time..."

How does this plan sound to everyone? Also, Illnore has Deception +4, for the use of the disguise kit. Does anyone have a higher modifier?

Darius nods, "It seems workable."

I have a +7 in Deception

Then it's time for the hard part, waiting.

The time passes quickly. You set off as soon as possible, catching the docks at its busiest when they first open for the day and the Emerald Guard are stretched thin.

The queue to board the numerous docked ships is long, and the wait interminable. Flitch plays with a "lucky coin", though he keeps almost dropping it between the dock's planks. The kids - at first thoroughly impressed by the new sights, sounds, and smells - soon get to arguing and racing back and forth, though they're not the only ones in the line to cause disturbances.

Eventually though, Taffrit grows tired of this, and loudly gripes: "How much longer? Why does escaping the Prunelord take so loooooooong. I thought it would be exciting to be smuggled!"

The comment draws side-long glances from other members of the queue. Taffrits big mouth might get you in trouble.

OBSTACLE!

This section plays out as a kind of skill challenge. Each obstacle will have a couple of listed skills. If you have a Lore skill that makes sense, you can use the same DC, otherwise an alternate skill will be 4 higher DC. You need as many successes as PCs - 4 - each successful skill check adds 1 success, crit success is 2, fail is 0, crit fail is -1. You can also use creative solutions to gain an additional success.

Diplomacy DC 12 to get Taffrit to keep quiet, or Society DC 12 to answer it in a way that diverts suspicion.

"It is important to stay quiet and docile. Or *bad things* will happen to you to keep you quiet," Yakuthiel says menacingly.

Intimidation: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Illnore puts an arm around Taffrit's shoulders, being about the right height to look him in the eye. She speaks so that anyone nearby can hear her: "Taffrit, I know you're bored, and any excitement seems better than this. But saying things like that can bring the wrong kind of excitement. The guards might believe you and come, uh, be mean to you and your family. That would be frightening. What you want is some good excitement, an adventure where nothing bad will happen to you and your family. How about I tell you a story? I know a good one about a boy who tricked a dragon and stole all its gold."

Diplomacy DC 12: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Diplomacy DC 12, Hero Point Reroll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Sigh. It was meant to be, folks.

It seems her approach is a little heavy handed.

@GM Ubi: Can we try more than once? She could let him play with some chalk, or her sack of dirt...

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Darius looks down at the boy and listens to the story, chiming in, "Oh, I've heard this one, its very good. Be sure to listen hard, so you hear it all."

Society: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Society, hero point: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Smuggled? I don't think you know what that word means. We are in line waiting to present our papers to the guard. That is the opposite of smuggling. That is called a lawful departure.

You can't try the skill check more than once, however you can suggest any additional things your character might do to help. The rules indicate spell, magic item, or character ability, e.g. spending some kind of character resource in order to affect the situation.

Obstacle 1 you're 3/4 successes. I'll move on for now but can return if you come up with something.

Taffrit yelps in shock at Yakuthiel's snapped command, and it stuns him - and his parents - into absolute silence for a time. Illnore tries to get a story going but the shocked children pay no attention to the halfling. Eventually Darius intervenes with a much more thrilling tale.

"Oh yes, we are very lawful. The most lawful children there ever were," they respond to Dolan with outrageously serious faces.

They seem mostly impressed with the severity of the situation but you never know with kids.

-

The wind turns, sending a couple of un-tethered sails billowing and a horrific stench wafts on the breeze from some unknown source. The kids laugh at the smell, but in another party some poor sod doubles over retching. The guards intervene to check on him and pull him out of the line.

You're glad you didn't have anyone with you of a weakened disposition. They wouldn't have reacted well.

-

The line shuffles forwards. Daffrid's husband Tellith - dragging a heavy trunk behind him - stumbles and drops to a knee awkwardly. His backpack bursts open and a pair of thick books with large gold-inlaid symbols on the front spill out.

A guard trotting past glances over, and mumbles: "Hey, did you get those from the Arcanium Abjurant?"

OBSTACLE 2

Deception DC 12 to Create a Diversion to distract the guards or Stealth DC 12 to Hide the books.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Dolan steps between the guard and the kneeling Tellith, Get what? My poor man here is just tired. I've been working him to the bone to make sure we didn't miss our ship.

Thanks to his stature Dolan had no trouble grabbing the books and sliding them under his backpack while he chats.

"Here. What's the craziest monster you can draw?" Illnore gives each child a piece of chalk from her pack to occupy them.

Turning to the guard with a humble smile, she explains: "Oh, hello sir. No, those books are our property. We brought them through here when we arrived several days ago with no problems." She wonders why the guards would automatically assume those books came from the Arcanium Abjurant. Have they memorized all the covers? Or do all of them look the same? It's a bit too confusing for her to articulate, so she keeps her questions to herself.

Deception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Deception Hero Point Reroll: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

@GM Ubi: Would the chalk work to get the final success for the first challenge? Do I need to roll for that? If so, which skill is it?

Somehow this wasn't updating on my main screen

Dorian smiles, "Indeed, they are just some silly books that look a lot fancier than they really are. Gold inlay is actually brass, between you and me."

Deception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Was waiting for Yakuthiel to roll, but realised that - wiith Illnore's critical success - you've got your 4 successes for obstacle 2.

@Illnore, regarding chalk. I don't think so, it would need to be either a more expensive resource, or a class ability/spell slot.

Things have been a bit crazy here. I've luckily been unaffected by cyclone/flooding, but it's a weird time.

The guard nods: "Oh right. So many contraband symbols, hard to keep 'em all straight." He shakes his head at himself as he continues down the line.

As you come to the head of the line, the winds change. A stiff sea breeze brings fresh air and relief from the awful city-stench, but it also whips amongst the queue billowing clothes, scattering papers, and sending ships rocking at their moorings.

The wind is strong enough to rip documents from fingers - ready in-hand to be offered to the waiting guards - and send them flying into the sea.

OBSTACLE 3 last one

DC 12 Reflex save to hold on to the travel papers so they do not blow away or DC 12 Nature to anticipate the gust and hold - or instruct others to hold - them tightly.

Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

Dolan's hands snap closed as soon as he feels the first rising of the wind.

Yakuthiel makes an attempt: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 to catch some papers as they blow away, to no avail.

If you have a Hero Point, Yakuthiel, you may want to use it. Remember that we all got a free one from MLK day, which you may not have used yet.

"Oh, hang on to your stuff, folks! That wind'll blow it away!" Illnore takes her own advice seriously, preferring wrinkled papers to no papers at all.

Nature DC 12: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Darius try’s to snatch some papers from the air.

Reflex DC12: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Can we all dash around trying to grab Yakuthiel's papers to help him?

With a heroic effort, Yakuthiel makes a last-ditch effort to grab the papers.

hero point: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

bump

Hi all, Warah said you need a replacement GM. I love this scenario and want to see you guys finish well, so I've volunteered. Give me a day or two to read through what's happened in Gameplay, and set up any slides I need to.

EDIT: LOL you guys are on the docks already? I don't think I need anything at all.

EDIT #2: Um ... okay. So, basically, you're done. You don't need a GM, you need someone to issue Chronicles. LOL I just need to read a bit to see the choices you made earlier to see which ending you get.

4 PCs, 6 Successes.

Once past the guards at the docks, the party and remaining refugees are able to slip out of Edasseril without further detection.

Aboard the Merry Mayfly, they sail, unmolested, to Magnimar. Once there, they meet with Sheila Heidmarch and Valais Durant to discuss the outcome of their mission and receive expressions of warm gratitude from the refugees they helped.

Those who had escaped earlier aboard the Rolanna’s Prayer are also present at Heidmarch Manor and eager to exchange stories of one another’s exploits. Those freed refugees are grateful to the Pathfinder Society for their freedom and most pledge their services and good will for the benefit of the Society in the years to come. For his part, Guaril is appreciative of the Pathfinders, but is eager to recover his portion of payment.

Illnore has the idea to hand over all the payments in one big batch, mixed together. Maybe then it'll take Guaril long enough to count it that Seddothrum's slipping in without payment would go unnoticed until it was too late. Maybe? Well, if he makes a big deal of it, I'll give him some of my own gold. Maybe the guys will chip in a bit too.