PFS Quest #1: The Sandstone Secret (Inactive)

Game Master Super Zero

"Oh. Okay. Next door?"

Ronnie will position himself by the next door.

"Shall I open it? Would anyone else care to?"

The next room contains three colorful pits that are each five feet deep. Presumably filled with liquid at one point, centuries later they just contain a powdery residue.

Like the last room, this one is lit by burning braziers.

There are smaller pots scattered around without any obvious organization, and a set of double doors to the party's left very likely leads back to the hallway.

"Places like this might have traps in it. Be careful before you open it. Maybe anyone among us trained in recognizing traps? It is not my expertise." Naple suggests and looks among her allies but Ronnie has opened it and seems nothing happened. Revealing on the other side with colorful pits, maybe the inside room has the traps instead.

She looks around inside before coming in to see if there are unusual things aside from the scattered pots. "Maybe we can check that double doors?"
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Something about the residue in the pits catches Naple's eye. Or perhaps her nose? An unpleasant smell that reminds her of caustic chemicals.

Perhaps, if carefully rehydrated, it could be useful.

A Crafting check and some water could use the residue to create lesser acid flasks, if you're so inclined.

But she hears nothing at the door.

The half elf tries to collect some residue.

Crafting: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Then he continues.

So do we check this room in the center now?

token moved on the map

Elduin manages to combine the powder with some water to create a dangerous substance that may be weaponized. He has created what are essentially three lesser acid flasks.

Sam moves ahead to join Jaehaera in the hallway, checking the area for traps as she goes.

Exploration Activity: Search

Kinda hard to do Avoid Notice while carrying a light source! :)

Jaehaera gives Elduin a slight nod, to acknowledge his crafting prowess, and approaches the door and checks it for traps.

I assume you'd want it to be a secret check. Perception is a +5

Naple pushes the double doors and immediately raises her shield and weapon ready as the doors open slowly to reveal what is inside of it.

Exploration Activity: Defend

Sam finds no evidence of danger, and Naple pushes the door open to reveal... a large room lit by a burning brazier in the corner.

It isn't empty. There's a bedroll, some food--assorted bits of gear suggesting that a single person is using this room as a camp. All told it looks like fairly standard adventurer's kit.

Plus one bulging satchel resting near the bedroll.

Sam examines the satchel for traps. Then, as if annoyed by what might be a potential looter, simply slits the satchel open with a dagger.

The satchel appears ordinary and could easily be open.

It looks to contain items collected from this ruin, including an ominous curved dagger with a small onyx gem in its hilt and a mirror decorated with a serpent motif.

Well something to bring back with us. By the way who can throw bomb in case of a worst case in this underground? I managed to create three flasks acid with what I collected..

Ronnie looks to the camp, and the relics packed within the bag. "So...either we have a thief, or this is the camp of the 'head Pathfinder'. Don't archaeologists usually pack things away in crates. Protected? This looks like loot."

Shield and weapon up, Ronnie will walk the perimeter.

And write down where the different items were found and so on. He’s non professional for sure. But let’s meet him to ask directly.

"Oh, if you're not using the acid, I'd love to try."

Jaehaera wants to know if there's any significance to the serpent motif.

Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25 (+1 if it is indeed the "Head Pathfinder)

The half elf gives one flask to Jaehaera.

Then let’s continue the exploration.

Yes, let's continue the exploration.

"Continue with the hallway on this side, yes?"

Ronnie moved

Naple lets the others decide on what to do with the contents with the satchel. "I wonder where the thief, rather the 'head' of the Pathfinder is." she muses. "Let's keep moving." she says and follows Ronnie and goes ahead of him. "Should we check this one instead?" she points at another door in front of them after she considers the hallway on their side.

As the Pathfinders move through the hallways, they can see more braziers burning with fire. From Naple's vantage point near a closed door she can also see into a narrow room that's open to the hall--no door at all.

If you'd like to investigate the open room first, feel free. But, assuming somebody opens the door:

This room is a mockery of a traditional burial chamber. The weapon, armor, and shield in the corner of the room were of poor quality even when they were placed here, and they are now rusted beyond any hope of
repairing them. Three stone slabs in the center of the room are slightly loose and catch Jaehaera's attention.

This room, like every place else in this sanctum, is lit by a burning brazier.
The Pathfinders may have found the person who has lit them all, though: There is a man here, examining the base of the brazier and brushing it with tools from a small toolset.

He starts when he realizes other people are coming into the room, some with weapons ready. He holds up his hands. "Oh! Uh, h-hello. You must be the other Pathfinders, then? I'm Nefaram. Uh, Nefaram Subeli, local Pathfinder.

"I'm glad you're here!" although he doesn't especially look glad, "This place is pretty creepy by myself. I'm starting to think the reason this place was unknown is because it was a criminal's hideout. Specifically an evil mage. More specifically, a rather nasty necromancer who created an undead army here. Glad to have company. Explore, Report, Corroborate, right?"

Cooperate.. rectifies the half elf.

Cooperate, not corroborate. Who are you? Where do you come from and why are you here?

Elduin is not impressed by the first explanation of the guy.

Why do you say there was a necromancer here? Do you have some proofs?

Do you have a Wayfinder ?

Sam walks up to Nefaram.

"Is that your camp over there? We found artifacts in a satchel. Are you planning to abscond with them?"

There is a bit of steel in Sam's voice now. Her shyness seems to have vanished...

"Yes, do you have a Wayfinder? One that does this?" She holds up her glowing Wayfinder.

"O-o-oh yeah, heh," Nefaram looks nervous and his eyes snap from one Pathfinder to the next, "cooperate, of course. Obviously. Just so focused, y'know. I don't mean there's a necromancer here now, I mean, y'know, archaeology. This place originally belonged to one. Did you see that big, uh, floor-mural?

"Y-y'know, we should be careful in here!" He seems to have his feet under him again. "This place has a, I dunno, a dark energy to it? It just feels wrong sometimes. That's why I've been keeping every brazier in the place lit, it seems to help. There were some nasty rituals done here, as far as I can tell. I think the sanctum being uncovered might have, uh, stirred it up? Is that a thing you've seen happen? You're more experienced than I am."

Ronnie becomes a little uncomfortable when they ask Nefaram for his wayfinder as a way to prove he is a Pathfinder.

Maybe I do need to go through the graduation mission to get my own Wayfinder.

After hearing the man give unsatisfactory answers, he glowers at him as he crossed his big arms. "Yes, Nefaram, it is not pleasant down here. Now that we are here to take over, maybe it is time for us to escort you out, yes?"

"You think that the Venture-Captain will give you one? So are you even familiar with the way we earn our Wayfinder? For a 'Head Pathfinder' you don't seem very knowledgeable."

So why are you talking about a necromancer? Are there any clue about this hypothesis?

One last thing fell into place. The permit, Nefaram, Venture Captain Balentiir. The facts were all tumbling in her head. The other permit wasn't a forgery, the captain requested both, and Nefaram wasn't a Pathfinder.

Both had to be in on it.

"Oh, don't you see, don't you see? Let's review the evidence, shall we? In our mission briefing, the venture captain said that he received confirmation that we could explore only a few months ago. Nefaram's permit was approved over a year ago. We could go and confirm it with the guards right now. The permit is valid, so one must conlcude that Venture Captain Balentiir put in two different requests."

"Then, Nefaram here, who's not a Pathfinder but working directly for Balentiir, comes explores and recovers what he can. Balentiir and Nefaram get to sell the artifacts, retain the profit. We come and find an empty tomb, and our report to the Osiriani Government shows that we found nothing."

"But, for some reason, you weren't able to escape before we arrived."

"How do I know.. ? Uh, the carving on the floor in the side room, and the huge statue of Set, the god of darkness, deserts, and murder. Although you guys were probably making a circuit, so..." He looks around and moves his hand, mentally tracing a path through the building, "I guess you've probably only seen one of those so far? And the embalming chamber; that could be legitimate, but with those other things."

He shakes his had at Jaehaera though. "Of course it's a valid permit! She only requested one, but I made two."

Startled at his own confession, the corrupt permit office clerk flounders. "Oop! I mean, uh, I received--the--permit--the captain said--I--" The investigator's clever stratagem of making a slightly off accusation has successfully tricked the perpetrator into confession by way of correction.

All is well!

Oh. Except that.

The burning brazier abruptly goes out. As does Samantha's glowing wayfinder and every other light source in the room. An eerie moaning sound from beneath the floor fills the room, and Nefaram shrieks like a person who has absolutely not had three years of legitimate Pathfinder field agent training.

The lights were not defeated, though, only momentarily overpowered by magical darkness, and their brilliant glow shines forth again. The loose stone slabs in the center of the room shift, requiring those present to quickly move their feet to stay upright. Below the slabs is a recess, and in that recess are bodies.

One of them is massive, the size of an ogre--and it may well have been, in life. The other four are more the size of a human or elf.
All of them are mummified and wrapped in burial cloths, though not especially skillfully. And all five of them are twitching and moaning, reaching outstretched hands towards the living people around them.

Jaehaera's turn.

Initiative:
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute (prone)
Gnurk
Mummy Shambler (Blue) (Prone)
Naple
Ronnie
Samantha
Elduin
Mummy Shambler (Purple) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (Prone)

Jaehaera grabs her sickle off her side, thinks her strategy out against the blue creature...

Devise a Strategem, vs Blue: 1d20 ⇒ 8

And realizes that sinces it raising from the ground, she might as well as slash it open.

Sickle vs Blue: 8 + 7 = 15
Slashing Damage, Strategic strike: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 1 + (3) = 7 the d6 is precision damage

Assuming blue still stands, Ronnie will strike at him. If he falls he will switch to the ogre zombie.

flick mace: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

flick mace #2: 1d20 + 9 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 9 - 5 = 11

dmg #2: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"Did I not say, 'undead'?"

◆ strike
◆ strike
◆ raise shield
↺AoO if possible. Shield block, if not.

That's a hit. The brute stands up from prone and attacks Nefaram. It then attacks Naple, hitting her (7 bludgeoning damage) and knocking her back.

Jaehaera's bade strikes the prone form. This might prove a very effective attack against a person with flesh and organs. Against the dried husk with its empty torso, it's not ineffective.

The biggest mummy clambers to its feet with surprising speed. It drives one oversized fist into the false Pathfinder, slamming him hard to the wall behind him; he slides down the wall into a heap.
As one fist swings back, the other flails out and catches Naple almost as hard. She's driven back as well, but made of sterner stuff she doesn't fall.

Gnurk's turn.

Initiative:
Gnurk
Mummy Shambler (Blue) (-7, Prone)
Naple (-7)
Ronnie
Samantha
Elduin
Mummy Shambler (Purple) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (Prone)
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute

The goblin draws his longsword. He had already his Implement in hand.

He makes his Exploit Vulnerability on the little blue mummy.

Esoteric Lore:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Then he strikes on the blue one.

Longsword, Mortal Weakness:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Damage, Mortal Weakness, implement's empowerment:1d8 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11 + vulnerability

Gnurk realizes that, while there are necromantic rituals for creating more powerful undead mummies, these aren't so expertly made. They are essentially zombies in mummy dress, though the mummification is probably responsible for their longevity. Being so dried out has also had an impact on their structure. Their dried flesh is harder to cut then normal zombies, but they are vulnerable to fire.

The mummy reacts to his attack as though it had been burned. It writhed for a moment and then crumbles to dust.

Ronnie lands a hit on the massive mummy. It impacts with a dull thud.

Successful exploit. Gnurk determines the mummy shamblers have weakness fire 10.
He hits and destroys blue. Ronnie hits, then missed the brute.

Naple, Samantha, and Elduin's turns.

Initiative:
Naple (-7)
Samantha
Elduin
Mummy Shambler (Purple) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (Prone)
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute (-8)
Gnurk
Ronnie (shield raised)

The half elf is half surprised to find some undead in these chambers. He reacts casting a first spell creating a violent axis of motion in a nearby space.

Both 5ft burst templates on the map.

Telekinetic rend, Amp, Bludgeoning + Slashing: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + (1) = 2

Fort DC 18. One save per mummy.

Then he strikes the bigger one.

Elven branched spear, reach: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

I get trying to be number one, but we don't have to roll ones! Lol

Elduin's psychic power tears up a few scraps of the mummies' burial wraps. The big one seems unaffected.

He stabs at the larger corpse, but it doesn't react much nor does it bleed.

The Brute critically succeeds, and all of the Shamblers fail. The Strike is a hit.

Naple and Samantha's turns.

Initiative:
Naple (-7)
Samantha
Mummy Shambler (Purple) (-2, Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2, Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (-2, Prone)
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute (-10)
Gnurk
Ronnie (shield raised)
Elduin

Sam concentrates and suddenly rocks appear beneath the big mummy and one of the smaller ones.

Scatter Scree, DC 18 Basic Reflex: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Squares affected are outlined in Pink

Sam then retreats towards the door.

◆◆ Scatter Scree
◆ Stride

The big one is slow, and a rather large target. It is mercilessly pummeled.

The smaller one reacts a little, but as a lifeless corpse that has yet to get up off the floor, it is simply too slow. Were it still alive, that dent in its head would likely be fatal. As an undead creature it still isn't very healthy.

The Brute critically fails. The Shambler fails and is bloodied. Pink squares left on the map as they indicate the area of difficult terrain.

Naple's turn.

Initiative:
Naple (-7)
Mummy Shambler (Purple) (-2, Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2, Prone)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (-9, Prone, bloodied)
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute (-24)
Gnurk
Ronnie (shield raised)
Elduin
Samantha

Apologies for not posting during the weekends. I did not have the opportunity when I went back to my hometown. Anyway, I'm back.

Naple just listens as the others exchange conversations with the man. Some of his words confirm what they already saw, such as the lit braziers in all the areas they went. She is about to get relax until a mummy and more mummies reveal themselves to them!

Naple instinctively steps closers and attacks the closest mummy when she sees the undead.
Warhammer Attack vs Purple, Prone, FF: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Warhammer Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 bludgeoning damage

She then raises her steel shield.

◆ Step
◆ Strike
◆ Raise a Shield (+2 to AC)

Naple's warhammer smashes through the prone mummy, and it begins to crumble.

The remaining mummies rise to their feet and shuffle and stumble closer, issuing a dreadful moaning.

25 is a crit! Purple is destroyed.
Red and Green stand and move closer--Green provokes an AoO from Ronnie. And that's it--they're slowed.

Jaehaera's turn.

Initiative:
Jaehaera
Mummy Brute (-24)
Gnurk
Ronnie (shield raised; AoO provoked)
Elduin
Samantha
Naple (-7; Shield Raised)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2)
Mummy Shambler (Green) (-9, bloodied)

AoO: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"Hey, over here, look over here!" Jaehaera taunts as she swings out to flank the big beast. Its all part of her strategy.

Devise a Stratagem: 1d20 ⇒ 7

However, she doesn't see the opening come up so instead she'll get out her shield.

◆stride
◆devise a stratagem
◆draw shield.

As the mummy ambles casually past him, Ronnie tears it in half just as easily. The broken pieces begin to crumble around the edge.

The big one flails its powerful arms wildly around the room. It's not a skillful attack, but the massive fists are difficult to ignore.

Its right fist slams into Samantha, knocking her clear through the doorway.
Jaehaera dodges the other. The right fist swings back towards Naple, but its far short; there was never any danger of being hit.

Three random attacks. Everyone is reach, so... It hits Samantha for 10 bludgeoning damage and a 5-foot push. It misses Jaehaera, and critically fails to hit Naple.

Gnurk, Ronnie, Elduin, Samantha, and Naple's turns.

Initiative:
Gnurk
Ronnie (shield raised)
Elduin
Samantha (-10)
Naple (-7; Shield Raised)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2)
Jaehaera (Shield Raised)
Mummy Brute (-24)

"No!"

Stupid! I told myself I needed to protect her. I should have moved myself into better position. Think Ronnie, think.

Ignoring the smaller mummy for now, Ronnie concentrates oh the big guy

mace: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

mace: 1d20 + 9 - 5 ⇒ (11) + 9 - 5 = 15

dmg: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

drop, drop

◆ strike
◆ strike
◆ raise shield

Ronnie's mace slams into the mummy's chin, knocking its head back and nearly tearing it off. His next swing connects with its chest, emitting a puff of dust on impact.

The first attack bloodies it. The second also hits.

Gnurk, Elduin, Samantha, and Naple's turns.

Initiative:
Gnurk (mortal weakness 10-shamblers)
Elduin
Samantha (-10)
Naple (-7; Shield Raised)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2)
Jaehaera (Shield Raised)
Mummy Brute (-46; bloodied)
Ronnie (shield raised)

Beginning by unleashing his Psychee, the half elf advertises:

By all the power of the scion of slayers, this is your hour, mummy!

And he strikes:

Elven branched spear: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Then he casts a powerful spell upon the big mummy.

Disrupt undead, Psychee, Positive: 1d6 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11

Fort DC 18

Which one are you striking?

The psychic speaks soothe. Wailing out one last horrible cry, the mummy comes apart at the seams, disintegrating from the power of the spell.

It succeeds on its save. However, it's weak to positive damage and half damage + weakness destroys it!

Gnurk, Samantha, and Naple's turns.

Initiative:
Gnurk (mortal weakness 10-shamblers)
Samantha (-10)
Naple (-7; Shield Raised)
Mummy Shambler (Red) (-2)
Jaehaera (Shield Raised)
Ronnie (shield raised)
Elduin