TOZ's You Only Die Twice (Inactive)

Game Master TriOmegaZero

Let's say we want to eat them. We are looking for delicacies and everything like that. I think that would suit the locals. It is unclear whether she is joking or not about such a "cover-up".

To Graydirge then?

The moon continues to shine silently down as you trek through the swamp. After more than an hour you emerge into lush, fertile fields and farmland. Kagerou's knowledge of geography recalls that Geb's climate combined with warm winds from the nearby Obari Ocean creates an environment well-suited for growing all manner of crops.

Continuing your moonlit trek across the fields, roughly two hours after materializing in the swamp, you top a small rise and finally behold your destination nestled in a small valley before you. It is instantly obvious that this is not Graydirge, the size and number of buildings making it barely a town.

Making your way into the outskirts you find it almost completely devoid of activity, the residents going about their business in their homes, given the late hour. And at first, it seems as though this could be nearly any small town one might find in the Inner Sea...until you spot the pens.

Numerous pens and corrals line the streets here but they do not contain the livestock you are used to. Instead of pigs, sheep, or cattle they contain ragged, shackled humans in dirty rags that sit and stand in pools of their own filth. Their eyes are dull and glazed and they offer no response to your presence, as though having long given up all hope of deliverance from their sad existence.

Except for one. As you pass near a pen, a young and obviously malnourished woman weakly calls out to you in a voice that's dry and raspy from disuse and dehydration. "Food...w-water...please, just a sip...anything..."

Create Water is not on either Wizard or Witch list
Kagerou looks at his teammate, hoping they don't do anything that would raise suspicion.

Koani motions for the woman to hold out her hands, and points while speaking strange words. The woman's hands fill with fresh water.
create water cantrip

Koani quickly turns away from the woman, and sees if there are any undead looking suspicious. If there are, she rolls her eyes and complains about how much work taking care of the silly living ones can be.

As the water begins to overflow her cupped hands, she quickly brings it to her lips, drinking deeply as the excess runs down her arms. "T-thank you honored ones...but my father...sick..." A wet cough wracks her form before she continues. "He won't be as...valuable stock. Please...help him..."

Koani sees that there does not seem to be any of the non-chattel population in sight. Even the pens themselves are little more than wire fences, the gates merely latched without locks. The stock within has nowhere else to go.

"We will see what we can do. Where is he?"

Treating livestock so badly... It's a crime against a good Trade! How can someone could not take care of his possession so badly... says Nicklod.

He follows Koani to help.

Kagerou will stand outside to watch over the surrounding area, on lookout for any undead army or other poential threat.
"Go, and help him. My familiar will be sent in to warn you of any trouble outside."

Lilah will also go to help, but rather to cover from a possible attack. She's not a very good healer and she knows it.

"He is here...too weak to move..." The woman gestures towards the center of the pen. Koani opens the latch of the gate and walks in, the other captives hardly noticing the opening of the gate. As the Pathfinders walk up, they see a frail and emaciated human man on the dirt, covered by a tattered blanket.

Morait glares briefly at Nicklod before moving to help treat the man.
No ranks in heal, so Morait will aid.
Heal Aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Heal: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 2 = 24

Nicklod looks at the old man and says He needs care and food?

Looking into his equipment, Nicklod removes his trail rations. That will do it I think. As for the caring, I let you take care of your father miss. says Nicklod. Don't eat too much at a time. When malnourished there is a risk if you do.

removing my 5 rations from my equipment

Koani nods to Nicklod, glad to see his solution to the problem.

What fate awaits you? Are you 'the food' here?

The hunger in her eyes is clear as Nicklod places the rations in her hands. "I will do as you say honored one." she replies, head bowing, before tearing into the gift and beginning to offer small pieces to her father. "Y-yes, honored one. The owners will send us off soon. With your help...we'll be much more valuable..."

"Don't forget that you must eat some too." Koani whispers to the woman. "Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your father."

As Koani speaks to the young captive, a series of bright eruptions break out around the perimeter of the town. The sound of combat breaks out deeper into the center and to either side of the outskirts. The other chattel begin to moan and cry in terror at the noise, adding to the din.

Kagerou sees a band of armed warriors approach down the road between the pens, a heavily armored man leading the way carrying a gore-spattered mace and a large shield inscribed with a spiral design. At his heels are two warriors, both armored in breast plates and shields, carrying morningstars. He lifts his mace and points to the corral where the party stands. "There! Slay those abominations and free the prisoners!"

26 Lilah

23 Koani
15 Red
13 Kagerou
11 Morait
11 Yellow
10 Nicklod
10 Blue
7 Blarg

Lilah and Koani are up!

Since Kagerou is outside, where should I place his token?

Kagerou has been placed at the gate to the pen.

A click - and a magic wand appears in Lilah's hands. UMD: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30 She says the magic word, touches herself and then puts the wand in her belt. I should have thought that guests would come, but... She doesn't seem to find anything to say (which is quite consistent with her intelligence parameter), so Lilah just shrugs her shoulders and takes a step towards the door (swift via spring loaded wrist sheath, standard to use a wand of mage armor and move to remove + 5ft step).

Lilah armors up at the sign of battle!

26 Lilah

23 Koani
15 Red
13 Kagerou
11 Morait
11 Yellow
10 Nicklod
10 Blue
7 Blarg

Koani is up!

Koani casts entangle to try to catch the attackers. She isn't sure what they are up to, so would rather not hurt them.

She sends Blarg to guard the woman and her father.

Koani looks for vegetation to trap the attackers in, but unlike the swampland surrounding the town the remaining grass not cleared out for the pens is barely tall enough to reach for the tread of their boot.

Too urban of a location for entangle unfortunately, but Koani can still try other actions.

Koani will use magic fang from a wand on Blarg's right talon.

The armored leader marches forward, casting a spell of his own in response!

26 Lilah

23 Koani
15 Red
13 Kagerou
11 Morait
11 Yellow
10 Nicklod
10 Blue
7 Blarg

Kagerou and Morait have actions.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30
Kagerou retreat to the den, "Casting Consecrate? They're Pharasmin, probably coming down to hunt undead!"
He will take out a wand of Shield during his move and use it on himself.

Morait will fire an arrow at yellow.
attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
damage: 1d6 + 3d6 ⇒ (1) + (5, 6, 6) = 18 3 bleed damage as well

"We have nothing to gain by staying, let's get out of here."
He then moves closer to the gate to either attack red or to run past him if the rest of the party agrees to leave.

Morait's arrow pings off of the warrior's armor, the sneak attack failing to find a weak point. Morningstar at the ready, she marches forward to cut off the escape.

26 Lilah

23 Koani
15 Red
13 Kagerou
11 Morait
11 Yellow
10 Nicklod
10 Blue
7 Blarg

Nicklod is up!

Know. Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Nicklod takes his holy symbol and with a clear voice says.

May Abadar's blessing be upon you! May it guide your action, and protect you from harm.

Inspiring Command on Lilah, Morait and Kohani:
+2 sacred bonus to attack, AC, CMD and skill for 1 round

Then he moves while saying Pharasmin, we are not the enemy here, stand aside and we let you continue your crusade elsewhere without interference.

The other warrior moves up as well, as Nicklod calls out.

26 Lilah

23 Koani
15 Red
13 Kagerou
11 Morait
11 Yellow
10 Nicklod
10 Blue
7 Blarg

Nicklod can make a Diplomacy check, while Lilah, Blarg, and Koani take actions.

Diplomacy (+Silver-Tongue haggler): 1d20 + 16 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 16 + 3 = 20

Nicklod's tone is not very diplomatic when he asks the Pharasmin to stop.

Lilah approaches the fence... and literally passes through it. Her hands at the same time turn into two blades going straight from the elbow, and the end of the tail into a sharp spear. However, she is in no hurry to attack yet.

There is something creepy in the way she passes through the fence, as well as in the way she creates weapons, as if there is not a single bone inside her, only liquid.

(move and move)

Until we are sure about what these people are here for, Koani and Blarg stay near the pair they were just helping, ready to defend them.

The lead Pharasmin raises his fist. "HOLD!" The two warriors cease advancing, ready but paused. "All undead are our enemy! What claim do you make to peaceful parley?"

Nicklod looks around, to see if there is no undead ear too close and says.

We are Pathfinder agents undercover to find missing comrades.

He shows his wayfinder as a token of goof faith.

The priest stares closely at the compass before muttering a curse. "Not again." He hangs his mace from a loop on his belt and waves his subordinate back. "I am Kuryn Jexel, servant of Pharasma. You were wise to warn us quickly, lest misfortune befall us both."

Greetings, I'm Nicklod Vassily, servant of Abadar. says Nicklod.

You said "Not again", have you meet our colleagues? If that's the case, can you tell us where? Anything could be of help.
Also, these people here he points at the woman and her father are in need of assistance. In their state, they will not be any value for their owner and I suggest that you take care of them and get them out of this cursed place.

Also, we crossed an undead troop lead by a mummy, be careful.

"Unfortunately, yes. A week ago, we encountered an undead group much like yours. Thinking them Gebbite abominations, we dispatched them and only later realized our mistake. By then, it was too late to call them back from the Boneyard."

"That's unfortunate. One really should get themselves some life insurance if they want to keep doing our line of work. May I ask that where you encountered that 'undead' group? There might still be some intel we can gather from them, even though their soul are not with us anymore."

"We laid them to rest once we learned the truth. The graves are a few miles south of this blighted town." Kuryn directs his acolytes to tend to the prisoners. "Our forces will take care of these unfortunates, worry not. If there is nothing else of import, we should both be on our way. Geb is an unpredictable land and traveling with us will be riskier than making your own path."

"You and your father will be taken care of now," Koani reassures the woman.

"I wish you the best of luck in your mission. Please offer our apologies to your leaders and the families of you colleagues." Kuryn nods as the Pharasmins begin ushering the prisoners out of their pens.

What do you do now?

Koani first takes a moment to pet Blarg and tell him what a good boy he is.

Then she suggests to the team that they journey south to find the other pathfinders' graves.

Kagerou put away his wand and agrees with Koani.

Farewell Kuryn Jexel. Good luck in your crusade. says Nicklod.

Turning to his comrades he agrees with them. Lets find the graves of our comrades. At least someone at the Grand Lodge could bring them back eventually.

Before we leave, tell me, have you examined their belongings and if so, what have you done with them? Was there a certain Tome among their belongings?

"We buried them with their effects, as penance that their spirits might know peace. What tome do you speak of?" At the description of the Testament of Geb, his face darkens. "We did not find such an accursed book with them, but one of the abominations we destroyed earlier spoke of it. It threatened us with the horrors that would be created in its goddesses' temple atop a hill to the south as well. We've not been able to investigate further with the task of saving these people and destroying their captors."

Lilah, who has already returned her hands to the form of normal female hands instead of swords, turns to her comrades. I think it's more important for us to go to this temple.

"We should go to the temple and then the graves on the way out of geb. I don't know if a week is too long for them to be revived, but their bodies should be brought back to the lodge."

Bidding farewell to the rescue party, your own small group is easily able to circle around the edge of the town to follow the directions laid out towards the unknown temple. After more than an hour, a twisted, forking path of dry land winds through the swamp ahead. A low, solitary hill rises from the horizon to the south, an ominous stone cairn marring its smooth crest with a ghastly crown. The area is covered in an unnatural pall, and even natural sounds seem dulled.

26 Morait

22 Koani
20 Blarg
19 Lilah
16 Kagerou
12 Nicklod

Unfortunately, only Nicklod can take a surprise round action, unless you have an ability to act in the surprise round despite a failed Perception check. If so, you may also read Nicklod's spoiler and act accordingly.