Zero's Q9: Wayfinder Origins (Inactive)

Game Master Super Zero

Our adventure begins off the shores of the island of Burozi, a week after the Kingfisher set sail. Venture-Captain Muesello has called the Pathfinders to the deck, where he is assembling a strange clockwork contraption.

But before we get to that, why don't you introduce yourselves?

The android is looking at the horizon from the deck during the journey. He still finds weird the way the people of this world are traveling. No spaceship. No modern engine. Well he continues to note this for his report once he will go back to the future.
Wearing no armor, carrying only a dagger at the belt and a backpack he introduces himself as Mec-02.

It’s an orc with a Splint mail. He has a sling on his belt. On his back he wears a Halberd. Hello, my name is Enrax.

A little girl has been accompanying you. She's always conferring (in whispers) with her rag doll, and whenever she has a chance, she'll get out a toy tea service, and invite you to have tea with her and her doll.

"Hi, Enrax! I'm Alice. Would you like to have some tea with me" she holds up her rag doll "and Alice?"

You see a female gnome, with a red rat’s nest of hair, running up to the deck. She wears leather armor, which is festooned with all sorts of tools and weapons.

”Am I late?”, she asks breathlessly. ”It wasn’t my fault! There was a seagull in my foot locker!”

She looks around. ”Oh, plat!”, she adds, looking relieved. ”Marigold Longfoot, lovable rogue!”

The orc answers to Alice: Yes, with pleasure. How’s your tea taste?

A young man wearing a studded leather armor arrives at the deck for the briefing. He has healer's tools slung over his shoulder. "I am Raphaeleos. I will be your medic for this mission."

On the top deck of the Kingfisher, Venture-Captain Muesello wipes the grease off his hands onto a rag. The pockmarked mechanist spent the early morning running a chain through a twelve-foot tall clockwork contraption mounted on the deck. Stuffing the dirty rag into his smock, he turns to address the group.

“I’m sure you’ve guessed this isn’t just a fishing trip. I would have filled you in sooner, but I was asked to keep everything confidential until we arrived. An expedition of Pathfinder initiates recently discovered this uncharted island, Burozi. The recruits found some Azlanti ruins, and we have a special assignment for your team.”

Muesello turns to the shore just five hundred feet from the moored ship, the peak of the island barely visible against the orange glow of the morning sun behind it. He clicks open an intricate compass, and its needle snaps to the direction of the island.

“Open your wayfinder, and you’ll see the same thing. This close to Burozi, all wayfinders point toward the island. As for the one in my hand here, this was found on Burozi—I’ve never seen one quite like it. The expedition team found it near a sealed hatch made out of reinforced skymetal. They couldn’t get in, which might have been for the best. The recruits were inexperienced, and Azlanti devices can be incredibly dangerous! But you’ve got more experience under your belts, so I need you to find a way through that sealed door and investigate whatever is on the other side.”

With a reassuring nod, Muesello returns to his work, meticulously checking each bolt as crew members emerge from below and begin preparing a sailboat for passage to the island.

"Any questions?" he says absently.

.

Fumbus walks on to the deck of the Kingfisher, and runs for the starboard where he promptly vomits everything he had for breakfast. "Nasty! That's just nasty. The floor doesn't want to stop moving!"

He's short. He's green. He's impossibly mean. But, he's one of the good guys.

"Just in case you've forgotten, I'm Fumbus! Not Fungus! F-u-m... b... Fumbus!"

Marigold points to the clockwork whatsis Muesello is working on.

”What’s that?”

"What is that thingie Captain Muesello?" says Fumbus Sr as he says trying to get a better look of the contraption.

“A fishing rod. Ever try sea snake? Me neither, but somehow, it’s a delicacy in the senate right now. And officially? We’re just fishing. No reason not to have a bit of fun with the expedition though.”

The android takes notes about the reactions of the Pathfinders to the briefing.

"Whoa. How big is the eel that you want to catch if you're using THAT big of a fishing rod! We better leave before you get a bite Captain. I suspect that'll be one heck of a fish-fight!"

Fumbus Sr then turns his attention to the matter at hand. "Are there any hazards you expect we'll encounter before we get to the sealed door? Anything we should watch out for?"

"Couldn't say what you'll encounter through the door, but before you get there? Nah. It never hurts to keep your guard up, but I don't think you'll have any trouble getting there."

”Did they say what the door looks like?”, asks Marigold. ”Any writing, markings, keyhole-looking jammies?”

"Hm. They said they excavated the ruins of a tower. Wasn't much left, but the hatch is in the center of the floor. It's decorated with silver filigree in the shape of the holy symbol of an Azlanti god. They said there was a slot in the hatch, but they didn't find anything that would fit."

Muesello holds up the ancient wayfinder. "But they didn't find this until after. Take it, you might need it."

The little girl confers with her doll, stands up, and looking at Musello, takes the wayfinder, saying, "I can keep it safe." She goes back to her tea party. Pours some imaginary tea into a tiny tea cup, and passes it to Enrax. "Oh. It's just the best tea ever. It comes from Jamulay."

Then she puts the wayfinder into a pocket in the dolls dress.

"I'm guessing that they didn't figure out which Azlanti deity this is. If they had, you would've mentioned it already. Since silver filigree is just a style of making things, that could be anybody. I could be wrong? I'm not well-versed in Religious matters anyways... I just know how to build things..." ...and break them too!

The little girl confers with her doll, stands up, and looking at Musello, takes the wayfinder, saying, "I can keep it safe." She goes back to her tea party. Pours some imaginary tea into a tiny tea cup, and passes it to Enrax. "Oh. It's just the best tea ever. It comes from Jamulay."

Then she puts the wayfinder into a pocket in the dolls dress.

Marigold watches the girl put the wayfinder away. She tilts her head to the side, then straightens it.

”Sorry, I came in late. Did you say you’re both named Alice?”

"Oh, Yes!"

Raphaeleos opens his wayfinder to find that it is indeed pointing into the direction the venture-captain mentions. "You said you got that wayfinder there, does it work the same with other wayfinders that we have? Is it more advanced? Or primitive?"

"Wayfinders are originally an Azlanti creation that was largely lost before the Society started making use of them ourselves. Hence the affinity for aeon stones. You probably know that. That one--can I have it back for a moment?

"After a week of tinkering with this thing, I still can't get it to do more than this." Muesello speaks the command word and the wayfinder emits a small light. The light is red.

"It might be a prototype, or faulty, or just too old and damaged to do anything else, or it might have special tricks I haven't figured out yet. Could go either way."

He returns the wayfinder to Alice. "If there isn't anything else, I suggest you get to your boat."

Feel free to add any questions, but...

The excavated ruins of a tower rise from halfway up the island's sloping peak. All that remains of the tower is a semi-circle of white wall holding back centuries of dirt and debris. The skymetal hatch lies dead center in the tower's foundation. The five-foot-wide hatch is decorated in thin silver filigree resembling gears in the shape of an eye.

At the center of the eye is a socket. The venture-captain mentioned that the Pathfinder team who was unable to open the hatch did not have the ancient wayfinder that was found later. This fits, as anyone who had that device with them would have undoubtedly noticed that the socket is obviously a perfect match in size and shape.

Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

"This eye looks cool." Raphaeleos comments. "And look! The eye has some sort of socket that is shaped like the wayfinder." he tells Alice, waiting for her to bring out the wayfinder and slot it in. "What if it is a trap?"

Knowing nothing of Religion, Fumbus doesn't even bother with the filigree. Instead he checks the door for traps.

Thievery: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

As soon as Fumbus touches the door, the wayfinder in Alice's pocket starts shining with a red light brightly enough that everyone can see it. A woman's voice comes from the direction of the hatch, though the language is one few living people have heard spoken aloud.

[spoiler=Azlanti]“Security System malfunction detected. Insert badge and restore actuators to working order to avoid further security protocols.”

"Trap" may not be the right word, but the hatch certainly seems connected to something

And while Pathfinders may not understand the words, a glowing number appears on the door itself: 30.

No, wait, it's 29.

28.
27...

"Alice, quick! It looks like that is the badge that needs to be inserted!" he tells Alice, looking at the glowing red wayfinder in her pocket. He then looks back at the counting down timer.

The android looks around for something else to help in the situation but his circuits arrive at the same conclusion than Raphaeleos.

The little girl, with the doll tucked under her arm, will take the wayfinder and place it in the opening.

Oh dang. Uh. Pretend you never saw that. Unless your character speaks Azlanti, then it's fine.

The red light in the wayfinder activates and spreads down silver circuits in each cardinal direction before reaching panels built along the perimeter of the ruined structure.

To the north, something seems wrong with the magical flow. The energy seems to be coming back towards the center while in the other three directions it's traveling outward. Maybe someone knowledgeable about esoteric magic could reroute the flow. (Arcana or Occultism)

The panel to the south... well, the Pathfinders can't actually see it. Assuming there's one there in the same position as the other three, squeezing past or shifting that rubble should allow access. (Acrobatics or Athletics)

The actuator to the east looks like it's broken, giving off sparks. It needs repair, fast. (Crafting, or an easier Azlant or Engineering Lore check)

The fuses to the west are dislodged. Putting them back in place might be a delicate operation. (Azlant or Engineering Lore)

The timer keeps counting down. 22. 21...

Accounting for time to assess the situation and run to and between the panels, the Pathfinders estimate they have approximately enough time to make exactly two attempts each before the timer hits zero.

All PCs' turns.

North Actuator (Arcana/Occultism): 0/3
South Actuator (Acrobatics/Athletics): 0/3
East Actuator (Crafting/Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 0/3
West Actuator (Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 0/3

The technomancer reacts quickly and rushes to the East to repair the actuator.

Crafting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

”Gah!”, cries Marigold. She bounds off to the south, and tries to slip between the rubble.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Raphaeleos magically tinkers what is wrong in the north actuator. "Need to fix that magical flow."
Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Raphaeleos gets to work manipulating the magical energy while Mec-02 starts repairs. Both make progress, although Marigold is having difficulty bypassing the rubble.

Alice, Fumbus, and Enrax's turns.

North Actuator (Arcana/Occultism): 1/3
South Actuator (Acrobatics/Athletics): 0/3
East Actuator (Crafting/Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 1/3
West Actuator (Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 0/3

Fumbus heads for the EAST and tries his luck there.

crafting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16 First attempt
crafting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 Second attempt

He looks at Mec-02 and says "Please help out at the West"

The orc tries to shifting that rubble.

Athletics:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

Raphaeleos continues to magically repair the north actuator, hoping it will work properly now.
Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

The Alices move to the east and makes a Crafting check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 to repair the device.

"Woah! Woah! Woah!"
Hero Point
Crafting check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

"That's more like it!"

Team, we have 4-5 successes on the EAST, 1 in the NORTH, 0 in the WEST, 0 in the SOUTH. Lol.

Fumbus isn't quite able to figure out how to repair the device--but he's confident he'll get it next time!

Enrax has great success shifting rubble out of the way. Critical success

Alice starts making some repairs. Now that he sees the method, Fumbus is able to get it together and activated. Critical success[/b] One down.

The energy starts getting away from Raphaeleos, though.

Alice, Enrax, Mec-02, and Marigold's turns.

North Actuator (Arcana/Occultism): 1/3
South Actuator (Acrobatics/Athletics): 2/3
East Actuator (Crafting/Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 3/3
West Actuator (Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 0/3

[Ooc]Remember you can always argue for another reasonable skill. Like Thievery in the west.

The Alices move west.

"This is like a game, isn't it? I'm good at games. Let's see, this part goes here, and that part -- well, don't touch that, and this part..."

Games Lore: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

The android follows the doll to the west. It seems that these people don’t master the mechanics. In his world it’s very different.

Engineering lore: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

The orc tries again to shifting that rubble.

Athletics:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

I've already rolled twice, so I will not roll again

12, 11, 10...

Working together, Alices and Mec-02 are able to figure out the western device. But they could really use another set of hands as the timer winds down.
8, 7...

Enrax mightily shoves the rubble aside, enabling him to get to the fourth contraption. It's undamaged, and fires up as he touches it. critical success

4, 3...

Marigold simply doesn't have time to reach both of the remaining actuators before--

2, 1, 0...

There's a popping sound from somewhere, and then a hissing noise coming from underground. The light of the countdown fades away.

...and that's all! Nothing else seems to happen.

The door isn't unlocked, but without a clock to race nothing stops the Pathfinders from repairing the remaining actuator. With a click and a smaller hiss, the hatch cracks open. A little steam pours out.

Technically Marigold's turn, but even assuming she critically succeeds on her check she can't get both.
North Actuator (Arcana/Occultism): 1/3
South Actuator (Acrobatics/Athletics): 3/3
East Actuator (Crafting/Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 3/3
West Actuator (Azlant Lore/Engineering Lore): 2/3
Don't worry y'all. This challenge is harsh, and I suspect failure is the expected outcome. It's not too devastating. You needed as many points as you had turns, which means every single failure needs a critical success to counteract it--but they also need to happen in the right places or you get bonus successes that don't help because you only needed one.

”Thanks, big guy!”, says Marigold. She makes her way westward, and starts fiddling with the actuator.

Thievery: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

And does so successfully! One the northern device, which needs its magical energy flow redirected, is still malfunctioning when the timer hits 0.

"Okay... that was weird. What do you guys suggest we do? Try to fix the North station? Or open the door?"