[PFS2] 1-13 Devil At The Crossroads (GM Watery Soup, Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Watery Soup

Reaction to shield block 5 point of damage

Fingo quickly reads the scroll, then scans the area around the group.

Third action to point out if the ghost if visible; otherwise he'll move out of the flying items...

Unfortunately, I believe Settie is destroyed upon reaching 0 HP based on this, since she's an actual familiar and not a poppet ancestry. Corona's just out of luck until she can spend 8 hours to conjure/create a new one.

"Aw, Settie! Now I'll have to rebuild her..." Corona sighs before turning her attention to the area where Fingo pointed. She peers at the location...

Flat Check vs. Hidden (DC 11): 1d20 ⇒ 15

...and sure enough, catches some faint, shimmery movement. "Go away, you mean old ghost!" she cries as she attempts to conjure a beam of moonlight against the spectral figure.

Moonbeam vs. Red: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage (Fire/Silver): 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 5) = 11

Then she tries to recall if she actually knows anything about fighting or dealing with ghosts.

As Moonbeam is a revelation spell, Corona's curse kicks in.

◆◆ Cast Moonbeam
◆ Recall Knowledge

Has Fingo pointed it out yet? Last I remember he just pulled his scroll. Or are you just anticipating he spots the creature? Or is it now visible? A bit confused about whether Hancock can attack or not.

I just botted Fingo since he had posted his intention (I think in Discussion).

---

The Carnelian Signet fires a tongue of flame, which misses, and tries to frighten the creature, but can't find it.

Retconning 5 hp to Fingo. Shield is now used for the remainder of the fight. Fingo spots the creature and Points it Out!

Sorry, Corona. Settie will be out for the remainder of the scenario. Corona casts moonbeam, but is unable to hit the ghost.

Corona can't quite remember anything about these types of ghosts - poltergeists, actually - but she knows they are tied to a specific place. If the party were to run (either forward or back), the poltergeist would be unable to pursue.

--Round 3
Fingo (26/44, normal vision, bless 10', shield used)
The Carnelian Signet (29/38, light source, incendiary aura 10')
Yellow Broom (-14 hp)
Green Broom (-28 hp)
Blue Armor (-23 hp)
Purple Armor (-23 hp)
--Round 4
Hancock (54/70, temp 0/7, darkvision, immune to Frighten)
Kidron (41/60, low light vision)
Cal (52/52, light source, shield)
Corona (27/38, normal vision) / Settie (0/15, deconstructed)
Red Ghost (-7 hp, observed and concealed to Fingo, Hidden to rest)

Remember to make a DC 11 flat check when targetting a Hidden creature.

Hancock runs around to the other side and adds his own punishment to the rain of blows coming down on it.
-
to hit maul: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21, flanked
DC 11 flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 20
damage maul; bludgeoning damage: 2d12 + 4 ⇒ (5, 12) + 4 = 21
4 additional damage with electrical, arcane, and evocation traits on a hit
-
to hit maul, iterative: 1d20 + 11 - 5 ⇒ (15) + 11 - 5 = 21, flanked
DC 11 flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 9
damage maul; bludgeoning damage: 2d12 + 4 ⇒ (2, 10) + 4 = 16
4 additional damage with electrical, arcane, and evocation traits on a hit

1d20 ⇒ 14 flat check in case it is needed.
Seeing their foe in front of him and calls upon Ragathiel to guide his hand and weapon
Casting weapon surge
1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 11 + 1 = 23 +1 disrupting striking 2 handed bastard sword opponent should be flat footed
3d12 + 4 ⇒ (6, 7, 8) + 4 = 25 Slashing
1d6 ⇒ 1 Positive

Hancock's weapon has a Ghost Touch Rune if it matters.

Cal joins in, grabbing his sword in two hands as well.

Flat: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Power Attack the Ghost: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 13 + 1 = 283d12 + 4 ⇒ (6, 1, 11) + 4 = 22

Hopefully one of the melee characters hit, lol

They all hit, lol. Once you can target an invisible creature, they're ... squishy.

Hancock hits the poltergeist once, targeting an echo with his second hit. All of his damage goes through because of Ghost Touch.

Ragathiel guides Kidron, and his weapon slices through - but doesn't do as much damage as he thinks it should have done against a corporeal creature. Resistance to slashing. The disrupting seems to be effective, though.

Cal power attacks, again, his weapon partially moving through, but doing enough damage to dissipate the spirit.

--End of Combat!
Fingo (26/44, normal vision)
The Carnelian Signet (29/38, light source)
Hancock (54/70, temp 0/7, darkvision)
Kidron (41/60, low light vision)
Cal (52/52, light source)
Corona (27/38, normal vision) / Settie (0/15, deconstructed)

The poltergeist’s collection of objects clatters to the floor, including a few pieces of polished silverware, a jewel-studded letter opener, and a platinum pocket watch. These valuables represent 3 Treasure Bundles.

Please describe how you will heal - my assumption is that you will all get back to full HP, but I need to know how much time it takes.

Spellcasters, please make sure you're tracking your used spells. Limited resources are likely to come into play by the end of the scenario.

I'll open up the Lounge, just because that's where you were headed.

This spacious chamber once served as Linneus Narikopolus’s private retiring room but was repurposed over the decades following his demise as an upstairs common area for overnight guests. The room’s fading grandeur is accentuated by marble statues, mahogany bookcases, and framed paintings. A door to the east of the fireplace provides access to another room.

One piece of art stands out among the dozens of still life and landscape paintings adorning the walls of the lounge and its adjoining corridor. This portrait’s eerily vibrant colors depict a middle-aged human man with sallow skin, high cheekbones, an angular nose, and green eyes. His chestnut hair is neatly pulled back, and he wears rich clothing in an antiquated style. The resemblance between the portrait’s subject and Annavinia is striking and undeniable.

The Pathfinders locate a gilt and pearl inlaid cigar box and several miniature art objects. These valuables are worth 1 Treasure Bundle.

Fingo and Cal glimpse a piece of parchment behind the frame. When they remove the painting from the wall, they discover what appear to be pages from some kind of research notebook folded and neatly tucked into its frame.

The entry is written in a patois of Infernal and Common that makes analysis difficult. The check to decipher is DC 20 Society (expert) check to Decipher Writing. Please let me know if anyone can even attempt that check - if not, you'll have to find another way to translate.

He can lay on hands with his focus points but those will take a while to recharge, he also had medicine. Can he make an Undead Lore at +8 to figure out what the ghost thingee was?

Now that the heat of the moment has passed, Kidron recalls that it's a poltergeist.

When a creature dies, and for whatever reason its spirit is unable or unwilling to leave the site of its death, that spirit may manifest as a poltergeist: a restless invisible spirit that is still able to manipulate physical objects. Many poltergeists perished in a way that resulted from or has led to extreme emotional trauma.

When a poltergeist is destroyed, it re-forms, fully healed, where it was destroyed after 2-8 days. A poltergeist can be permanently destroyed only if someone determines the reason for its existence and sets right whatever prevents the spirit from resting.

With the danger past, at least for the moment, Corona sighs and goes to gather up the Settie-bits scattered on the floor in the hallway. "It's always so annoying when this happens. And Settie's gonna be mad at me once I get her rebuilt, too..."

She carefully tucks the salvageable parts into her pack for now until she can get plenty of downtime to work on repairing her friend, which she knows likely won't be for a day or two.

"Don't worry about my injuries, New Friends - I've got an item for that so I'll be okay," she continues, her expression brightening. "I've got some healing magic I can use for everyone else, if we need it."
______________

She can only do it once but Corona has Heal as a signature spell so she can cast a heightened 3-action version to do some healing on everyone at once. For herself, she also has a Pearly White Spindle Aeon Stone so she heals at a rate of 1 HP per minute. If we end up taking 10 minutes, Corona will refocus.

The flames around the Carnelian Signet fizzle out.

"Maybe a ten-minute break, before we keep looking through a poltergeist-infested manor?"

The Carnelian Signet will refocus.

I only have Rank 1 and 2 Heal spells, I think we're mostly ok for now.

Hancock has expert medicine, Continual Recovery, and Assurance. He auto succeeds at trained treat wounds and has a 50% chance at expert treat wounds. Next level he will auto succeed at expert treat wound. Sooo....

Hancock nods and will begin to treat his own wounds, unless Corona does her thing and manages to fully heal Hancock somehow.

healing: 2d8 ⇒ (2, 7) = 9

Hancock, it should be level 6 that you get auto-success on expert Treat Wounds. You don't get the item bonus or your WIS bonus to Assurance, so it's 10+4+level.

I'm going to assume Hancock and Kidron both heal the party and bot.

0 min: Kidron lays on hands on himself (+12)
0-10 min: Hancock Treats Wounds on himself (+9), Kidron Refocuses
10 min: Kidron lays on hands on himself (+12)
10-20 min: Hancock Treats Wounds on himself, Kidron Refocuses
Healing: 2d8 ⇒ (7, 7) = 14
20 min: Kidron lays on hands on Fingo (+12)
20-30 min: Hancock Treats Wounds on Fingo, Kidron Refocuses
Healing: 2d8 ⇒ (7, 5) = 12
30 min: Kidron lays on hands on The Carnelian Signet (+12)
30-40 min: Kidron Refocuses

Fingo thanks Kidron and Hancock for their care. As they work, he gives the research notebook a curious look; but finds himself incapable of making sense of it.

Fingo doesn't have good out of combat healing, so unless something happens while we recover, he'll save his Heal spells for potential combat.

Hancock, it should be level 6 that you get auto-success on expert Treat Wounds. You don't get the item bonus or your WIS bonus to Assurance, so it's 10+4+level.

Thanks. I was thinking the proficiency bonus included WIS but of course it does not. 6th level is only one more level so that's not too bad.

"If we get in a bind, I've got three Soothe scrolls shoved in my bag. They're only low-level, but they'll stop someone dying. I can do a bit of magic these days." Cal shrugs.

The paladin will thank the General of Vengeance for allowing him to help vanquish the undead and finding his companions worthy to bring to full health.

"Well, now that that is taken care off... where do we go next?"

You were headed to Kellvan's room, so that's where I'd bot you if I had to move you.

The Carnelian Signet quietly thanks an omnipresent voice in her head. Instincts!

"Onward to Kellvan's room, yes? We could use the help of an investigator like him right now."

"I hope he is still alive. If he ran into that thing, I have my doubts."

While following the group to Kellvan's room, Fingo points at the painting and asks Annavinia:
This would be your ancestor, the founder of this inn?

"Maybe New Friend Kellvan will know how to read these notes we found," Corona remarks, gesturing to the research papers they'd found behind the painting. "Because I don't think any of us can...or at least I know *I* can't!"

"Mfr"

Hancock says as he peers at the writing. Shrugging he motions forward.

Oops. Forgot to include his speech impediment on the last post. Pretend you didn't understand a thing he said, but Bruce translated it."

lol

Fingo points at the painting and asks Annavinia:

This would be your ancestor, the founder of this inn?

"Yes, Linneus grew weary of the political life in Cheliax, and came here to found the inn."

As a matter of procedure, every time you enter a new room or an NPC tells you something, I'm going to roll a set of Perception checks, so if I don't mention something, you can assume you found nothing unusual.

Annavinia is frightened of the supernatural, but she appears to be telling the truth, at least as far as she knows it.

This run-down suite contains a four-post bed, a mahogany chest of drawers, and an iron woodstove filled with smoldering coals. The bedclothes are undisturbed, and the suite’s only signs of habitation are a pair of muddy riding boots discarded near the door and a greatcoat draped over a bedpost.

This is Kellvan's room - or was. The inspector lies face-down on the floor near his bed, his throat cut.

There is a warrant in Kellvan’s pocket, though vague, interests the Pathfinders. This wax-sealed scroll states that Kellvan has the authority to search the trading post for evidence related to unsolved—and unspecified—crimes.

The pair of boots is of fine make, with a leaf and acorn motif. Despite their wear, several party members recognize them as a pair of boots of elvenkind. This find represents 1 Treasure Bundle.

You are free to use them if you wish. If you have any qualms about looting the recently deceased, let's retcon a conversation in the woods when you first met Kellvan about how he hoped that in case of an untimely death he would hope that someone would use all his items to solve the crime. ;)

---

Sense Motives on the NPCs' reactions to seeing Kellvan's body:

Dehliana is taking a long look at Nordvick, suspicious at his motives. On questioning, Dehliana accuses Nordvick of having something to hide, which leads to his confession.

Nordvick seems at ease before the warrant is read, but suddenly becomes nervous when it is read. On questioning, Nordvick admits that there have been some mysterious deaths in the house, and is afraid that he is going to be blamed, either as the murderer or as the person in charge.

Annavinia pales suddenly, looking around for ghosts. On questioning, Annavinia admits that she is terrified of the supernatural, and believes that ghosts killed Kellvan.

Selik will agree with whatever course of action the Pathfinders agree on. Selik is here mostly as a mechanism to move things along if y'all start to flounder. If he suggests to do something, it's probably me giving you a nudge. ;)

Hancock looks around (and will continue to look around) for secret passages, pounding on walls and listening for hollow wounds, and checking for unusual construction. He figures a place like this has got to have them. Of course he does not bother to tell anyone why he is doing this.

The Carnelian Signet sighs. "Alas Kellvan, I hardly knew you." More smoke covers her vision. "Can anyone perform an autopsy? I suspect the parties responsible used this situation to kill him."

"Although..." she hesitates. "It looks like he hasn't really used this room. Where did he sleep?" She sighs.

"Nice boots, though. They're a little green for my taste but I may never leave here. Does anyone mind if I wear them?"

I have a pretty good Acrobatics (+6 Trained), so I may as well use the >Boots of Elvenkind< unless someone has a higher check.

Hancock looks around (and will continue to look around) for secret passages, pounding on walls and listening for hollow wounds, and checking for unusual construction. He figures a place like this has got to have them. Of course he does not bother to tell anyone why he is doing this.

I am rolling Perception checks for everyone every time the party ends up searching a new room. I am also rolling Sense Motive checks for everyone every time an NPC gives you information. This scenario will take years if I don't bot the checks, it's very detailed. Like, the whole second half of my last post is almost an entire page in the scenario describing how each of the NPCs acts when accused of being Kellvan's murderer.

"It looks like he hasn't really used this room. Where did he sleep?"

There's a bed in the northwest corner of the map. I moved the label so it's a little more visible.

Hancock is not sure what to do at this point. Thinking it might be rude to demand to search the other boarder's rooms, he waits for someone ele to broach the subject.

"Well, we're going to need more evidence, then. His throat has a nasty cut. Is anyone a medic? Can you identify the type of weapon?"

Fingo approaches Kellvan's body, attempting to perform a rudimentary autopsy.

Medicine +8

As he works, he speaks calmly to Nordvick:
No need to panic. But we do need to know everything you know about these deaths. How long ago did they happen? Who were there? Could they be due to the ghost we just fought, or did they seem more like... poor Kellvan here, very humanoid assassinations?

"Well, we're going to need more evidence, then. His throat has a nasty cut. Is anyone a medic? Can you identify the type of weapon?"

Fingo approaches Kellvan's body, attempting to perform a rudimentary autopsy.

Medicine +8

As he works, he speaks calmly to Nordvick:
No need to panic. But we do need to know everything you know about these deaths. How long ago did they happen? Who were there? Could they be due to the ghost we just fought, or did they seem more like... poor Kellvan here, very humanoid assassinations?

Kellvan's autopsy won't reveal anything surprising. His wound is obvious, and there's no other way he would have died. The wound was made by a simple dagger, which many people - perhaps even some of the Pathfinders - carry.

Nordvick would give details on the other deaths, but as a GM, I fear that making them specific would be red herrings at this point. One thing that Nordvick makes clear is that he has never had anything to do with the deaths. He just finds the bodies and takes care of them. The bodies he has found appear to be mundane accidents - drowning in the bathtub, slipped and fell down the stairs, etc. But there have been many of them, too many to be a coincidence.

Hancock is not sure what to do at this point. Thinking it might be rude to demand to search the other boarder's rooms, he waits for someone ele to broach the subject.

If anyone else wants to search the boarders' rooms, agree on which one to search first. There are also lots of common rooms downstairs which could be searched for clues.

"Well, a simple dagger? Everyone has a dagger." She shrugs. "Someone would have to come up, do the deed, either clean or remove the weapon, and return to the common room."

She tries to look around before the smoke obscures her vision. "Since I don't see any blood around here, they probably wiped it on his clothing before tossing it out the window." She knocks on the blinds, tightly shut. She burns them a bit with her magic just to watch it quickly repair. You don't to see that every day.

"Annavinia. Do you mind if we take a look through your room, next? You have the strongest connection to your ancestor Linneus. Maybe he left a clue lying around in your room."

Hancock is impressed by the diplomatic way in which Mdm. Signet requested permission to search Anna's room and grunts approvingly.

Is there a storage room where supplies are kept? the paladin asks.

"Poor Mister Kellvan," Corona remarks sadly. "He seemed a little odd, but nice."

She thinks back to earlier, when people went their own ways while Nordvick worked on preparing dinner, as well as what they learned about the investigator's reasons for being at the inn in the first place.

"New Friends, remember when Kellvan went upstairs? The only other people that went upstairs were Annavinia and Dehliana," she whispers. "I think New Friend Signet is right that we should check Annavinia's room first - and then we should check Dehliana's."

Interesting observation for sure. Fingo answers on a whisper. Then, turning to Annavinia:
It would be good to check that our ghost has not taken too keen an interest in your lodgings. The Carnelian Signet is right, they have more reason to try to interact with you than with anyone else.

Annavinia protests at having her quarters searched, but at some point, someone remembers that she's scared of the supernatural, and the GM assumes that the Pathfinders use that as leverage.

Annavinia's sparse room is dominated by a whole trunk full of books, her cumulative research, including her personal diary, Linneus’s incomplete notes, and several vials with what appear to be blood inside.

Annavinia’s diary chronicles her obsessive research into a fabled wish-granting artifact created by one of her ancestors. The diary’s most recent entries detail her negotiations with the post’s resident imp, her long-dead ancestor’s familiar, who Annavinia believes can help her locate the missing pieces of research.

The accompanying documents are far older. These brittle sheaves of parchment are bound together by strings of leather and contain text written in a patois of Infernal and Common, and match the documents the party found in the frame in the Lounge.

You don't need to make any rolls, but please describe what questions or requests you make of Annavinia.

Nice work. A deep dive into history there.
Fingo says, winking at Annavinia. As he looks at the blood to assess its origins (Human? Humanoid? Animal? Medicine+8 if needed), Fingo continues
That imp you have been talking to. He might now more about our ghost, if they were serving him. Do you know how we could talk with them? No worries, we won't pry into the object that you are looking for. Only our inquiry into recent events.

Issil Telfae finds empathy with Annavinia. Her grandmother was such an influence on her life, able to show her there was more than preening herself and waiting for a suitor to acquire her. What a dreadful life to live.

She also knows about walking the fine line with the denizens of Hell. It's so easy to think you're in control, until the Payment is Due.

"Do you mind if I look through these documents? It may give us some insight on who that startling wizard was. Maybe some of his history is buried in here."

This is one of the times Issil wishes she stayed awake during her grandmother's Infernal language lessons. Maybe she can infer something from them.

Perception +5, Religion +5, Society +6, Heraldry Lore +6.

[dice] Reliigon +8 to see if he knows about imps [/ooc]

"Watdabldfr?"

Bruce translates that as "What is the blood for, some kind of spell?"

"Do you mind if I look through these documents? It may give us some insight on who that startling wizard was. Maybe some of his history is buried in here."

Society: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Annavinia gladly hands them over, knowing that the mix of Infernal and Common would confuse all but the truly expert. In return, she asks for the pages that were found in the lounge, which she reads and ...

he looks at the blood to assess its origins

"Watdabldfr?"

... sighs before admitting the truth. From her other research, she knew that she had to bring vials of her family's blood. She had collected various samples from as many Narikopolus family members as she could find. She thought that they would be used to power the artifact.

In fact, they would be used to destroy the artifact in a ritual, which is also described in the pages from the lounge.

She's very upset, because she doesn't want the artifact destroyed. However, anyone who might want to destroy the artifact may be pleased, wink wink nudge nudge.

Reliigon +8 to see if he knows about imps [/ooc]

That imp you have been talking to. He might now more about our ghost, if they were serving him. Do you know how we could talk with them? No worries, we won't pry into the object that you are looking for. Only our inquiry into recent events.

Imps are infiltrators and corruptors who, despite their diminutive stature, are more than capable of subtly influencing a weak-willed individual into performing increasingly evil acts over time. An imp will often agree to serve a mortal and act docile and loyal in a long-term plot to eventually damn its master’s soul to Hell. Imps are born directly from Hell itself, rather than from mortal souls, and thus they serve outside the usual diabolic hierarchy, granting them leeway to pursue their specialties. Despite standing a mere 2-feet tall, imps can be vicious combatants, flying out of reach and turning invisible to escape should the odds turn against them.

This particular imp's name is Zirzip. Annavinia says he's usually lurking about, watching invisibly. She just calls his name and he appears.

Nobody appears if his name is called. He doesn't want to be found.

Fingo had cast see invisibility earlier, so you know he wasn't in the corridor while the fight was going on. However, the spell has long worn off by now.

---

If you're ready to move on, decide which room to go to next.

"Hmm. The secrets of the past are oh so dangerous..." The Carnelian Signet ponders. "But it's so enticing." She closes the journal, unable to make sense of it. "Well then. Maybe we can look through Dehliana's items?"