GM TOP #10-14: Debt to the Quah (Core) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

"Phew! That was something!"

Corba guides Rocky back into the room.

"Is the water safe to drink? I think Rocky is thirsty - and so am I..."

'It didn't go terribly bad," Bobbie walks back to the party with a shrug. She's the one who was hit the hardest, yet she seems completely unfazed by it -raising questions about what exactly she's been through during previous missions.

"Desynthia, you've still got that wand of healing?"

Of course, Bobbie! Let me take care of you.

UMD on CLW DC 20: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

UMD on CLW DC 20: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Two taps of the wand are enough to invigorate Bobbie again.

The now-pink haired Desynthia heals herself with her wand, then she uses it on Salvio and Iladora

UMD on CLW DC 20: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

UMD on CLW DC 20: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

UMD on CLW DC 20, Salvio: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

UMD on CLW DC 20, Salvio: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

UMD on CLW DC 20, Iladora: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Finally, she heals Corba and Rocky
UMD on CLW DC 20, Corba: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

UMD on CLW DC 20, Rocky: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
UMD on CLW DC 20, Rocky: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Iladora looks questioningly at Salvio. "This... sort of thing?"

Cure light wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Cure light wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Cure light wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Cure light wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

I never healed after the first fight, so remedying that now.

"Thank you, Desynthia! I really appreciate it - and so does Rocky!" Corba addresses her mount: "Don't you? Don't you? You're such a good boy!" The halfling grabs a handful of treats from the saddlebags and one by one starts to feed them to her riding dog.

"Woof!" Rocky nods.

Ooooh, more treats! I love treats!

He munches happily on the treats. Life is good.

If Rocky was a certain worg, though, his thoughts would a bit different... ;-)

Only certainty in life: When icy jaws of death come, you will not have had enough treats. Nod. Get treat.

Link to relevant OOTS comic

Link to relevant OOTS comic[/b][/ooc]

"All deaths horrible. Also inevitable. Nod. Get treat."

The sepulcher echoes with the sounds of *kachow* over and over as healing wands begin blasting curative magics into the pathfinders. When the literal dust clears everyone seems to be fully healthy.

Sans a few rips and tears and bloodstains in their clothes at least.

Salvio puts a massive amount of trust in some unknown author, diving right in to drink the ghost water. To be fair, it does ‘look’ really refreshing.

"Thanks," Bobbie tells Desynthia distractedly. She stares at Salvio licking some unknown water that wasn't there before. "I wouldn't be sure about that - too late," she ends her sentence in a resigned mutter.

Salvio stands, smiling. "Wow, that tasted really good! I'm going to have to write this down. There's some indication in various legends that aid to revenants of necessity has to be repaid in some way; I'd call this one more example."

Corba waits a few seconds to see if Salvio is okay after drinking the water. If nothing bad happens to him, she leads Rocky over to the reservoir and dismounts to let the dog drink - his treats are a bit dry...

"Here, drink some water, Rocky!"

She also helps herself a couple of hands full of water.

"Riding around that quickly makes me thirsty!"

"Maybe it is magical water Droo. We should check it out."

Lini and Droogami go for a drink as well.

The water is tasty and cool, though slightly dog drool flavored at this point.

Where to next? Two separate doors exit this room.

Happy with her waterskin, Bobbie would rather not touch the water of unknown provenance. She picks up the blade she dropped and sheathes it. "Where to next? Right door?"

Equally unwilling to trust her luck (or even her companions' expressions) with the water, already knowing there's magic afoot in this place, Iladora leaves it alone. "We'll need to check both anyway. Right is fine."

Sooooo.. Let's go Paffies!

Desynthia goes toward the right door

Salvio smiles, shaking his head, and follows with crossbow readied. "If the notes are right, there should be some 'creepy statues' this way."

The paffies check out the next door. Seems totally safe!

Opening it they see clay statues lining a claustrophobic hallway.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

"Those must be it, then," Bobbie glances at the statues warily. They didn't look like they were about to come alive, but given her typical luck, they just might.

She surveys the hallway for traps, and only steps in if she sees nothing.

"He didn't say anything about traps in the statues room, but we'd still better be careful. Let me check for magic." The wizard casts the appropriate cantrip and examines the chamber ahead.

"Wow, this water tastes really good! I feel great!"

Corba is beaming. She follows Salvio to the right door.

Droogami glares at Lini and bunches up his shoulders. It is pretty clear that he wants to pounce on real opponents and not ghosts or statues.

Lini shakes her head at her pensive companion.

Don't worry Droo. There will be things to claw and bite in here. At least I think so."

There seem to be zero traps or magic present in this corridor.

Once you enter, you do notice some writing (probably Shoanti) along with a picture of an animal underneath each statue. You also notice that each statue across the way is identical to its opposite. Therefore there are only four unique statues in total. An eagle drawing, a horse drawing, a griffon drawing and a bat drawing.

You may roll a trained Knowledge: History OR Knowledge Local for something informative.

You may also roll Linguistics to translate the words next to each animal drawing, or use alternative translation methods.

Iladora inspects the symbols underneath the closest statue.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Salvio rechecks the notes and frowns. "He didn't even mention the writing."

The PathfinderWiki entry on the Shoanti language says that it's a combination of Hallit, Varisian, Jotun/Giant, and Thassilonian, and anyone speaking at least one of those languages can make themselves understood to a Shoanti speaker. Salvio knows Hallit; would that give him a bonus on his Linguistics check to translate the writing?

Yes, +5 on the linguistics check if you speak any of those four languages.

Iladora does not recognize what these words might mean.

"Give me a few minutes to work these out."

With the bonus, taking 10 on Linguistics gives me a 28 result.

"That's all Tianese to me," Bobbie chimes in resignedly.

Focused on his translation, the wizard replies absently, "That's why you bring people like me. I can't fight like you or follow a trail like Iladora, but sometimes you need a scholar on the spot."

Knowledge: Local t: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"I know that I know something about these animals here! But what is it? Maybe an old joke? 'An eagle, a horse, a griffon and a bat walk into a bar...' No, that doesn't sound right. Hm..." ;-)

Corba ponders.

Salvio dutifully translates the words under the animals.

eagle, “Story Seeker”
horse, “Meadow Grass”
griffin, “Meditates in Sunlight”
bat, “Tranquil Shadow”

Corba recognizes that the statues are arranged by generation so that moving through the passage could be interpreted as moving through time.

She does also think of a really good joke about people entering a bar, but debates keeping it to herself.

Salvio finishes with his notes, waves them to dry the ink,then folds them carefully and puts them away. "Good insight, Corba. Shall we see what's behind the next door?" He points to the other end of the hall.

"If you think there's nothing else of interest there..." Bobbie leads the way.

There doesn’t seem to be anything else of excessive interest so the pathfinders move on. The next door seems safe enough so Bobbie opens it up.

Twin staircases lead to a raised stone platform overlooking this room. Four sarcophagi occupy the lower level. The lids have been smashed open, and stones shards litter the floor here. A faint feeling of unease stifles the area. Doors exit to the north and south. The staircase to the west leads to a dead end.

"If I remember correctly the notes to this room said: 'broke some coffins, but no treasure'. Seems it's time to use the repair stone again, right? But on the other hand we could easily repair these lids later with our own cantrips - I don't think they are magical..."

Corba casts detect magic and checks the whole room - just to be sure.

There is no magic detected in the room, except for that which you all brought with you.

The faint feeling of unease continues to stifle the area.

Salvio shudders, looking around the room. "Do you feel that? I'm afraid that if we don't repair the damage now, whatever is causing the feeling will attack."

"I agree. Use the stone, it will be faster. Something in here is... unhappy."

"Whatever you do, do it quickly, before someone gets hurt," Bobbie keeps her longsword firmly in hand, waiting for any angry ghosts to suddenly appear.

The pathfinders quickly fix one of the lids using the stone, it fortunately only takes one charge. Salvio quickly notices that the lid has an eagle on it. There is also more Shoanti writing on a plaque in front of each sarcophagus.

(S1, S2, S3, S4 are the locations of the four sarcophagi)

The faint feeling of unease continues to stifle the area.

Rocky refuses to go inside the room.

DC 10 Handle Animal Check to convince him to go in.

There's something odd around here, but I can't tell what.

Desynthia looks nervously from side to side, and her hair can't decide which color they must be.

Salvio snaps his fingers and half the population of Golarion disappears. "Wait, eagle in here and out there? Are there animals carved on any of the other lids? Let me see if I can figure out this writing...I'll bet there's something else we need to do."

Was that one charge for all four lids, or one charge per lid? Also, Salvio will take 10 again to translate the writing.

One charge per lid and only one lid done so far. Anyone want to fix the other lids while Salvio works out the translations? You will have to wrestle the stone away from him though, CMB CHECK! Or ask, I guess. CMB is more fun though.

Salvio begins his translation process, but quickly stops as he notices they match the statues outside word for word, almost.

S1: Story Seeker 4430–4571
S2: Meadow Grass 4457–4482
S3: Meditates in Sunlight 4481–4565
S4: Tranquil Shadow 4595–4692

The faint feeling of unease continues to stifle the area.

"Huh...if the Shoanti use Absalom Reckoning dates, this place was in use during my parents' lifetimes. Hardly abandoned. Let me get these other lids fixed." The wizard suits action to words, calling on the stone's magic to repair the broken slabs. "I'll leave putting them back to the stronger of us."

"Let's get to it then," Bobbie tells Iladora. She begins the slabs back in place -not without some grunting and visible effort. I assume I can take 10 or 20 there without rolling Strength checks...

Salvio quickly yanks the stone back from any grabby jerks and repairs the slabs himself.

Bobbie thinks she can pretty easily lift them up, but recalls that the Great Wizard Osha recommends a team lift for heavy objects.

:D

When the stone lids are repaired, four animal etchings are clearly visible.

bat
eagle
griffon
horse

But where does each go? That's the question.

The faint feeling of unease continues to stifle the area.

The wizard pulls out his previous set of notes with a flourish. "Thanks to Corba's insight and my language studies, I'm pretty sure that the eagle goes with Story Seeker, the horse goes with Meadow Grass, the griffin goes with Meditates in Sunlight, and the bat goes with Tranquil Shadow." He points at each sarcophagus in turn.

"Rocky, what's the matter? Go in there, now!"

Handle Animal untrained (=CHA check): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 (vs. DC 10)

"Grrrrrrrr!"

Rocky plants his paws against the ground. He won't budge.

Not for all the treats in the world! There's something weird in there!