[GM School 2024] GM Baerlie's The Whitefang Wyrm (Inactive)

Game Master Baerlie

This is the PbP Thread for GM Baerlie's The Whitefang Wyrm (PFS2 Bounty #1).

You are currently in the village of Aaminiut in a reagion called Crown of the World, where you recently arrived. While you take a walk at the city's central square, you see two men standing in front of a wooden board. As far as you can tell, this board seems to be the village's public notice board. One of the nails a rolled piece of hide onto the board, next to several older postings.

When the rolled hide unfolds, you see a picture of a dragon head with some text on the hide. Several townspeople gather in front of the wooden board to read the new posting.

It's time to do some introductions and/or interactions :)

Xandian, the small leaf leshy with a large scythe leaning on his shoulder, notices the small gathering near the notice board. He stands nearby and tries to overhear anything that the locals are saying. Other than that, he is happy to just stand there soaking up what little sunlight there is in this far northern area.

Nhorri loiters near Xandian, oblivious to the fact that they had to move over to get out of her shadow. After several minutes, she finally notices the gathering by the job board. "Huh? Where'd all those people come from? What's going on?"

Vicksli notices the large scythe on the leshy's shoulder and moves over to to see what is going on. Sometimes you just need a big whopping weapon to show you mean business. Anything on the board to notice? I must say you have to enjoy this wonderful weather, just right to keep the obnoxious flying insects at bay.

Sometimes you just need a big whopping weapon to show you mean business.

Xandian grins at Vicksli. "And always best when the big whopping weapon is one normally used against your own kind."

When you get closer to the board, you see that below the dragon's head there is some text, written in Common, Ulfen and Erutaki.

Hunters needed!
Over the past weeks, a creature some of us have come to
know as the “Whitefang Wyrm” has been spotted lurking
near our settlement, stealing fish from our nets and baskets
and leaving nothing but wreckage in its wake. We believe
the creature’s lair is somewhere on or across the ice floes of
Whitefang Bay. As this creature poses a threat to the survival
of all of Aaminiut’s residents, we have prepared a sack of
ivory and oosik carvings from the Erutaki and silver bracelets
and armbands from the Ulfen, payable to whoever ends the
creature’s attacks on our food supply. Proof of the creature’s
defeat must be presented to claim this bounty.
-Elder Seshu and Bjorn the Blade

You hear the locals talking about the beast. "Yes, this creature killed my cousin's sheep. It ate three of them, but killed the rest just for fun." an elder ulfen woman says. Another one says "This thing scared my wife almost to death when she was collecting herbs on the plains. I have never seen her running that fast! Now she wants to move to Kalsgard.". "Not for all treasures in this world, would I dare to fight a dragonkind beast." a middle-aged tall Ulfen says while shaking his head.

Bjorn the Blade turns around and talks to the crowd. "Yes, the treasure is yours when you bring the beast's head! Any questions?"

Nhorri listens as the posting is read aloud. "The Whitefang Worm, huh? How does a worm get across the ice floes?" It doesn't occur to her until someone mentions never daring to fight a 'dragonkind beast' that they're talking about a *wyrm*. "Wait... Ohhhhhh. I get it now. So, how big is it? Like, bear-sized? Or house-sized? Or so-big-it-could-step-on-me-and-I'd-disappear-under-its-foot-sized?"

"A dragon!" A small bronze-scaled figure in a suit of bronze-plated armor covered with decorative scaling patterns eagerly reads and re-reads the notice. "What kind of dragon? Maybe a white one? They tend to keep to the colder regions, after all. But why would one next on ice floes? We simply must check it out!"

"A Whitefang Wyrm sounds like an interesting name," Xandian mentions. "I'm curious if the reality matches the name."

I fear the only way we will learn the real nature of the beast is to pursue it across the ice floes. And we have no time to lose if we wish to beat the others standing around here to the beast. How are you equipped for travel on ice and snow?

"Oh! That's why I'm cold! Gosh, who knew I forgot to put on my coat. Silly me." Nhorri digs into the very bottom of her pack to grab and don her winter gear, then has to pack everything back up again.

The Ulfen who nailed the hide onto the board smiles when he hears that some adventurers seem to be brave enough to take the job. "Welcome, I hope you had a nice stay so far in Aaminiut. I'm Bjorn and this is Seshu, elder of the Erutaki." The Ulfen says while pointing at the other person who helped him mounting the hide to the board. "The wyrm got it's name from it's white and blue scales. And from his bright white fangs which fill it's mouth. At least this was the description of the creature we heard." Bjorn says smiles. You see that he has a missing tooth.

"A witness described the wyrm as having a fin running down its spine. Regarding the size, it's hard to tell. Some say it was larger than a horse while others say it's the size of a harbor seal. But it's not as large as a house, for sure." Seshu, the older of the two answers.

"For travelling ice and snow in this area, one uses a sleigh and dogs. You can rent one if you like, for 5sp per sleigh only." Bjorn answers when he hears Vicksli's question.

Arcana vs DC 15: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

"Dorsal fin, that makes sense, but white and blue scales? A hybrid, perhaps? Fangs, yes, every dragon has fangs, no need to mention the wings because every dragon also has those, perhaps that fin is an aquatic adaptation?" Mirzos is lost in his own musings.

Vicksli moves over to Bjorn and begins to negotiate. Why don't we go take a look and these sleds and dogs? What type of condition are they in and how experienced at the dogs?

"Uh, yeah, 'cause...maybe some of us aren't good with animals." Nhorri sheepishly recalls that one time she was assigned to drive one of the wagons in her family's caravan. The one and only time. You get lost in thought for only a minute, and...yeesh. She flushes with embarrassment just thinking about it.

She'll pay to rent the dogs and sled if someone else will drive it.

"Sure, you can have a look at the sleds and also at the dogs. The dogs are well fed and quite strong. We selected only the most promising cubs to work with the sleds. They were all trained by Orvur. One of the most experienced dog trainers in this region. He already won some prices with his dogs. The dogs are used to be commanded by strangers. Also the sleds are in good condition. I won't earn much money if my customers don't return, right? But at least the dogs would return, haha." Bjorn says and laughs. He guides you to his shop where you see several dogs sleeping in front of the building. Some sleds are leant against the wall.

"A witness described the wyrm as having a fin running down its spine. Regarding the size, it's hard to tell. Some say it was larger than a horse while others say it's the size of a harbor seal. But it's not as large as a house, for sure."

"Well, that's good at least. It would be hard to take down something as big as a house."

Xandian asks Bjorn, "So how far do people think the lair of this Wyrm is? A day of travel, or more than that?"

"On of our trackers was able to find evidence that the wyrm came across the frozen ice of Whitefang Bay. But she lost the wyrm's track on the ice. Usually, travelling by sled, it's a few hours to the other side of the bay. Depending on wether you are able to follow it's tracks or not, it might take longer. The trackers usually go on foot so they don't miss tracks when passing by on sleds. It's totally up to you how you want to travel. Also, be aware, that the ice is a bit tricky at this time of the year. It's thin at some spots and might become unstable when somebody crosses, regardless the travelling method." Bjorn answers to Xandian's question.

One of the dogs opens it's eyes and watches the party.

"Uh, will the dogs get scared and run away if we find it?" Nhorri doesn't bother to ask what'll happen if the Wyrm eats any of the dogs. That's a 'maybe later' problem. (A lot of problems fall under that category.)

Sounds like typical travel over ice to me. We might be able to squeeze into a single dogsled as we have a lot of small beings, but it would be better to have a couple in case something happens to one of them or we have a lot to transport back after our encounters. Vicksli then takes a moment to examine the sleds and dogs before selecting a sled and team of dogs while giving Bjorn 5 SP for rental of it.

Engineering Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Examining sleds
Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Examining dogs

"Puh, we never tried to bring dogs close to a wyrm, so I cannot answer this question, I'm sorry. Bjorn answers to Nhorri's question.

Vicksli can confirm what Bjorn said before. The sleds are in good condition, also the dogs are healthy and well nourished. There's room for three individuals per sled.

Bjorn takes the money and asks one of the dog trainers around to teach Vicksli how to handle the dogs.

Please tell me if you want to rent a second sled or not :) I will proceed later today with the story.

"Uh, yeah, 'cause...maybe some of us aren't good with animals."

"Maybe you are better at it than you think. These are trained sled dogs." Xandian smiles at Nhorri encouragingly. "But if it makes you feel better, I can help you to drive the sled."

"How about you hold the reins and I'll be the backseat driver?" Nhorri's only half joking.

I think we only need one sled. What skill is it to drive? I have Nature +4.

Actually, there is no skill check needed to drive the sled or command the dogs.

Also the rest of your group gets a quick training in handling the dogs and sled and once you are ready to leave, Bjorn asks the tracker to show you where she found the tracks. Before you leave, Bjorn and Seshu wish you good luck, all the best and hope you return safely. "Don't forget to collect the creature's head, when the job's done!" Bjorn says.

This is the time where everybody gets his/her first hero point. If you need to do some shopping, you can also do it now, before you leave the village. And don't forget to grab your pathfinder provisions.

Eydna, the tracker, takes you to the frozen ice of Whitefang Bay. She shows you a place where it's safe to get onto the ice with the sleds. She guides you to the place where the tracks are still visible. "I lost the wyrm's track about two hours in this direction." she says and points to the north-west.

Please tell me your exploration activities, if you haven't already put it into your character sheet (or want to use a different activity).

Please tell me your exploration activities,

Well, since I am not high enough level to go parasailing by being tethered to the sled, I guess I will have to track the Wyrm from ground level.

Xandian checks out the market before leaving and picks up an Oil of Potency. Pathfinder Provisions

"Don't forget to collect the creature's head, when the job's done!"

"Another good reason to have the sled, I suppose." Xandian makes note of the tracks that Eydna points out to him. Then climbs in to the front section of the sled so that he can keep a lookout for other such tracks.

Hunt Prey on the tracks. Gives +2 circumstance bonus to tracking.
Also, Monster Hunter may apply.

Mirzos is right behind Xandian, holding the leshy tight so he can lean further out and keep a better eye on the tracks underfoot. The downside of this service though is the constant stream of random facts, musings, and whimsies about dragons from the kobold's mouth.

Let's shake things up and use Investigate!

Pathfinder Provision: minor healing potion
Exploration Activity: Search (Perception +4)

Nhorri takes the rear position on the sled so none of the shorter folks has to stare at her posterior for the whole ride. She tries to keep her eyes peeled for signs of the wyrm, but keeps getting distracted by the stark beauty of the landscape and various daydreams.

Pathfinder Provision: minor healing potion
Exploration Activity: Investigation (+5)

Vicksli will focus on managing the sled and dogs while also watching the weather and the ice conditions.

everybody on board after the weekend, great :)

Before leaving, Xandian studies the tracks and makes the wyrm his hunted prey. One after the other gets onto the sled, Xandian sits in front as he looks out to follow the tracks of his hunted prey. Mirzos makes sure, that Xandian does not foll off the sled while he continuously tells Xandian and the rest of the party what he knows about dragons. Vicksli takes third place while holding the dog's leashes mounted on their harness. Nhorri takes the rear position and watches out that the other party members are safe in their seats.

The dog team races across the frozen ice of Whitefang Bay. You constantly hear a woosh sound while the sled's skid rush over the ice and snow and the dogs do not seem to get tired.

About one hour into your journey, all but Nhorri (obviously, the landscape is more interesting than the tracks) clearly see, that the wyrm tried to create a false trail to avoid being tracked back to it's lair.

You may do Survival checks to find the correct tracks of the wyrm :) Any bonuses to track (like hunted prey etc.) apply.

Survival Track prey: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 5 + 2 = 14

Xandian looks at the diverging tracks. "I'm pretty sure the Wyrm didn't split into two. Less sure about which set of tracks it actually went down."

Hunt Prey is circumstance bonus, so won't stack with aid.

While the others check for the wyrm's tracks, Nhorri decides she's better keep an eye out for an ambush. She scans the area at large, looking for big-ish, white moving things.

Perception +4 to look for an incoming icy ball of draconic fury

It looks as though our target feels confident enough to take time to conceal his tracks! Let's see how long the real track remains in a noticeable condition.

Survival Track prey: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 2 = 9

Xandian manages to distinguish between the fals tracks and the correct one while Vicksli almost took the wrong direction. Nhorri watches for any ambushes that might be set, but apart from a big dark fish beneath the clear blue ice she does not see any trouble.

You continue on towards the other side of the bay where you expect the wyrm's lair. Shortly after leaving the place with the false tracks you suddenly hear something cracking. When turning towards the direction the cracking noise came from you see that the ice seems to be very thin in that direction and would probably have collapsed under your weight if you had taken the wrong track.

About two hours later, you get closer to the other side of the bay. You already spot the entrance to an icy cavern in the side of a large upthrust. After another hour you finally reach the entrance. The northern sun is still high in the sky.

4 hours of travelling in total, I will pause here to give you the chance to do the things you want to do before eventually entering the cavern.

Xandian looks quickly over when the ice breaks up. "Mmm... Intelligent. And already trying to kill us. I can see why the villagers of Aaminiut were having problems with it. Should make for an interesting battle."

"Yeesh. I don't fancy swimming in water this cold."

Nhorri's as ready as she'll ever be.

"Of course it's intelligent - it's a dragon, after all." Mirzos checks that his armor-suit is functioning properly in the cold weather and nods to signal his readiness.

Once everybody is ready, you enter the cavern. Rays of light of the high sun reflect throughout the cavern. The cavern’s ceiling is 10 feet
tall, and all of the surfaces are made of ice. The room you entered continues around a corner.

You are in the entrance room of the cave, please check the map linked above. You find the pics of your characters in the lower right corner of the map. Good luck :)

"Uh, shucks. I forgot to buy a torch, and it'll probably get dark farther in. Anybody got a light?" Absent-minded Nhorri makes a mental note to buy a torch when she gets back to town. (Pity she'll probably forget.)

"Anybody got a light?"

"I don't," Xandian replies cheerfully. "It is bright enough in here for now though." He gets his scythe ready and starts down the cave entryway, still keeping watch for tracks of the Wyrm that he hunts.

Vicksli casts mystic armor and readies his trident. Any other preparations to be made are should we head on it and find out just what we are dealing with?

For Xandian it's obvious, that the wyrm went in and out of this cavern several times. He sees the same tracks that you followed across the bay. While Vicksli readies his armor and trident Nhorri looks for a light source. For now, you can see well in the cave, thanks to the ice which reflects the sun light coming from outside.

Xandian follows the tracks farther inside. Around the corner he sees a bigger room which ends in a tunnel further to the west, two tunnels in the south wall and two tunnels leading north and north-west. I uncovered the parts on the map.

In the room, Xandian spots a draconic creature sitting on the floor, consuming some fish and something which could have been a seal.

How do you approach the wyrm?

Xandian draws the little bottle of oil that he got in town. He doesn't open it yet. Instead he looks to the others to see how they are going to approach. Xandian doesn't feel like being stealthy about this, but also doesn't want to ruin the chances for anyone else to get into position.

With his free hand Vicksli pulls a torch from his gear and extends it toward Nhorri. "Feel free to take this one, or if you prefer that I carry it, just give it a light for me. However, I cannot promise that I will not go after the wyrm with it."

Once the issue with the torch is resolved, Vicksli will also move up adjacent to Xandian to see what they face.

Nhorri gratefully accepts the torch and whispers, "Thanks, Vicksli! Uh, anybody got a light?"

Once that's resolved (even if no one can light it), Nhorri starts sneaking toward the wyrm, hugging the north side of the cavern. As she passes the others, she whispers: "Let some of us get closer before going hog wild. Then maybe we can flank it if it runs out."

Stealth +6[/dice]

[ooc]@GM Bearli: If we have no working light source, please state the light level when we roll initiative. Thanks!

Mirzos has to clasp a hand over his mouth to muffle his gasp of excitement as the creature comes into view. But then his eyes narrow. Doubt begins to creep into his mind - is this really a dragon?

Trying to Recall Knowledge to identify this creature. If the group wants to stealth in, Mirzos will go a bit behind everyone else since he’s not very quiet. Or subtle. XD

The sunlight which reflects on the ice within the cavern creates bright light in this room.

The group leans around the corner to inspect the creature sitting in front of them. Nhorri attempts to sneak closer, hugging the northern wall of the room. She accidently kicks a piece of ice on the floor which slides further into the room. The creature raises it's head to check what caused the noise.
Crit. fail on stealth check, please tell me if you want to use a hero point for Nhorri.

Mirzos is able to identify the creature as a Tatzelwyrm. The blue and white scales make a natural camouflage in this region of the world. The medium sized creature is already in it's adult size. Mirzos, pleas ask your question.

Mirzos does his best to not start tearing up as the shock of the letdown hits him. Maybe… maybe this creature does something like a dragon at least? he hopes hopelessly to himself.

Question could be "What is its most dragon-like feature or ability?", but that’s not super clear given the sheer variety of dragons (especially nowadays). An alternative question could be "What is its best-known feature?"