[PaizoCon] Zero's 5-17: Stranded on Yesterday's Tide (Inactive)

Game Master Super Zero

A brisk wind cuts across the deck of the Grinning Pixie, the impressive, three-masted carrack that serves as one of the Pathfinder Society’s most famous mobile lodges. Venture-Captain Eras the Needle, a half-elven man who looks as much a scholar as a sailor, greets the agents assembled on the ship’s sterncastle with a calm smile. Beside him stands Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry, a half orc woman equally dressed in the outfit of a seasoned captain. She’s tapping her foot impatiently and seems about to start the briefing herself when Eras clears his throat.

“Welcome aboard Pathfinders,” Eras begins.

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

Feel free to dot in.

Dot

"D'ye believe in ghost stories?" a skeleton that clearly used to be a dwarf (based on the stocky build and wispy beard that still clings to the jawbone) sneers as he approaches the Pathfinders. "Because this be one!"

After a beat, a chuckle escapes where his lips would have been. "Just kidding. My name is Bláinn, and this is my companion, Bob. I'm sure things will be great between us as long as everyone minds the fact that vitality magic is a skosh uncomfortable for me and Bob. I've got some of my own healing if need be."

What appears to be a vaguely humanoid pile of purple goo follows the skeleton across the deck. A few deep pits near the top which might correspond to eyes and a face take in their new companions, wondering idly if it will be allowed to eat any of them this time.

If you've seen The Owl House you know what you're looking at.

A stern older woman in chainmail strides onto the deck, nodding in acknowledgement to Eras's welcome. Her skin is dark, but her eyes are a curious swirling gray. She sets down her pack and stands at attention, hand on the hilt of her sword, waiting to hear what the captains have to say.

A happy-go-lucky gnome steps on deck, looking curiously at the gathered Pathfinders. In one hand he carries what appears to be a metallic cylinder. Absently he unscrews the top and takes a pull on the flask. He closes his eyes and his face takes on what you could only describe as euphoria.

"Oh hullo all! I'm Gnimishmeijinomu, but you may just call me Gnimish. If you're from Absalom you should be familiar with my coffee stand near Dacilane Academy. I'm trying to recreate that lovely brew that my longtime friend Symeon created while we were adventuring together. Would you like a sip?"

He unscrews the flask and holds it out to you. From within, you smell coffee and some sort of liquor...

The "brew" is really coffee and Bailey's Irish Cream. Gnimish is the second PFS character I created in 2021 when I first started playing. I almost never play pure casters but thought I'd take him for a walk :)

"Ahoy! I be Schek Nek, a name ye'll ne'er forget. Just call me Schek!" A green-tinged kobold strides forth, boasting mightily as he introduces himself.

He then attempts to climb the mast and gaze out over the vast sea. "Good weather, I see," he declares. Swiftly, he descends and stands tall, straightening his presence before the others.

“Welcome aboard Pathfinders,” Eras begins. “Several months ago, we received reports of a ghost ship sailing these waters. We made plans to investigate and, in the weeks since, my crew and I have confirmed that something strange is going on. Every seven days, the ship disappears from its current location, only to reappear where it was sighted seven days previously. In the intervening time, it takes no set course; rather, it appears to drift upon the currents. Strange tidings indeed, and the reason why we want you to investigate this ‘ghost ship’ further.”[/b]

At this point, Calisro, whose impatient foot-tapping has continued unabated, interrupts. “'Ghost ship' might be something of a misnomer. We’ve confirmed that there are living souls aboard, or at least souls who appear to be living. The crew isn’t in distress—they hardly acknowledge our approach, in fact—but they don’t seem bothered that they’re adrift either.” Catching herself, Calisro hands the briefing back to Eras. “Apologies, Captain. Please continue.” She lets out a small sigh, barely audible.

Eras nods patiently, though his brow shows a slight furrow at the interruption. [b]“Ghost ship or not, we’d like you to board this vessel and find out what is going on. We have no reason to think the ship or its crew is up to any trouble, but we’d like to determine the cause of this strange teleportation. And if you can find a way to stop the anomaly, all the better.”

Calisro breaks in again, “If doing so won’t harm the crew, of course! I’m more concerned with the well-being of those aboard than I am whatever with whatever’s causing this weirdness. Make contact with the sailors and, assuming you don’t meet resistance, render any help they need.” She pauses again. “That is, if you agree Captain.”

Eras taps fingers along the Pixie’s rail, a subtle yet unmistakable sign he’s losing patience with Calisro. But he nods curtly. “Indeed,” he says. “Any questions?”

Images of the Venture-Captains added to the Slides.
Anyone who wants to see if they might know something useful, please post your Society or Sailing Lore bonuses.

What do we know about the ship?
asks a small bright orange grippli who has just appeared on deck. He has a wide mouth, no neck and a strong looking torso. His voice is deep and resonant, inconsistent with his size, but perhaps appropriate for his gullet.

Anyone get close enough to see the name? What her size? Any idea of what harbor
she may have come from or flags she flies? He continues.

Then leaning over to the gnome he quietly asks Gnimish was it? I'd love to try your beverage, always on the lookout for new flavors At which point you realize that he smells, not unpleasantly, of cooking oil and garlic and that the shield which at the moment covers his entire back might in fact be a large wok.

Bláinn waves off Gnimish's offer of coffee. "That stuff goes right through me." He then listens to the briefing.

"Sending a skeleton to investigate a ghost ship? Clever, captains. Can we tell anything unusual about those already on board, other than their strange sailing patterns?"

Tenimba stays focused on the briefing. "Do you have any hypotheses yet about the cause of the teleportation? And what are the crew doing when you approach?"

Schek has Sailing Lore (T) +4.

Disappearing and reappearing, you say? Aye, that's a rare and curious indeed, isn't it?! Not the kind of cool that makes you shiver, but the kind that chills the blood. Should we haul them out of their vessel, even if they're not in peril? Aye, but only after we've unraveled the mystery of what ails their ship!"

"Oh for sure! This is a concoction my friend Symeon and I developed. It's coffee with something I call Bay-lees. A really creamy treat, if I do say so myself!"

Gnimish offers Ceratophrys the flask. The drink is warming and creamy If you've ever had coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream, it's how it would taste like :).

Ceratophys's takes a careful sip, letting the flavors play across his pallet.
His pupils dilate a bit as he exclaims, That is quite good! You know I bet it would also be good cold.

Eras nods. “We believe the ship to be a merchant vessel called the Yesterday’s Tide, a fitting name considering the current strangeness. The Tide disappeared from these waters several years ago, but we haven’t had time or resources to gather more intelligence than that. Perhaps you know more?”

Schek knows that Yesterday’s Tide was a merchant ship that went missing in 4719 ar. Efforts to locate the Tide were half-hearted at best, as its disappearance coincided with the sudden return of the city of Xin-Edasseril. At the time, many believed the two events were somehow connected.

Eras glances at Calisro. “Some powerful magic is clearly involved, and if the Pixie or its crew become caught up in it, we could’ve beeen as lost to history as they are now. But the sailors aboard the Tide don’t seem to be in immediate danger, giving us time to call you in.”

“We’ve studied the Tide’s course well enough to know approximately where it should be," Calisro says, "We’ll bring the Pixie alongside the vessel and deploy grappling hooks. Our people will remain here should anyone try to board, but once affixed we’ll drop anchor to keep both ships in place.” She slaps the Pixie’s rail: “The old girl should handle the job."

"It'll be a few hours before we reach her, so take that time to do whatever preparations you need."

Tenimba leafs through a notebook and mutters to herself, then sits where she can watch the sea as the ship approaches its target.

"Now that makes sense," Schek admits after sharing what he knows.

Schek positions himself strategically on the ship, ensuring he has a clear view of the horizon. As they approach the Yesterday's Tide, his eyes scan the waters with unwavering focus. He adjusts his stance slightly, ready for any sudden movements or changes in their surroundings.

For a couple of the hours before reaching the Tide, Ceratophrys goes below deck in search of the cook. He is hoping to swap recipes and perhaps get ideas for a Grinning Pixie themed dish for his food cart side business back in Absalom.
He intends to get above deck before the Tide is sighted.

Bláinn has little to do other than make sure his allies know where his oils of unlife are stored in case he needs help.

Kaya looks strangely at Blainn's oils of unlife, and then figures it out that is only sounds logical.

As Yesterday’s Tide comes into view, the Pathfinders confirm that the ship drifts on the waves without direction, despite there being an active crew on deck. The boarding of the Tide proceeds as Calisro proposed.

The crew of the Yesterday’s Tide seem as uninterested in the Pixie’s arrival as they are about their duties. Most of the sailors give only a brief glance before heading belowdeck or returning to staring out at the sea. At the ship’s waist, a group of rough-looking sailors have gathered for a card game, while a dwarf—the ship’s cook, judging from her apron—tosses a fishing line from the aftcastle. Meanwhile, a lone goblin sits atop a messy coil of rigging, staring at you with curiosity as he munches on a herring.

Images added

Can Ceratophyrs do a +5 secret perception to sense motive? He wants to verify that folks on the Tide are actually looking at and not just through us. Also any other insight into why they might seem so nonplussed

Tenimba looks over the crew, baffled at their lack of reaction to the appearance of such an odd group of strangers. Then she notices the goblin watching them. "Hello, there!" she calls to him. "We saw your ship was drifting. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Tenimba keeps her hand on the hilt of her sword and watches the goblin carefully.

"Oi, you lot!" Schek calls out, his voice cutting through the murmur of the card game. "Where exactly are you headed, sailing like this without a care in the world?" he inquires those sailors who are playing cards.

"And what ye playin' be?"

The crew are certainly aware of the Grinning Pixie, and of the Pathfinders now boarding. They're just entirely unconcerned. They don't look like they think it matters.

The goblin waves at Tenimba, but makes no effort to approach her. "Hello, I'm Pog. No, we're good! There's nothing you can do anyway." He returns to his snack.

If Pog doesn't seem particularly forthcoming with information, he's nothing compared to the crew members playing cards. "Same as always," says one without looking up. Another just stares, a third smirks and returns to her cards.
"Take it up with the captain," grumbles the human who seems to be the leader of the group.

Whatever's going on, it might take a little more effort to get them talking... though they make no effort to stop the Pathfinders from looking around.

You'll have several rounds to Influence the key NPCs. A round of Influence represents about a half an hour spent mostly trying to learn about or influence an NPC.

The Influence system has two main actions. You can Discover to try to learn about how best to win them over, or you can try to, well, Influence them. During each round you can each choose one of these actions.

Influence checks you can roll openly. Diplomacy is, of course, always an option, though other skills may relate to a character better and therefore be easier.
Discovery calls for secret checks. You can learn your choice of: which Influence skill has the lowest DC, a Resistance which indicates a bad approach, or a Weakness which indicates a good approach.
You can always try something other than the listed skills, though it may be harder.

Troyus, Surly Shiphand
Discovery skills: Sailing Lore, Perception, or Society
Influence (in alphabetical order): Deception, Diplomacy, Gambling Lore (to teach the sailors a new card game), Intimidation, or Sailing Lore

Marda Bonehook, Frustrated Cook
Discovery skills: Cooking or Sailing Lore, Perception or Society
Influence: Cooking Lore (to help Marda cook a meal), Deception, Diplomacy, Fishing Lore (to help her catch a fish), or Intimidation

Pog, Friendly Stowaway
Discovery skills: Goblin Lore, Perception, Sailing Lore, Society
Influence: Arcana (to befriend Pog with a magic trick), Deception, Diplomacy, Nature (to befriend Pog with a magic trick), Occultism (to befriend Pog with a magic trick), or Religion (to befriend Pog with a magic trick)

Ceratophrys would like to go to the aft castle to discover what he can about Marda +4 Cooking Lore. "The crew here seems a bit downcast, are your ale stocks low? I know it can be very difficult for the cook to keep up the crew's moral on a long voyage. He is trying gently to tease out any weakness (on success) and possibly how best to influence (lowest influence DC if crit success) her to talk to us

Tenimba tries to keep the goblin talking. "Are you sure? Tell me how you come to be here-- yourself, or the ship. What have you tried to do?" +5 Perception, looking for weakness

"How could I possibly run out of staples?" Marda asks Ceratophrys somewhat incredulously, "No, that's the problem. I need to find some ingredients that I don't already have. The captain isn't well. I need to make something for him that's different, something I don't make every week..."

Marda is worried about Captain Fidero’s health, particularly his refusal to take regular meals. If the PCs offer to deliver food to Fidero, decrease all following checks’ DCs by 2. The first successful check to help Marda prepare a meal for the crew automatically increases her Influence level.

"Oh, I haven't tried anything! I love it here. I've had so much time to make so many friends! I was a stowaway, but after all this time everybody on the crew loves me. I've never had so many friends. I'd stay like this forever. And my friends are... Pog's voice falters as he looks over at the grumbling mate, "...they're. They're fine."

Pog is loyal to the many friends he’s made aboard the Tide. Reminding Pog that the sailors might not find the anomaly as enjoyable as he does decreases the checks’ DC by 2.

Schek, Kaya, Bláinn, and Gnimish's turns.

Bláinn looks over the card game. "I'm normally more partial to rolling the bones, but I've played a had or two of cards in my day. Mind if I join for a hand or two?"

Deception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

It's much harder for opponents to find a tell when a player doesn't blink or twitch his lips or something like that.

Kaya will perform a magic trick on Pog. I call it the card disappearing act. arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

The human rolls his eyes, but grudgingly deals an extra hand. He introduces himself as Troyus, the ship's chief mate. The other sailors seem to follow his lead.

Over a few hands, Troyus doesn't seem to like Bláinn any better but he's certainly more impressed that he's interesting to play against--more interested in that, apparently, then the fact that he's a talking skeleton.

They don't even acknowledge the "bones" pun!

A success, earning 1 Influence Point with Troyus.

"That's amazing!" Pog nearly drops his fish. He seems much more interested in seeing more of the Pathfinders.

A critical success earns 2 Influence Points.

Status:
Marda: Weaknesses known (taking food to captain, helping her cook)
Pog: 2 Influence Points, Weakness known (reminding him friends are unhappy with situation)
Troyus: 1 Influence Point
Captain: ???
Scek and Gnimish's turns.

Schek spends some time looking around the ship to see what is the matter on the ship itself before he tries to talk to the captain.

Sailing Lore +4 to Discover

Gnimish attempts to befriend Pog with a magic trick. He causes water to blast from the sea from multiple locations. (Multiple castings of Spout).

Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

None of the crew make any effort to stop Schek from exploring the ship. Nothing seems amiss other than the crew.
He quickly finds the officers' quarters, including the captain's room. Where he finds the captain, lying in bed.

Captain Fidero, it transpires, is a gnome--though not so vibrant as most of the gnomes Schek has seen before. His hair has turned grey. As has his skin. He wears a threadbare nightshirt, although he still clutches his iconic feathered tricorn hat. He pushes his head up with great effort and looks vaguely towards Shek as he enters.

Failure! Though his Discovery checks are Nature (to recall details about the Bleaching), Perception or Society, and Sailing Lore. Influence (i alphabetical order) are Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Performance (to inspire Fidero with a song or story).

Pog seems unimpressed. "I can do that, too." He tosses a copper piece into the water, causing a small splash.

I've spread out the NPCs to separate Slides so there's more room for more information. Or was it better when they were all on the same page?

Round 2: All PCs' turns.
Status:
Marda: Weaknesses known (taking food to captain, helping her cook)
Pog: 2 Influence Points, Weakness known (reminding him friends are unhappy with situation)
Troyus: 1 Influence Point
Captain Fidero:

Schek reveals himself by approaching the captain with a slow, deliberate stride. He does not talk but gives the gnome captain a glare that might intimidate him. He bares his pointed teeth to frighten the captain, the sharp canines glistening menacingly. A low, guttural growl rumbles from Schek's throat, amplifying the tension in the air. He then waits for the captain's reaction.
Intimidation to Influence the Captain: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 w Intimidating Glare

Meanwhile on another part of the ship, Ceratophrys is talking with Marda about food from across the Mwangi Expanse and Vidrian in particular. "You see I run a little food cart in Absalom called 'Taste of Vidrian.'" He says as he spreads his hands out envisioning his sign and how clever he thinks the name is.
Continuing, he says "I often combine ideas from all over the world when I create a new dish. Let's see what we can come up with and I will bring it to the captain to try when we are done."
When they are in the gally, Ceratophrys takes out some spices from among his cooking utensils and unshoulders his shield. "A well seasoned pan brings a new experience to every meal" he says as converts the shield to a wok and starts adding ingredients. Alternatingly producing water, steam, and fire with his hands to prepare the meal.
Cooking Lore +4 with an additional +1 circumstance bonus to prepare food (Seasoned)

Bláinn will pop into the captain's cabin and see what he can learn.

Perception +5

Gnimish joins Schek and approaches the captain. He attempts to cheer the man up with some comedy.

Performance, Comedy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Performance, Comedy, HP: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Gnimish grins as Captain Fidero roars with laughter.

"Now, what have we here?" Tenimba asks, approaching the card game. "Do you not have a ship to sail?"

+5 Perception to look for Troyus's weakness.

Approaches Troyus So you are a sailor, tell me some good sailor stories back in the day. diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

As Ceratophrys and Marda are working, the cook rambles a bit hysterically. She explains that the ship is caught in some kind of time loop. It's not teleporting back every seven days--the entire ship and her crew are resetting to their exact physical location and condition at the start of the same week, which they've been reliving for years. Her stores can't run out, because they're always set back. Injuries and even deaths disappear, but their memories of the repeated weeks persist. The crew no longer bothers to sail, because the ship can't reach her destination in only one week (they've tried), and it doesn't matter what happens at sea or even if the ship sinks (they've tried). Most are resigned to an eternity of this and have given up on any hope of escape--though Pog, originally a stowaway that nobody else even knew was there at the start of the week, has gotten to know everyone and seems to be enjoying perpetual life at sea with unlimited pickled herring. "Nothing matters. Nothing changes. And the captain is a gnome, so that's especially bad for him. At first the whole thing was a novelty, but once that wore off... he hasn't completely bleached, because he was physically fine at the start of the week. But it's happening so fast now, because the physical changes only happen over a week at a time, but mentally it's been happening to him for years.

"You should stay for a meal. I'm running out of mouths to feed!. We're short-handed, which doesn't make any sense. We have too much food and empty hammocks in the crew quarters. We have enough crew to sail, if anybody was bothering, but it's tight. We didn't set out like this, but nobody seems to be missing. We don't even have a proper first mate, though Troyus has kind of taken it on. We must have had one, but none of us can even remember them! I think..." Marda hesitates, "I don't want to speak ill of anyone, but... we have one passenger, Arjol Parkit. I don't know why, but I think he has something to do with the disappearances. He stays in his cabin below decks and doesn't interact much with the crew. Hasn't for months--or however you measure time when it's the same weak over'n'over.

"Here, take this." Marda hands Ceratophyrs an ivory-handled soup ladle. "It'll just reappear in my galley at the start of the week anyway. And I have plenty of less fancy ones."
Influence isn't a secret check, so you can just roll it. Cooking Lore: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14. Success. That weakness takes you right to one of her Influence Thresholds, so effectively 5 points.

"Ha," says the captain blandly, "Ha. Ha."
It seems to be working! But it's difficult for Bláinn to get a read.
Two points.

"Sure, sure," he says to Kaya. His story is meandering and dreadfully dull, but the act of telling it seems to perk him up a bit.
One Influence Point.

"Take it up with the captain," Troyus says dully. But then "It doesn't matter anyway. Nothing matters, so nothing needs to be done."
Tenimba realizes that he's bored, giving up on work that doesn't seem to matter. Giving him a task might help.
Troyus's weakness is boredom. Giving him a job to do as part of an Influence check reduces the DC.

Round 3: All PCs' turns.
Status:
Marda: 5 Influence Points
Pog: 2 Influence Points, Weakness known (reminding him friends are unhappy with situation)
Troyus: 2 Influence Point, Weakness known (setting him a task)
Captain Fidero: 1 Influence Point

"I think there is something that needs doing," Tenimba says sharply. "Does this ship have a cargo manifest? A register of crew? Logs? Fetch those, and let's see what's happened, and what's missing-- or what's present and can't be explained."

Intimidation to influence Troyus: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Kaya Goes back over to Pog arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20 I understand what is going on and what will and will not work, anonomoly's are weird. Your friends will be bored with it or not care. And goes on to explain will creating a small space-time anomoly himself.

Schek observes the captain, searching for any sign of weakness. He seems amused by Gnimish's performance. Perhaps he enjoys comedy? Schek wants to suggest that Gnimish talk to the captain, considering his pale appearance, but he stays silent.
Sailing Lore +4 to Discover the Captain's Weakness (and Resistance if Crit Success)

Gnimish appears worried that the Captain didn't really take well to his jokes. He tries to find what makes him tick.

Perception +6

What kind of information is Gnimish trying to learn--resistance, weakness, or easiest skills to use?

"What difference does it make?" Troyus grumbles. But he does, finally, get up from the table as he goes to fetch the records.
Success

"I don't understand that at all!" says Pog with delight.
Success

Captain Fidero's bleaching is a pretty advanced case, especially since it's technically only been a few days. But the fact that his physical condition has been reset offers an opportunity--curing the bleaching is well beyond what the Pathfinders can do, but if they can treat his physical symptoms...
Weakness: Instead of an Influence check, treat him with Medicine.

Round 3: Bláinn and Ceratophrys's turns.
Status:
Marda: 5 Influence Points
Pog: 3 Influence Points, Weakness known (reminding him friends are unhappy with situation)
Troyus: 3 Influence Point, Weakness known (setting him a task)
Captain Fidero: 1 Influence Point, Weakness known (treat with Medicine instead of making an Influence check)

I was briefly very excited until I realized that I don't have my dentist character in this game.

The skeleton tries to convince Pog that they could make more new friends (which the crew would certainly like more than this loop) if they could actually get to their destination.

Deception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Easiest skill. By treating with medicine do you mean a treat wounds rolls?

Gnimish attempts to treat the Captain.

Nature(E): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Natural Medicine allows Nature in lieu of Medicine for Treat Wounds

EDIT - You can hold my roll in case nobody else tries next turn.

"Well, I guess..." Pog looks a little sad for a bit, then perks up again. "I hope you don't end up like the others," he says sincerely, "Here, you can have my treasure!"
He gives Bláinn an intricately carved statuette of a merfolk with a goblin torso. "I've had a lot of time to practice."

"Parkit..." says the captain as Gnimish works, "Parkit is the one..." He collapses back to his bed. But when Gnimish is done he perks up a little. Fidero explains the situation aboard the Tide and shares his suspicion that Arjol Parkit is connected to the troubles aboard. With help, Fidero can leave his cabin and assist the Pathfinders as they direct the crew.
He also gives Gnimish his hat.

Round 3: Ceratophrys's turn.
Status:
Marda: 5 Influence Points
Pog: 3 Influence Points, Weakness known (reminding him friends are unhappy with situation)
Troyus: 3 Influence Point, Weakness known (setting him a task)
Captain Fidero: 7 Influence Points

"Pog is it," says Ceratophrys "Do you know anything of this Arjol Parkit and his goings on here? Something tells me that you might have heard something while you were still a 'hidden passenger' as it were he continues taking care to not suggest that Pog has done anything wrong.
"It is a clever person who can keep hidden aboard a ship and one who knows how to survive. I am certain you can see that your new friends are less than pleased with being stuck here, and I am sure any information or assistance you could offer would greatly cheer them"
Ceratophrys is attempting to appeal to Pog's vanity in his stealth as well as his will to survive and hoping he may have overheard something of use.
If you will allow me I would use my +6 stealth or +5 survival for this roll. If not then use my +0 diplomacy insteadStealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17