We may have lost the wizard. I'll bot him as keeping his head down unless things look bad for the party, as the whole point of the exercise is to let the bandits get away with the false scepter. Incidentally, I'm going to assume that you actually put the scepter in the other wagon, to make it easier for the bandits to grab.
Watch schedule is 1) Galandir/Dwalin 2) Xuan/Stregone 3) Zuheilen/Kimmlo.
Apropos of nothing, I work with someone named Xuan. She doesn't look much like an oread, though.
During the evening meal the party gains some good information from the merchants regarding the roads ahead. After dinner, when everyone is settling down it soon becomes apparent that the merchants, too, are keeping watches.
The first watch passes uneventfully, and the second pair takes over. Xuan is sitting by a wagon, looking very much like a boulder, and occasionally walking around. Stregone is laying on top of his bedroll looking very like he's asleep, but the monk can tell from his breathing that he's awake.
About an hour after midnight, one of the merchants shouts something in Vudrani. At the same time, four arrows fly out of the night and strike the oread for 20 HP.
One more arrow hits Xuan for 4 HP, while the remaining three bandits rush up and start to rifle through the northernmost wagon. Sounds of combat can be heard from the direction where the merchants were camped.
Stregone shoves Kimlo and Dwalin, who automatically wake up and can act this round.
Xuan, Kimlo, and Dwalin are up! Galandir and Zuheilen can roll DC 10 Perception checks to wake up.
Female Half-elf medium NG Cleric 3 of Sarenrae| hp27/27|AC17, tch10,FF17|Init 0, Perp+6|Spell Used:| Conditions:|
perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Zuheilen wakes up and, blinking to clear her eyes, sees to her right that Xuan needs help. She will crawl over five feet and cast cure moderate wounds heal:2d8 + 3 ⇒ (8, 5) + 3 = 16
One of the bandits rifling through the wagon shouts something in Vudrani. In response, all four of the ones facing the party disengage and flee into the night, two of them carrying bundles from the wagon.
NG Male Dwarf Fighter 3| 20' speed|init+2, Perc +0,| 60' darkvision|37/37 HP|AC21, T12, FF19|Fort+6, Ref+3, Will+1, +1 bravery|
Kimlo runs after the bandits. He tries to remember anything he can about the bandits' dress, or weaponry, or scars. He will chase until it is obvious they are faster and getting away. Only 20ft movement speed.
Returning to camp he asks of the group, "Anyone check to see what they took?"
He checks with Galandir that he still has the special wayfinder, but does not saying anything else.
"Galandir, you got it still?" "We need to figure out our next move.""Do we go after them tonight or wait and start in the morning?"
Between them, the merchants brought down two of the bandits that attacked their camp. One of the merchants is wounded and unconscious, but one of the others bandaged him up. All four of them are wearing chain shirts under their colorful tunics, and all were armed with identical shortswords. Their leader approaches the party with a frown. "You let them get away with--whatever it was that they took. Were you that outmatched?"
M Half-Elf CORE Ftr1/Rog2 | HP 26/26 | AC 19 (T13, FF 16, CMD 18) | F +4 R +6 W +3 | Mv 30' | Per +12 (+13 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +3
Galandir makes a show of giving chase, but does not run ahead of his many slower companions (an Oread and two dwarves).
DM Carbide wrote:
Their leader approaches the party with a frown. "You let them get away with--whatever it was that they took. Were you that outmatched?"
Galandir shrugs and doesn't even act defensive or make the excuse about having been asleep. This merchant's opinion just matters so little to him that all he says is "Yep."
Did I have the special Wayfinder? Happy to be the one carrying it.
NG Male Dwarf Fighter 3| 20' speed|init+2, Perc +0,| 60' darkvision|37/37 HP|AC21, T12, FF19|Fort+6, Ref+3, Will+1, +1 bravery|
Are there others in our caravan who could stay with the wagons while we hunt down the bandits? It would look strange if we just left hundreds of gold pieces of valuable cargo to chase a ghost group of bandits.
"Well, yes, I guess we were outmatched. But I still think we have to hunt them down. How long is your group staying here? It would help us decide our next course of action."
What to do with the wagons??? Anyone know? I want to abandon them with any drivers and porters and hunt bandits. But it would be silly if these merchants turn out to be in league with the bandits and just report we are coming. Any thoughts? We could sell them to these other merchants if we think they are honest.
Your earlier Diplomacy successes got them to Helpful.
The apparent merchant leader smiles. "I am sure that the people who hired you would want what's left of their wares seen safely to their destination while you recover what was taken. As for us, we need to return to Niswan--some of our goods were damaged in the battle, and there will doubtless be a reward for these two captives."
I'll assume that you rest the remainder of the night and set out the next morning. Stregone stays behind with the wagons, unless the player reappears soon.
The wayfinder leads the party along a hidden game path that provides some cover. Through the trees you catch occasional glimpses of a rough hill with a ruined building atop it. The building is surrounded by an outer wall that's partially collapsed in places.
DC 15 Perception check:
There are people at the corners of the outer wall, keeping low and trying to stay out of sight.
M Half-Elf CORE Ftr1/Rog2 | HP 26/26 | AC 19 (T13, FF 16, CMD 18) | F +4 R +6 W +3 | Mv 30' | Per +12 (+13 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +3
Galandir takes a look.
Perception:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27 "I see them too.
I suggest we approach openly and try negotiation. If we want Zamir to work for the Society, it may be go better if we do not kill or maim his people.
Zuheilen, are you prepared to be our primary negotiator?"
Since we're getting close to the end of the event, I'll bot the initial attempt at Diplomacy.
Zuheilen steps into sight and makes her pitch to talk. Most of the rest of the party trips over their own tongues trying to help her tip the balance, but one of you manages to say something helpful. The four archers lower their bows. Slightly.
You’ve moved them from Hostile to Unfriendly. What now?
NG Male Dwarf Fighter 3| 20' speed|init+2, Perc +0,| 60' darkvision|37/37 HP|AC21, T12, FF19|Fort+6, Ref+3, Will+1, +1 bravery|
Thanks for the bot. "Well, we can chop down a tree and batter in the front door. Or we can attack with ladders and hope they have bad aim. I don't think we were ever going to talk our way in."
Kimlo kicks a rock away absently as he thinks. "We could at least wait for nightfall. Do weretigers see in the dark like us?" "If they don't we could attack with cover.
Kimlo thinks some more. "Could we bribe our way in?" "We got a wagon full of fake stuff." "We could offer a gift to talk to the big boss."
M Half-Elf CORE Ftr1/Rog2 | HP 26/26 | AC 19 (T13, FF 16, CMD 18) | F +4 R +6 W +3 | Mv 30' | Per +12 (+13 vs traps), low-light vision | Init +3
"We can try to offer a bribe. I have gold and am willing to spend it so that the Society may succeed at its mission. As well, we have the wagon as you noted, Kimlo."
Galandir will offer up to 100 gp of his own to contribute to a bribe.
"What should we say? That we are representatives of the Pathfinder Society and seek an audience with Zamir, that we might offer him a more profitable relationship than he has with the Consortium? That as a sign of good faith, we have left Waman alive?"
NG Male Dwarf Fighter 3| 20' speed|init+2, Perc +0,| 60' darkvision|37/37 HP|AC21, T12, FF19|Fort+6, Ref+3, Will+1, +1 bravery|
"Let's enter through the West entrance." Kimlo whispers to the group.
Kimlo slips Galandir 20 gold for his portion of the bride.
"Hopefully we will get more than this from our boss for a successful mission."
Kimlo peers in through the west and sees an open courtyard paved with flagstones and relatively free of debris. Statues ring the central open area, each depicting a tiger-headed man in a martial arts stance. Behind the statues are four sets of stairs. The stairs to the north descend into darkness, and the stairs on the south side once led upward, but have collapsed in a heap.
DC 10 Perception if you look through the entrance:
Two of the statues are humans in tiger masks, standing extremely still.
Male Oread Monk 3 (HP -3/21) (AC 20/16/14) (CMD 22) (Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +6) (Init +8) (Perception +9)
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14.
Xuan easily recognises that two of the 'statues' are really people wearing costumes, and informs the rest of the party, bowing politely to the 'statues'.
