[PF2 / GMGlyn] CotKK - Falcon Hollow

Game Master GHembree

Squall cocks his head alertly, and starts scanning the area as he quietly pulls out his bow. "Something's here," he murmurs.

◆ Interact to draw, ◆ Seek twice (different directions) [technically secret rolls, otherwise I'd include them].

Munrisk will pull out their bow as well, notching an arrow on the string to prepare to shoot something hostile the second it shows itself.

"I feel it too... Do you have any idea what it could be?" They whisper back, their silver eyes flicking from tree to tree.

◆Interact to draw, ◆◆Ready to attack. Since I was doing the Investigate action, would I get my free Recall Knowledge when the undetected creature shows itself? /genq

"I sense it too. Allow me a moment to expand my senses." Drake gently taps his staff on the ground sending out a pulse of energy to sense any magic in immediate area.

◆◆Detect Magic (30 ft. emanation, ignoring any items his companions have)

Alert to danger Squall draws his bow out and looks for where the threat is as he tells the others.

Munrisk also draws his bow and readies to shoot any hostiles.

(Not drakes turn yet.)

Four tiny four-winged reddish-brown creatures descend from the trees above you.
(Munrisk may take a readied shot at one before they attack.)

Blue flies to Munrisk trying to attach to the kobold, but fails to gain a grip twice.

The green one targets Squall missing once then attaching. It uses its proboscis to suck blood from the Tangu (-1 hitpoints & Drained 1)

Purple ties to land on Marguerite missing the first time but attaching on the second try. It hasn’t started to feed yet.

Black one also targets Munrisk attaching on the first attempt and manages to suck blood from the kobold (-3 hit points, drained 1)

Everyone can take actions. Munrisk also has the readied attack reaction to take.

* Squall AC18 (17-1= 16/17hp) (drained 1)
* Munrisk AC17 (17-3= 14/17hp) (Has a readied attack action) - (drained 1 after readied action)
weird Purple bat (0= 0hp) (off-guard, attached to Marguerite)
weird Green bat (0= 0hp) (off-guard, attached to Squall, +1 temp HP.)
weird blue bat (0= 0hp)
weird Black bat (0= 0hp) (off-guard, attached to Munrisk, +3 temp HP)
Round 1 B
* Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
* R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
* Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
* Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

"Ack! Get off me! Fly away from me"

Unbeknowst to her, she has cast Command on the Purple bat. It must make a Will Save DC 17 or flee for one action (3 actions if Crit fail).

Then, she will get out her dagger.

The ysoki draws his hand crossbow◆, loads it◆, and shoots in the general direction of the blue bat◆.

Hand crossbow attack, T: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Seeing the creatures fly from the trees, Drake readies his defenses and then points at the creature attacking Marguerite and snaps his fingers. A flash of blue fire streaks toward the creature, hopefully immolating it!

◆Shield (AC 16)
◆◆Ignition; Fire Damage: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 182d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4

Munrisk will unleash an arrow into the blue creature as soon as it comes into view, grimacing a little.

Bow Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Bow Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Squall focuses his attention on the creature attached to him, then tries to pay it back in kind with a couple quick stabs from his beak.

◆ Hunt Prey on Green
◆beak: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24, damage (P): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
◆beak, flurry MAP: 1d20 + 7 - 3 ⇒ (12) + 7 - 3 = 16, damage (P): 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

If he somehow kills Green with his first attack, his third action will be a Stride to the square south of Munrisk, where he can reach all three remaining "bats" and flank two of them.

@Munrisk: You also get your next turn now, in addition to your readied action.

Munrisk readied bow catches the weird blue bat with an arrow in mid-flight killing it before it could attack.

Marguerite commands the weird purple bat to flee from her as she pulls out a dagger. The creature pays her no mind being unable to understand spoken language. (Command has the Linguistic trait. It is language dependent.)

The ysoki R!Kktik draws his hand crossbow loads and shoots at the black bat but misses.

Drake creates a magic shield and then sends a flash of fire that hits the purple one, leaving a nasty burn and the scorched smell of weird purple.

Squall hunts the weird green one striking it twice with his flurry of beak attacks easily killing it. Then moves to the south.

Munrisk and Djalamora can still take actions.

Round 2 A
Squall AC18 (17-1= 16/17hp) (drained 1)
* Munrisk AC17 (17-3= 14/17hp) (drained 1)
weird Purple bat (-4= -4hp) (off-guard, attached to Marguerite)
weird Green bat (-10-8= -18hp) (dead)
weird blue bat (-6= -6hp) (dead)
weird Black bat (0= 0hp) (off-guard, attached to Munrisk, +3 temp HP)
Round 1 B
* Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp) (shied+1 1r)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Djala has reach and retributive strike. She would try to smack the one on Munrisk as it comes down. Munrisk will get resistance 3 on creature's damage.

Djala swings her glaive at the winged beastie that tries to attach itself to the kobold (black).

RS glaive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 for slashing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 plus deadly, if relevant: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Assuming it doesn't die from that, on her turn The elf swings at it again...

RS glaive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 for slashing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11 plus deadly, if relevant: 1d8 ⇒ 1

...then swipes at the one attached to Marguerite.

RS glaive, forceful: 1d20 + 7 - 5 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 - 5 + 1 = 18 for slashing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus deadly, if relevant: 1d8 ⇒ 3

She then casts Shield on herself in case there are more waiting.

↺ Retributive Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Cast a Spell (Shield)

Djala retributive strike on the Weird black bat as it sucks blood from Munrisk protected them from taking damage and getting drained, but was not enough to kill it.

Djala dispatches the black creature with one hit from her Glaive and then dispatches the last weird bat with a second swing of her Glaive neatly cutting it off of Marguerite.

Combat is over.

With the combat over, both R!Kktik and Squall recognize these creatures as Bloodseekers a Scourge to adventures and commoners alike. Munrisk thinks they are a cross between vampire bats and bloodseekers. These stirges don’t seem to have eaten recently hence their willingness to attack your group. Hopefully, Barlus avoided this fate.

Throughout the chaotic battle, Squall is the only one injured on your team. The Bloodseekers don’t have any treasure.

Round 2 A
Squall AC18 (16/17hp) (drained 1)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
weird Purple bat (-4-7= -11hp) (dead)
weird Green bat (-10= -10hp) (dead)
weird blue bat (-6= -6hp) (dead)
weird Black bat (-5-11= -16hp) (dead)
Round 1 B
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Djala breathes a sigh of relief as she cuts down the last one. She casts Lay on Hands on Squall, then takes 10 minutes to refocus.

I forgot I had 2 focus points, so I rewrote this to be healing.

Munrisk nudges the corpse of one of the stirges with their boot, grimacing again.

"Nasty little things.. At least they were easy to dispatch of... Can't imagine what they could do to someone on their lonesome, we should hurry.."

"Thank you. Nice work with your glaive, too," Squall says gratefully when Djala heals him. He wasn't badly hurt, but sealing the hole in his hide makes him much more comfortable. He suggests that the party move a short distance before Djala performs her brief devotionals, in order to avoid any scavengers attracted by the bloodseekers' corpses. Once she is done, he urges the group to continue on, so that they can reach their destination before dark.

Djala uses her lay-on-hand ability to heal Squall’s wounds. Healing also removes the temporary drained condition caused by the bloodseeks.

Munrisk kicks one of the dead bloodseekers.

Squall thanks Djala and disposes of the bodies during the short break before encouraging the group to move again.

The group makes good time traveling through the trackless forest. You see the occasional signs of Dunlied (a stout breed of small-antlered deer) and Firefoot Fennec (small foxes with large ears and wispy patches of flame-colored fur around their paws).

As the sun gets low in the sky and the shadows start to lengthen in the Darkmoon woods the sounds of the forest become suddenly distant as the trees part, opening into a small, almost perfectly circular glade. The nearest stands of pine, fir, and darkwood twist away from the clearing as if bent by some impossibly strong wind or perhaps in an attempt to turn away from the clearing. At the glade’s center squats an ugly cottage, little more than a pile of twigs, shoots, and ivy stacked upon mud walls. From the thatched roof dangle bundles of gnarled roots, old animal bones, and knucklebone bangles, all clattering together like gruesome wind chimes. A dozen small thatched fetishes—each shaped like a tiny person, imp, or rearing serpent—stand propped in the yard, keeping guard before a rickety plank door. What appears to be the remains of a recent campsite sit near the northern portion of the clearing.

You don’t see anyone about.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Djala moves cautiously toward the campsite, skirting outside the fetishes where possible. She keeps her eyes open for anything moving in the area.

"Let's look around, but don't disturb anythin' we don't absolutely have to. If this place is 'hag-haunted,' I don't wanna give offense needlessly," Squall suggests quietly when the group reaches the clearing. He looks around alertly as he leads the way around the edge of the clearing to the campsite.

"I don't know about you, but if someone was sneaking around my house I'd be more suspicious than if they walked up openly and said hello. We've got some good talkers--let's try talking first."

Djala skirts along the outside of the clearing to the campsite.

Squall cautions the group not to disturb anything as he cautiously makes his way to the campsite to inspect it.

R!Kktik voices his opinion that they should openly announce themselves.

Inspecting the campsite it’s obvious that a struggle took place, and you easily notice numerous small reptilian prints and a larger swath that indicates a human-sized object was dragged away from the camp recently.

The clearing is roughly 120 feet in diameter and the circular cottage 15ft in diameter at its center seems dilapidated with a moldering door that has rotted off its hinges and now lends precariously against its frame.

There are fourteen unnerving 3-foot-tall scarecrow-like effigies propped up throughout the glade.
Drake doesn’t detect magic from any of the effigies within range of his spell.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Society check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Tik looks at the tracks, looks back at Munrisk, then back at the tracks. "Hey. These look like one of your sibs might've made them. See for yourself."

Kobold Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 if allowed, otherwise same roll but for Society

Munrisk will glance over at the tracks, squatting down beside them for a better look. They seem a bit on edge here, occasionally glancing at the fetishes and scarecrows littered about.

Will update based on if I can use Kobold Lore or not and if it'll lower the DC

Drake stays near the group, but inspects the fetishes that the group walks near, trying to figure out if they remind him of anything needed for a specific ritual, or if they are just here to scare off visitors.

I think Arcana (+7) or Society (+7), but not sure which.

R!Kktik points out the tracks as Kobold.

Munriks agrees the tracks are Kobold. (OK to use Kobold Lore and will count it as a success.)

There was no attempt to cover the tracks or marks left dragging a body. It left a very clear trail heading to the northeast.

Drake checks the fetishes the group walks near, none of them are magical. It appears their purpose is to scare off unwanted visitors.

The shadows are growing long as the sun is setting soon.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

"This was done recently," Squall comments, studying the tracks. He glances at the sinking sun. "If the kobolds' prey is still alive, we may need to act quickly. Kobolds won't be able to travel fast dragging a human-sized body, and they're not hiding their tracks at all. That gives us a good chance to catch them."

can Squall learn any more information about how recent the tracks were made, or how many kobolds were involved?

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

"You're right, my kind tend to not have a lot of strength, depending on when this happened, they aren't far from here.." Munrisk glances towards the colorful sky then the rest of you. "Who here has problems in the dark? I would prefer to track them without light, but stumbling, blind longshanks would probably be worse."

"Also, if this is kobold territory, you better watch you step. We're quite the tricksters, to put it lightly."

Going to be doing the Track exploration activity, also going to be updating my default Exploration Activity

With nothing leaping out from the fetishes, Djala takes a few minutes to scout around the remains of the camp and the outside of the building.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Stealth (ahahaha): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (20) + 0 = 20 (of course!)

Seeing nothing of particular interest, she looks inquiringly at the group, miming knocking on the door. As long as no one says no immediately, she steps up, raps sharply, and steps back again.

"I can't see well in the dark, but I can cast light if we need it. I know it isn't ideal in the dark as it could make us a target, but if we come under attack I can light it up."

Squall is concerned that time is of the essence. If the hunter was dragged off alive, how long will the kobolds keep him that way, and what is their plan for him? The tracks are hard to read, they could have been made last night or as long as three nights ago.

Munrisk is ready to follow the tracks not hampered by the coming darkness. They can’t pinpoint the age of the tracks any better than Squall.

Drake notes that he will have trouble seeing in the dark unless he creates light.

Djala stealthy scouts around the clearing and outside the building. None of the fetish creatures move. It doesn’t look like the hut has been lived in for some time. Taking a chance she steps up to the door and raps sharply.

For a long moment, all is quite. Then with a loud THUMP! the moldy door that was leaning precariously against the frame falls flat into the hut.

Then …. nothing.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Djala blinks a few times as the door collapses, then shrugs and peers in the door.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

It's a little too dark for her to see anything inside, but it doesn't appear that anything is in there. I'm assuming that a crit fail means I see Nothing.

Abandoning her stealthy pose, she heads back to the party. "I agree that we should follow on swiftly, but we might need to wait for morning. It's been a long day and we don't know where we might be headed. However, I am concerned for Barlus's safety. He was obviously kidnapped for a purpose. What say you?" She looks at the rest of the party for a consensus.

Marguerite comes up behind Djalamora and says, "Surely we have some source of light?"

And a light appears inside the hut.

Inadvertently she cast Light

Munrisk sighs, looking between the hut and the tracks. "My concern is if we do wait, we can lose the trail due to animals, rain, or kobolds trying to cover their tracks.. It's best if we move now."

They glance at the hut when it lights up, then back of the group. "If any of you really want to stay behind, I can follow the tracks to where they lead and make marks so we can find our way again. I would prefer not to go alone, but I will if I must."

"I can see well enough in twilight. Let's go." Beats getting sh1te from the yard boss.

"I agree Munrisk, this hut isn't going anywhere so we can always come back and check it out. If we don't follow these tracks now, who knows if we would ever find out what happened here." Drake shoulders his pack and grips his staff, ready to move out.

Djala tries to peer into the dark hunt with the fading light outside. She voiced her question about continuing into the night.

Marguerite joins Djala at the hut and peeks inside with the help of some light.

Looking Inside, the cottage is dank, reeking, and filled with shadows. Haphazardly hung shelves line the walls, covered in all manner of clay jugs, clouded bottles, strangely cut rocks, rotted bunches of herbs, and a museum of other crude curios and remnants of a bone grinder’s artifice. A rusted iron cauldron, with a hinged lid built to resemble a frog’s jaws and a depth of almost 3 feet, occupies the center of the hut’s single room, its ash-covered surface shaped with a relief of capering fiends and leering devils. A high-back chair stands against the far walls across the door, made of wicker, the gigantic curved tusks of some monstrous beast, and thousands of humanoid teeth. In the chair sits what looks like a corpse wrapped in filthy burial linens, its form padded with pungent herbs and sprouting patches of thick white mold.

Munrisk believes that they need to follow the tracks even if they split the party.

R!Kktik is with Munrisk.

Drake agrees with Munrisk reasoning that the hut isn’t going anywhere.

Munrisk, R!Kktik, and Drake are preparing to follow the tracks.

For the group following the tracks I need at least one Survival check for the first hour.
If anyone is searching the hut roll a perception check.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Munrisk waits to see who will follow them before setting out to follow the tracks.

Squall also gives the others a moment to make up their minds before turning their attention to following the tracks.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Munrisk and Squall lead the way following the small kobold footprints and drag marks during the first hour. The tracks generally go west-northwest in the direction of Droskar’s Crucible.

Munrisk has no problem after the sun sets, but the rest of the group starts to have problems moving through the forest over the first hour as light fades from twilight to darkness. Your travel speed through the forest drops to a quarter of your pace due to the darkness.

While moving you see strange patches of soft yellow-green glowing light through the undergrowth a dozen yards from your trail.

The tracks lead you past a gruesome sight in the woods as you happen upon a dead tree streaked with blood to a height of 3 feet above the ground. Three dead pixies have been pinned to the tree trunk a foot off the ground by thin metal spikes. From the smell alone you determine this happened 5 or 6 days ago.

Status:
Squall AC18 (17hp)
Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
Marguerite AC16 (15hp)

Marguerite's light follows us around until she sleeps. She probably doesn't know that she can attach it to someone, but, she can move it 60 feet as a concentrate action

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"Look. Here are some footprints. Are they like the footprints from the Kobolds?"

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Squall investigates the dim light and discovers the glowing mold. He points out to the others that they could harvest some to serve as a portable source of dim light. It would be less bright--and less obvious--than a torch or magical light would be, but would provide light even when the canopy blocks the ambient starlight and moonlight.

Medicine (untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"Euw. Hard luck for those pixies." Tik checks the prints that Marguerite pointed out. "Yep. Those look just like the ones we saw earlier."

Not going to attempt an untrained Medicine check. How about a Craft RK check to tell something about the spikes?

Djala doesn't go through the cabin now, since we're worried about Barlus. She makes a mental note to come back later to investigate.

"Your kinsfolk do not seem to be very friendly, Munrisk," Djala says sadly.

Medicine: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Survival (aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

She carefully lifts the pixies' bodies off the spikes, laying them neatly in a hollow. Murmuring a soft prayer to Shelyn, she covers them with grass and bark, then stands, brushing off her hands. She frowns as she looks at the tree. "Aside from its lack of artistic merit, it appears that some of the blood from these poor creatures is missing from these smears. At least half, I would say. It is possible they ran afoul of the bloodseekers as well, but the smears do seem deliberate, if unartistic."

Squall investigates the dim glows in the forest finding a useful glowing mold.

Continuing to maintain the light, Marguerite Investigates the forest scene with the dead pixies finding more Kobold tracks.

Squall inspects the bodies and tracks but can’t determine anything useful from them.

R!Kktik looks closely at the thin metal spikes pinning the dead pixies to the tree. They look like hastily made nails with nothing remarkable about them.

Djala’s medical skill quickly determines a significant portion of sprite blood was taken for other use than decorating the tree. She takes time to remove the bodies from the spikes and builds a cairn of grass and bark murmuring a soft prayer over them.

Leaving the grisly scene behind, the group continue following the tracks into the night. Two hours later you come upon a ruined monastery that sits at the foot of Droskar’s Crag, the tall mountain volcano that devastated the region some 800 years ago when it last erupted.

Surrounded by stands of ancient gnarled trees, the monastery is made of simple stone blocks worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building appears to be slowly falling apart. Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed, and portions of the outer wall have crumbled. Weeds and wild thorny plants run rampant across the field leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors. Beyond, an overgrown yard sits in shadow.

The tracks lead into the ruins, and as you approach you hear a low growl.

Djala, Drake, Squall, Munrisk, and R!Kktik can take action first.

Round 1 A
* Djalamora AC17 (18hp)
* Drake Stormrider AC15 (15hp)
* Squall AC18 (17hp)
* Munrisk AC17 (17hp)
* R!Kktik AC17 (14hp)
Wolf orange (0= 0hp)
Wolf Green (0= 0hp)
Wolf blue (0= 0hp)
Round 1 B
Marguerite AC16 (15hp) (light)

Squall moves forward towards the two wolves he can see, to interpose himself between the predators and his companions. He focuses his attention on the wolf coming out of the courtyard, and draws a hatchet.

◆ Stride, ◆ Hunt Prey on Blue, ◆ Interact to draw weapon

R!Kktik steps up behind Squall◆ and Readies◆◆, preparing to throw a Dread Ampoule bomb when one of the wolves gets within 20'. With Quick Bomber, it's a single action to draw and throw.

Bomb attack, when applicable: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

If applicable, it does 1 mental splash damage.

Munrisk draws their bow, tries to remember something about wolves before letting a shot fly at the blue wolf.

Nature, Recall Knowledge: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Bow attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Bow damage, normal: 1d6 ⇒ 4 piercing
Bow damage, deadly if applicable: 1d10 ⇒ 1
Bow damage, sneak attack if applicable: 1d6 ⇒ 1 precision

Interact to pull out bow, Recall Knowledge on Blue Wolf, and then attack. If the recall knowledge is successful, the target is offguard until the start of my next turn, or for a minute if it's a crit, which gives me sneak attack dice. I would also like to know if they have a special attack if the Recall is successful.

Djala moves nearer Squall to protect the group from the advancing wolves. She swirls her glaive around in a decorative pattern dance, casting creative splash at the blue wolf.

splash?: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Red paint smears appear out of nowhere, confusing the beast. (DC 15 Will save; enfeebled 1 on fail, 2 on crit)

Drake moves up next to Djala and grips his staff. Runes along the staff begin to glow softly with a pale blue light and then a rock lifts off the ground and shoots toward the blue wolf.

◆Stride
◆◆Telekinetic Projectile (Bludgeoning): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 252d6 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8