Zero's Q5: The Dragon Who Stole Evoking Day (Inactive)

Game Master Super Zero

The sage Amenopheus has a long history with the Pathfinder Society and was at one point a member and prominent influence in the now-retired Scarab Sages faction. After his time with the Society, Amenopheus retired to the city of Sothis, capital of Osirion. Here he took a position as a consultant to the Osiriani government, performing research.

The Pathfinders received a message which detailed a request from Amenopheus looking for a handful of individuals who can help him locate and retrieve missing goods, with some discretion. The selected team of Pathfinder field agents meet with Amenopheus in a small tea shop named the Golden Palm.

The tea shop is filled with lively conversation as dozens of Sothis’s citizens enjoy their midday refreshments. An older human man, Amenopheus sits at a small table in a far corner just beyond the sight of the other patrons. The man picks at a pastry that has been mostly falling away to crumbs. He looks up and puts on a relieved smile.

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

A rather jaunty Goblin wanders into the room with a smile of his crooked little goblin teeth leering in his bulbous head. At least the frog on his head takes the attention away from all the blades and sharp implements all over him.

Moments later an angry-looking boar sow then stomps in a second behind, she has a snarling mouth, massive tusks, and a visible mean streak a mile wide.

"Fiddlesticks!" the goblin declares pointing thumbs at himself whilst twirling a lockpick, "And this is Princess Bacon"

A dwarf with a receding hairline but a long, thick beard comes in just after the pig. He eyes the sow warily, his hands moving with surprising speed towards the weapons of his ancestors - a waraxe on his back and a clan dagger on his belt.

But, his already small eyes narrow even further as he sees that she is not really threatening the goblin in the room, just surly.

Instead, of attacking, he gives her a respectful nod and then takes a seat at Amenopheus' table.

A tall man carrying a staff enters. "Oh well met, Pathfinders! Olaf Spiritwell at your service. I believe I am to be your healer today."

A dreamy half-elf arrives at the tea shop and finds the man he is looking for. He looks around there are already four of them. He thought he is early. Nevertheless, he introduces himself to the man and to the fellow Pathfinders.

"Vamir Zylven. What missing goods are we going to look for?" he asks directly about their mission.

“Pathfinders!” Amenopheus calls out. “Yes, yes, over here, please. I’m glad Norden was able to reach you on such short notice. I’m sure you’re all quite busy with preparing for the upcoming festivities. As am I! Well... to be honest, I was expecting to be busy, but things are not going as I’ve expected.”

He produces a note from his breast pocket. “You see, I have been happily performing a variety of duties for Pharaoh Khemet for some time now. However, as of late, the Ruby Prince’s requests have grown far more demanding, and he has given me far less time to meet his needs.”

Amenopheus sighs and stares into his tea for a moment, a forlorn look on his face, before placing a note on the table. “The Ruby Prince has requested that I handle festivities in the Old City for Evoking Day—a holiday sacred to the faith of Nethys, the god of magic. It’s a big celebration, with dancing, magical duels, and brilliant fireworks. The fireworks in particular are something the public looks forward to, especially those who want to participate but who lack magical skill of their own, and the Ruby Prince specifically asked that I distribute a supply of fireworks that were ordered for the event. The holiday’s tomorrow, but unfortunately, my busy schedule kept me from finding the request until quite recently. When I finally located it, I rushed over to the storehouse where the fireworks should have been awaiting distribution, only to find it empty. I fear I must locate the festival supplies so the Evoking Day celebration is not ruined for the people of Sothis. However, attending to my other duties has left me short on time, so I thought it was best to call in a favor with the Society.

“Pathfinders, I need you to find those supplies as soon as you can! But I request that you keep my name out of your investigation. If the pharaoh were to learn about this, er, situation, it would not do my reputation any favors. I suggest heading to the storehouse in the Old City down by the docks to see what you can find there. Perhaps one of the locals noticed what happened to the supplies. It wouldn’t hurt to ask around. We haven’t much time, so it’s best that you get going from here.”

With this, Amenopheus sits back and enjoys his tea, seemingly the first break from his duties in some time. He is happy to answer any last minute questions the Pathfinders may have.

"Err do you have a list of the missing fireworks? How big a pile, we talking a pack, a bag, a wagon?"

"Who might be interested in stealing fireworks, everyone loves making them go bang"

"Well, I never actually saw them. A wagon-load. The shed should have been full.
"That I can’t say. I hardly think that enemies of the pharaoh would bother themselves with stealing festival supplies. Though, the effect on local morale would be significant, now that I think of it. My only guess is that a local vendor may have stolen the fireworks to sell them for the festivities at an extreme markup.”

"This is not good! Not good indeed! We should go find the miscreant responsible." Olaf announces, his voice having a slight edge to it.

Olaf's deity is Nethys, after all, so this has just turned personal!

Ulfgar nods then gulps down his tea. He squints even harder than normal, opening his mouth wide as it proves hotter than he expected.

He coughs once, then, apparently recovered, rises and heads for the exit and, from there, the Old City.

"We should start asking around. Perhaps anyone would easily notice it with anyone unless it is hidden or covert." Vamir suggests. "Festival is more fun with fireworks!"

"Quite," agrees Amenopheus with a nod, as the party leaves the shop.

The note from Pharaoh Khemet clearly notes the location of the storehouse used for the festival supplies, which the Pahtfinders can reach without issue. The storehouse is a relatively small building, about as tall as a human, built mostly for tools and supplies. Doors on the front open to the city road, while the back doors open toward a dock to facilitate loading or off-loading cargo.

Go ahead and describe where you'd like to look, and you can make Perception checks if appropriate.

Vamir enters through the front door. "In a small storehouse like this, we can easily find the fireworks, for sure." he says and begins looking inside the room.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Or not?

Methodical Ulfgar begins at the beginning. Before even going into the building he squats down at the front doors and examines the ground there.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Olaf heads towards the back door.

Perc: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

Fiddlesticks and Princess Bacon make their way to the place and consider likely options...

Is it perception, or thievery for ideas?

Vamir notes that the door isn't quite latched and stands slightly ajar. It sings open with a light touch.

Ulfgar finds a faint set of cart tracks leading to and from the storehouse down the road that leads along the river. They should be easy enough to follow.

Inside the storehouse, faint outlines in the sand that has settled on the stone floor give the impression that crates and bags once filled the storehouse, but none of the containers are left. However, there are faint trails in the sand.

Olaf is able to follow the sand trail, and sees that it can be followed down the docks along the river.

You can attempt a Nature check for additional information.

Thievery 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Crafting 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Nature 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"Lock was fiddled with! Seems like acid..." the Goblin sniffs it carefully and examines it with a twig.

Between the shape of the trails in the sand and the residue on the lock, Fiddlesticks thinks there may be a river drake involved.

"A River Drake may be involved here - must be a tamed one or something, why would a drake want fireworks?"

"Maybe that river drake is the thief!" Vamir tells them preposterously. "We should ask if they have seen a river drake or somebody with a river drake."

"Or follow its trail." he adds, once Olaf shares to them the information.

Fiddlesticks's Crafting check was a failure, in case anyone else wants to attempt that. And then...

The trail of sand leads down the docks a ways before going into the water, at which point it's lost. But near that point is a stand selling fireworks. The cart trail on the road leads to the same vendor.

The vendor is a chipper human woman enthusiastically pushing "bouncing bobbers, burning breaths, charmers, Desnan candles, dwarven daisies, firelicks, firesticks, skydragons, and more!"

She has a bit of a line. Talking to her without irritating her customers and attracting attention might be delicate.
A Diplomacy check to talk to her, assuming you want to do so unobtrusively.

Crafting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

"Are those the fireworks we are looking for? And she is selling it? But where is the river drake?" he asks the other Pathfinders, not willing to talk with the woman because he has Diplomacy +0.

"Maybe the thief river drake is her friend." he infers.

Vamir confirms that the caustic chemical is indeed acidic. And a natural acid, some kind of secretion.

Ulfgar studies the river drake's tracks and uses the information he can garner from them to make the creature his prey.

When they get to the fireworks stand, Ulfgar's perpetual scowl grows cataclysmically more disapproving. For the moment, however he simply crosses his arms over his chest and waits to see if any of his friendlier teammates want to step up to talk things out.

"Those look good and at those prices are a steal!" the Goblin jests bluntly "Where did you get them?"

Fiddlesticks agrees with Ulfgars deep frown and has no time for being Diplomatic about someone selling off (likely!) stolen goods and simply takes the direct approach.

Princess Bacon next to him grunts inquisitively through her sharp tusks, sensing potential confrontation.

"Made 'em," says the woman, without looking up from he customers. "You're talking to Kolima Tirmai, preeminent fireworks crafter. But most of my customers put in their orders weeks ago, so I don't have too much that's actually available for sale right now."

Vamir looks for signs if she is telling the truth or not. And he is still waiting for somebody among their group to get her attention away from the customers for awhile without them getting irritated for their disturbance.

Sense Motive w Perception +5

She certainly seems to know her wares well, and the customers are indeed picking up orders she has prepared and packaged--and most of them seem to have paid in advance.

Kolima also doesn't seem to have noticed the allusion to theft at all. It seems like she's telling the truth.

Fiddlesticks just cuts to the chase "We're following up on a bunch of fireworks stolen from a warehouse, we've followed a trail and it leads to here - where you are selling fireworks. Seems a bit obvious, but maybe you know something? Of course it's entirely possible that a river drake just ate them all and is napping like a large bomb at the bottom of the harbour, but got any suggestions?"

Diplomacy 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"Warhouse? Ugh, not the fireworks for the big official show, right? I just dropped those off the other day--hang on, let me get the crowd excited so they'll be patient a moment. Here, hold this." She gives Fiddlesticks a sparkler, and distributes a few more to the customers.

Kolima gives an enthusiastic presentation on how some of her fireworks are made and used, lighting the sparklers and setting off a string of tiny firecrackers. "That's a dwarven daisy, so named because it was invented by dwarves and... kinda looks like a flower while it's going off, I guess?"

The presentation is sufficiently thorough that the Pathfinders have a decent grounding in how to activate fireworks--or defuse them.
This greater familiarity with Kolima's products gives you a +2 circumstance bonus in the unlikely event you attempt to Disable a hazard composed of them. Probably won't come up.

Turning her attention to the Pathfinders, Kolima looks a little worried. "Even if most of these weren't already paid for, I don't have enough here to resupply the warehouse. Even if I did, the city wants the big ones you shoot into the air, not the little ones I sell families that hopefully won't blow anybody up. I do got some more (lesser) dwarven daisies, if y'want some. Normally I tell people to be sure to aim them away from other people's eyes, but I suppose you adventuring sorts might come up with an, er, alternative application.

"Hang on, did you say a river drake? Y'know, I thought I saw something big and reptilian slip into the water over there, with a big sack. I didn't know anything had been stolen then, so it wasn't really suspicious exactly, but it was kinda weird?"

Ulfgar scowls at the offered fireworks, though whether because he doesn't want to deal with such childish nonsense or from shame at having had his proud, serious people been the ones to create such childish nonsense is impossible to tell.

In either case, he'll leave them behind for the other Pathfinders. He gives a single, curt nod of thanks to Kolima for the information then heads to the "over there" where the reptilian thing slipped into the water to try to track it down.

Survival: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 10 + 2 = 21

"Thanks!" The Goblin grins at all the fireworks then passes on it as temptation is beaten by sense.

He sets off following Ulfgar in the direction of the river, and the apparently last sighting of the drake.

"Weird, indeed! A river drake carrying a big sack!" Vamir echoes what Kolima says.

"Are we going underwater to find the river drake?" he then inquires his allies.

That proves unnecessary. As the Pathfinders move to investigate the docks, they catch sight of some movement on an area obscured from view by some old buildings.

Moving between those buildings to approach that area of the docks, they find a human-sized reptilian creature with wings and a long snout standing in full view gathering assorted fireworks into a pile.

The old drake sees the Pathfinders coming and reacts with alarm. "Oh crap, the cops! They're gonna kill me! Muraxi, help me!"

A creature like a large, wet, blue bat takes to the air in reply. "I won't let 'em get you, Ahrkinos!"

Olaf, Fiddlesticks, and Vamir's turns. You can draw a dwarven daisy from the piles of fireworks as an Interact action.
Initiative:
Olaf (AC 20/21, 44/44 HP)
Fiddlesticks (AC 21, 46/46 HP)
> - Princess Bacon (AC 21, 44/44 HP)
Muraxi (Blue Water Scamp)
Ulfgar (AC 22, 85/85 HP)
Ahrkinos (Drake)

Team, do we want to parley? I mean all we really want is our stuff back...

Vamir delays to act. unsure if they really need to fight the old drake just to get back the fireworks they need.

"Do we really need to fight back to get those fireworks?" Vamir inquires his allies.

If it is possible to diplomatically negotiate with the drake to give us back the fireworks, sure, let's go that way. If it attacks us, Vamir will retaliate.

The agitated drake doesn't seem to notice that the Pathfinders are hesitating to attack.

For her part, the bat-like creature giggles as she hops closer. "You'll never take him alive!" She sprays the Pathfinders with some kind of caustic liquid.
◆ Stride
◆◆ Breath Weapon. Hits everyone but Olaf. DC 17 basic Reflex save vs acid damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9. Cooldown: 1d4 ⇒ 1.

All PCs' turns. You can draw a dwarven daisy from the piles of fireworks as an Interact action.
Initiative:
Muraxi (Blue Water Scamp, no Breath Weapon 1 round)
Olaf (AC 20/21, 44/44 HP)
Fiddlesticks (AC 21, 46/46 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
> - Princess Bacon (AC 21, 44/44 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
Vamir (AC 19/21, 38/38 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
Ulfgar (AC 22, 85/85 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
Ahrkinos (Drake)

Fiddlesticks Ref 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Princess Bacon Ref 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Fiddlesticks and the princess were caught by the blast as they were too polite to get stabby. They are now feeling stabby.

Fiddlesticks ducks past the foe then spins and stabs!

Flanking - Off Guard
Sneak attack
Attack 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20 Magic Pierce
Damage 2d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 + (3) = 13

◆Stride
◆Attack
◆Command companion

Then Princess Bacon attacks too!
Flanking - Off Guard
Attack 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Magic Pierce
Damage 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (1, 6) + 4 = 11

Attack 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 Magic Pierce
Damage 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (5, 7) + 4 = 16

◆Attack
◆Attack

Fiddlesticks cuts deeply into the scamp, and then Princess Bacon brings her down.
20 hits. And with flanking 14 hits too, and she's down. If you have something else you'd like to do with your last animal companion action...

"Muraxi, no!" wails the drake in an exhausted and pained voice.

Olaf, Vamir, and Ulfgar's turns. You can draw a dwarven daisy from the piles of fireworks as an Interact action.
Initiative:
Olaf (AC 20/21, 44/44 HP)
Muraxi (Blue Water Scamp, no Breath Weapon 1 round, unconscious, prone, Dying 1)
Fiddlesticks (AC 21, 37/46 HP)
> - Princess Bacon (AC 21, 35/44 HP, one action)
Vamir (AC 19/21, 38/38 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
Ulfgar (AC 22, 85/85 HP, DC 17 Ref vs 9 acid)
Ahrkinos (Drake)

Moved Princess towards the Drake

DC 17 basic Reflex save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 vs 9 acid damage (Success, half damage)

Vamir evades some damage but still gets burned by the acid. He sighs, finding that they are hostile to them.

He draws his weapon, and brings it into Overdrive with some push of buttons on it.
DC 18 Crafting to Expert Overdrive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22 (+2 additional damage on Success)

He then moves next to one of the piles of fireworks close to him.

◆ Interact to draw weapon
◆ Overdrive
◆ Stride

Olaf runs forward. Realizing that keeping Muraxi from dying might convince the drake to give the fireworks back, Olaf stabilizes the scamp.

Stabilize: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

He then turns and gives Ulfgar some much needed aid.

◈ Stride
◈ Stabilize
◈ Guidance at Ulfgar

Ulfgar grumbles and scowls as the beast proves just a bit too far away for his short dwarven legs to reach.

So instead, he moves a bit closer, draws a javelin and hurls it at the drake.

Javelin: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 1 = 17
Piercing: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Ulfgar Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

The drake dodges the javelin.

The old drake takes to the air and glides further away to the end of the dock. "Mercy, drakeslayers!" he calls out, "Don't kill Muraxi! This is all my fault, and I swear we never hurt any of them kids! Let us live, and I will leave Stolis forever."
He seems more amenable to a peaceful resolution now, if the Pathfinders still are. Though, as he hunkers down ready to strike at anybody who comes close, he clearly still doesn't trust them.
◆ Speed Surge, ◇ Talking, ◆◆ Ready

Given that Ahrkinos seems to already be under the impression that the Pathfinders are a team of powerful drakeslayers, playing along with that would probably be relatively easy (Deception). Talking him down otherwise might be a little more challenging (Diplomacy). Frightening him into submission also seems possible (Intimidation).
If they still want a peaceful resolution after his friend attacked them, of course.

All PCs' turns. You can draw a dwarven daisy from the piles of fireworks as an Interact action.
Initiative:
Olaf (AC 20/21, 44/44 HP)
Muraxi (Blue Water Scamp, unconscious, prone)
Fiddlesticks (AC 21, 37/46 HP)
> - Princess Bacon (AC 21, 35/44 HP, one action)
Vamir (AC 19/21, 34/38 HP)
Ulfgar (AC 22, 85/85 HP)
Ahrkinos (Drake, Speed Surge used)

Olaf waits to see what the drake will do. Since he has no social skills, he keeps quiet...

Do we actually have a proper 'face' or is the Goblin going to give it his best crack?

Vamir has +0 with those skills. Do the honor, Fiddlesticks!

Vamir quietly observes the drake to know if he is telling the truth. But he readies himself if he tries to trick them.

◆ Sense Motive (Perception +5)
◆◆ Ready

Deception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

"Yeah, umm, that's us for SURE!" Fiddlesticks shrugs "Hand over the goods and leave town for...good.." the Goblin shrugs.

"Best I have guys"

Lackluster - but I guess I can try again next round

Vamir sees no sign of deception, but isn't entirely certain of the drake's intention.

He does seem a little suspicious of the goblin's bluff. "Well I don't want them. Take 'em! Let me take Muraxi and we'll go."

Ulfgar's turn.
And would anyone try to stop him if he did go?