[Outpost VIII] PFS1 #8-99 The Solstice Scar, Version D (Subtier Tier 10-11) (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

GM, Yellow's spellcasting should have triggered Riddy's readied Magic Missile attack (3d4+3), which should require Yellow to make a concentration check vs the dmg or lose the spell. It should also move Riddy (and Undy with him presumably) to just before Yellow in the initiative order.

Magic Missiles: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2, 4) + 3 = 10 Concentration check should be DC 20 + the level of Yellow's spell.

I'll wait to post further actions for Undy or Riddy until seeing if we are still up or if our initiative position has changed.

Getting Jules' Fort save out of the way, but really hoping that the spell was disrupted...

Fort save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Spellcraft, Identify Spell: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

Katswiri casts Life Bubble and moves to place it on each companions he can reach.

That's Jules, Katswiri, Amwari and Dr. Vitruivian. Katswiri is protected for 4 hours, everyone else is protected for 2.

Katswiri takes +2 AC/Reflex from Blessing of Fervor. Katswiri was healed to full by Riddy after the last fight, and delay poison defers the cloudkill. She currently has 2 giant spider bites and 1 cloudkill save postponed for when it wears off.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

"Big piles of rubbish, yeah? Gotta cut yer way through," The Captain says, slicing away with his cutlass.

+1 Keen Cutlass, Divine Favor, First Attack, Swordplay Style, vs Red: 1d20 + 14 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 14 + 3 = 28
Slashing Damage, Divine Favor: 1d10 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 3 = 13

+1 Keen Cutlass, Divine Favor, 2nd Attack (Full BAB from Blessings of Fervor), Swordplay Style, vs Red, Blessings of Fervor: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 14 - 2 + 3 = 35
Slashing Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 3 = 11
Critical Threat!
+1 Keen Cutlass, Divine Favor, 2nd Attack (Full BAB from Blessings of Fervor), Swordplay Style, vs Red, Blessings of Fervor: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 14 - 2 + 3 = 32
Slashing Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 3 = 11

+1 Keen Cutlass, Divine Favor, Third Attack, Swordplay Style, vs Red, Blessings of Fervor: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 9 - 2 + 3 = 17
Slashing Damage: 1d10 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 3 = 17

AC is 31 for the Round

Dr. Vitruvian, please give the barkskin extract to one of our frontliners - Undy's AC is so low that there's not much to do to help it. And if he finds himself in melee then we have some big problems!

Not every foe respects the "lines"; what if some opportunistic sniper sets its sights on you? Or a monster so big it can snatch you out of the sky? I've never understood the notion of not expecting Murphy's Law. If you insist, though...

Dr. Vitruvian wordlessly tosses the wafer over to Katswiri.

Being a devout Caydenite, Jules knows her way around a drink.

And, having no cause to distrust her elven companion, she would have tipped back the offered concoction, then handed back the flask.

"Good fortunes!" she offers in way of a toast.

As she starts to hand the flask back...she notices eyeballs on her arms.

She has eyes EVERYWHERE! This may take some getting used to....

Dr. Vitruvian knows everything about shambling mounds, which mostly amounts to that there is not much else to know. Any specific details you are looking for?

Uhhh...how many hit points do they have? Are they immune to disease?

The other thing is a corpse lotus, a plant with no subtypes. 4 questions

Special attacks, special defenses, special vulnerabilities, is any part of the plant edible or otherwise useful?

Fortitude save VS inhaled poison?: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31
Dr. Vitruvian acts as though he scarcely notices the horrid cloud, and simply readjusts his formidable physician's mask.

I'll wait until I have received my information before choosing what to do.

Concentration: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

And this is why NPCs can't have nice things. Katswiri can tell that it was going to be cloudkill. Recognizing the potential for future poisoning, she erects a barrier around the nearby Pathfinders.

One mound tries to smack Eric as he passes by.

Slam: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Bludgeoning Damage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 3) + 5 = 13

And gets stabbed for his troubles. Eric then proceeds to hack at the caster.

Amwari swings twice at the reddish plant, slaying it with a fierce blow. He then redirects his remaining strikes towards the blue-tinged one, hitting one time.

Round 2 - bolded may go

Jules (-1 Str, see invis, displacement, fervor, bubble)
Undy (freedom, airborne) and Riddy (airborne)
Purple (ready)
Yellow (-39 HP)
Blue (-11 HP)
Eric (longarm, mutagen, fervor)
Dr. Vitruvian (fervor, mutagen, bubble)
Katswiri (-30 HP, delayed poison, freedom, fervor, bubble)
Amwari (favor, fervor, bubble)
Green
Red

Several blasts of purple energy momentarily light up the battlefield. The initial shouts of celebration are quickly drowned out by the agonized screech emitted by the heart of the blight.

Table GMs, the Weakening Blight effect is in play.

Will Save, Purple: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Will Save, Yellow: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Will Save, Blue: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Will Save, Green: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

The glowing energy seems to weaken the blue-tinged shambling mound.

Round 2 - bolded may go

Jules (-1 Str, see invis, displacement, fervor, bubble)
Undy (freedom, airborne) and Riddy (airborne)
Purple (ready)
Yellow (-39 HP)
Blue (-11 HP, dazed 1 round)
Eric (longarm, mutagen, fervor)
Dr. Vitruvian (fervor, mutagen, bubble)
Katswiri (-30 HP, delayed poison, freedom, fervor, bubble)
Amwari (favor, fervor, bubble)
Green
Red

Dr. Vitruvian sees his way to a clear shot, and tosses another globe of frozen horror at the nearer shambler, this one filled with a nondescript sludge....

Frost Plague Bomb, Mutagen, Blessing of Furvert VS Blue Danube: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
cold damage, DC 23 Fortitude save or be staggered: 4d4 + 8 ⇒ (1, 4, 2, 4) + 8 = 19

PLUS another DC 23 Fortitude saves or catch filth fever:
Dexterity damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3
Constitution damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Fortitude vs. stagger: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Fortitude vs. disease: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

The doctor gives the blue shambling mound the worst cold it can imagine.

The green mound shambles over to Katswiri and swings a thick vine at her.

Slam: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Bludgeoning Damage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 1) + 5 = 9

It doesn't get particularly close.

Round 3 - bolded may go

Jules (-1 Str, see invis, displacement, fervor, bubble)
Undy (freedom, airborne) and Riddy (airborne)
Purple (ready)
Yellow (-39 HP)
Blue (-30 HP, dazed 1 round, filthy, -3 Dex, -3 Con)
Eric (longarm, mutagen, fervor)
Dr. Vitruvian (fervor, mutagen, bubble)
Katswiri (-30 HP, delayed poison, freedom, fervor, bubble)
Amwari (favor, fervor, bubble)
Green
Red

Undy and Riddy fly to a spot where they will have a clean shot at Yellow. They each ready their respective wands of magic missile to shoot at Yellow if he casts a spell.

Riddy's wand is CL 5 so the dmg will be 3d4+3, requiring a concentration check of 10+dmg done+level of spell cast

Undy's wand is CL 3 so the dmg will be 2d4+2, requiring a concentration check of 10+dmg done+level of spell cast

A single step brings Jules within reach of the Blue Mound.

Her Hypnotic Stare sets it up for later pain.

Followed by a pair of rapier strikes.

Rapier strike 1: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32 Piercing damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
crit confirmation: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21 extra crit damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Painful Stare damage: 3d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 1, 2) + 4 = 9

Rapier strike 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 Piercing damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Jules stabs the shambling mound right in what appears to be a vital spot. The sword bites deeply enough that she has trouble removing it for a second swipe.

Undy and Riddy both prepare to use wands.

The corpse lotus continues to lay in wait.

The witch doctor uses another tactic to try to protect itself from Undiana.

Slumber hex, DC 15 Will or sleep for 9 rounds

The blue mound is unable to act.

Round 3 - bolded may go

Jules (-1 Str, see invis, displacement, fervor, bubble)
Undy (freedom, airborne, ready, Will save) and Riddy (airborne, ready)
Purple (ready)
Yellow (-39 HP)
Blue (-55 HP, filthy, -3 Dex, -3 Con)
Eric (longarm, mutagen, fervor)
Dr. Vitruvian (fervor, mutagen, bubble)
Katswiri (-30 HP, delayed poison, freedom, fervor, bubble)
Amwari (favor, fervor, bubble)
Green
Red

Eric, now in position for a full attack, steps 5 feet towards the witch doctor and he swings with powerful strokes powered by rage! (fervor for extra attack)

primaryattack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (13) + 21 = 342d6 + 27 ⇒ (3, 5) + 27 = 35
hastedattack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (17) + 21 = 382d6 + 27 ⇒ (3, 3) + 27 = 33
secondaryattack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 182d6 + 27 ⇒ (1, 6) + 27 = 34

Will DC 15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24 Whew.

Jules is still using BoF to boost her AC.

Katswiri casts Eagle's Splendor targeting herself.

Cast Defensively Concentration, DC 19: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

Takes +2 AC/Reflex from Blessing of Fervor, AC 33

Medda’s voice carries over the battlefield. ”Shamans! To the fallen seed pods! Attack the flower through its children!” A few of the Twinhorn shamans, chanting in unison as they move, make their way to the remains of the destroyed seed pods and begin to gesture over them. White incandescence streams from their hands into the pods, extending from there in a delicate tracery across the blighted land before settling on the monstrous black flower at the heart of it. Dr. Vitruvian, Amwari, Katswiri, Undiana, Eric, and Jules have a clear view of what happens next: the filaments of white light constrict around that hideous bloom, burning through its branches and petals. Mother Bloodleaf screams in fury as she rushes to the flower, but for naught: her attackers had held her attention for critical seconds, and it was too late. The flower withers and burns under the onslaught and the orc witch doctor is caught in the pyre, dying with her peculiar patron. Strands of purple energy whip across the battleground and begin to swirl above the remains of the giant flower. The continuous chant of the Twinhorn shamans reaches a fever pitch and then suddenly stops. After a breathless moment of silence, a loud reverberating boom echoes across the swamp as a column of purple energy pierces through the clouds, dissipating into the sky above. Shouts of celebration begin to sound across the field as Medda makes her way to the heart of the blight. The clouds part, and a shaft of moonlight shines on the site as she rips through the withered roots of the blighted flower. Medda reaches in and draws out the shriveled remains of a female crusader. In stark contrast to the rest of the remains, her silvery breastplate glimmers in the moonlight. A grievous blow has scarred its surface where a golden engraved figure spreads out her wings. Trails of blood seep out from scars running across the figure. Medda lowers the remains gently upon a white cloak that a Twinhorn warrior has placed on the ground.

With a heavenly glow, the ghostly form of Ivvora appears in the clouds above. Her voice, though, sounds as if she stood next to each of you, murmuring quietly in your ear. “She was my sister-in-arms against the vile Tar-Baphon. I now know that her sacrifice spared me so many years ago, as it will all of you in the days to come. Go with Vildeis’ grace and use this blessed plate to vanquish my hated adversary. Hurry back north, for the moment of Eshimka’s reckoning draws near!”

Medda looks up to the sky as the vision of Ivvora dissipates, the red phantom hand of Anok floating above her shoulder. After a moment, she kneels next to the crusader’s remains and carefully wraps them up in the white cloak, which is slowly soaking through with red. She looks at the crowd gathered around her and speaks up. “We stand here triumphant, having rid this land of corruption. But this is a mere hint of the darkness that awaits us at the Solstice Scar! Fear not, for Vildeis’ blessing will guide our weapons to strike true and eradicate Eshimka for good!” Medda motions for the Twinhorn warriors to raise the bundled remains on their shields as one of the honored dead. “Pathfinders, you have done much for my tribe and our lands, but I ask you once more to lend us your weapons so that we might end the evil that haunts Solstice Scar. What say you?”

Any dissenting voices are lost in the roar of approval from the assembled Pathfinders.

Inspired by the events in the Fangwood, the Pathfinders and Twinhorn warriors have at last returned to the Kellid following’s territory. The scattered woodlands that once stood in the Tusk Mountains are now cast in perpetual shadow despite it being only a few hours after noon. The trees are bare, the grass crumbles at a touch, and even the accumulated snow of midwinter is melting in the freezing air as if surrendering to entropy.

Medda confers with some of the Twinhorn following who stayed behind, then she addresses the crowd. “The winter solstice does not peak here until tonight, yet already Eshimka’s vanguard has escaped the Negative Energy Plane. They now control the area around the planar scar for several miles in each direction. If we’re to stop them, we need to break through these outer forces, regroup at the center, and take control of the rift. If that doesn’t draw Eshimka out, a few brave souls will need to pass through the rift to crush her lieutenants, destroy whatever is keeping the rift open, and draw her into our world. When they do, we need to ensure there are no reinforcements, and that means eliminating any commanders who have already broken through. That includes a corrupted dragon that has our scouts worried.”

She smiles grimly. “When the paladin Ivvora faced the beast Eshimka here centuries ago, she fought with Vildeis’s blessing and banished the fiend. Tonight, Eshimka would return to our world, but we are not one paladin; we are many!” She pricks her finger on her spear and paints a set of bloody wings upon her forehead. The Twinhorns follow suit. “And we too carry Vildeis’s favor!” With these words, the painted wings blaze with light.

"A corrupted dragon." Katswiri breathes in sharply when she hears of the creature. "We're one of the most experienced teams here in the field. It will likely fall to us, if anyone, to defeat the creature. We may be called upon to flush Eshimka out as well, if it comes to it."

"I can cast Death Ward, but will drain much of my magics to place it on our entire team. Still, this may be the best use of that power. And if we are to face a dragon, we must be prepared. They are fearsome beasts, and knowing its age, type and capabilities will allow us to counter it effectively."

Katswiri will seek out Medda or any available Venture-Captain after the speech and inquire about what is known regarding the dragon.

"My armor already carries a Deathless rune, so you may not need to cover me with a Death Ward. Let's see what information we can gather before making that choice." offers Jules.

At this point, the Pathfinders need to make a decision. Will you fight your way toward the rift or attempt to evade patrols using your skills? I will take the first option with two votes.

"I can use my seer gifts to possibly help avoid patrols by predicting their patterns. I vote to try and evade the the patrols."

GM, any available information on the dragon?

Not yet.

Eric is visibly excited about the mention of a dragon and a fiend. "See what you can find out about the type of breath weapon, and what type of fiend we are expecting to fight. I have some minor protection against undead with deathless on my armor, but that is not invulnerability, especially against incorporeal opponents. What do we know about Eshimka?"

"Fighting dragons is a tough call tactically. If you stay close to me I can share my courage with you against dragon fear, and if it has some normal breath weapon, I can also help against that. Of course that means staying in a group, so that leaves us susceptible to area attacks but also with a better chance to survive it"

"Trying to battle it in the air will be difficult, as even with the ability to fly, dragons are much faster, albeit not as maneuverable. Let me hear your ideas fellow pathfinders!"

"I can likely divine some information regarding the dragon. My gifts may help with some general information such as type from afar, but if I can get visibility on it to see what we're dealing with, I should be able to See most of its abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Once we know our foe, we can take countermeasures. In particular the source and effects of the corruption must be determined, or we could face unpleasant surprises."

"For general combat, we must either engage it within a tactically contained space such as a cave, lure it to ground by providing it something it feels it must engage in person, or be prepared to fight it on the wing. If we are flying in a group, most dragons cannot effectively engage from outside the range of a thrown bomb or cast spell, so we can hold position and engage as it tries to strafe us, or force it to come to us."

"I can protect us against elemental damage, though a sufficiently sized dragon can likely overwhelm the ward to some extent. I have a scroll of remove fear to help with its fear aura, and a scroll of Air Walk that can assist with one person engaging aerially, as well as a potion of Fly to keep myself in the sky. I can cast Dispel Magic, which may be important if the dragon has protected itself with its spellcasting. Life Bubble will protect against some gas based breath weapons completely, but will do nothing in many other cases."

"If it is not a water based dragon, I have a trap I can spring if we can get it to ground near a river or bog. I can cast Freedom of Movement, and have a scroll of Control Water; if I flood the battlefield and the enemy cannot swim effectively, it can be placed at a severe disadvantage."

Katswiri can cast Commune 2x per day for free, so can possibly narrow down what the dragon is by 20 questions. It probably has some sort of template for the corruption aspect though, and that's going to likely need to get eyes on it to do an identification; ideally, we'll be able to see it at a distance before we need to engage it, so we can do that.

Depending on exactly what it is, this could be an exceedingly dangerous fight and we should know everything about it if possible. Katswiri will blow an instance of all her limited use knowledge check enhancers stacked on the check if there is time, which will give her a +65 bonus, roll twice. That should be sufficient to get an idea of whether we can safely engage this when the time comes.

Regarding anti-dragon support, Katswiri can Life Bubble if it has gas based attacks, Communal Resist Energy to help blunt breath weapon damage, Dispel Magic if its cast Mage Armor or Shield on itself, and has some utility scrolls that can help in a few other cases. We're also going to want high AC on the frontline, or it will just melee us apart, and she can help some with that with Shield of Faith and Blessing of Fervor.

Undy votes to take the path of evading the patrols in order to better save his limited spells for actual combat.

I'm going to change his allotment of spells prepped once we have a better idea of what we may be facing.

Jules prefers the evasion option as well.

Evasion works for me as an idea, mechanically, it might be difficult for stealth but I am very mobile for someone in plate.

While the others plot, Dr. Vitruvian appears much more interested in the shamanic spectacle they'd just witnessed...and its aftermath.

He gingerly approaches Mother Bloodleaf's remains, and from his big black bag he draws a syringe full of glistening black sludge, like a cross between tar and a starry night sky. After a moment's fiddling with the dosage, he injects the dark serum into the corpse. He sits next to it, and begins writing in his notebook. Nothing seems to have happened...until an hour later, when the fallen shaman appears to thrash back to her feet!

"Excellent!" The good(?) doctor declares with a final flourish of his pen as he stands up. "The reinforcements are ready, everyone!"

"'Ey, mon, I don't think that is going win us any favors with the Cardinal Matyr, yeah," Captain Amwari spits as he says this. He was just a boy when he was sold to be sent to Geb to feed the biters, and it was only due to a pirate captain taking that ship that he lived to this day.

"If there be a dragon we have to face, one, don't bunch up, and two, we'll need a way to get me and Trade Prince up in the air."

If we're facing a dragon, I'd hope to have a fly spell/extract cast on me. Not on the cleric/warpriest list sadly.

Clerics do get Air Walk though. Katswiri has it on a scroll and could Mneumonic Vestments it, but I think warpriests have it too if you wanted to get one for the day?

Eric looks at the abomination rising, and shakes his head. "This is not the way. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend in this case. I cannot stop you from raising the dead but I do not have to like it."

Although hundreds of undead and void-touched foes have already emerged onto the Material Plane through the rift, they’re spread out over more many square miles. If the Pathinders are careful, they can evade the roving bands of enemies.

For each obstacle, each PC attempts one of the listed skill checks. If at least half of the PCs succeed at the check, the group successfully overcomes that challenge. If fewer than half of the PCs succeed, the group fails that challenge. The number of challenges the group successfully overcomes determines whether the PCs have to [RECDACTED]. Each of these challenges represents about 10 minutes of travel, and creative use of spellcasting should reduce the difficulty of the skill check DC for the affected targets by one step (from Average to Easy, for example). If the PCs use spells or abilities to dramatically overcome a challenge (such as flying for 10 minutes), they can overcome that challenge automatically.

Avoiding the patrols requires taking less-traveled paths, such as one that ascends a boulder-strewn hill and passes through narrow ravines. The PCs can attempt the following checks: Average Climb, Average Escape Artist, or Average Knowledge (geography).

Katswiri summons her sight and views the optimal path through the boulder fields. After a brief trance, she nods and begins to point the way.

Knowledge: Geography, Focused Trance: 1d20 + 14 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 20 = 50

Earlier

"If there be a dragon we have to face, one, don't bunch up, and two, we'll need a way to get me and Trade Prince up in the air."

"I disagree in our particular case. Both Eric and myself can shield against most forms of dragon breath, which would usually be the concern with staying together. But if we split, we lose some of that protection and leave us vulnerable to having the dragon engage one of us at a time, or bypassing our melee fighters and striking at our casters with its greater mobility."

"We should be able to get you into the sky. I have a scroll of Air Walk, if it becomes necessary."

Jules does her best to squirm thru the rocky field, casting Expeiditious Retreat to hasten her advance, bounding from one hiding place to the next.

Escape Artist: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Back to the earlier conversation, Jules admits to having a potion of Fly tucked away in her kit.

Undy Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
Riddy Knowledge Geography: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

climb: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 (If I can take 10 I will for 20)

Katswiri will cast Bestow Insight on Dr. Vitruvian. "Here, take a portion of my sight. It will guide you."

+4 insight bonus to Knowledge:Geography, may roll twice and take better result.

Climb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Botting Vitruvian

Knowledge (geography): 1d20 + 10 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 10 + 4 = 21
Knowledge (geography), Advantage: 1d20 + 10 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 10 + 4 = 21

The unfamiliar terrain stymies the Pathfinders, who have to pick their way through the boulders quite slowly in order to evade notice. It takes about 10 minutes to get through.

The Pathfinders’ route cuts through thick forests, where the boughs have recently shed needles at an alarming rate thanks to the Negative Energy Plane’s influence. Nearby undead require avoiding the creatures’ paths and moving stealthily. The PCs can attempt the following checks: Hard Perception, Average Stealth, or Average Survival.

Well, its not quite surviving at sea, but Amwari doesn't like undead biters.

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Katswiri casts Bestow Insight on herself to grant her clarity, then uses her Natural Divination to identify and bypass natural obstacles in her path.

Survival, Bestow Insight, Natural Divination: 1d20 + 6 + 4 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 4 + 10 = 32
Survival, Bestow Insight, Natural Divination: 1d20 + 6 + 4 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 4 + 10 = 27

Katswiri casts Bestow Insight to augment the Perception of Dr. Vitruvian and Undiana.

+4 Insight, roll twice on a check and take better.

Eric auto fails. Next!

Undy peers around anxiously, hoping to see any undead before they see him!

Roll twice and take the better result
Perception, Bestow Insight bonus: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 16 + 4 = 33
Perception, Bestow Insight bonus: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 16 + 4 = 24

Riddy opts for the path of stealth, hoping that his tiny size will help him to elude the monsters.

Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

Jules is usually a fair hand at Stealth.
She'll add a bit of Vanish to boost her efforts.

bolstered stealth vs the life-challenged: 1d20 + 11 + 20 ⇒ (3) + 11 + 20 = 34

Quick flashback:

"'Ey, mon, I don't think that is going win us any favors with the Cardinal Matyr, yeah," Captain Amwari spits as he says this.

Eric looks at the abomination rising, and shakes his head. "This is not the way. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend in this case. I cannot stop you from raising the dead but I do not have to like it."

"Bah, spare me your short-sighted moralizing," Dr. Vitruvian replies calmly as he tests the zombie's reflexes with a hammer*. "You are technically correct, however, that 'this is not the way'; indeed, it is but a stepping-stone to curing a malady of a greater and more terrible scale than you can likely fathom. They laughed at me back at the University, but I WILL show them, for I have SEEN the Moonlight...!"

* = And not a small one, either; testing a zombie's reflexes generally requires they be struck quite a bit harder.

/flashback

Perception, Insight, heightened awareness: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (12) + 23 = 35
Perception, Insight, heightened awareness: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (5) + 23 = 28

Preternaturally acute, professionally-trained, and magically and alchemically-enhanced, there is little indeed that evades the good (?) doctor's Elven eyes.

The Pathfinders have an easier time in the forest, and no undead mnage to locate them.

Uncharacteristic melt waters have flooded a seasonal river, turning it into a swift torrent strewn with fallen trees. However, the Pathfinderss need to cross nearby if they’re to avoid prowling fiends. The PCs can attempt the following checks: Hard Acrobatics, Average Knowledge (nature), or Average Swim.