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When the winter’s cold releases the Five Kings Mountains and the spring rains wash away the snows that blanket the area, the residents of Davarn celebrate the return of songbirds and trade caravans with their annual Spring Festival. The event occurs a full week after the spring equinox to celebrate Davarn’s official reopening along trade routes to Druma, Isger, and Andoran. While some caravans arrive earlier, the town sends out engineering teams before the event to clear and repair any road damage caused during the winter months. Colorful banners decorate the public square surrounding the city reservoir, and the surface doors are thrown wide to flush out the stagnant winter air and replace it with mountain breezes and the smell of freshly baked pies and roasted meats. Traveling performers set up their stages to entertain the young and old alike with puppet shows, music, and death-defying stunts. Davarn’s residents build temporary stalls to display their finest handicrafts, worked metals, and raw materials mined deeper in the cave systems beyond the town.
The festival grounds begin to thin out as most attendees line up along the rope barrier surrounding the city reservoir. An angry-looking spur of granite pokes up from the water, carved into a spiraling obstacle course marked with poles, logs, and ropes.
The crowd bursts into cheers as the other semifinalist team and defending champions, the Davarn Chokers, approach the starting line. Their dwarven leader, Erna Stoneheart, waves to the crowd as they shout her name. Her teammates follow suit, waving and smiling as the chant of “Chokers! Chokers!” rises above the general cheering. The course is outfitted with climbing nets and towers, balance beams, swinging ropes over the river, and red flags. A large bat familiar hangs lazily from a perch near the starting line, clutching an additional red silk flag.
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"Haha! I've missed this, it's been too long!"
Glorin watches the festivities with a look of pure joy and childlike nostalgia. It is a look you might not expect from the burly mountain of a man he is, tall, strong, and bearded. His huge brown beard makes him look much like a dwarf, himself, a longtime resident of the Five Kings, with only his height suggesting otherwise. Indeed, the make of his armor, and the urgrosh on his back, all are dwarven in manufacture as well.
He grabs an ale in one hand and a skewer of meat in the other, turning to the others. "You've got to try a skewer. The steaks are allowed to age underground in a cavern with dusk-cap mushrooms for a month before marinating and cooking. They're the food of the gods!"
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"The Sovereign Court seems to always send me to the darndest of places." the female Dromaar dressed in leathers with a cowboy hat on her head and riding atop a horse says to no one in particular as she observes the festival preparations around her. "Stay with the caravan as a guard I was told. Protect it from raids along the way to this dwarven settlement they said. I bet it was for some huffy puffy higher up Pathfinder Agent doing one of the caravan side jobs I hear so much about. And the worst part is that nothing happened. No raid, no thievery, not even a wild animal...how boring." She says aloud.
She looks for a place to stable her horse Windrunner and takes the gear she can't bear to have stolen- her musket, pistol, gun-kit, bullets and her other weapons. "Might as well grab some grub while I'm here. Trail rations are good in a pinch but after 2 weeks of eating them and whatever mystery meat the 'trail spoon' cooked up I am ready for some good food in my gut."
She walks around the market stalls looking for some food, mead and anything she feels she can use in her job. "This looks promising..." she thinks as she hears the commotion of an athletic event down the row. She sees a few foreigners sprinkled in the crowd, a few may be even Pathfinder Agents like herself on mission or in-between jobs. She settles on a meat pie, grabs a bottle of the local ale, whips out her spoon and begins eating as she walks towards the crowd.
An elf stands quietly at the edge of the bustling festival grounds, doing his best to remain unnoticed amid the sea of dwarves. That's your Pathfinder Society reinforcement — Damiel Morgethai — an alchemist by trade, though not exactly a social butterfly. His tall, slender frame and angular features stand out sharply among the stocky locals, and more than a few curious glances have been cast his way. He pointedly avoids eye contact with the locals, feigning intense interest in the sturdy stonework and clever engineering of Davarn’s architecture.
In truth, Damiel knows little of dwarven construction, but finds the cold precision of their stonecraft far more agreeable to study than the lively, boisterous dwarves celebrating around him. For now, he waits, patient and detached, until the Society’s business here requires his attention.
Maybe I should survey the food offered here, he thinks.
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There are many dwarves at the festival; this one is standing a bit apart and seems perhaps ill-at-ease rather than festive. He gives anyone who passes too near him a somewhat wild stare and an awkward rictus smile that seems more like bared teeth than anything else. Occasionally he fingers the wayfinder that hangs around his neck, as if for reassurance. The most striking thing about him is not the multiple weapons strapped to his back-- typical for many dwarves and even some humans-- nor his armor, but rather his shaved head that sports scars that might make even the most battle-hardened veteran wince a bit. Dozens of lines, both thick and thin, crisscross his scalp and must indicate a number of grotesque past injuries.
Skirting the edges of the celebrating, he finds himself near an elf, one of the few at the gathering. He side-eyes him for several minutes before clearing his throat and finally managing a raspy, "You a 'Finder?"
"Hail Drandle Dreng" Damiel whispers to Dorn
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Spinebreaker Mountain (on link, also be sure to fill character info on slide 2.) is an obstacle course run simultaneously by two teams. It begins at the waterline for the “mountain” itself in the city reservoir, and spirals upward until competitors reach the peak. Participants line up on the southwestern landing, and six obstacles block the way, each with its own red flag. Teams score points by getting as many members as possible to the peak and by capturing flags.
Each flag is worth 10 points, and each team member to reach the peak is worth 10 points. The first person over the finish line earns 10 bonus points for her team. The competition ends when all the members of one team reach the peak or are disqualified.
• Each member of a team does not need to complete every obstacle. Some have even scaled Spinebreaker Mountain’s slick, steep walls (Climb DC 30, with 15 feet separating each tier) to reach the peak directly, but only competitors tackling an obstacle are allowed to reach that obstacle’s flag.
• Anyone falling into the water may climb out and rejoin the race anywhere they are able, though only the southwest and southeast outcroppings are level with the water.
• Any use of lethal force immediately disqualifies a competitor. Real weapons may not be carried or used during the race, though wooden practice versions of weapons that deal nonlethal damage are permitted (and are available for purchase at half the normal weapon price at several stalls in the town’s market), as are any weapons that deal nonlethal damage. Knocking an opponent unconscious is legal, but it’s considered poor sportsmanship, and unconscious team members do not need to reach the peak to end the competition.
• The use of magic is acceptable, so long as that magic aids or enhances competitors’ abilities, rather than circumvents the challenges. A competitor may transform herself into a monkey to better handle some of the obstacles, for example, but could not simply teleport to the peak. Any form of teleportation or flight immediately disqualifies a competitor.
• Competitors may steal flags from the opposing team using disarm and steal combat maneuvers, or simply claim them from unconscious competitors as a move action.
• Participants must stay on the mountain or within 15 feet of it if they fall into the reservoir below.
The first obstacle is A1, it can be crossed fastest by swimming.
Skill Check: A competitor can move through the water at half his speed as a full-round action, or at one-quarter his speed as a move action, with a successful DC 12 Swim check. Alternatively, a competitor may sidle along the adjacent stone wall at the same speeds with successful DC 12 Climb checks.
Failure: The character makes no movement progress. If he fails by 5 or more, he slips underwater and must hold his breath.
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A young man of Taldan descent meanders through the crowded market, seeking something to ward off the still present chill on the wind..Seeing others that don't look like inhabitants, he wanders over.
Blessings of the Dawnflower be upon you...I am Therin...have any of you found a place that sells coffee or tea? The stronger the better...a nice Mwangi blend would do the trick. His outfit clearly shows him to be a worshipper of Sarenrae, but carries a finely crafted sword instead of a more traditional weapon.
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The dwarf squint-grimaces at the Taldan man and scratches at his short and rather unkempt beard.
"Tea? Neh. Cof? If spiked."
He spots a very tall dwarf -- oh wait, no, that's a human doing a good impression of a dwarf-- and a half-orc. That must be the rest of the team the Society mentioned. The dwarf touches at his wayfinder again.
"'m Dorn. T'others there? We should......." a vague gesture in mid-air, "get over to t' line. For t'game. Competition. Yeh?"
He catches the eye of the half-orc and the human who is waving around a meat skewer and waves them over in a half-hearted fashion. The team eventually makes its way to the starting area, barring any obstacles, and has a chance to look over the rules.
Dorn reads them slowly, squinting, then makes a face. He slowly and reluctantly unbuckles an adamantine waraxe, another waraxe of cold iron, a silvered warhammer, a dagger, and a sling, putting them wherever the contest judges are holding participant weapons. He does stare into the face of the weapons attendant and say raspily, "They not there later? I hurt you."
When it's pointed out to him he can buy non-lethal versions of his weaponry, the dwarf pauses for a long moment, as if trying to decide if this is better or worse. In the end, he mutely goes to purchase a wooden waraxe.
With his new 'weapon' in hand, he returns to the others, frowning. "Who is good at what? I... good to climb. Good to hit. Good eyes. Not good much else."
Damiel will stores his daggers and grabs a few non-lethal club for free.
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Glorin, looking at the challenge, places his urgrosh and armor with Dorn's. "I can climb and swim," he replies to Dorn, "And I know my way around an armory."
With a grin, he goes over to the practice weapon stalls, and picks up a net, a wooden sickle, and a long wooden pole with a hook on the end (practice guisarme).
Do be careful, Therin... the sword says.
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Kaleena sees other newcomers she attributes as possible Society members/agents and walks towards them.
"Well howdy to yall. I figure wees from the same group. Yall needing help?" she says. After listening to the instructions and observing preparations for the competition she adds "I may be fairly handy in some of these tests. Now where do I get one of them wooden replicas?"
Kaleena looks around and spots a vendor selling weapons and gets a wooden short sword and small shield. She practice swings it a few times to get the feel for the sword. "Closest thing I could find for a machete plus I don't think I'm gonna find wooden versions of my boomsticks. Do you think we'll be needin rope?" She then lays down all non competition gear she has with the others. "Is our stuff gonna be safe here alone?" she asks to no one in particular.
GM do you want us to roll the checks now?
When the team is ready, Damiel will chug a extract of Expeditious Retreat and get wet...
"Can't believe I sign up for this..."
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Dorn pauses, staring at the others who have jumped into the water and are now struggling to make further progress. "...."
He shrugs after a second then begins to rummage in his pack. After a moment he retrieves his rope with its attached grappling hook.
"GLORIN," he calls, to the warrior that has reached the far side already. He starts spinning the hook end to get it some momentum before letting it fly towards the other shore. "Here!"
"Finders, grab rope. Glorin pull you," he rumbles. Much easier than trying to swim for those who struggle with such. Explore, report, cooperate.
Dorn brings up the rear in the water-- if anyone else is still having trouble swimming, he will grab them and then do a one-armed stroke for the far shore.
15' progress
30' progress
Fully across, unless helping other teammates takes more time.
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Glorin shrugs, jumping back into the water to retrieve the rope, should it be insufficient to reach shore or hook with the guisarme. Once back on shore, he holds the rope firm and helps everyone out by reeling everyone in.
"Dorn's right, we should consider our strategy together more. It's a good thing we had each other back there."
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Eventually you cross the small pond. .
The competing team also makes it to other side. Their leader tries to snatch the flag from you, but her attempt is unsuccessful.
A2: Stone columns, each slightly taller than the next, jut up from the water here, forming a sort of stairway to the next level.
Skill Check: A competitor can leap to an adjacent column with a successful DC 10 Acrobatics check, or to a column 10 feet away with a successful DC 20 Acrobatics check.
Damiel easily jumped 40ft worth of columns
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"Don't even think about it," Dorn rasps at the other dwarf, grinning a bit savagely as he yanks the flag back from her attempt. He secures it on his person, stuffing it down the front of his shirt, beneath his armor.
Seeing that Damiel has made it across quite well, Dorn once again swings the rope and the hook. "Oi! Elf! Secure it off over there, if we fall we can climb out with it."
Then he makes his own attempts.
Electing for slow and steady, given his heavy armor, the dwarf nevertheless makes it through seven columns without incident, and then one last jump to make it to solid ground.
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"I'm better at swimming and climbing anyway. Before I head across, will anyone else need me to carry them up?"
Once everyone has let him know, he starts by jumping across carefully.
Landing in the water after trying to jump to the third post, he swims the rest of the way to the rope.
Enough for 15' movement to the rope
He grabs a hold of the rope and climbs.
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The flag is tied to the northernmost column (marked with white X). Slightly taller than the others, this column requires a successful DC 23 Acrobatics check to reach, but the added height provides a +2 circumstance bonus to any character leaping from this height to either of the two
closest columns.
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Glorin swims back to post while competitors in other team laugh cheerfully "Yer eventually make it if try hard!" one shouts
Erna (added picture of her to slide) falls to reservoir when her jump is bit too short. Gnome on their team casts a spell (spellcraft DC 16) on herself and grabs a rope from her backpack while one of three leaps exceptionally long jump forward.
A3: A net is draped over this 20-foot-tall cliff face. A competitor can ascend the net at onequarter her normal speed with a successful DC 12 Climb check, or at half her normal speed with a successful DC 17 Climb check.
The flag is located atop a 20-foot-tall pole at the top of the net, which requires additional successful DC 15 Climb checks to scale. Carved from flexible wood, this pole wobbles and sways as more weight is added; increase the Climb check DC by 2 for every additional Small or Medium creature on the pole.
Bolded can act
Nope