[ACO] PF2e - 03-04 and 03-07 (Cheliax Arc; P1)

Game Master UncleFroggy

You can give me both checks for Day 1. No penalties for reusing a skill. I will allow other skills if you can make it fit.

You actually need 10 RP over the course of the 2 days. And just for those who didn't want to show Arnisant some love earlier, there would have been a reduction in the DC if half of you petted him... :)

Slipp, determined to avoid the horror of books where possible does what they can to distract themselves and Arnisant. "We don't need no stinkin books do we?"

diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16

Huh tries again, although Goblins and dogs have never been the best friends - indeed the relationship quite strained he convinces himself that the dog is basically like his favourite little bear...

Nature 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Sharing rations and patting the dog and being friendo's clearly pays off.

Buford looks at the maps, and makes some notes on his arm.

Crafting: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

"Anyone got some paper?"

After taking a small break and eating his bacon and cheese sandwich, he'll see if the dog, the hound, has anything to say.

Nature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

After lunch, Nic returns to the map room.

Scouting Lore check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

He can't find anything else useful, though.

BK grumbles to him self but tries to make nice to the dog on Day 2 by playing fun doggie music. Rejecting his favorite doggies song as inappropriate and tossing out Hound Dog, he decides on Me and You and a Dog Named Boo and How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25
diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26

Nyak Nyak, which ones are you doing? You'll need to explain how Arcana/Occultism would work :)

After the first day of research, you learn of:

* the recent political turmoil in Cheliax due to the Silver Ravens’ rise in Kintargo and the failure of the Glorious Reclamation’s attempts to gain a foothold in the Chelaxian heartlands. Despite the utter defeat of the Glorious Reclamation in the field of battle, Varian’s notes theorize several local revolutionaries escaped execution and are in hiding.

* Count Jeggare’s notes often refer to the attempts to reopen Delvehaven in Westcrown and point to how well his roses have bloomed all over Cheliax despite only having the Grinning Pixie as the counterpoint to Greensteeples. He has multiple references to a hidden Davian heiress and how her discovery sets alight new suspicions on the Thrune approved history of Cheliax. You uncover several plans the Count has yet to set in motion to further investigate a possible library hidden in Delvehaven’s chambers.

* Alongside dogeared notes regarding the Glorious Reclamation you find Varian has made notes in the margins to call out how recent attacks on known Hellknight and political leaders throughout Egorian have made his own undercover operations much more difficult and threatens the secrecy of his roses. While the culprits chose high-ranking or particularly diabolical targets, their purely fanatical attacks are likely, in Varian’s view, causing undue risk to Egorian’s populace and sets the revolutionary agenda back years as the government escalates internal security in response.

Map room is done. Nic, you may redo your skill check in a different location.

I'll wait for Nyak Nyak's response and Nic's new check just so I don't lose track of what's going on.

Nyak Nyak tries to find out if the Count was dealing with arcane or occultish forces. Best way to get an advantage...

...Huh is probably going to stick with the dog, still the lesser of two evils over this whole reading business!

Slipp is totally in agreement with Huh about reading. Sensing a fellow distruster of The Word, Slipp moves over a bit to allow the goblin to also pet Arnisant.

The halfling heads to the library, even though scholarship isn't his strong point.

Society check, T: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

He doesn't find anything, but manages to keep from doing anything counterproductive.

BK is more interested in checking out the talking roses. What can he tell about them after examining them.

"Where is this Grinning Pixie place? And Delvehaven? Is that near here? It's not really a subtle code; these roses must be operatives of his and maybe the actual roses are used to contact them."

Nyak Nyak hits the books and discovers a bit of info about Varian's research.

You further learn:

* On one of the maps of Egorian and the hinterlands around the capital city, you discover a small roadside inn near the Southgate circled with a note stating "Nan at the Southgate Inn can always be trusted." On the same map, Varian marked off several of the nearby abandoned forts around the city, noting they seem to have become illegally occupied by mercenaries or squatters.

You call it a day of successful researching and retire for the night. The next morning, while having breakfast, the bell at the entrance gives its report to announce a patrol from the City Guard. They’ve come to Greensteeples to call on the count. Benedet goes out to distract them and give a well-rehearsed alibi for the missing Varian.

At least 3 of you must succeed at a DC 15 Stealth check or suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to your remaining 2 research checks. Alternatively, if one of you makes a DC 17 Deception check to create a distraction, you don't need to make the Stealth check

TL;DR:
DC 15 Stealth or take a -2 penalty to your research checks (3+ successes)
OR
DC 17 Deception to cause a distraction (1 success. Making this check eliminates the need for the Stealth checks)

Nyak Nyak tries to hide. Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 "I know something about disappearing..."

Slipp just buries themselves in Arnisant's fur.
stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Oddly enough their odd coloration seems to mesh well with the big wolf-hound.

Deception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Huh starts making 'small talk' which consists of asking apparently unending inane comments and questions - everything from asking where their equipment was made, to whether they serve treacle with the gruel in the breakfast meals at the barracks - incessant, inane, and pure 'Goblin' as he smiles along with the grin of an unsupervised dolt.

deception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

*ack* reroll!

deception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

BK, I think Huh's single success is all we needed.

Slipp buries themself in Arnisant and Nyak Nyak attempts to hide. Both efforts are successful but the City Guards end up getting frustrated by a goblin complaining about breakfast. They go away in a huff.

Yes, keep the hero point, BK

Go ahead and give me the last two checks. Research and Arnisant are the only 2 left available.

Society check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Nic continues to come up empty that morning.

While playing with Arsinant, Slipp spends some time following the great hound around the building, playing hide and seek.

nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Buford tries his best to get comfortable and read as much as he can in the library.

Society: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

But the dang couches in there are too lumpy. He tries to get his frustration out by playing with the dog.

Nature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

Nyak Nyak tries to look up if the Baron was into any occult activities.
"Demons and Devils and other nasty things..." she says.

Occultism: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Occultism: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Yes, keep the hero point, BK

Go ahead and give me the last two checks. Research and Arnisant are the only 2 left available.

Thanks. What two checks are you asking for? BK made 4 checks for the two days, so I think he is up to date. Let me know if I still need to make any more checks.

Yes, BK is done.

That actually looks like all the checks done... I cant beat a 30 nature off a nat 20 :p

Waiting to see whether I need to make a second check for the afternoon.

Well I dont have those skills, and the dog is maxed out

You manage to find the last piece of the puzzle in one of the Count's books.

* You find a note ripped from the Count’s own diary hidden in a copy of a book called Bestiary of Garund that says "The reformer sniffed from one of my roses. We will meet at Nan’s."

You present your findings to Benedet. "Then your best bet is to meet at the Southgate Inn then. I have some items to help you on your journey."

Benedet offers you the following items and bids you to choose five in any combination:

* moderate tanglefoot bag
* moderate thunderstone
* lesser healing potion

Alternatively, they have a single moderate healing potion instead of the 5 items.

"Southgate it is then" the armoured goblin looks set to head out, keen to be away from a library.

Huh indicates he'd appreciate one of the lesser healing potions.

Slipp pockets a thunderstone as the group makes ready to head off to the inn.

Before leaving they make sure to give the great wolfhound another pat. "Good lad."

"With you lot better get more healing," Nyak Nyak says. She picks up a lesser healing potion.

Does each player get 5, or the group. I assume the group and BK will snag a moderate tanglefoot bag 'bomb'.

"Thanks. Off to Southgate then, to meet up with this 'Nan'."

Not willing to let his predictions go he asks once again, now that they are alone, "Is that by the ocean? Did he leave on a mount?"

"A lesser healing potion for me, please."

Buford Oxcatcher will gladly go without.

Provisions in hand you prepare to leave the next morning. While enjoying another delicious dinner, you are interrupted by a pounding at the front door where the city guard is demanding entry. Benedet bundles you out of a secret passage hidden in the kitchen wine cellar that leads to the Egorian sewers. A map they provide details how you can avoid any of the city’s underground denizens on a clear path that leads past the Southgate on the other side of the city, far from Greensteeples.

The inn is located along the road leading to the Southgate on Egorian’s south side. Benedet’s map leads you through the sewers to a drainage pipe that drains into the ditch next to the South road just as it’s traveling through the Southgate. The road out of Egorian isn’t nearly as well guarded as the way in, so no one stops you to investigate their paperwork or ask questions. You proceed unaccosted to the Southgate Inn, albeit a little bit more fragrant.

For a roadside inn, Southgate Inn is spacious. The inn boasts a full stable, savory smells of good food, a large fountain courtyard, and more than a dozen beds for weary travelers. Unlike the other roadside businesses near the Southgate, the Southgate Inn’s courtyard and fountain are clean and well-maintained and the structure shows little of the disregard of its neighbors.

Inside the inn, a cheerful tiefling woman tends bar and directs her servers to help the few guests in the taproom. A pair of road-weary travelers share beers and stories in the thick cushioned chairs near the fireplace, while a portly dwarven merchant drinks from a flagon at the bar. Two servers, a halfling woman of advanced years and a young human girl, are cleaning the tables opposite the bar.

"Welcome to Southgate," the tiefling woman calls out in a well-rehearsed greeting. "Come on in and let us get the road off of o’ ya."

Wrinkling their rather sensitive nose Slipp nods enthusiastically at the tiefling woman.

"A bath! A bath! A bath, and then food." they cry out in mock horror at the situation they find themselves in.

"An ale and pie for the Goblin and some bones for the bear?" Huh grins broadly "My grandmother was such a good pie cook, Nan could always be trusted"

"Now.. some luxury! Could you throw in a manicure? My nails are getting a bit wild..." Nyak Nyak says.

BK approaches the bartender and introduces himself.

"I am Banterknell, performer and wandering bard. May I play for a drink? And your name is?"

Nic smiles a greeting and enters behind the more flamboyant party members.

"Nincia, though I go by Nan to my regulars. Find a seat and I'll come 'round to take your order!"

"Sounds delightful. I am working on a tune called 'the red roses', but unfortunately it is not complete yet."

BK takes a seat and encourages the others to join him.

Perception check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

"It looks like there's been some fighting here recently, ma'am. Does that sort of thing happen often?"

Nyak Nyak sits down as well. "A lady could use some luxury..." Nyak Nyak cackles.

[Dice=Perception check]1d20 + 10

"It looks like there's been some fighting here recently, ma'am. Does that sort of thing happen often?"

"Not often, but it does happen. A couple of drunks got into it last night. So what can I getcha?"

Sorry. I lost home internet service last night.

"Pineapple juice. And do you have any of those umbrellas?"

"Sure thing. What's an 'umbrella'? Anyone else want anything?" Nan asks.

Slipp emerges from their bath, feeling much more relaxed. While the others have drinks, the small gnome takes out a small silver flute and starts to play...

perform: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21