[GD14] PF2e - Q21: Infernal Infiltration (P7) (Inactive)

Game Master UncleFroggy

Please dot (add a post) in here and then delete your post to add yourself to this campaign.

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Your adventure begins as you are led into a somewhat damaged shop. Discarded papers and debris have mostly been cleaned up, but the location has clearly been burglarized. As you are taken into the backrooms, you find several chairs positioned around a table.

"Would you like coffee, tea or any other refreshing beverage? Immaculate-Weaving-Under-Moonlight Nairaba and Kitsch will be with you shortly."

Please introduce yourselves

A slightly shorter than average dwarf enters the shop. He tuts and shakes his bald head slightly at the remaining mess.

”None for me,” Arwig replies. He takes one of the seats, lays his staff across his lap, and pulls out a book as he waits.

The tengu, still dressed in Tien traveler gear, sits.

"I believe I can skip the imposition as well. I believe a better question is there anything I can do for you?" Marrlow gestures around at the mess.

If he shows no protrusion yet the alteration of his flesh is obvious. His body is sewn and transformed. Fortunately, only his face is visible. Wearing a mail splint and carrying a shield on which is his coat of arms (Per pale ermine and counter ermine), a morning star hangs from his belt.

If our help is needed for justice, my morningstar his yours. What occured here?

Knowing this introduction will mark the audience, he introduces himself: My name's Namre, follower of the law.

"Ah introductions, forgot that, been on the same boat too long."

The tengu cracks his beak in a tengu equivalent of a laugh. "Call me Marrlow, let's just say I move things, and leave it there."

"Arwig," the dwarf replies without looking up from his book.

A slender, tall woman arrives, dressed in a well-fitted suit that seems to blend seamlessly with her surroundings. Anyone standing close can hear a faint whirring sound emanating from within the suit.

"Tinsley Tyler The Tamperer is what I am called. But you can just call me Tinsley. Or T4. A pleasure to meet you all!" she says with a polite nod. "It’s been quite some time since my last mission."

"And tea, please!"

Doesn't look like we'll have a 5th player.

After a few minutes, a Mwangi man and an ysoki woman enter the room. The well-dressed man begins speaking immediately. "Hello Pathfinders! I’m Immaculate-Weaving- Under-Moonlight Nairaba, head of Procurement for the Society, and this is my counterpart, Kitsch, head of Supplies. We’re extremely sorry you’ve gotten pulled into this situation on short notice, but we have a bit of a problem, and we could use your help to resolve it. You see, while we were trying to set up trade with Ravounel, some extremely rude individuals calling themselves The Silver Devils decided to barge their way in here and wreck everything. They took some gold and a few valuables, but they’ve also stolen something whose true value they probably don’t know."

Her expression serious, Kitsch speaks up. "We suspect they stole it on accident, but what they got is a cipher that contains a lot of very important information. Society business partners, trade arrangements, shipping routes, and even all known entrances to the Maze of the Open Road. This could be extremely dangerous; if that cipher is decoded, especially by Chelaxian intelligence, the Pathfinder Society in the region could begin to suffer ‘setbacks’ and ‘accidents’ across the board. Obviously, we’d strongly prefer that this not happen. These Silver Devils clearly have ties to Cheliax."

"So, to get to the heart of the matter," Nairaba says, "we really need that cipher back. We’d like you to sneak into the enemy hideout, which we’ve discovered is in a cluster of buildings near the Salt Gate of Old Kintargo, and get it back."

Kitsch straightens up, lightly waving a hand to draw the attention back to herself. "I’d like to point something out. Based on our inquiries, the Silver Council is the best thing to happen to Kintargo since its founding, and these Silver Devils are a violent reactionary force looking to drag Ravounel back into the darkness of Chelaxian rule. While we wish for the cipher to be recovered successfully, please destroy it if you have no other choice. Our priority is that it not fall into the hands of Chelaxian spies, as Cheliax is likely to use it to cause problems not just for us, but for Kintargo and all Ravounel. We really don’t want to tip the Devils off and let them know that they’ve managed to get their hands on something valuable. Caution is our best bet—after all, if they learn we’re desperate to get it back, they might just go to ground with it."

"Insofar as we’ve been advised, the cipher was being updated with information regarding contacts in Kintargo who wish to do other business with the Procurement and Supplies Division, which as you might understand is very important. Operating within this area is still rife with a certain amount of danger due to Chelaxian interference, so we keep those records secret. It just happened to be here at the wrong time."

"We have a few contacts who might enable you to infiltrate the location, and we’d prefer if you kept force to a minimum. The more force we bring to bear, after all, the more important the information may be deemed. Besides, the thieves are likely to bolt while a battle is being fought. If this information goes to ground, we might be unable to find it again, or it could just be turned directly over to Chelaxian intelligence. As we’ve said, we’d really prefer to avoid that."

Kitsch speaks up, "Should be a sealed tube, like a scroll case made of metal. A locked latch holds it closed, and it has a tiny emerald embedded at the top to help us keep track of it in the event it gets mixed in with other scrolls."

Arwig puts his book away when the briefing begins and sits with one hand to his chin as he listens.

”A fine mess indeed. Who are these contacts who may help infiltrate? That seems a good first step to me.”

I agree. That might be helpful.

"Aye, seems...well not exactly risk free, but simple enough. How should we handle any opposition? More example if we end up meeting Chelaxian intelligence retrieving the scroll?"

"Sealed tube made of metal. Easy to find, unless they are with other metal tubes..." she is worried about that possible fact. "But it has a tiny emerald, so it might be easier to find."

A final man approacues, arrivian a bit late, Dresed in a dark and silver armor, holy symbol that identify him as a membe of the Gravelady's Guard,

Greetings Fellow pathfinders, My name is Armand, Armand Aiolvalin,I had heard some about your plight, it wpuld be my pleasure to help with the task at hand as well. even if i am not that versed on this things

I'll bring the blessings of Pharasma to our group todays

"Ravounel may have been independent for many years, but there are still some who are in Kintargo see the city and Cheliax as being more orderly under Chelaxian rule." Tinsley blurts out some information she knows.

Kitsch and Nairaba continue the briefing though nothing has happened.

"We believe that the Silver Devils aren't aware of what they have. So you will need to infiltrate their base tonight. There are a few places we suggest you go to get some information."

The urgency of getting the cipher back severely restricts the time available to prepare. You have until sunset, thereby limiting you to only a couple of preparation tasks apiece.

You may each attempt 2 activities. There is no penalty for more than one PC attempting the same activity; however, any individual PC cannot attempt the same activity twice. You may, of course, come up with your own creative way of gathering intel or preparing for this mission.

Tinsley proceeds to scout the warehouse.
Scout the Warehouses: Scouting Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

She then tries to recall about the Silver Devils. She might have heard about this gang somewhere.
Gossip: Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Before I forget, please give me both checks

Arwig thinks the name Silver Devils sounds a bit familiar.

Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

And no dwarf worth his beard would pass up an opportunity to outdrink someone. Even if the idea of carousing with criminals gives him heartburn.

Fort save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Armand puts himself to the action , starting to listen to gossip and other news of interest looking for the Warehouses in the area

Scout the warehouses

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Then not the best way to earn respect but drinking with vagrants was not something that may not have worked in the past.

New recruits
Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Given Marlow's abilities, he decides to gossip around and involve a rival.

His long history of curse eating and his own connection to darker powers makes the rival-involving particularly easy.

Diplomacy, Gossip: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Intimidation, Involve a Rival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

First the noble man tries to learn elements on the enemies.

Society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Then he tries to get involved.

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

GOSSIP

Everyone except Armand head to the nearest bar and ask about the Silver Devils (discreetly of course!)

Arwig: Crit Success
Tinsley/Namre/Marrlow: Success

Edge Points: 5

SCOUT

Armand and Tinsley head next towards the docks. Tinsley learns of several structures in the gang’s territory that seem worth investigating. However, Armand locates the base, and is also able to to locate the building most likely to contain the cipher.
Tinsley: Success
Armand: Crit Success

Edge Points: 3

INVOLVE A RIVAL

Marrlow manages to convince the Burning Daggers to cause a large disturbance at around the same time the party begins their infiltration. Crit Success

Edge Points: 2

NEW RECRUITS

Namre, Arwig and Armand pretend to join the Silver Devils. Namre beats the well muscled bouncer at arm wrestling. Arwig and Armand both drink the local winos under the table. "You're all right! We'd take you to the headquarters later but there's a big meeting. Come back tomorrow and we'll let you meet the boss!"

3 successes; 3 Edge Points

Total Edge Points: 13

I'll move us along in 2 hours or so. Leaving for home...

Sunset arrives and you prepare to infiltrate the Silver Devils' base.

WELCOME TO THE INFILTRATION SUBSYSTEM

* The Infiltration consists of a series of Obstacles that you need to overcome.
* Each PC can attempt a given Obstacle once.
* Skill checks earn successes as follows: CS/S/F/CF - +2/+1/0/0
* Failures don't reduce the number of successes. They cause additional complications that the party would need to resolve.
* You can use Edge Points to convert Failures to Successes.

The Silver Devils’ main base is almost directly on the water, making entering over the river viable. The Pathfinders can hire a boat to cross the water.

This is a Group Obstacle. Anyone in the group can make an attempt. You pass the Obstacle if you achieve the number of successes needed.

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TRACKER
Round: n/a
Obstacle: WATERY ENTRANCE

Skills:
DC 12 Survival
DC 14 Diplomacy/Perception to hire a boat

Special Conditions:
* Tipping the sculler 2 gp gets a +2 bonus to the Diplomacy check

Successes: 2 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 0
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

DC 14 Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

"Let's hire a boat, much quicker!" Tinsley looks around but finds none that can fit them all.

”I hate getting wet as much as anybody, but a boat will be much more conspicuous. This looks a simple swim to me.”

Suvival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Excuse me. We’re looking for a boat to hier.

"Talking is something I am good at, I'll get us a deal."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

He looks alongside tue crew, trying to find a better way to reach the intended area

Perception dc14: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Tinsley and Namre try to find a boat but are unable to. Arwig swims across and Marrlow manages to find a boat who will take the rest of the party across. 2 AP

You get to the island. The Silver Devils have a guard post in front of their hideout where some members keep watch over their base, but they’re not very loyal and are fed up with being stuck on watch.

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TRACKER
Obstacle: GUARD POST

Skills:
DC 13 Diplomacy/Deception
DC 15 Athletics/Stealth to climb over the wall

Special Conditions:
* Bribing the guard 2gp will grant a +2 bonus to the Diplomacy/Deception check.

Successes: 2 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

Moving like a shadow, Tinsley melds with the environment as she stealthily approaches the gang’s base.
Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Tinsley becomes the shadows and easily gets past the guard post Success

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TRACKER
Obstacle: GUARD POST

Skills:
DC 13 Diplomacy/Deception
DC 15 Athletics/Stealth to climb over the wall

Special Conditions:
* Bribing the guard 2gp will grant a +2 bonus to the Diplomacy/Deception check.

Successes: 1/2 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

The noble man climbs over quietly.

Namre easily goes over the wall and the rest of you follow. With the guards none the wiser, you are faced with a large area of open ground. Unfortunately, the wooden boards of the dock are very loud if one doesn’t step carefully.

------------------
TRACKER
Obstacle: OLD SQUEAKY FLOORS

Skills:
DC 13 Stealth
DC 15 Acrobatics

Successes: 0/3 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

Marrlow, not being a stealthy fellow at all, is going to follow an expert on this task.

Just wanted you to know I was still here, but I am untrained in both skills, and my attempting a roll would not be a great idea.

If you absolutely needed to, you could roll it untrained then Edge Point the failure :)

Arwig points at each creaky board in turn, calculating which ones would be noisiest.

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

And then quickly jogs across, only stepping on silent areas.

He tries to deftly pass thru the area, its not his forte either, but the lady is with him.

Acrobatics DC15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Arwig finds the noisiest boards and avoids them. Armand manages to avoid the noisy boards and gets across. 2 successes, need 1 more

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TRACKER
Obstacle: OLD SQUEAKY FLOORS

Skills:
DC 13 Stealth
DC 15 Acrobatics

Successes: 2/3 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
Arwig
**Marrlow
Armand

Marrlow tried to be quite

Stealth, Untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

and is shockingly quite effective for someone with non-retractable claws.

Marrlow shocks everyone by flawlessly tiptoeing across the wooden dock. You realize that the headquarters is bigger than you thought. There are several buildings that the Silver Devils have taken to using, and finding the right one will save you precious time.

You're doing great. 2 more obstacles after this one

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TRACKER
Obstacle: A MAZE OF STRUCTURES

Skills:
DC 13 Survival
DC 15 Perception

Successes: 0/3 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 13
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

Armand looks on the walls and floors, also on the ceiling and roofs where are the corridors that seems to be more used

Percept DC15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Arwig deduces that gang members carrying loads of ill-gotten goods would leave deeper footprints than those without the extra weight and tries following those towards the building he assumes contains their plunder.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Marrlow looks at the maze with the eyes of a ship dweller, looking for the most efficient lines of motion.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Edge Point the failure.

Unfortunately, efficiency isn't what people design mazes for, but he does get lucky.

Armand and Arwig manage to find the correct building on their first attempt. Marrlow almost takes a wrong turn had Arwig not noticed. You enter the building and noticed that the Silver Devils have placed tripwire rigged with jingling bells at most of the entrances to the warehouse. This could alert them to someone attempting to sneak in.

------------------
TRACKER
Obstacle: TRIPWIRE

Skills:
DC 15 Stealth to avoid
DC 17 Thievery to disable
DC 17 Acrobatics

Successes: 0/4 (Group)

Awareness Points (Bad): 2
Edge Points: 12
------------------
Those with ** may go

**Namre
**Tinsley
**Arwig
**Marrlow
**Armand

Namre has none of the three skills... So +1 untrained in all.

DC 17 Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 Fail, will use Edge Point

Tinsley cartwheels and bends next to the tripwires to get past them.

Armand tries to balande about , trying to be nimble, not his strongst suit, but still.4
Acrobatics DC 17: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

it was maybe the most strange moment o have an ephiphany, but he nimbly passes the area bendoing and jumping,