I'll be happy to join if there's still space. Don't have a ton of experience with 2e yet but I think a Bounty is safe enough to try GMing.
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Dusen: The stone circle seems to be a version of Theobald's Wheel, a widely recognized symbol of the faith of Nolrand, that has been modified to resemble the Hilt and Shield, the crest of St. Kon closely associated with the Order of Beast Slayers of Saint Kon. You may also attempt the following check after perusing the prayer book you found in the chest. On the prayer book; Linguistics DC 12 or Knowledge (religion) DC 17:
The handwritten notes in the book, though largely uniform, sometimes appear to misinterpret and outright contradict the text or the doctrine of the Order of St. Kon, occasionally reaching levels of complete nonsense. You think these notes could be hiding a message in some sort of code language, but you'll need a while to decipher it. The soldier breathes in heavily, looking at Caradoc with desperate eyes. He wrinkles his nose when Jack bursts in, but pays him no heed. "Right, if you're so sure you're the ones fightin' the demons here, I'll help. But y'all keep asking me to cooperate and answer your questions, without askin' any questions. What do you want to know? What's not making' sense from your viewpoint?"
Behind the GM Screen:
Why are you looking here? Only I am supposed to see this. Go away. Maximiliano closely inspects Ilvan's reactions and expressions, clearly making the soldier uncomfortable, but can't read anything other than confusion and fright in him. "I don't understand, uhm, what do you mean you all saw me at the inn?", he interrupts the conversation on Volath. "You couldn't have, I went to sleep early yesterday, had to conserve energy for trainin'. And with that and those monsters I saw in my dreams suddenly showin' up same time as you, I can't see why you're the ones suspectin' me. I'm sorry, Caradoc and his pals, but I really want you to leave now and stop messin' with me."
Volath begrudgingly obeys Fulroth's order, slamming the unconscious stirges with his dark arms. "Tamed! A tamed demon! The gall! I'm on your side because I have no other choice, Trisnorin, remember that. I'd exorcise you if I could." Ilvan wakes up with a jolt when Caradoc comes for him, but doesn't seem to register his question. "Wha... uhm... what? I was asleep? The Saint save me, I had that awful dream about the blood-sucking insects again, Caradoc", he says even as the dwarf confronts Fulroth about his demon. He slowly stands up, but almost falls again when he notices Volath taking care of the remaining stirges. "Well shove a chicken down my throat, they're real! Wha... uhm, just what kind of fiendish plot is this? What are you trying to do to me, madmen?"
Dusen:
You are not quite sure what kind of power Fulroth used to summon Volath. The longer casting time and lack of familiar vocal or somatic gestures rules out summon monster and its variations, but the apparent ease with which Fulroth did the summoning makes it highly unlikely that this was a more complex spell of the sort of planar ally. This might be a method of summoning you've never heard of before; you're not sure. The shadowy figure slithers around Fulroth, its barely humanoid features inspecting its surroundings with appetite. "Yes, I've heard of your petty moralities so much my head could blow up... but tell me, Trisnorin, if these are your 'good people', then why did you call me? If you just want to tease me with them, I'll curse you a thousand times!"
Behind the GM Screen:
, , The bugs' unbearable buzz begins to fade into a feeble flutter as their wings give way to Dusen's magical drowsiness. Within a few moments, their hideous bodies slam into the ground, locked in whatever their equivalent of deep slumber is.
Even when it becomes clear that the stirges have been taken care of, Ilvan doesn't rise from his fetal position. In fact, he seems awfully still... and a loud snore makes you realize that he had also fallen victim to Dusen's spell!
The summoned eagle cries loudly as it tears into the stationary insect, dirtying itself with a mixture of insect and gnome blood as it rends the enemy's limbs from Max.
"This world is infested enough by lawyers and nobles, I don't need someone literally sucking my blood!", Jenkin mutters as he draws his longsword and attempts, unsuccessfully, to drive the pest away. The last enemy to act flies in a straight line and attempts to attack the cloaked Jack, grappling him and piercing his skin with its needle-like proboscis. Behind the GM Screen:
Maximiliano:
You determine that the insects are Stirges, blood-sucking pests that are common in swamps and prey on animals and defenseless travelers. You can't think of any particular weaknesses at the moment, but their blood drain is probably their most important ability to be aware of. Without thinking twice, Max mixes a couple of alchemical reagents in a small vial and chucks it at the easternmost enemy. Upon impact, the vial explodes in a burst of pale fire, hurling the unsuspecting insect to the ground as its tiny body convulses under the flames. Two of the monsters react by zooming towards the nearest targets - Jenkin and Max. Their stick-like legs point forward as the attach themselves to their prey and stab them with their long, pointed proboscis. Jenkin manages to quickly dodge out of the needle's way, but Max is just caught by his arm as it reels back from the bomb throw. He feels a sharp pain as the pest attaches itself to his body and begins to suck his blood. Behind the GM Screen:
"Have I been, uhm, to the docks?" Ilvan once again lowers his spear as he stares up into the air, lost in thoughts for a few moments. "No, guess I haven't. Spent all my time the last few days trainin' here and helping around town for the festival, you see. And, uhm, I can't say I'm much of a 'dwarf friend', though I do have a couple dwarves I'm friendly with..." Ilvan trails off as he once again looks in your direction, and starts to grin widely when his gaze lands on Caradoc. "Like this here dwarf, for example! How're things going, Caradoc old boy, it's been ages!" Ilvan moves up to shake Caradoc's hand, ignoring any threats made by Jack. "Good to see you made it here! I was hoping I could catch you at some point in the festival, seeing as we couldn't meet at the inn in the end. Say, what brings you to my little training camp, along with those strange folks? What are those clues you were mentionin'?" But before any of you can reply, the quiet of the forest is broken by the sound of buzzing and rustling leaves. Ilvan looks up at the treetops, frozen in terror, before dropping to the ground in the fetal position. "They're comin' to get me! They're comin' to take my blood!" And as the soldier shouts these words, four hideous, red, cat-sized insects fly in from within the thicket, buzzing towards you with their needle-like mouths ready to strike. Roll for initiative!:
The man is taken aback by the barrage of questions, stammering in place for a few moments before stepping forward and replying. "I--my name's Ilvan, I'm a soldier", he says with wide eyes, and you can indeed see that this is the same Ilvan you met at the inn the night before. "This is my practice area, my training grounds, I'm keeping it far from town so no one disturbs me." Ilvan lowers his spear as he speaks, but suddenly swings it in front of him as if to intimidate. "Speakin' of, this is my place! I shouldn't be the one answering the questions, you should be! I'll, uh, ask once more, who the hell are you? What are you doing here, how did you get here? Why are you touching my stuff?"
Jack easily reads the book in the local tongue, and quickly realizes that it is a prayer book or some other book of religious value dedicated to Saint Kon. The book is written in relatively archaic Litaeska, but contains extensive footnotes and references in a messy handwriting that comment on and explain the text in a simple language.
Linguistics DC 12 or Knowledge (religion) DC 17:
The handwritten notes, though largely uniform, sometimes appear to misinterpret and outright contradict the text or the doctrine of the Order of St. Kon, occasionally reaching levels of complete nonsense. You think these notes could be hiding a message in some sort of code language, but you'll need a while to decipher it. As Jack examines the book, you suddenly hear a loud gasp coming from the edge of the clearing, and turn to look at a young, lightly armored man standing at the forest's edge shakily pointing a wooden spear at you, standing about 30 feet away. "Wha... who the hell are you?"
Fulroth inspects the box closely, but it appears to be an ordinary metal case with no significant features. It rattles quietly when shaken, as if containing some small loose objects.
Following the trail of footprints is relatively simple; it doesn't seem that much, if any, effort was made to conceal them. After going around the platform a few times, the trail leads down to the muddy riverside and along the river away from town. The footprints follow the river's course for around five minutes before making a sharp turn towards a small grove of bushy green trees. You follow the trail into the grove, a quiet shaded forest alive with the murmur of bugs and birds. Though the footprints are less clear now on the harder ground and with a layer of dead leaves on the floor, you eventually arrive at a small clearing.
Knowledge (religion) DC 14: The stone circle seems to be a version of Theobald's Wheel, a widely recognized symbol of the faith of Nolrand, that has been modified to resemble the Hilt and Shield, the crest of St. Kon closely associated with the Order of Beast Slayers of Saint Kon. The chest: The chest opens with a creak. It contains a haphazardly folded suit of clothes, two more wooden swords and a wooden shield, a heavy faded tome written in Litaeska and a sealed metal box set neatly in the corner. The box is surprisingly not heavy if lifted, but it is locked tight.
Spellcraft DC 16:
The main spells used to summon outsiders are planar binding and its varieties, though the process of actually summoning and binding the outsider often involves additional spells such as magic circle and dimensional anchor. Since any slight disturbance to the magic circle would render the summoning a failure, they are usually drawn in secure and hidden places far from natural or human intervention. Jack: The bartender barely throws a look at the piece of paper before lowering his gaze and resuming washing some used silverware.
"Three nights' stay. Prepaid", he sighs, as if exasperated at the fact that you'll be staying at the inn longer. "Now, I don't know anything 'bout any other o' your shady dealings, and I ain't gonna involve myself in none of the stuff. Pretty sure your pals said somethin' 'bout going to the docks, heavens know what kinda trouble they brewin' over there."
The guard nods impassively as Jack explains the situation. "So you're one of the folks from yesterday night, yeah? I see. Wait here for a moment." The guard enters the barracks, leaving you to wait for around five minutes before he comes back. "The Marshal will see you at exactly Twelve o'clock. Do not be late, and do not consume more of the Marshal's time than is needed." Estimating it to be almost seven in the morning, you have roughly five hours to spend before your appointment with the Marshal. Meanwhile, the rest of the party makes their way to the Pirma docks. Just outside of town, the docks house a couple of piers jutting into the slowly flowing river as well as several large, empty plots probably used to load and unload goods from boats going downstream. The docks are fairly busy right now, with burly porters carrying the luggage of important visitors to the festival grounds. However, the area you're looking for seems positively barren - a long wooden platform with several empty boxes, on the very edge of which is a wide circle etched into the floor. Knowledge (arcana) DC 15: This circle indeed seems to be a focus for a conjuration ritual of sorts. The good condition of the circle leads you to believe it was never used. Perception DC 17: Looking around the circle, you notice wet footprints that have made their impression into the wooden floor. Strangely, you only identify one set of footprints going to and fro across the platform.
However, you do recall one of your Conjuration lessons, on which you were told that exorcism both of undead and outsiders is a relatively common profession in Loon, a duchy most deem "haunted". Jack travels early in the morning back uphill to the Marshal's office, but his entry is denied by a guard in chain mail. "Draușiau Upagas is busy managing the Festival's security. Unless your request is very urgent, you'll have no audience with him on the next few days."
Seeing as there are no more questions, the Marshal dismisses you with a satisfied yet tired yawn. "The innkeeper will be informed that you are staying there under custodianship of the guards. You will not be charged." The night passes uneventfully, though should you check you find that at the end of the hallway and beneath your windows, two guards are vigilantly standing watch. The next day you wake up, receiving a modestly rationed breakfast, and are left to your own devices. You were given two leads to follow up on, though you have the entire town open for you to investigate. What do you do?
Golgar takes a heavy breath and sits back down, sighing with relief that he's managed to convince you to take up his offer. "Of course there will be compensation if you complete your task successfully, for the mission itself and for the time taken from you. Now, if you'll give me just a moment...", the Marshal says as he pulls out a thick tome from one of his drawers and starts flipping through it. "Yes, the budget is a big tight because of the festival, but... 50 platinum pieces per person. And of course, earning a good reputation with the Order can get you places here in Konom. Now that we have that sorted out, I should brief you about the case at hand. The last few days, people have started reporting strange sounds at night and shadows sneaking about. Our first lead was what seemed to be a summoning circle drawn in a loading area by the Docks, but it appeared to have been abandoned before being used. Then a young couple sneaking out at night claimed to have been attacked by a strange person demanding their blood, but who disappeared as soon as they screamed for help. Finally this evening we got an anonymous letter saying that the cultists planning on summoning this demon are convening in town today, and that letter gave us detailed descriptions - of you six. This matches up with some evidence we collected at the circle and from the couple: soil infused with a strange green substance giving off an alchemical stench; a discarded, empty potion of healing labeled in Mesterran, produced in Larcania; and a broken dagger's hilt with the word Vileblood etched in it. Though this evidence seems incriminating, you've convinced me that someone might be trying to frame you, so I'm giving you this chance. You can stay at your inn tonight, though I'll be posting guards there, so do not even think about escaping. Tomorrow I expect you to start investigating. Any questions?"
Jack's harsh tirade does not seem to evoke anger in the marshal, but a grim smile. "The metal is white-hot, but it is still raw material. It may one day become a legendary weapon, but must first find a masterful smith to forge it." Golgar stands up, once again pulling out his shield shaped amulet, inspecting all of you with a heavy sigh. "The key to justice is patience, youngster. Remember that. Now, let me explain some things to you so that you may make the correct decision here. What you experienced upon being brought here is a common interrogation technique meant to quickly draw a confession out of a guilty person. I, of course, couldn't simply assume you guilty from the first moment: that would be a vicious mockery of law and justice. My suspicion notwithstanding, we do have witnesses that provided us with accurate descriptions of you as well as matching physical evidence which I cannot show you, for fear that you will destroy it. Since we do not have time for a trial right now, and we have a demonic plot in our hands, I have offered you the chance to not only prove your innocence but earn the trust of the Order as well. It may not sound pleasant to you, but such is justice and such is law. May I gain your understanding and cooperation now?"
"So you truly are a demon exorcist, from Loon no less... and you do not deny my summon-then-destroy theory? I see," the Marshal nods, handing another quickly squiggled note to his scribe. "But alas, you have made the impression upon me that you at least believe that you're innocent. Problem is, we do still have evidence against you, and evidence that there really is a diabolic plot being brewed during the Derlias Festival, so I cannot simply let you go." Golgar leans back on his chair, taking a polished shield-shaped amulet out of his shirt and pondering as he looks at his reflection. "I shall offer you a compromise", he finally says. "You will remain in town until the end of the Festival, and you will help me uncover and stop this demon worshiper plot. If you succeed, the Order of St. Kon will reward you for your work, and of course you will be free to go. And should you refuse", he shrugs, "you will remain here in the Barracks in custody until after the Festival, awaiting your trial. What do you say?"
"A demon exorcist, you say?", Golgar asks, almost smiling. "try to make your lies believable, at least. No exorcist that's unaffiliated with the Order of St. Kon would visit North Konom, it's our job to deal with outsiders around here. Unless...", the Marshal raises a single eyebrow, a glint in his eye, "Unless part of your scheme was that they summon the demon and you defeat it, get paid and share it with your pals." Golgar scribbles something on one of the parchments and hands it to his scribe. "Anyway, I agree that it would be injustice to not let you stand trial if you so staunchly deny your involvement, but we do not have the time to try you before the festival. Hmm..."
Golgar frowns, clenching his fist as he looks at Jack and Dusen. "Don't try to strong-arm me, boys. I've been hunting monsters and catching criminals before you were born, I think my word here outweighs yours." His expression then cools a bit as he seems to consider Fulroth and Max's words.
Dusen can barely reach the words 'set up' before he is tackled into his bed by a guard and has his mouth gagged. The leader nudges him up, shaking his head. "Any old idiot nowadays thinks they can chat themselves out of any situation. Mess with the bulls, you get the horns, criminal." Similarly, Jack begins to drift back to sleep when he feels himself suddenly slammed into the floor, his hands being bound behind him. "Good, might as well just confess to your crimes, scum. No innocent person has a reason not to cooperate with the law." To Jenkin's surprise, he doesn't receive a treatment nearly as bad. Though the guards keep an eye on his every move, they give him the time and space to make necessary arrangements, so long as he surrenders himself peacefully. You are all taken outside the now-silent inn, a few hundred metres and up a mild slope to the village's only fortified stone building, a grim place greeting visitors with a sign saying PIRMA BARRACKS in dark iron letters of Common and Litaeska. On the building's second floor, you are brought before a middle-aged human of a rather noble visage in studded leather clothes. "Good, you're here", he says in articulated common. "I am Draușiau Golgar Upagas, Marshal of Pirma Village. In case some of your would rather pretend you don't know why you were brought here, you are accused of blasphemous activity and disturbance of the peace for demon worship and planning to sabotage the Derlias Festival. We have eye witnesses and evidence, so do not attempt to deny the allegations." Golgar coughs as he opens a drawer and pulls out several pieces of parchment, a quill and an inkwell. "Now, if I could get your confessions in order please; the festival is starting tomorrow morning, I do not have much time. Ah, and if any of you are illiterate, you may dictate the confession to my scribe." Knowledge (local or religion) DC 17: A Draușiau is a rank in the Order of Beast Slayers of Saint Kon, the official holy order of the national religion of North Konom. Since Draușiau is quite a high rank, it is surprising that one would be a marshal in a small town such as this.
"Do not try your luck, half-elf", the leader replies to Fulroth angrily, "or we might just add some articles to your crimes." "You are accused of suspected blasphemous activity and disturbance of peace, just as it says here", he says to the sleepy Jack, pointing at the piece of parchment. "If you want to ask for details, ask the Marshal. For now, follow us peacefully." In Dusen's case, he adopts an entirely different tone. "No, do not let that one speak" he barks at his subordinates as they are about to answer his question. "We've heard of your venomous tongue, scoundrel. You're coming with me, no questions."
Maximiliano, the guards thrust their spears menacingly when you approach them but do not prevent you from preparing your extract or reading the piece of parchment. "Silence", the same one speaks again, "anything you say will be used in trial against you. Save anything you have to fend for yourself for your meeting with the Marshal." Fulroth, the two guards pointing their spears lower their weapons with visible confusion, though the third one (the one who does the talking) does not appear fazed. "I don't know what connection you might have had to that little bar brawl earlier, but we have evidence that you are a co-conspirator to the mentioned charges. If you wish to prove your innocence, do it before the Marshal."
The two gamblers' brawl grows progressively louder as it is quelled by the drunken crowd, but comes to a complete halt as soon as a serpentine creature emanating a strange aura appears between them. Before onlookers can react beyond confused murmurs, a yell breaks the silence. "Don't think that your foul intentions have passed by unnoticed", cries the soldier who had until now been deep in conversation with his dwarven friend. "The Derlias Festival is a sacred tradition of this village, and I will not let you wicked cultists defile it!" The brawlers lay down their arms, looking positively puzzled. The innkeeper helps the soldier off the table, but not before the young human can quip once more. "Damn foreigners, coming to ruin my big day. I will destroy Derlij whether you like it or not, or my name's not... uhm... Ilvan!" Caradoc only, Sense Motive DC 15:
This outburst seems very unlike Ilvan, especially as moments before he was having a pleasant conversation with you, and he didn't drink much at all tonight. The inn remains relatively quiet for the rest of the evening, after a present cleric tends to the wounded, and eventually you all retire to your inn rooms. With the exception of Caradoc, none of you who came to meet a specific individual encountered that person. Though some of you might be disturbed by that fact, you are likely too tired and confused to do anything on the matter until the next day.
Several hours later, in the dead of night, each of you one by one is startled awake by several loud bangs on your door. Before you can get up to open it, three guards burst into the room, pointing long metal spears at the occupants. "Caradoc the Armoured Medic... Dusen Viltoski... Fulroth Trisnorin... Jack Moureix... Jenkin Attray... Maximiliano Pascal... you are arrested for suspected blasphemous activity and disturbance of peace. Follow us, and do not resist", the middle guard says, handing you a piece of parchment filled with text. Litaeska: The parchment is an arrest warrant written in Litaeska and issued by the Town Marshal. The warrant includes your name as well as a detailed description of your looks and mannerisms.
The town of Pirma in central North Konom is little more than a sparse collection of houses throughout most of the year, serving mostly as a resting stop for travelers on their way downstream to Ducly. But shortly before the first harvest of the season, tents and stalls start appearing around the lakeside like mushrooms sprouting after the first rain; these are the telltale signs of the Derlias Festival, a local celebration marking the day St. Pirmus slew the foul beast Derlij where Pirma Temple now stands. Though the festival includes common attractions such as food stalls and carnival games, its main feature is a reenactment of Pirmus and Derlij's fateful duel, usually performed by a local rookie recruit in the Order of Saint Kon.
Caradoc:
You are not normally one to stray too far from home, but you had a good reason to visit Pirma in North Konom for its yearly Derlias Festival. While providing healing aid for a mercenary battery protecting a village in eastern Larcania, you met a young Litaean man named Ilvan. Ilvan was very greatful for the help you provided him; he told you he's using the experience gathered as a mercenary to join the Order of Beast Slayers of Saint Kon, and invited you to his hometown of Pirma where he'll show you around the festival. Though you don't happily take a vacation from your healer's duty, you accepted the invitation and made your way to Pirma just in time for the festival, with a stay at the Grumpy Trout Inn arranged by Ilvan. Dusen:
The breakaway of North Konom from Litae has created a lot of commotion and chaos, and where there's commotion and chaos you thrive. You managed to slip past the newly fortified border and start digging around Konom for rumours, one of which piqued your interest: the Derlias Festival in the little town of Pirma, where many peasants are going to be swapping coin and entertaining each other on the streets... a perfect opportunity for you to study human behaviour some more and out your skills to the test. You might even find time to enjoy the festival itself. You managed to trick a local waitress into not only giving you a free ride to town, but also free stay at the establishment she works in, the Grumpy Trout Inn. Fulroth:
The recent chaos Mircor has been embroiled in has been quite detrimental to you as it made wandering around the continent that much more dangerous, though it also led you to some encounters that were useful in teaching you how to control Volath better. Recently you overheard a young knight inviting a friend to a festival in Konom where he'll be staging a fight against some evil beast; after a little research, you concluded that the beast Derlij was most likely a powerful demon, perhaps even a spawn of Nakhchivan, and attending the festival could help you discover some more about the demon haunting you... or it could just be a good time. You traveled to Pirma in Konom, and for lack of a better option, decided to spend your nights at the Grumpy Trout Inn. Jack:
Though you've spent some time in Konom while it was still part of Litae and you were wandering the kingdom, you've never heard of Pirma or the Derlias Festival until a few days ago, when you heard a knock on your inn door. Ever vigilant, you carefully inspected the courier before he handed you a worn envelope - a first, as you've never received a letter before, and hadn't expected anyone to know you or your whereabouts. After making sure the letter wasn't trapped, you carefully ripped open the envelope.
Inside the envelope was also a small note with a strange drawing hastily scrabbled on it, as well as the Litaeska word for three. Wary but filled with intrigue, you resolved to follow the mysterious orders and look for the informant. Jenkin:
You've seen the hardship that war can cause, and you do not wish it upon anyone. That's why the independence declaration of North Konom has you worried; you fear that the diplomatic struggle with Litae could devolve into full-scale war, the victims of which would be the common people. Though you cannot do much to stop the worsening relations between the nations, you've decided to go survey the land and people of North Konom. Today you find yourself at the town of Pirma, just before the beginning of a popular occasion known as the Derlias Festival. Deciding that this could be a good opportunity to experience local culture firsthand and maybe sway some powerful people to your cause, you checked in for the night at the Grumpy Trout Inn. Maximiliano:
You first heard of the Derlias Festival during a free-thinker debate session on the nature of traditional celebrations against religious ones, and subsequently the morality of celebrating an act of killing. Though nothing particularly sparked your interest in the festival during those debates, a friend from the circle, a half orc ornithologist by the name of Garabi, told you that a renowned if eccentric alchemist called Trabis will be attending the festival, and suggested you arrange a meeting with him. Not seeing any reason not to take this chance, you arranged to meet Trabis at the Grumpy Trout Inn in Pirma on the first day of the festival.
The Gameplay tab is now open! Introduction post coming right up. Once you have your character alias up, just send a random message here and delete it - this is known as "dotting" and adds the campaign to your and your character's Campaigns profile tab.
You can use this thread to try out Paizo's forum formatting and stuff. We can use it for discussion once the game begins but we also have Discord for that.
Hello Partly Gang, welcome to your PbP game! I'll have some explanations about how things are gonna go here later but for now you can check out some useful threads in Online Campaigns Discussions about how to be a PbP player.
Please tell me if anything seems to be wrong or needs to be changed.
And, of course, you all deserve to try your luck at a boon! Just roll a d20. You're looking for a 19 or a 20!
The asura barely tries to dodge Tofang and Nelenna's attacks, too shaken by the monkeys' cries to react, and falls off the top of the mountain, dead. Now that the demons are gone, you have time to explore the room. The main part of interest in this chamber is the shrine in the back. A large statue of a monkey-faced man sits on a pedestal at the north end of this small shrine. The statue's arms and legs are missing, and deep scratches have been gouged into its face. Pieces of broken stone, rotting plant matter, and other assorted rubbish lie in heaps on the floor of this room. The smell of rot is particularly strong here. The statue, presumably of Ragdya, is wearing a monkey belt. Additionally, a small cabinet in the pedestal below the statue holds a richly illuminated copy of the Vigrahin Patitraka (a Vudran holy text) worth 50 gp and a handwritten journal belonging to a priest who accompanied Khiben-Sald on his travels around the Inner Sea. The rest of the hunting expedition passes without incident, and you make your way back to Absalom without any difficulty. Though Ambrus Valsin is excited to inspect any of the items you found in the lost temple, he is especially thrilled at the recovery of the journal recounting Khiben-Sald's travels. He immediately refers the log to the Society’s Vudran historians for analysis, hoping to glean information about other lost sites the Maharaja may have built or visited during his travels. Baron Rudyahm is grateful for your help in defeating his nemesis and to his son-in-law Falroun Matsanda for organizing the expedition. Finally satisfied that he avenged the friends lost on his last expedition, he retires from hunting to write his memoirs. Falroun is also overjoyed with the Pathfinders for helping him bond with his father-in-law. He assures you the game you hunted will be stuffed, mounted and sent as gifts for you to display.
Watergreen steps up and stabs the nearest demon twice. Even though she's certain her second attack connected, it doesn't leave a scratch on the tripurasura. Jeb, however, manages to punch through the asura's defenses with his blast, and it shrieks as it returns to its motionless statue state - the yellow tripurasura is defeated! The red one climbs further up the mountain, cackling as it shoots one of its arrows at Titus, but the shot zooms over Titus' head. , Just as the asura fires its shot, the temple reverberates with the wrathful screeches of monkeys that seem to originate from nowhere in particular. While it's hard to discern from the tripurasura's malicious grin, it is seemingly scared.
, The noise of three firearms going off at once shakes the temple, and all shots find their mark. However, much like Jeb's elemental blast, the bullets have difficulty in penetrating the statues' skin. The fire of Tofang's ordnance and Titus' dragonfire barrage, on the other hand, seems to scorch the enemies as intended.
I'll tell you in advance that this is the final encounter of the scenario, so good idea but seems like there'll be no need for it.
Jeb's water blast washes over the nearest statue, though it seems to bother it much less that he'd have expected. The two enemies cackle as they fire their tiny arrows at the surprised Watergreen. ,
The first statue's arrow can't make it through the shifter's light armor, but the second one hits Watergreen in the shoulder, like being stabbed by a needle. Knowledge (planes) DC 17:
These creatures are a type of asura known as Tripurasura. They are among the weakest asura, and they enjoy displaying their hatred towards divine beings.
Perception time!:
As she carefully scans the room, Nelenna notices that something is off about one of the monkey statues - it is not a monkey, but a tiny golden humanoid. She only has the time to point at it right in front of Jeb's face before a second one pops out, and the two flash a set of tiny golden teeth as they pull their golden bows, aimed at Watergreen. Initiative:
A few moments later, the woman mutters something under her breath - the appropriate swear words, you assume - and orders her lackeys to drop their loot bags. Her loot now under your possession, the woman proudly marches out of the temple and back into the now-darkening jungle. The looters' spoils consist of a coral holy symbol worth 70 gp, six jeweled tiles worth 5 gp each, and a golden apple that detects as magical. Knowledge (religion) DC 15: You recognize the holy symbol as that of Ragdya, Vudran god of monkeys. Spellcraft DC 19:
You identify the apple as an alluring golden apple. After you finish checking the loot, you continue deeper into the temple, and reach the second hall. A mosaic of a monkey-faced figure decorates the floor of this room, though the tiles that would form its eyes are missing. The north end of the room is filled with rubble blocking an arched passageway. To the west, vines and foliage intrude into the temple through an open-air balcony, while a similar balcony to the east remains relatively clear of plant life. An open archway leads south. A quick survey of the hall finds nothing else of interest, and you find that the only way to progress is through the eastern balcony, where a narrow path extends between the exterior wall of the temple and the thick web of vines and tree branches that cover the temple's walls. At either end of the path, small open-air balconies lead back into the temple. Entering through the green path's other side, a unique sight is revealed. A 20-foot-tall, high-relief sculpture of a mountain dominates the north end of this large chamber. A statue of a figure now missing its head sits in the lotus position at the mountain’s peak, while smaller statues of monkey-faced pilgrims rest on ledges farther down the mountain. Shattered pieces of yet more monkey statues litter the floor. The southern half of the room is filled with rubble, obstructing an arched passageway to the south. In the center of the room, a small enclosed shrine made of dark brown stone faces south toward the rubble. A hallway to the west leads to a balcony overrun by foliage, while a hallway to the east leads to the open balcony from which you came. GM Stuff:
"Right, right, I'll talk, just you shut up. There's something terribly evil lurking deeper in the temple; some sort of tiny golden statues. We just tried to collect our share of the temple's riches and they nearly killed us! There, now you know. Will you please let us through?"
I did see that, Tofang, I even got a mail about that. But there's no reason we won't finish before the 19th so we might as well do so anyways. Thanks for the heads up, Watergreen!
"What? No! What do you mean, afraid? You must let us pass! Move out of our way immediately, or-or else!"
The Baron helps you navigate through the Lowlands' freshwater swamp, taking the necessary precautions to drive off dangerous Malaria-carrying mosquitoes and reaching the temple's entrance shortly before sunset. The temple is surrounded by thick jungle vegetation, and its rooftop allows the occasional ray of soft sunlight to reach the surface, dimly lighting the place. "I leave you here," the baron says before you enter the temple. "If I turn around now I'll be back at the camp before too late. It was my pleasure to hunt alongside you, Pathfinders, but I must bid you farewell." With that, the Baron goes back to the nobles' hunting camp, and you enter the temple's first room. Columns line the walls of this small room, each decorated with a high-relief carving of a monkey in a different pose. Some of the monkey sculptures sit serenely in meditation or reach out with their hands as if to deliver blessings to the viewer, while others adopt more naturalistic poses. The floor is littered with decaying plant matter and mud, and the stench of rotting muck pervades the area. An open archway leads south out into the jungle, while a second leads north deeper into the temple. The room is also occupied by two muscular men carrying large leather sacks, led by a woman in light adventurer garb. The two men go for their weapons when they notice you, but the woman stops them. "Trespassers! Stop in your tracks; we got no quarrel with you. Turn back and leave, and I just might spare your lives." Sense Motive DC 15: You sense fear in the woman voice, though you're unsure fear of what.
We are very close to the end of the scenario, and the power issues that were causing my erratic posting schedule have been fixed, so I'll try to pick up the pace now and make sure the scenario is over by the deadline. Sorry for the delay up until now!
Titus makes a last second adjustment to his aim, predicting the crocotta's reflexes and catching it in the bulk of his barrage. The smell of singed fur spreads around the clearing but is immediately extinguished by Jeb's elemental blast, and when the steam clears Bomande sighs in combined disappointment and relief at the sight of the "tiger"'s corpse. "I was hoping to finish it off myself, but I guess getting help is safer. Thank you, Pathfinders." This crocotta is clearly the creature that wiped out the baron's previous expedition. It has the haunches and tail of a tiger, rather than that of a lion as most leucrottas do, and closer examination reveals a scar along the crocotta's flank left by the baron's bullet five years ago. "Let's rendezvous with Count Matsanda back at the main camp. Rest there, and tomorrow you'll set off toward the Urapangi Lowlands. The swamp on the way is difficult to navigate. I guess I can take a day off from the hunt to help you find you way there; want me to accompany you?"
Tofang, you immediately recognize that the creature is not a tiger, but a Crocotta, specifically a Jalmeri crocotta. ,
As a wayang, Tofang can see the crocotta just fine through the darkness and land an accurate shot. It roars in pain, but does not set its sights off Baron Rudyahm, whose shot grazes the creature. Taking the spot left vacant by the baron, the crocotta finishes climbing up to the southeastern machan and attempts to bite Bomande furiously, but he sidesteps the attack.
GM Stuff:
You all wait patiently in your machans as darkness descends on Jalmeray. The night is pitch black, with only the clearing remaining dimly lit by moonlight. About an hour after night falls, you suddenly hear a call for help from the east of the clearing. "Ah, my goodness, no! Baron Rudyahm, please, help!", Count Matsanda cries. Titus, you see the Baron's eyes narrowing as he draws his musket. "The camp is a good hour away, and upstream, not downstream," he whispers. "Falroun has no reason to be here right now. Whatever this is, it's not Count Matsanda; be on your guard." Both of you remain motionless, and not a minute later, a figure leaps out of the brush and dashes towards your machan. It climbs the tree quickly, and both its front limbs are already on the wooden platform by the time you can react. Baron Rudyahm is shocked for a moment, but braces. "It's the tiger! Let me kill it!" Initiative:
The cobra hisses in pain as three firearms and aimed and fired at it, easily piercing its tough scales. Frightened and nearly dead, it slithers deep into the jungle.
Within a few minutes, the porters all return from their hiding places, and after making sure no one is too terribly hurt or missing, you continue on the jungle trail. A few hours after your encounter with the snake, you reach a place where a small stream crosses the trail. Baron Rudyahm explains, "This is the stream me and my friends were following when the tiger ambushed us 5 years ago. We should break off from the trail to find the tiger's territory." Count Matsanda declines to accompany you baron any further. He and the porters take the elephant half a day farther down the trail to a hunting lodge outpost, where they can wait in safety for the baron to finish his hunt. After following the stream for an hour, The jungle opens up into a wide grassy clearing bisected by the shallow, burbling stream. In the center of the clearing lies the partially eaten carcass of a gaur. Its throat has been torn open, and the grass all around the dead bison is covered in dried, sticky blood. "Good! This is where we'll set up the ambush. The kill is fresh, so the bastard will most likely return to finish its meal later tonight." The aging hunter instructs you on how to set up machans - a type of portable hunter’s blind - in the trees around the clearing. The machans are mounted 20 feet up in the lower branches of the trees and camouflaged by branches and leaves. A machan can hold up to three medium creatures comfortably, though it is not sturdy enough to provide effective cover during combat. Once the machans are in place, the baron directs you to climb into the machans and wait for the tiger to return. "You should avoid descending once night falls, unless it's your wish to come face to face with the angry tiger in the dark." Ascending the rope ladders to a machan requires a successful DC 10 Climb check, and climbing the tree without a ladder instead requires a successful DC 15 Climb check.
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