Yes, @Salmok, it is an evergreen. And running off didn't bother me - the enemies stat blocks specified when they each tried to run away and why, so I was glad you caught one of the bosses! Stinking cowards, lol :)
Thank you everyone!
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I'll give you til the end of the week to give me your emails, then I will put it through the OSP website. Thanks all, it's been grand! Good luck to you & your characters in future adventures! <3
That is very helpful feedback, thank you!
Chronicle sheets will be posted very soon - please let me know if there is anything (purchases, faction goals, whatever) you would like me to notate. I have made a note that @Molvil bought a healing potion and silk rope. Also since this is my first time GMing Society please feel free to give any feedback - here in discussion or private message. If you really want it to be anonymous you can add text to one of the slides too. Please mention any standout good or bad/irritating things you noticed, thanks! I am going to try to use the Online Support Program, does anyone know if I need to also log the game through Paizo's website?
As your business in town is concluded, you start to pack up and say goodbye to any local friends you've made. The Gearwright Brothers offer any of your group lucrative work acting as security for their engineering contracts throughout Varisia, including mysterious locales such as Kaer Maga. Potentially more enticing is a personal invitation from Ika and Almara Delisen to join the Umbra Carnival and travel all across Avistan as part of a new family. But the Pathfinder Society awaits your report, as does the original matters you were each travelling for.
After a few days of celcration at the Circus, Sheriff Kyra returns to inform you of her investigations. "I must thank you for leaving so many of the perpetrators alive, being able to interrogate them made my investigation much more fruitful." "This is what we've determined so far" edited text from adventure showing 90% of behind the scenes info:
The Gilded Hands thieves' guild was run by Borvius and Robella Monchello, a married Chelish couple from Korvosa. In public, Borvius runs Ilsurian Storage & Hauling, a cartage company that ships goods and stores cargo, and Robella owns Mistress Robella’s Curiosity Shop just next door. In secret, they jointly controled all the serious criminal activity in Ilsurian. The Gilded Hands practiced a diverse array of illegal activities. Primarily, they fenced stolen goods seized by river and lake pirates. Ships pulled into the docks in the dead of night, and cargo was offloaded and carried underground to the guild’s headquarters, where it was later sold and distributed to buyers as if it were normal cargo. Robella also produced drugs and poisons, for which Borvius found buyers. Apparently, the guild sometimes ventured into committing crime on a local scale as well, but was very cautious about “overfeeding” on the townsfolk without having a good scapegoat. Finally, the guild sometimes accepted prisoners who had been captured for ransom. Borvius preferred to simply house them for a fee, leaving the ransoming details to the pirates. Recently, the Gilded Hands had been constrained by the size of the town itself. The guild had reached a tipping point where it dare not undertake more profitable criminal ventures without risking a strong response from me and the larger community — at least, not without a scapegoat.
The arrival of the Umbra Carnival presented just such an opportunity. With the circus in town, the Gilded Hands quickly planned to perpetrate their boldest schemes and pin the blame on carnival folk, who are seen by the townspeople as even less trustworthy than other ethnic Varisians. The day the circus arrived and started to unpack, the Monchellos dispatched spies to circulate among the curious local onlookers to search for a likely mark they could set up. Their chosen victim was of course Jherizhana. The thieves’ guild rightly assumed that if the murders appeared to be perpetrated by the sphinx, the circus would be blamed for the subsequent robberies, and for bringing such a dangerous and uncontrollable creature to town.
After sowing the seeds of mistrust with the escaped monitor lizard, the Gilded Hands began the next phase of their frame-up after the opening night’s final show. Highest on their list for robbery and murder was Archivin Walder—Ilsurian’s local moneylender and pawnbroker, and proprietor of the Locked Box. Through clever use of alchemy, the thieves’ guild staged Walder’s murder under the supervision of its two guild masters to make it look as though the Sphinx was responsible. Robella used a feral mutagen in conjunction with an enlarge extract to simulate the claw attacks of a large creature, while walking barefoot in order to leave the strange clawed tracks. Borvius staged the scene where the body would be found, and confiscated Archivin’s master key to the Locked Box vault. When morning came and news of the murder circulated, the entire guild helped to generate a rumor concerning something resembling the sphinx flying above the town in the moonlight.
When Sister Woodmere vocally shared her plan to confront the sphinx and make some divinely inspired determination of her guilt or innocence, the Monchellos (knowing her ability to detect lies or compel the truth) believed she could do it so they devised a plan to kill Sister Woodmere right inside the circus, preventing her from interfering and diverting all of the attention back on the performers. Spies watched for her to head to the circus, while cutpurses stood ready to create a diversion so Robella could assassinate her and leave the body where it would be most incriminating. The murder of Sister Esrelda was executed through good timing and teamwork on the part of the Gilded Hands, even though mistakes were made. Once Esrelda’s intentions were known, rogues from the Gilded Hands staged a distraction to draw some of the guards away from their posts by picking pockets and then raising the alarm themselves. Once the citizens checked their own purses, they coalesced into a mob—drawing carnival guards away from their regular stations. While not every circus guard was at the confrontation where your group interceded, most were suppressing other confrontations with performers and vendors. Meanwhile, Esrelda entered the tent at with the intent of speaking to Jherizhana. However, Jherizhana must have been elsewhere at the time because the tent was empty. Robella and two of her rogues, disguised as clowns, slipped inside after Esrelda and attacked. Outnumbered, they grappled the cleric and garroted her to prevent her from crying out or casting spells. Robella finished her off using her combination of feral mutagen and enlarge extract. Once Esrelda was dead, Robella left the circus by use of an invisibility extract (accidentally dropping her used vials). Her two rogues slipped out the back after unlocking the cage, and discarded their clown costumes. Braeton was already on the Gilded Hands assassination list, but by this point your group had involved themselves to the point of becoming a nuisance. The Gilded Hands were relying on the crime spree being blamed upon the carnival, but with each murder your group had cast a shadow of a doubt. The Monchellos arrived at the conclusion they’re framing the wrong individuals. Their plan was if your group could be portrayed as criminals working with the carnival to commit the crimes, then everything in relation to your investigation would be cast into doubt, and I would look like a fool for ever having cooperated with you. So Borvius staged the note on Filton's corpse to draw you into the ambush at the Braeton Manor. As one of Ilsurian’s wealthiest citizens and merchants, Braeton commanded no small authority on the town’s docks. This frequently put him at odds with Borvius’s legitimate business interests, which relied on competing river merchants who need labor and logistics. More importantly, Braeton’s business had complicated the criminal activities of the Gilded Hands—much of which dealt with smuggling and fencing goods brought to town via the docks at night. The Monchellos realized that if they acquired Braeton’s business, they would have the makings of a proper criminal empire. Even if Braeton were just killed, it would still offer the guild greater latitude with their nocturnal dockside activities - hence Braeton’s selection as the guild’s final victim. Since Braeton had no grown heirs, Borvius could buy his vessels from the town at a reduced price while maintaining the illusion of legitimacy. By the time you got to the Braeton Manor, the guild had already murdered the Braeton adults and servants, and Borvius used one of Robella’s infused extracts of disguise self on himself so he could appear as Molvil to the children, in order to trick them into being living witnesses to your alleged crimes. The plan was to stage the massacre so it appeared your group and the Braeton family killed each other. Once the rescued children incorrectly identified Molvil as one of the attackers, the frame-up would have been complete. Borvius had also come up with a cover story in case he was seen or caught, or his followers killed: the story was to be that several of his workers didn’t show up for work that day, so he (and any followers who survived the battle) innocently came looking for them, and was then attacked by your group (to explain any injuries).
The town rewards you with 800 gp for returning their properties. Sheriff Feldane and her deputies have their work cut out for them! She has enough suspicion, conviction, evidence & villians to continue where your group left off, interrogating the captors, sifting through the paper evidence, and eventually driving the remnants of the guild out of town. The Umbra Carnival is completely exonerated! True to her word, Sheriff Kyra makes time to volunteer for the dunk tank and publicly apologize to help repair the relationship between town and circus. The crowds return to the carnival and performances sell out. The town seeks a replacement for the kindhearted Sister Woodmere, as well as guardians for the Braeton children. Chelaxians and Varisians set aside their differences in an annual memorial to the victims. A greater understanding is reached, and the community grows even stronger. ...(After a few days, Sheriff Kyra returns with her report...)
Shortly after you finish searching the area, Sheriff Kyra and her deputies show up. She thanks you for gift-wrapping the enemies upstairs and listens to what you have discovered. She is both impressed and thankful for your efforts in trying to keep as many alive as would let you. "It is hard to believe such a large cancer was able to grow in our town! A murderous thieves guild with connections to the lake pirates and secret drug trade, besides! It will take a while to process all this paperwork and arrests! I would like it if you would stay in town for another 2 days or so while we finish the investigation, so we can fill you in on what we've discovered. I must admit, I am ashamed I was unable to see what was going on before my very own nose." She looks chagrinned. "I must make a public apology to Mistress Delisen. Perhaps I'll volunteer for the dunk tank." While the thieves’ guild contains many valuable trade goods, these rightfully belong to the victims. Sheriff Feldane suggests that your group be allowed to take the magic items and thieves’ personal possessions, but leave the rest to be returned to their owners—particularly the silver chalice set that belongs to the temple.
@Magdelina gives the Gearwright brothers a note to take to the Inn so they can receive food and rest while they finish up with the search and Sheriff.
D6. Night Watchmen’s Quarters (upstairs warehouse NE corner):
A cot and footlocker rest against the south wall by the eastern corner. In the opposite corner is a chair with a tray of food. D10. Barracks:
Several cots are arranged in this room, along with a small card table and chairs. On the south wall there is a door with a sliding panel built in the door at eye level. D9. Observation Room:
Looking through the sliding panel in the barracks, you see a plain 10'x10' featureless room. The door in the north wall is hidden from inside. In the ceiling is a 5'x5' chute. D12. Entrance Hall:
Stuffed training dummies line the south wall, crude faces drawn on their heads. Along the east wall are pegs mounted at eye level, some of which have a change of clothing hung on them and nicknames scrawled on the wall above. Three doors lead east, west, and north. A rope ladder hangs from the ceiling by the west door and goes up through a five-foot-wide shaft to the floor above. D13. Guild Meeting Hall:
A long wooden table sits in the center of the room, surrounded by chairs. Covering the surface are several maps and diagrams. A hand-drawn, poster-sized map of Ilsurian proper is nailed to the north wall, with many of the prominent homes and business marked. The diagrams on the table paint a grimmer portrait of the guild’s activities: sketches of Archivin Walder’s path home from the circus, notes on who should work the pickpocketing distraction at the carnival, and ideas on where to string up the body of Filton Legg. Lastly, there is a list of your group members, described in brief statements based on their appearance. Molvil's name is circled prominently. All these documents serve as hard evidence exonerating the Umbra Carnival. D14. Interrogation Chamber:
A heavy metal chair with straps mounted on high, flat armrests sits against the center of the north wall. To one side is an unlit brazier, and to the other is a small table covered with metal instruments. Two more comfortable-looking chairs sit directly across from it. D15. Detention Cells:
Three cells line the wall to the east, each containing a straw pallet and three buckets. D16. Guildmaster’s Office:
A desk sits to the south, covered in an alchemical equipment and supplies, including a logbook. A cot with an extra padded mattress rests against the far wall, a small locked chest at its foot.
The contents of the logbook list the members of the guild through the use of nicknames, detailing criminal specialties and assignments. It is unhelpful for disclosing the true names of the guild members, but does indicate how organized they were.
D17. Corridor:
A wooden ladder is bolted to the wall in this corridor, leading to a trap door to area D1. A few crates of smuggled goods are stacked to the south. D18. Onamae’s Quarters:
A padded cot sits to the south, with a platter of chicken bones picked clean sitting on the floor next to it. To the north is a large, empty crate. The stale scent of body odor permeates the air. D19. Smuggled Goods:
This room is bare except for several tall stacks of crates and boxes (including a locked box with a holy symbol on it DC10 to identify). Many of them are labeled to addresses and ports of call other than Ilsurian. This is obviously a storage area for much of the stolen property and smuggled goods the guild receives. D20. Guild Vault: The door is thick steel and designed to keep the guild honest with itself .
Ah, I forgot to uncover the large art for the female skulk and the dwarf brothers is all - you met all the NPCs, only didn't go to Robella's shop. This group definitely approached things differently than my first 2 parties! You actually triggered a lot more of the things than before. One big difference I will do in prepping for this next time I run is fleshing out the rest of the villagers a bit more - the only ones mentioned by name are the big bad couple and murder victims. I was completely caught off-guard when you guys wanted to look at Walden's accounting book at the first murder scene - that should have been able to give a clue but since those are the only villagers that exist in the module, there was no way to give a hint without giving away the whole thing. Also I don't understand the economics of business, so I don't know how accounting books work or what kind of businesses Pawn Shops would have connections with (if that wasn't obvious) lol. More research needed! It is weird the module mentions the accounting book specifically, but with zero info on what it contains.
The game is functionally over, we just have to:
I think I may have read somewhere that the Gearwright brothers can help with that check? Found it.
Repairing [the clockwork spy] is like constructing it from scratch (and requires the same skills and requirements), but costs half as much. If rescued, the brothers might provide the labor and skill if the PCs can pay for the expensive components. There’s not much time, though; the dwarves want to get back home as soon as they can.
The brothers explain that it seemed the nefarious elements of the thieves guild were kept "downstairs" (underground), and the legitimate logistics business was kept upstairs on the ground level. The broken Clockwork Spy is in the Guildmaster's Office on this level. That, and the information about the pirates, is all they know. To Nilah they explain the gist of the mechanics of the Clockwork Spy, and say they just want to go home, and sleep in their own beds with their families again.
One of the oozes leapt onto @Magdelina before Nilah scorched the rest, but Magdelina simply shakes it off into a dank corner. The dwarves introduce themselves as Barengar and Pietros Gearwright. The brothers are thin and unkempt, but otherwise in good condition besides the recent chemical burns on Pietros from the ooze swarm. Once you confirm the threat has passed, the Gearwrights explain they were passengers on a ship returning from Magnimar to Janderhoff when their vessel was attacked lake pirates. The Gearwright family specializes in clockwork engineering, a notoriously rare skill set and a fact the brothers used to make a case for being taken for ransom. This thieves' guild "The Gilded Hands" are only housing them for a prenegotiated fee from the lake pirates. Barengar thanks you for saving his brother, and offers information about a valuable magical creation that can be found in the guildmaster’s office and tells them how to open its secret compartment.
@Nilah easily burns away the rest of the globules (that aren't attached to Magdelina)
There are only a few globules left!
(Round 15)
Having lost its meal, it moves onto Magdelina.
(Round 15)
(Round 15)
(Round 14)
Nilah burns away fully half of what was left. It is now about 1/3 of the size it was upstairs. The red-headed dwarf will exit the cell as soon as Magdelina opens it, trying to get away from the swarm. (Round 14)
(Round 14)
(Round 14)
As you roll the corpse over, the key falls out of her top.
The skulks have blue-grey skin.
As soon as @Nilah exits the Entrance Hall with the dummies, the panicked screams echo straight down the stone hallway in front of her to the East.
The man directly in front of you (red hair, green shirt) has the ooze swarm moving all around him, but he is also in movement himself, trying to avoid any of them from sticking on to him. He appears to have been successful as for the moment, he's shouting at the oozes in dwarven, not maniacally laughing. If you speak Dwarven:
He's insulting the oozes mother. If ooze swarms have mothers. As soon as @Nilah (or anyone else) can progress far enough down the hall to see the man in the North cell, he will ask (in common) for you to help his brother and that "the blue girl has the keys!"
@Ejtehah - You can't tell if she's more afraid of you or your dog, but she is definitely shaken.
But that's fine because @Salmok's mighty swing catches her through a lung and she's down as well.
(Round 14)
(Round 14)
dice:
The swarm does swarm stuff - more panicked male screaming from afar. As Ejtehah's dog kills the male skulk, the lone remaining skulk lets out a barbaric scream as she tries to sword Nilah, but her rage means she isn't paying enough attention and she misses, badly, nearly hitting herself instead. (Round 14)
@Ejtehah successfully intimidates the foe, but between the dog's bite going through a leg artery and hitting the ground with such force, the male skulk is definitely out of the fight. (Round 14)
@Salmok's legacy weapon turns off completely. (Round 14)
Both skulks appear to be reassessing their chances after taking a big hit each from @Salmok
(Round 13)
dice:
The swarm does swarm stuff - more panicked male screaming from afar. But no maniacal laughter, surprisingly. The male skulk tries to slice at @Salmok, but misses. The female skulk laughs at Molvil's threat and attempts some fancy acrobatics (but fails) as she moves down to the East of @Molvil and tries to slice at her, but also misses . She sneers at the elven Professor "Tell us where Robella is and maybe we'll let you live!" (Round 13)
@Salmok's magic weapon starts to flicker.
@Magdelina you don't detect any magic in the northern corridor. Robella appears to have withdrawn, or her alchemy doesn't ping as magic - hard to tell.
(Round 13)
#truth It's weird the front half encourages nonlethality so much when the back half is so murdery. But I suppose it makes sense who your fighting - random racist villagers or a cadre of hardened thieves & murderers.
Excellent. Your mattock strikes him in the neck and and arterial gush sprays over you.
The skulks have been busy in the background the last few turns - the female one (Onamae what a pretty name) actually came downstairs once before you guys noticed and back up the rope ladder in the spare room (near Molvil at the time), but rolled 3 Natural 20s IN A ROW! Plus the timing worked out well with the doors and stuff too. Very very sneaky she is.
@Salmok takes advantage of the rogue stepping back and nearly does the man in in one hit! However, as the Oread steps forward the rogues spring their trap and two camouflaged Skulks strike out from either side of the door! dice:
The north one (female) misses, the south one (male) hits . Bryten smiles through his pain and whispers "Worth it." Once Salmok springs the trap he has 3 targets for his attack. (Round 12)
Robella disappeared at the white question mark while moving north up the corridor. You don't know if she's still in the same square or not.
@Nilah pierces through his heart and Ferdis falls to the floor, dead.
As @Magdelina comes into the hallway to heal Molvil, Daysie tries to get her attention - she smells another human and also a spicy scent like the blue man from earlier. @Molvil lands a light Magic Missile against Robella's back as she heads North up the corridor, but you don't deal enough damage to stop her from... (Round 12)
dice:
The swarm does swarm stuff. ...and Robella drinks from a small alchemical vial (that matches what you found at the murder in the Sphinx tent), throws it on the ground and... vanishes. The door to the East opens, and Salmok sees Bryten from upstairs, looking both fierce and surprised to see someone RIGHT there. He shouts "What have you done with Borvius? And Robella?" He sees your companions behind you and steps further back into the dim room beyond. With the door open you can distinguish the distant yelling as two distinct male voices with dwarvish accents. (Round 12)
Thanks for the heads up
(Round 12)
(Round 12)
Ferdis has found his courage now that he knows Robella lives, and stands to fight his enemy.
(Round 12)
(end of Round 11)
@Nilah is able to get one more glancing blow off on Robella as she retreats - but it's not enough to down her, so she attacks Ferdis to get past him. Nilah pins him against the flagstone and must have hit an organ - this guy doesn't look good.
(round 10 retcon)
(Robella round 11 turn - between "Swarm" & "?")
(Round 11)
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