Kilimaro's page

Beezhul may not have been the most interesting storyteller while trying to summarize the Pathfinders day so far to Jalal, but fortunately for the kholo, others had already done the work of getting this merchant interested in the story. "My, my, you will have to come back and tell me when you are done, so that I know how it ends! Will you set fire to the ship? Oh, to think there will be excitement later and I'll already know what it's about!"

Jalal unclasps the pendant and takes it from the silver chain, which he passes to you, still talking to himself, "Being commanded by an already-bound genie, what an innovation!"

As you step away from the bookseller's stall, Melika regards you, impressed. "And here I was going to tell you that Firrah is going into the Zho Mountains next, where Jalal's grandmother was from. You didn't even need to know that for him to like you!" She considers her paper again. "We better get you to Ary next, she's the only other one who's got metal today."

You shove your way through the crowded market again. As the day goes along, it draws more of a crowd as people who slept through the morning hours start to get their business done. Melika again does not lead you into an ambush.

Fighting through the crowds, you are led to a tiny shop where metal ranging from refined silverware to sturdy iron pokers rest on shelves and hooks along the back wall. Everything in here is decorated with intricate patterns. Behind the counter, a gnome with strong arms and a mane of untamed, deep-green hair absentmindedly inspects a leaf-shaped earring, visibly dissatisfied with the result. She looks at a tall iron carafe displayed prominently on a small, raised shelf and sighs.

Hearing you enter, she turns, her face lighting up with a wide, welcoming smile. “Welcome to First World Metalworks. My name's Ary, and I imagine it, you buy it!”

Hero point refresh: Beezhul, Sabrael, and Xavier have each used one hero point. I'll roll a d6, 1-2 Beezhul, 3-4 Sabrael, 5-6 Xavier. HP Refresh: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Sabrael is back to two hero points.

What do you have to say to Ary as you seek your final item, a cold iron carafe?

The team seems to be set on melee, so I'm leaning towards trying the bard for the beginner box as long as neither Kemiko nor Lilythium had their hearts set on that class. Then if we move on to other adventures I can re-evaluate whether something else would fit better.

For a moment, it seems as though Jalal the bookseller might bristle in response to being asked about the silver chain, but when he looks at the harmlessly cute leshy, he just can't get too worked up about people coming in and trying to get him to give up his chain.

Still, the man shakes his head at first. "You are quite well-informed, this is a gift from my grandmother. Who told you that, Elyon? I always wondered if he was even listening to me." Jalal laughs. He looks to Brimly, who pronounced a word close enough to "hostages," then to Xavier, who said something about rescuing compatriots. And then there's Beezhul, summing up that all of this is being done on orders from a genie.

"Well, now, that sounds like quite a tale you are in the middle of. I also got my love of stories from my grandmother, you know... why don't you tell me about all of this? It's not every day one gets to play a bit part in a Pathfinder rescue that involves a genie giving commands."

Separate listed solutions for this trade are Society/Performance "to share an interesting story" and Diplomacy mentioning that "the chain can be used to free the imprisoned Pathfinders." I'm going to count Bloody Whispers's Diplomacy as the needed success to have Jalal willing to give up the chain. You all have combined these in an interesting way.

I think it would be more fun if one of you tells the whole story instead of my summarizing it in a sentence and moving us on. Give Jalal a good one to tell everyone he meets! I'll move us along in my next update either way as you have effectively completed this step.

"I could not tell you anything about the cold iron container," Elyon replies to Bloody Whispers, "but I have seen Jalal the bookseller wearing an interesting silver chain as a necklace. I wonder if he'll let you have it, he told me it's a gift from his grandmother. You might have to use your powers of persuasion again." The glassmaker chuckles at his misfortune, giving you a wave as you depart.

I will just assume that the party will follow this nudge rather than wait for three PCs to specifically state it. So...

Melika leads you through the market again, continuing not to lead you into some kind of alley ambush like some of you suspected. After a short walk fighting past some crowds you arrive at a long, curved stall nestled snugly next to a large fountain where children play. Books of different sizes cover every surface, leaving just a little space for a simple wooden box displaying metal bookmarks. Within the stall, a Keleshite man hums happily. Streaks of silver in his well-groomed beard mirror a silver chain with the symbol of Sarenrae clasped around his neck.

Suddenly aware of customers, he smiles warmly. “Ah, travelers! You won’t find better stories in all of Qadira! How can Jalal assist you?”

How do you respond to the bookseller?

Beezhul's simple advice does not penetrate the stubbornness with which Elyon is holding his grudge against the tincture maker.

It takes Xavier's more direct approach to get the job done. With the same deft touch that might come in handy disarming a trap (or picking a pocket when Beezhul isn't looking,) he plucks the thorn out of the shopkeeper's arm.

"Oh, that does feel better," Elyon says when Xavier has finished. He chuckles sheepishly. "I should have known better than to get that thorn in me. I should have realized it was a thorn! My, how embarrassing. A younger man's mistake."

The elven man moves over to the shelf with the stopper and plucks it off, handing it to the Pathfinders. "Consider that my payment for the consultation fee." Before bidding you good-bye, he remembers what Xavier had initially asked about. "What else was it you were seeking here?"

Brass stopper acquired! Elyon may have more information before you leave.

Just to confirm, it would have to be a medicine check to remove the thorn? Casting Heal wouldn’t be enough?

The scenario does not suggest a heal spell as one of the solutions. It seems to be more about being extremely uncomfortable than it is about missing hit points.

If the rest of the party had struck out on the other checks, I would think about giving you that one. Since Xavier has had a success on Medicine with his hero point, I think it'll be easiest to just go with that and move forward. This is a check that just needs one success, it's not an "X number of successes by the party" challenge.

Elyon seems a little bewildered at the direct and intense interest of Brimly and Beezhul in the stopper. "Hmm, yes, it is a very n-n-nice stopper, isn't it? B-b-b-but I just c-c-couldn't part with it on its own, it goes with that d-d-decanter, you see," he pauses to shiver, but also to size up this group and decide about your collective net worth, "and I don't think you c-c-could pay that p-p-price."

The merchant turns to Xavier. "Oh, this?" Elyon slowly waggles his numb figures. "I was handling a c-c-c-calathgar the other d-d-day, you know they leave you with a lingering c-c-c-cold." He frowns. "That fool Lissom was s-s-s-supposed to deliver me a p-p-poultice by now, b-b-but he got offended I referred to his "folksy remedies." For the moment, the cold feeling seems to be forgotten as he recalls this grudge. He concludes, indignantly, "Apparently, he can freely insult my crystal vials but I cannot return the favor." Winding down this rant, he shivers again.

Sabrael, listening to this explanation of the situation, thinks that something is not quite right here. Just being near the calathgar wouldn't have been enough to cause this kind of lingering cold. Elyon must have ended up with a thorn stuck in him. And, struck by that insight, Sabrael catches a glimpse of a particularly frostbitten part of Elyon's forearm. He concludes that the thorn must be there. Nature was the skill that applied on that RK. You do not get any inkling of magic in the area of the thorn.

Perhaps clearing up Elyon's medical condition would change his stance about the stopper.

Addressing Elyon's problem with the calathgar thorn that he doesn't know is stuck in his skin could involve:
DC 18 Medicine to remove the thorn yourself
DC 18 Diplomacy to Make an Impression to convince Elyon to apologize to the poultice-maker Lissom
There are also some unsavory suggestions by the scenario that would offend Beezhul, so I won't bring those up unless you strike out on these.

You can decide later on, but would there be any interest in continuing beyond the Beginner Box to Troubles in Grayce (going from Lvl 2 to Lvl 5) and possibly even beyond (there's an AP coming out that will go from Lvl 5 to 15) -- yes, I know it's a monumental undertaking...

Not to get carried away before we get through the Beginner Box but I've been looking for a regular long-term game for a while now so I am broadly interested if this ends up expanding into the follow-up adventures.

Following their intuition that they might be able to find one of the items they need at a shop advertising metals and gems, the Pathfinders head to the Glittering Prisms shop.

The thin stall is covered with elegant crystal creations. The glow of an everlight crystal creates multicolored beams as the warm light bounces off beautiful earrings, delicate figurines, and thin vials. Topping an elegant decanter, a brass stopper stands out like a setting sun atop a crystal waterfall.

Sitting on the left side of the stall, a shivering elf covered in a heavy robe looks up and smiles.

“Welcome to the G-g-glittering Prisms,” he says, his teeth chattering as he rubs his blue-tinged fingers together. Looking closer at who has come in, he spots your wayfinders. "Ah, P-p-pathff-f-f-inders. It's not every day I have the p-p-pleasure. My n-n-name is Elyon, the p-p-proprietor here."

Say, weren't you supposed to get a brass stopper? What do you have to say to Elyon?

The ship is undergoing repairs though. Who knows, maybe the Pathfinders can convince the repair crew to create a few leaks so the ship goes down for good? What Safa seems to be looking for is that the ship never sails again.

Safa's request was not just that the ship be sunk but that it be sunk in a dramatic, public way, so that everyone will know the Iron Ring got scattered. "Let it quietly sink" is not good enough for them.

The scenario's goal is to burn the ship. I think we can play along with the spirit of that idea; I won't insist on holding to the letter of it. An alternate idea would need to be pretty good. I'm sure you all can come up with one that works.

Well from what lilythium told me they're all going to use pregens (the PCs on RPG Chronicles aren't legal for this -- greater than lvl 1). What they're playing is unknown to me. Tessa and Fae are Enchanter Tim and Chadius respectively...

If the other three people are playing the pregens, then I will take the unclaimed pregen, or maybe build out my own guy of that class with very similar stats but a different name.

With the Pathfinders lingering after her implicit dismissal, Raha Shul sniffs. "What, you didn't think I had these items already, did you? Now, be off with you. I've real business to attend to."

Melika coughs behind you and you leave the area of Raha Shul's stall. Neatly printed on the girl's little handout:

Jalal’s Books: Spellbinding stories and bookbinding of the finest quality
First World Metalworks by Ary: Visiting her stall is just like stepping through a portal to the world of the fey
Firrah’s Expeditions: Purveyor of fine goods and silks. Here for only a limited time!
Glittering Prisms: Metals, gems, and glassware by the talented Elyon.
Drawn to Scale: For all your mapmaking needs, ask Basu.
Tinctures and Tonics: A craft almost as old as Lissom himself!
Dreams of Prada Hanam: Seek wisdom and potions from Raha Shul, the astounding arcanist.

She looks over another copy of her own little advertisement. "Who do you all think looks good?"

Apologies for not emphasizing this more clearly before: The items you were directed to acquire are elsewhere in the market. Raha Shul would have taken them in trade if you had gotten them all and brought them to her. As the party has gotten wise to her greed, you won't be able to use her as a resource to help you find the items. There are other options available.

To the first accusation from Bloody Whispers that she is only going to re-sell the items to another would-be genie binder, Raha Shul reacts with mock outrage. "What, me? Surely you do not think I would associate with such unsavory types?"

With a nod to Xavier, she continues, "We could stand to see a lot more poetic vengeance in this world."

As Kelumur adds his own outrage, though, she grins and raises her hands in a feigned surrender. "Yes, of course, you got me. The merchant is going to try to receive a profit. Grand manors don't build themselves, you know."

Looking at the rest of you now that her motive has been revealed she says, "Well? If you won't trade them to me, I suppose we've no business to conduct." Sighing, she adds off-handedly, "I guess you'll have to find out for yourselves who's selling your things."

A few steps behind you, Melika stands. She holds up her advertisement sheet with a smile.

Raha Shul will not help you any further if you aren't going to trade with her. What do you want to do to get what you need out of the Overmarket?

Hello everyone! Lilythium told me this group was looking for one more and Tiger brought me in, so here I am. I know I'm late to the party here so I'm happy to try to fill based on what everyone is already playing. If any of the pregens are up for grabs, I might go for one of those, otherwise I'll just go hit up Pathbuilder and see what inspiration strikes.

As Beezhul lists off the items that Safa has directed the Pathfinders to acquire, Raha Shul taps her index finger against her nose thoughtfully. "Hmm, yes, whoever it was who sent you to me was wise indeed," she replies. "These items are, on their own, harmless." The merchant nods to Xavier, who was trying to puzzle out how the pieces fit together.

"However, for one possessed of sufficient skill, gold, and nerve, they might be imbued with magic such that even an untrained fool could bind a genie." She laughs. "The bottle alone might allow that same fool to trap a genie, but the genie would quickly escape and its vengeance would be swift. It is the chain and the stopper, made of cold iron and silver just so, as you said, that bring the whole thing together."

She glances around at what is available in her shop. "Of course, I would be pleased to trade some of my alchemical items to you in order to get these items out of circulation, before someone less scrupulous than you comes along looking for them."

Sabrael, I read over your suggested ideas yesterday and some of what you've touched upon is kind of beyond the boundaries of what's in the scenario here, while others are just beyond what I know about Golarion. So, I took a little time to check up on some lore with Sedeq and Qadira to see where there can be improvisation. Here are my thoughts.

- On trying to turn the Satrapian Guard against the pirates: What happened there was by switching the gift, you caused Azam to insult the Guard Captain lady. She doesn't really care whether the feast was sabotaged or who did it. I would also say that the Guard is unlikely to be motivated to go against the pirates by saying they're slavers. That's not going to bring the law against them by default in this place.

- On trying to learn Safa's binder's name: There is not a mechanic for this in the scenario and I would prefer not to improvise one here. There is more to come regarding this individual's efforts to disrupt the Pathfinder Society in Qadira in the informal part two of this little arc. I'm planning to run that one (3-12 Fury's Toll) in the fall's Gameday event on these forums. Players from this game will have first dibs on those spots if they wish. So, I don't want to give it away in this game where it's not meant to be given away.

- On alternate ideas of what to do with the ship: You did hear from Safa that the ship is currently undergoing repairs, so the "let the captives sail the ship away" is something you would suspect is not an option. I think Safa would accept alternate solutions for their defiant objective (burn down the pirate ship) and there can be some more discussion about that once the party is there and sees what is going on with that situation.

Let me know if you've got any thoughts or questions. I'm happy as a GM to see people engaging with the plot of the scenario.

Melika takes Sabrael's direct accusation of wanting to lead them into a trap in stride, laughing before replying, "What kind of a city do you think this is? That would be such a bad way to get repeat business."

Observing this girl, who appears to be about 12 years old, Xavier concludes that she seems to be what she presents herself to be, a street urchin of some kind who is boldly engaged in a very small-time entrepreneurial activity rather than being drawn into some kind of criminal element for the city.

The scamp's eyes do grow wide at the sight of Sabrael's silver. "I just knew this was going to be a great day," she says. Considering Beezhul's and Brimly's statements about the group's goals, she continues, "You're looking for Raha Shul, you said? Someone informed you well, if anyone's going to know more about the specialty items, that's where you'd want to go. And I can save you the trouble of having to wander this whole place having to ask for directions. Some of these people don't even speak Taldan!"

She defiantly hands a little paper to Sabrael, as if this will further answer any suspicions. It's a simple advertisement listing a number of merchants in the market and what kinds of things they sell. In addition to Raha Shul, whose shop "Dreams of Prada Haram" is advertised with "wisdom and potions from the astounding arcanist!" there are also listings for a mapmaker, metalworker, fabric seller, bookbinder (and storyteller!), gems and glassware, and tonics. It might have taken you a long time to track these things down on your own.

After a few minutes of walking, avoiding bumping into a crowd of pedestrians who don't seem to care how much space they're taking up, Melika leads you to the Dreams of Prada Haram shop. This is a colorful stall filled with pendants, potions, and the sweet scent of innumerable spices. Behind the counter, a dignified woman dressed in elegant Jalmeri fashion smiles and holds out her hands in a welcoming gesture. “I am Raha Shul, purveyor of mystic gifts for the wise. Or perhaps you seek a cure to what ails you?” She delivers a small bow.

The woman, Raha Shul, smiles as she notices Melika. "Ah, my little friend has brought me more business!" The girl beams proudly at being noticed and remembered. Raha Shul turns back to the Pathfinders. "Now, then, what may this humble merchant help you find?"

You have been led to Raha Shul, who Safa directed you to locate. What would you like to do next?

With some back and forth continuing about thorny moral questions like whether it's wrong to fight some pirates if you're ultimately doing the bidding of an evil genie binder, the Pathfinders make themselves scarce from the park where Azam's now-scattered celebration was taking place and head towards the Overmarket.

The round plaza of the Overmarket is crowded but well kept. Long, curved stalls surround an imposing fountain in the middle of the market. On the eastern side of the plaza, an empty wooden auction platform stands as a grim reminder of the cruel practices that continue in the city. Sitting cross-legged nearby, a young girl displays a handmade sign proudly stating:

Melika, local guide, two copper pieces

Art for this girl is now available on Slide 5. I am not actually going to mark off two copper pieces on anyone's chronicle if you choose to take up her services.

She jumps to her feet as she sees you approach and waves at you as she walks up to your group. "You look like you could use a little help finding your way around here," she declares. "Name's Melika, I know what everybody's selling today and where to find them. Hire me and we'll find everything you could ever want in the Overmarket!"

What do you have to say to this enterprising local youth?

Putting together their various talents, the Pathfinders manage to really throw off Azam's feast, all without him ever catching sight of one of them doing it.

When Azam runs off to see about Beezhul's disturbance, Kelumur smoothly steals the oud left behind on the comfortable pillow. Success, one Diversion Point.

Azam's absence from his tale-telling extends when he realizes that the audience for the Twisting Embers is anxiously backing away from the area. Bloody Whispers bringing out the Tooth Fairy was just the thing to spook them. Leshy and fey alike are gone by the time Azam stomps up to the stage area, where he shouts at them in frustration, "What are you doing, you idiots? Get off this stage!"

With a metallic click, the bracers that were holding these ifrits pop open and fall to the ground. Abina, the leader who Bloody Whispers briefly spoke to, laughs. "Our contract is broken." And, no longer bound, the ifrits leave the feast, the remaining people in the area around this stage melting away. Success, one Diversion Point.

Fuming after having been tricked into chasing off his prized ifriti dancers, Azam returns to his stage area to find there's not much of a crowd waiting for him. During his absence, after all, Sabrael helped himself to the speaking position for a perfectly dull and abbreviated recitation of the tale, the kind of thing that would have been putting kids asleep in class for years. Critical success, two Diversion Points.

And only then does he notice the missing oud! "Excuse me, my friends, it seems I have misplaced my oud. I must go and fetch my backup." Azam storms off once again.

That's when Brimly joins in with his own crowd-distracting performance, intriguing some people with his frying pan tips while repelling some others who don't really want to think about eating monster parts. It's a bit of a niche interest, but the ones who are interested are REALLY interested, more in Brimly than in getting the resumption of a two-hour long epic. Success, one diversion point.

All the while, Xavier has found and been watching the chest where the gift is surely waiting to be given. With the patience of a thief who's done some jobs where he has to wait for just the right moment. He knows the moment has come when someone shouts, "There's Avisha's entourage!" The eyes turn from the chest towards the approaching dignitary, and that's when Xavier does it, poking into the chest to switch out Azam's carefully thought-out gift - an ornate dagger - with the toy soldier that was provided by Safa. Success, one diversion point.

Not long after, Azam arrives with the Satrapian Guard officer in tow, speaking unctuously, "...and I just knew I had found the perfect gift for one of your station!" He opens the chest and presents its contents to the woman, Avisha, without even noticing what's in it.

Avisha, the high-ranking officer, plucks the toy soldier out of the chest. She stares at it for a moment, with Azam's eyes growing wide as he realizes something has gone wrong. "Your permit to host this event has been revoked. The party is over." Without accepting any protest, she leaves the area, and her subordinates set to making sure the party shuts down.

A stunned Azam stares at the toy soldier. "This could only have been... him! But how could he...?"

Excellent work, Pathfinders! You needed to get 3 Diversion Points to pull off the theft without getting caught and you ended up with 8. You have thwarted the binder's aim of embarrassing the Pathfinders while still following the letter of his commands to the djinni.

I enjoyed the creative solutions. +2 circumstance bonuses were applied to Beezhul, Brimly, Sabrael, and Bloody Whispers for either cleverly engaging with my prompt or coming up with their own idea. This bonus turned Sabrael's into a critical success. Hero Points were well-used by Beezhul and Sabrael.

Tasks remaining to the party are: Finding Raha Shul in the Overmarket, and dealing with the Iron Ring corsairs. Which would you like to approach next? I will advance after seeing three PCs make the same choice, or if there are no strong feelings, in about 48 hours I'll move the group to the Overmarket.

Towards the edge of the area where Azam is speaking, Beezhul drops into the oasis and starts making a scene. There's murmuring from the back of the crowd as people turn to gawk at the kholo. Azam notices that he's lost the audience's attention. He tries to play it off, smiling and putting out his hands smoothly after the Wanderer finds himself in a bit of peril. "But that part of the tale will have to wait a few minutes while we refresh ourselves," he says.

With perhaps a little extra haste, Azam leaves his central seating area, leaving behind his oud as he goes to investigate the source of the noise. However, by the time he gets to the oasis, Beezhul has made herself scarce.

An oud is kind of a fore-runner to the lute. Your GM learned this fact while preparing to run this adventure.

Beezhul has notched a critical success. +2 Diversion Points.

Kelumur senses his moment as Azam leaves. He could sneak up there while the crowd has turned to see where Azam is going and swipe the oud right off the pillow where the host has casually left it. Stealth or Thievery, your choice.

Brimly contemplates whether there's a space in this crowd for him to do a little demonstration on the proper technique for frying up monster parts. I'll give you Cooking Lore at DC 15, as the scenario offers the standard of appropriate Lore for a lower DC. Put on a good show!

Bloody Whispers takes a lap of the feast before committing to a location. The leshy overhears some excited chatter between two feast-goers. "Have you heard that the Twisting Embers are here? Azam owns their contract!" the first one asks. Her friend looks around conspiratorially, then replies, "I heard they're looking for a way to break the deal."

Directed helpfully towards a tent where these Twisted Embers are preparing, Bloody Whispers discovers that this is a troupe of ifrits. The leader introduces herself as Abina. Sizing up the leshy quickly, she asks, "Can I trust you to ruin our show?" With Intimidation, consider how you might scare off segments of the audience in the middle of a performance by dancing ifrits.

Sabrael and Xavier can still let me know which of their unique talents they'd like to employ to ruin a perfectly bad man's perfectly good feast. Kelumur, Brimly, Bloody Whispers, you have your inspiration. Can you pull off the interruption without drawing attention to the Pathfinders?

With four PCs expressing interest in the feast objective, we will head there first. Beezhul or anyone else with strong feelings on the matter may still attempt to persuade Safa to accept an alternative to "burn down the pirate slaver ship after everyone is safe," with that conversation assumed to have taken place before you left for the feast.

Not far from the abandoned-before-it-opened Pathfinder Lodge, the feast hosted by Azam ibn Bashemi is taking place. It is not hard to locate. A substantial crowd is heading towards the area and gathered around it, with music and laughter ringing out far beyond the immediate area of this feast.

The party is taking place in middle of a sprawling public park, colorful tents surround a wide area filled with expensive pillows. You are able to gently nudge your way through the crowd to get a good view of this central area, just in time for a middle-aged Qadiran man with jet-black hair smiles widely as he raises his hands. The crowd’s murmur ends.

“Friends, I trust you have enjoyed the day’s festivities thus far! What a feast we have in store for you yet! I, Azam, am not one to boast, but the marvels you will see pale only to those created by Sulesh the Great and his army of genies,” the man says. Art for Azam ibn Bashemi is now available on Slide 4.

“Our past is filled with stories that speak of our might and bravery. But where has that might gone? Who trembles at the sound of Qadiran steps approaching their borders? Too long we have been complacent.” He sighs, shaking his head as he retrieves a small stone from his elegant robe.

“But now is the time for celebration and marvel,” he continues, his voice again loud and boisterous. Azam claps his hands, and the barren soil shifts and twists until water rushes in to create a perfect oasis between the tall palm trees. Many people in the assembled crowd applaud at the transformation.

“Delight in the festivities. Endless refreshments and wonderful performances are yours to enjoy as we await the arrival of the illustrious Avisha al-Isman, who shall honor us with her presence soon. I hope she finds my gift to be a worthy symbol of her great accomplishments,” Azam says, patting a small ornate chest sitting on a pillow next to him.

“And if you are of keen intellect and refined taste, sit with me for a traditional rendition of the great epic, The Tale of Al-Yazan the Wanderer, so that we shall remember the history of the empire as we hope for its future.” With this declaration, he sits down on a large pillow behind him to prepare for his tale-telling.

**

Your objective is to disrupt the flow of this feast so that its host, Azam, is distracted enough for you to make the switch of his prized gift without you being detected in doing so. A wide range of skills may help achieve this objective, including skills that you may not normally connect directly with subterfuge.

You have the opportunity now to wander the feast - the party may briefly split up without consequences - and look with a keen eye upon what festivities there are and how you might stick a figurative wrench in the gears with one of your talents. You might overhear a juicy rumor or you might just directly spot something that’s crying out for your particular talents.

In your next post, describe how you are checking around the feast for things that you can disrupt. List one or two skills that you have in mind. After you have done this, I will provide you with a prompt for an activity that might align with that skill. You will then use the prompt to describe your effort to disrupt the feast, making a roll for that skill against DC 18. Creative descriptions of your sabotage may receive a +2 circumstance bonus at my discretion. You won't need to write a novel to get the bonus. I will want to see some effort in engaging with the prompt.

The objective here is to help the party earn Diversion Points (2 for critical success, 1 for success, 0 for failure, -1 for critical failure) to see if your group collectively can successfully replace the dagger without someone figuring out that the Pathfinders did it. Let me know if you have any questions about how this will play out. If your question is how many Diversion Points are needed, I'm not telling you that one right now. :)

Safa looks at the defiant Beezhul with amusement, then a thoughtful expression crosses their face. "Hmm, I wonder..." The djinni floats around the room as if testing the boundaries of their bonds. "You may be in luck, brave kholo. It seems that my binder was a fool yet again, for he merely commanded that you defeat Tadrun for him, and only later, after he had completed his command, did he imply he would like for Tadrun to be killed."

They peer in at the kholo again. "So you know, burning the Iron Ring's ship, that one is not for him. That is for me. I would like for those slavers to receive a dramatic message to discourage any who follow in their wake."

Pulling back the screen on this one: Treasure bundles for the scenario are tied up in completing both the binder's objectives and the djinni's defiant objectives at each of the three tasks.

The spoken dialogue provided by the scenario has Safa make the demand that Tadrun be killed. I have double-checked elsewhere in the scenario and in multiple places the text regarding the completion of the objective is indicated as "defeat Tadrun" rather than "kill Tadrun." I will accept a non-lethal option there. For Safa's objective, if Beezhul is still unwilling to have the party burn down the pirate ship after it is emptied of innocents and enemies alike, she could try to persuade Safa to accept an alternative dramatic message to the Iron Ring pirates.

That's easy enough about the glyphs. Everybody gets two Hero Points to start out. Use when you like, you can't take 'em with you.

So as not to clog up the Gameplay thread with some of this routine stuff, please let me know the following here:

1. If you have any GM glyphs and who you want to get the extra Hero Point(s)
2. Any adjustments to your daily preparations based on what you've learned about this mission
3. Choice for a Pathfinder Provision appropriate for your level
4. Your default exploration activity/modifier
5. Anything else you think I should know about your character before we really get moving

And, again, in the Gameplay thread, please communicate either with your character or just in a little OOC note which of the three tasks you wish to proceed to first.

Totally just now noticing I wrote "Bloody Whiskers" instead of "Bloody Whispers" in the previous post. Sorry, Bloody! That would be more of a catfolk than a leshy, I suppose. :)

The djinni responds with melancholic laughter to Beezhul's attempt to wish away their bindings. "It only works like that in the stories, but again I thank you. I had forgotten the possibility of the kindness of strangers."

Xavier does some thinking about the possibility of an underground network that might be of aid to accomplish these objectives. He does not know of any off-hand, but perhaps once he gets out into this bustling city, the tell-tale signs of under-the-table activity might present themselves to him and he will have a chance to take advantage then.

Safa replies to Xavier, "If I had any way to assist you with an introduction, I would. However," they trail off and then, in the blink of an eye, they disappear from sight. Their voice comes to you from seemingly anywhere in the air around you. "This condition does not give many chances to make new friends. What I know about those I have mentioned to you is from observing them unseen. None of them would even know me if you told them my name."

This demonstration complete, Safa reappears in front of your group. "You have until sundown to complete these tasks in any order you choose. Then, return to the lodge. Remember what I have told you. I am on your side as much as my binding allows."

**

I have made a post in OOC discussion so that some of the pre-scenario game mechanics business can be discussed there. Please check that and provide that info.

Here in the gameplay thread, express your preference on which of the three tasks to tackle first. As Safa told you, you may complete them in any order. There's no secret trick where you're "supposed" to do one before the others and are penalized if you don't. The choices are: Azam's feast, the Overmarket, and the Iron Ring pirates. I will move us to the first choice that has three PCs speak up for it. If you leave it up to me, I will progress you through the order listed.

"Oh one more question, does your master person know we're talking to you? Can he see us, hear us?" If they answer no: "Floaty Safa, is there a way to free you in these little quests we got?"

Safa chuckles at Brimly's question about whether their master is listening in. "My binder is an arrogant, foolish man, like so many are. No, he is not listening to us. He does not think he needs to. He believes that his careless commands are sufficient to get what he wants. He will get some, oh yes, but he will not get all. If you help me thwart him."

With a rueful smile, they float over towards Bloody Whispers, nodding back at Brimly, who also asked about freeing them from their bonds. "I have heard good things about Pathfinders before today, and it is clear from your desire to free me that those things are true. There is no way for you to free me from these bonds. That is beyond the power you have. I am touched by your concern. I have not felt this in..."

They shake their head, returning to the task at hand. "Of course, I can tell you more about these people." They provide some more information about those who Bloody Whiskers asked about.

Safa answers with disgust about Azam ibn Bashemi. "A Qadiran traditionalist of the worst sort, one who espouses imperialism and subjugation of others. Even though it furthers my binder’s agenda, I’ll take satisfaction in you bringing humiliation to Azam. Just try not to let the blame fall on you!"

The djinni arches an eyebrow as they think of Raha Shul. "How should I describe her? Let's just say that she is a merchant in the Overmarket. Learn what you can of the true purpose of these items from Raha Shul, and do the right thing with them. I will say again that I have only been commanded to have you acquire the items." They smile their cunning smile again. "It is embarrassing to have been bound by such a foolish man."

Lastly, as to Zoha, they explain, "Zoha is a human with more than a touch of undine blood. He is a smuggler who has ways to move unseen across the sea. I am told he has helped many as he follows the ways of Sarenrae. He should be near the docks. He can help you board the Iron Ring’s ship."

I will look to start moving us along in my update tomorrow morning. Is there anything else that you would like to know from Safa as you think about the tasks they have set before you?

"Hmmmm." Kelumur grunts, as his hand moves to draw his hatchet but pauses at the moment just before gripping the handle. "And who are you....friend? And who is the one that commands you?"

The djinni turns to regard Kelumur. "I am a djinni bound to serve a cruel genie binder. I cannot reveal his identity to you, or act directly against his stated commands." Safa pauses for a few moments, then the smile returns. "Directly."

Recovering her wits, she stutters the rest of the scare off "Tbth... Tbh... That looks like the Pathfinders we are tasked with the rescue of? But. Why are they sleeping? Is it a magical sleep?" ...

Beezhul's memory all but spent, she looks at the djinni, then at Kelamur, then expresses grave concern "You are asking me to kill to save others. No!" She turns around to leave. Safa will have to find actual thieves and scoundrels to commit murders and arson!

Safa leans forward towards Beezhul, far beyond what any bipedal being could manage while staying balanced upright. The djinni, of course, merely has the idea of legs as part of the swirling energy in its lower half. "Your other Pathfinders are in my domain, unaware of the passage of time. I have done them no harm, and I intend to free them once the tasks are complete. I am not prohibited from doing this."

At Beezhul's refusal to accept this task, Safa's tone turns more serious. As the kholo moves to exit, Safa whirls around to block the doorway. "It is noble for you to feel this way. However, you may not refuse the task to slay Tadrun. My binder demands it, and if you do not, I may be forced to unleash my full power upon you. Then, you will join these others here." They gesture to their orb where the other Pathfinders are obliviously trapped.

"The Iron Ring is a hobgoblin organization of cruel corsairs," they continue. "They refused to trade with my binder, and he wishes to see them punished. Upon their ship are recent captives who I am certain he intends to sell away into some kind of servitude. My binder cares not for them, but I hope you will share my desire to see them freed. True, punishing Tadrun may serve my binder's aims, but hopefully this extra objective to scatter them and scuttle their ship is in line with your sense of justice?"

Are there any more reactions to the task that Safa has set before you or questions about the information that they have given to you?

The forum SEEMS to have stabilized after the US holiday weekend's instability and I am going to try to proceed at what will be my more normal pace from this point in time. What I have just posted in the Gameplay section is the beginning of the real meat of the scenario.

If issues persist or resume, let me know by messaging through the Warhorn page for this table. Depending on severity or duration, I may either go more slowly or pause entirely until they are resolved.

Xavier, Bloody Whispers, and Kelumur take a look around the outside of the lodge in search of anything that might explain this odd circumstance. Scraping some of the dust off of the windows, you see the interior of the lodge is full of furniture that was elegant and is now headed in the direction of decay, perhaps because of exposure to elements from that big door that never closes. There is a visible layer of dust covering everything inside the lodge as well. Nothing pings as magical on the exterior of the building. Those who are taking a quick search conclude that the answer, whatever it is, must be inside.

Beezhul bravely leads the group in through the partially open door, pushing it a bit farther open so everyone can fit into the lodge easily.

From all around you, a voice thunders:

“Do not enter as uninvited guests, lest I must assume you are thieves or scoundrels.”

With these words, strong winds coalesce in the form of an elegantly-dressed djinni wearing multicolored silks. Their azure skin is draped with jewelry of gold and bright lapis lazuli that jingles briefly as the winds dissipate. Along the djinni’s arms, the thin gold jewelry is elegant, but its purpose is clear: these are chains of gold, but chains nonetheless.

Art for this creature is now available on slide 4. They are a genderfluid djinni.

“I am Safa, and I bring you a chance to save those who came before you and reclaim your lodge.” Safa extends their hand to create a translucent orb. Within the orb, you see six figures sleeping on comfortable pillows. Even at this distance and through this small window, you can tell these figures have the look of Pathfinders.

“He who has bound me demands you complete three tasks in exchange for your friends. Fail, and your friends shall share my fate, becoming bound to the one who commands me,” they say joylessly before dismissing the orb.

Not waiting for any acknowledgement of this situation, Safa moves on to the list of demands. “First, he wishes you to bring ruin to his rival: Azam ibn Bashemi, a historian seeking patronage from the illustrious Avisha al-Isman of the Satrapian Guard. Sabotage his feast in the nearby parks, and replace his gift for Avisha with this trinket, and his humiliation is assured - but try not to draw attention to yourselves.” The djinni reveals a small toy soldier, the trinket they mentioned.

“Second, he demands you acquire a brass stopper, a silver chain, and a cold iron container from the Overmarket. He asked me to ensure you acquire these objects, so acquire them you must.” They pause with a cunning smile. “What you do with them once you acquire them is not my concern, but I urge you to seek Raha Shul so that the purpose of these objects may become clear and you can make the right choice.”

Safa creates a small glass orb filled with moving smoke resembling a brewing storm. “This valuable bauble may help you in your trades, but a kind heart or a sharp wit may help you more.”

“Lastly, he demands that you punish the hobgoblins of the Iron Ring for defying his will. Slay Tadrun, the captain of the Swift Huntress.” Safa pauses, and lowers their voice to a whisper, which somehow is as clear in the mind as their normal voice is in the air. “There are those on board the ship I hope you can free from imprisonment. Find Zoha, an undine walking in Sarenrae’s light, and ask for his help to board the ship, which is undergoing repairs. Free the ship’s captives, and prove that the Pathfinder Society has sympathy for those sharing my fate. Then, once they are free, burn the ship.”

These demands made, Safa looks at each of you in turn, waiting to see how you will respond.

Things have taken an unexpected turn in Sedeq. What do you have to say to this djinni, Pathfinders?

With Venture-Captain Valsin's orders in mind, you cross through the bustling city and make your way to the outskirts, where you know the soon-to-be opened Pathfinder Lodge is located.

What you find is a narrow road, at the end of which stands the imposing building of the lodge. It is as if someone forgot this place as soon as they built it. All around you are signs of a space that has not been maintained. The surrounding gardens are choked by weeds. Impressive sculptures stand in the middle of fountains that have dried up. Even the cobblestone path leading to the entrance of this lodge is hardly visible because of all the grass growing up through the cracks in the stones.

Ahead of you is a massive brass door, which stands partly opened. It looks as if this door has never fully closed, because the weight of the metal is simply too much for the hinges to bear. The exteriors of the windows are caked with dust and grime. There is plainly no one coming out to welcome you.

How do you want to approach investigating the abandoned lodge, Pathfinders?

As the Pathfinders contemplate and discuss their thoughts on the idea of genies or other creatures being bound, they are steadily making their way through the streets of Sedeq towards the soon-to-open lodge. It is a noisy city, a different kind of noise from somewhere like Absalom, and a different climate too. It's warm here, even by the water, and the lodge is out on the outskirts of the city inland and not exactly by the water.

Hopefully this forum stabilizes for us in time to begin the game in earnest tomorrow. I have been frustrated at times trying to post as well.

Recall Knowledge checks for non-lore skills can be made without any training. Your chances are just lower without the proficiency bonus. But, for the early-scenario lore dump, the stakes are pretty low for a possible critical failure, so no real downside to trying.

Sabrael's life-long interest in genies is noted.

Brimly does not have any particular knowledge about genie binding in Qadira.

Bloody Whispers and Xavier may still try this recall knowledge: Society or an appropriate lore (Genie or Underworld suggested by the scenario). As indicated previously, I will move us along either Tuesday morning (US Eastern) or some time on Monday if I see that everyone has checked in to react to the letter/RK. Any thoughts on what you have learned about genies in Qadira, Pathfinders?

Hey folks, the game I’ve currently got Gorn in is running long so it looks like I’ll have to bring something else. And since I’m a little late on characters and we already have a guardian I guess I’ll just build something new.

I’ll look at the party composition tonight and have think about what would be fun to play.

Apologies for not posting sooner, my computer has been in the shop for a couple days.

No worries - I'm waiting til Tuesday morning for a few reasons and one of them is to give people time to get settled with their character choices. Hopefully you can settle on something fun.

**

@Xavier Lunari, although I don't have a macro sheet going, is it possible for you to post a link to your sheet somewhere or put the info in your character's profile? Trying to at least eyeball what everybody has. Thank you!

As you approach Sedeq, the port city in Qadira, you reach the point where you were instructed to open your orders. Inside is this message from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin:

Field agents,

After the defeat of Corvius Vayn, a cruel genie binder, the Society was granted permission to open a new lodge in Sedeq. A group of Pathfinders was sent to prepare the new lodge for opening but has disappeared without a trace. All we know is the building stands abandoned. I am sending you to discover the reason for this unusual silence.

The lodge is an important step toward expanding the Society’s presence in Qadira. Much work has gone into securing this unprecedented opportunity for the Society. We hope a lodge in Sedeq might allow us to oppose Qadira’s ongoing practice of genie binding more directly. The fate of all those bound to serve cruel aristocrats and genie binders in Sedeq may depend on your success, as the government has threatened to shut down our lodge if it remains abandoned.

Go to the lodge, discover the fate of your colleagues, and rescue them if necessary. Hopefully, you can find them in time so they can prepare for the lodge’s upcoming grand opening.

I eagerly await your report.

-Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, Grand Lodge of Absalom

Recall Knowledge opportunity: Genie binding in Qadira

Please post your Society modifier or an appropriate Lore (the scenario suggests Genie or Underworld) to signal that you would like me to make the secret check.

I will look to advance the game beyond this intro letter either on Tuesday morning (US Eastern) or after all six PCs have responded to the briefing/RK. What are you thinking about this assignment, Pathfinders?

Sadly, magic man is locked away so bringing the originally assigned character to this adventure.

Bit warmer of a location for Kelumur in this scenario than the last one I ran with you.

That settles us on 20 challenge points in the high tier.

Just so everyone has an idea of the timeline here:

GMs are free to start their scenarios when the VTT part of this con event starts - for me, that's 7pm on Friday night. I plan to start you off with the introduction on Saturday morning (US Eastern).

As there are PCs who are either being used in live games over the weekend or are waiting for current PBP/D games to end, I won't race through the introduction part of the scenario, and it will probably be Tuesday morning before I really try to get things going beyond that. Please do try to at least introduce your character and react to the initial briefing before then so that when we get moving, everybody is starting off from the same point.

Thank you! I hope we all have a fun time in Qadira.

Any plans to put up a skill sheet to fill out before play?

I was not planning to put one up because I am trying to limit myself to one new thing at a time for GMing a PBP scenario. This time it's the marching order slide.

I do have a macro sheet that another GM gave me, so if there are other players who'd prefer to have one to see the party's strengths/weaknesses in one glance, I can try to get that going for this game instead. TBH, it was mostly the mental hurdle of having one more thing to insist that players fill out before the game can begin that led me to tell myself I'll try that one next time.

Gorn is currently playing in a play-by-Discord campaign but I suspect it will wrap fairly soon.

How soon is fairly soon? I've been previously told that there's some wiggle room to "one game at a time" for characters being used in RL or VTT games over this weekend, so I figure it's OK to offer the same to finish off PBP/D games. However, if the PBD game goes beyond Monday, I'll have to ask HQ about what I'm supposed to do in that situation. I don't want to get chastised later for not enforcing Society play rules properly.

There is already a token for Bloody Whispers and his eidolon - PC #3 on the slides?

You are correct. Sorry! I misspoke.

We have Beezhul, Brimly, and Bloody, and we need Xavier, Gorn, and Batpony's PC to put tokens on the slides. The marching order is helpful so that when a battle map appears, I can place the PCs in a formation as previously indicated and don't have to put the game on hold to wait for people to place their tokens.

Current status: All of our signed up players are dotted into the game. We have 17 challenge points with Batpony still to officially choose a character on the RPG Chronicles signup. That's going to put us in the high tier (level 3-4) when our sixth character is locked in, with somewhere from 19-23 points.

Any level 1 characters - currently just Gorn the Grappler - will receive a level bump:

* Hit points increased by 10
* All attack modifiers, attack damage, and spell damage increased by 1
* All skill modifiers, Perception modifiers, saving throw modifiers, and AC increased by 1
* All class and spell DCs increased by 1

Level bump benefits subject to change if anyone has purchased a mentorship boon from their faction that improves an aspect of the level bump. For example, an Envoy's Alliance mentor boon gives +2 to skill modifiers instead of +1. Please let me know if anyone has one of these boons to apply.

For Batpony, I know your initial choice of Anji is still there in A Star's Journey. I see that's an Outpost game that's gone over the deadline. If you want me to check with HQ about you still using Anji, I can do that.

Still need tokens on the slides from Gorn, Bloody Whispers, and Batpony's PC.

Character introductions may be posted in the Gameplay section prior to the official start of the event. If anyone has any questions before we get going, please let me know!

rainzax, my dwarf champion has been on a parallel journey to Beezhul's in Xin-Edasseril. He has also gained a level after that adventure. I was reading through yours after mine finished up, the refugees were lucky to have her out there with them in Shard Cove!

Batpony, a pleasure to see you again. Good luck to Anji as he wraps things up out there in the desert.

Hello and welcome to my table! This is part of the Bridging the Gap event taking place across the Paizo forums and elsewhere. Gameplay begins on May 22 and will end no later than August 14.

Game: Pathfinder Society 2nd edition
Scenario: 3-08 Foundation's Price
Levels: 1-4
Repeatable: No, but if you want to use a replay before all scenarios become repeatable at the start of season 8, that's cool

Signups: Opened in April; Warhorn is full as of this writing

Posting expectations: At least once per day
I am in US Eastern time (GMT - 5) and will be making an effort to update the game in the morning and evening. If I know I won’t be able to update on a day, I’ll let you know here. I ask you to do the same if you know you could miss 2+ days in a row. This is the only game I’m running during this event, so you will have all of my attention.

This scenario includes some events that can happen in an order that the party chooses. I will try to use a "half and go" standard: Once three people agree on the same thing, that's what we'll do. In general, I will aim to keep things moving.

Please fill out the following as soon as you are able and definitely before game time:

RPG Chronicles signup
Slides (character names/tokens on page 3)

I am still learning the ropes with Pathfinder GMing and with GMing through PBP. Thank you for your patience. If you feel that I've made a mistake with a mechanic regarding your character, please let me know. I don't have a lot of experience with classes outside of the two Player Core books, so if you are playing one of those, a short explanation of an ability as you use it would be appreciated. Thank you. Let's have some fun in Qadira!

This table is for players who have previously signed up to play it on the Warhorn event for Bridging the Gap 2026. If you wish to join the wait list in case someone who signed up does not materialize, here is the link.

To those who are signed up, please dot and delete to get your character listed for the campaign when you are able. We will get under way officially when the signal is given on May 22. Until then, the space is here for you to post introductions, if you like.

**

You are part of a small group of Pathfinders that has been directed to take a ship from Absalom to Sedeq in the nation of Qadira, where, after a lot of negotiating, the Pathfinder Society has been permitted to open up a lodge. You've heard some rumors that something has gone amiss with this lodge opening, and you feel like there must be something to those rumors when Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin directs you to sail to Sedeq.

The Venture-Captain has left you a sealed message, not to be opened until you are near your arrival in Sedeq, adding to the mystery. For the time being, you have only your imagination - and that of your fellow Pathfinders - to go on.

Having seen each of the train demonstrations in action for herself, and having gotten the report from the Pathfinder advisors, Queen Anastasia stands. "We thank everyone for their ingenuity, their patience, and their bravery," she says, including both the designers and the Pathfinders here. "We will think on all of your creations and all of your counsel. Perhaps, were there no violence today, we could move more quickly to a decision, but we find we cannot. We must think after we have settled down."

At the mention of the day's violence, the one brave goblin who has spoken to you the most steps forward and does a credible bow. "Great Queen, we's sorry for what we did! We's thought we's was helpin' our forest. That longshanks was wrong, you's no fraud."

Anastasia acknowledges the bow. "And what should we do with these goblins now?" she asks.

Though the question was meant rhetorically, the steward Calix replies sardonically, "Winter goblin soup?" There is some chuckling among the assembled people. The goblin and his companions start shouting over one another about how useful they can be.

The Winter Queen holds up a hand to quiet everyone down. "We have learned today that we must connect better with the inhabitants of the Hoarwood. We hereby appoint you as our wardens of the wood, and charge you with preventing any other mischievous creatures from sneaking into our estate."

The three goblins solemnly bow. "We accepts!" Then they stand back up and start clapping excitedly, an infectious reaction that spreads across the train designers and even, after a few moments, the gruff Calix who only moments ago joked about putting them in soup.

Another success in the books for the Pathfinder Society. It didn't go how anybody planned, but the agents were able to quickly react to make friends out of possible enemies and make corpses out of definite enemies.

**

Good job, everyone! I will report the chronicle as indicated with boxes A and C (prefer Irriseni train, exclude chicken legs train). You have completed the primary objective by assessing all trains and recovering the models. You have completed the secondary objective by befriending the winter goblin tribe. You have earned all 10 treasure bundles for the adventure. Official reporting will be done by HQ, but you will get your chronicles from me right after I post this.

Feel free to post an outro here if you like. Good luck in your future adventures! I will be glad to cross paths with you again as either a GM or a player.

I'm going to hold off officially wrapping this up for a few more days in case Prynn would like the chance to weigh in before I lock in this table's result. I'll aim to do that on Thursday AM my time. In the meantime, if anyone would like to put in a downtime roll for Earn Income (Crafting, Performance, or Lore), I will be happy to record that on the chronicles that get sent out once we're done. Reporting will be done by HQ for this event, so the official Paizo reporting may happen a little later after the chronicles are sent out to you.

Thank you for the kind words, folks. Constructive feedback also welcome. UncleFroggy has generously shared slide/macro templates with me for another time and I think that should help map things go smoothly.

This was a fun scenario to run and I will definitely be doing some more GMing in the PBP/D space in the future. Speaking of which, I have a 1-4 table that will be hosted here for the Bridging the Gap con event that starts on May 22, and as of this writing there's two open spots, so if you are looking for the next game for your character here, signup is on Warhorn. The scenario is 3-08 Foundation's Price (non-repeatable) and I'll probably continue with a connected scenario in the fall forum event.

I am grateful for everyone's patience. Hopefully we'll cross paths around the forums or Discord spaces.

When I played this one in real life a few months ago, my group ended up preferring the Siraya train design. One player had strong feelings about not enslaving elementals as in Firozet's train design, and the table collectively got wrapped up in questions about geopolitical intrigue (not written into the scenario, the GM just ran with our interest in the topic) regarding the use of the Stone Road for Lt. Surkzin's train.

The Queen listens with interest as the Pathfinders give their findings from their research and add their own opinions about practicality. For the moment, the wound on her hand is completely forgotten.

With John, Kelumur, and Redcap all expressing some interest in pursuing Siraya's train further, the Queen inclines her head towards the fey. "We understand that there are concerns about how our project will affect the natural world. This was not something anyone ever worried about in our father's land. Yet perhaps it should have been."

Continuing this line of thinking, "Redcap of the Finidar, we are grateful that you have taken our dream of the train to heart. We will agree that, from what we have seen of Lieutenant Surkzin's train, its form may be closest to our memory though its function is not. In our first home, the train was a leisurely form of travel. They could cross great distances faster than teams of horses and smoother than carriage rides, though even so, there was nothing so rapid as your Golarion teleportation magic."

"Perhaps," she muses, "this is another way to preserve the natural world, if the Stone Road does not require tracks crossing the lands, only platforms at each of the destinations. Golarion's train need not be like our trains. We believe this firmly. No one need to attempt to curry our favor with an exact recreation." This is a woman who sounds quite weary of people trying to curry her favor. "We respect the wisdom of your counsel, Marhok the musician. There is danger in what we ask, yet there is danger if we do nothing as well. We will not forget any of you or what you have said as we proceed with our project."

**

Now that everyone who's not on vacation has weighed in, I will tell you the specific question for reporting. We have:
If the majority of the PCs feel that Anastasia should use an Irriseni representative's train (Siraya, Danixki, Szvetneera,) check box A.
If the majority feel that she should use an outside representative (Firozet, Surkzin, Ivinder,) check box B.
If the PCs feel that Szvetneera's train should be excluded from consideration, check box C.

At the moment, it looks like there's a slight preference towards Irriseni trains, with Siraya's being a top two choice for three players and Danixki being the top expressed choice of one player. No one has spoken up in favor of Szvetneera's design, and Redcap specifically wanted to exclude her train as a result of her actions.

If anyone would like to adjust their opinion now that the choices are presented in these terms, feel free to say so. Without any adjustments, the current prevailing opinions line up with checking boxes A and C.

It is quiet now in this meeting room, the sounds of fighting from out in the nearby hallway having ended around when you finished off the guard captains. The Queen and a couple of loyal guards enter first, followed by the train designers and the staffs of those who were part of a group

Everyone is accounted for, yet no one, not even Queen Anastasia, has been untouched by this attempted coup. Her Majesty bears a cut on her palm that has a bloodstained cloth bound around it. One of the dwarven machinists limps in, holding something to his leg. Part of an arrow is still stuck in Firozet the arcanist. The witchwargs lick their wounds. Lieutenant Surkzin and her hobgoblins hand out field medicine kits with military precision, distributing as needed to the wounded. That includes Siraya the fey as well, who has one tiny slice along her cheekbone, perhaps from an arrow that just narrowly missed the rest of her.

Conversations spring up amongst the designers as different people recount heroic actions from the battle they just went through. The room goes quiet as the Winter Queen stands and holds up her bloodied hand. "We wish to thank you all for your courage and bravery. None of you came here today with any imagination you might be asked to shed blood to protect yourselves, and yet. We can only report our shame that these traitors were hidden in our midst without our knowledge." Her voice gets more animated as she more directly addresses what happened. "We do not understand why Matriarch Szvetneera did this! We will protect the traditions of this land. We will protect them."

Turning specifically to the Pathfinders, she continues, "And you, Pathfinders, we see that your reputation on Golarion is deserved. All worlds should be so lucky to have a Society such as yours. Yet after all you have done for us today, we must ask one more thing of you. It is what we asked of you when first you arrived, before any of... this. We wish to hear your report on these trains. How might our dream be realized some distant day?"

**

As I mentioned in the last comment, the business with the trains needs to be settled for the scenario to be reported. Since we are not in any kind of time crunch to complete this adventure as part of the Outpost event, I will leave things open for a couple of days for you to share your thoughts, either in character or out of character, on the suitability of the train designs.

I do want to emphasize that this is not a situation where you are supposed to solve a puzzle that had clues strewn about through the plot and figure out which train is the "best" to get the best reward for the scenario. There is no wrong or lesser answer here. Choose based on whatever criteria seems appropriate to you. That could be based on practicality or which one feels the coolest. Perhaps some day in the future, a Society scenario or adventure path will reveal the collective choice of train across so many groups of Pathfinders around Earth who have played this adventure.

Green Reflex DC 20: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15 4 damage and clumsy 2

Redcap blasts this last survivor with electricity. The power that strikes him does not damage him that much on its own. However, between the goblins that are crawling all over Green and the bit of clumsiness that the tempest surge spell inflicted upon him, this final warrior is not putting up his best defense. The result of which is that John's needle darts come through again, tearing into this guard's flesh. He drops.

The AC was 17. Off-guard is a -2 circumstance and clumsy 2 is a -2 status, making the spell attack roll of 24 a critical hit for 26 damage when the guard captain had 24 health remaining. Needle darts have done it again! MVP of this final boss.

COMBAT OVER! Congratulations, Pathfinders, you have survived this adventure's challenges.

I will start to wind us down a bit later in my evening here. Return your thoughts to the trains you researched before everything started to get out of hand. Which do you think Queen Anastasia should have studied further? Which should she reject at this stage? Now that all the dramatics have settled down, she will want to know what you think. These answers will be necessary for me to report the adventure.

John's magic needle darts have been deadly in this showdown. This latest attack is not so deadly, with the projectiles either being dodged by the surviving guard captain or impacting harmlessly against his studded leather armor.

Kelumur regroups from his near-death experience and prepares himself to rejoin what's left of the fray.

Prynn's player indicated that she would be away for several days and Marhok has had more than 24 hours to act in this round of the combat, so I will do the best I can with botting them.

Marhok continues his little dirge to keep the zombie in his service. The zombie shambles towards the fight. He pushes the zombie through Green's melee range so that next time it might be able to attack even if Green moves. This provokes a Reactive Strike from Green.

Green's axe slashes the zombie's rotting flesh. 16 damage to shambler, counting weakness 5 to slashing.

The goblin then whistles and more of the frost goblins appear, making themselves a nuisance to Green. Marhok then takes on some of his curse in order to give some healing to Prynn. Sustain summon, help from goblins, nudge the scales. 4 healing to Prynn. Green is off-guard for the next round.

Prynn adjusts her positioning so that her champion's aura can protect most of the rest of the party. Then she sparks the fire in her hand again and sends this energy towards Green...

Prynn's Ignition vs. AC 18 off-guard: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

...though the fire again dissipates harmlessly. Step, then cast ignition.

The remaining guard captain takes a step, pursuing John, who dealt the fatal blow to Szvetneera and has done much harm beyond that in this battle.

Green strikes John twice with the battleaxe. In between these strikes, Prynn's aura flares and Green is again presented with a vision of himself making different choices and being a better person. Shaking off the vision leaves Green weakened again. Total damage of 14 to John after champion reaction applied.

THE INEVITABLE BETRAYAL
Round: 4/5
Tactical Map

Initiative Order
Bold may currently act

John (15/29 HP)
Kelumur (wounded 1)
BLUE Captain -38
RED Captain -41
GREEN Captain -8 (off-guard)
Mamoru (8/14 HP)
Redcap (40/48 HP)
MATRIARCH SZVETNEERA -26
Marhok (12/19 HP, cursebound 1, shambler 4/20 HP)
Prynn (11/16 HP)

The last enemy is all alone and being harassed by goblins. Will you finish him off before he knocks down anyone else?

In contrast to Szvetneera and the guard captains, the Pathfinder group has brought people who can heal them when they are bleeding out. Redcap's scroll revives Kelumur with full health. I think a second rank Heal would be 2d8+16, unless scrolls work differently? Kelumur is maxed out regardless.

Mamoru has had some tough going with his fire attacks, but the beak? The beak pecks. The tengu gouges the Ulfen with the tip of his beak before stepping back out of range. 8 damage to Green.

THE INEVITABLE BETRAYAL
Round: 3/4
Tactical Map

Initiative Order
Bold may currently act

John
Kelumur (wounded 1, prone, empty-handed BUT FULL HEALTH :D)
BLUE Captain -38
RED Captain -41
GREEN Captain -8
Mamoru (8/14 HP)
Redcap (40/48 HP)
MATRIARCH SZVETNEERA -26
Marhok (12/19 HP)
Prynn (7/16 HP)

Can you end it before Green strikes again?