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The vashikaran specialists have created products? They are evolving...
The merchant smirks gleefully. "The 'Marquise de Melodrama' you say? I heard it was simple to get raised to the nobility in Taldor, but I did not realize just how simple it was! The merchant fiddles with her sleeves, and the slit purses and tacky Qadiran garb disappear, replaced by a white mask and a white and gold gown. The smirk drops, leaving an appreciative smile in its place. "While I would love to stay to mingle further, the hour grows late, and I fear that I have obligations tomorrow morning. This has been a lovely evening. Thank you, Snow Princess, for your hospitality. And to all of you who are still here, as well as those who have already left, thank you for the pleasure of your company. I hope that we meet again someday, with our true faces. Perhaps we know each other already, or perhaps we will meet again for the first time." The former merchant curtsies to the Snow Princess. "I thank you, also, gracious hostess, for granting me the allowance to bring such an odious caricature into such an elegant hall. I hope that I provided sufficient entertainment to make up for any offense that I caused to anyone's sensibilities." She waits to give others time to reply, and once they have said their piece, she will turn and depart.
The merchant takes care to turn her back toward the Cat, before whispering to herself, and into the Cat's ear. DC 20 Perception: "All Taldans are not the same. I am a staunch supporter of Eutropia. You may feel yourself an outsider, but your words ring true. We cannot make the mistake of assuming that the way to regain the glory that Taldor once held is to repeat the policies of the past. Stagnation is our worst enemy. We must recognize the strengths that we now possess, such as the brilliant and visionary mind of our Princess, and seize the chance to rise again as a champion among nations. "
Seeing that the Rat is in no state to accept her hand, to dance, the merchant turns her conversation to the Rat's affliction. "Are you all right? Might I...you, cure, for what ails? It would not be too overly expensive I assure you. Let's see, let's see..." The merchant casts a spell.
DC 15 Spellcraft:
message Though the merchant does not lean in close, a whisper appears in the Rat's ear: DC 20 Perception:
"This is the one dressed as the merchant, using a message spell. I don't wish to cause you any distress, so if you would like some space, please, say the word and I will leave you in peace. To step out of my character for a moment, I am concerned for you. I would like to help you, if there is any way I can."
Welcome to PFS! Be sure to read the Guide to Organized Play, as Paz said, because that PDF has all of the rules specific to PFS. Also, near the end of that PDF is a list of all of the Venture Captains and Venture Lieutenants (regional and local PFS coordinators). Your local venture officers can help you with any questions you have as you get started, and help you connect with other players and GMs in your area. There is also a website that has the stats and info for free. I just do not remember it. That website is the PRD. I second starting with an early scenario, but I would suggest season 1, since season 0 was written in 3.5 and so there is sometimes a bit of conversion work to be done. Nothing major, and the Guide to Organized Play explains how to do the conversion, but why give yourself extra work during your first game? Registering to GM PFS is the same as registering to play PFS. You just need to get a PFS number and register that number under your account. Go to Pathfinder society under "My account" to register. I will send you a private message with a PFS number and the confirmation code to register the number. Your players will need numbers too, if they don't already have them. Once you are registered with PFS, getting a batch of numbers is easy. When you click on PFS under "My account", you'll see a tab called "GM/Event Coordinator". There are button on that page to reserve and download a set of 10 PFS numbers. The only other step is reporting the game. To do that, go back to the "GM/Event Coordinator" tab, and hit the "Create Your Event" button. Once you create the event, you can hit "report" next to the event name to enter the Pathfinder society numbers, factions, and earned prestige for your players. Some other good resources to help with preparing games:
The Merchant's jaw drops at the Rat's play. "Well, then, um...I...don't understand. Why would you trade with me when you have more feathers? I, um..." Her forehead wrinkles and her eyes shut tight in a deep expression of thought. After a few minutes, something dawns on her. She mutters under her breath, in a stage whisper, Aha! It is because you wish for me to be in your debt. Well, I know just what to do when I have the upper hand! To take the chance to steal the advantage, and play the Thief, like the Thief I am! But, no, the Samurai is on to me. He would seize victory from my grasp. AH! I cannot win this game. What could this mean, that the Samurai would keep watch, to prevent me from exploiting the generosity of the Rat. I feel that this means something, but what? Ah, my head hurts from trying to sort this out. Could it mean that Taldans are foolish? But then my head wouldn't hurt, because I already knew that. How could they have bested me? Me! A proud daughter of the most glorious Padishah empire. I am a disgrace to my ancestors... In her confusion over the situation, the merchant gravitates toward the Rat. Distraught and misty-eyed, she extends her hand to him. Mr. Rat, there is something I need, er, we need to talk, I, I um, I don't know, but, after coughing stops, you, me, dance?
There is a six-course meal with each course spelled out in the Pathfinder Society scenario #3-10 The Immortal Conundrum. The feast is at the Thuvian Embassy in Absalom. The scenario is quite fun--I've run it twice now.
"Carpenter, I find this disguise far more pleasing than your bestial form. You have a caravan, you say? Ah, such a pity that you are leaving the game. Please, let me give you my contact information, so that we may speak of trade at a later date." The Merchant withdraws a dirt-smudged card from one of the slit purses and extends it toward Theodric. The card says:
On the front: "Mun-Grubbi Al'Greedin, master Merchant, of Qadira. Ask anyone and they will know where to find me," in shaky, childish handwriting. On the back: In ornate and flowing script, "May we meet again someday. Sincerely yours, L." The merchant catches the Samurai's offhanded remark. "The Grand Prince, you say? I would like to discuss trade arrangements with him. Oh, where did he go..." The merchant mutters to herself, scanning the room for the one dressed as the Grand Prince. She catches her mistake, shaking her head at her own "folly". "Oh, right, of course, the card! Well, in that case, Samurai of the Night, might I interest you in a dance?"
"Satire?!" the Merchant exclaims, glaring daggers at the Green Knight and planting her hands firmly on her hips. Shaking her head, she mutters, "Ignorant lout." "I believe it is time for me to dance with someone else. Perhaps someone who could better understand what it means to be Qadiran. She wipes her hands on her hips, and incants a spell. Glowing green smudges appear where her hands were. DC 15 Spellcraft:
She cast prestidigitation. She storms off the floor for a moment, but after taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, she returns to the dance, this time right next to the Rat and the Priestess.
"The legendary version?"
Her face quickly brightens again as she speaks of her supposed country of origin. "But of course. I am a proud daughter of the most glorious Padishah Empire of Kelesh, in particular, the satrapy of Qadira. I would be happy to explain the deep and complex symbolic meaning of my costume. First off, my mask is a flag of Qadira. The holes in the flag represent my fiscal shrewdness, for I found this mask in the streets of Taldor. Even though some bumbling fool accidentally burned two holes in it, and then accidentally stepped on it with a muddy boot, it functions just fine as a mask." The Merchant tries unsuccessfully to stave off an uncharacteristic amused smirk before continuing. "As for the slit purses, they represent the way that we Qadirans bleed our trade partners dry of coin in negotiations. The essence of being a Qadiran is spotting moments of weakness in others and sneaking up on them, striking like a poisonous viper, and then bleeding them dry like a leech. That's how we started our Grand Campaign against Taldor. Except for the part where they reclaimed their land and repelled our forces...ah, but that part is not relevant." The Merchant beams with pride. "And that, my friend, is why you should trade with Qadira. So that poor, simple merchants like me can sample all of the finest things in life, and then spend our savings on something wonderful for society. I, myself, am partial to gambling on horse races."
The merchant turns toward the source of the booming voice and stammers, "E-excuse me? First of all, when did you show up? Second of all, d-do you really think yelling like that is the best way to get an answer out of a Rat? Rats are skittish by nature. N-not that there's anything wrong with being skittish by nature."
"Thank you for catching me, Sir Knight. Strong, graceful, and courteous, just as a knight should be. An avatar of the forest...well, that explains why you have more civility than the other so-called knights of Taldor. As to the material of your armor, I believe that such an illustrious green could only come from abysium. It is a rare and extremely valuable skymetal that is quite an effective poison in its ground form, but I suppose you are living proof that it is safe to wear." "As for my play...my trade agreements with the Princess are going swimmingly. I would like to continue negotiations."
The Merchant spins around with a flourish, but she trips over her own heels a bit and lands in the Green Knight's arms. After taking a moment to compose herself, she replies, "I am indeed an admirer of art and folklore. Truly, artistic merit is one of the surest signs that a piece will be more valuable than it appears on the surface. What can you tell me of the legends behind this piece, in particular, why it is made of such a rare and poisonous metal?" As the drama over competing claims unfolds, it draws the merchant's attention temporarily away from her partner. At the last moment before the turn ends, she takes a quick peek at her own card.
The merchant scans the ballroom floor for a few moments. She makes an awkward curtsy and apologizes to the Green Knight,
After a short departure,she returns to the Green Knight, and slips back into his arms with a giddy smile on her face. "It looks like the spy has turned up something useful to me after all. Someone who would be quite a profitable partner in trade. A Princess, no less. I eagerly anticipate negotiations with her Highness." After this brief statement, the merchant's valiant efforts to maintain eye contact with her dance partner fail, and her gaze sinks again to his armor. "Ah, a legendary armor of the Verduran Forest, shrouded in mystery...It I may inquire, how much did you pay for this fine piece?
The Merchant shoots back to the Samurai, "And what would you know of business? What happens between two consenting parties is really none of your affair." The Merchant slides her card out of her slit-purse sash and glances down at its face. She returns her attention to the Green Knight, awaiting his reply.
The merchant smiles at the Green Knight. Though she is attempting to keep her attention on his eyes, her gaze is continually drawn down to his armor-covered chest. "I can see that you take great pride in your armor, and your pride is well-justified. It is truly a splendid work of art. I would be most interested to hear the history of this piece. How was it forged, how did you choose it to be your armor, and how has it fared in battle?"
The merchant gradually maneuvers her position on the dance floor toward the Frost Witch and the Green Knight. When she arrives near them, she addresses the Frost Witch, pointing at the Knight's armor. "Have you ever seen an armor like that, Lady of Ice? I can only imagine how long it would take to craft armor out of abysium. The craftsmen would have to take great precautions to avoid poisoning themselves. If I may trade partners with you, I wish to speak to him more of it."
The Merchant finds some grace as she picks herself up from her failed curtsy and begins to dance. Perform Dance DC 15:
Her moves have a distinctive Qadiran flair, with some of the rapid spins and elegant curving motions of the dervish style. The Merchant seems to be enjoying herself for a while, but then her expression turns to one of horror as she regards the Corsair. "A Corsair of Cassomir...are you one of Jean Coremont's men? One of those scoundrels who have sent thousands of Qadiran merchant ships to a watery grave?" The Merchant looks around for an escape, and catches the eyes of the Samurai. "A moment to compose myself, if I may." She takes several deep breaths, in her usual over-the top style, then addresses his offer. "A trade for mutual benefit...yes, this I can understand. But I do not know whether I should take you at your word. Perhaps you wish to trade, but it is hard to read your intentions. With that fine cloth covering your mouth, I could not see if a smirk was playing upon your lips. But, perhaps you are overconfident. After all, the words you chose for your herald to introduce you...portray a particular personality. Do not think you can charm me so easily. I may be a woman of Avistan, but I am also a woman of Casmaron's most mighty empire, and as for my heart...nothing will ever beat the irresistible allure of gold." The Merchant withdraws a gold piece from her pocket and kisses it. "I leave the Corsair to you, Samurai. I would be happy to dance with the Hostess instead."
The merchant stands to the side of the room for a while, staring at the Green Knight's armor and muttering to herself "under her breath" in a stage whisper. "Possible materials to produce such a color...abysium? Abysium! A rare and powerful skymetal. Market price for abysium armor is...ah wait, there is none, because...abysium is poisonous and provides no additional protection. A pound is the raw component for the powdered poison form, refined value 900gp, so material value 300gp per pound, times 50 pounds for a suit of plate armor, gives...15000gp! Damn, he already has a partner. Best start with someone else first and work my way over." She scurries over to the corsair, and falls into a graceless curtsy. "If I may have the pleasure of this dance, good sir?"
The merchant listens closely to the rat's tale, nodding as he speaks. "I see, I see. A compelling, cautionary allegory about the greediest of thieves, those who wish to rob so thoroughly that they steal their victim's very name and reputation. All of the cunning and trickery and the world will fail against such a thief, if one makes the crucial mistake if assuming that the thief can be reasoned with. The invincible pot...represents taking excessive effort in a futile defense against a nonexistent threat. Why would the thief break an object when she could just steal it? The devouring of the duck bills and live imps represents the monstrous and insatiable nature of the thief, how they have cast aside their personhood in the pursuit of their quarry. It was the wizard's mistake to attempt such a course of action. In the end, the wizard lost money, since he now has to repay his loans. He paid a greater price for his poor appraisal of the situation than he would have if he had done nothing. I believe the moral of this story is, when dealing with a thief, consult the proper authorities rather than attempting to take matters into your own hands. Sage advice from the Rat, as always." The merchant walks over to the Snow Queen. "Excuse me, my lady. I am sorry to disturb you, but an invisible bottom-pinching thief has intruded upon these festivities."
The merchant places a hand to her brow and scans the room carefully. "Not serious? What other reason could there be to pinch a lady's bottom, other than to distract her enough to pinch her gold pieces? But, ah! Invisible thief...who could have seen...I know! I must speak to the one who among all of us is the wisest and most likely to have seen a thing that is not so clear to anyone else." She addresses the Kuthona Rat. "Mr. Rat! Hello? I need to ask you--what can you tell me about the invisible bottom-pinching pilferer?"
The merchant's eyes suddenly widen, and she shouts, AHA! Caught you, thief! The merchant swings an arm behind her butt, and, finding nothing there, her expression turns to one of befuddlement and outrage. "No! Can it be, that they have already gotten away? The merchant takes a few deep breaths. She cranes her neck back on each inhale as if to force more air in, and exhales as if she were trying to blow out a particularly stubborn candle. Calm down, Calm down. Assess the damage, over-report to the insurance you took out when traveling to this accursed country."
The Merchant wrinkles her nose a bit at the entry of the frost witch, then shivers so violently that she almost appears to be having a seizure. "Are you all trying to freeze me to death? Isn't our hostess already fulfilling the role of stunning lady who wears Cocytus itself as a cloak? It's bad enough having to deal with that flying snow kobold on the ceiling. Oh, how I long for the featureless deserts that are the jewel of Qadira... The hostess' last call for participants catches her attention.
Knowledge Planes DC 20: Cocytus is the perpetually frozen seventh layer of hell. The archdevil Baalzebul rules over its sprawling expanses of razor-sharp glaciers.
+1 to this idea. I was planning to use Infernal Wounds in my monster. Speaking of words, I know different word counters have different definitions of "word"--which word counter should we use for Bestiary entries? Thanks!
The merchant recoils from the Dark Lady's fury, and runs to hide behind the masked cat. She takes a deep breath, and begins to speak.
From the corner of the room, the Merchant casts the same spell several times in a row.
DC 15 Spellcraft:
She is casting prestidigitation. Once she has finished, the Merchant approaches the Dark Lady. She bows, then addresses her. "Excuse me, my lady, but I couldn't help but notice your strikingly beautiful features. Why, the jewels that adorn you must be worth tens of thousands of gold pieces. You are fortunate that today, I have brought with me some of my most exquisite pieces, for your pleasure." The merchant pulls out a "gold and sapphire" tiara, and a matching pair of earrings. The "sapphires" are a dull, opaque blue, and the "gold" is a sickly yellow. They look more like children's toys than costume jewelry.
The Merchant turns to the Grand Prince, and speaks in a haughty voice: Qadira does not burrow in to countries; we are not a worm! We are a hawk, who will swoop down and peacefully deal with you, if you are fortunate enough to warrant our attention. You speak of wealth that is not gold or jewels, but is people...that sounds like some sappy moralizing story that adults tell to children, the better to shape them into gullible slaves who are easily parted with their money. Her tone becomes petty and whiny, and she scrunches up her nose:
With that, she gets up from the table and walks away in a huff, pausing every few steps to turn around and "harrumph" at the Grand Prince while shooting him the stinkeye.
The Merchant returns to her parchment, and beings taking notes as each of you speaks. She makes no attempt to hide what she is writing--it would be more accurate to say that she is "accidentally" showing it to her fellow guests. The Merchant's notes: Midnight Samurai:
"Now it is time to raise our banner so that everyone will flock to it like sheep because of our inherent superiority. Once we 'prove' it, Twins:
Princess:
Rat:
Stavian:
Winter Drake:
Perform DC 10:
"My lady, please forgive my dismissive treatment of you, for a moment I had been perturbed by your taunt, forgetting that this is a masquerade, and thinking your words to be honest." Stavian then returns to his light demeanor and boyish smile. "I believe your exemplary disguise and superb acting skill has outwitted me!" The Merchant turns her attention to the Grand Prince. "It's easy to outwit a fool like you! Hah, if you stopped convincing your nobility to pay for "public works", they could be using that money to become even richer through trade. Some of them don't even have solid gold tea sets. It is a travesty. And you would have more money too if you only invested in trade. Why not monopolize trade and then mark up the prices within Taldor by charging huge external tariffs? You would make stupendous profits off of your people. Who cares about them anyway? You are the one in charge, act like it. By the time they all go broke...give me a minute, I lost my train of thought, but I know this is a good idea, and you can trust me on that." "See, I outwitted you again!"
Her subsequent comments are addressed to the Merchant/Apple... The Apple smiles slightly and nods appreciatively to the Masked Cat. She then returns to her former guise as the Merchant. The Merchant takes out a sheet of paper, a quill, and some ink. She holds the quill in her right hand, and cups her left hand to her ear, leaning in toward the table eagerly.
The Apple, leaving her Merchant guise behind for the moment, raises a glass, nods in firm approval. She whispers softly, Perception DC 20: "May she lead a long and fulfilling life, and may she claim her rightful place on the throne of Taldor. May she lead our glorious homeland to regain the splendors of its past by embracing its possibilities for the future."
The merchant takes a deep breath to regain her composure.
She fiddles with her sleeves. A hat with a stem and a leaf appears on her head, and her courtier's outfit turns a deep shade of red. To the Rat: "Will this do? I ask that regardless of how convincing I may be, that you do not bite me. Your teeth are long and sharp. While I have great admiration for wererats, the process of becoming one seems altogether too unpleasant for my delicate sensibilities."
The Merchant, indignant, challenges the Midnight Samurai's words: "Sand fleas...you callously disregard a national delicacy. Sand fleas are additionally quite healthy, and your skin would probably not be so pallid if you partook in them occasionally. And as for the Lady of Burning Dawn, how dare you disparage her name? She is not known to be merciful. I hope you get sunburn. You probably will."
Sense Motive DC above: Even though the Merchant is clearly putting on a show, and has not believed 99% of what she has said this evening, she was somewhat offended by the Midnight Samurai's words. Nonetheless, she does not mean her flimsy insults.
"Lemon?", inquires the Merchant. "I have not heard of this Goddess Ess, who features lemons in her portfolio, nor have I heard of her celestial sister. Perhaps you can educate me, Rat. After all, there are far too many sayings about making lemonade from lemons, and the point is, lemons generate a tidy profit." "Now, back to this castle... I have quite the decision on my hands. However, I am displeased that the Rat has been sneaking around in my business. I believe I will send a guard to arrest him. Let's see, Rat, have you been hiding behind a Baron?" House Guard on the Kuthona Rat, targeting Baron "Now, it is time for me to speak to someone far more important, and by "speak to", I mean, taunt." She addresses Prince Stavian:
The Merchant of the Sands "Mr. Quiche, I see. Well, that is no way to serve an egg. I must chastise you for your horrible taste in food. But perhaps you are merely inexperienced. Have you not had the delight of tasting نرگسی ? Ah, well. Your woefully underdeveloped palate aside, I am feeling a religious whim at the moment. I will offer up a prayer to the merciless and destructive sun. Let's see..." She holds one of her cards at arm's length in front of her, and speaks to it, in a reluctant tone: "Kyra, even though you are a heretic, you are the only priestess of Sarenrae that I know. Can you shine the light of the sun on the Rat, and show me what he is hiding?" "I play Kyra! I mean, the Priestess. On the Rat, yes?"
After greeting the hostess, the merchant ambles slowly around the
She stops in front of the Angel. Her gaze rises slowly over his bare chest, then, skipping his face entirely, jumps to the over-sized hammer. She bows deeply, though her eyes remain fixed upon the hammer. She takes a deep breath, puffing out her stomach, raising her shoulders, and bugging out her eyes, then issues into a torrent of words: "Most holy defender of the celestial realms. Your hammer is a work of exquisite craftsmanship. When I gaze upon its glittering hilt, I can almost see the demonic and diabolic hordes that have fallen before it. The only object with greater power than such a holy relic is gold itself, for gold has the most magical and incomparable power to be transformed into whatever you most need or desire. With that in mind, I, in recognition of your service to the cause of Good, humbly offer you, that I have many mercantile contacts among the monotonous sands and scouring heat that make my nation of Qadira great, and that I assure you that at least one of them would be glad to turn your hammer into the far more valuable gold." The Merchant collapses to her knees, gasping for breath.
The Merchant's eyes linger on the Snow Princess' finery longingly, her fingers twitching restlessly. "Valuable friendships are a first step in the path to wealth for most of us, and to increased wealth and station for those of high birth. Whatever the cause for your wealth, I can see that fortune has smiled upon you. By what name should I address you, my illustrious lady?"
A young Kelishite woman slips into the hall, making an exaggeratedly poor show of sneaking in, then trips over her own feet. She is dressed in a gaudy, overly bright blue and gold Qadiran-style courtier's outfit, and showy diamonds and sapphires that would be worth a king's ransom if they were actually real. Her mask is defaced Qadiran flag with two eyeholes cut out of it. To complete the costume, she wears a sash covered in slit purses. "Oh, what's going on over here? I hope I'm not to late to skim all of the profits off of this little venture. Ah, I suppose I should introduce myself before we can form a profitable alliance. Call me...the Merchant of the Sands."
David Montgomery, Venture Captain of the Boston Lodge, just earned his fifth star! And boy, did he earn it. I ran a survey of our lodge, and here are a few of the things that those of us who have had the good fortune to play at his tables had to say: "David does a great job welcoming in new players and making the table fun for everybody." "fun, fair and fantastic...he made me want to play more games." "He rolled with the strange ideas we came up with and wove it into the story. He was one of my favorite DMs I've had. He is also kind and great to just talk to during down times." "David's enthusiasm is infectious. He fosters a table environment where every player, new and old, feels welcome, and everyone gets a chance to feel that their character is awesome. His NPCs are vibrant, distinctive, and often funny." Answers to a question asking for suggestions for David to improve as a GM: "He could run more games" "This is difficult, he's the model I try to base my gming on." Well done, David! We at the Boston Lodge are lucky to have you!
@Eyes--I put together such a list at some point. I don't know where it is. You sent the list to me before I ran Eyes of the Ten, and I still have it. Eyes of the Ten List--Thanks to James and Jason for catching a couple we missed: Silent Tide Mists of Mwangi Murder on the Silken Caravan Frozen Fingers of Midnight Perils of the Pirate Pact King Xeros of Old Azlant Fingerprints of the Fiend Lost at the Bitter End Sniper in the Deep
The 1-2 level of Thornkeep, The Accursed Halls, is the most potentially deadly scenario or module that I've run. You could give that one a try if your players are the type to come prepared for situations that 1-2's don't usually have to worry about. My group was made up of funny min-max combos that they all planned to rebuild after the game (I told them all up front that it would be unusually deadly), and I STILL ended up killing a PC.
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