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![]() One global pandemic later, we return to play-by-post as our heroes have fought their way through the forces besieging the Skyfire Mandate stronghold of Spurhorn, hoping to find allies - and one of the next pair of keys to the Dancing Hut - among the defenders, the formidable Dragon Legion. I will add a couple of more detailed summaries over the next few weeks, and then (once characters are updated) we’ll be ready to move to PbP when Ripley’s player goes back to campus (either later this summer, or in the fall). ![]()
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![]() Opening up the out-of-character discussion thread. Images and maps for the campaign will be in Google Slides (link below and in my tagline above): ![]()
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![]() THE STORY SO FAR: THE SNOWS OF SUMMER AND FIRST HALF OF THE SHACKLED HUT When a supernatural pocket of winter appears in the Border Wood near the village of Heldren, the adventurers are sent to investigate, and to find and rescue a traveling aristocrat apparently kidnapped by bandits in the wood. At the center of the winter pocket, the PCs discover the source of the unseasonable weather: a magic portal leading to the frozen land of Irrisen, far to the north. But they soon realize that the threat endangers more than just Heldren when a dying horseman comes through the portal—the Black Rider, the last survivor of Baba Yaga’s Three Riders. He charges the adventurers with finding the missing Baba Yaga to stop her rebellious daughter, Queen Elvanna, from spreading Irrisen’s eternal winter over all of Golarion. Driven by the need to save their homeland and compelled to act by the witchcraft of the Black Rider, Billinheim, Ripley, Tallindra, and Rask cross into Irrisen through the open portal. The adventurers befriend the oppressed peasants of the village of Waldsby, but also make powerful enemies—for the White Witch who rules the region, Nazhena Vasilliovna, is also responsible for creating the winter portal in Taldor. The adventurers journey to the White Witch’s stronghold, a fortress of pure ice called the Pale Tower, and face Nazhena’s apprentice, Radosek Pavril, a skilled winter witch in his own right. Only after Radosek is defeated are the adventurers able save their hometown of Heldren and shut down the winter portal. With the portal closed, the Billinheim, Ripley, Tallindra, and Rask find themselves trapped in Irrisen, but the Black Rider’s quest points them toward the Irriseni capital city of Whitethrone, the next stop in their search for Baba Yaga. With the help of their friend and guide, Nadya Petska, and their new Once the party infiltrates the city and manages to obtain the necessary papers, they find shelter with the underground resistance movement called the Heralds of Summer’s Return, who operate a hidden shrine to Milani in Whitethrone. There, the adventurers learn that the Dancing Hut has been shackled in place and is heavily guarded, but if they infiltrate a clock tower housing a white dragon commander of the Winter Guard, the ensuing chaos should allow them to get to the Hut. Simple, right? KEY DETAILS TO REMEMBER: The Black Rider (from The Snows of Summer):
After the party defeated the moss troll and winter-touched sprites guarding the Heldren (Taldor) side of the Winter Portal... A surge of wind suddenly blasts from the swirling vortex in the ring of icicles, gusting outward in a stinging spray of snow and ice. Suddenly, a gaunt horseman with curling ram’s horns and wearing coal-black armor lurches through the portal astride a black warhorse, surrounded by tendrils of cold, dark mist. The rider slumps in the saddle, a shard of blue ice jutting from his back. As rider and mount come to a halt in the snow, the horse suddenly dissipates into black smoke, and the horseman falls to the ground with a groan. The horseman is the Black Rider, one of Baba Yaga’s Three Riders who herald her return to Irrisen every 100 years. The only one of the three to escape death at the hands of Queen Elvanna, the Black Rider fled into the snowy wilderness of Irrisen. Harried by Elvanna’s armies and mortally wounded, he came upon the winter portal and staggered through in the hope of finding someone to whom he could pass on his mission. The Black Rider holds two of the keys that control Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut, and that would enable him (or someone else) to use the hut to track down the missing Witch Queen, but he knows that keys don’t currently work, deactivated (like all of the hut’s many keys) by Elvanna. The Rider also realizes that only his life’s blood and connection to Baba Yaga can make the keys functional again. Once he sees the aftermath of the adventurers' battle at the winter portal, the Rider makes a conscious choice to turn his task over to them so they can free Baba Yaga and spare Golarion from a new ice age—even if it means sacrificing himself to give them that opportunity. The Three Riders of Baba Yaga typically bear a frightening, or at least otherworldly, facade, the better to unnerve and intimidate those they meet. This sinister appearance is an illusion, however, a product of the magic robes granted to them by Baba Yaga that functions as disguise self. To hopefully put the party at ease, the Black Rider drops the facade and appears in his true form, that of an old human man, exhausted, pale from blood loss, and close to death. The Black Rider is dying; nothing the adventurers do can heal him or save him, and he is aware of that fact. What is already done cannot be reversed. He calls to the adventurers, claiming to have knowledge of great import to share with them. The Rider tells the party who he is and all he knows—the source of the winter portal, the existence of the other portals appearing throughout Golarion, Elvanna’s betrayal of Baba Yaga, and her plans to spread Irrisen’s permanent winter over the whole world. If the party questions him, his most likely answers follow. Who are you? “Once, I was called Illarion Matveius. Now I am known as Black Midnight. I am Baba Yaga’s Black Rider, harbinger of the Witch Queen’s return.” Who did to this to you? “The servants of Queen Elvanna, ruler of Irrisen and betrayer of her own mother.” Why were you attacked? “Something has happened to Baba Yaga. Every hundred years, she returns to Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne. But Queen Elvanna has other plans, it seems. Baba Yaga has not appeared as planned, and Elvanna intends to slay everyone loyal to her mother. She hunted down those of us who would herald Baba Yaga’s return and slew my associates. I am the last of the Three Riders and a threat to Elvanna’s plans.” What are Elvanna’s plans? “To take Baba Yaga’s place, and claim all of Golarion as her personal kingdom. Irrisen is a land of endless winter, created by Baba Yaga’s magic. Elvanna seeks to cover the entire world in ice and snow, using portals like this one.” How do we close the portal? “You can find its source in the Pale Tower, on the other side, but this portal is but one of many. Through them, Elvanna will spread a new ice age across your world, consuming it for all eternity. Closing this portal might save your kingdom, but Golarion would still be doomed.” What can we do to stop this from happening? “You must find Baba Yaga. Only Baba Yaga can defeat Elvanna. Only the Queen of Witches can undo what her daughter has done.” How do we find Baba Yaga? “You must use her Dancing Hut to follow her. The hut is a powerful artifact that can cross great distances, even travel between worlds. If you can control the hut, it can take you to Baba Yaga.” Where is the Dancing Hut? “Elvanna stole the hut and put it on display in Irrisen’s capital, Whitethrone, as a symbol of her power. You must go through the portal to Irrisen and find the Dancing Hut.” How do we control the hut? “The hut has many keys—objects attuned to the hut—that can take it almost anywhere. I managed to secure two of these keys, but Elvanna stole their power to prevent anyone from using the hut to find her mother. Once they are reactivated, placing the keys in the hut’s cauldron will retrace Baba Yaga’s path.” Knowing his time is running out, the Rider explains that he’s no longer capable of carrying out the mission assigned to him—finding and rescuing Baba Yaga—so he must pass the task on to the PCs. He produces the two keys to the Dancing Hut—a lock of white hair from a frost giant’s beard and a plague doctor’s mask. These two items appear perfectly normal and mundane in every way, but they are the literal keys to take the Dancing Hut to a new destination in search of Baba Yaga. Elvanna has drained the keys of their power, but the Rider has the power to reactivate them, if the adventurers will accept the mantle of responsibility. When he has said his piece, the Black Rider slits his own throat, bathing the two keys in his life’s blood. This empowers the keys, but kills the Rider, and there is no way to save him through normal means. As he expires, his magic robes melt away like ice in a fire, leaving behind the body of an old man dressed in a simple black tunic. By accepting the mantle of the Black Rider, the adventurers granted new capabilities, but also bound by a powerful geas-like effect, compelling them to seek out Baba Yaga and ensure her return to Irrisen. Encounters so far in Book 2:
Let me know if you need more details to refresh your memory about any of these encounters or the people you met. Part 1: Journey to Whitethrone Threat from the Skies: Raven swarms They’ll put your eye out!
Part 2: The Howlings
Beginning Part Three: The Dragon of Whitethrone:
The city of Whitethrone is the capital of both Irrisen and the province of Thronehold. Situated on the northern shore of Glacier Lake, it is home to a diverse population of Jadwiga, Ulfen, dwarves, fey, gnomes, ice trolls, snow goblins, and winter wolves, though most of the Ulfen, dwarves, and gnomes are little more than slaves, occupying a much lower position on the social ladder beneath the Jadwiga and the city’s more monstrous denizens. Queen Elvanna’s eldest daughter, Princess Cassisoche, rules Whitethrone, and with Elvanna’s attention focused on her ritual to spread eternal winter over all of Golarion, Cassisoche is currently running most of Irrisen in her mother’s stead with the help of the Jadwiga Elvanna. Martial law has recently been declared in the city, making it even more dangerous than usual for foreigners to venture outside of the relatively safe Merchants’ Quarter. Patrols of Elvanna’s mirror men and the Winter Guard are everywhere, and moving through the city without proper credentials can be a death sentence. Nevertheless, trade goes on as it always does, and those with official papers (or forged ones) can still move around the city, provided they watch their step and take care not to attract attention to themselves. SHRINE OF THE EVERBLOOM Once the PCs have made it out of the Howlings and into the city of Whitethrone proper, Ringeirr guides the PCs southward to the district called the Floes, where many of the city’s elite Jadwiga live. Ringeirr heads for a small communal bathhouse catering to well-connected Ulfen just east of the Water Palace. After a knowing nod to the bathhouse attendant, Ringeirr leads the PCs downstairs and into the subterranean service tunnels connecting many of the nearby bathhouses, then through a hidden door into the secret shrine of Milani. Created by druid members of the Heralds of Summer’s Return many years ago, the Shrine of the Everbloom occupies a secret underground sub-level beneath the Hidden Gardens. Heated by the hot springs of the Floes, the shrine itself is not very big, but there are living quarters for up to a dozen people, usually occupied by fugitives the Heralds help smuggle into or out of the city. There are no mirrors anywhere in the complex. Ringeirr introduces the PCs to Solveig Ayrdahl, the cleric of Milani who leads Whitethrone’s cell of the Heralds of Summer’s Return. Solveig is detailed fully in the NPC appendix on page 56. Ringeirr encourages the PCs to tell Solveig their story, and once she learns that the PCs plan to overthrow Queen Elvanna, she agrees to help them. Solveig explains that although Queen Elvanna put Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut on display in the city’s Market Square, a thick forest teeming with strange creatures sprouted up around the hut almost overnight, and the market is now completely overgrown. The Winter Guard, under the command of one of the queen’s great-great-granddaughters, a White Witch named Nazhena Vasilliovna, has cordoned off the entire Market Square. They have labored feverishly to cut down the forest, but so far they’ve only succeeded in halting the forest’s spread through the entire Merchants’ Quarter. Around the square itself, any trees cut down grow back the following morning. There’s no way to get to the hut without going through a small army, no matter how good the PCs’ forged papers might be, but Solveig has an idea. She tells the PCs that the Heralds have made careful and tentative contact with the remains of the Iron Guard, the former military order loyal to Baba Yaga that Elvanna replaced with her own Winter Guard. Several of the Iron Guard’s commanders survived Elvanna’s purges and were driven underground, but they hunger for the chance to reclaim the city (and all of Irrisen) for its true mistress. Unsurprisingly, the Iron Guard distrusts the Heralds, but the current situation has made the two groups allies of convenience. For their part, the Heralds are no supporters of Baba Yaga, but Queen Elvanna is by far the most powerful manifestation of the White Witches’ rule, and removing from her from power would be a telling blow against Irrisen’s oppressive government. According to Solveig, the Iron Guard is just waiting for an opportunity to launch a counterstrike against the Winter Guard, but one thing stands in their way—one of the Winter Guard’s commanders, the white dragon Logrivich. Solveig’s cell of resistance fighters is small, and they are guerillas, not trained soldiers. They survive by keeping their heads down and quietly helping the oppressed people of Whitethrone, not by engaging Elvanna’s minions in open combat. If the PCs were to remove the threat of the dragon, however, Solveig believes she could convince the Iron Guard to strike back at the Winter Guard. Such an uprising would be sure to draw troops away from the Market Square, enabling the PCs to reach the Dancing Hut with much less opposition. Assuming the PCs agree to Solveig’s plan, she offers them shelter in the shrine for the duration of their stay in Whitethrone. The PCs can rest and recover within the small hideout, and Solveig offers them healing, if needed. They can even spend some time carefully exploring parts of Whitethrone looking for places to purchase or sell gear, so long as they keep a low profile. Before long, however, the mantle of the Black Rider should push them toward completing their quest to find Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut. Once the PCs are ready to face the dragon, Solveig gives them directions to the clock tower that Logrivich has claimed as his lair and warns them to prepare to fight ice trolls, many of whom occupy the tower. She offers the PCs three potions of cure light wounds and two skyrocket fireworks (Ultimate Equipment 109) to use on their mission. Once the dragon is dead, the PCs should launch one of the skyrockets from the clock tower to signal the Heralds and the Iron Guard to attack. Lastly, Solveig has a personal request for the PCs. She confesses feeling guilty that her plan also serves a personal ulterior motive and asks their forgiveness, but she begs them to consider her proposal anyway. Solveig’s side quest is detailed below. Side Quest
UP NEXT: Selling off loot and buying new gear to prepare for the assault on Logrivitch’s clock tower. Do you test your forged papers and go to market yourselves, or ask the Heralds to do your buying and selling for you? Any other activities while you rest and recover? ![]()
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![]() You have arrived in Whitethrone, and have been welcomed at the Shrine of the Everbloom... ![]()
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![]() Thank you very much for running this, Redalia, and all of the other experienced PbP GMs who gave their time for this program. I also enjoyed hearing from the other students (and playing live at GenCon with Blue Moose!). ![]()
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![]() Dungeon Master S wrote:
Thanks for the reminder about Hickman’s book, DM S. I bought the Kindle version a few years ago and never finished it; time to go back to it. ![]()
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![]() I apologize for having just lurked for the last several weeks - I've had a particularly busy spell at work, and keeping up with my PbP games has been difficult. I think I have a better handle on my schedule now, and should be better shape going forward. I'm going to jump back in here with the current topic. 1. Players who don't post often enough to keep the game moving. This is a tough one. I've played in scenarios where someone disappears during combat, only to return after it has ended and the GM has had to bot them (often without clear advance botting instructions). This can also slow the game outside of combat; I've seen several GMs deal with this problem with the "rule of two/three," which I think we discussed earlier. I like the idea of getting email addresses for players to deal with the lack of reliable notifications for private messages at Paizo.com, but I know there are folks out there who are reluctant to give out any real-world contact information, often for good reason. Perhaps for those folks, it would be possible to create a stand-alone gmail account (forwarded to their regular email address) for PbP use? 2. Players who are overly argumentative about rules. I haven't seen this much with players in PbP, maybe because there is usually time to look something up. I have also seen some GMs get defensive when questioned - probably because they are used to rules arguments at the table in live games. I guess I agree with GM PaleDim - if it can’t be resolved quickly in the Discussion thread, I think it’s best to take the discussion private, and deal with it that way. If necessary, I would call in one of the local venture officers - I have played with GMs who have done that when they were uncertain about a ruling themselves. 3. Players who try to ‘derail’ the adventure. I think this one depends on how the other players react. Assuming it appears to be deliberate disruption from one player that the others aren’t joining in, I would treat it like a rules argument above. I suppose it could end with asking someone to leave the group, although I hate to think it would come to that. If it is the entire group, I would remind the players that even if there isn’t a hard deadline to finish in a PbP game (other than specials), there may be in-game consequences for going too far off the rails, which may in turn affect the rewards on their chronicle sheets. I assume that in any PFS game - live or PbP - if the party just ignores the mission assigned and won’t get back on track after a couple of warnings, even if there is no definitive failure condition that ends the scenario, the Venture Captain can eventually recall the PCs and send out a new team to try again? That might be easier to do at a live table as the FLGS is closing, but even in a PbP there needs to be a way to pull the plug. 4. Players who have made characters that make other players uncomfortable. I’ve been lucky - I haven’t seen anything like this myself, but then other than PbP, I don’t play much outside of our family home games, and the last couple of years at Gen Con. As a GM, I think it would be my job to reach out to the problem player early to address the issue, and give them a chance to make adjustments. If that doesn’t resolve the issue quickly, I think it would be time to tell them to leave the table. ![]()
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![]() Jianghong nods, serious for once. "You have done me and my family a favor. Perhaps someday, I will have the chance to repay you." Pack and pockets bulging with, possibly with other purloined goods, he walks out the door and into the night. Zheng gives you a slight bow, and follows. After a few minutes pass with no sign of activity on the school grounds, you return to the guest house and quietly assemble your gear. An hour before sunrise, there is a change of the guards' shifts; while the guards' attention is focused elsewhere, Zadim leads you silently through one of the gates and onto the road back to Shokuro. On your return to Mai Chun's home in Ashima, Mai Chun is very pleased with your success. "Well done, Pathfinders! You have returned this important map to its rightful nation. Rest now, because you will be leaving again soon to recover another relic of Lung Wa." And we’re done! Would whoever is signed up to run "Prophecy," the final chapter please ping me? I need to let you know something that may affect one of the encounters that chapter. ![]()
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![]() I’m going to be jammed until late tonight, but will post the closing of this part of the quest either late tonight (around 10 hours from now) or first thing tomorrow morning. Feel free to post anything else you want to say to Jianghong or Zheng in the meantime. ![]()
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![]() Jianghong smirks at Treble Tan. "A 'shared' interest, you say? You do not mean that in the sense of a common interest towards a joint goal, surely, but in the sense of being interested in the same thing." He mulls things over for a moment, then shrugs and thrusts the swath of orange silk towards you. "Here. All you care about is this old map, yes? Then take it. But - " he pulls it away again, "- you must never mention me or my actions here tonight to anyone. Are we agreed?" ![]()
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![]() Treble Tan the Third wrote:
No worries, TTT! Before Ohm-Eran can more than begin his translation, Jianghong bursts into bitter laughter and answers angrily in Taldane. "Ill-gotten map? You cannot be serious! You pretend to be scholars, you are guests, and you break down the door of a locked office in the middle of the night? You're just upset that I got there first!" Zheng rolls his eyes and points to the door of the Main Hall. Counting on Ohm-Eran to translate, he says, "We should continue inside. The walls out here have ears, and eyes." He leads everyone back into the darkened building and closes the door, then cautiously lights the stub of a candle, holding it to shield the glow from windows with his body. In the dim light, you can see that in addition to the map, Jianghong is carrying a haversack over his shoulder that appears to be stuffed with an assortment of items of various shapes. Sense Motive, DC 10: You are shocked, shocked, to realize that he was robbing the school! ![]()
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![]() We’re almost done, folks. Let’s try to wrap it up in the next couple of days. Please feel free to post today; this evening, I’ll assume everyone makes their way downstairs and will start from there. ![]()
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![]() Sorry, folks! I was waiting for another post from Zadim and Treble, but I just realized that Zadim has already posted for Round 3, and I've let this sit longer than I intended. I'm calling it. Zadim turns on his heels and begins heading in the opposite direction from the thief. The guard begins to follow, but Elemenar stops him in his tracks with a well-placed Daze. Treble's keen eyes (and darkvision) spot the shadowy figure - and the more visible orange silk map flapping in the night breeze - as he runs around the far corner of the building. His well-timed shout is enough to point out the target to Ohm-Eran, and his Daze catches the thief by surprise. Stunned by the spell - and distracted by the voices coming from the second-story window - his momentum carries him forward a few more steps. He careens head on into Zadim. The thief bounces off of the solid slayer's armor, and collapses to the ground. As the ancient silk map floats down to cover his face once more, the moonlight reveals your competition for the prize to be none other than your tour guide, Jianghong! Dum-dum-dummmmmm! The dazed guard shakes off his torpor and rushes to the erstwhile student's side. Up close, Zadim is unsurprised to recognize him as Zheng. Once the squat bodyguard has confirmed that Jianghong has no injuries worse than a few bruises and a bump on the head, he picks up the map with one hand and helps the young man to his feet with the other. Zheng nods to Zadim, then looks up at the window at the rest of the Pathfinders. He calls up softly, in Tien, "Better come down before somebody else sees you." ![]()
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![]() You're almost there, Pathfinders! One or or the other, the chase is over at the end of this round! ![]()
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![]() Looking good so far! Treble, you can have one more action for round 3 if you'd like to post something. I'll hold off posting to resolve the actions until later this afternoon (Central time, US) to give Ohm-Eran and Elemenar time to post for round 3 as well. ![]()
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![]() GM Rolls:
Mystery roll: 1d20 ⇒ 8 Mystery roll: 1d20 ⇒ 5 Mystery roll: 1d20 ⇒ 13 Zadim drops from the window, landing silently on the grassy strip between the path and the shrubs that line the outer walls of the building. He begins padding quietly after their quarry. Non-lethal falling damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1 Just as the figure is about to disappear from view around the corner of the building, he pauses at Ohm-Eran's threat and a surprised "What?!?" escapes him (in Tien). Elemenar's attempt to help only seems to spur the thief (the other thief) on. He picks up his pace and vanishes from sight, just as another figure - this one somewhat larger, steps into Zadim's path, about 20' away, blocking his route to follow the thief and the ancient map. From what Zadim can see in the dim moonlight, it appears to be one of the guards - perhaps calling out from the window has attracted their attention and brought them down from the wall? Starting Round 3. I'll give Treble an extra action when he checks back in. ![]()
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![]() GM Screen:
Mystery roll: 1d20 ⇒ 5 Mystery roll: 1d20 ⇒ 18 Mental Block A vaguely familiar voice mutters in Tien, "Wait - what am I doing up..." Sense Motive Treble believes the shadowy figure is thoroughly confused, and scared to find himself balanced precariously on a windowsill... Grease ... which is suddenly covered in an oleaginous coating. Acrobatics
Round 2: Go, go, go! ![]()
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![]() Interesting choices - I'll give Zadim a few more hours to post before resolving the actions and moving to round 2. ![]()
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![]() That's more like it! Zadim charges into the locked door. With a thunderous crack that echoes up and down the hallway, the doorframe shatters around the lock, sending splinters flying into the office through the now-open door. The inside of this office is cluttered with calligraphy samples, brushes, and inkstones across every flat surface except a low table in the center of the room. The window on the other side of the room is open, and a shadow moves across the sill with a flutter of orange silk. The chase is on. See the spoilers for rules. Quick - whoever that is, they're getting away! Musical chase scene: Instead of resolving this chase using the chase rules or as a combat, the PCs have 3 rounds in which to succeed at a number of skill checks equal to twice the number of PCs. Each skill check represents one round of action, and a PC cannot use the same skill more than twice. So long as a player can explain how he might use a skill to close in on their quarry, it’s a valid option. If a PC uses a spell in a clever way, it counts as a success without requiring a skill check.
Everyone can act once each round, as normal.
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![]() You think you might have heard a burst of laughter from the other side of the door, and possibly the sound of one hand clapping... over the laugher's mouth to stop themselves from making more noise. ![]()
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![]() It will surprise nobody to learn that a 5 did not succeed. Feel free to aid another. ![]()
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![]() Elemenar hears the scrape of a chair or table being moved slowly across the floor coming from inside Door 6. ![]()
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![]() There is no answer to Treble's knocking. Sorry - I've been stuck in meetings all day. Anyone wants to can make perception checks to listen at Door 6; I'll roll for anyone who doesn't in a few hours and post the results. ![]()
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![]() In the other offices, you find scattered coins, paper clips, and several loose keys - but none that look like they will work on Door #6. ![]()
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![]() As you make your way down the hall, trying doors as you go, you find that the first five offices are unlocked. Each of these contains only spartan furnishings - a simple desk and chairs, some work in progress and half-graded assignments, and notes on the syllabus for the coming term. The sixth door, however, is locked. Zadim does not detect any traps. ![]()
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![]() That makes sense to me - just list them in order by room number, starting with 2. Only one roll needed per door. Zadim does not detect any traps at the first door, and it appears to be unlocked. ![]()
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![]() Ohm-Eran activates his sunrod, and light fills the area around the party, though the far end of the Main Hall is still dim and shadowed. The stairs come into view and are unobstructed. Zadim leads the group quietly up the stairs. When you reach the upper floor, the stairs open into a narrow hallway lined with doors. Based on the second-story windows you saw from outside and the layout of the first floor, you expect each of these doors to open into one of the faculty offices that Jianghong mentioned. Feel free to correct the marching order on the map (slide 5 - sorry in advance, I didn't have anything pre-printed that fit the scene). ![]()
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![]() The door swings open silently, and you see the Main Hall stretched out before you. The moonlight through the large windows provides areas of shadow and, at most, dim light, but it appears to be much as it was a few hours earlier. The stairwell is a black hole along one side, completely cutoff from the diffused moonlight, but Treble Tan, with his darkvision, can make out that it appears to be unobstructed. The various antiques are on display behind protective glass, and you can barely see the large map hanging on the far wall, unprotected. Unlike this afternoon, there are no guards in the Main Hall. Everything is quiet. Where too? Most of you will need some light in order to move around safely. ![]()
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![]() Sneaking out of the guest house, Ohm-Eran stumbles into an end-table, knocking over a vase of dried flowers. Zadim manages to catch the vase, but sound of the table legs scraping along the floor echoes through the foyer. The party freezes and waits in tense silence for one of the servants to wake and raise an alarm, but all remains quiet. Once outside, the tall hedges that line the deserted paths provide more than sufficient cover for the group to stay hidden from the guards atop the wall, should any of them happen to glance back for a look at the campus. Crouched over to stay fully concealed, you arrive at the Main Hall without incident. You find the door unlocked. All right, Pathfinders - the game is afoot. What next? Any buffs or checks before you go in? And what's your marching order when you enter? ![]()
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![]() Welcome back, Treble Tan! I'll post the scene a little later this morning, assuming you're heading back to the Main Hall. Elemenar, Zadim, and Treble Tan, if you are online before I get to that, go ahead an post Perception and Stealth checks (1 each, for now) under a spoiler, please. ![]()
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![]() The campus is quiet. Even the servants in the guest house have gone to sleep. Pathfinders, what do you do next? ![]()
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![]() Through the large windows of the guesthouse dining room, you see dusk turn to night while you plot. The teachers, students, and the students' bodyguards stream out through the gates. The school's own guards cease their patrols of the grounds. Instead, they climb to the top of the wall (pulling their ladders up behind them) to protect the now-empty school from outside threats. ![]()
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![]() Sorry, folks - unplanned travel yesterday, had to fly out to NY to check in on my father after a fall (nothing broken, luckily, but he had some stitches and his face looks like he lost an argument with the sidewalk, which is pretty much what happened). Back online this morning. Chris, as you probably know from running this quest before, this part is more funnel than sandbox. I’m going to try to help the group along with a nudge not strictly written into the scenario but consistent with one of the pieces of information that you didn’t get from Jianghong - I’m hoping that will help the group make a decision about going forward. ![]()
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![]() "Of course you may each have your own room, as honored guests of the School of the Affinities - particularly as there are no other guests this evening," Jianghong answers as he leads you out the door and across the campus to the guest house. "But if you prefer to share, I believe there is at least one room large enough to accommodate you all." The guest house is large enough to accommodate a dozen guests comfortably, and the cheerful staff give you the impression that they are perfectly happy to have something to do on a night when they had believed they would be able to relax. Jianghong will stay (along with Zheng) and answer questions as long as you like, but in any event he leaves before the staff calls you into the small dining room for dinner. The fare is simple, as it was prepared on short notice, but everything is quite good. The servants bring out new dishes and refill drinks efficiently without being obtrusive. Once the meal is over, they quickly clear the remains of the meal and leave you to your conversation in the dining room after making sure you have everything you need for the evening. You have already checked out your rooms, which are small but comfortable. ![]()
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![]() You arrived early in the afternoon. I'd say between your scouting around and the tour, it's late afternoon/early evening, about 5:00 or 6:00pm. Master Shuo raises an eyebrow at Elemenar as the wizard wanders off, and then gives Treble and Zadim - standing mute despite Ohm-Eran's translation - a blank look as though he is waiting for something. Then he sighs and shrugs, and says, "Of course, you and your ... entourage are welcome to stay in our guest house tonight, and in the morning we will discuss our school in more detail. You would not be a typical student, you understand, but perhaps we will be able to arrange something." The elderly teacher gestures at Jianghong, and the student pulls a flat box from within his robes and presents it to him. Master Shuo opens the lid, and you see that the box contains a several pieces of blank parchment, a quill, and several tiny vials of ink. The instructor removes one sheet of parchment, a vial of ink, and the pen, then closes the lid. With Jianghong holding it steady, Master Shuo uses it as a desk and begins writing something on the parchment. Ohm-Eran, you can tell that his Tien characters, even for this mundane task, are perfectly drawn, with ruler-straight lines, sweeping curves, and the occasional frill that must be a signature element of his personal style. It takes him twenty minutes to write a note explaining that the foreign traveler Ohm-Eran and his entourage are permitted to stay at the guest house for the night and should be granted the full hospitality of the school (which means they will feed you as well as giving you a place to sleep). With a nod to each of you and an irritated glare at Jianghong, he replaces the quill and ink in the box, snaps the lid shut, and hobbles back up the stairs alone. Jianghong holds out the note granting you access to the guest house. "Is there anyone else you would like to meet this evening, or do you have any other questions? Or shall I escort you to our humble guest quarters for the night?" ![]()
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![]() Jianghong nods and walks to the stairs, Zheng following behind. The guard near the bottom of the stairs stops them for a moment with a question. Jianghong answers quietly pointing to you, and Zheng adds a curt nod. The guard looks past them to you, then nods in response and waves them on before returning to his position; he appears to be keeping an eye on you while Jianghong and Zheng are absent. Jianghong bounds down the stairs soon enough, followed more slowly by Zheng and an elderly, skinny man wearing thick glasses and leaning on a cane - this is Master Shuo. Zheng helps him down the last few steps, and he hobbles over to you. He greets you with a little bow, but does not smile. In Tien, he says, "Welcome to the School of the Affinities. It is so unusual for us to have foreign visitors. May I know your names, please, and the reason for your visit?" ![]()
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![]() Jianghong shrugs. "As far as I know, there is nobody staying in the guest house tonight, but you will need permission from any of the teachers. Master Shuo is usually in his office at this time of day. Shall I fetch him down for you?" If the party wants him to get the teacher for permission to stay in the guesthouse, Ohm-Eran can hang onto that Bluff check until you need it. ![]()
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![]() GM Wageslave wrote:
Same here, plus a rough patch at work (which can happen anytime). ![]()
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![]() Behind the screen:
Secret Check: 1d20 ⇒ 20 Jianghong shrugs and says: “It's good, but it’s not as good as the original. The teachers sometimes copy the art on display here as practice, as with this map. I presume the original would be in an office upstairs.” Ohm-Eran: Jianghong's casual response seems just the slightest bit forced. He may be a little more certain about his suggestion that the map is an office upstairs than he implies, but he does not appear to be lying. ![]()
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![]() I swapped out the clean map image on the slide for the one from the scenario with area numbers - the tour descriptions are too complicated otherwise. Jianghong's grin widens. "Follow me!" He leads the party forward through the gates and into the school grounds. "During the day, our gates our open so that any who seek knowledge of the ancient and venerated art of calligraphy may enter, and guards patrol the school grounds to preserve order. At night, the staff lock the gates, of course, so there is no need for guards." Jianghong begins the tour at the center of the property, where a large fountain stands in the center of the school on a raised dais (B1). The fountain consists of several pools that represent elaborate inkstones. "This," he says with an exaggerated wave of his hand and a wink, "is our immense inkwell!" He then gestures to the neat gravel paths and well-tended hedges (which are about 4 feet high) along some of the paths (B2). "The grounds are the domain of my good friend Master Bao." The twitch of Zheng's left eyebrow is almost imperceptible. Jianghong ignores it. "That is his hut, actually," he says, pointing to the small outbuilding just off the path where Treble is standing (B3). "I would introduce you, but he is away from the school at the moment. Visiting relatives, I believe." A few guards are marching down a path on the far side of the campus. "Now this fine edifice," Jianghong says as he hurries you around the fountain to a large building at the northeast corner of the grounds (B4), "is our luxurious guesthouse." "And these," he says, pointing you to three buildings at the northwest, east, and southeast, "are our classrooms." The sliding paper doors to the classroom buildings are open, and the PCs can see teachers monitoring students bent over their desks, and the students' bodyguards watching over them all. "Ah, I remember my days in those classrooms," Jianghong says wistfully. "That was before I was recognized as being worthy of door duty, of course." At that moment, Zheng has a horrible coughing fit. He waves away any offers of aid, and motions for Jianghong to continue the tour. Finally, Jianghong leads you back towards the South Gate, to a large, two-story building. "Last but not least, this building houses our Main Hall and the offices of the administrators and faculty. I, personally, rarely spend any time here, but I have heard - from other students - that some of our more rambunctious pupils may be found here more frequently than in their assigned classrooms." The twinkle in his eye does not help the credibility of his denial. He motions you into the open door, and you find yourself in what must be the Main Hall. The hall contains several treasures on display, including weapons and examples of exquisite calligraphy. One of these pieces is an ornate map on orange silk. Unlike many of the other art objects, the map is not secured behind glass. There are two guards standing at attention, and you can see a narrow stairway at the end of the hall. "This brings us to the end of our tour, gentlemen! Is there anyone here you would like to meet? Or do you have any questions?" ![]()
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![]() I apologize - unexpectedly long couple of days at work. Should be back online by this afternoon. ![]()
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![]() Although it isn't necessary to speak Tien - Jianghong will speak Common with any PC who doesn't understand the language - I think Ohm-Eran's effort to speak the language of the country you are visiting is worth a small circumstance bonus to the Diplomacy check he made, which may matter later. As Ohm-Eran has stated he will translate for the other PCs, I will not bother putting the translation in a spoiler. Jianghong switches back to Tien with to respond to Ohm-Eran, and acknowledges him with a nod of his head. "Ha! Less a right of entry, perhaps, than an open invitation to any visitors during regular school hours. I am on door-duty today as a reward" - Zheng rolls his eyes again and coughs discreetly - "for my spirit and enthusiasm! I would be honored to give you a tour, if you and your companions will follow me? We have had no other visitors yet today, so I promise you that my patter is still fresh." He turns halfway back to the gate, and looks at the party expectantly. ![]()
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![]() You hear a young man’s voice speaking loudly in Tien, coming from the direction of the gate where Zadim saw the student arguing with the guard. The speaker sounds defiant, but his voice also has an undercurrent of laughter. “Rúguǒ wǒ yīnggāi shàngbān, nàme wǒ bìxū kàn suǒyǒu de dàmén! Ràoguò qiáng wài zǒudòng xiàolǜ yào gāo dé duō! Rúguǒ nǐ duì wǒ de ānquán rúcǐ dānxīn, zhèng, nàme nǐ jiāng bùdé bù péibàn wǒ, zhè jiùshì tā de quánbù!” Translation (for Tien speakers):
“If I am supposed to be on door duty, then I must watch all of the gates! And it is far more efficient to do so by going around the outside of the wall! If you are so worried about my safety, Zheng, then you will have to accompany me, and that is all there is to it!” With that, the party sees the youth in the yellow robes (see Slide 4) march through the gate onto the path and head in your direction. The guard - his bodyguard? his minder? it is impossible to tell - follows behind, a resigned expression on his face. Seeing the PCs, the young man breaks into a grin and increases his pace. He calls back over his shoulder, “Nǐ kàn, zhèng! Wǒmen quèshí yǒu yóukè - wàiguó rén, cóng tāmen de jiǎodù lái kàn - tāmen zhǐshì tài hàixiū ér wúfǎ jiējìn dàmén!” Translation (for Tien speakers):
“You see, Zheng! We do have visitors - foreigners, by the look of them - they are merely too shy to approach the gate!” When he reaches you, he stops and gives you a formal bow, although the sardonic grin that seems never to leave his face spoils the effect a bit. Up close, he looks to be about 17 or 18 years old. He greets you in fluent Common. “Welcome to the School of the Affinities! I am Jianghong, a not-so-humble student here, and this - ” he waves in the direction of the guard - “is my nanny, Zheng.” The guard rolls his eyes, but the Jianghong continues undaunted. “Who do we have the honor of meeting today? You are here to visit the School, aren’t you? Please say that you are, I was about to die of boredom.” All right, Pathfinders - you’re up! ![]()
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![]() Same - but I've had an overwhelming couple of days at work just as the site reopened. Feel free to take whatever action to start the exploration of the school that you think best as a party; if the group hasn't gotten going by this afternoon, I will give the start a bit of a push. ![]()
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![]() Elemenar and Treble, please remember to post your information for the chronicle sheet in the discussion thread. As Zadim sneaks around the wall surrounding the school, he notices a young man in bright yellow robes standing near the open south gate. The youth is speaking animatedly with one of the guards, a scarred, frowning fireplug of a man who only responds with the occasional shrug or grunt. As Zadim watches them, the younger man gestures in the direction of the gate, then starts to walk up the path towards the school buildings. The guard swiftly steps in front of him and shakes his head. The young man sighs loudly and, with an eyeroll and an unmistakable expression of boredom, returns to his post near the gate, the guard staying close beside him. |