GM Weenerton Emerald Spire (Inactive)

Game Master OG3

Between the Echo Wood and the broad expanse of the West Sellen River stands a resolute stronghold of law and order: the walled town of Fort Inevitable. From its stern keep, companies of Hellknights ride forth to enforce the strict laws of their commander and bring authority to the unclaimed lands of the Crusader Road. While the taxes imposed by the town’s rulers are heavy and the laws inflexible, no one can deny that prosperity has followed the Hellknights’ establishment of hard justice in this small corner of the River Kingdoms. Merchants, travelers, and adventurers journeying on the Crusader Road find that Fort Inevitable provides a rare island of safety in an otherwise lawless land—so long as one is
careful not to run afoul of the Hellknights’ laws.

Your missive has directed you to the Red Shield Tavern to meet with Embra Horsk, the proprietress. It is early morning and the place is empty save for a pile of drunks in the corner. Embra and the staff seem occupied for now.

Feel free to make your entrances and make your acquaintance.

A thickly-built woman of Tien descent pushes her way through the door, laughing heartily. She's accompanied by a slender woman with a veil of straight, black hair who gently holds her arm, accompanying her to a seat as the two survey the area-- both for a spare moment of Embra's time, as well as other potential Pathfinder Agents in the tavern.

My rogue will be accompanying Kasumi to the tavern and no further; they're traveling companions, but adventure separately. c:

Could we get an avatar please, Kasumi?

I've been trying to find a good one. "Solid Tien woman with red undercut" is hard to find anything close, but I'm gonna continue searching. I know I'll have to settle... but I don't want to settle for something completely off.

A colorful female sporting horns and a feathery tail walks into the tavern, recently arrived in town, and strides enthusiastically towards the group.

"Sorrrrry guys.... I'm laaate! here now though... here now! what did I miss? what did I miss? Hi, hi!!! hi to you too! I'm Nel'setsya, Nel for short! I can put people to sleep and help warriors in battle by creating a shadow flanking buddy. Who are you guys and what are your superpowers?!?"

Kasumi and Sayuki both eye the Ganzi, then raise their eyebrows at each other before a broad grin spreads over their mouths in unison. Kasumi scooches over on the bench, creating a seat between them, and pats the space.

"Come have a seat, Nel'satsya! I'm Kasumi--"

"--Sayuki here,"

"--and one of us pokes people with that big sharp tree over there." Kasumi points back toward the door, where an Elven Branched Spear rests against the wall.

"The other," states Sayuki, "tricks foes into chasing shadows."

"Only one of us is going with you," explains Kasumi,

"while the other will stay here and see how long it takes until we're kicked out of the tavern," grins Sayuki. "Can you guess which?"

In retrospect, Sayuki would make a far better choice, if you've got a flanking partner built-in, buuuuuuuut oh well! It might be too late to change.

I don't mind if you switch. Just update your character details.

Works for me! Really excited to play either of them tbh.

You notice that their is someone sitting in a dark corner that is not one of the sleeping drunks. He rises and walks shyly toward the group of women at the table. As he approaches, you see that he is a skinny dwarf with very, very pale skin. He is bald, has a full beard and is wearing very simple clothing.

"Hello ladies," he starts after taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Sent her by the society, I presume? Please allow me to introduce myself." He bows deeply. The motion smooth but unpracticed. You think you see something in his beard move. "My name is Rumple Dergskin. I am a sorcerer. I have no super powers, but you might say I'm cursed."

The whole time, he keeps glancing at Nel, but now he turns to face her. "No dear, you are not late. The others have not appeared yet," he says gently. He takes another deep breath and then gushes "Oh my, what are you? I've never seen a corpse with horns and such a beautiful tail. I'm sorry, it is probably rude for asking, but I cannot help it." The words stop, but his eyes are clearly still spewing questions as he stares in fascination. Around this time, a cockroach crawls out from behind his beard, making it way up his face and finally perching atop his head, antennae sniffing the air in curiosity.

Nel does not take offense. She approaches Rumple uncomfortably close and wrap her arms and tail around him before explaining:

"Hello Rumple! mind if I call you Rump? you got a nice one so that fits!" says Nel, squeezing the back part of the dwarf's body where the left thigh join the hips. She giggles and continues, "I'm what you Golarion folks call a 'ganzi' - we're infused with rare energies and entropic legacies, and we're the mortal incarnations of the myriad and mutable forces of chaos... we're typically encountered in the Maelstrom, but can also be found in Elysium or the Abyss. In my case, I was born here, but my parents are from Galisemni, also known as the City of the Celestial and the Damned, the great shining jewel of interplanar commerce that floats along the Maelstrom’s tides and currents. Our numbers in Golarion have been increasing in the last few decades if the sages are to be believed, testament that Golarion is somewhat increasingly on the multiverse's map, so to speak! it's a GOOD thing guys!!! for good or ill, we're here to stay I think. I like it here. Been to Galisemni twice, and although it's wonderful in many ways, well, I prefer a big wide world like this. Rump!!!! let's try what's for drinking in this place yes?"

"You...are...chaos? This is what it feels like to be wrapped in chaos?" He only barely notices the grope. "Elysium, Abyss, Maelstrom, City of the Celestial and the Damned. The multiverse. I have not studied them yet. How many touch the barrier between life and unlife?" His eyes are unfocused as he searches inward. Suddenly, though, they regain a sharp and intense focus on the face close to his. "As a creature of chaos who travels the multiverse, can you move freely back and forth across it?" The question is almost a whisper; awe, hope, and disbelief all intertwined.

"Alas, no. My parents fill that niche for me. Or so they have been... as I grew up. Big-timing all powerful spellcasters and all... I don't really understand where all their powers come from, to be honest. Things just... happen like they want it, whenever or wherever they are... I think... they got me in that Pathfinder business to get rid of me for a while. Months and months of boring reminders that I have come of age a long time ago already... that I must fly out of the nest... *sigh* So... no... I'm not the trans-dimensional breach initiator of the family. I'm not much of a student either, now that I think of it, Rump. I... much prefer to... experiment..."

She gives another subtle squeeze on the dwarf's behind, lust in her eyes plain for the dwarf to see, but angling her facial expression and grope away from the rest of the party. This is a private invitation, after all...

Untrained Sleight of Hand (Dex?): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

LOL, she likes bald guys with roaches in their beards? Now that is chaotic!

Rumple is a bit slow on the uptake, having never, ever been in this kind of situation before. Although his mind is still racing with a thousand questions, he finds it harder and harder to concentrate. When he finally catches on, and battles his way through several waves of disbelief, he feels somehow compelled to take advantage of the opportunity before any of the hulking warriors arrive to distract this random event. "Can....I buy you a drink?" he asks, wondering if that is the right thing to say. Somehow he finds himself leaning back in the direction of the shadow-enshrouded table he came from.

At the last second, his eyes flick toward the sisters at the table. The horror of creating a social misstep is clear on his, now blushing, face. His eyes beg their forgiveness as stories of the Kobayashi Maru flash in the back of his increasingly clouded mind.

Sayuki and Kasumi’s eyes twinkle in what is clearly amusement, but they do well at hiding the level and specific cause. It’s easy to take it as mirth at Nel’setsya’s forwardness, at least.

”I do believe we shall fit in nicely in this Society,” grins Kasumi.

”Not as nicely as” begins Sayuki. The rest of her sentence is a filthy double entendre, and shan’t be repeated here.

Before the dwarf even begins to analyse the situation, the ganzi female grabs his face between her painted nails to focus his attention back towards her.

Now that the dwarf is at eye-level with... HERSELF, she says, "Forget the drink. The innkeepers are busy right now. Perhaps later. Come upstairs now - I need you to help me with some of my gear. Morning persons have fun in the evening. I'm not a morning person."

Nel'setsya proceeds to pull the dwarf by the hand up to a random room. Preferably one without guests. This time.

A noble-looking armored half-orc chooses this time to enter the tavern. Aragar Thodash stands ramrod straight surveying the room within. His gleaming breastplate is engraved with a fallen dragon pierced with a mighty greatsword. A medallion of similar design hangs around his neck. Across his arms (and likely across his body) are tattooed stylistic designs of all manners of flying dragons.

He looks at some confusion at the ganzi holding the face of the dwarf, and although he realizes something unusual is going on, he fails to understand what is happening. Nor is he rude enough to intrude. He waits for an opportune time before he speaks. "Apologies for my intrusion. My name is Aragar Thodash, warrior priest of Smiad the Empyreal Lord. Please, continue with whatever you were doing." He then sits down at the table and orders a light ale, continuing to observe the proceedings.

The odd little dwarf allows himself to be draw upstairs, a goofy, boyish grin on his face and perhaps a bit of spring in his steps. The rest of the room has disappeared so he never notices the entrance of the half-orc.

Sayuki offers a wave and a grin as Aragar enters, and gestures toward the seat across from them. ”Please, feel welcome.”

Once he has taken his seat, Kasumi speaks up. ”Either Smiad’s worship is not common, or we have missed his temples. Please, don’t hesitate to prosthelytize.”

”Greetings, lady. Thank you.” Aragar intones in his deep rumbling voice as he takes his seat.

He bows abruptly but sincerely to Sayuki. ”I am not good with words. I would have to preach with my actions. That is all that Smiad asks for.” He stares at Sayuki for a few uncomfortable moments before asking, ”Sorry who are you?”

The black-haired woman chuckles as her partner takes a long sip from a flask. ”My name is Sayuki, and this is Kasumi,” she states. ”We thought it might be fun to test ourselves with a few Pathfinder contracts. I will be watching you closely to see what Smiad’s doctrine consists of.”

A stoutly-built probably-human lumbers in from outside, dragging a load of various luggage-trunks in from the gloaming chill, and dropping them off a short distance from Sayuki and Aragar's table before heading back outside.

Barely two seconds after the door is slammed shut once more, one of the larger trunks begins emitting a strange whistle out its lock, as though wind were passing through it...from the trunk's inside. The whistle becomes stronger and louder for the better part of a minute, until finally the lock *clicks*, the lid springs open, and the trunk's contents carefully unfold and step out: A handsome young man, whose Keleshite features sorely mismatch the incredible pallor of his skin and hair, wearing light armor that appears to be constructed from some sort of soft bark over loose-fitting finery, in the folds of which can be spotted a mismatched pair of short blades.

His head whips from side to side as he looks about the room, and finally appearing content with what he sees (or what he doesn't?), spots Sayuki and Aragar and makes his way toward them, flashing an Open Road insignia in his palm. There is now an inexplicable breeze in the previously-almost-stuffy room.

"Forgive me if I'm late," The rakish gent says by way of introduction. "I had to smuggle myself in."

"So. Did I miss anything?"

”Two of our number have found a private room,” says Kasumi with a chuckle. ”If I’m not mistaken, however, you might be the last of our number. Based on the apparent health of the missing sorcerer, I would say they should be down in about three minutes. ”

Embra Horsk approaches the table with a half dozen flagons of ale. You are just in time. Well met, Pathfinders. Thank you for heeding my request. As you probably well know, the Hellknights control the area and have come to an agreement with the Society to clear, catalogue, and restore the famed Emerald Spire. The Hellknights have come to me as a former expert in such things and for my ties to the Society. I will be enlisting gangs of Pathfinders to clear each level of the Spire. Embra pauses to take a drink from her flagon. Your task, brave warriors, is to secure the first level so we can begin to move in the researchers and provide a base for further exploration. Questions?

@Kasumi: Rumple's strength is only 7, but his constitution and dexterity are both 14. Plus he has a UMD of 9. :P

wrt the above knowledge rolls, he is no help.

The dwarf who trudges in late is hardly noticeable, except for a very strong smell of freshly turned earth and mud that seems to follow him around. A pair of dark-tinted goggles rest over his eyes, and he winces slightly as enters the brightly lit tavern, before moving over to a darker corner, and plopping himself down in a chair there. His clothes are basic sturdy workman's attire, but clearly account for some of that smell, as they look like he's been digging through dirt recently, and didn't bother to change into something cleaner.

He mostly just frowns at Embra's description of the task before them, though you're not sure if its because he doesn't like it, or isn't quite sure why he's on it.

"You said Spire?" He grumbles. "That means up, right?" His frown deepens. "Not a big fan a' goin' up."

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"Fret not, new friend," says Sayuki. "Although I hear the stairs are out-of-order. You did bring your climbing gear, right?" she teases.

This spire goes down, sir. Embra hands Dumpy a tankard. This should be a fairly trivial task for experienced adventurers such as yourselves.

Sayuki pouts a little. "A spire that goes down? I suppose 'The Emerald Basement' has hardly the same ring to it."

"Didn't we meet a half-orc woman in a tavern with that name?" chimes Kasumi.

Sayuki's pout stiffens for a minute before breaking into a grin. "I had expected tusks to be a lot more... pokey."

"Now we know better!"

”... I will be watching you closely to see what Smiad’s doctrine consists of.”

Aragar smiles warmly in return, appreciating the interest shown. "I would welcome that, but that might not be easy. Smiad bids his charges to battle evil dragons and go to the aid of the benevolent ones. I am afraid I am as yet too experienced to challenge the former, and would be have little help for the latter. Although I long for that day."

"Forgive me if I'm late," The rakish gent says by way of introduction. "I had to smuggle myself in."

"So. Did I miss anything?"

As soon as the chest starts to move, Aragar leaps to his feet and whips out his weapons, placing himself in front of Sayuki and Kasumi. "Beware!" But when it turns out to be another Pathfinder, he relunctantly sheathes his weapons, but continue to stare suspiciously at Sirius. Ignoring the question, he asks, "Why would you have need to smuggle yourself?"

"Your task, brave warriors, is to secure the first level so we can begin to move in the researchers and provide a base for further exploration. Questions?

Aragar sighs when he hears of the Hellknights. While he admires their dedication to honor, some of their deeds can be rather... extreme. "Would we be working with the Hellknights?"

Embra regards Aragar's question. You would work directly with me by contract. You will have no need to interact with the Hellknights directly.

After the dwarf comes down he asks what we could expect in that first level. Will there be Undead. Have any parties tried to clear it before we have.? Will we need to return any bodies we find.?

Aragar smiles warmly in return, appreciating the interest shown. "I would welcome that, but that might not be easy. Smiad bids his charges to battle evil dragons and go to the aid of the benevolent ones. I am afraid I am as yet too experienced to challenge the former, and would be have little help for the latter. Although I long for that day."

Kasumi produces a small scrap of paper and a quill, which appears pre-inked, and jots something down. "Smiad... Doctrine:... fight... dragons... if... you... feel... like... it... otherwise... feel free... to... for-saaaake....... duty." She finishes her sentence with a flourish of the quill, stowing them within a pocket of her robe.

Aragar wrote:

Aragar sighs when he hears of the Hellknights. While he admires their dedication to honor, some of their deeds can be rather... extreme. "Would we be working with the Hellknights?"

"I would expect that if they wished to expend their own resources upon it, they would not have hired us," smirks Sayuki. "Unless, of course, the Lady Commander is far more charitable than I've heard."

After the dwarf comes down he asks what we could expect in that first level. Will there be Undead. Have any parties tried to clear it before we have.? Will we need to return any bodies we find.?

Embra shakes her head and finishes her ale. We don't really know. It has been inhabited and usurped by a number of different factions. You'll find all kinds down there is my guess. You should have no problems with that, I'm sure. Embra gives the returning dwarf a pat on the back.

"Who build it?" Dumpy asks. "Sure weren't no dwarf what made a spire that goes down."

Nel comes down the stairs wearing comfortable-looking bathrobe, stifling a yawn.

"I heard some noise... are they serving food and drink yet? oh! new faces! nice to meet you gentlemen."

Sitting down near Rumple, she smiles at him, and politely asks Embra if she can see the menu.

"Who build it?" Dumpy asks. "Sure weren't no dwarf what made a spire that goes down."

The Spire is old. I'm not completely sure. Hence the value it holds. All I know is the little that can be glimpsed of its interiors is very, very dark. I would prepare sources of illumination were I you.

Nel comes down the stairs wearing comfortable-looking bathrobe, stifling a yawn.

"I heard some noise... are they serving food and drink yet? oh! new faces! nice to meet you gentlemen."

Sitting down near Rumple, she smiles at him, and politely asks Embra if she can see the menu.

You can grab some bread and cheese on your way out. The beers are on me but I'm charging you for the food and the room. I'm making arrangements for subsequent forays into the Spire so you best get a move on. Embra starts cleaning up and goes behind the bar to set out a few loaves and cheese. She also sets out a dish, presumably to collect on your tab.

Aragar, please update your info in the Character Details sheet in my status bar.

The odd little dwarf stares at the dish, a look of deep concentration on his face. Shortly though, he shrugs, clearing giving up on whatever complex problem was worrying him, and tosses down a few coins.

Later, while discussing equipment and lighting, he quietly begins digging in his pack. "Dwarves have not the need for light that the surface dwellers do. But I have worked with many before and now carry one of these." He pulls a small object wrapped in cloth from his pack. As he unfolds the layers, light erupts from within. It is a small glowing stone which he places in an orbit above his head. "You are free to borrow my ioun stone, but we should probably have more mundane sources handy for places where magic fails." He shrugs as if in apology, "I never bothered to learn any light spells."

He also has a rope, grappling hook, and 2 vials of vermin repellent

Just before leaving, he reaches into his pack again. He pulls forrth two scrolls and a twisted bone wand. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for something unpleasant. "My friends, I must confess that I.." he stumbles "..I.. I have a .... condition. Please do not try to heal me. And if possible, please exclude me from any positive energy channeling. You may kill me." He swallows. "Instead, please use these." He gingerly hands the two scrolls (cause light wounds) to Dumpy and the wand (also cause light wounds) to Aragar.

During his little speach, a cockroach crawls out from behind Rumple's beard, perhaps summoned by its master's distress. It crawls to his right shoulder and waves its antennae in defiance at the giant creatures confronting its master. "Now, now, stop that. They are friends." the odd little dwarf soothes the vermin, picking it up and stroking its wings before stuffing it back into his beard.

Aragar is taken aback when Rumple describes his "condition", taking over the wand relunctantly. With suspicion in his voice, he asks, "What condition would have caused you to fear the divine blessings of healing?"

GM, done. And pm'ed you.

Thanks, Aragar. Hoping to hear from Sirius before we depart for the spire. You have the opportunity to shop for anything before we head out. If everyone would please give me a confirmation that you are ready to go, i'll move us to our featured attraction.

Snaps to attention, "Sir, ready, sir!"

Snaps to attention, "Sir, ready, sir!"

Rumple winces at Aragar's accusation. They always ask, he thinks to himself. Taking a deep breath for strength again, he visibly deflates as he lets it out, his eyes going to a far away place. "It is a curse. They say I was found as a baby, abandoned in a graveyard." His eyes flash a fierce, deep anger on the word 'they' and he spits on the ground. He continues to stare at the ground, his countenance calmer as he recites, "I have determined that I am, in fact, alive. However, something of the unlife touches me. For that, the divine hate me and burn me with their blessings as if I were a true creature of unlife. Only the negative energies will heal my wounds."

When he finishes, he looks up at the warpriest and the rest of the party with defiance. "But I assure you. I am a Pathfinder. And I will support you all with every drop of power that I possess."

"I don't mind. I think it's kinky... I mean... I can proceed to torture you with spells that inflict pain, and know for sure that it's not going to harm you in the long run? now, that's a very, very interesting feature as far as I'm concerned, Rumpy-love!"

The dwarf's eyes bug out. "Torture? No! And I'm not your property!" The last part he says with less certainty. Shmoopies, however, is unfettered from any mental gymnastics and flies noisily out of Rumple's beard and lands on Nel's shoulder, waving its antennae happily as if to say "remember me?"

"Get back here this instant, you mooch!" Somehow the deathly palor of his bald head takes on a slightly warmer, maybe even healthy tone, albeit still quite pale. But if his eyes were bugging out before, they nearly pop out of their sockets when the impudent vermin dives into the Ganzi's apparel. Rumple covers his face with his hands and sits down hard, his scalp possibly looking pink now. "Can we just get to the dungeon? Whatever's there can't be as bad as this."

Sayuki and Kasumi watch the conversation with apparent amusement. ”I would not be so certain,” says the former. ”If we run into a succubus, for example, you may have them fighting over you.”

Kasumi titters behind her sleeve.

"I see," Aragar nods in understanding, his suspicions clears almost immediately. "Come, let's not tease him any further. A curse is a curse."

"Come, let's not tease him any further.

”I can make no promises,” grins Sayuki.

Thanks, Aragar. Hoping to hear from Sirius before we depart for the spire. You have the opportunity to shop for anything before we head out. If everyone would please give me a confirmation that you are ready to go, i'll move us to our featured attraction.

Apologies, I was composing a post, got sidetracked, stowed it for another time, didn't get back to it until now.

SHORT FLASHBACK:

As soon as the chest starts to move, Aragar leaps to his feet and whips out his weapons, placing himself in front of Sayuki and Kasumi. "Beware!" But when it turns out to be another Pathfinder, he relunctantly sheathes his weapons, but continue to stare suspiciously at Sirius. Ignoring the question, he asks, "Why would you have need to smuggle yourself?"

Sirius's eyes shift 3/4-of-the-way into an expression of incredulity at the question before he suddenly jerks his head toward one of the far walls, which is covered in "WANTED" posters and other Hellknight notices and propaganda. He edges smooothly and swiftly toward it (his footsteps almost appearing independent of the floor beneath them), swipes one from the middle, and returns to show it to Aragar - who recognizes the sketch on it as the face of the spitting image of the very man holding it in front of him.

WANTED, it reads at the bottom in incredibly blocky print. SIRIUS "LUCKY DOG" SA'LUK, it continues, going on to list numerous charges including-but-not-limited-to larceny, smuggling, banditry, graft, grift, gambling, disorderly conduct, loitering, corruption of youth, violation of curfew, simony, miscegenation, impersonation of a public official, and unlawful fabrication of a public office.

"I'm not about to just walk in the front gate of a Hellknight fortress, I'll tell you that much for free," Explains Sirius after a moment of showing you. He then turns it around to look at it for himself, gives an approving nod, and slips it away with little more than a flick of his wrist. "Souvenir," He smiles at you.

/FLASHBACK

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
untrained Knowledge (History or Geography): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

"Remind me to tell you about Hellknights sometime. The sooner we hit the Spire, the better!"

That's a long list of crimes. I had look up some of them! :)

Aragar reads through the list of crimes on the wanted poster carefully then looks at the back of the sylph walking away with an inscrutable stare. He folds up the poster carefully and tucks it into his vest.