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1) I am based in Southeast Asia (UTC +8) so my posting hours may be unusual (especially for those in North America). I usually update at least one or twice per day. Just to keep the game moving, please post at least once every day and at least once during the weekend.
2) Please label all three of your actions. Even if you think what you are doing is obvious.
3) If I am unavailable for longer than 24 hours, I will let you know in the Discussion Tab. Out of respect for your fellow players and myself, I ask that you do the same. Real life happens, and real life will always take priority over the game, but out of fairness for your fellow players, please let us know if you will be unavailable for an extended period of time.
4) Please note that on the following days, my posting can get unpredictable:
Tuesday/Thursdays - all day, as they are the 2 busiest days of my work week
4) Please complete the Macros and the Slides linked at the top of the page.
5) Questions, concerns? Feel free to share them in the Discussion tab.
6) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.
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”That would be lovely!”
A young human woman with long, dark-blonde hair has entered. Her blue eyes have an unfocused look, as if she’s looking past (through?) everything. She wears a simple brown dress with a black hooded cloak. A red and black spider is perched on her head. Another spider, halfling-sized, brown with a silver chevron on its thorax, walks beside her.
She curtsies to the others. ”Flory Buntzer”, she says. ”These are my cohort, Lady Gwendolyn and Sir Miles” The two spiders bow.
”Might they partake as well?”
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Aztryx arrives and looks like he ran quite a bit to get here. His black hair, tied in a braid behind him matches his plain robes in color. He is wet from sweat. He holds in his hand what looks more like a Shepherd's Crook than a staff.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I am proof that there's no truth to Wizards arriving on time. I am Aztryx, and I am at your service" he smiles in jest as he enters the room.
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A tall human walks in. He is stocky but not fat, and the gray in his hair marks him as older than most. He moves with a presence, an you wonder if you have seen him before? An Actor perhaps?
As he comes into the room, he looks at the tea party and immediately starts to look uncomfortable.
Err, Uh. I am William, of Baskerville. Good to meet you. He does not make any movements toward joining the tea party, and looks to find a seat a short distance away.
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Flory takes a seat, and reaches for a teacup. As she does so, Lady Gwendolyn skitters down her face, along her arm, to the table. She takes a toy cup, and pretends to sip.
Sir Miles looks at Flory. Flory looks back. You’ve never seen a spider shrug, but he appears to as he takes a place at the table, and fumbles with his saucer.
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"All right, Pathfinders, you're going on a little bit of a cleanup mission." Valsin taps his finger on the map of a familiar island, tracing north and west from the giant star marking Absalom to a sketch of a castle near the island's western shore. "A short while back, a group of veteran agents ventured into the ruins of Citadel Uromaz, where they defeated the lich Hekoz and stopped the ritual she was attempting. After dealing with the undead, they were called away to handle another issue. Frankly we need someone to go back and do the hard work of cataloging the place. Most of the large artifacts and valuable items have been noted and brought back to the Grand Lodge, but the previous agents described a huge mural carved into the stone, and no one even thought to take a rubbing of it." Valsin sighs, "So, it falls to you to go in and document the site properly."
"I need you all to pop over there, go through and take rubbings of as much of the mural as you can. Everything should be in the central chamber, but if you find any other archaeological finds that are worthwhile? Please note and collect them. Be careful, be prepared, and be vigilant, as usual."
"I've marked the citadel's location on the map for you, it's just north of the Swardlands, on the edge of the Welt. It's about five day's ride along the roads. The Welt is a blighted land where no plants grow. Thanks to the efforts of a group of heroes a few years ago, it's been shrinking. Nowadays, it's not inherently dangerous to people or animals, but its lack of settlements still makes it an attractive place for those who want to escape notice. Like Hekoz, for example. We believe that the threats have been dealt with, based on the information reported to us by your fellow Pathfinders. You can never be too sure, though, so please make sure to go prepared for a fight, just in case. As the previous group was focused on fighting the lich, no map was made. You'll need to do a bit of exploring to find the ritual chamber."
"Any questions?"
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"Carvings on the walls mostly. I wouldn't really know as I've never been inside. You get to find out. I've provided you with paper and supplies to get it done multiple times." With a wry grin, Ambrus adds, "You have no idea how I wish I'm able to accompany you on this one, just to get out of the office."
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As you prepare to leave, Rain in Cloudy Day rushes out and catches up with you.
"Gilgamesh! There you are! Ambrus told me to come get you. It appears you forgot to sign the waiver form HERE and the payslip form HERE! You'll all need to wait to have complete paperwork or Ambrus said he'd make me into a mushroom burger. What's a mushroom burger?"
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With the paperwork complete, you set off.
The journey west from the bustling streets of Absalom across the Isle of Kortos begins peacefully. At first, the roads are well-populated with travelers, guards, and caravans. Plains give way to forests and then farmland. A thin ring of fertile soil occupied by a partially constructed barn divides the fields from the barren lands of the Welt. Within the Welt, the weather takes a turn for the worse. Gray clouds fill the sky and a chill, misting rain pervades the air. By the end of the journey, the sky overhead is nearly obsidian, illuminated only by flashes of greenish lightning.
As you arrive at the ruins, you experience a palpable sense of unease radiating from it, the lingering result of unholy rituals performed here. Your mounts refuse to approach the entrance no matter how much you coax them.
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With your light sources prepared, you enter the ruin.
As the last of you enters the ruin, you are whisked to a different place. The catacombs are entirely underground, carved out of dull gray bedrock. Ceilings are 10 feet high unless otherwise noted. Dim light blankets the area, though it has no visible sources, and light and shadows dance across the chambers of their own accord. The colors of everything in the citadel, including you and your belongings, fade into muted hues.
You all notice immediately that your light sources seem to be dimmer ().
This entry hall walls are carved with ornate skulls and funereal adornments. The only features of note are a corridor leading to the west from the north end of the room, and a collapsed stairway to the south. An unlit torch sits in the sconce nearby. The stairs to the south that would lead upwards to the main complex have been completely blocked by debris.
If you critically succeed
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"Perhaps you've noticed that the colors of our clothing and equipment have now turned monochromatic, and that all our light sources have dimmed? It seems we've found our way to the Netherworld by accident." He pauses to consider things, then says "The collapsed blockades here and there were caused by explosions, which based on the residue that's visible - are a few centuries old."
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Poking around the rubble, Aztryx happens to find a bag of gemstones worth around 10gp.
You round the bend and hear a screech as four creatures rush at you. They don't appear to want to invite you for tea and cookies.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
**William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red
Blue
Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26
Yellow
Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White
Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
Alice - AC 15, 54/54; Alice the Girl AC 20
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Willam looks at the approaching creatures and tries to figure out what they are facing.
◆ Recall knowledge, assuming Religion for Undead or Fiends
◆◆If the creatures are Undead, he will cast Disrupt Undead at Red
◆◆ If the creatures are not undead, he will describe what he does know about the creatures and draw a scroll of Heal
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You recall these as Shadowborn Slayers. They can flank and deliver sneak attack damage. Standard immunities for undead (death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious). They are vulnerable to positive damage
William sends Red some divine energy. Its face grimaces as it's unable to resist the attack.
Red steps up to Sir Miles and attempts to poke him with a dagger.
for
for
Blue steps up and attempts to poke
for
for
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red (-6)
Blue
**Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26; Sir Miles AC 18, 23/27
Yellow
Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White
Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
Alice - AC 15, 44/54; Alice the Girl AC 20
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red (-9)
Blue
**Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26; Sir Miles AC 18, 23/27
Yellow
Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White
Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
Alice - AC 15, 54/54; Alice the Girl AC 20
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Flory empowers Sir Miles, who bites Red. The wound is deep but Red still fights on, though he's looking worse for wear.
Yellow rushes forward and attempts to stab the little girl with the glowing forehead.
for
for
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red (-23)
Blue
Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26; Sir Miles AC 18, 23/27 (Magic Fang)
Yellow
**Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White
Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
Alice - AC 15, 42/54; Alice the Girl AC 20
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Blaze flanks Yellow and burns him to a crisp.
Unwilling to take on the creature that just fried Yellow, White decides to move up to the front of the group and gang up on the little girl with a glowing forehead.
for
for
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1-2
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
-2-
**William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red (-23)
Blue
Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26; Sir Miles AC 18, 23/27 (Magic Fang)
Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White
-1-
**Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
**Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
**Alice - AC 15, 34/54; Alice the Girl AC 20
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Gilgamesh charges into the fray and slams White with a 1-2 combo. Unfortunately, White manages to roll with the punches and take little damage. Gilgamesh then slaps a battle dressing on Alice.
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COMBAT TRACKER
Round: 1-2
Tactical Map
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Those with ** may go
-2-
**William of Baskerville - AC 19, 44/44
Red (-23)
Blue
Flory Buntzer - AC 17 (18 w/shield), 26/26; Sir Miles AC 18, 23/27 (Magic Fang)
Van Suv'et - AC 19, 42/42
White (-7)
-1-
**Aztryx - AC 17, 20/20
Gilgamesh - AC 20, 28/28
**Alice - AC 15, 43/54; Alice the Girl AC 20 (Battle Med - Gilgamesh)
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Aztryx jumps lightning between Red and White. White avoids the worst of the damage but Red goes BZZAP! and falls to the floor. William sends positive energy at White, which isn't prepared for it and visibly sizzles before collapsing. Alice the Doll steps back while the little girl reduces Blue's head to mush.
Moving past the hall, you come to a room that appears to have seen a battle. Debris fills this area. The scars of a battle long past mar the walls, both from physical weapons and magical attacks.
DC 15 Society/PFS Lore
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You find the remnants of a book under a broken table against the east wall. Most of the pages have been torn out, but the first few are present, written in crisp, clear Common. Though some of the phrasing is antiquated, you can read it without any trouble. The incomplete notes are the first portion of Alystair Caskwater's journal. He seems to have been a self-styled monster hunter and warrior. His name has been lost to history and is unfamiliar to even the most scholarly. The writings detail Alystair's plan to travel with his retinue to the Netherworld to take on a mage native to that plane who was suspected of weakening the barrier between planes and attacking some rich patron on the Isle of Kortos centuries ago.
Based on the book's decay and the language used, that it's several hundred years old.
”I’m no worse, thank you, but Sir Miles is a bit tatty”, Flory replies.
She looks under a broken table. ”Who have we here?”