[IC] The Trailblazer's League: Aurum Draconiaci (Pathfinder)

[Othniel]

Brigitte

Brigitte gives Stray a wry smile. "Indeed; that would be amusing. My ring allows me to fall slowly, so there is that option as well." She pauses a moment to think,

"Oh, by the way," she adds, "Amongst Rottotapaja's magical powers is one that makes the blade particularly effective to those using magical shape-changing. It can turn them back to their normal state. The hilt is adorned with a gem known as the Eye of the Dragon, which grants the wielder some form of shielding during combat. It also sets the blade aflame, so you should like that. Shiny and sparkly things are your forte, yes?"

[Nefarion Xid]

"Yes, yes," Stray scoffs. "None of that matters unless it also happens to resize itself since it's a cloud giant sized greatsword. Anyway, down you go then. You can throw the ring back up as far as you can and we'll catch it with Mage Hand. Or you can both shimmy into someone's bag of holding and float down as Lestrade's luggage. Bon atterrissage!"

"I'll wait up here and give Hildegard and company a few more minutes before I go galloping after Herbert. You'll manage without me, yes?"

[Othniel]

Brigitte

"Yes, I imagine we can do without you for a short time," Brigitte replies with just a hint of sarcasm. Drawing her rapier once more, Brigitte peers over the edge once more, counts to three, and steps off (hopefully aiming for the middle to avoid bumping into any sharp objects on the way down). Once she reaches the bottom, she kneels down and waits a few moments, letting her senses attune to her new surroundings.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Leaping off the edge of the chasm gracefully, Brigitte began to fall, positioning herself near the edge so as to have the best chance of avoiding the spikes.

Littlle did she know that danger would come in another form entirely.

Spoiler: Actions

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To put it bluntly, a bunch of bad stuff happens. The following rolls will dictate whether you escape it.

First, can Brigitte spot the danger before it's too late?

Perception: (1d20+24)[32]

Spoiler: Should she succeed...

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Now, can she grab onto the wall and hold herself there before she is caught in the trap?

Climb: (1d20+5)[6]

Spoiler: Should she fail either of the previous two rolls...

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Is her fortitude enough to resist the Plague Cloud?

Vs. Fortitude Defense: (1d20+11)[28]

Spoiler: Should her Fortitude fail...

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To Decide Disease (as listed in order on the page for Plague Cloud, 12 results in being nauseated for 10 rounds): (1d12)[1]

...and wow do you ever take it. You have now contacted blinding sickness, as will anyone else who passes through the cloud from hereon out, for this and all other activations.

The investigator spotted it a fraction of a second too late, the magic trap crystal flashing and activating just as she passed it by. Immediately, a noxious grey cloud filled the shaft, crackling with green lightning - a bolt of which shot out and enveloped Brigitte. Passing through it, she hit the floor...

Spoiler: Stray, Kiriel, and Auva

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The three members of the party at the top saw nothing beyond the cloud, save for the dim spheres of Stray's lights.

Spoiler: Brigitte

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Brigitte hit the floor, managing to avoid the spikes - but she felt slightly feverish, and her world was pitch black. Blinking her eyes, she realized that she was completely blind.

[Rysc]

Auva

It is something of a universal law in storytelling that, to put it simply, something must go wrong. Thus Auva is only faintly surprised when the very dubious-looking gas cloud fills the chasm, but it doesn't matter since most of her is used up in being concerned for Brigitte.

The storyteller observes to Stray, "You missed one." Then she leans over the hole. "Brigitte?"

Spoiler

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Know (arcana): (1d20+8)[11]
I don't have high hopes, but Auva might as well try to find out what spell that is.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Auva

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Thanks to her knowledge of Spellcraft, Auva identifies the spell as a Plague Storm spell.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Hells!" Stray hisses and launches a spell at the epicenter of the miasma.

Spoiler: Dispel Magic caster check

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(1d20+10)[14]

[Lord Of Mantas]

With a blast of magic, Stray sent out a bolt of dispelling - only for it to fizzle out against the cloud, having no effect.

[Othniel]

Brigitte

"I am here, but I feel so weak. I believe I tripped a trap. Throw me a rope please," Brigitte asks, sounding rather irritated.

[skypse]

Such curiosity is what destroys you as a race. Curiosity and greed. In any case, let's just hope that you will be fine soon enough so we can continue.

While saying that Kiriel reaches in his bag to retrieve his rope and throws one end of it while using his hook to tie up the other end on a tree.

It's ok now. Start climbing up.

[Othniel]

Brigitte grabs hold of the rope, gives a tug on it to make sure it is secure, and begins climbing slowly.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Hear that, Lestrade? You're curious and greedy! Bad Lestrade! Naughty Lestrade! Come on; tie a loop around your foot and I'll pull you up. Hold tight! Ready?"

While hauling his friend to the surface, he continues to mock Kiriel. "Greedy Lestrade, diving into a hole in vainglorious pursuit of riches! The same hole we were all about to dive into because, you know, that's exactly where our mission has taken us. But Lestrade, you silly human, you did it because you're greedy! If only you had the sublime fortune to have an angel bed your great great grandmother, then you could bask in your moral superiority -- alas! Yours is the sin that doomed Thassilon! O' surreptitious scion of Shalast!"

Spoiler: Strength Check

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(1d20+3)[8] even though she weighs less than 200 pounds with all her gear

[Lord Of Mantas]

It was a slow process, made more difficult by Brigitte suddenly feeling her strength being magically sapped by the advancing disease - but with the combination of the knots in the rope and a little extra help from Stray, the party managed to extract Brigitte safely, pulling the investigator out of the chasm and into the sunlight once more.

[Othniel]

Brigitte

The Galtan woman struggles back up out of the hole and flops on the ground. "I...need to catch my breathe a moment," Brigitte states, and rests for a few long moments. "I should have been smarter than that, but I assumed there was only one trap." Once she has caught her breath, she points an accusing finger at Kiriel, "Curious? Yes, I am curious. It is the best way to learn about this world, but greed is not my motivation. I can live quite comfortably in Absalom teaching alchemy, thank you very much. Perhaps you would like to go down that hole and see how you fair against a magical disease? Hmm?"

Turning to Stray, she gestures toward the horses, "Let us go and seek the Paladin."

[Nefarion Xid]

Stray gives Brigitte a wan smile and offers her some of Herbert's stolen wine before helping her onto her horse before swinging up onto his.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Even with the party moving relatively slowly so as to minimize the risk Brigitte would fall off her horse, they located Hildegard and the two Pathfinders relatively quickly, as they had not gotten very far at all.

"Oh, there you all are! I was starting to wonder a bit-" Hildegard then caught sight of Brigitte. "Um, is your friend alright? She looks rather poorly..."

[Nefarion Xid]

"Struck with Blinding Sickness by a trap. Can you help her?" Stray asks earnestly.

He shakes his head. "We thought we'd have a look down the cave. Curiosity I guess. That place is a deathtrap! Your two companions wouldn't have survived the descent, I swear it! Whatever's down there, it's not worth your lives," he warns.

Spoiler

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Bluff to convince them the cave is far too dangerous to attempt in the future. Diplomacy for Hilegard to heal Brigitte.

Bluff: (1d20+30)[34]
Diplomacy: (1d20+27)[29]

[Lord Of Mantas]

At the mention of a trap, Yeager and Ferdinand gasped, while Hildegard's face took on a look of concern. "A trap? Yes, yes, of course I can help!" Striding forward, Hildegard extended her right hand, placing it upon Brigittes face as she channeled divine energy through her palm. Seconds later, a feeling of relief washed over Brigitte as her fever vanished and her sight returned, the blindness gone.

At Stray's exhortation of the danger, a conflicted look crossed her face. "If your friend is anything to go by, I don't doubt the outpost is dangerous, but... unfortunately, I have a contract with the Society to retrieve Rottotapaja, as well as any information regarding the activities of Serpens Sanguis in this area. And I cannot simply abandon my paladin code and shy away from danger..." She looked at the party. "When we capture Herbert... someone will need to transport him back to Woodshaven, and ensure that he does not cause any more trouble."

"I'd wager it's far more than mere curiosity that leads you down there. You said you were from the Trailblazer's League, correct? I'm guessing you were assigned to investigate the false dragon attack Herbert wrote about. Since I'd wager your investigating the outpost as part of your job, if I were to escort Herbert back, could I count on you to recover Rottotapaja in my stead?"

Ferdinand, no longer dumbstruck and apparently once more his normal arrogant self, interjected at this point. "You can't be serious, Hildegard. Take it from me, a Master Wizard™ of the glorious Pathfinder Society. Even assuming that one-" He gestured to Brigitte, "-isn't lying about her associations with the Arcanamirium, which I doubt, the Trailblazers are the most avaricious, conniving, greedy band of sellswords in the entire Inner Sea! Why, just last year, they conned a merchant's guild in Augustana into paying them four times over for a single job!"

As Ferdinand spoke, all four of the party members assembled recalled the incident he spoke of - Kiriel and Auva knew thanks to their work as one of the higher-ranking officers and mediator, respectively, while Brigitte and Stray had gleaned the details through the grapevine. Christoph had gained a contract for the league to transport a number of boxes from Almas to Augustana for a merchant's guild in the latter city. The job offer had been rushed and asked for utmost discretion, and right off the bat Christoph had been able to charge almost double the usual quantity of money for the job. Then, on the way to Augustana, the caravan had been attacked no less than three times by mercenaries, leading Christoph to be able to charge a 2x combat multiplier bonus, since the original contract had specified a low-violence job. Then, when they'd arrived, the merchat's guild had attempted to double cross them and take the crates without payment - only for the Town Guard to burst out and arrest all the merchants, for Christoph had suspected foul pay and sent members ahead to Augustana to investigate, tipping off the guard when they found evidence of smuggling. Thanks to some skilled diplomacy with the Captain of the Guard, Christoph then managed to be able to keep the money the merchants had allegedly intended to pay, along with a hefty reward.

Spoiler: Kiriel

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Kiriel also happened to know that the 'Diplomacy' involved had been of a rather... intimate nature, though he was unaware of specifics. And more eye-raisingly, if polite society had caught hold of it, had involved not only the very attractive female Captain of the Guard, but her husband (a high-ranking civil official), and her also male (and Andoran's Most Manly Dwarf™ for three years running) top lieutenant.

[Othniel]

Brigitte

"I am in your debt, Paladin Hildegard," Brigitte states before dropping a gracious curtsy before the woman. Leaving Stray to be the group's mouthpiece, she snorts derisively at Ferdinand's words, and steps over next to Kiriel, where she whispers in his ear, "Next time, I think you shall go first."

[Nefarion Xid]

Stray holds his hand over his heart. "My lady, I cannot recover what is now in Oppara. The Duchess is no fool and the merchant captain I heard this from is an honest dwarf and a lover of arts and relics! Rottotapaja is not in this country. But I swear on my mothers love, may her heart turn to ice when she thinks of me if I break my oath, that should I pull Rottotapaja from that cave, I shall return it to you."

He gives her a smug-free nod as if to ask, satisfied? "Let's go find Herbert together. All of us. He may be dangerous yet and I have some questions that need answering. After we're done with him, I shall relinquish him to your capable hands."

Spoiler: Bluff

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While the oath is sincere, Stray is fast-talking them and hopes they won't notice the clever wording. (1d20+30)[40]

[skypse]

Spoiler: Rollback

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"She's curious, you're greedy. At least get your facts straight boy. Instead of jumping in like that, we should have inspected the place and made sure that going down is safe. Have a scapegoat for such purposes. Would you still mock me if this was a death trap?"

Hearing the wizard badmouthing the League, Kiriel struggles to keep himself from not slicing him into pieces. He takes a step forward sticking up to his face and with a calm voice and a stare in the eyes says:

"I know Pathfinders are not supposed to be the smartest people in Golarion, especially since they go around hiring every random guy with a stick they can find. Your group helped us so I guess that means we owe you one. However, the next time you will even consider saying something stupid about my family, I will make sure that you won't live long enough to say it. So, as of now, we are even"

Walking back to the others, he hears Briggite's comment and replies with a grin:

"Next time we'll throw the wizard."

[Rysc]

Auva

A pained expression on her face, Auva turns to Hildegard, "I apologize for our previous and present discourtesy. You're probably all too familiar..." She trails off and subtly nods at Ferdinand. "But despite the opinions of both our associates, I assure you that I shall hold myself accountable as Stray has just declared."

She pauses and raises a brow at Ferdinand. "Even so, you should probably learn to defer to those more...well, your leader. Might I remind you that you just called us liars and conniving, greedy, sellswords. Here it only preciptated more unfounded insults. But had these been negotiations with a different party at a different time...I hardly think that those negotiations would have continued in a like manner."

The storyteller turns back to Hildegard with an apologetic smile. "That being said, shall we go and find Herbert now?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

At Ferdinand's outburst, Hildegard buried her head in her hands, giving a long-suffering look to Stray and Brigitte as Kiriel and Auva put the elf back in his place. She then perked up as Stray spoke.

"My lady, I cannot recover what is now in Oppara. The Duchess is no fool and the merchant captain I heard this from is an honest dwarf and a lover of arts and relics! Rottotapaja is not in this country. But I swear on my mothers love, may her heart turn to ice when she thinks of me if I break my oath, that should I pull Rottotapaja from that cave, I shall return it to you."

"Let's go find Herbert together. All of us. He may be dangerous yet and I have some questions that need answering. After we're done with him, I shall relinquish him to your capable hands."

Hildegard shook her head."Apologies, poor choice of words. Whatever sword they've got in that outpost that they think is Rottotapaja. Even if it's not the real thing, I'll still need to submit convincing evidence of that myself so that we can move on to trying to obtain it from that duchess. A quick visual check against this should do it."
Hildegard then handed the party a note, apparently a quick guide on how to identify Rottotapaja.

Spoiler: The Note

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According to the guide, the true Rottotapaja can be identified by the following symbol, engraved into the crossguard below the blade.

She then got a determined look on her face, looking toward Stray and Auva as they suggested moving on. "Yes, indeed. Let's get the bastard." Finally, turning to Brigitte as the investigator thanked her, she bowed her head a little. "Think nothing of it."

***

It was a touch slower-moving than the party would have been alone, but even so, they made good time, Hildegard and the Pathfinders hustling after them. They came across a campsite, a deer trail heading off in another direction. As they came to a halt, Ferdinand and Yeager collapsed, huffing and puffing and completely out of breath.

"Herbert... that way..." Yeager weakly pointed down the deer trail, before. his arm collapsed.

[Nefarion Xid]

Stray swings off his horse and peers down the trail. He gestures for Kiriel and Brigitte to move to flank and waits for them to get into position before stealthily moving forward. As soon as he sets eyes on Herbert he casts Dominate Person.

Spoiler: Actions

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He shouldn't need to get nearer than 40-50 feet, so keep that in mind for Perception checks.
Stealth: (1d20+16)[22]
Dominate vs Will: (1d20+13)[19]

[skypse]

Kiriel jumps off his horse as well and waves his hand in a gesture of acknowledgement to Stray. He walks out of the path and into the woods, trying to conceal his presence behind the trees and bushes. As soon as he is out of sight from the paladin and the pathfinders, he wears his mask and activates one of its magic abilities, always keeping an eye on Stray to be ready to flank Herbert behind him.

Spoiler: OoC

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Keeping 30 ft distance from Stray on his right.
Kiriel will cast Forced Quiet on Stray for +4 circumstance bonus on Stealth and it will last for 10 rounds. It does not affect spellcasting abilities with the exception of sonic effects.
Activate Deathwatch from the mask for 30 minutes.

Stealth: (1d20+19)[26]
Perception: (1d20+18)[27]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Auva

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As Auva waited back with Hildegard and the Pathfinders, the paladin crossed a hand behind her back and awkwardly began whistling a jaunty tune.

Spoiler: Stray, Brigitte, and Kiriel

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As the intrepid threesome crept up the path, they soon came across a ramshackle camp, a half-formed attempt at a firepit visible in a clearing with a half-pitched tent beside. Lying half inside, groaning softly, was Herbert.

"Oooh... damn those Trailblazers. But ah well - at the very least, I got those obnoxious Pathfinders to go up to where I suspect the outpost might be. With any luck, they'll trigger and disable the traps with their bodies, and then, at last, that bounteous gold shall be..."

Stray thrust a hand forward, a flash of magic forming between him and Herbert.

"Mine..."

Gripping his head, Herbert briefly struggled... before standing up straight, stock still, his gaze blank.

Spoiler: OOC

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You succeeded. Barely. Congratulations. ;)

[Nefarion Xid]

For a fleeting moment, Stray's veil of humanity burned away in a fell green fire. His eyes shone like emeralds and a single Sylvan command echoed on the wind: submit. And then just as suddenly as it came, the eldritch display and the terrible prince were gone, replaced by just Stray with an outstretched hand and a hint of trepidation.

He sniffs and rubs his nose. "Oh, ha. Ha! Thought it didn't work for a second..."

Stepping out towards Herbert, he commands, "Raise your right arm. Spin around to your left. Stop. Jump. Ah! Good good."

Quietly he instructs his companions, "Quickly, search the area before the paladin sees anything important."

Spoiler: Actions

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Stray uses Detect Magic to identify anything magical or remotely valuable on Herbert's person. Everything of value is stuffed into his bag of holding hastily. No need to share with the paladin!

Appraise: (1d20+6)[18]
Perception: (1d20+23)[39]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Spoiler: Auva

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Hildegard looked over at Auva nervously. "It's been a few minutes... How capable are your friends? Should we go after them, or give them a little more time?"

Spoiler: Stray, Brigitte, and Kiriel

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Herbert obeyed Stray's commands with nary a word of protest, his belly jiggling slightly as he jumped. Then, like a pack of wolves, Stray and Kiriel descended upon the necromancer and his ramshackle camp.

While Herbert himself was dressed in rather plain clothes, Stray and Kiriel quickly found two sets of noble clothing in his tent. Which were also located inside a handy haversack. Which, on top of being filled with no less than three empty boxes of fine chocolates, also had 300 platinum pieces inside, along with a wand of haste.

The real kicker, however, was an item that the two found on Herbert's finger. A fine golden signet ring, with the emblem of a dragon on it. A ring that, according to Stray's expertise in spellcraft, was a fabled Ring of Wizardry II. Most importantly, however, was a scrap of paper they found under Herbert's pillow - a piece of paper under his pillow, written in the Serpens Sanguis Cipher.

[Othniel]

Brigitte

Leaving most of the looting to Kiriel, Brigitte steps in front of Herbert. She slowly loosens the fingers of the glove on her left hand and delicately pulls it off. Addressing their captured foe as she would one of her students caught cheating, she speaks to Herbert. "Monsieur Felmacht, you are a disgrace to the alchemical and arcane world. Not only have you used your abilities for evil, you lied to me. I won't forget that." With that, she lifts the glove in her right hand and smacks Herbert across the face.

Spoiler: OOC

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I assume I don't need to make an attack roll since he is dominated, but just in case...
Unarmed Strike Attack: (1d20+5)[24]
Unarmed damage: (1d3+1)[3] (nonlethal)

[Rysc]

Auva

"It's been a few minutes... How capable are your friends? Should we go after them, or give them a little more time?"

Auva waves a hand carelessly. "Ah, there've been no extraodinarily loud noises. They're more than capable. In fact, we should probably give them a little more time, since it's almost inevitable that at least one of them will want to deliver some form of verbal takedown."