Chortan's Guild: Episode 3: Twinkle Twinkle Flaming Meteor

[Gunhaven]

Each individual is approached by a messenger, suited to their own tastes, that sticks around just long enough to deliver a simple message. Chortan has need of their assistance once more and he requests that they make their way to one of the meeting rooms. There's an under laying sense of urgency, as they've grown to expect when they're called upon, although it's not directly stated. Before any conversations can be started the messenger bids the powerful individuals a good day and continues on their way.

Once more Chortan approaches the assembled group of like-powered individuals and once more he speaks. ”The latest mission involves some hopefully minor investigation. We had received a request from the Golarion branch of some object streaking through the night sky. From the description I believe it to be a meteor and would like you to confirm such. If it isn’t then investigate what it was and return with a full report. Are there any questions?” He lingers for a few minutes as he lets the information sink in, awaiting the expected inquiries.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Izzy walks into the meeting room first, its long, bulgy body barely scraping through the doorway. The form it has taken most recently being almost comical in appearance, as it appears as a bright blue caterpillar with an old man's face. As the Guildmaster gives their assignment, Izzy strokes its flat chin in contemplation. "Where exactly in Golarion was the object seen, Guildmaster? It would certainly be helpful to have a starting point. Also, is this to be a recovery mission, or will it be a simple confirmation of what the object is?"

[Illven]

Return here, or return to the golarion branch? Heather lets out.

[Jack_Simth]

Disguised as a healthy young elf woman, slightly slenderer than most, with light blond hair and silver gray eyes... to cover that she's 'not all there' in the physical sense, Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros considers, and asks "As a starting point, could you provide contact information for some of the folks we know saw it - names, addresses, how to recognize them, that sort of thing - so we can interview them to get a better idea of the direction, brightness, speed, and so on of the event?"

[Gunhaven]

For a few seconds Chortan seems to think before he finally says "I believe the call for aid comes from a...Roderic's Cove. If you find anything of note you may return with it and we can store it within the Guildhall lest someone else stumbles across it, although as far as my reports state it appears to be a meteor or some other celestial object. I will arrange for your return here once the mission is completed so that you may give a full report. As for contacts...the Knodston's of Creekside Tavern and Inn have agreed to work with us."

Spoiler: Information

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Spoiler: DC 15 Geography/History

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Roderic's Cove is located within Varisia. A map of the area is here.

Roderic's Cove is about in the middle of the map, above Churlwood, to the East of Riddleport, on the coast.

Spoiler: DC 17 Local/Geography

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Roderic's Cove only has one inn. The Knodston's run it.

[Jack_Simth]

In her usual guise, Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros considers, nods, and says "OK then. I have Shadow Walk ready as usual, unless anyone else has a better method for getting there."

Spoiler

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Kn(Local, Geography, and History) are at +12. I make the DC's taking ten. Also Kn(The Planes) at same to find the place when we go.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Izzy smiles weakly, the scar on its forehead burning slightly. "No such luck from me. I am ready whenever everyone else is." Izzy walks over toward Darshee, prepared for her to cast her spell.

[greenpotato]

The tome flaps its pages. "Yes!" It cackles "Let us inquisition these Knotstones!" It says with a dry crinkly voice.

[Kaouse]

Casmar looks up from his book. "Oh? A Meteor? That's actually quite interesting. You know, there are countless stories about falling stars and meteors. Some say that they grant a wish to those that first find them. Others say that metal made from meteorite ore has special properties. I can't wait to verify if any of those stories are true."

Spoiler

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All of Casmar's Knowledge skills are at +25 before rolling.

Depending on if the party needs it, he can utilize one of the floating feats he gains after completing a seance in combination with the floating feat from the Champion Monomyth to grab the Berserker Sphere as well as the Legendary Talent, Rift Strike. This allows him to teleport himself and 4 other people up to 1400 miles away, at the cost of being incurably exhausted for 1 full hour afterwards. It's faster than Shadow Walk, but it might not be able to get the whole party, and if we're expecting any trouble at the other side, it might be problematic to have him exhausted for an hour. What do you guys think?

[Jack_Simth]

The seeming elf nods, and says "Let's be off, then," finds a suitably shady spot, gathers folks around, and sees about her spell....

Spoiler

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Probably not worth the drawback on a melee-focused build under most circumstances.

Also, of course, casting Shadow Walk, unless anyone objects, to take us to the target zone.

[Gunhaven]

Easily enough the group finds themselves outside the simple town of Roderic's Cove, walking the remaining distance. By the time they enter the town proper the sun is starting to crest. The natives are wise enough to know powerful individuals when they see them and give everyone a wide berth, directing the group to the inn in question. A pair of humans are inside, both making their way around the dining area and cleaning up from what appears to be an average enough lunch service.

The male pauses when the group enters and seems taken aback by the more monstrous members of the group before he remembers who he's dealing with. He stammers out a "S...sorry. W...we dinna think you'd sh...show" before the female ushers him back into the kitchen. She then turns to the group and says "You'll have to forgive Thevin. I trust you all are from Chortan? It's been a month now since the...meteor? We haven't been able to investigate it and I'm more concerned with making ends meet than the stars above."

Spoiler: Description

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Roderic's Cove is a simple town, and even its most affluent residents never walk around with flashy clothes and items. Most buildings are made from timber, though some of the older homes have a stone-walled ground floor. Gravel made from shells paves the streets throughout town, and a small creek (Olivia Creek) powers a mill and provides fresh water.[7] Just south of the town, sprawls the expansive tangles of the Churlwood.[8]

Here's a good map of the town.

[Jack_Simth]

The dead fey quietly makes a note to prepare and cast Plant Growth tomorrow, as she responds "That's understandable... and, of course, why we're here." She smiles, and continues"But before we get down to business, what's been giving you trouble?"

[Kaouse]

Casmar will attempt to assuage the people's concerns with a Diplomacy check, from one human to another.

Spoiler

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Casmar also has a +25 to his Diplomacy check. If possible, he'll attempt to take 10 on the check for a 35.

After hearing the folks talk about their issues, his brows will furrow as he asks, "It's been a month, and we've only just learned of this issue today? It's been a month, and nobody has so much as gone to even see the meteorite? I would assume that basic curiosity would be enough for some to mount an expedition. The only reason why they wouldn't is if there's some kind of obvious danger associated with it. Can you tell us more about the situation?"

[greenpotato]

The book seems to mutter and chuckle to itself but it has the common sense to holds its pages and refrains from rebuking the villagers.

[Gunhaven]

Garleena blinks a couple of times before she composes herself once more and says "We're simple villagers who are dealing more with Riddleport than the Churlwood. As for the delay...I think there was some paperwork? I had contacted the guild as best as I could the day after the impact." She holds up a finger in the universal one moment gesture and moves behind the bar and into a simple office, going through paperwork, and coming back with a page. She opts to hand it off to the human, revealing that it's all according to what she's said so far. She then adds as an excuse "The goblins haven't been causing a problem since the meteor crashed down so maybe it wasn't flagged as important?"

[Jack_Simth]

Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros considers, nods, says "... and as goblins aren't wont to simply vanish, it's reasonable to consider that they might have gotten involved somehow - whether that's 'wiped out by', 'occupied by', or 'taken over by' the event... hmm. Perchance do you know where the object came down?"

[Gunhaven]

Thevin emerges from the back with a rolled up parchment and unfurls it onto the, by this point, clean bar. Garleena then points to the west of town and says "They say the thing came out of the sky in this direction." She moves her finger toward the Churlwood to the southeast as she adds "I saw it apparently impact the mountains here," tapping what those with a basic understanding of geography can tell is the edge of the Fogscar Mountains. "Our best guess is that it's the southeast of that point, there's a faint smoke trail that's been coming from that area ever since the impact at least. It'd take us about a day to hike there, I imagine it'd be quicker for all of you."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Izzy remains just outside the tavern, as it is self conscious of its long bulbous body trying to squeeze through the door of the tavern. It remains in ear shot however, and listens intently, wishing it had its former master's knowledge to help guide it. "A month later and there is still a visible trail of smoke? I don't believe that is a normal thing on the Material Plane, correct? Hmmm....Darshee, would you happen to have another Shadow Walk prepared? If not, I do not mind carrying a couple people. It even might be better to walk, for there may be clues we can happen upon as we travel."

[Jack_Simth]

Izzy remains just outside the tavern, as it is self conscious of its long bulbous body trying to squeeze through the door of the tavern. It remains in ear shot however, and listens intently, wishing it had its former master's knowledge to help guide it. "A month later and there is still a visible trail of smoke? I don't believe that is a normal thing on the Material Plane, correct? Hmmm....Darshee, would you happen to have another Shadow Walk prepared? If not, I do not mind carrying a couple people. It even might be better to walk, for there may be clues we can happen upon as we travel."

In her elf guise, Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros nods, and replies with "Getting around quickly is always useful; that's a spell I try not to be short on. I can cast it again, no problem at all. As to the smoke... you'd be surprised how long something can burn. A wildfire can smoulder for well over a month, subsisting on the root systems of trees, the denser woods, or the detritus on the forest floor - especially if there isn't a good rainstorm to quench it. Assuming that the impact sparked a blaze, that's not - of itself - overly unusual. The goblins, though... " she turns to Thevin "[COLOR="#003200"]How much do you know about them?[/quote]"

[Gunhaven]

Thevin shrugged and said "They've been a problem in the past, especially for those that venture into the woods. Since the impact, though, they haven't been spotted by anyone. We'd be too lucky if that meteor wiped them all out." He seemed to catch himself and quickly added "N...Not all the goblins, of course, j..just the ones in that region that have been a thorn in our side since we settled here" with his voice tapering off towards a whisper as he realized the possibility that there could be goblins in Chortan's Guild. He returned to the back as Garleena said "He means well, he just needs to work on thinking before he speaks."

[Illven]

Of course it's possible whatever was in the meteor now has the goblins under its sway. Heather mused outloud.

[Kaouse]

Casmar picks up from Heather's musings, "Or perhaps it's the opposite. There are tons of stories that talk about the mythical qualities of metal made from meteorites. And Goblins are known to be quite the... innovative race. For all we know, the reason there hasn't been much word on the goblins movements is because they're preoccupied with a larger project. Either way, we'll take it from here. Thank you for your hospitality."

With that, Casmar and the others will gather around Darshee for her Shadow Walk.

[Gunhaven]

The journey is amazingly short, taking just under an hour to get close to the source of the smoke. Through the trees, 600 feet away, it can barely be seen: that the smoking crater doesn't have any sort of meteorite anyone has seen before. A vaguely cone shaped object split in two that's roughly 200 feet long, 110 feet at the widest point, and 60 feet high that's obviously mechanical in nature. The keenest eyes among the group can already make out movement next to the object while the keenest ears can hear movement within the clearing and a slight whirling sound throughout the forest.

The group has long enough to reorient to the new locale before a small group of aberrations approach the group. Four Otyughs, two with four tentacles while the other two have three, travel with eight goblins that have been...mutated by something. A couple have dragonfly wings, four of them have a third arm jutting out of their gut, and the remaining two don't seem to have anything immediately wrong with them. One of the "normal" ones is the one that speaks in a broken common to the group. "You come visit crater, yes? Is gift from sky, yes."

[Jack_Simth]

The corrupted nature spirit Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros blinks briefly, and tries not to show her keen interest in the ability of the thing to manipulate flesh as she considers how that might align with her personal goals as she smiles sweetly and replies "Yes, we did come to see the gift from the sky. I'm afraid we don't know anything of it, yet. What can you tell us of the Wonder?"

Spoiler

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I figure Diplomancy and Bluff (I'm not lying at all, but I am masking the reason for my interest) are probably called for, here. A little Sense Motive too, in order to detect mental influence, lying, partial truths, et cetera:

Diplomancy: (1d20+32)[39]
Bluff: (1d20+32)[35]
Sense Motive: (1d20+24)[40]

Also: I checked off the 6th level slot for another Shadow Walk.

[Gunhaven]

The goblin chieftain, or the closest thing to one for the current group, breaks into a big toothy grin. You think you can tell that it's mutation is in the form of an acidic breath and venemous bite. His voice is cheerful as he starts to say in goblin "It came from the sky a month ago, smoking and fast! It crashed into the peak near our home and slammed into the forest, splitting in two!" He then pauses and starts over again in his common, speaking slower so he doesn't mess up his words. "Came from sky and crashed into mountain. We investigate, feel funny. Some die, others change, some change lots." He pets the otyugh closest to him and from the interaction you can guess that they're closer to the tribe's wolves horrendously mutated versus the group always having aberrations around.

He then frowns and looks back towards the object, saying "Dozen nights ago new things show up. Ten flying things with many arms left and entered ground. Metal Scorpion join Huge Metal Spider outside," he motions to where movement was spotted and continues. "We not go near Sky Gift, feel funny when too close, but think it colder near tip with Huge Metal Spider. Hair on end near other end, what left anyway." He laughs at his joke before turning back to the group and seeing if they understood his common.

Spoiler: Checks

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If you guys want to you can give me Knowledge Planes and Engineering to try and translate what descriptions you've gotten / if you recognize the split object.

[Jack_Simth]

Darshee Elazumin Dazeiros takes a moment to examine the indicated direction and consider the descriptions and sights

Spoiler

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Kn(The Planes): (1d20+12)[30]
Kn(Engineering): (1d20+12)[27]
Perception: (1d20+35)[46]

Edit: Oh, also: Permanent Arcane Sight, and no reason to ever turn off my Ring of X-Ray Vision. Is there any magic or hidden items nearby?

[Kaouse]

Knowledge Planes: (1d20+25)[29]
Knowledge Engineering: (1d20+25)[39]

"How interesting. I don't suppose you'd be able to show us where this Sky Gift is?" Casmar asks.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Izzy chuckles a little bit. "A little shortsighted Casmar? This goblin fellow is clearly referring to the giant structure straight ahead. What I am curious about is what this "Huge Metal Spider" he speaks of is." Izzy begins to walk towards the crater slowly, doing its best not to appear as a threat to the nearby goblins. Izzy peers closer to where it saw movement next to the 'meteor', trying to get a clearer view at what it could be.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception (1d20+20)[29]

[Illven]

Heather is smart.

Spoiler

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Knowledge the planes (1d20+30)[45]
Knowledge engineering (1d20+13)[30]

[Gunhaven]

Spoiler: Results

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Darshee, Casmer, and Heather can piece together that the “Huge Metal Spider” is actually a Retriever.

Casmer and Heather can piece together that the meteor is most definitely not a meteor but something constructed. What exactly that might be is unsure but the shape is far too uniform to be natural. Combined with the fact that a retriever is present and something of worth (at least to some demon lord) is located in the vicinity (possibly near the tip).

The distance is technically too great for anything to be seen (I honestly forgot the increase when I said 600ft).

And just to get it out of the way now (since Darshee can just take a 10 and get a 34 on that heal check): Darshee recognizes that Radiation is in play. No one has to worry about it yet, even if they aren’t immune to poison effects.

The goblins all give the eidolon plenty of berth as it moves to the edge of the clearing. From here it can feel the barest sense of what the goblin was talking about, the edge of the clearing marking the beginning of something...wrong. It’s as if the land is poisoned and, combined with what you’ve heard, altering those that stay too close to it for too long.

What’s more concerning than the poison is the subtle shift in the land. Now that you have a moment to recall information and take in the sight you can tell that where you’re at isn’t exactly a temperate forest like what you expected. Instead it’s apparently closer to a savannah, this revelation punctuated with the distant crashing of a tree. The goblins and their beasts don’t react at all to the sound; they’re either in awe of the group’s power, unobservant, or used to the sound.