OK, vote closed, Scouting it is.
Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Fantasy
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- Tags
- pathfinder
Arc 5 Post 20: The Peril of Small Eyes
The Peril of Small Eyes
25st of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
There is a faint shudder in the smoky substance of the wizard's form. For a moment you fear that the spell might ill suit him, but no, it's something much more common, nervousness. Not at the prospect of the break-in, but of replying upon another's magic. You think of saying something, but know not what so bI'd him good hunting, good searching, good looting, the tongue of the People makes little distinction in the well-wishing. So you are left to wait, trying not to look too conspicuous as you sip the overpriced grass water pretending to be tea in the shadow of the mockingly swinging sign, 'Korrvosan Delights'. The only delight that is going to be had tonight, in your humble opinion, is of the proprietor counting his silver as you regret each one spent.
Finally, after what felt like bells, but was not even one entire by the movent of the stars, the darkening of Gorok's shadow and the voice within your minds heralds your companion's return, safe and sound as living smoke ever can me. Alas, the report does not make as good a hearing: "House Valeyn are not as foolish as most in this land. They have secured the favor of powers beyond mortality, though petty ones." There is an edge of distant admiration in his voice, as one might treat a child who exceeded their expectations. "Sprites dwell in the walls, dozens of them, and by the manner of their dress they are not pests but allies of the lord of the house, guardians who can peer through hidden hiding holes on every floor and every corridor. I do not think they are meant to fight in the house's defense, but they do have many bells sized for their hands with which to raise the alarm."
"Arrows from hiding can be deadly, even if they are small," Gorok interrupts. "Especially if they are poisoned."
Gorok Knowledge (Nature) (DC 15): 1d20+7 = 11 (Failure)
There's a vague approving thought from Sirim at the cautious remark, then he continues: "The entrance leading down into the hill is wide and smooth, the better to move cargo in and out, though there is a great stone plug that could be leveraged into place in times of strife. Alas, I was not able to reach this plug, much less pass it." Just for a moment there is a spark of red flares inside the pool of shadow. "They have a wind snare of sorts to discourage the sprites above from wandering into the tunnels. It blows up and into a net where they can presumably be recovered by their fellows."
"But if House Valeyn is allies with the sprites and uses them as guards, why would they make a trap like that?" Mina muses.
"Most likely to keep whatever sprite youngsters of theirs from knife-seeking from their treasure vaults," you answer at once, earning a empathic nod from Cob.
"Any bad magic?" the goblin in question asks, the tone making it clear that he means any magic not cast by him or his companions.
"Not in the manse itself, only a fool or a madman sets spell traps where their children oft tread. We, would I suspect, encounter more in the vaults and more still in the crypt. All that moves unbidden there is best trapped."
Given what you learned of the Vale Manse's second string of diminutive guardians what do you do?
[] Everyone goes invisible, safest path, costs you four castings
[] You're sure you can sneak past, through the first floor window, into the laundry room, qnd down one short corridor to the entrance to the vault
[] Maybe some of you should be glamored unseen
-[] Write in
[] Write in
OOC: Good thing Sirim was invisible. Stumbling his way into sprite tunnels was already a stealth roll just to not hit anyone before he realized what was going on. If he had been his usual grey black instead of transparent he would have been rolling with a circumstantial penalty.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Okay, we definitely need to go in while under Invisibility spells. Discovery early on will ruin the run. We aren't in too much of a hurry, so we don't need to make the attempt immediately. Instead, we can wait until tomorrow night.
That will let us start with full spell slots and give Sirim and Mina an opportunity to prepare special spell loadouts.
This way, everyone gets Invisibility while leaving Kori with all of his 2nd level spells slots, so he can use them for healing, combat, etc., or if all goes well, to cast Invisibility on everyone when it's time to leave. We'll have maximum flexibility.
Also going heavy on the Sleep spells because they're quiet, have no visual effects, and AoE. Also good for hitting multiple Sprites, if necessary, or any other living enemies we might encounter.
[X] Be Prepared
-[X] Rest for the night, prepare spells more helpful for our task, then make the attempt the following evening.
-[X] Mina's Spell Loadout:
--[X] 1st Level: Mage Armor x2, Sleep x2
--[X] 2nd Level: Glitterdust, Invisibility x2
-[X] Sirim's Spell Loadout:
--[X] Cantrips: Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
--[X] 1st Level: Color Spray, Silent Image, Sleep x3
--[X] 2nd Level: Invisibility x4
-[X] Everyone will go in while Invisible using the safest path. Sirim casts three of his prepared Invisibility spells and Mina uses both of hers. She casts Mage Armor on herself and Sirim, and uses Pass Without Trace on everyone except Sirim (who doesn't leave tracks by default). Kori uses his Cloak of Darkness ability.
That will let us start with full spell slots and give Sirim and Mina an opportunity to prepare special spell loadouts.
This way, everyone gets Invisibility while leaving Kori with all of his 2nd level spells slots, so he can use them for healing, combat, etc., or if all goes well, to cast Invisibility on everyone when it's time to leave. We'll have maximum flexibility.
Also going heavy on the Sleep spells because they're quiet, have no visual effects, and AoE. Also good for hitting multiple Sprites, if necessary, or any other living enemies we might encounter.
[X] Be Prepared
-[X] Rest for the night, prepare spells more helpful for our task, then make the attempt the following evening.
-[X] Mina's Spell Loadout:
--[X] 1st Level: Mage Armor x2, Sleep x2
--[X] 2nd Level: Glitterdust, Invisibility x2
-[X] Sirim's Spell Loadout:
--[X] Cantrips: Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
--[X] 1st Level: Color Spray, Silent Image, Sleep x3
--[X] 2nd Level: Invisibility x4
-[X] Everyone will go in while Invisible using the safest path. Sirim casts three of his prepared Invisibility spells and Mina uses both of hers. She casts Mage Armor on herself and Sirim, and uses Pass Without Trace on everyone except Sirim (who doesn't leave tracks by default). Kori uses his Cloak of Darkness ability.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
That would be helpful for sure, but we can't assume we'll have that opportunity.
- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
@DragonParadox Is Sirim trying to get some sort of specific non-detection buff added to himself from the pathfinders? I expect that is one of the things that he would be trying to get asap for his own sake.
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@Goldfish Sirim ain't party, though I think he wants to be. I want him to be.
My point is that I expect he would really like to keep an Invisibilty for himself if things go to shit - Sirim told Akorian that he (Akorian) didn't need to bother with trying to walk the line of being sincerely friendly while avoiding using the diplomacy skill, and I think we should reciprocate by making room for his paranoia flaw.
Unless things are desprate, we should make a point trying to always give him a way out.
Also, if he abandons us if we are captured, then that's just a tiny slither of a chance of us having external assistance.
----
And if we need invisiblity to get out again as a group, then Sirim his last casting for that would be fine.
----
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@Goldfish Sirim ain't party, though I think he wants to be. I want him to be.
My point is that I expect he would really like to keep an Invisibilty for himself if things go to shit - Sirim told Akorian that he (Akorian) didn't need to bother with trying to walk the line of being sincerely friendly while avoiding using the diplomacy skill, and I think we should reciprocate by making room for his paranoia flaw.
Unless things are desprate, we should make a point trying to always give him a way out.
Also, if he abandons us if we are captured, then that's just a tiny slither of a chance of us having external assistance.
----
And if we need invisiblity to get out again as a group, then Sirim his last casting for that would be fine.
----
How much for basic healing potions btw? Might it be worth trying to get one or more before tomorrow, rather than have to use Kori's spellslots?
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I've updated my plan so Sirim keeps an Invisibility spell available and Mina uses both of hers.
We've got 3 CLW potions, Mina's Healing Hex, plus Kori's 1st and 2nd level spells slots for healing, if necessary.
I don't want to spend the last of our gold for 2 more CLW potions.
You would have to ask him IC, Kori does not know him well enough to guess his mind and just asking the question would be a scene that's worth exploring rather than something to say in the background.
Vote closed, lets see what we are going to find in there.
Arc 5 Post 21: The Beaten Trail
The Beaten Trail
26st of Rova 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
Since your employer had not set a time for the interrogation, the five of you decide that 'twould be wiser to rest and restore your magics while Mina and Sirim pick out just the spells for tomorrow morning. The latter also suggests hoods and rough black masks over the face. It would not do much good to disguise Cob or Gorok if they are seen, but for you and Mina at least they should help hold back the hue and cry.
Stealth Check to avoid being heard (Akorian; Cob; Mina; Gorok): 19, 40, 24, 21 vs 15 (Success)
Unseen, unheard and, thanks to Mina's magic, even un-smelled, you make it over the wall to find Sirim waiting on the other side. His mind voice guides you between the main body of the house and the carriage house where a window stands ajar with bright red flowers, roses you think, spilling onto the ledge. Had there been any witnesses they might have been surprised at the pots drawing back as though of their own accord or the faint click of a hooked rope catching as those of you not gifted with flight make your way up.
Climb Check: Take 10 Automatic success
After returning the flowers to their place, thorns a seeming ward against the open window, the four of you take stock of the room; a bed, plain and austere against the window, a low bookshelf serving to hold half and half alchemical cleaning supplies as books. A plain bound tome marked 'Parables of Erastril' sits opened on the table and above that table hangs an the stern portrait of an old man, too marred by age and soot to be paced somewhere public. Just as you had hoped the room's occupant, the mansion's housekeeper, is not in yet.
Cob points up at the portrait, at it's eyes you realize.
"Yes," Sirim answers a question you had obviously not heard. "Spy hole for the sprites. The family trusts them more than their mortal servants it seems."
Mina shakes her head at the cynical view, but whatever she may have answered against you do not hear.
A quick turn along a corridor hung with the deeds of long dead merchant princes, flatteringly immortalized in brightly colored wool, you enter into a large square room held up by columns in the shape of great keys, in honor of Abadar, the Scales and the Streets, a memory not quite yours whispers. A pale dark haired man, bearing a certain resemblance to the woven visages you had just seen, strides into the chamber, the soles of his hard leather shoes echoing unnaturally loud after the pains all of you have taken to stay silent. It's hard to pin an age to him, burnlanders age differently under the touch of wind and sun, but you would judge his face lined as much with ill temper as age.
Mina Knowledge (Nobility) (DC 15/20): 1d20+12 = 14 (Failure)
For a man walking in his own home behind the protection of guards, dogs, and watchful fey he seems coiled like a spring about to break, as though he he expecting some foe to burst out of the dark. Making it all the more ironic when he almost steps on Gorok's beglamored tail as he makes a sharp turn towards the eastern wall to yank a lantern from an alcove, face twisting in anger and... fear? One thing is certain, this is no ordinary visit to look upon the treasures of his house.
"If we trail him we should be able to chart a straighter path through at least the outer defenses..." Sirim whispers and so you do, descending down and down, past the wind trap flowing ever from the depths of the stone and into the sprite net above, walking where he walks as you cross the great stone plug. The path sports lanterns of its own that one may light, but your unwitting guide does not, whether for haste or secrecy you know not. After what felt like three hundred feet of delving into the heart of the hill and below he comes to a three sides parting of the ways. Three closed doors, both wide enough for two men to walk abreast through them and solid enough to take a blow from an angry troll. One is marked with a spiral, the second with the same key as the pillars above, and the third with a face half of black basalt and half of marble.
Mina Knowledge (Religion) (DC 0/12/17): 1d20+11 = 21 (Success)
"Pharasma, Abadar, Nethys..." Mina passes on to Sirim, who dutifully relays it to the rest of you. "Tombs, treasure, and... magic maybe, that would fit the All-Seeing Eye."
Your unwitting guide takes out a heavy key and unlocks the last door.
What do you do?
[] Follow him further, it's a guarantee that you will not have to deal with any traps at least
[] Knock him out and take his keys so you can have the run of the place
[] Wait for him to leave then continue through one of the other doors
-[] The Door of Death
-[] The Door of Wealth
[] With a bit of luck you can steal something more ethereal than keys, try to read his mind
[] Write in
OOC: Sorry this is late guys, my internet decided to flake out on me again. They are still moving cables around.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Hmm, this could be a good opportunity. We can try to capitalize on it, making it obvious someone broke into the tombs for a chance of more loot, or we can ignore it in favor of accomplishing our real mission.
If this was merely a matter of professional reputation, I would say to ignore the temptation entirely, but I think there is more at stake. The timing of his arrival and the apparent worry he displayed, if Kori's read on his emotions is accurate, could mean he has some inkling that his family had been targeted in some manner.
Him heading into the magic vault could mean anything. He might be going to activate some dormant magical defenses to further protect the property, to retrieve something enchanted with a Divination effect, to use an item to send a signal distant family members or allies to return ASAP, etc. By stopping him from doing whatever he's planning, we could be saving ourselves a lot of trouble.
If this was merely a matter of professional reputation, I would say to ignore the temptation entirely, but I think there is more at stake. The timing of his arrival and the apparent worry he displayed, if Kori's read on his emotions is accurate, could mean he has some inkling that his family had been targeted in some manner.
Him heading into the magic vault could mean anything. He might be going to activate some dormant magical defenses to further protect the property, to retrieve something enchanted with a Divination effect, to use an item to send a signal distant family members or allies to return ASAP, etc. By stopping him from doing whatever he's planning, we could be saving ourselves a lot of trouble.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Okay, for now I'm just leaning towards following him.
That way, if we decide to knock him out, we'll all be on the other side of a closed door when our Invisibility spells end. That will give us more time to figure out what's going on.
If we do knock him out, we can use our new satchel to quickly loot anything magical he's carrying, then strip, bind, and gag him. Then Sirim can telepathically speak to him so he won't hear any of our voices or be able to call for help or use a verbal trigger to activate a Contingency spell (he's a wealthy merchant, donuts possible). And while Sirim primes him by asking leading questions, Kori can use Detect Thoughts on him. He might have a good will save, but a few rounds of attempts is bound to get through eventually.
[X] Follow him further, it's a guarantee that you will not have to deal with any traps at least
-[X] If no one else is inside the chamber, once he reaches his destination or if our Invisibility is about to expire, knock him out, use the satchel to loot anything magical he might be carrying, then securely bind, blindfold, and gag him.
That way, if we decide to knock him out, we'll all be on the other side of a closed door when our Invisibility spells end. That will give us more time to figure out what's going on.
If we do knock him out, we can use our new satchel to quickly loot anything magical he's carrying, then strip, bind, and gag him. Then Sirim can telepathically speak to him so he won't hear any of our voices or be able to call for help or use a verbal trigger to activate a Contingency spell (he's a wealthy merchant, donuts possible). And while Sirim primes him by asking leading questions, Kori can use Detect Thoughts on him. He might have a good will save, but a few rounds of attempts is bound to get through eventually.
[X] Follow him further, it's a guarantee that you will not have to deal with any traps at least
-[X] If no one else is inside the chamber, once he reaches his destination or if our Invisibility is about to expire, knock him out, use the satchel to loot anything magical he might be carrying, then securely bind, blindfold, and gag him.
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Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
We could just knock him out now and do everything you describe since he already unlocked the door.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
The door is already unlocked. By the time we could knock him out, he will have at least opened the door. For all we know, there is someone else in the room waiting for him.
Would rather not give away our presence, or risk being interrupted if someone else happens to come down behind us.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Fair enough, but we can at least add that to vote then.
[X] Follow him further, it's a guarantee that you will not have to deal with any traps at least
-[X] If no one else is inside the chamber, once he reaches his destination or if our Invisibility is about to expire, knock him out, use the satchel to loot anything magical he might be carrying, then securely bind, blindfold, and gag him.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I updated my plan to knock him out, then loot and secure him. After that is done, we can decide what to do next.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Sounds good.
Only downside is that we will have to deal with his naked ass as the satchel loots all his clothes too, lol.