Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

As the political scene in Taldor explodes into chaos, heroes take on the mantle of agents, advocates, and saboteurs working for Princess Eutropia to help secure her claim to the Imperial throne and prevent the Empire from collapsing in on itself in civil war. Will they grow from relative nobodies to powerful politicians and spymasters in the deadliest political arena in the Inner Sea?

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Zorbeltuss
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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Zorbeltuss » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:09 am

Mercutio gives it a try, cycling through what languages he knows, just in case.
That's 3 languages, 2 INT+linguistics 1, now added. I have a feeling that Draconic would be the one I'd need, but didn't pick that one up.

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Jul 10, 2020 2:06 am

Mercutio goes through the multiple languages he knows, being somewhat of a Linguist himself. Got an ear for languages, that one. Nothing seems to match up right unfortunately. The kobold appears to be a bit miffed, but not angry. More disappointed than anything else, if reptilian facial features and body language can be compared to mammalian communication. For those who are less traveled it can be disconcerting, subconsciously unsettled by looking for non-verbal cues (eyebrows for example are very expressive) and not finding them.

After giving up on talking, he unloads his pack to display some nice loot he has found, trying to sell or barter if you're interested. As you hilariously haggle with hand gestures and exaggerated motions, he points out a degraded room to the west that he seems to have tunneled up to get here. Whatever diggings he made have collapsed shut, but he doesn't seem overly concerned over that. Imistos makes himself useful by repacking your bags with any new belongings, evening the weight distribution so you aren't standing crooked.

The various nobles you're dragging along sit down along the wall, grateful for a chance to rest without worrying about animated armor, mechanical griffons, or mind-bending illusions. Dame Malphene Trant does not lower her dignity to sit on a dusty and dirty floor, instead standing and glaring at the group for this waste of time and resources. She mutters that if you all want something, you should take it from this dirty, alien foreigner. One looting artifacts and wealth from proper Taldans no less.
Struck out on common languages! Zorbeltuss was right, but the choices made more sense for Mercutio anyways. The kobold speaks Draconic, Gnome, and Undercommon. He tunneled up from the Darklands (https://pathfinder.fandom.com/wiki/Darklands), which is a place you do NOT want to go right now.

Available for purchase or trade (or technically, theft or 'forceful redistribution of his wealth'). If you don't know how much Gold you have, it's in the 'Equipment and Protection Tab' of your Character Sheet, on the bottom right. If you get anything, let's make it quick and not bog the posts down with extensive negotiation with the NPC and between Players:
- Potions of Cure Light Wounds (5)
- Potions of Jump (3)
- Potion of Keen Senses (3)
- Acid Flask (2)
- Alchemist's Fire (3)
- Antiplague (1)
- Tanglefoot Bags (2)
- Thunderstones (2)
- Potion of Barkskin (1)
- Potion of Remove Disease (1)
- Bracers of Armor +1
- Cloak of Resistance +1
As you wrap up, you get another broadcast message over your mental comms. She is out of breath and that is communicated telepathically, although if she got into practice she could probably refine that so her thought-messages aren't affected by her physical state. "Fully clear of the Senate. Stavian's soldiers still persuing. We're trying to get a dozen or so servants out with us to a Safe House. Gloriana Morilla's allies from the Pathfinder Society are aiding us, and the military seems to be confused and split on what to do as well. I'll contact you later."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Vardaen » Fri Jul 10, 2020 4:15 pm

Theodrix is from a family of merchants, though he's never told any of you that. He begins to haggle with the kobold, careful to not get too close, he doesn't want his pocket picked. He haggles over the cloak, "Fellas, we should maybe pick up his cloak, I don't have enough myself, but a magical cloak that mitigates magical and non magical threats. Anyone want to pony up a few hundred gold to make that happen?"
Let's Haggle for a bit see if I can get the cost of the cloak down
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:43 am

Even without a shared verbal language, rational beings can still interact at other levels. Merchant travelers have been dealing with these problems since the beginning of civilization (and maybe even before civilization was a thing), so it's not like they're reinventing the wheel. Over the course of a couple minutes of comparing items, showing groups of coins as offerings, and generally seeing each other's relative condition, Theodrix gets across a communication he really wasn't intending. The kobold's prices start creeping up. After all he's the only merchant down here, with a captive audience that can't exactly comparison shop.
Theodrix: ... rolled a 1 on Bluff, and a 3 on Diplomacy. So ... not great d20 rolls. So he does an absolutely fantastic job of persuading him this is a Seller's Market. :D Everything just went up 10%!!!
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Othniel » Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:59 am

"How strange to find a kobold merchant here," Astraea remarks. She looks at the diminutive creature with deep distrust.

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Vardaen » Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:34 pm

Theodrix waves his hand, "No no no, never mind! I'll buy it from someone else later." He puts his coins away and makes like dusting his hands off to show he's done.

"We are underground, he's underground, likely found his way up from a collapsed tunnel. Lucky for us, but not really something we need. I'm worry more he may have looted whatever's up a head."

He looks at the others, "Are we ready to move on? I am." If the others say yes, then he does just that.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Zorbeltuss » Fri Jul 17, 2020 3:27 pm

Mercutio offers that cloaks like that seemed staple findings in every bad adventure tale he ever heard, so they'd probably find more. He is not particularly inclined to listen to Malphene on the prospects of simply taking it, but it's not like he'd bother to step in front of the kobold if she wanted to walk the walk.

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by ManWithDoor » Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:30 pm

The kobold seems a little disappointed not to make a profit on the stuff he has clearly looted very recently, but he seems used to deals falling through and shrugs it off. He quickly and expertly puts everything back in his pack, seeming to magically find room for it all without breaking anything. He gives a friendly wave goodbye and goes the way you came from the south, evidently intent on rummaging through the rest of the complex for anything else worth taking. Malphene gives him dirty looks as he walks away with plenty of treasures, but doesn't get violent about it.

The sinkhole to the west where he tunneled in is collapsed, which isn't particularly useful to you. Also, it definitely isn't heading up the surface where you need to go, so further north-east seems to be your path.

Continuing on you come back to the other side of the blocked hallway, turn a corner, and see a large set of double doors. The hallway is covered in bloody circles drawn over and over along its length. As you slowly pass along your minds are filled with brief flashes of a terrible arcane ritual, the images random and without real chronological sense. Visions of immense magical power, sacred geometry, and the haunting aura of death and despair are pervasive. Everyone falters for a minute, overwhelmed by the assault. But the feeling passes slowly, your senses restored but unsettled.

Theodrix can now see that the large double doors in his path were once locked, but one of the doors has structurally settled and partially broken off its hinges. The remaining door is functional enough, but whatever security it once provided was lost when its partner failed. It is closed, but anybody with a strong back could push it open without undue difficulty.
Oh, forgot about the Priest of Abadar NPC you're dragging around. He heals everyone to full after the Griffon battle. He's pretty much out of healing now since he's low level, but at least you're not still hurt from the big battle.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Othniel » Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:40 am

Sheathing her sword for a moment, Astraea steps forward. She sets her shoulder against the door and starts to push.

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Re: Book 1: Crownfall, Act 2: Lost in History

Post by Vardaen » Wed Jul 22, 2020 1:30 pm

"Heave!"

Theodrix joins in on the shoving of the door.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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