The party are woken after a few precious hours' sleep by the crew and come on decks to see the wondrous city of Sasserine dominating the shoreline. But something is strange - it is the middle of the night and the city should be slumbering, but instead is a riot of colour and sound. Of course! Carnevale! [1] They had forgotten about that thanks to all of the distractions of the last 12 hours.

[1] Damn, damn, damn! I totally meant to foreshadow this, but forgot what with all the foreshadowing I was doing to show that the Jade Ravens were back in Lavinia's employment and responsible for security at the manor-house. Well, you'll have to excuse me. One thing is for sure, your characters are not surprised about this at all since it is an annual celebration. Three days (of which this is the first day) which celebrate the overthrowing of a century of Thyatian occupation and get increasingly crazy as the festival progresses.

The Sea Wyvern is steered towards the main harbour but it soon becomes apparent that there will be no entry on this evening. Thousands of water borne vessel crowd the harbour from the entrance right up into the grand cannel, vessels of every size ranging from gondolas to caravels and every one of them fitted out with colourful garlands of flowers, magical lights of every possible colour twinkling on and off, paper streamers and a seemingly endless release of lethal looking fireworks.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:07, Wed 13 July 2016.

Harliss curses. "What a mess! The harbourmaster should be strung and quartered for not keeping this lot under control," she says, unaware that the grandson of the new harbourmaster is standing right behind her.

A new plan is quickly made. The Sea Wyvern docks at the Azure outer harbour and the party will travel by foot from there to the Vanderboren mansion. The streets will no doubt be as clogged as the waterways, but the characters feel confident that they will be able to force their way through. The pirate Captain guides the ship into dock with impressive speed and precision, and leaves the crew to the business of mooring. Then Harliss tightens her armour and checks the two swords at her side. "Right. Are we really going to do this? We could just leave Drevoraz to it - I know some great spots to party in this town and this is a perfect night to be partying! All Hail the Prince of Savage Tides!"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:07, Wed 13 July 2016.

Map of the planned route from the Outer Harbour to the Vanderboren Mansion. You'll start in the Azure district, head south into the Sunshine district and then up into the Merchant district.

Alohan looks at Harliss sideways unsure why she kept praising the prince of tides or what have you. He adored her ability to twist curses into poetry but the savage tide nonsense was beginning to make him anxious. He glanced at Angati recognizing symptoms in her.

The naked warrior was now just that -naked. He had forgone his vest (although that itself didn't offer much protection) and had decorated his body with both chalk and grease. He had etched intricate patterns onto his ebony skin before sealing it with lubricant. Looking upon Alohan didn't require you to avert your eyes -his privates were cloaked in a subligaculum, the rest of his supplies were tied by hempen rope and twine fixed to his cloths. In his hands he kept his taiaha ready, giving the stoneface a glance before steeling himself vs what was to come.

Before they departed, he inched closer to Celene. "Dat magic, de one dat offers protection..." he begins, unsure how to ask his friend. "When de dime comes for fightin' I be needin it. If ya can spare..." He smiled, quickly adding. "I be dinkin of changin' it up a bit." he mentioned idly. "please?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:51, Wed 13 July 2016.

"You could try, but I think the old man would prove himself to stubborn to be worth the attempt."
Kassius mutters. His trouble's with his grandfather had lessened now that the two had made peace, and even engaged in business together, but Kassius still had some bitter feelings towards the man. He had never liked Kassius' Father, and Kull had been worth 10 of any man, let alone a poncy nobleman.

Kassius glances over at Alohan, returning the man's concern about Harliss. If the captain went bonko in the middle of a dangerous fight, that might be more dangerous than keeping her along. Those pirates had been magically enhanced, and Harliss seemed a dangerous enough fighter even without that. Best to keep a very close eye on her. All he said though was "No, we need to get to Lavinia's. Fast."

Celene had spent most of the trip either in thought or asking questions of Urol. She had been interested in anything he could tell her about alchemical substances especially how they might interact with her own innate magicks. As they neared the harbor she had taken the time to pray and collected her thoughts. She was standing nearby when Alohan asked for her assistance "I'm afraid the wand was spent back in the caves. I can't offer you any protection going forward." she said sadly.

"Yes, all hail the prince of the savage tides !!!." shouted Angati happily following Harliss lead on the matter, and pausing preoccupied for a while after the burst.

"We really should stop somewhere to buy a potion to help us with this disease... we will be making a big round around the city, so we should spend a few minutes on this... it's getting really dangerous for both of us", she said meaning Harliss and herself.

OOC: I suppose many temples should have this right ?

OOC: Sure, potions of lesser restoration are available for purchase in both the major temples e.g. Wee Jas and Kord, and also in the major markets i.e. the upper marker in the Noble District. But...

...not at 3am. And time is of the essence. So you'll just have to tough it out a little longer.

Oh, that reminds me. Angati looses another two points of intelligence and starts developing a nasty black, scaly rash on her back. :)

Since mage armour is not available, are the preparations over and done with? If Celene does decide to take it as a replacement spell then we will retrospectively cast it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:23, Fri 15 July 2016.

OOC: Ok, at 9 Int now. a total of -5 int.  so I sport a -1 bonus to int thingies.
It was more the cure disease that I wanted... to at least stop loosing point.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:58, Fri 15 July 2016.

With their preparations complete as far as possible, and the crew watching the moored Sea Wyvern, the party starts its bullrush towards Vanderboren Manner.

It doesn't take long for the madness that is Carnevale to envelope them. It seems that every citizen of Sasserine is out on the streets and almost every one of them is dressed up in some bizarre masked costume, intoxicated to some level and half out of their brains with the shear joy of the festival. The party and Harliss are forced to cajole and abuse their way through the thronging crowds, with the constant stopping and zig-zagging turned what would be a 10 minute journey down a steep hill to the bottom of the Azure district into a ½ hour slog.

When they get half way down Spice Street they have to cross over onto Drake Street to bypass as massive congregation of Mariachi bands surrounded by a salsa dancing population. This proves to be a good decision as they make slightly better time - Drake Street is also crowded with masked, drunk revellers, bunting slug from building to building, street performers including stilt walkers juggling burning torches and fireworks launched at ground level into the crowd - but at least no one is dancing. They have almost reached the southern end of Drake Street when the proverbial hits the fan.

At the north end of the street, at the top of this hill, a series of floats are making their way down the slope. They are led by a magnificent paper-mâché representation of 'Temauhti-tecuani', the infamous thunder lizard of legend standing twenty feet tall and sporting flames from his mouth. A cry of 'oh my goodness, he's gotten loose!' draws the characters' attention to the fact that the float wagon is free of its tether and now rolling down the street with increasing speed towards the crowded tavern at the bottom - with a huge open vat of dwarvern spirits in the middle of the beer garden. The people in the street will be okay - they will just jump out of the way - but those at the bottom will not see it until it is too late and will be caught up in a terrible inferno as the spirits burst into flames. The characters will need to act fast to save the day.

Back by popular demand, here is a skill challenge!

Each character must select one obstacle to make a DC check against. Once everybody has done one check, we will do a second round. Each FAILED check will add one round to the number of rounds you will be fighting in difficult terrain in the next encounter.

Available Skill Challenge Options

1) The Belligerent Gnome
A gnome by the name of Jilanth Turtoso, normally one of Sasserine's more docile citizens, becomes an unholy terror when he gets his third drink in him. As the party tries to hinder the parade float/clear the street one of the characters accidentally bumps into Jilanth, aka 'Punchy the Gnome' and he immediately accuses them of being a 'rude, oversized lout'. A DC15 Diplomacy check is enough to calm Punchy down and make him clear the area.

2) Avner the Jackass
Right in the middle of the street sits a young nobleman astride his impressive stallion. The man is arguing with a street vendor over the cost of a corndog "Three silver pieces?! I don't care if it is carnevale night my good man, that is outrageous and I am not paying it!!" and refuses to move on and allow others to pass. The party recognise him as Avner Meravanchi, the odious young man who tried to carry Angati off in the Mermaid's Secret. A DC14 handle animal check would be enough to know how to slap his stead just right and send Avner on his way out of the street at an uncontrolled gallop.

3) Hurry up, m'lady!
Nylaria Absalee, the enormous manageress of the Sasserine Opera House is decked out in a magnificent costume with an elaborate mask and outlandish hair style. She will need to be strongly/firmly encouraged to move her amble frame out of the way with a DC15 intimidate check.

4) Push over the bales of hay
A couple of big bales of hay are stacked up against one of the buildings. Pushing these over into the path of the oncoming wagon won't stop it, but it may buy a few precious seconds and allow a few more people to be cleared from the tavern. DC13 strength check.

5) Weave through the crowd
As the first people in the street realise that there is a run away wagon, panic sets in and moving down the street to the bar becomes progressively more difficult. A DC15 escape artist check is needed to weave your way through the throne of people.

6) Short Cut
Your character realises that they have been to this part of town before and they might know a back alley that would allow them to bypass the busy main street and get to the tavern quicker. DC12 Local Knowledge check.

7) Where did that kid go?
As you are clearing out the street you see a young child get knocked over in the rush and disappear under the throng. You try desperately to locate the child and get them out of harms way. DC15 perception check.

8) Jam the wheels!
As the burning wagon hurtles past you try and jam the wheels with some nearby pieces of wood. It will take perfect timing. DC14 reflex save.

9) I got to keep going...
You run around, yelling, swearing and cursing at people in the tavern to get the frac out. It is hard work and your lungs are burning, but you need to keep going... DC14 fortitude save.

10) Jump onto the tables
You reach the tavern and jump onto the tables in an effort to get the crowd's attention. DC15 acrobatics check.

11) Climb onto the roof
You climb onto the roof od the tavern in order to get the crowd's attention. DC15 climb check.

12) Which way will he turn?
You are clearing out the middle of the street when a rider enters from a side street. You yell out and the horse rears up. You need to guess which way the horse is going to come down, otherwise you'll be knocked over (no damage taken). DC14 sense motive check.

13) Yeah, I'm hip with the young people
You are clearing out the top of the street and need to encourage a group of surely 'too cool for school' youths to move on. Putting the 'request' into words they can relate to will probably help... DC14 survival check.

14) Everybody out, it's the watch!
The district watch are no where in sight, but someone claiming to be them would have enough authority to clear the inside of the bar quicker. DC15 bluff check.

Harliss gladly accepts the potion of lesser restoration once Angati has proven it can work - it helps her a lot more than the oracle.

14:51, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4 using 1d4.  Int regained by Harliss.

Celene will take #3. I'll hold this spot for my post when I have time to write it.

The situation was dire. They were in a great position to act but time was of the essence -any distractions now could cost Lavinia her life. To Alohan, the decision was clear. He would not trade one noble woman's life for that of those celebrating if he could help it. The runaway, fire breathing arts & crafts temauhti-tecuani needed to be dealt with.

He tapped on Angati's shoulder and pointed to the bar in trouble below. "I BE WARNIN' DE PEOPLES!" he hollered over the crowd. Immediately he dove into the crowd, bending and meandering through the throng of people with finesse. Now, not worried of outpacing his companions, Alohan was able to slip through the mass of bodies, dipping and dodging. He contorted his body in ways to move with the flow rather than confront and times where he was unable to slip past, his greased body became the difference, popping out of bottlenecks with ease. Before the runaway float had time to pick up speed, Alohan found himself at the base of the tavern.

"OUT! OUT! OUT!" he began to shout although the celebratory roar drowned him out. He would need to get a better vantage point.

---

Escape ArtistAlohan is greased and pretty good at slipping about like a slippery eel (+12). Here goes nothing (attempting #5)-
09:51, Today: Alohan Nuari rolled 22 using 1d20+12.  Escape Artist.
Success!! Next round I plan to climb the roof or jump the tables but feel free to do either if you are confident in it.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipm...OC-Grease-Alchemical
This message was last edited by the player at 14:03, Fri 15 July 2016.

Riding the crest of his loco-weed buzz, Urol was in awe of the Carnevale specacals of Sasserine.  Each costume seems more elaborate than the last, and the gnome finds his attention captivated by an amazing new sight every few steps.  Luckily, his larger companions keep pace, and he able to make his way through the dense crowd.

When the thunder-lizard float breaks loose, Urol stands in awe of the fire-breathing monstrosisty, unable to seperate fiction from reality in the press of excitement.  The gnome, however, is at a perfect height to see a child fall in the throng of panicked partiers, and points the panicked parents towards their progeny.  "I saw the little one fall, right over there!" the excited gnome shouts.

Perception
10:38, Today: Urol Forol rolled 21 using 1d20+13.  Perception.
This message was last updated by the player at 18:28, Sun 17 July 2016.

Angati was quick on the gnome, doing short of any other affronts he might have had she just said "Surely, we can make up for this affront by pointing you to the finest free beer in Sasserine right ?. Here, have this, it will make your way even more enjoyable" She said handing him the half smoked rolled shit that Urol had handed her before.

"I was saving it for an special occasion.. but what the heck...  all hail the prince of the savage tides !!!". She shook her head noticing how much more often this was coming to happen, and looking worriedly at the back of her hands as they started to get some kind of scales on them.

She quickly pulled her sleeves down covering them and moved on, with determination.

13:13, Today: Angati rolled 30 using 1d20+17.  Diplomacy roll Gnome.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:19, Sat 16 July 2016.

Alohan slips down to the bar with the ease of a professional football player, but indeed, no-one heeds his warning over the roar of the festivities.

1 pass, 0 fails.



The child is quickly picked up and saved.

2 passes, 0 fails.



"Oh, free beer! And herbs! Oh my, all is forgiven!" Angati moves on leaving the happy gnome to get clear of the rampaging wagon.

3 passes, 0 fails.

Kassius and Celene to go in this round.

Kassius groans in despair at Avner's appearance, blocking the group from passing. Smirking, he walks up the horse and gooses the poor beast, causing it to rear and through Avner directly into the stall. Kassius and the others move past quickly, letting the angered shout of both man and vendor drift off into the background.

14:24, Today: Kassius rolled 15 using 1d20+7.  survival. (whoops, I meant and used the bonus for the correct skill, which is handle animal).

Celene quickly rushed over towards the corpulent opera singer. She first tried to gain some kind of purchase on the woman but even with the many ruffles and protuberances she was unable to guide the woman out of the street to safety. The sorceress tried a more direct approach snatching the mask from the woman's face "Miss Absalee! While I have no doubt that your ample frame would do well to cushion you from most impacts I'm afraid that float careening down the street won't be one of them. Now move out of the way! she screeched.

11:04, Today: Celene rolled 15 using 1d20+8.  Intimidate.

Well done on getting through the first round with no fails - please feel free to start round two.