Quinta scoops up her earnings, gives another bow to the audience, and moves over to the counter. "Wine, please," she says in a pleasant tone. "Good wine."
Kromnite plops down At the table. "Greetings gang. I'm new to this game, but it looks interesting. I'm way too inexperienced to be the Playwright, but I'll hop in as the game heats up."
"This sounds like a really bad idea, but should we all just go in? Or look around out here for another way around?"
Looking at my friends who are either watching the tunnels or me, I shrug. "Okay. Here's the deal. I'm more or less certain that there is indeed a trap. Problem is that I need more time to figure out how to disable it. Question is, whether we want to take the extra time or take our chances? My parents didn't raise me to be a fool, although they may have thought so at times when I.... oh never mind. I suggest taking some more time and be sure that we are not going to locked into this room with who knows what or until who knows when. Your thoughts?"
While waiting for the others to discuss the matter and reach a decision, I turn back towards the room and start doing another search for the mechanism that triggers the suspected trap and a way to disable it.
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The Sargava Club
Briga smiles warmly at Maudrill's comment. "Ha! Well, certainly you'll get a better welcome here than you will at the old Adventurer's Club. Used to be a great place, until some of those snooty aristocrats bought it over. If you're looking for work, this is a good place to start, a lot of expeditions out into the hinterland get their start right here."
As Quinta saunters up to the counter, Briga sidles off to get a glass of wine, some of the good stuff. Continuing to look around the room, Quinta doesn't notice anyone with ill intent, though a couple men at the far corner certainly seem to be eyeing her up lasciviously. And there's a man in the other far corner, dressed in fine clothes like a merchant. He seems to be watching you, appraisingly.
Those at the table greet Krolmnite. The young man in robes introduces himself as Gethren, and speaks with a Taldan accent. His companion, the Halfling with the curly hair, is Kaleb Larkscorn. It turns out that Gethren is somewhat of an illusionist, and uses a silent image to conjure miniature, three-dimensional representations of his and Kaleb's characters. Gethren appears to be playing a great, hulking barbarian, while Kaleb is playiner, well, a Halfling rogue, looking much like Kaleb himself. The gentleman that they had cajoled into playing the Playwright introduces himself as Amivor Glaur. "Well, I've not had much practice, much prefer the real thing, but I'm quite happy to weave you a tale of heroic deeds, dark dungeons, and deadly dragons."
With Gethren's illusions and assistance, Glaur does indeed craft a heroic tale where your characters take center stage. In the Opening act, you uncover rumors of a dreaded green dragon that has laid claim to a forgotten temple deep in the Mwangi Jungle. Glaur's descriptions are vivid, and you feel yourself drawn in to the story, and he takes pains to make sure each player gets a share of the attention.
For the first Challenge, your characters must tramp across the great expanse of jungle, all the while evading murderous native tribes and denizens of the cloud forest. As he speaks, you realize from his descriptions that Glaur must spend quite a bit of time in the jungle, and seems to have experience of his own of forgotten ruins. He also takes his narration very seriously, and you see that he is a skilled orator.
In the second Challenge, you must navigate the treacherous traps and pitfalls of the forgotten temples outer sanctums. Collapsing floors, crushing stones, and spewing lava await to entrap you. At this point, it is still entertaining, but you can tell where Glaur is just making things up, and some of the shine comes off the story.
In the final Challenge, you win through to the inner chambers of the temple, and confront the dragon himself! The wyrm has surrounded himself with tough allies, and Glaur builds up to a very dramatic climax where you finally face off against the dragon.
The last act, you finally lay waste to the dragon. Once slain, its servitors flee, and you can claim the dragon's treasure for your own. You return to Sargava as heroes!
------
Amimor Perform
Amivor Perform
Amivor Perform
Amivor Perform
Amivor Perform
The Sargava Club
Maudrill listens to the game as he holds the conversation with Briga. "Really? And who would I go about talking to for such a job?"
Kromnite jumps into act 3, of course, hoping to tell a better tale of dragon slaying. He uses himself as a character, talks about evil dragons, how Smiad teaches the search for glory, and his goal of slaying a dragon one day! No one was more enthusiastic about this topic than he, and whether hey liked it or not, he was going to put on a show.
Perform
"And what would those expeditions be looking for?" Quinta asks, leaning on the counter near Maudrill and Briga. "And for what kind of employers?" She swirls the wine in her glass and takes a sip, all while smiling at the Half-Orcish bartender.
"Best not to risk it, I say...saving the time won't be any good if someone takes a blade to the neck that we could have avoided."
"I agree with Zag. Take your time. Its better to make sure we go in as healthy as possible...and that we can get back out."
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Rowena devotes some more time to working out the intricacies of the trap before you. Finally, having stuck a wedge in just the right place to stop the bronze slab and braced it, she bravely and confidently steps into the room. About twenty seconds after she steps on the floor, the bronze slab quivers, trying to slam down but unable to. The slab on the other doorway has nothing holding it back though, and slides down with a loud clang and covers the far door. You hear a grinding and whirring sound in the ceiling as a long pendulum tipped with a razor-sharp axe tries to swing down but is only partially revealed, the trap spoiled by Rowena's disarming the mechanism. After another twenty seconds, the slab covering the door on the far side retracts back into the ceiling.
You are now able to cross the chamber. Beyond is a small passageway, at the end of which is another set of large bronze doors. They are only partially closed, and a gentle push is enough for them to swing open to allow entry.
Inside, judging from the cathedral-like chamber's décor, any doubts you may have had that this ancient temple was dedicated to some near-forgotten, vile god evaporate. To the west, a few steps lead up to a shrine presided over by a ten-foot-high statue of a beautiful, fanged woman, save that instead of arms she possesses two upraised bat-like wings and instead of feet her legs end in talons. She looms over a glistening altar of blood-red stone that seems to weep blood into a trough below; this trough of blood runs the length of the room before disappearing to the east through a set of bronze bars in front of a wide opening in the wall that drops away into darkness.
Stone pillars support the roof 25-feet above, and two dry fountains sit opposite against the walls in the middle of the room. Three large alcoves, one to the south and two to the north, contain complex wall carvings. The entire chamber feels unnaturally cold, and now and then strange disembodied whispers slither through the air.
The bat-winged statue depicts Zura, the demon lord of vampires and cannibals.
As you enter, you see that one of the alcoves to the north is not empty like the others. A tall humanoid figure with the head and neck of an emerald snake stares back at you. It wears rich red robes with unholy engravings on its chest. Arrayed nearby, standing guard in front of the altar, are four human skeletons. The serpentfolk speaks, in a familiar voice - Ieana!
"Ah, my fellow castaways have arrived! Or, some of them at least. What happened to the rest? Did they run afoul of my undead friends?" she gestures towards the silent skeletons standing sentinel. "How clever of you to find me here, tis such a shame that you shall be entombed here, forever!"
Initiative
25 - Ieana
17 - skeletons
10 - Aerys
4 - Grym
------
Yarzoth init
skeletons init
Will
Grym init
Aerys init
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The Sargava Club
Briga leans an elbow on the bar as she relaxes into conversation with Maudrill and Quinta. "Expeditions of all sorts. Sargava's borders are still a frontier. And the Mwangi Expanse is vast, vast! No telling what could be out there. Lost cities! Lost worlds! Treasure beyond compare! Arzikal, the City of Hungry Spires! Bloodsalt, City of the dragon-men!" Briga stares into the distance wistfully. Then, coming back to the present, the half-orc smiles. "As for looking for work, there are plenty of employers here. See that merchant over there..." she indicates the Vudran merchant sitting at a table with some armed bodyguards. "That is Sanjeet Ralama Pakhesh. Runs a wealthy business here in Eleder. He always pays well for treasures found out in the hinterlands. And see that one, over there in the corner?"
Briga nods her head towards the merchant sitting in the corner, who had been watching Quinta. "That's Dargan Etters. Local Aspis representative. If you're willing to trade with them, he can certainly make it worthwhile. Or, you could do worse than speak to that guy over there, playing games at the tables." She points out Amivor Glaur, who is acting Playwright for a table of Stageless Play. At the moment, it looks like Krolmnite is trying to talk over him, waxing lyrical about the glories of Smiad and the downfall of Garund's evil dragons.
Krolmnite seems to have really gotten in to the spirit of the game, quite happy to tell the world about Smiad and his holy mission. Still, not everyone seems to share his enthusiasm, and he fails to keep the attention of the others. Amivor waits patiently to move on with the story.
Maudrill nudges Quinta. "Dargan Etters has had a eye for you."
"So do the fellows in the far corner," Quinta says, shrugging. "I've no more interesr in sitting down in their laps than I do in getting mucked up with the Aspis Consortium. I think I'll wait for Krolmnite to finish his game and see whether master Glaur has any good offers."
Initiative:
Krolmnite knows when he's out of his depth, so after settling up on a hand, he exits the table and heads back to the others. "Fun little game right there, but those chaps are out of my league. Smiad's glory will be spread in other ways! Anything exciting going on back here? Nice song, girlie," he tells Quinta as he pats her on the back.
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Temple of Blood
Ieana glares at you in triumph, and a forked tongue flicks in and out of her mouth as she gloats, speaking in sibilant tones. "Ha, ha, ha! You fools! Do you think you can defeat me now? Ha, I destroyed your entire ship, while you slept like infants! I have discovered the true treasure of this island, and none of you can stop me! Saventh-Yhi beckons! Attack!"
Like a well-trained regiment, the four skeletons turn towards you, and as one they draw chipped and rusted swords. They begin to march towards you will ill intent, while Ieana hisses an incantation. For a moment her eyes glow white, but you do not see any immediate effect.
Initiative
25 - Ieana
19 - Yekskya
17 - skeletons
15 - Rowena
10 - Aerys
9 - Zaghigoth
4 - Grym
------
Cat init
Yekskya holds his ground and fires a couple arrows off against Ieana.
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The Sargava Club
Krolmnite's game of Stageless Play comes to an end after a while, and the other players take their leave. They perhaps don't share the gnome's zeal for Smiad, perhaps feeling they've sat through a sermon. Still there's no ill will, and they promise to let the gnome know if they are staging any future games.
Krolmnite rejoins Quinta and Maudrill, and Amivor follows him to the bar, ordering another drink from Briga. Looking over, he speaks amiably, making idle conversation. "So are your friends so keen on hunting dragons as well?"
"No, they are pleasant companions, good souls, but they just don't understand my fervor and desire to rid Golarion of the evil scourge of the dragon! They listen and smile at my wishes, but it's not a major part of their plans. Me, on the other hand....I'm ready!"
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Temple of Blood
Round 1
Not wasting any time on words, Yekskya fires a couple arrows at the serpentfolk Ieana. Both arrows miss, as she deftly dodges and weaves out of the way.
The skeletons march towards you in formation. The closest two take their swords and make rather ineffectual swipes at Yekskya; he easily brushes off the attacks. The other two skeletons are on the other side of the stream of blood. They march along and nimbly leap across, homing in on Zaghigoth and Rowena as they bring their swords to bear.
Rowena ducks to the side, bending under a strike from a skeleton as she draws her mace. Her mace sweeps up at the one that attacked her, connecting with its chest and smashing several ribs. Aerys follows up with a strong uppercut, driving its teeth into its braincase and shattering its skull. The skeleton drops.
Initiative
25 - Ieana
19 - Yekskya
17 - skeletons
15 - Rowena
10 - Aerys
9 - Zaghigoth
4 - Grym
skeleton 1 attack
skeleton 2 attack
skeleton 3 acrobatics
skeleton 4 acrobatics
skeleton 4 aoo
Rowena attack
damage
Aerys unarmed strike
damage
"Mind that stream of blood...anything a skeleton won't enter must be bad, I say!"
Zag hefts up his heavy club and preferred abomination-smiting tool. Gesturing to the skeleton next to Yekskya, he growls "Shiv, attack!" while he himself lashes out at the skeleton diagonal to him.
Zag Club:
Damage:
Shiv Tail Slap:
Damage:
"I have lost no dragons, so I have no intention of going looking for one," Quinta says in a grand tone of voice, swirling the wine in her glass. "Then again, if one has been making a nuisance of itself, the Bardic Charter obliges me to compose a song of its defeat and the liberation of the suffering populace."
"No, they are pleasant companions, good souls, but they just don't understand my fervor and desire to rid Golarion of the evil scourge of the dragon! They listen and smile at my wishes, but it's not a major part of their plans. Me, on the other hand....I'm ready!"
"It's not that I would not wish to see the world rid of evil dragons, I would just rather be alive. Tell me, how exactly would you go about slaying a magical beast of such power?"
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Temple of Blood
Round 1 continued
Zaghigoth signals Shiv to attack, and leaps forward towards the nearest skeleton brandishing his club. He swings, expecting to smash open the skeleton's rib cage, but the undead guardian blocks the blow with a deft movement of its sword. It gazes at half-orc with empty eye sockets.
Shiv moves up hungrily. With a lash of his heavy tail, he tears apart one of the skeletons, leaving only two left in your way.
Grym takes up his greataxe, and you think he is going to launch an assault on the skeletons, but instead he shoves Rowena roughly out of the way and lightly leaps over the blood-filled stream. Striding purposefully towards Ieana, he then turns and brings up his axe, inviting you to try to follow. He looks ready for a fight.
Despite the purposefulness of his actions, Grym seems to be moving a bit woodenly, as if he were a puppet on a string. When he turns around, you also notice a white glimmer around the half-orc trapper's eyes.
Grym looks like he has been ensorcelled by a dominate person spell effect. The ability to dominate others is a natural trait of serpentfolk like the one before you. If you cause him to take an action that would go against his nature, it may cause him to snap out of it and break the enchantment. A protection from evil spell would also prevent him from being controlled for a time, though it would not break the enchantment.
Round 2
The serpentfolk you knew as Ieana intones another incantation, and her body suddenly goes blurred and indistinct, wavering and shimmering like a desert mirage. It's hard to tell where she is really standing.
Initiative
25 - Ieana
19 - Yekskya
17 - skeletons
15 - Rowena
10 - Aerys
9 - Zaghigoth
4 - Grym
------
Acrobatics
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The Sargava Club
Amivor Glaur has a drink and leans casually against the bar. At your comments, he smiles. "I try not to get involved with dragons, they are dangerous to my health. Don't get me wrong, you do find them out in the Expanse; if I should come across any, I'll certainly be happy to send them your way. Not that I'm an expert in these things, but I'd say if you find you have to fight a dragon, hit 'em fast, hit 'em hard, don't give them a chance to take wing or use their magic. And always be ready for their breath weapon." At Quinta's comment, his smile widens and he gives her a wink. "By all means, should you defeat one I'd be happy to sing your song of liberation from one end of Sargava to the other. It's my stock in trade. And what about yourselves?" He indicates Krolmnite. "I see a noble knight, a beautiful maiden who weaves melodies like a siren, and..." He seems to be giving Maudrill closer consideration. "Ah! A wizard! Or perhaps a touch of sorcerous blood? A divine heritage, certainly."
The Sargava Club
Maudrill raises a brow with a slight smile. "Perceptive. I blend the art. Born with the knack for magic but controlling it with a wizard's techniques." He sips his tea, enjoying the warmth. "Perhaps we can search for work in the morn. More professional than approaching in a tavern."
Krolmnite reacts incredulously to the question. "How? How? Why I'd pull out my blade and run the brighter through, and I'd dodge out of the way of his breath, and then I'd run him through again! Evil dragons are a scourge. Smiad will grant me the power to see one dealt with one day, I know it! Ad then I'll woo the fair maiden, the beast will no doubt be keeping"
Maudrill gives a smile and pats Krolmnite on the back. "I doubt you'll be dodging much fire in all that armor of yours. I think you listen to too many children's stories."
"Bah. You keep hanging out with me and you'll see. Don't worry, I'll keep the beast from hurting you too badly, I suppose!"
The Brave indeed. I can think of a few other choice words. "I suppose we'll see when the moment of truth comes. I shall be sitting invisible with a cool drink since you wouldn't want me to get hurt fighting him."
Yekskya takes a five foot step sideways to the west and notches another pair of arrows and resumes firing at Ieana, not caring that the skeletons will undoubtedly attack him while he concentrates on his target.
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Round 2 continued
Yekskya inches forward and launches two more arrows at the serpentfolk. It whizzes past the skeletons, homing in on Ieana despite the disruptive spell, hitting her in the chest. She cries out, part scream, part hiss, and snaps off the shaft. The other arrow follows after, but smacks against the wall behind the spellcaster.
The two remaining skeletons take advantage of Yekskya being distracted to press their attack. Both take swipes at the archer, he kicks one away but the other manages to stab Yekskya in the side, a glancing wound. His arrows gone, he is able to dodge their attacks more easily as they continue to focus on him.
Initiative
25 - Ieana
19 - Yekskya
17 - skeletons
15 - Rowena
10 - Aerys
9 - Zaghigoth
4 - Grym
------
miss chance
skeleton 2 aoo
skeleton 3 aoo
damage
confirm critical
skeleton 2 attack
skeleton 3 attack
"A Siren?" Quinta repeats. She chuckles, and sips her wine. "Not a bad compliment! But I'm less wet in the skirts, I should hope. I wonder... does this charming city have an opera house yet? Or perhaps young ladies of quality -- or at least means -- in need of some singing lessons?"
Is that Deadly Aim in play?
Yep, Composite Bow with Strength + Point Blank + Deadly Aim + Weapon Specialization. Too bad it didn't confirm ;-)
Encouraged by the combined success of Aerys and me against the skeleton, I point towards the skeleton threatening Yekskya: "How about it, Aerys? Shall we get that one of off Yeks's back, so that he can concentrate on taking out that snake-gut Ieana?" Suiting words to deeds, I move so that the skeleton is flanked between me and Aerys, I swing my mace and strike the skeleton in the ribs with a resounding blow.
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The Sargava Club
As appreciative as he was of her singing earlier, Amivor Glaur guffaws at Quinta's question. "If you want a larger audience, then yes, there are a couple theatres in the New Haliad district: that's the upscale, traditional part of town. You'll find most of the folk there are descended from the original Chelish colonists that founded Sargava. You'll find they like to maintain the fashions and traditions of the home country, but they tend to be decades out of date. And you'll find, the halls aren't nearly as grand as the opera houses to be found there." Taking another swig of his drink, Glaur wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "If you're interested in all that, you're probably better checking out the Adventurer's Club, it's up in that neighbourhood. Though, the atmosphere isn't as convivial as this place." As he says this, a pair of halflings take the stage; one scratches a jaunty tune on a fiddle, while the other taps away with a drum.
As Maudrill and Krolmnite trade quips about dragon hunting, Glaur's mustache twitches as the corners of his mouth draw back into a smile. "If you're so keen to take on a dragon, should I ever hear of one I'll be sure to let you know. I promise."
The Sargava Club
Maudrill laughs; the friendly atmosphere and the good talk are bringing him out of his shell. "Oh no, please don't! This one will run off screaming about glory before I can even react!"
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Temple of Blood
Round 2, continued
Rowena slips through the ranks of her allies, leaping past Shiv to bring her up beside Yekskya. She swings and smacks the nearest skeleton in the ribs, separating its torso from its clacking legs and hips. They eventually fall over.
Following up on Rowena's advice, Aerys squares up to the remaining skeleton and with another fierce jab she turns the skeleton's head 180 degrees so that it is looking back at Grym. The skeleton falls helplessly across the blood stream, forming a creaking, moving bridge as it tries to move.
Initiative
25 - Ieana
19 - Yekskya
17 - skeletons
15 - Rowena
10 - Aerys
9 - Zaghigoth & Shiv
4 - Grym
------
Cat Acrobatics
Aerys unarmed strike
damage
Zag puzzles over the room, unwilling to send Shiv over the roiling river of blood. He knows the crocodile would be helpful in laying blows on the enemy, but that blood could hold foul magic or disease. Instead, he moves himself up to the edge of the blood to the left of Rowena and hefts up his spear, eying Ieana.
Spear:
Damage: