Liam will hold aloft the holy symbol of the Everbloom, and channel positive energy to harm the undead.
HP 91/91 (inc. +11 from transmutation focus; base 80)
AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 18, CMD 23
Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +11
Speed: 30 feet
Inspiration (Knowledge/Linguistics/Spellcraft checks): 0/6
Mental Focus: 19; Abjuration [4/4]; Divination [3/4]; Illusion [4/4]; Enchantment [3/3]; Transmutation [2/4] (refocusing rod)
Resonant powers (+2 saves; +2 Perception, low-light vision; +1 Charisma checks; +2 Con; 20% miss chance)
Cape of the mountebank 0/1; gloves of arrow snaring 0/2; Dignity's Barb Crit No.: 8
Spells/day: 1st [][][][][]; 2nd [][][][][]; 3rd [][][][]; 4th [x][][]
Wands: Scorching ray 0/20; lightning bolt 0/20; magic missile (CL 5) 0/47; magic missile (CL 5) 2/34
Effects: Good Hope, Moment of Greatness, inspired (total +6/+6); +3 to saves and skill checks
Katria continues using her wand, firing bolts of force at the specters.
Seth falls into a rhythm, his sword humming through the air with an eerie song as he carves through the ghosts.
Feeling the blade go on her but leaving her soul intact, she decides to go for a more aggressive stance.
"Why are the dead so restless here? Liam? Katria?"
Another specter falls to your assault. The final fallen knight fails to land a hit.
With another series of strikes, you finish off the final foe. You are able to search through the crypt without further trouble. One body here is noticeably newer than the others, and wrapped in an expensive curtain rather than a muslin burial shroud. In her pocket are identification papers for Tae Amalon, a scholar and tutor born in 4659 AR.
seems to be from a dagger of excellent quality, with a distinctive curve, though identifying it is impossible without tracking down the rest of the dagger.
"Oh, it looks like she died much more recently than the others. Only maybe 30 years ago? It looks like she was stabbed, though I don't know it it was fatal," Katria says after a quick examination. "The blade tip seems to be from a dagger of excellent quality, with a distinctive curve, though I don't know if we can identify iwithout tracking down the rest of the dagger."
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"I do not know what caused these spirits to be restless. The persecution of those of their foreign faith in Taldor? Something more specific to them? I hope they can be at peace now."
The citizens are ready to tear each other apart, and when Pythareus emerges victorious, it will take only the gentlest shove to topple him, and I have secured the ideal prod in my home, under guard of the Sarenites, with the killing blow in the mitts of the grubby King of Filth himself....
"This must be the prod to topple Pythareus, then.
A young woman, stabbed in the back about 30 years ago.It would seem quite likely that the rest of the murder weapon would be in the possession of the King of Filth - the Otyugh in the Undercity. I would bet good money that something on that weapon ties it to Pythareus.
The Immaculate Circle use Pythareus to crush Princess Eutropia's followers; then when he is no longer useful, expose the murder of Tae Amalon that he committed or at least was tied to in his youth. And thereby topple him."
"We'll need to research Tae Amalon and any possible connection to Pythareus. But our next stop, I think, is the Undercity."
Seth does a quiet rite over where the ghosts fell, and his familiar makes a rare appearance, its face taking on the shape of a plague doctor's mask as it swoops around the area a few times before flying into the ether.
The Pharasmin rites seem to do the trick, putting the angry spirits of the fallen Sarenites at peace and allowing them to finally pass on to their judgment in the Great Beyond.
Leaving Waterhill Manor behind, you head to the Scrolls District, just outside the Golden District. Known for its white marble houses with magnificent columned halls, the Scrolls District is located in central Zimar near Abadar's Pillar. It is the smallest of the city's districts, but nonetheless well known as the center of Zimar's education and lore. Administration buildings, archives, libraries, and schools crowd in the district, although the majority of the buildings are upscale residences for government officials, nobles, and the upper-middle class. The Scrolls District also includes several well-known shops specializing in antiques.
Following directions that you recall from your days training with the Lion Blades, you descend into the sewers and find your way towards an ancient cistern where the King of Filth holds court. The cistern is easy enough to reach, thanks to a path cleared by decades of blackmailers, rogues, and spies traversing to the otyugh's realm. Stairs descend into shallow, stagnated water in this massive underground reservoir, some eighty feet across, whose arched brick ceiling is supported by rows of wide but badly eroded columns. The air is thick with the smell of sewage and the sounds of running, dripping, and splashing water.
An otyugh of truly immense proportions wallows in the sewage. It stands nearly thirty-feet-tall, its tentacles waving about as if conducting some unheard concerto. Its eyestalk swivels to regard you, and the thing announces in a deep, groaning voice, "Come closer!"
Seth has his sword drawn, but held as to not be threatening while he lets one of his companions with more skill at wordplay than he do the talking to this.... hulking monstrosity.
Katria's eyes bulge a little as she sees the huge thing.
"Hello," she says tentatively, taking only a step or two closer. "Are you the king down here?"
Liam approaches, bowing low.
"I bid you greetings, Your Majesty. I am known as Liam of Kozan.
We are visitors from the city above, and seek information about a dagger with the tip broken off. One that matches this piece we have.
Would you be able to assist us? We could do you a service in return."
Amelia raises an eyebrow at seeing the creature, and really has no idea how to handle the self-proclaimed king of the underworld.
"What Liam says is true, we come for information, nothing more... In fact I feel like we might have a common enemy."
"I am indeed the Otyugh King! The Lord of Filth! Gulreesh!" the otyugh declares in response to Katria.
Once Liam has shown the proper deference, Gulreesh inhales deeply, then exhales heavily, his fetid breath washing over you. "Many kinds of things end up in my Undercity, and it is true Gulreesh has found this thing you seek. Something that would harm General Pythareus! But Gulreesh is king here! Gulreesh does not care what happens to the little general from the wasteland above!" After a pause, he continues. "Many souls seem interested in my little trinket, offering glory and gold. What do you offer Gulreesh for his favor?"
"We can offer you magic," Katria says. "Is there anything you want?"
"I can hardly think of what such an illustrious King might desire, Your Majesty.
As you say, all kinds of goods make their way to your realm. I cannot imagine you have any need of coin, for coins of all sorts fall into drains.
But glory? I could compose a great poem to Your Majesty's awe-inspiring splendor. Many kings have poets to compose such works for them.
Gulreesh, Lord of Filth, the Oytugh King!
Magnificent, Splendrous, his praises I sing!
More vast and potent than any above,
Enemies fear, and subjects all love.
Nothing below escapes his keen eyes,
Nothing above can rival the prize
Of Undercity's throne; Gulreesh reigns supreme!
A titan of power, with a most cunning gleam
In his unsurpassed mind and unmatchable wit,
To challenge Gulreesh is to quake and then quit.
Gulreesh laughs heartily and waves his tentacles in delight at Liam's poem. "Ho, ho, ho! Yes, splendid! Gulreesh has longed for a way to proclaim his glory, and your words will prove nicely as they are repeated throughout the Undercity! But Gulreesh wants more for his lair as well. It must reflect his importance as king of the undercity, and so it needs guardians and traps! Provide Gulreesh these two other things and he will grant you the trinket you seek. A long-lived and loyal monster! And a flashy and deadly trap!"
"I can make you an invisible trap," Katria says. "It won't be flashy, but it will be deadly. But you don't really want flashy, because then people will know it's there and can avoid it easily."
She thinks for a moment.
"Do you have any sort of monster you would like? Or idea where we could find one? I'd hate to bring you something and have it cause trouble."
"Yes, yes! As long as it kills intruders, then Gulreesh will enjoy it!" the otyugh declares.
"A golem would be amazing! But any powerful beast that will live a long time will do."
"Mighty Gulreesh, we shall return with a guardian for you."
How are we going to do this? Liam thinks to himself.
As the group departs, Liam asks, "So do any of you have any ideas? We could likely find a couple of scrolls of Charm Monster though Gulreesh might not be happy when the effect wears off. But it should last a week or so. As well, we'll have to find a beast of suitable size and power. Go upriver until we find a giant crocodile?"
Katria nods. "I'm sure I could figure out how to use that scroll," she says.
Amelia hears the requests and thinks on them, "Honestly these all seem reasonable." Giving a little nod she starts thinking of an idea.
"I can use that scroll with no effort actually Katria, I am full of surprises after all. However I wonder if it might be better if we naturally whip it up... I can't imagine that there are any Varisian travelers in this place... I've heard they're quite good with animals."
Assuming we can get back topside, Liam will frequent taverns and tea-houses, listening to stories of explorers and big-game hunters. Trying to learn where there might be a giant crocodile or similar beast.
It only takes a few hours for Liam to get a tip on where to find a giant crocodile's hunting grounds. A few miles up river from the city, you spot the massive reptile lurking in the water, with just its eyes and snouts peeking out as it lies in wait for prey to draw near...
"I'll try to stun it," Katria says once everyone's ready, quickly putting thought to words.
"After you Katria. I have no desire to fight and kill yet another animal this week."
The giant crocodile barely manages to resist Katria's attempt to paralyze it. It bellows and begins surging towards you!
Well, let's see how this goes.
Taking the scroll that was purchased, the normally lucky woman looks at the words and quickly deciphers them. It was no different than her magic and how she had to boom her voice out really, except it was with a crocodile.
"We don't want to hurt you."
The flash of the magic from the scroll erases the words and turns them into something tangible.
The crocodile succumbs to the charm, becoming quiescent. Amelia is able to wrangle it and coax it down the river and back to the city's sewers, where you escort it to Gulreesh's lair. The otyugh laughs with glee!
"Oh, ho, ho! Gulreesh is pleased with this testament to his might! Now Gulreesh will fulfill his end of the bargain."
A long tentacle plunges into the fetid muck at the massive beast's feet. It roots around for a few minutes before plucking an object up and presenting it to you. It is a broken +1 human‐bane dagger with a horsehead‐shaped pommel, a symbol commonly associated with House Pythareus. It appears to be a match for the broken-off tip still lodged in Tae Amalon's body!
"Thank you, mighty Gulreesh.
We have one other question. There is rumor of an assassins' guild in the Undercity, known as the Seven Forms of Sin. Do you know of this place? Where it is, and how many people it might contain?"
"Yes, yes, Gulreesh knows! The Seven Forms of Sin have a secret monastery in the undercity below the Adobe District. There are usually about a dozen monks there at any given time, lead by an elf who calls herself Sister Dismaal! Gulreesh can tell you which tunnels to take to find them!"
Katria nods, but her mind is on other things.
"So what do we do with the dagger?" she asks once they have some privacy. "We could hold on to it for safekeeping ourselves, but I'd hate to be found with it and be accused of planning our own blackmail. Though maybe now that the other piece is here it wouldn't be as useful? We should probably have it delivered to Martella."
She looks with the others. "Should we go to this monastery now? Better to go before they could have any wind of us, right?"
"I can use the wand of Sending to communicate with Martella. I don't think Pythareus even knows that this dagger still exists, so I think it best that we hold onto it for safekeeping. If we have a chance to try to persuade Pythareus to stand down... well, we could blackmail him into doing the right thing, or we could offer this to him as a sign of good faith and ask him to confess. I believe he considers himself a man of honor. Winning him to our side - or at least swaying him to neutrality without humiliating him - might serve Princess Eutropia's goals better. Especially as I am increasingly certain that they share a common enemy in Panivar Lotheed and the Immaculate Circle."
He takes the wand of Sending and contacts Martella.
Rescued Gannaius and slew rakshasa Jeroth. Jeroth in Immaculate Circle, likely Panivar's faction. Jeroth sought to topple Pythareus with evidence of murder. Recovered evidence.
Taking the crocodile down, Amelia is pleased with the solution and smirks inwardly at the fact that the magic was only temporary.
"The dagger is a problem, we need to make sure it doesn't look counterfeit or as a blackmail tool, Katria has the right of it." Tapping her chin she smiles, "Though Liam brings up a good point, he probably thinks it's disposed of, never to be seen again."
Hearing about submitting the dagger Amelia shakes her head, "Honour means nothing if there is someone far scarier than us pulling the strings. We suspect much worse, things that may not even be mortal anymore, I don't think we can rely on our diplomacy in this situation... Not until we have all of the information."
She shrugs, "I think we can have that plan but we need to have all the pieces before it is enacted."
Kathann responds to Liam: Nice work. Agents will pick up Gannaius for debriefing. I'm sure you'll find some way to use evidence in your favor. Continue to update me.
"Yes, let us head to the monastery. Milon Jeroth trained there, and has contacts there; they may have a contingency plan to assassinate someone in the event of his death. I think using the Mind Eye and then the Standard of Conquest to teleport, as we did at Waterhill Manor, a solid plan to start."
0 (4): Light, Stabilize, Create Water, Guidance
1 (6+1): Shield (D), Moment of Greatness, Shield of Faith, Divine Favor, Sure Casting (2), Liberating Command
2 (6+1): Barkskin (D), Align Weapon, CMW (2), Sound Burst, Admonishing Ray (2)
3 (5+1): Protection from Energy (D), Good Hope, Magic Vestment, Dispel Magic, Communal Resist Energy, Invisibility Purge
4 (4+1): Spell Immunity (D), Greater Shield of Fortification (4)
5 (3+1): Spell Resistance (D), Breath of Life (2), Communal Air Walk
6 (2+1): Antimagic Field (D), Greater Dispel Magic, Heal
You make your way through the reeking sewer tunnels towards the monastery's hidden entrance. Once you are near, Katria sends her mind's eye forward to scout it out.
Sturdy pillars support the arched ceiling twenty feet above the mirror‑blue waters of a quiet cistern past a hole in the wall of the sewer tunnel. Doors exit to the north and east.
Four strange creatures that look like a cross between humans and predatory insects occupy this room, either sparring with one another or meditating near the calm water.
The east door leads only to a room with three bunk beds and a chest.
Past the north door, five small cells—each with a feather bed and silk sheets— are accessible from a wide, stone hallway. Two human monks linger in the northernmost cell in compromising positions.
East of here is a training room. Worn, red rugs crisscross this circular chamber, broken up by wooden pillars wrapped in heavy padding. A pair of weapon racks to the east hold a well‑used collection of unusual and deadly weapons. Four monks train with the weapons here.
Past this is a dining hall and kitchen, currently empty of any occupants.
A small library rounds out the monastery, filled with numerous scrolls and books. An elven woman who must be Sister Dismaal is here reading, while two monks stand guard nearby.
Katria quickly relays what she's seen to the others, trying to identify the strange bug folk.
"What do we think?" she asks. "I don't know if we'd be able to say anything to get them to change their ways; do we just go in and attack without giving them any warning, or quarter?"
As Katria relays her findings to the group, Seth nods thoughtfully, "If we attack, we must be swift, though perhaps stealth will be of more use here?" he notes.
Amelia considers her options, "I have no qualm with attacking should they choose to engage us, but if you wish, I can supply us with a sphere and we can look around safely."
She waits for the others' confirmation, but begins to recall the spell's power.