DM Carbide's The Consortium Compact [PFS] (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Kiddrik watches the exchange, first responding to Muusa with a shrug. ”I don’t have any powers like that,” he whispers, ”and I hate for your friend to get hurt while we can’t help him.”

He turns to Karayan, still whispering, ”Whatever the reasoning, it’s still the kind thing to do. However, since we don’t know where else the alchemist might be, catching him here in his lab would be the safest bet, right? And I’d hate to leave and miss him in case he comes when unexpected.” He looks at the scrappy drug-addicts. ”And it might not be the most kind, but I’d suggest we leave the addicts in place for now. If the alchemist comes back to see all his … test subjects,” the label comes out with a bit of anger, ”gone, he might suspect. As it is, we may be able to hide amongst them. Then spring the trap once the alchemist comes in. Once we have the alchemist and the notes, we can get everyone out of here.”

He shrugs, ”That’s my suggestion, anyway.”

"The kindest thing feasible for those husks is likely a clean, fast death," Xukong hisses from the back. It seems anxious - whether due to dislike of being here, or eagerness for their target to arrive, is unclear.

It looks over at Muunokhoi's weasel, and withdraws a scroll very similar in appearance to the one it used not long ago. Xukong looms over the weasel and reads the scroll, which disintegrates into particles that swirl around the weasel before accreting into a black suit of weasel-shaped armor before fading from sight.

There you go, an hour of mage armor.

Muusa can sense Solongoi's emotions, but that's pretty good: scared, hungry, everything's ok, there's another cute weasel...

"He can go in and out easily...he's very hard to see."

Stealth +14, and he has Scent. If there's anything weird, he'll turn around.

Solongoi crawls into the pipe, warded by Xukong's spell. Muusa senses curiousity, but after a few moments as the weasel goes past a turn the shaman feels that her little mustelid is fearful and angry. There is a bright flash of light and a loud clicking sound, followed by a fleeing Solongoi who jumps into Muusa's arms, shivering.

Xukong recoils slightly from the noise; its attention is no longer divided. It leans in to look at the pipe in hopes of better figuring out where it might lead.

Knowledge (Engineering): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

"хлу хлу, Solongoi, it is alright," says Muusa, cradling the weasel like a tiny baby. "I think something may know we are here. Maybe there is another way to get to it?"

Xukong, this is probably a pipe that connects to building gutters above--it doesn't smell like raw sewage, and there are signs of minimal salt encrustation at the high water mark. If this were seawater there'd be more salt.

So what does that leave us with? My state of mind isn't great right now, so my deductive abilities are more hampered than usual.

I'm with Karayan. The pipe is interesting, and it's hard not to wonder if we've tipped someone off that we're down here. But at the same time, we don't know who they are and how they're related to the alchemist (if it's not the alchemist). And even if it is the alchemist, all he knows is that a weasel came up through his sewer pipe ... not that far-fetched to happen any day.

on the other hand, this is the only place we know the alchemist will end up ... so patience should bring him to us. Staying in the sewers also gives us a place to lay low, and meaning less chance we'll offer someone a chance to recognize us as outsiders and possibly Pathfinders.

Stakeout logic probably should prevail...

The time passes uneventfully. Every now and then, you hear some skittering sounds from the pipe, but nothing emerges.

Place yourselves on the map for where you'd like to be.

Not knowing what else to do while they wait, Kiddrik does the only thing he knows to do. He finds a spot in the adjoining room—out of eyesight of the ladder down from above—and sits down. After a few minutes of trying to sketch in the dark, which only lead to frustration in the low light, he settles in. in no time, he’s muttering to himself off and on, having what sounds like half a whispered argument about the strange rat statue down the corridor.

Kiddrik is placed. He’s no good at hiding, and I’m not sure where he’d hide even if there was a good spot. So just being out of sight if our alchemist comes down the ladder is as good as I can manage, I think.

Karayan sits down opposite of Kiddrik and waits

Am I still sickened?

As long as you're in or around the runoff, yes.

Muusa passes the time talking quietly to her weasel, and asking Xukong questions in her usual blunt way ("But aren't you Tien?" "Is it like when the shamans are both male and female? The reindeer hunters do that...") or humming and meditating. She has a vial out and ready when the hour draws near.

Xukong would really rather not be here, but, unable to think of any better ideas, consigns itself to waiting, first spending some time sharpening its sword (whetstone), then attempting for a number of reasons to be as motionless as possible, sword in one hand, and last armor scroll in the other.

Stealth: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

"Muunokhoi, I am defined by the direction of my vision, the angles of my sword, and the powers in the Void. Nothing else matters."

"Well, today I woke up and decided to talk to the wind spirits. And so, I have them! I suppose tomorrow I could talk to the void. Then my weasel would have stars on his fur. Or do you mean..." Muusa starts to wonder which Void, exactly, Xukong is talking about, and gets a little quiet, thinking about what some mystics in her land call 'The Dominion'.

As the indirect lighting from above fades, all of you hear a sound of metal on stone from the top of the ladder; you recognize it as the sound of the grate being moved aside. You can hear a male voice singing or humming quietly (and with a level of skill that makes it clear that his voice and the proper key met once, at a costume party), then the sound of feet on ladder rungs. A man in leather armor and wearing a large backpack comes down the ladder. "Daddy's here, boys and girls. Got a little something for you." All four of the addicts start to move towards the ladder.

I'm assuming that you're all out of easy sight.

He splashes into the runoff with no apparent ill effects and looks around, scratching his face. Though he doesn't seem to have immediately noticed anyone in particular, he stops. "Huh. Well, better safe than sorry." He pulls a small vial from his belt and drinks down the contents.

You all can act now, if you like, or wait and watch some more.

Kiddrik stands upright but doesn’t move. His hand tightens on his longspear as he prepares to create some light for the group once they make their move.

Nothing I can do without making some noise until we make our move … and that should likely come from Amiri or Xukong. :D

At the sound of the grate, Xukong hastily reads its armor scroll.

Is there another round before he makes it to the bottom in which I can cast shield, too?

Muusa drinks her vial of Owl's Wisdom and activates her Hair Hex--although her hair does not grow, it writhes and almost seems to stretch like a person waking up.

Xukong--sure.

Spending 1 Arcane point to enchant my sword. Please move me adjacent to wherever he's supposed to be (still on the ledges and out of the stream if possible).

With an unnatural scream, Xukong lunges at the vile man!

whetted +1 Bastard Sword: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 At least he's flat-footed. :/
damage: 1d10 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Whew, Paizo took 3 tries to accept my post.

As the commotion breaks, Amiri steps forward to join in the ‘negotiations’.

(L)Bastard Sword, RAGE, Power Attack, Flanking?: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 2 = 24
Damage: 2d8 + 12 ⇒ (5, 8) + 12 = 25

Xukong actually hits the druglord, but its blade turns on the man's armor.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Laszo
??
Karayan
Kiddrik
Amiri
Muusa
Xukong

Laszo takes a short step back away from Xukong and hurls a vial at it. Fortunately for the dhampir, its canny defense allows it to dodge. The vial lands just behind it and explodes. Xukong, take 4 HP fire damage. Laszo then whistles. "Dinner time, babies!" Three large beetles tumble out of the pipe and land with a splash in the water.

Party up! I'll get the map updated later today.

And I just saw Amiri's attack. Whoosh. So, no need to update the map ;-).

The barbarian strides forward and cuts the alchemist down with a single blow.

The beetles have 6 HP each...I'm just going to call it here. Out of combat!

In Laszo's pack you find his logbook, filled with many pages of well-organized notes in crabbed and tiny script (and covered with odd stains as well). It is quite difficult to read.

Muusa stands there, her hair wriggling. "Well, now we know what Solongoi saw," she says, tapping a foot near the beetle corpses.

What now? You have the notes and the sample, and there was some talk of helping the addicts.

Kiddrik stands, his eyes wide and round at the display of Pathfinder savagery. "Hey," he mutters weakly down at the massacred man, "you there. Stop or we'll fight you."

Just for clarity, I have no qualms as a player with what just happened. Kiddrik is kind of naive. :D

Shaking himself from the moment, he gives the pathfinders a sweeping look—though it lingers briefly on Xukong and Amiri. "Let's just get these notes and stuff back up to the boat." He looks to the addicts, "And i'm not really sure what to do with these guys. Leave them on a corner with a sign asking for help?"

We're supposed to take all our findings back to that guy who's waiting to shuttle us back to the ship, right?

“Those fools will likely die down here. Perhaps cutting off the drug will motivate them to return above?” Amiri asks, unconvinced.

I’ve got no Knowledge skills that would help here, but would anybody know if there is a place we could take/direct the addicts to get some healing/help?

Would this help?
Know (Local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Fortunately, the location of the main Pharasmin temple in Diobel is common knowledge.

Kiddrik knows that there's a temple to Pharasma with an attached hospital. It's in the east central part of town.

"Once they begin withdrawal, they may be more reasonable to deal with, as well, although they won't be happy," says Muunokhoi.

"To the Sixwing Drake, then, I suppose. I don't think Aspis nor Kortos will appreciate a lack of message in the...dropping-place? Dead-drop-place?" She spreads her hands and grins. "It will be a mystery."

Kiddrik shrugs, "Sure. Should we go drop off our findings first? I guess I don't care either way, but I don't get the sense that that guy was looking for an updated message immediately."

Xukong stares at Laszlo's journal in calm annoyance, holding it at arm's length in one hand and flipping through it with one finger.

"Yes. This will take an expert to decode."

"Oh, no, Kiddrick, I was suggesting that we leave nothing at the dropping-place. That will be the biggest mystery of them all. Any forgery can be detected or traced with the proper divination," she says with unexpected wisdom. Apparently Muusa does have pragmatic thoughts from time to time.

Kiddrik nods at the strange Xukong before grinning warmly to Muusa, "Ah, my mistake. Well, no time like the present, right?" He looks around at the gloom, "As I heard a pathfinder once say ... let's get the hells outta here."

Let's anonymously drop off the addicts on the way to our rendezvous.

Karayan silently follows the others to the temple and then back to the ship.

The clerics of Pharasma take charge of the four addicts, only asking if you have any idea what they might be drugged with.

There is no word from Delroya when you reach the Sixwing Drake, and the night passes uneventfully. Per your instructions, you remain on the vessel and await further word from Delroya. Around noon on Fireday, Captain Zendrani calls on you to meet her on deck. She holds a folded slip of paper. "An urchin boy delivered this note to Markus Karbie just a few minutes ago. Karbie tried to bring him here so we could talk to him, but he slipped away and ran off into the city. I haven't looked at the note - but I guess that it's from Delroya." He hands it over.

The NOTE. (No, it doesn't say, "Guess which spell I prepared today?").

"I wish I hadn't drunk my elixir earlier," says Muusa a little mournfully, then brightens. "Well, is everyone's blade sharp and head full of spells? Let's go stop a transaction."

She springs up from her seat, ready to head to the warehouse.

"I am almost ready" Karayan looks at Xukong "Can I do that trick on you again?"

If Xukong allows him he will implant his mesmerist trick on the other dhampir.

Xukong nods.

Amiri also nods, eager to rush into battle, once more.

Kiddrik looks up from the note, then smiles. "Let's go put a face to a name. Hopefully we're not walking into something underhanded. Then again ... Aspis."

"You raise a good point, Kiddrik. I don't see how we could have been double-crossed, but anything is possible. It is also possible that Aspis has found out about her and will be waiting to take us all out." Muusa frowns, then smiles.

"I kind of hope so. I still haven't had a chance to attack anyone with my hair. It's feeling itchy now," she says with a wide grin.

Just had a long post eaten by the boards. Feh.

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