DM Feral's By Way of Bloodcove (Inactive)

Game Master Feral

ah okay... He whispers to the other.... "There's something inside the lamp, but it's too small an opening to see what it is... I'm not sure whether it's the lamp we need intact or the item inside it... anyone feel any special affinity for this thing?" He uses the others gathered around him to hide his casting of detect magic and further examination of the lamp.

"Sounds good partner. When we got a place that's safe, break it."

"Go on but be quick about it. We have some serpent's watching to do" says Vanya.

Open it then go to the Aspis' werehouse?

agreed

-Posted with Wayfinder

The party finds a fairly isolated alley to duck into where Kel can smash the clay lamp. Inside is a small sphere of hematite.

"I hope I wasn't supposed to keep this inside the lamp to make it work... Don't know exactly what it does or how it's supposed to help us. Anyone have any ideas?" Cast detect magic on it.

After a bit of study, Kel believes this is an ioun stone. You'll have to make spellcraft check to determine specifically what it does.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Kel believes this ioun stone provides a bonus on outdoorsman skill (survival) and when inserted into a wayfinder, directs the wearer toward the nearest other hematite ioun stone.

"I have a wayfinder, but my survival skill is pretty much for naught... does anyone else have this skill... and perhaps a wayfinder as well... as that would be the best person to carry such an item.?" He explains its use in full. his survival is only +1 though

Crap. Kelsier doesn't have a Wayfinder.

Kel, make a wisdom check.

wisdom: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

You were told Malika was going to leave you a trail of clues. Maybe the survival bonus isn't the point.

"Maybe we should put the rock in the wayfinder."

Kel puts the stone into his wayfinder.. and watches to see where it indicates he should go, if it does.

The compass needle on Kel's wayfinder spins wildly for a moment and then points south.

"I guess we go south... " He starts following the wayfinder, keeping it cupped in his hand, as hidden as possible from outside view (party are welcome to peek though, just not outsiders).

"Time to move on out, partners." South it is then!

Kel, roll a bunch of sleight of hand checks to keep your wayfinder hidden while you're checking it periodically.

Kelsier follows along.

sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
sleight of hand, untrained: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

I hope 6 is enough, if not, let me know

ack, pathetic

"Change of plans then... Very well, I just hope we get to complete the rest of our assignments. comments Vanya following the others.

Btw Vanya has a wayfinder and sleight of hand at +9

After a couple blocks of following the wayfinder, the more perceptive members of the party spot folks on the street noticing Kel's glances inside his cloak.

Yea, let's give it to Vanya since she's better at being incognito.

If that's the case give me some rolls Vanya.

Kel unslots the stone from his wayfinder and hands it to Vanya... He puts his own wayfinder away.

Vanya graciously nods at Kel poitioning the stone inside her wayfinder before starting to follow towards the direction it's pointing at...

Sleight of hand check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Sleight of hand check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Sleight of hand check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Sleight of hand check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Sleight of hand check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

sweet rolls, mostly

8d20 ⇒ (3, 1, 18, 15, 20, 10, 10, 20) = 97

Vayna proves much more adept at navigating Bloodcove's streets with the hematite-enhanced wayfinder and manages to do so while attracting very little attention.

The trip eventually brings the party up onto one of the few parts of Bloodcove that's fully on dry land. There, a fountain stands in a small plaza, and the needle points to an unoccupied storefront. There is little of interest inside the building beyond its cellar door, which is sealed with an imposing iron padlock. Vanya goes to work the lock and quickly discovers that it's an illusion!

The cellar beyond is a small, square room with walls made of irregular stone cobbles. Those with sharper eyes quickly notices that one of the stones is suspiciously loose...

Wayne picks up the loose stone.

When Wayne moves the stone, a hidden needle pricks him!

Vs Flatfooted: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

And make a DC 18 fortitude save or take 1d2 ⇒ 2 dex damage.

Behind the stone, he finds a cache containing a second hematite ioun stone as well as a broad, wax-sealed scroll case that contains dozens of pages detailing Aspis activities in Bloodcove, qualitative data about the upcoming expedition, and even dossiers on several of the agents involved. Some entries stand out from the others, including Pahwoki the Blade, a murderous Bekyar who wears a necklace of ears and is believed able to make the trees walk; Lilianna Alazzario, an agent relocated to Bloodcove after she burned down an Isgeri village just to collect a small debt; Yola Hask, a one-handed smuggler banished from Rahadoum for “crimes against the state”; Micky Threetoes, an Andoren exile with a history of aiding slave traders; Zamil Namoth, an Ustalav aristocrat known both for his charm and his claiming trophies from his macabre hunts; and “Fiveknives” Kalim, a seasoned explorer of the Mwangi Expanse infamous for his callous treatment of the native people. Malika also suspects that the mission’s primary purpose is looting, and she reports that the Consortium is particularly interested in a giant golden statue of some type. Finally, her report suggests the Consortium knows about Venture-Captain Nieford Sharrowsmith’s expedition to the Bandu Hills, though it seems the Aspis are merely planning to attack him but have not actually done so yet.

Kelsier looks to see if there is anything in the wall behind where the stone was.

EDIT: ninja'd!

Kelsier looks angry as the party reads the scrolls together, particularly at the news of the Andoren slaver. "Let's stop them."

The ioun stone and the scroll full of intelligence was all that's back there.

Fort: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"I reckon we know what those snakes are up to. I don't reckon it's up to us to hunt them down but we can get in their way."

Bloodcove is a very large city almost fully under Aspis control. Wiping out their entire leadership is a bit outside your pay grade. Your only job was to get the information and sabotage their upcoming expedition if possible.

Okay with the data we've found, do we know enough to sabotage it or where to start?

"Hunting them down is not what we were sent here for. We were set to recover this important data. Now we need to make sure it gets intact to our higher ups. Aside from that there's still work to do: sabotage the asps' expedition, see if the population really is happy with the current status quo and find a way to make Bloodcove more easily acessible for us" quotes Vanya.

"I think I have an idea about some possible contacts by the way: have you ever heard about House Cartahegn?

"Nope. They do maps or somethin?"

The intelligence suggests Malika never figured out exactly where the expedition staging grounds is. There is enough information to try to piece it together by gathering information in town.

Wayne will aid someone in gathering information.

1d20 ⇒ 13

Kel will make an attempt to gather information when we have the chance, trying to learn more about the folks mentioned in the missive as well as Aspis activities in the area.

diplo to gather info, spending an inspiration point as well: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 8 + (3) = 22 (that should be a 24 with Wayne's aid)

By connecting the dots and getting some additional information from the streets, the Kel believes he knows which dock the Aspis expedition is being staged from.

"Ah if we go to this one dock, which is where they are staging their expedition, we could probably figure out way to sabotage the operation... What do you think?"

"Sounds good partner."

4d20 ⇒ (3, 5, 4, 1) = 13
1d20 ⇒ 8

The party makes it to the docks but along the way more and more eyes seem to focus on them.

Three large sailing vessels sit in the river slips. All three are serviced by a large warehouse, which contains pallets of food and barrels of water. Though the rest of the docks are busy with bustling porters packing supplies and moving crates, this warehouse seems to be intentionally isolated.

After watching the location for a while, the party picks up that the site is protected by seven toughs one of which barely maintains control of a feral dog on a leash.

"Anyone got good yarn to tell them? Or are we goin in, guns blazin?"

"There's a lot of guards, and taking a direct approach against them might not have the desired affect of interrupting or sabotaging their operation...after all they are just toughs. Maybe we need to get into the warehouse to do what is necessary? But how do we do that without having to fight all those guards? Any ideas?"

Kelsier indicates his weaponry and says "We can take the thugs." He pauses. "What about the work at warehouse 22?"

I think we should go do that work before we get on the Aspis bad list

-Posted with Wayfinder

GM Hint: The warehouse thing is just a way to learn about the expedition staging area. You've found the place so that whole thread is moot.