You are in Absalom, the mighty City at the Center of the World.
Like all the great Pathfinders before you, you have just spent many hard weeks training at the Grand Lodge and based on the outrageous tales regaling the ruins surrounding Absaloms, you’ve always longed to explore the remnants that litter the plains outside the city's walls.
Rcently, rumors abound that a minor earthquake has made a long forgotten siege castle accessible and whispers are that it's only a matter of time before the Pathfinders descend upon its now available secrets.
You recall back to earlier this morning when you met with Pathfinder venture captain Drendle Dreng and he detailed how he believed that one of your colleagues, a young bard named Balendar Forsend set out to explore this tower on his own. Dreng elaborated on how Balendar had not been seen for a few days, and that he was assembling a team - both tasked with exploring the tower and discovering what happened to Balendar. The venture captain had little by way of additional details to provide beyond Balendar's description, so he ordered a bottle of wine and bid you all good luck before departing.
You're now standing in a small park as a light breeze whips through the air, not far from the gates through which you would pass from Absalom and set out to "conquer" this ill-fated tower.
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Spending most of her time not on missions in the Dark Archive library, few outside of the Dark Archive have seen Luna. She is a very fair-skinned human woman with long auburn hair and hazel eyes, wearing a simple red dress that accentuates her voluptuous figure. Her only visible equipment is a simple dagger.
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Robes and a garland of flowers is this gnome's normal attire. Not much for armor and his ever present reading glasses tucked into wide belt. His glasses could count as a weapon, being thick and heavy but he doesn't seem to care about it.
A neat Goatee trimed and his hair brushed past his ears kept in check by a silly looking garland of flowers completes his look with sturdy sandals. he does make the effort to keep himself presentable and it shows. His Grin though as he strides in seems too wide for aything else marking him perhaps insane.
"I wonder what secrets does this fallen tower holds." he claps his hands in a gleeful way.
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The young Keleshite woman smiled politely at the briefing, but said little. She was as dark as the redhead was fair, but just as lovely. Her outfit was made of some light, gauzy material that looked intended for warmer climes than this one.
As you prepared to leave the city, the Kelishite beauty emerged from the Grand Lodge's stables, beckoning for her companion to follow. With an eager chuff, a striking young white tiger came behind her, lowering his head and butting against her playfully.
"I should introduce Thirsty, first. Forgive his manners, he is still quite young and playful, but he likes to meet new friends. My name is Selima." The woman's manner was serene and peaceful and soon Thirsty had calmed and gave each of these new people a companionable sniff as Selima extended her hand to each of them in turn.
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"You ever met Balendar? Know anything about him other than the briefing?"
Veilwar shrugs his slight shoulders ... "I am afraid that I don't know much about him or the area much. Still too new to the area; although I did tour the Blakros Museum on my last mission. Very strange that one. Had a cursed item that turned folks into monkeys."
The five Pathfinders continue to become acquainted on the hike outside of the city en route to the tower.
The ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower’s walls. The tower is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air.
Only the topmost level seems whole, though its eastern portion hangs precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse.
At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower’s darkened interior.
Brother Marcus barely takes a few steps ahead towards the rubble before he spots the heads of three snarling dogs approaching from the south - apparently ravenous, wild animals who had spotted the party closing the distance to the tower.
The three dogs growl and move in to attack.
Initiative:
The three mangy dogs are apparently starving, as despite their ability to approach undetected around the rubble, they are slow to close when they finally close in on their prey.
Round 1
22 Veilwar :
17 Jadger :
15 Luna :
12 Selima :
3 Brother Marcus :
2 Dogs :
Now Up: Everyone!
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A curly haired halfling joins the others. He wears heavy armor with the sword of Iomedae emblazoned on the front and a greatsword slung across his back. His holy symbol, a small silver sword, dangles from the hilt of the larger sword.
Greetings companions I am Marcus Antonius Minimus paladin in service of her grace Iomedae.
Marcus draws his sword while moving between the others and the dogs. He readies himself to swing at the first one who comes near.
Readied attack:
Selima begins to cast as she reaches down to stroke Thirsty's sleek coat, imbuing him with arcane defenses. She then points toward the snarling dogs and gives Thirtsy the command to flank! Finally, she draws her light crossbow.
The tiger creeps forward, joining the halfling knight on the front lines and waiting to lunge as soon as a dog came close enough.
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"I am Luna."
Luna readies an action to hit the first dog(s) (depending on their size and how close they are to each other, she will try to hit as many as possible) to get within 30 feet with Black Motes!
At 1st level, you can summon a rain of tiny meteorites as a standard action to fall in a 5-foot column, 30 feet high, with a range of 30 feet. The meteors inflict 1d4 points of cold damage + 1 per 2 sorcerer levels. A Reflex save negates this damage. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
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"Ah ha! Wild creatures similar to dogs. They must be some unknown type or somehow heavily mutated from their parents. Base breeding should be of a canine of some type but I've never seen much of these in my books! They might have some kind of ability never seen before!" he excitely chatters as he stays away from combat, his speech in Ignan sounding as if he's mimicking a camp fire or a close attempt of one.
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Round 1
22 Veilwar : Throws some food, hoping to distract the dogs
17 Jadger : Total defense and step back
15 Luna : Readies motes (triggers on init 2), doing 4 damage
12 Selima : Mage armor on Thirsty, draws crossbow
12 Thirsty : Bites a dog in half
3 Brother Marcus : Readies (triggers on init 2), missing
2 Dog #1 : Runs to food, picks it up
2 Dog #2 : Runs to food, begins to fight with dog #2
2 Dog #3 : Charges into a flurry of white tiger claws and dies
The dogs begin to rush forward, saliva dripping on the ground as they advance and betraying their insatiable appetite.
As Veilwar cleverly hurls food off into the distance, first one dog, then a second veer off to pounce on the easy meal.
Meanwhile, the third dog seems to glance over and decide a halfling-sized snack would be easier pickings than fighting with two of its pack over meager rations. As the third dog bounds forward, Thitsy advances and with a single bite, snaps the canine's neck. With a soft yelp, its life fades.
The two dogs continue to growl and fight over the rations when Luna's motes descend down onto one of the pair, who yelps and flees in panic, leaving the lone victor remaining.
The dog makes eye contact with you all for the briefest of moments before turning tail and rushing into the plains, his prize in his jaws.
The long shadow of the tower looms over you all and awaits...
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Selima smiles indulgently at Thirsty and walks over to him to scratch his ears in gratitude. "Thank you, my darling. Now there will be fewer to compete for the scarce resources here. But drop it now, we do not eat dog."
She too turned her eyes to the tower now, approaching warily. Ready to move on, but unwilling to be the first through the door. "Who should take the point position?" She asked her fellow Pathfinders.
;
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Marcus gazes at the bloody tiger, looking slightly up at the creature that dwarfs him. "That is... impressive." He swings his sword up onto his shoulder and sets off towards the tower. "I will go first." He says while tapping lightly on the front of his armor. "It looks rather dim in there, would one of you be so kind as to light up my sword?"
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Jadger scrunches his face as he steps forward to grant Brother Marcus's request. Gyrating slightly and tensing himself, he weaves a complicated pattern with his fingers, tracing arcane Sigils over the blade.
Nothing Happens.
"Hmmmmm, It appears the gods have seen fit not to bless me with such a simple cantril." he appears apologetic about it.....
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Thirsty sat back on his haunches and licked his paws as he cleaned away the canine blood from his pristine coat. Selima chuckled lightly over the gnome's antics. She gave them both another of those indulgent smiles and said "Perhaps I should try?" With a flourish of her hand and a whispered incantation, she touched the flat of Brother Marcus' blade and it glowed with light. She then inclined her head to the halfling knight. "By your light we are led, Thirsty and I will watch your back."
Just before they entered, she cast Mage Armor upon herself as well and then loaded her crossbow.
Perception:
Initiative:
Crunching through the rubble, the party begins to make its way into the lower level of the tower, recognizing it to be one continuous loop
The northern wing of the tower seems to have escaped the worst effects of the collapse, but rubble still litters the floor and everything is covered in a thick layer of stone dust.
Thick cobwebs cloak the ceiling and hang down the walls like gossamer tapestries. A single archway stands open in the southwest wall.
Veilwar catches sight of a lithe, eight-legged creature meandering through the webs, seemingly intent at malice towards Brother Marcus.
Surprise Round
13 Veilwar :
10 Spider
Round 1
18 Selima :
13 Veilwar :
12 Jadger :
10 Spider
4 Luna :
2 Brother Marcus :
Now Up: Veilwar only (surprise round actions)!
Veilwar sinks an arrow into their enemy faster than the spider can surprise anyone. It chitters in rage as it lobs a gooey gob of its own back at Brother Marcus, nearly encasing the halfling in its bulky mass.
Surprise Round
13 Veilwar : Shoots spider for 5
10 Spider : Entangles Marcus w/ranged web attack
Round 1
18 Selima :
13 Veilwar :
12 Jadger :
10 Spider
4 Luna :
2 Brother Marcus (entangled) :
Now Up: Selima, Veilwar, Jadger (round 1 actions)
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True to her word, Selima gives Thirsty the command to Defend and indicates Brother Marcus the moment their halfling leader was incapacitated. With a snarl, the tiger steps forward to intercept the spider if it should descend to attack.
The sorceress fires on the spider with her light crossbow, but her aim is badly sighted and misses.
Veilwar's arrow buries itself in the spider which surely scrambles down excitely with blinding speed, hoping to snatch and run with Marcus.
Thirsty stands guard, growling and tearing into the arachnid as wet chunks are torn from its carapace and scattered throughout the tower.
Before anyone can blink, the spider is dead as Thirsty stands proudly above its remains.
A quick search of this lower level uncovers a small cocoon that hangs in the webs, holding the remains of an unfortunate dog that fell into the spider’s clutches. The desiccated carcass is still wearing its leather collar, which is studded with lapis lazuli stones and has a silver tag reading “Kita.”
A door in this level's center reveals a stone spiral staircase leading up, but it is so choked with rubble, you estimate it would take days or perhaps even a week to unearth it all and make your way up.
You all soon realize, you'll likely need to exit back to the front and scale up to exposed gap in the tower's second level.
Brother Marcus takes some time cautiously ascending the rubble before securing his rope around an outcropping and tossing it down for the others to use. Jadger struggles some due to his armor, but everyone makes it to the ledge as Thirsty practically leaps up with three powerful jumps along the rocks.
Two doors lead into this level of the tower. The southwestern door being somewhat ajar, Brother Marcus steps up and peeks within as the others complete their climbs.
This octagonal room is covered in a fine layer of dust. It’s clearly been abandoned for a long time. Another closed door leads from this room around the tower.
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Marcus waits by the northwest door of room 5 while they investigate. He is watching the ceiling for spiders as he does so.
If thirsty doesn't freak out he will open the door, sword at the ready. If thirsty does freak out he will wait a second to see if anyone is going to cast anything and then open the door, sword at the ready.
Thirsty growls slightly, obviously detecting a smell from beyond the door. In fact, most of you can catch an off-putting odor, not unlike brackish water or old eggs.
Brother Marcus, sword in hand, pulls the door open.
for
A javelin immediately pivots up from a spring on the floor, hitting the paladin square in the stomach.
Beyond, racks for weapons line the walls of this chamber; above the racks
hang various shields, pieces of armor, weapons, and standards on display. Most of the racks are empty, but a few weapons remain in place.
A horrible stench fills the room as well, akin to the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the reek of an open sewer.
Two boxy-headed lizard-humanoid hybrids grip javelins and snarl, clearly betraying hostile intent.
Initiative:
for
for
The two trogs somehow manage to get the drop on the Pathfinders, both grunt and hurl their javelins at the halfling in the doorway. Both hit, sending the poor paladin to the floor
Round 1
16 Trog #1 : Throws javelin at Marcus, hitting for 1
16 Trog #2 : Throws javelin at Marcus, hitting for 6
14 Selima :
13 Veilwar :
12 Brother Marcus
11 Jadger
8 Luna :
Now Up: Everyone!
The first troglodyte sidesteps the falling motes.
Still Up: Selima, Veilwar
for
for
for
Selima steps up to administer to Marcus while Veilwar begins his incantations.
The two trogs grip clubs and advance at Thirsty, one managing a serious swing that thuds into the big cat's spine with a sickening crunch .
As the two trogs close, the sickening smell grows stronger.
Veilwars completes his incantations and both of your enemies begin to move sluggishly before finally collapsing to the ground, asleep.
Round 1 Con't
14 Selima : Draws wand, infernal healing on Marcus
13 Veilwar : Begins casting sleep
12 Brother Marcus : Fails stabilize
11 Jadger : Slings and misses
8 Luna : Black motes at #1
Round 2
16 Trog #1 : Crits Thirsty for 6
16 Trog #2 : Misses Thirsty
14 Selima :
13 Veilwar :
12 Brother Marcus :
11 Jadger :
8 Luna :
Most of the few remaining arms in the room have rusted away, making them useless in combat.
However, the following valuable items are turned up with a casual search - a masterwork silver dagger, a masterwork light steel shield emblazoned with a leaping dolphin, and a banner depicting a bird made of living flame.
Two doors exit the room. One, presumably similar to the first floor in the center stands between you and the stairs. Another leads around the tower's perimeter.
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Selima covers her mouth and nose in response to the stench, a look of revulsion on her face as she examines their now sleeping enemies. "Should we finish them? Or wake one for interrogation. They might be able to tell us where to find our missing Pathfinder, that is, if anyone can speak their language?"
Thank you Miss, but be careful with that magic. It is unwholesome.
Selima nodded in understanding. "I will use it as sparingly as I may, but it is the only magical healing we wielders of the arcane can cast. Luna would be able to cast it as well, if I should fall. It is the very definition of a necessary evil."
She doted over Thirsty, looking pained as she examined his bruised back. They moved to investigate the next door, Selima listening and Thirsty sniffing. If Thirsty responds as if there is a creature behind this next door, she will cast Infernal Healing on him before it is opened.
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Jadger recalls that most rank-and-file trogs speak Draconic and very little Common.
Thirsty sniffs at the door around the edge of the tower and appears to take a fairly alert pose as he looks back to Selima for further instruction. His low growl seems to indicate he feels there is something in the room beyond.