DM Pendin Fust Wrath of the Righteous - Group A (Inactive)

Game Master theheadkase

How much rope did we find in the campsite? I don't think enough.

Lucius looks at the chasm, floating his dancing lights around it for a better look.

"I don't believe we have any equipment to reach the other side. Nor do I have magic to reach across. Aravashnial, I don't suppose you do?"

He'll turn to Lann. "How dangerous is your alternate route? We could try to climb down, cross, and back up, but we have several wounded already."

You found a standard 50 ft. length of rope.

Aravashnial: "I have some spells which could summon creatures that may be able to help us and a levitation spell which could assist. Let me think on creatures I know to summon."

He has Summon Monster 1-3 for all you wizardy types.

Summoning an air elemental, together with levitation, would let us get someone across. But unless they can make a bridge (see our low rope inventory), that's just splitting the party. Anyone have any other ideas?

Can we all just climb down, then have someone climb/levitate up the far side and attach the rope to let everyone else climb up? I'm assuming it's rough stone, so shouldn't be that tough to scale. Hardest part might be getting Anevia down/up...

Nebbin looks around to see if anyone has any ideas of how to cross.

"I've got my own length of rope... back at camp." says Aero with a frown.

Ravana looks for something to loop the rope around on this side.

"Nebbin, we will tie the rope around my waist and you will belay me. I will keep the rope around my waist once down so you can pull me up if there is danger."

Ravana steps to the edge, looking for what lies at the bottom of the chasm. Tying the rope around her waist, she begins to lower herself down the chasm wall.

Climbing chasm wall: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Ravana scurries down the wall with little difficulty, pausing at the bottom to take stock of the situation.

DC 15 to climb, DC 5 with rope. Keep in mind a couple of your NPCs are injured and some are not in much physical shape.

Nebbin braces himself and holds on to the rope as Ravan lowers herself down. He waits to see what she wants him to do next.

Ravana calls back up to the others, "It appears to be safe down here. Begin lowering everyone down and we'll move to the far side. I think we can climb it without the levitate spell.

One person will need to come last, bringing the rope with them if there isn't anything to loop it around up there. I recommend Nebbin lower all of the wounded down first however."

I assume we will simply lower the three non-coms directly and Ravana will collect them on the bottom. Whoever is the most comfortable climbing probably wants to shed their armor and come last. Based solely on strength, that is probably Nebbin.

Excellent plan. After about 20 minutes everyone is down in the chasm safely. Anyone making the climb up the other side give me a climb check DC 10.

Lucius will wait until someone at the top can help hoist him with a length of rope. He's not foolish enough to try that wall with his strength penalty.

Aero will take 10 for a 10.

I don't think you can take 10 on a climb check as there are consequences of failure.

Once on the other side, Ravana will begin climbing up the wall, the rope tied to her waist again.

climb check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

She will look for a place to tie the rope at the top but failing to find one, she will simply do her best to belay the rope herself.

"I'm not sure exactly what is over here, so let's bring the wounded up near the end this time."

You can take 10 when there are consequences of failure, just not when there is any threat or urgency. Climbing a DC 10 wall outside of combat is a perfect case of where you can and should take 10.

Yes, take 10 is allowed in this case. If there were a threat present then it would not be allowed.

Ravana climbs up the 25 feet to the top of the other side while Aero makes his way up a bit slower. They find a stalagmite (or the remnants thereof) to tie the rope around and lower it down. After about 25 minutes the whole party stands on the other side of the chasm.

Lann thanks you for your strength and bravery.

A further 20 minutes of walking brings you to the tunnel opening into a circular cavern, roughly forty feet in diameter. Thick sheets of fungus grow in the cave, and several tunnels branch off. All of these save one in the north wall lead downward; the northern one leads upward. What appear to be two dead bodies lie on the ground in the middle of the cave, next to a strange heap of ropy green fungus.

Lann squeaks unexpectedly at this discovery, "My...my goodness. Spore-cougher is dead." The other two mongrelmen give a celebratory shout. "This was a path that we rarely use because of spore-cougher. He has proven particularly nasty and deadly. I was hoping we would come upon this place while he was out hunting...instead this is gives us back our best route back from the forgotten temple!"

The two men are dressed as crusaders of Iomedae. Something is different about them though.

You discover a potion on one of the bodies and scroll on the other. Between the two of them you find 129 gp.

Knowledge Dungeoneering/Nature: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 (if needed)

"How fascinating, I had heard of basidironds and other strange 'plants' living beneath the earth. From what I know it's a boon to us all that it's dead. We should take a moment to send those fallen crusaders souls to the boneyard. Let us approach carefully though, whomever won the fight may have been finished off by something even more dangerous."

Assuming you spent the time using detect magic and spellcraft to identify the potion and scroll. Potion of cure light wounds and a scroll of cause fear.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Nebbin's happy to approach cautiously, by which he means he stays where he is and holds up his maul so others can see.

Ravana does not like to approach dead things without obvious wounds nor any form of fungi. I've been getting my share of Knowledge: Nature in medical school and you're generally unwilling to touch anything by second term. 8)

Standing beside Nebbin, Ravana watches the others search the bodies. She will get the wounded moving near the end of the process, ready to get back on the move.

"If these things are guards for something else, we should try to avoid their masters by moving on quickly."

Ravana doesn't even try to make the perception checks. She is not interested in the crusaders and would not know about the Cult of Baphomet even if the DC were 5.

Nodding towards Aero, Saoirse walks towards the two corpses, her shield held up defensively, as she gets closer and leans down to look at the bodies, her eyes widen. "This... isn't right. Why are these crusaders carrying glaives? They are of Iomedae... where are their swords?"

Catching a small glint from the light of Nebbin's maul in one of the corpses' hands, Saoirse reaches down and pries open the dead mans fingers, pulling up a small trinket, a brass bull's head with tiny red gemstone eyes.

"What is this? Do you know Lucius? Ravana? Aero? Aravashnial?"

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Spellcraft (Scroll): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Spellcraft (Potion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Okay, so not determining their function. Maybe the auras?
Knowledge (Arcana), Scroll: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Knowledge (Arcana), Potion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

"It's the symbol of Baphomet, the same Demon Lord the mad dwarf warned us about. Maybe they're connected to his witch?" He shrugs, looking over the potion vial. ["But we're also near, and possibly under, demon-infested territory, so it could be a coincidence."

"Aero, can you take a look at these?", he asks, indicating the potion and scroll. "The potion is a conjuration magic. It's probably a minor healing potion like those we have found, but I wouldn't drink it till we know for certain. The scroll is a necromantic effect, but other than that I cannot determine without activating its magic."

I need to audit my inventory. If I recall, we've found two cure potions already, Lucius has one and Saoirse the other. We also have a potion of lesser restoration that Lucius is carrying.

After passing the magic items to the bard, Lucius turns his attention to the mens' purses. Anything interesting about their money, or is it just Mendevian coin of the realm? "Nearly three pounds of gold, here. There are eigh..." Don't forget the mongrels, Lucius... "Eleven of us. Comes to about twelve coins each." Another realization of propriety hits him. "Unless the first crusaders have rules about salvage in their territory."

Aravashnial begins to speak but listens to Lucius' estimation and curls his arm back into his body. He nods sharply...unfortunately a little too late to look natural and the action only draws more attention to his current infirmity.

Lann chuckles at Lucius, "Fear not, friend. We do not really have use for the coin of above. Precious stones can be found down here, but really, it is food that is the king of coin in the nethers."

Correct, you should already have the 2 potions AND the lesser restoration on top of this one you found.

The coin is very much that of Kenabres. Interestingly enough.

Aero will cast read magic on the scroll and will detect magic on the potion.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

"Good catch on the glaives, I was too focused on the plant. I wonder how many Baphomet 'crusaders' can be found in these parts."

Nebbin's eyes open wide as Lucius hands out the coins.

"For me? Wow, thanks! Are you sure it shouldn't go to the crusaders, though? I mean, I've never seen that much money, so I appreciate it, but ..."

Folding her hand over the Baphomet symbol, Saoirse pushes it into one of the smaller pockets of her pack and holds up a hand, "Now is not the time to quibble over dead men's gold. Given what we've learned down here... I doubt it is just a coincidence that we find two bodies down here clutching unholy symbols... heh, either way, we should move on quickly, Ravana is right."

Anevia perks up at the mention of an unholy symbol. She bares her teeth in disgust at the mention of Baphomet. "Those sickly minotaur loving cultists have been causing trouble and murders throughout the city for months now. If they are so far as to have aligned with a faction of the mongrels...sorry...the mongrelmen then this is no coincidence with the attack on Kenabres. I hope Ira is ok...if they are in the Iomedaean church they could be anywhere."

Aravashnial actually claps his hands together when Lucius and Saoirse relay their information. "I knew it! We need to take these bodies with us so the church can identify them. I told them, I told them! It wasn't a crazy theory...the Baphomet cultists have been infiltrating for years. I can't believe I have proof of the Templars of the Ivory Tower here before my very own eye...well...sockets."

Let me know if there is anything else you wish to do in this area.

Aero will collect a bit of dead plant monster for further study/display later.

"What are templars of the Ivory Tower?" Nebbin asks nervously.

"People in Kenabres who actually love minotaurs?"

Ready to move on.

Lucius dispenses the coin evenly, giving the mongrels the 11-piece shares since they don't seem to care about the gold.

"Keep it in health, Nebbin. It might not do us much good for some time."

Aero can cast the cause fear scroll, and he's the one who identified it. Does he want to hang onto it? Lucius doesn't have a spellbook, so he's not going to fight over it. He can hang onto the potion, also.

"Sort of, Nebbin. People who love minotaurs and demons. Cultists."

Can Aravashnial summon a floating disk or the like? Otherwise hauling two bodies is a lot of dead weight. Umm. No pun intended. If he can't, Lucius will suggest just bringing the heads.

Nebbin could probably easily carry one, though he won't be happy about it.

It's not mandatory that you bring the bodies back...

I don't think we can move them easily, and I expect someone with more sense than Lucius to shoot down the 'sack full of heads' plan.

"Heads are a rather ummm, messy business. I think we'd be better off noting some distinguishing characteristics and not disturbing the dead further."

Aero will take some quick notes in his book with a piece of charcoal.

Ha! I wrote my post before I saw Ross's

Aravashnial has a crestfallen look, which turns into a wince of pain, but says "Of course. It is not prudent to burden ourselves at this time. Lann, would you and yours keep the bodies until we can retrieve them? The Iomedaeans should know of this infiltration...and the rest of Kenabres (whatever's left) should know to look out."

Lann nods at the man.

"Lann?"

The mongrelman starts, "Oh, yes I am sorry. I forgot your infirmity for a moment. Yes, we will keep them in a cold cavern where they will decay slowly."

After about 15 minutes of walking you come to a large, round stone door. Four mongrelmen guards stand in front of it. They give a hearty welcome, "Lann! Dyra! AND Crel! Welcome back to Neatholm!" As soon as they spot you a scowl starts to form. Before anything else happens though, Lann responds back "Thank you Drot, Ezzl, Frit, and Wel. It is good to be back. These are dwellers above who helped us save Crel from a cave in. They are good people and it would be wise for us to show them all courtesies." The guards relax at this and open the stone door. "Welcome then, strangers, to glorious Neatholm!"

A small, dark lake ripples in the center of this two-hundredfoot-wide cavern, the walls and ceiling aglow with thick sheets of luminescent fungi. In the center of the lake, over two dozen low stone buildings cluster on a rocky one-hundred-foot-wide island. Lights glow in the windows of the buildings, giving the settlement an almost welcoming look. Rafts made of mismatched planks of timber bob along the length of a crooked pier at the lake’s closest shore.

The largest home, atop the island's central peak, is where Lann leads you. Dyra and Crel break off from the group at smaller buildings along the way. Mongrelmen look distrustful at first of you, but seeing Lann so confidently walking amongst you they turn more into questioning looks.

Inside the largest building sits a bloated man-rat of a mongrelman. Lann greets the person, "Salutations Chief Sull. I regret to tell you that my mission to find your son or any of his belongings, including his mother's brooch, were unsuccessful. Crel was trapped beneath a cave in and were it not for these above dwellers he would have died there."

The chief opens his mouth to talk, his many jowls jiggling, and says in a surprising and pleasantly mild-mannered voice "Thank you kind folk for rescuing one of ours. It is not every above dweller who would show such kindness to mongrels." Lann winces at this word. "Please, do tell me of how you came to be down here? What happened that brought you to dear Lann here?"

Lucius dismisses his dancing lights, relieved to be free of the strain of continually recasting it. The fungi may be dim, but it is sufficient, and pervasive.

"The war came to Kenabres. Violent enough to open the earth. We fell into a crevasse, and it fell closed again behind us. The stone must still be settling: that must be what caused the cave in that trapped Crel."

Aero bows gently to the Chief.
"While I wash I had a happier story to tell you, I shall instead give you the grim truth: We were swallowed by the earth after a great calamity befell the city above. The Storm King himself assaulted Kenabres and when the ancient Silver wyrm Terendelev rose up to meet him in battle her efforts were met with the snicker-snack of the Balor's blade."

Aero pauses a moment, the sheer enormity of the news finally sinking into his own head.

Wiping back a tear Aero continues. "The Storm King's blow wrought destruction all over the city. I'm certain many did not survive. Terendelev happened to notice our plight and used her magic to slow our descent."

Nebbin looks around, eyes wide, knowing he should leave the tale-telling to those more suited.

Stepping forward, Ravana asks the headman, "Great Chief, between falling into the earth and saving your tribesman, we have been through a lot in the past ten hours. We've not eaten since the battle above and need to rest. Do you have a safe place we can rest in for a few hours and perhaps some food we can trade for?"

Leaning over to Lucius, Ravana whispers quietly, "Our situation has changed quickly. Be careful saying much until we have a chance to talk and rest."

Out of curiosity...who is carrying all the stuff from the 1st mongrelman camp you encountered way in the beginning?

Also, I forgot to remind you all of the scales and the powers they give you. Don't forget you have those.

From what I can tell, Lucius has them, in the masterwork backpack that I think was a crusader's.

Looking back, I don't think anyone specific took it. Best assumption is probably that it got shuffled into Lucius's new pack with the other goodies we found around there.

While the others relay the tale of their fall into the caverns, Saoirse stands in consideration, her eyebrows furrowing as she considers the events of the day. A relaxed posture from her body showing that she doesn't feel threatened by Neatholm. After Ravana asks for aid of Chief Sull, a thought connects in her head and Saoirse turns to Lucius.

"Didn't we find a brooch in that pack from the camp earlier?"

Assuming Lucius hands the brooch to Saoirse after finding it...

Saoirse moves next to Ravana and speaks gently, "Ravana speaks the truth, we would all do well from some rest. Also, I don't know if this is what you are looking for but we found this among a pack earlier while we were exploring the caves."

Holding up a gloved hand, Saoirse presents the brooch of a bat sitting on a mushroom, looking at Chief Sull questioningly.

Lucius nods. "Perhaps. I recall purple gemstones.", he comments, helping Saoirse sift through his pack.

The chief gasps when the brooch is pulled out. "Where...where did you find this? It was my late wife's favorite brooch...gifted to our son."

"We found it in a camp when we first fell down into the caverns but I'm afraid that's all we found."

"You didn't see any signs of...a person? Anything that looked reptilian with human legs?" The chief eyes start to water over. "No, I must believe that would have stuck in your minds. May I...have the brooch please? It is one of the few things I have left to remember my wife."

"No, just a scattered handful of supplies. Some rope, some candles, that sort of thing."

Lucius isn't quite sure what to make of the crying rat-man. "Yes, please. It was already yours."

"Thank you...I'm sorry...it isn't fitting for me to lose control of myself like that. Please, make yourselves at rest here in Neatholm. I know you must be eager to return to the surface. There is a path to the south which is the quickest way back up...assuming of course stones weren't dislodged to block it. I think we'd be swarming in traitors," he spits at this, "if that were the case. Those scum split off from our glorious ancestry of driving the demons back and have since consorted with them."

Aravashnial squeaks in delight at this. Anevia perks up and Horgus merely looks around, obviously disdainful of his surroundings.

The chief sizes you up for a moment. "I would ask you destroy the traitorous curs on your way to the surface. I cannot spare any troops as I must gather all the tribes of mongrelmen together...we would come to the aid of Kenabres! Make your way when you are ready, and deliver a message that the descendants of the First Crusaders are ready to fight again!"

He fingers the brooch another time and looks at it fondly. "You are tired from your trials. Please go and rest and if you wish or find something you like, trade with my people. I also would give you my morningstar...used by my great grandfather to crush the skulls of those cursed demons."

A beautiful morningstar is brought forth and it looks especially effective. A quick detect magic on it reveals that there is indeed some sort of magic to it.

"If you agree to deal with these far-too-long forgotten, I have some items which may be of service."

Also, you all may level up to level 2 now.

2nd level hit die: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Yee-haw!

Picking up daze as my new cantrip, unless someone thinks read magic would be of vastly more use. Other than that, I get an extra 1st level spells, and an extra point of Will save and BAB. And of course skill points into my existing skills.

"Thank you, Chief. However, right now, we're refugees, not crusaders. I think it would be best if we could confer, privately, before we can commit to fighting your enemies. Can you suggest a place for us to lodge for the evening? We can meet again tomorrow."