Round 6, Init 6-
AC = 15, 19 if Shield still lingers...
HP = 12/23
Weapon Equipped = MW Rapier
Condition(s) = None
Inspiration = 2/4
Lief carefully treads the bridge, stepping lightly around the derobing dancer. "Excuse me, Dimitrio. I know you'll have a good reason for doing what you're doing. I hope it's magic. You could have just as easily dropped into the water if you sought to combat the drow down there."
While the young man gets closer to Shindiira, he starts returning her gaze. He looks her up and down, trying to see the sites of heavy armor peeking through. The rapier should do its job, if I can place it accurately enough...
Dimitrio flinched as the wave of unholy energy washed over him again.
He continued to remove his armor but addressed the drow, "Hey Layne! Gonna join me down there for a swim? It is warm in this cavern. And stuffy."
Round 7, Init 16
"No, Dimitrio, I prefer to protect Ederin from harm while he slumbers. Might you want to come over and swim near him?"
Fort
Kaylayne shrugs off the bolt and again throws stones at pink.
to hit; (rapid)
damage.
to hit; (rapid)
damage.
[ dice]1d20+8-2[/dice] to hit; (rapid)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
+3 Bab +3 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS
1d6 + 1 magic +1 PBS
Pearl of Power 1: 0/1 used
Scroll of Water Breathing
Wand of CLW: 4 charges left
Wand of Magic Stone: 32 charges left
Wand of Lesser Restoration: 21 charges left
Ring of the Ram: 20/36 charges left
Garridan, you still have a round pending I think. You're up! :)
Garridan moves around Lief and attacks the witch.
HP: 27/38
Weapon Equipped = Rapier
Conditions = Barkskin, divine favor, Anti Toxin.
Rapier Attack Mods: BAB +4, Str +4, Weapon Focus +1, (-2) Power attack, Divine favor +2
Rapier Damage Mods: Str+4 +4 Power attack, Divine favor +2
Spells (caster level 4, concentration +4)
0 level - (4) Light, Purify food and drink, Mending, Detect Magic
1 level - (4) Bless, Divine FavorCast this round, Protection from evil,
2 level - (3)Air step, Augury
Fervor: 2/4
Blessings:2/5
Sacred weapon: rounds:0
Ederin discerns the meaning of life. Again. Lief closes in and prepares himself to deal with Shindiira. Dimitrio continues to lose more armor and other gear as well as some of his general health. Kaylayne resists the poison and ends Mr. Pinks reign of terror. Garridan moves up on the drow and slams into her (nice hit!).
Shindiira, looks around and wonders just how bad it’ll get now that it’s down to her. She decides not to wait to find out. She channels once more just out of meanness, ”Something to remember me by. I bid you all farewell!”
DC 15 Will for half. This effects Garridan, Dimitrio, and Lief
With that, she leaps off the platform, and drifts (feather fall - you see her cast it as she falls) toward the water.
AoO for Garridan (from her movement, not the feather fall spell which she casts out of your reach as she’s falling).
Round 7, Init 6-
AC = 15, 19 if Shield still lingers...
HP = 6/23
Weapon Equipped = MW Rapier
Condition(s) = None
Lief reels from the pain a second time, and watches the drow jump from the platform. The physics catches him off guard for a moment, before he realizes she's behaving much like Dimitrio would have from his performances in the Gold Goblin.
Not wanting the woman to get away that easily, he ignores his better judgment. He tries to jump from the platform, and grab her in mid-air.
The evil drow is surprised at the tenacity of the flying Lief.
Lief slides off the falling woman and into the drink having paid in blood for his impudence. Swim check please dear Lief.
How about a Stabilization Check, instead?
Round 7, Init 16
Kaylayne double moves, taking to the wall and climbing on the cavern to keep sight of the witch.
[ dice]1d20+8-2[/dice] to hit; (rapid)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
+3 Bab +3 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS
1d6 + 1 magic +1 PBS
Pearl of Power 1: 0/1 used
Scroll of Water Breathing
Wand of CLW: 4 charges left
Wand of Magic Stone: 32 charges left
Wand of Lesser Restoration: 21 charges left
Ring of the Ram: 20/36 charges left
As the drow steps away Garridan lashes out at her hoping to stop her retreat.
He rushes down to meet her at the bottom.
HP: 24/38
Weapon Equipped = Rapier
Conditions = Barkskin, divine favor, Anti Toxin.
Rapier Attack Mods: BAB +4, Str +4, Weapon Focus +1, (-2) Power attack, Divine favor +2
Rapier Damage Mods: Str+4 +4 Power attack, Divine favor +2
Spells (caster level 4, concentration +4)
0 level - (4) Light, Purify food and drink, Mending, Detect Magic
1 level - (4) Bless, Divine FavorCast this round, Protection from evil,
2 level - (3)Air step, Augury
Fervor: 2/4
Blessings:2/5
Sacred weapon: rounds:0
Dimitrio continues stripping but yells out at Layne, "Can't you use that ring of yours?"
Shindiira grows fatigued at Garridans blow, but she does not fall, er, faster, or drop. That's it she does not drop.
Lief plunges into space and tries to grapple her! She reacts swiftly preventing the assault on her person. In so doing however the colour seems to leave her face for a moment, before she quickly recovers - her wounds are knitting together!
Ederin begins to turn his inward eye to the future. Lief leaps into space to try and grapple the woman. Alas he fails and may pay for his crimes with death! Dimitrio strips down. Kaylayne rushes to get in range. Garridan also climbs, though less swiftly. No climb check needed, but you’re climbing so it’s slow. You’re still 10-15’ up I think (climb is 1/4 move).
Shindiira looks panicked as her ‘ace in the hole’ does in fact get used. ”I commend you, I didn’t think you had it in you. I’ve had that amulet for decades and it’s never seen use - until today.”
”But that’s all the time I have for you. Farewell!”
And with that she lands on the water and, walking on it in a most unfair way, she double moves out of the cave (can’t run this round as part of the round was spent falling).
Lief is in a tough spot. He’s bleeding, and in the water, so I think he’s going to start drowning before long. I’m going to say he landed face up to be nice, but his armor and equipment will drag him down next round. Unless I’m missing something…
The wet finds its way into places that should otherwise remain dry... and on land...
Garridan looks out over the water, from his vantage point and sees the Drow running across the surface of the water. Orc nuggets, he thinks as he watches her retreating form. What he doesn't see concerns him more, where is Lief, he wonders as he tries to peer through the water where Lief landed.
He continues his decent, dropping his shield, and moves to the edge of the water. He says a quick prayer and a wave of energy pulses from his body.
AC: 22 (f20/t12) 24 with barkskin
HP: 24/38
Weapon Equipped = Rapier
Conditions = Barkskin, divine favor, Anti Toxin.
Rapier Attack Mods: BAB +4, Str +4, Weapon Focus +1, (-2) Power attack, Divine favor +2
Rapier Damage Mods: Str+4 +4 Power attack, Divine favor +2
Spells (caster level 4, concentration +4)
0 level - (4) Light, Purify food and drink, Mending, Detect Magic
1 level - (4) Bless, Divine FavorCast this round, Protection from evil,
2 level - (3)Air step, Augury
Fervor: 0/4
Blessings:2/5
Sacred weapon: rounds:0
Instead of healing, Garridan could grab Lief to keep him from drowning. He is stable...
Instead of healing, Garridan could grab Lief to keep him from drowning. He is stable...
"Garridan, get the Boy! I'm not done talking to the drow!"
Garridan sees Lief's motionless form close to the surface and reaches in and grabs the young man.
Round 8, Init 16
Kaylayne skitters along the wall (trying to 10' above water or on ceiling), trusting Garridan to rescue Lief while Dimitrio nudes himself for a dip.
Once she can see the drow again, Kaylayne whispers to her.
"Tell me why you are here. I'll pass on what you did to your kind. They will learn of you,"Kaylayne hisses before casting.
lightning damage vs. DC 16 for half
"Tell me while you still draw breath."
[ dice]1d20+8-2[/dice] to hit; (rapid)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
+3 Bab +3 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS
1d6 + 1 magic +1 PBS
Pearl of Power 1: 0/1 used
Scroll of Water Breathing
Wand of CLW: 4 charges left
Wand of Magic Stone: 32 charges left
Wand of Lesser Restoration: 21 charges left
Ring of the Ram: 20/36 charges left
Ederin peals back the lid of time an space. Lief gurgles in the water, ‘I’m fine’. Dimitrio continues his burlesque act. Kaylayne rushes around the corner along the wall and lights up the drow with electricity on the water! Garridan rushes down and grabs Lief’s body to keep him from drowning (you’ve one hand on Lief and the other holding the support structure for the platform).
She turns to answer Kaylayne, but the lighting arcs to the water and crips her where she stands. She collapse on the water.
We are out of initiative...
Kaylayne sends another 4 bolts of lightning back into the water where the body lay. The light from the cracks of lightning flash in the daylit cavern.
Only when she is sure the body no longer moves does she poke her head back over the wall to speak. She reaches and drags the body back with her, but then gives up and jumps in the water with the bouyant body. She uses the drow as a kickboard to swim back to the main cave.
"She is dead. She fell on the water where I struck her down. How fares the Boy?"
She kicks over to Lief, and, if necessary, will drag Lief onto the floating drow until they can get him moving again.
Dimitrio was ecstatic, "Woo hoo! Way to go Layne! I knew you should have used your magic."
The bard finishes taking off his armor and shakes off his unnatural desire. He spits on the ground to ward off any further compulsion magic, "Drow b~+!* doesn't play fair. I would have loved to cross blades with her."
He yells out as he starts putting on his armor again, "Garry, how's Lief? Shorty wake up yet?"
With Layne's assistance he tries to drag Lief ashore. Garridan produces a wand and waves it over Lief's prostrate form.
"How is everyone else, he asks the others.
"How is everyone else, he asks the others.
Dimitrio looks for wounds but doesn't find any to justify the queasy way he is feeling.
"I don't look that bad, do I?"
Without waiting for confirmation, he quickly adds, "Yeah but I feel like shit. I think the drow b!+@$ was using foul magic on us."
He breathes easier now, "Sure thing buddy, I could use the healing stick."
The bard then goes over to Shorty and looks for the poisoned bolt. Removing the missile, the bard then slaps him around a bit to try and wake him up.
"Shorty! It's over. I think it's over."
"Layne, can you get the drow's body? The woman we got the other guys here."
<moments of rambling comments>
"Layne, can you get the drow's body? The woman we got the other guys here."
Kaylayne looks at Dimitrio with concern as she paddles to the edge of the water on the she-drows body. She looks at him again, then looks at Garrdian.
"Garridan, is something still wrong with Dimitrio? I thought it was a mere suggestive spell, but might have been closer to an insanitic effect," Kaylayne says, worried for the team.
"No, *grunt* don't worry guys, *oof* I got it. *strain*," Kaylyane labors to drag the woman's corpse up to dry land and then get herself up. Kaylayne spends a few moments catching her breath before going to check on Ederin.
Heal - poison
Since Layne seems to have everything well in hand Garridan will begin searching the bodies and then the room. Upon hearing Layne's concern for Dimitrio he remarks, "Deep breathes Dimitrio every thing will be okay. We're here to look after you."
"Damn it all!" Ederin growls as he gets back up and rejoins his group. "You lot go swimming while I was out?"
Seeing that Garridan is tending to Lief, he turns to Shindiira's body and nods his approval before searching her body and those of the rest of the drow for anything that may explain what they're doing here.
"She offered us a lot Noqual, which means she was on the island to collect it just like everyone else. We need to figure out what they're tryin' to build."
When Garridan is done with everyone else Ed steps up for some healing of his own.
Since Layne seems to have everything well in hand Garridan will begin searching the bodies and then the room. Upon hearing Layne's concern for Dimitrio he remarks, "Deep breathes Dimitrio every thing will be okay. We're here to look after you."
Dimitrio lifts his hands in the air and exclaims, "I'm OK. Everything is OK."
The bard takes the wand again and moans and contorts his body as his wounds are healed.
He then starts to look around to see what was going on in this cave.
"Anybody find anything interesting? Where's the 80 lbs of noqual?"
In searching the drow you find the usual assortment of gear (4 masterwork chain shirts, 4 masterwork rapiers, 4 masterwork hand crossbows, numerous regular bolts, and 12 more poisoned ones). You also find 3 potions of cure light wounds and one empty potion flask.
On Shindiira you find more. Wand of Cure Light Wounds (32 charges), Scroll of charm monster, 10 doses of drow poison, an all tools vest, +2 banded mail, +2 flail, masterwork hand crossbow, 4 poisoned bolts, cloak of resistance +1 and a silver circlet worth 450gp.
The chamber is filled with all manner of supplies for a large expedition - much larger than these few. From what you can tell they were in the process of dismantling their operations here. This is the last of the crew here just to haul away a few final goods and tie up loose ends.
The supplies include two block and tackles, 10 square yards of canvas, 50 feet of chain, five crowbars, three fishing nets, six grappling hooks, four hammers, six hooded lanterns, a set of masterwork shipwright’s tools, a set of masterwork carpenter’s tools, a set of masterwork tailor’s tools, a merchant’s scale, seven miner’s picks, 14 pitons, two 10- foot poles, a portable ram, 200 feet of silk rope, 17 empty sacks, and two sledges. Mixed in with all this mundane gear is a crate containing four bottles of 4663 vintage wine from the Terverius Wineries of southern Cheliax. Each bottle is worth 300 gp.
A small, unlocked box on the main platform contains two potions of lesser restoration, three potions of remove paralysis, five potions of cure moderate wounds, and a potion of neutralize poison. It also contains two pouches, one with 1,102 in various coins and the other with 3,200 in gemstones.
Another trunk contains 83 pounds of Noqual and atop it Shindiira has laid several changes of clothes (including two sets of noble outfits sized for an elven woman and worth 60 gp each), a set of costume jewelry worth 55 gp, and Needles of Fleshgraving. Also in the trunk is a silver scroll tube worth 150 gp that contains several maps - Devil’s Elbow (before and after the meteorite strike), Riddleport, Celwynvian (along with Drow encampments and patrol routes!), western Varisia, and all of Varisia. Each map is worth 50gp, probably more to the right buyer.
Whew. Oh wait. There’s another chest! Within it lie three books, wrapped in silk and leather. The first of these books is Tsalkaean’s Bestiary, a book written in Undercommon that grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks and is worth 100 gp. The second is a well-read book called Thoughts on Varisian Customs, written in Common and worth 10 gp.
The final book is a slender journal, similar in style to the one that Depora kept. It is written in undercommon.
The last dozen entries display a dramatic shift in tone, becoming an almost scientific list of observations of the strange meteorological effects that preceded the falling star, the impact itself, and developments afterward. The journal also mentions several times an ominously titled event or object called an “Armageddon Echo”.
Dimitrio is beaming, his smile hard to hide among all the loot they found. This is the most riches he's seen in his entire life.
With a silly smile on his face, he starts stripping... again. But before anyone can ask him anything, he chuckles, "I'm OK; it's OK. I just want one of the finely made chainshirts from the drow."
Once finished, he asks, "How are we going to haul all of this back to the Goblin?"
He looks at Lief, "Can you read the journal?"
Lief, cold and wet, comes to, to find himself ashore. He sits up, wincing at a still open gash on his forehead. Looking about, he sees everyone mostly intact.
"What did I miss?"
Lief walks it off, frustrated that he left himself open to the drow's flail swing. When he joins the others, he helps search through the cave contents. Getting to the wine, Lief pushes it aside, and waves Garridan over. "You'll probably want to consider this for your personal stores..."
Eventually, the books become Lief's focus, to no one's surprise. He leafs through them, finally spending more time with a second drow journal in as many weeks.
"Well, alright. This, I think we can use. At least, Kwava should be pleased." Lief takes his time explaining the contents of the journal. "Plenty of entries regarding Depora. Shindiira seems to be pretty excited here, and here... she was accepted into House... Azrinae. She doesn't seem to like Depora very much though. They're competitors. Another name here- Nolveniss. When Shindiira returns to him in Celwynvian, she plans to show off the large amount of noqual and akatas. She wanted the akatas as well... that's just great."
"She seems to be documenting the pre- and the post- of the devastation around here. Before, we had the "Plucking of the Start". This one mentions something new- “Armageddon Echo”."
Kaylayne looks through all the gear, taking her time to try on a different masterwork chain shirt to see if it fits better.
"Wow. There is a lot of stuff here. If I cared about money, I'd be rich, I suppose," Kaylayne tightens the straps on her armor, trying to get used to the weight.
He looks at Lief, "Can you read the journal?"
Kaylayne stops what she is doing to go over to her gear and pull out a scroll, offering it to Dimitrio.
"Can you read this? If you can, then you can read that to read that," Kaylayne says slowly, giving Dimitrio more time to recover from his glossolalia.
She goes back to the magic items once she finishes with her armor.
"Not sure what to make of all this."
Kaylayne tries out her butterfly fetish to recall Hydraulic Push.
She idly listens to Lief read as she works on sorting and organizing.
" She doesn't seem to like Depora very much though. They're competitors. Another name here- Nolveniss. When Shindiira returns to him in Celwynvian..."
Kaylayne asks Lief a question when he pauses.
"What is Celwynvian? A city? Where?"
"It's an odd name, I'll admit." Lief struggles to think, possibly from the recent flail strike to his skull.
If you look to the northwest region of Varisia (link) on the maps left behind by Shindiira's passing, you'll find Riddleport along the coast easily enough.
Follow the Calphiak mountains to the west by northwest and into the Mierani forest you'll come to Celwynvian. It's not far.
Knowledge History anyone?
The map helps, if only a little, to place Celwynvian in his mind. He speaks up with anything he can spout.
Abandoned by the elves when they departed Golarion prior to the Earthfall, Celwynvian became overridden with drow, and was the site of one of the most vicious conflicts between the two elven races upon their return from Sovyrian.
Taking considerable losses from the drow's evil tactics, the elves once again departed the city, and it remains empty and forbidden to this day. The elves of the Meiriani Forest strictly prohibit outsiders from entering the city, claiming it as a refuge from the rest of the world.
According to the journal, the drow now hold the city...
When he joins the others, he helps search through the cave contents. Getting to the wine, Lief pushes it aside, and waves Garridan over. "You'll probably want to consider this for your personal stores..."
"Very nice," Garridan agrees. "Does anyone want to take a little nip now," he asks as he searches for his mug.
When he joins the others, he helps search through the cave contents. Getting to the wine, Lief pushes it aside, and waves Garridan over. "You'll probably want to consider this for your personal stores...""Very nice," Garridan agrees. "Does anyone want to take a little nip now," he asks as he searches for his mug.
Dimitrio slides himself a makeshift seat from a nearby crate, "I thought you'd never ask."
The bard continues to sift through their new stash. He picks up a hand crossbow and asks Lief, "So, uh, are you shooting poisoned bolts with this thing?"
"Celwynvian, hu? Do you think Kwava knows anything about this? It sounds like outsiders are forbidden to go there anyway so it's back to Riddleport for us, right?"
He then remembers the port city and its crime bosses, "So where do you think Zincher fits into these plans? Was he working for the drow the same way poor Saul was working for the other drow?"
As they sit around their makeshift table he shurgs,"Sounds like a problem for the elves to deal with."
"If you're opening the wine, count me in!" Ederin smiles as he pulls up a seat with the rest, carrying a few pieces of loot from their stash to look over while they drink. He considers Dimitrio's words and shakes his head.
"I hate to say this, I really do, but we haven't found any proof that Zincher was involved. I still suspect he's got some dirty plans, and I ain't gonna stop keepin' my eye on him, but this lot was all drow." He sets aside a chain shirt and looks at his friends.
"I ain't to concerned about politics outside of Riddleport, but these drow have killed a lot o' my friends and fellow citizens by pullin' that star from they sky. If they got some larger plot in the works..." He shrugs. "Kwava is gonna have one hell of a report to send, and we'd be a bunch o' empty mugs to think they ain't gonna try to call on us again. We've killed a lot o drow, probably more drow than anyone has even seen, we need to decide how invested we want to be in this war o' theirs. Because that's clearly what this is, eh?"
He turns his attention back to the pile of goods they discovered and thinks. "Gotta figure out what we're doing with this stuff too. I think I got a spell 'at might help us carry it all out, but it should wait till we know a boat is here. Otherwise we're likely to get robbed by Zincher's men, 'specially with this much of their previous metal in our haul."
"I hate to say this, I really do, but we haven't found any proof that Zincher was involved. I still suspect he's got some dirty plans, and I ain't gonna stop keepin' my eye on him, but this lot was all drow."
Lief closes the book on dungeoneering, as he listens to Ederin. "He wants to bring akata back to Riddleport. Akata... back... to Riddleport... Don't we think that's a problem? Or are we just calling it someone else's problem?" He considers the situation further.
"You're right, Ederin. He's likely to get involved, should he come to understand what we're sitting on here." Lief turns to Kaylayne. "Did you see the ship to which Shindiira fled? Do you think it's still waiting out there, even now, or did the lightning scare them away?"
"We have to worry that Zincher is gearing up to bag akata, and we have to worry that drow are still about, on a ship somewhere. And we should worry about how we're going to see this haul safely transported back in our possession."
"This is good wine," Garridan comments to his companions as the sit deciding their next course of action. "Ed your letting you dislike of Zincher cloud your judgement." He takes a sip of wine, "For example we are here and we are not in league with the drow. The Mages were here and are not league with the drow. Many came from Riddleport looking for wealth, that does not mean they are connected to the drow."
He stands up and stretches as he concludes, "I think Lief has the right of it, Zincher will be more concerned with what we've found. So we best be careful."
Ederin raises an eyebrow at Lief as the young man speaks.
"I said he wasn't in league with the drow, I didn't say he wasn't a problem mate." He turns to Garridan next and frowns. "The man hired me to hunt people down when they didn't wanna play in his arena. At first those people were criminals, didn't much care about killin' them. But it wasn't too long before I realized that some of 'em were just people that stepped on his toes in the street. You don't want to trust my instincts fine, but don't come crawlin' to me when he's out for your blood."
Ederin's good mood is gone and he leaves the rest to look through the loot some more.
Garridan frowns confused as Ed attitude, "Ah right you are, Ed. I'm glad to here you are starting to look at things rationally again." He raises his mug to his lips and downs some more wine, "It is about time you stopped with your worrying about Zincher and his plans, we're really in no position to do anything about them any way." He smiles after Ed leaves, "More for the rest of us, I guess."
Kaylayne looks around for a suitable cup so that she might partake of the drink without the backwash of the men.
"Yeah, nothing here indicates that Zincher is involved. And I still don't care if he's bringing back an akata. I don't have any f$!*s to give about what he does if he's not bothering us," Kaylayne says, rinsing out a receptacle.
She takes a fill of the liquor, then goes to address Lief more directly.
"Oh Boy...the next time *you* shoot first, make sure it's a fight we all want. Next time you almost get us all killed, be a dear and think about just getting yourself killed." Kaylayne grumps, finally remembering what was bothering her.
"If you pick a fight with Zincher without good reason, Lief, I just might be helping him whoop your ass. You got a big chip on your shoulder, don't let it get us into trouble."
After hearing Layne's berating of Lief Garridan begins to smile as he thinks, I'm really beginning to like that girl. That though abruptly ends as he remembers the slashed throats she left in her wake at the temple, not a much more then a month ago. Eyeing Layne with a bit more trepidation he takes another swig of his wine.
Dimitrio raises his eyebrows as the mood in the group turns sour.
"Lady, gentlemen. Let's relax and enjoy the very good wine. We've all earned it."
He muses, "The ship won't be back for a few more days still so we have time to think our next move. This cave looks like a good place to hole up until we are ready to leave."
He then remembers, "If we are bored of counting our riches, we can go investigate where Zincher goes at night. Remember what San told us about that."
He raises his cup and makes sure he has everyone's attention, "Can we all just relax and celebrate for bit?"
Don't forget... there's also another door. Before you get too drunk with success...
It is, if you examine it, a barricade more than a door, which appears as a wall of wood covered with spidery runes in Undercommon warning of great undead peril beyond the barrier.
If you want to investigate of course.