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Kensington's mighty attack reduces the rat to an unrecognizable mess on the floor as M'grul's rat clambers over the crate between itself and its intended target.
Realizing his target is completely obliterated, Bazresh changes his target and fires on the rat threatening his ally. Much like his ally, he manages to thread his shot easilly between the crates, and the arrow strikes true. The dire rat falls, twitching, to the floor.
End of Combat
The warehouse is calm and still, aside from a rather large rat's death throes. Sensing an end to the threats to his summoner, the fiendish dire rat stares blankly at M'grul.
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"Well done comrades, well done. I appreciate the Guidance Malik. You can cast that on my whenever you want!" Bom chuckles as he retrieves his longsword, and re-wraps his javelins with the amenti.
Leaving the brainy work of the crate to the others, Bom pokes around the crates, but is careful not to get too close to the hole in the floor..
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You are able to locate several hundred feet of rope and net, in ten to fifty foot lengths, in addition you find a couple decrepit sails You estimate there are also about eighty coffins, also in various states of disrepair. You also notice the crane, used for loading and unloading boats, clings to a rail running the length of the warehouse, hanging 5 feet below the high ceiling, and can slide out to extend past the loading doors along the west wall. Dedicating quite a long amount of time to searching, you find a vial of each holy water and acid. The former inside one of the coffins.
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"Sounds good. If I'm the strongest here, I'll be happy to give it shot. First let me take off my armor in case I fall in."
Bom removes his armor and shield and lets someone hook him up to the crane.
"We might want to put some of those sails underneath the crate in case its heavier than it looks. Could probably use some of your Guidance as well Malik"
When ready, Bom will attempt to lift the crate with the net.
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Driving Check: When a driver takes a driving action, she must make a driving check to determine the maneuverability and speed of the vehicle that round. The vehicle's propulsion determines what skill is used for the driving check. A driver can always make a Wisdom check in place of a driving check. The base DCs for all driving checks are DC 5 and DC 20. Use the lower DC when the driver is not in combat and the higher DC when the driver is in combat.
For the sake of simplicity, the tide is changing, at at the moment, you do not need to worry about a current. You are not in combat.
Propulsion current (water) or muscle (pushed; 1 or 2 Medium rowers; one is the driver)
Driving Check Survival
Forward Facing boat's forward
Driving Device oars
Driving Space the center square of the rowboat
So, I need you to pick a driver and roll Survival six checks get into position (One to get the boat away, one more to get aimed the right direction, and two additional to move the distance to under the hole. One final check to actually stop under the hole.
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Tied firmly to the crane, Bom is hoisted above the crate, and carefully takes his time tying the crate to the nets and rope in place. , . The knots hold fast, and with little effort, the team manages to hoist the crate to safety.
The rescued crate holds a smaller mahogany box inside, which contains five books and a few loose sheets of paper in a leather folder. The titles and subjects seem completely unrelated to each other: Practical Thaumaturgy In Accordance with Creation, Geographic Anomalies of the Inner Sea, Under Kaer Maga: A Trial and Travel, Physiology of Dragons: An Illustrated Reference, Lost Sarusan. The leather folder contains cargo manifestos, warehouse inventories, and other financial logs from a dozen different merchant houses and trade guilds.
The crate also contains 10 sets of masterwork thieves’ tools, three flasks of alchemist’s fire, a flask of acid, a dozen jars of various inks, a footprint book*, adamantine weapon blanch*, three bags of powder*, a deck of marked cards*, and two sets of average loaded dice*. (Items marked with an asterisk may be found in the Advanced Player’s Guide.)
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Bom wasn't the smartest fox in the forest, but he know a thing about having the right tool for the job and putting it in the right person's hands. Grabbing one of the Alchemist Flask, he hands it to Stullun,
"You should probably take one of these as you've got the best aim of anyone here." Bom didn't bother handing Stullun a set of thieve's tools because he knew the rogue would want to pick his own set.
Next Bom grabbed the acid flask and handed it to M'grul.
"I've studded some spellcraft and I believe this will make your acid attack just a little stronger when use as a spell component."
Handing the adamantine blanch to Bazresh, "Let's use this on our ammunition. I'll put it on one of my javelins and you can coat as many arrows as you can. This way if we need the penetrating power, we'll have it."
Bom grabs a bag of powder for himself.
Finally Bom turns to the group,
"It occurs to me that if every task involves combat, we'd better marshal our resources. Let's not be too quick to use up spells and potions unless our backs are against the wall. I'd rather have it and not have needed it than need it and not have it."
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The Varisian smiles as you hand over the books, "Very well done indeed! I will see too it personally that you each receive a fair compensation for your work! I assume you have other business to attand to, so I will not belabor you with coin counting. Your funds will be waiting for you by this evening at the Pathfinder Lodge. Good luck, and if you ever need anything less . . . mundane for your 'work', you know where to find me."
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Bom looks at the sheet with their assignments. "Let us visit the Osirian nobleman in the Wise Quarter.
And I suggest anyone who is injured heal up if you are able. We cannot afford to be less than at our best."
Bom was a firm believer in maintaining one's health. One night when Bom had had enough to drink, he spent some time reading some of the old Pathfinder Chronicles. Danger was a way of life for Pathfinders. It lurked around every street corner and waited on the others side of every doorway.
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“Good day to you, Pathfinders. I am Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, advisor to Master Salhar. I understand you were sent here to discuss archaeological permissions. Knowing this was coming, I spoke with Master Salhar at length on the subject and have this to say.
“Since Osirion was reopened to exploration a decade ago, adventurers, historians, and treasure-seekers flock to my country by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. While most families with ancestral burial vaults maintain guards and keep their sites out of the hands of casual thieves, not all families have the wealth or power to restrict everyone, and as we all know, not every defense is perfectly secure. Unscrupulous tomb robbers and maligned merchant organizations cause Osirion to bleed relics into the Inner Sea—something the descendents of Ancient Osirion cannot afford. We Osiriani have thousands of years of rich history coursing through our veins, and while that power has been out of focus in recent years, we are content to wait, knowing our enemies will wear themselves down. As they fall into arrogance, folly, or greed, we wait for our return to power, knowing we bear the riches of our ancestors at our feet.
“Master Salhar remains impressed by the Pathfinder Society, orating in their favor a handful of times in front of Absalom’s Grand Council, in fact. Due to previous relationships between him and the Society, Master Salhar has agreed to grant permission to the Pathfinder Society to explore his family’s vaults below Sothis. The only thing he requires is that you retrieve the map of the vaults from his own vault here. The servant will lead you to the basement and show you the room.”
The Sapphire Sage’s eyes twinkle as he smirks knowingly, then he turns back to reading his book as though he had never been disturbed.
After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant brings you back through the spacious estate, leading you down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, you find yourselves up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for you enter. If questioned, he remains silent and stoic, simply waiting for you to enter the vault so that the door may be locked, as per his instruction.
Entering the plain stone room, you notice it contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.