GM Redelia |
Nearly a year ago, Absalom fought off an invasion o demonflesh constructs and undead marines remembered as the Fiendflesh Siege, during which the city’s siege lord offered every slave freedom in exchange for their assistance in defending Absalom. Practically overnight, one of the city’s cruelest industries came to an end, and many hundreds of the liberated have since become Absalom’s newest citizens. Although most have welcomed their manumitted neighbors with open arms, an unidentified serial murderer known only as the Rose Street Killer has systematically slain at least a dozen of these freed people. So far, the city’s guards have questioned scores of witnesses and suspects with no luck. The Rose Street Killer remains at large, and one of their most recent targets was Nelfurhin Zor, a former scriptorium slave who had joined the Pathfinder Society shortly after the siege. The Society doesn’t normally investigate crimes in Absalom, but Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin is furious that a Pathfinder’s gone missing thanks to this criminal. He’s assembled a team of agents to help solve the case. Don’t let him down—lives are on the line.
Joli, The Artist |
So we can go to the Grand Lodge, the sewers or the Puddles. Seems like a simple decision to my character!
Reading through the messages, it is clear from her expression that Joli has no interest in entering the sewers. You doubt she even finished reading it before setting that paper aside.
After reading all three, she suggests “Let’s investigate this Band of the Palm.”
#1
No-Find Tuk |
"The Puddles are a nice place to hang out, if you've got the right friends, you don't look like belonging to that lot... The Grand Lodge is where I'd head for a grand celebration, discuss currency and princesses, or start a grand bonfire next to the Wall of Names... My vote goes to visit our scaly friends. The best way to uncover a secret is to push it out to the surface."
#2
Cwethan's Iconic |
"Och, an' how's th' Grand Lodge gonnta 'ave any kind've clues about a murderin' fiend like this? The gob's right, inta th' sewers with us!"
Joli, The Artist |
Joli glares at Tuk and then Mal, frowning. Are they just doing this because they somehow know that is the place I least wanted to go?
Giving a highly exaggerated sigh, she relents and says “Fine, we will start with the sewers...but all of us are getting a bath after that!”
I wonder if some alcohol on a rag would help against the stench.
The character hates this idea, but the player doesn’t mind. To the sewers!
Tsvy |
The broad-shouldered man in hides shrugs once it's decided. "I wouldn't'a picked the sewers, either, miss. But a bath afterwards isn't a bad idea," he says with a sniff of his armpit. "'Specially if we gotta go see the Captain at some point."
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
"I'd have thought my contacts on the streets would have been the most use, but I've spent time in the sewers too. says 322.
"Meeting this dragonspeaker could be interesting..."
GM Redelia |
Following the instruction's in Valsin's note, you travel down into the sewers and to the cramped home of the Sewer Dragons.
Dragonspeaker Engashez gesticulates wildly while pacing within the tight confines of a foul-smelling side chamber in the sewers. The energetic and elaborately attired kobold strides around a deep circular pit in the center of this chamber, waving her hands to accent her ongoing speech.
"Bandits! Intruders! Not-true dragons! These new kobolds, these so-called ‘Dragon Sharks,’ are a blight upon the Sewer Dragons’ dominion of Absalom’s most grand sewer ways. They cannot be allowed to continue their intrusion into our territory and must be stopped. You will help us, yes? The Pathfinders have always proven to be firm allies in the past, and it’s time our allies made their presence known in these sewers."
Engashez looks down into the out-of-place pit, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Especially after one of our other allies decided to wander off!" She then looks up and nods her head vigorously. "Yes, you can go with Fazgyn. Trap the Dragon Sharks between two sides and crush them for the glory of the Sewer Dragons and Chief Yiddlepode!"
Joli, The Artist |
Gah! Can it smell any worse down here?
Joli is careful as she navigates the sewers, trying her best to minimize the amount of sewage she exposes herself to. Although she makes no complaint, it is clear she doesn’t like it down here.
“Will Fazgyn be able to lead us past any of your own traps?” Joli asks, obviously not eager to be caught in such contraptions. “I would not want to accidentally set any of them off.”
“Other than not being true dragons, what else can you tell us of these intruders?”
Cwethan's Iconic |
Mal scoffs, "What d'yeh nae ken about kobolds? They're wee sleekit creatures, but if yeh keep your wits about yeh, they're nought ta fear."
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
"Who is Fazgyn and are we likely to meet chief Yiddlepode?" asks 322?
"And can you tell us more about the area they have holed up in?"
Tsvy |
Tsvy shoulders his greatsword to keep it out of the muck of the sewers, and isn't too keen on the smell either.
"I'm a little confused," he begins, self-conscious among all the very smart folk here. "One of your allies wandered off? Who was that, and what's the deal with him? Er, her? Them....?"
Shut up stupid!
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
With a nod Exterimuntillia agrees. "Let us be off then. Sooner we start, sooner we gte out of the stink and into a bath!"
Cwethan's Iconic |
Mal gives a broad, slightly crazed grin, "Aye, away wi' us! Off ta find Hats for us all!"
Joli, The Artist |
Hats? Is that a name? I probably should have listened more when some of the senior Pathfinder agents talked of their trips into awful environments. Evidently it wasn’t all exaggeration.
“We have our guide. I agree, let’s get this done as quickly as possible!”
Arykir |
As you are all about to leave, you hear a lovely pan pipe melody grow louder and louder. As it gets louder, you can hear the sounds of a crowd getting closer and closer.
A gaudy looking half elf rounds the nearest corner playing his pipes and leading on a small crowd of people. Seeing you, he turns back to the crowd and speaks
"All right folks. Show's over. I'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same place."
After dispersing the crowed, he trots over and offers his apologies for his tardiness.
"Sorry for my lateness... I got a bit caught up in my performance. So... where are we at with the mission?"
Sorry for the delay folks... It seems like every time I had a spare moment to finally set up my character and post, Paizo conspired against me.
No-Find Tuk |
"Well.. Let's go find Fazgyn, or Hats... It sounds like we could use their help then.
"That's a pretty tune you were playing, what's your name? I'm Tuk, but if you lose sight of me, the name's No-Find Tuk. AND if I'm searching for you without any success, I'm ALSO No-Find Tuk!" Good stealth, lousy perception, what's a goblin to do?
Arykir |
"That tune wasn't bad actually. I just kinda made it up on the spot. I'm going to need to remember that one. And then Ill need some lyrics.."
Understandable speech fades away as Arykir mutters to himself trying out different words. He's completely forgotten to introduce himself as he tags along with the crew.
Tsvy |
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The big man absentmindedly runs the fingers of his left hand through his black hair as if trying to comb it. Not self-consciously, but subconsciously. "I'm Tsvy," he says hoping someone hears his deep voice.
Tuk, Mal, 322, the bard. And Miss Joli. Got it.
Hang on. Maybe I don't. Lessee. Mal, the bard, 322, and, and, and.... Tuk! And Miss Joli. Now I got it.
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
"Kobolds... I've heard something about them..."
Society, trained, +1
"I like your music too. Something to keep our mind off the job will be plesant."
GM Redelia |
You know that Kobolds are small reptilian humanoids that often inhabit deep forests or underground areas with little sun, largely because kobolds’ eyes are sensitive to bright light. Kobolds love to engineer traps. As most other humanoid creatures are far more physically powerful than a kobold, most kobold tribes line their camps with countless traps to even the odds against intruders. Kobolds tend to follow the most powerful
member of their tribe or scouting party. Defeating the leader often causes the remaining kobolds to panic and lose combat cohesiveness. Spellcasters often take leadership roles among kobolds by citing a lineage going back to a true dragon.
As you leave the area where you met with Engashez, you find a team of 6 kobolds. Their leader, clearly the Fazgyn you were told to look for, looks over you appraisingly.
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
322 sniffs. "Some of the rest of us are pretty good too. Gnomes have little to learn from kobolds.."
Arykir |
Ever the diplomat, Arykir tries a compromise...
"Two sets of eyes are better than one and you never know, perhaps these invader kobolds have set up some other traps of their own."
Cwethan's Iconic |
Malakai stomps forward and puts out a meaty hand for a quick grip and grin with the kobold trapper. "Fazgyn, aye? The trapsy one? We're Mal, Joli, 322, Arykir, Tuk, an' Tizvy, Tvizzy..." He points a blunt finger at each of the Pathfinders as he introduces them, clearly stumbling over Tsvy's name [b]...Tsvy! Was tha' last one, right?"
GM Redelia |
Fazgyn nods to you, and begins to lecture as he shows you the way.
"To findtraps, you have to be trap-smart, and you get trapsmart
by dealing with traps or being really good at
spotting traps. If you’re not good at looking, you might
miss the trap that kills you!"
Some hazards can be spotted only by creatures with a minimum proficiency rank in Perception.
"It’s easy to get distracted by enemies and arrows and forget to watch
for tripwires. Want to stay alive? Take a moment to look around."
In combat situations (encounter mode), a PC needs to
actively look for hazards with the Seek action.
"When I’m walking like this, I’m always looking. It takes effort unless you get really good at it. Some dragonbloods can sense magic and magic traps, but that also takes effort. You want to focus on sneaking? Hiding behind shields? Life’s full of choices, and my choice is to look for traps and stay alive."
In less strenuous situations (exploration mode), a PC needs to use the searching tactic or detecting magic tactic to uncover hazards.
There are more, but I wanted to give you a chance to aske questions or interact rather than a bunch of Fazgyn lecturing you.
Joli, The Artist |
After pondering what he said, Joli offers “It sounds like it would be best if I scan for magical areas then, since not everyone is trained in how to do that.”
She quickly checks for magic.
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
"I'm not only good at looking, but I'm a pretty good looking gnome as well!" laughts 322.
"Right, so we have to take care we don't fall into a pit or anything. Especially if we are in a fight."
Arykir |
Arykir nods along at the goblins earnest statements.
"I'm pretty got at seeing traps but Im sure you can give me a few pointers!"
Expert in Perception here if it matters
Cwethan's Iconic |
"Ha! A lucky thing we've go' a dwarf to give these tunnels a proper once over! "
GM Redelia |
"Once you find a trap, you can jam it, trip it, reconfigure it—you name it. Or you can hit it until it’s gone, but that probably sets it off." Fazgyn rolls his head in exasperation and makes a disgusted sound.
Disabling a typical hazard requires the Disable Device use of the Thievery skill, or the liberal application of brute force.
"Or just use magic to kill magic traps. I don’t know the details, but it takes strong magic to do."
Magical hazards can typically be dispelled.
"Maybe it’s not a trap but it’s brambles or falling rocks or sky thunder or snakes. Use your outside smarts to avoid those."
Environmental hazards are typically overcome with Nature or Survival checks.
"Sometimes there are ghostsvinstead of traps—bad news. The more you know aboutvspooky things, the more you can trick those ghosts intovgoing away."
Haunt hazards are typically overcome with Occultism or Religion checks.
Tsvy |
Tsvy chuckles at some of Fazgyn's descriptions. He likes this little one's style, and he's impressed by what Fazgyn knows about the hazards.
"What's wrong with hittin' 'em? Always works for me," he says with a low laugh. "Right, Mal?"
_Experiment Three-Two-Two |
322 rolls her eyes at the kobold.
"Us gnomes have been trap masters at least as long as the scaley folk." she mutters under her breath.
Still, she keeps her eyes open, just in case you understand, the kobold has anything to offer her.
Joli, The Artist |
Joli gets her rapier out and follows long, scanning for any signs of magic ahead. That little TING! she would feel when magic was in the area and her senses were properly attuned.
Scanning for magic with Arcana +5 T.