GM Blood's Age of Worms in Golarion

Game Master David James Olsen

You search around and find that while the other side of the collapsed hallway where the wolves were would be well fortified, but stinks really bad.

Otherwise there isn't much advantage in any of the other alcoves either in the current room or one of the hallways above.

"Phew!!! It's not me! Wow, that's bad... But I don't mind if you all think this is safer than outside. I can breathe through my mouth! Oh! I can take any shift you want. Two even!"

"Safer than outside, but it is important to stay clean while campaigning. Wounds can fester if allowed to get filthy. I will help clean out the wolf den, but if it is hopeless, I think we should sleep in one of the other corridors."

Kelkzar will help clean up the wolf den, collecting water from any nearby streams to help wash things out. If this isn't successful, he will collect stones from the collapse and outside to help fortify one o the other tunnels.

Later, "We should set up a watch schedule. I need no special rest for my spells like some mages do, so I can sleep whenever you need me to. I will be happy to take one of the late shifts if that is helpful. Otherwise, I will take an early shift and help make sure our defenses are sufficient."

Trevor will help his mentor with the chores.

Quintus also assists with the cleaning, then spends some time doing scimitar drills.

You spend a good amount of time cleaning. Some create water and prestidigitation helps as well. It still has a funk to it, but you soon get used to it and you know the small opening will be easy to defend if anything tries to come at you.

Feel free to fill in anything you would like to do before rest period

You set up watches but the night passes quietly and you awake refreshed and ready for the day.

Quintus arises before dawn to pray and meditate.

Rauno will use presdigitation at the guidance of the other more experienced travelers. Once they point out why a particular task is important, he picks up quickly and contributes strongly to the cleaning efforts.

He'll sleep hard, and adjust his spells when he reviews his spell book.

When he is done with his studies, he'll use Mending to repair his clothing, do the same for the others whether or not they have asked for it. Sorry if it violates other's personal space, but he just wouldn't think to ask permission to cast on them; of course they would want it and of course he should do it!

Kelkzar wakes with the dawn. Happy to see that everyone is healing from the battles of the day before. He looks to see how the wound from the Mad Slasher is healing and is pleased to see that it has gotten better overnight, though it still has a few days to heal without further attention. Ragathiel, thank you for watching over your warrior. I seek success in your service again today. Please bless the actions of myself and my comrades in this mission.

"Well, is everyone ready to continue on today? If you are all sufficiently rested and healing, I think we should continue down the shaft before checking out other places we can rotate the sarcophagus. But, we'd better be ready since both the Mad Slasher and the beetles came from there. Perhaps it is clear or perhaps more threats await."

Lessien looks Kelkzar's wounds over, and considers for a moment. She fiddles with a few ingredients, then hands him a small vial.

"Here, drink this, it should help."

Hands Kelkzar an infusion of CLW, 1d8+1 healing if he drinks it.

Ro is happy to have her clothing mended, though she's not sure if Rauno snuck a peek through the tears first or not.

Once breakfast has been served and eaten, and the camp cleaned up, she's eager to climb down the green lantern shaft.

Trevor wakes from his sleep as though he had died, so deep it was. He looks around at some of the long faces looking at him: "What?" Then laughs loudly as he understands he's been snoring quite loudly. "Sorry, must have slept on my back! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ha-em... I mean sorry..."

He wolves down his breakfast, then offers to finish whatever's left from the others'. He then spends a good two minutes stretching and fitting his equipment, kneels for a short prayer, then: "Shall I go first?" He seems in a much better mood and more courageous, for yesterday's battle have given him temporary trust in his ability to survive, though it might not last long...

"Should we work on the sarcophagus and the lanterns first? Or do we explore that underground room? I still don't see why such a complex set up just to have some cylinder rise..."

Kelkzar accepts the vial of liquid from Lessien and looks at it before tossing it down. "Hmm, not bad Lessien. Thank you."

Cure Light Wounds 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"I think we should go down the shaft first. I'm worried that rotating the sarcophagus again might close it for good. We can try some of the other rotations once we look there first."

So what is your plan on exploring what is down below?

Examining the hole, how far down does it go, and are there any hand-holds?

IIRC, there are enough handholds that climbing down is DC 5.

Reading is fundamental, eh?

"Who wants to scout down? I'm happy to do it, but someone else may be better at it."

Rauno quickly volunteers! I'll stand at the edge with a crossbow trained below to help cover whoever leads.

Does Rowena want to scout ahead? (or below in this case)

After another twitchy night, Quintus has even more of an appetite the next morning, and he isn't shivering anywhere near as much.

"Rowena first, then Kelkzar, then the rest of us?"

Trevor grabs a javelin in his right hand, keeping his axe in his left. Somehow though, the sight of the shaft has diminish his ardor: "R-ready..." He stands near the hole, ready to throw the javelin.

"If Rowena is in agreement with that plan, I agree. Unfortunately, I am not as quiet as she, but I am ready to face anything below this cairn."

Rowena gazes down the shaft, already silently calculating her hand holds while the rest of the group volunteers her for the task. She looks up, completely oblivious, and says, "I'll go down first. I think I can see an easy path."

I assume she can take 10 at this time, for a check of 11.

Map update tomorrow

Dozens of Bas-relief figures similar to the one on the sarcophagus lid in the room above stare disapprovingly from the walls here. Many sport crossed arms and stern expressions. A few of the statues' heads are missing, and some have huge chunks torn out of them. Others have a weird melted appearance, as if they'd been sprayed by something terrible. A large glyph that looks like a sylized arrow points down a short corridor to the north that leads to a four-way intersection.

The glyph looks like this

Quintus leans out over the edge, crossbow in hand. "Are you all right? What's down there?"

"Old and broken statues. I'm okay, and the area is secure, for the moment. Come on down."

At Rowena's report of the area below, Rauno turns away from the hole and keeps watch behind them while the others start down.

Lessien slings her bow back over her shoulder and quickly scrambles down to the floor below, then readies her bow again.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Quintus descends, climbing down easily despite the weight of his armor.

Trevor carefully climbs down.

Once the others are down, Rauno follows. He takes his time and descends in a very careful and deliberate manner.

Once Kelkzar has descended, he looks at the statues, particularly the melted sections.

Perception 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

"Before we proceed, let us briefly discuss tactics. If we encounter more of the mad slashers, I would suggest that we engage them individually so we don't have more than one of us harmed at a time. My strength is in hand to hand combat. I will attack the first one. I think Trevor should attack the second. And Rowena the third. The rest of you can assist us with ranged attacks."

"But the beetles concern me more. While I would normally prefer no light, I think we should all carry a torch. Unless anyone other than Rauno has another way to deal with them."

"I can make alchemists fire and deal a lot more damage than untrained people when throwing them, but I don't have the appropriate materials with me. I will be happy sticking with my bow against slashers, they seem pretty nasty! I don't usually mind mixing it up in melee, but I fight best with an ally."

i.e. money...next time we sell, hopefully I can make a pile of them. Also alchemists add int bonus to splash weapon damage and get throw anything. :)

I am actually decently proficient with the crossbow and will gladly use it in support. Of course, when my modest arcane abilities will be of use, I'll apply them as well.

Trevor, once more, is impressed by the breadth of knowledge of his new mentor: "That's a good plan! I'll carry a torch, sure! But I'll need to drop it if I need the axe to swing!"

He realizes only too late that it means he'll have to fight the horrible thing alone, but doesn't think it would look good to mention it out loud. "So, if only one shows up, I'm supposed to stay back and hold the torch? I'm good with it, but only until you get hit."

"Trevor, if one attacks us, you should be ready to attack it if Kelkzar falls, or if it looks so weak that you think you can kill it before it attacks again." The priest actually chuckles a little. "Don't worry about your friend. You saw yesterday how good I am at putting people back together again!"

Rowena unconsciously cradles her abdomen at Quintus' words.

Current Map

You all light up torches to be prepared. You move out north into the corridor and listen for any noises. After the fighting yesterday, Kelkzar hears the unmistakeable sound of scurrying insects coming from the east. To the North you see the top of a staircase going down.

As we discuss tactics, Kelkzar adds, "Trevor, if we face another mad slasher, you should throw your javelins at it."

"Hmm, more bugs to the east everyone. I think I'd rather see if we have any hope of getting rid of them while we are all healthy and have plenty of torches. Agreed? Or would you rather see if we can avoid them until we can secure alchemist's fire?"

"Take it now, while we're healthy, so it won't be in our way when we're done here. What if it attacked us while we were climbing out?"

"I have three flasks of oil. I'd rather not u them all up, but maybe we could pour one of them out across the hallway there, then lure the bugs out to chase us, throwing a torch in as they cross the oil."

Kelkzar smiles, "That is a brilliant idea Rowena. Quintus, do you think you could fire a bolt or two down that way once we have the oil ready?"

"We may as well burn them out with torches. We can't just stand there and let them catch us though, the key seems to be hit and run, keep them chasing until they give up. Anyway, as long as there's no bigger threat at the same time, I think bugs won't be much difficulty. Especially with Quintus at our backs!"

I don't like bugs... Trevor shifts his grip slightly on his torch.

Lessien thinks about the oil and knows that it would take two flasks of oil to cover across the hallway. Also timing would be important as if the oil was lit too soon the bugs would shy away from it.

Let me know if that is what you want to do and what square you want to place it on.

I can stand ready with my fire spell again. I don't know that it would kill them on its own; it didn't do that last time but it certainly inflicted a lot of harm.

"Your fire spell. Would it also ignite the oil?"

It certainly should. I imagine if we just set a flask in the passage and then I fired the spell over it, it would explode the flask. Though it would probably be prudent to have torches ready for any that survive.

Ok, so what is plan? Where are you placing the oil. Who is going in to lure them out? Who is readying an action to light the oil? Where is eveyone standing?

"Rowena and Lessien are faster than the swarm, so they can draw it out while Rauno prepares his spell."