Status:
Desmond-Blind (2 rounds) @ 92/92 HP; Sahrek-Blind (3 rounds); Halbarad-Blind (3 rounds) @ 72/72 HP; Th'reiwa-don-Blind (3 rounds); Terrill @ 69/69 HP; Atum-Large @ 104/104 HP; Dragorin @ 100/80 HP; Basalte @ 69/70 HP; Flinders-Blind(2 rounds) @ 73/73 HP;
(+2 Underground)
Dragorin bathes the plants in fire. One of them looks significantly more wounded than the others.
The rest of the party is either caught off guard by the blindness or throws out buffs.
Initiative:
1st: Desmond-Blind (1 round) @ 92/92 HP; Sahrek-Blind (2 rounds); Halbarad-Blind (2 rounds) @ 72/72 HP; Th'reiwa-don-Blind (2 rounds); Terrill @ 69/69 HP; Dragorin @ 100/80 HP;
2nd: Plants (#1-Red @ 27 damage; #2-Blue @ 55 damage; #3-Green @ 27 damage)
3rd: Atum-Large @ 104/104 HP; Basalte @ 69/70 HP; Flinders-Blind(1 rounds) @ 73/73 HP;
Dragorin burns away some more of the plants with a flame strike, however it is less effective than his fireball.
Initiative:
1st: Desmond-Blind (1 round) @ 92/92 HP; Sahrek-Blind (2 rounds); Halbarad-Blind (2 rounds) @ 72/72 HP; Th'reiwa-don-Blind (2 rounds); Terrill @ 69/69 HP; Dragorin @ 100/80 HP;
2nd: Plants (#1-Red @ 27 damage; #2-Blue @ 75 damage; #3-Green @ 67 damage)
3rd: Atum-Large @ 104/104 HP; Basalte @ 69/70 HP; Flinders-Blind(1 rounds) @ 73/73 HP;
Terrill dashes forward and swings his burning blade in a vicious arc, severing the main stalk of one of the plants.
The two remaining plants howl out in pain and slowly shuffle forward, lashing out at their attackers with teeth and vines.
Desmond and Terrill are bodily lifted into the air by the creature, caught in their teeth.
Initiative:
1st: Desmond-Grappled @ 69/92 HP; Sahrek-Blind (1 rounds); Halbarad-Blind (1 rounds) @ 72/72 HP; Th'reiwa-don-Blind (1 rounds); Terrill-Grappled @ 50/69 HP; Dragorin @ 100/80 HP;
2nd: Plants (#1-Red @ 22 damage; #2-Blue @ 70 damage;)
3rd: Atum-Large @ 104/104 HP; Basalte @ 69/70 HP; Flinders-Blind(1 rounds) @ 73/73 HP;
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Finding himself grappled by the plant, Desmond chooses not to fight his way out of the plant's gentle hug. Instead, he switches his falchion to his off hand and draws his dagger and slashes as best as he can at the otherworldly plant.
"Sahrek, attack this thing!"
Sahrek rushes forward and tries to bite at the plant.
Dragorin blasts the creatures with more holy fire, causing them to shriek vaguely orcish sounds into the stale cavern air.
The large plant holding Desmond aloft is burned to cinders by his unholy magicks.
Terrill calls forth the power of Desna and slips from the grasp of the plant creature holding him by the throat, teleporting behind the beast.
Basalte enlarges and moves to strike the beast, however the creature lashes out at him.
The creature bites deep into his flesh, however it can't find purchase on his rocky body as Basalte delivers a brutal blow.
Flinders wanders around, still blinded by the light pulse given off by the plants as Desmond and Sahrek barely deliver enough damage to permanently destroy the plant.
After a few more seconds, the rest of the party is able to see and there only seems to be a branching path moving south.
The tunnel descends a few turns and then enters a large cavern glittering with the light of phosphorescent algae growing on the eastern wall. A small lake, fed by an underground stream that flows south through the cavern, occupies most of the west side of the room. The vines from above stretch across the cavern and wrap around an enormous stone coffin, solidly perched atop a well-carved stone dais.
This is marked as "The final resting place of Akila, concubine of
Zuberi and unfortunate victim of his curse." Lifting the lid from the tomb, you find the skeletal remains of Akila, still clad in a brilliantly colored red-and-orange robe. A solid, simple, silver ring adorns her left hand’s ring finger and she holds what appears to be a wand in her right hand.
The silver ring cannot be removed, no matter what you try. The “wand” she’s holding is not magical.
Status:
Desmond @ 69/92 HP; Sahrek; Halbarad @ 72/72 HP; Th'reiwa-don; Terrill @ 50/69 HP; Dragorin @ 100/80 HP; Atum @ 104/104 HP; Basalte @ 56/70 HP; Flinders @ 73/73 HP;
Dragorin is unsure of the magical properties of the ring and he knows nothing of the "wand".
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After the demise of the Sky Plant, Basalte asks Flinders to put another shield spell into his ioun stone from his wand , and that he'd be healed with his own wand as well.
"Mrrr. If the ring doesn't come off, we need to take the whole body, or the whole coffin if need be. Help me there, Atum." he states as he stands ready to lift the body, expecting someone to lay a large piece of cloth to put the remains in, preferably in a respectful manner.
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"We could just take the finger... but we're already carrying a couple of bodies so what's one more?" Hal unpacks the pair of cloaks the party took off the orcs at the inn and lays them on the ground beside the coffin.
"Hang on a moment." The elf steps over to see if there is any lingering life in her...
There is no writing in the tomb and she is definitively dead.
Though it’s a long journey home, you can easily return to Sothis with Akila’s body.
When you arrive, Venture-Captain Balentiir thanks you for retrieving Akila's remains and her possessions. However, he immediately sends you out on another similar mission, this time to distant Varisia.
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The meeting with Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir was short and to the point, and the ship departed Sothis on the evening tide. The words of Balentiir wash back from memory: “This is an unprecedented chance for the Pathfinders to learn more about the history of Osirion and some of the figures that played important roles but have been little more than shadowy rumors to us until now. A little-known Osirian merchant prince named Zuberi who lived in the time of Cheliax’s Everwar used the chaos and confusion it caused as cover to grow his mercantile empire. He sent agents far and wide to take advantage of this chance to make additional fortunes. One of these agents was known as Meskhenet the Wise, a woman of uncommon beauty and unsurpassed insights. She went into Cheliax proper in order to set up a secret smuggling operation directly beneath the Crown’s nose. A fortress was built called the Halls of Zuberi from which she could organize shipments from pirates on Cheliax’s west coast and bring them in past customs officials and military patrols alike in order to reach the black markets of Westcrown and Egorian in central Cheliax. How she managed to pull this off is unknown, but it is known that it was successful for many years and filled her coffers with foreign gold."
“The Halls of Zuberi rang with the sounds of commerce for nearly 50 years before disaster struck. In a single night, all was lost in a holocaust of unleashed magic and destruction. The fortress caved in on itself and became an impassable ruin known today as the Collapsed Halls. Meskhenet disappeared in the catastrophe, her mercantile networks fell apart, and they too eventually disappeared with nary a trace. This all became a minor and poorly understood footnote in history. Information recently came into our possession describing a powerful magical ring that Meskhenet wore. Somehow, it is rumored, it was this ring that apparently allowed the successes that she experienced in their operations, and all knowledge of it disappeared with Meskhenet."
“We believe there is more to this tale than simply the mercantile dreams of a brilliant businesswoman. This is reinforced by the fact that we’ve lost three venture-captains since word of the merchant prince and this ring and others like it came to us. Someone is trying to keep this whole thing hushed up, and they’re willing to kill to do it. The Society is not about to be intimidated or silenced. I need you to travel to Cheliax, head up the Maiestas River to the Collapsed Halls, find the magic ring of Meskhenet that our sources say lies somewhere beneath the ruins, and get back here with it in one piece. Watch your back, because it seems somebody doesn’t want us to find it.”
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In a valley not far from the Skull Hill outpost, where orc patrols are unlikely to wander, Halbarad halts to light an enormous funereal pyre with Krug atop it. He hopes that this solemn action will put the orc's spirit at rest.
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"Familiar story," Hal chuckles at the VC's tale. Thus to all who mindlessly chase gold... "Seeing as we just found a dead ring-bearer who died under possibly cataclysmic circumstances." The elf strokes his chin, utterly bereft of facial hair. "Three Venture Captains you say? Their names? We must avenge them, by finishing what they started and collecting this ring. Tell me of the Collapsed Halls."
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"Rrrmm. What do we know of the ring? Any connection to Akila's?" grumbles Basalte.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"I echoes my companion's thoughts when I say, , what aren't you telling us? I've never been one to shirk from adventure, but this smacks of danger beyond the norm." Glancing at his party members, he adds. "It obvious from the looks on your faces, we are undertaking this mission, so I ask, what can we obtain to aid us in delving this ruin?"
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Excuse me!?! Dragorin says standing up so you might see emblem on his beast plate proudly marking him a Signifier in the Order of the Scourge Hellknight. Cheliax is a great nation! The once and future rulers of the Inersea! Just because we do not subscribe your backwards way of life does not mean you can threaten my country men will bodily harm!
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”Are you a slaver?” Terrill asks contemptuously of Dragorin. ”I haven’t seen you hauling any chained halflings around, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt. And whether you like me threatening Chells with harm or not, odds are we – that’s you and me both - are going to kill a few on this mission. That’s more of a prediction than a threat, but take it how you will.”
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What does it matter if I own slaves! Would you kill me right now if I said I did? I have broken no law and have committed no slights against you! But you seem to relish the idea of killing innocent people just because they are from Cheliax! We may have have to fight people of my nation but I do not go into this mission assuming everyone we encounter will be our enemy! I am not the murderer you have proven yourself to be. Dragorin pauses and regains his composure. Then, smiling, he leans in close to Terrill and says in a barely audible whisper. You may play at worshiping Desna but I can now see that there is a darkness inside of you. Desna see's it too. She will not stop you from falling either. No, she might morn your loss or shun you for your darkness but she will not offer you salvation. Asmodeous will though. He is always willing to welcome the fallen. He will save you. He will hold you in his embrace, teaching you the ways of the world and how they can empower you, and he will never let you go.
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Desmond nods at Halbarad's observation. "Ayup. I don't know or care much about religion - or politics. This little tiff here," Desmond points his finger back and forth between Dragorin and Terrill, "seems to be about both."
Desmond turns slightly and speaks more directly to Halbarad. "Just wanna say thanks for givin' that orc a proper send-off. I think it managed to square things. I've done some unsavory stuff in the past - I did work for Guaril Karela after all - but it's nice to be able to set things right."
"You are a team of some of the strongest Pathfinders in the Society, especially in the Flaxseed Lodge." states the Venture Captain proudly. "However, these orders come from the Decimvirate and any knowledge about the identities of the three Venture-Captains and the powers of the ring are on a need-to-know basis only and it has been determined that it is best to keep you in the dark."
Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir pulls out a small box that appears to be made from obsidian. He puts it on the table and slides it to Flinders. "When you recover the ring, place it in here. Whatever you do, do not wear the damned thing."
As Flinders and the group examines the black box, a poof of smoke appears behind Venture-Captain Balentiir before Aram Zey appears with a worried look on his face. The Venture-Captains exchange glances before Aram Zey moves into the back chamber of Balentiir's office.
"We don't know much, which is why we chose such a large team of capable individuals. Report back to me when you have finished your mission." Balentiir says before bowing to you and moving to the room with Aram Zey.
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"Mrrr. Slavery belongs to this world, whether we like it or not. I like to think obedience is a far greater thing in life. It gives purpose. Who knows if some slaves don't find purpose or solace in their state? Not everyone enjoys the insecurity of freedom." surprisingly argues Basalte.
He then turns to the Venture-Captain, and nods. "Very well. I just hope that knowledge of their names won't be required for us to perform our duty. We shall find the ring, count on us."