T'Khan roars and charges at the massive spider monster!
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T'Khan and Valin chop into the spider and it lets go of the archaeologist to face them. The spider however, dodges a few of T'Khans swipes and manages to avoid getting grabbed.
One of its spider eyes fires off a beam at T'Khan, while it focuses its other attacks on Valin.
Valin (-66)
Arisira (flying)
T'Khan (Fort Save, DC 21)
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Spider (-38)
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Mak'da
Vera
T'Khan roars and attacks the hideous monster.
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Vera casts bless
As a result, an extra couple of blows from Valin and Arisira land!
Valin (-66)
Arisira (flying)
T'Khan (Fort Save, DC 21)
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Spider (-129)
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Mak'da
Vera
The spider doesn't take too incredibly kindly to all these hits and screeches in pain before opening up a more desperate volley of attacks on Valin.
only one of this flurry scratches the knight as it shoots off another eyebeam, this time at Arisira
Valin (-93)
Arisira (flying) (44, reflex to half)
T'Khan
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Spider (-129)
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Mak'da
Vera
T'Khan roars even louder as he see's Valin fall. He unleashes his full fury against the monster.
Attack bonus: +6 Bab +13 Str +1 AoMF +2 Inspire +1 Haste +1 Bless -2 Size -2 PA for +20, +21 for claws due to weapon focus
Damage: +13 Str +1 AoMF +4 PA +2 Inspire for +20
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The spider takes full damage from the flame strike and the newly buffed T'Khan completely tears the spider apart.
In the wake of the combat, the devoured remains of a pair of the archaeologists litters this nest but you have managed to save both Eldis Grone and the majority of the Chelish scholars.
The leader of the scholars, Marianx Karn, approaches, oh thank goodness. Bane was able to send help. Though I dont sense that youre here on behalf of the Chelish throne. You have to know we CANNOT stay here. The Morlocks will be back by the thousands.
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As the spider falls Arisira, ignoring her own wounds, flies down to Valin's side. Before she can produce her own wand, Vera begins to heal the fallen fighter.
Instead, she turns the wand to herself.
Turning to the archeologists, Arisira stands to her full height. "We are looking for one called Benton. Are they among you? What is the evil that you have unleashed in this place? Is it this spider, or something more sinister?"
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As you are able to escape the city, you approach the lift and see a very angry group of hellknights ready to accost you for your earlier sins. Grone motions for you to instead follow him - his boat should still be moored in a secret spot. It seems Benton Grone found a secret staircase which he has been using to secretly visit the city and continue his son's work.
Before long you hear the war cries of two groups on your tails - thousands of morlocks and dozens of hellknights.
But neither group is able to catch you before you are able to find Grone's boat and get back out onto the sea. The trip back to Eleder is a most uncomfortable one in the small cramped boat, but the old scholar is able to confirm his hypothesis - the lost city of Rachikan holds as much lost eldritch power as it does horrible consequences of demonic worship.
But he thanks you for saving him - swearing that if he ever returns to Rachikan he will keep you and Finze Bellaugh in the loop.
Finze for his part is very excited that you have recovered his friends and puts you up in his lodge with all the finest in coffee, tobacco and sweets you can handle.
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At this point, you spend the next 9 months or so working on personal projects.
Jobs that are worth dragging you away from the communities that you are now pillars of in Eleder and the surrounding environs are rare these days.
However, you do eventually get the call from Finze Bellaugh, detailing a job you might find interesting. So team, I am told that it is time to bring you on the inside of something. The intelligence you gathered when you were last in Rachikan has been put to good use. Zarta Dralneen was able to make contact with one of the archaeologists you rescued, Marianix Karn, and through her has been able to keep tabs on the work happening in Rachikan. And...once again things have developed to the point where they want to send a team of experts back into the city. And at this point, what better experts on Rachikan are there than you four. This time however, we have the help of Zarta and her contacts within Cheliax and we have the aid of a real pirate ship, captained by Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry herself. She is said to have a plan that will make your time there a bit less mad-cap and improvised than the last two times. But evidently...they may have found the tomb of the last ruler of Rachikan and with it a whole trove of new historical information. It's the find of a lifetime if we can secure it.
He sighs I know that city is pretty dangerous but after the job you did in Pridon's Hearth and the lost city of Hyrantum, I know you are up to this. You'll just need to promise to come back in one piece.
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Arisira finds herself deep in a Kather library, combing through the restricted sections by day and enjoying the Hashish and hookas at night. The summer heat of Qadira fits her quite well- even a little nostalgic at times. Certainly a different heat the jungle that she now calls home. She'll be back soon enough to perform at her tiny little bar in Pridon's Hearth...
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"Captain, this sounds excellent, if you ask me. Rachikan continues to haunt my dreams- knowing just what else must be down there! I'll gladly lead a charge back to that place. Do you happen to know if they have taken care of their morlock and golemn problem yet?"
The halfling takes a deep swig off of the flask at her side, and looks around at the others.
Besides, I have always wanted to be a pirate
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Mak'da blows back into the lodge, now permanently in the form of a towering air elemental. She settles by the window of the captains office.
I do not welcome the idea of returning to that place, the air was foul and it was not improved by the presence of morlocks and hellknights. However, this sounds like too good an opportunity to miss and so I suppose we must return...
Harrrumph!
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Finze lets out a deep belly laugh Well, one would think breaking into a hostile foreign power and trying to visit their greatest and most mysterious ruins right under the noses of some hellknights would require stealth, but you guys are the experts.
Before long the Grinning Pixie makes port to pick you up and the buxom half-orc Pirate, I mean Venture- Captain Calisro Benarry picks you up and you set sail, first stopping off briefly in Diobel to pick up Zarta Dralneen. More discreet that way she comments.
That night you are able to have a briefing with Benarry and Dralneen. After a long marathon logistics meeting Calisro declares Five Days. That's all the longer I'll be able to manage in hostile waters without running afoul of the Chelish navy. Sorry to say kids, that's all the time you'll have for this mission She says with a wistful chuckle, wishing it was her.
Zarta chimes in, feeling your suspicious eyes on her. “A personal friend of mine, the Pathfinder spy Marianix Karn, has been working in Rachikan as an archaeologist. Up until now, the Society has been content to let the Chelish government deal with the ruins’ morlock infestation; however, as of Karn’s last report, the Society’s stance has changed drastically.” She sighs relishing the high of having information that you do not.
She reaches into her corset and produces a rolled up note and passes it over to the party.
I am writing in haste, as we were recently hit with another earthquake. In its aftermath, we discovered a passage leading to a formerly sealed section of the city. It is breathtaking; the marvels of this glorious civilization are unparalleled. In our explorations, we came across a great keep, and within was the most curious door I have ever set eyes upon. The door’s runes claim it leads to the tomb of Imperantix Severina Helsprex—Rachikan’s former ruler. No matter what we tried, the door remained barred. - Much love, Marianix Karn
Calisro Benarry then produces a note of her own and produces some reading glasses to read it to you all. It is marked with the helmet of the Decemvirate. “The Pathfinder Society charges you to enter Rachikan, and, if Karn’s report is true, find a way through that sealed door. The Society believes that if it is the tomb of Rachikan’s former ruler, she would be buried with a substantial number of golem soldiers. Having several to study would forward our goal to record history. "
Calisro then takes off the glasses and grins at you So you'll be able to take my jolly ole dinghy and make for the ruins for yourself. I am told that you and you alone know the location of a staircase that leads directly from the cliffs of Rachikan into the central pillar of their settlement. You are to take your boat and go do what you will. If you have any questions, ask Zarta. This cabin is private, but try not to discuss the exact details of this mission anywhere else, got it?
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Mak'da sits quietly as the two society leaders explain what is required. At Calisro's mention of time she speaks up, Don't worry about us Captain, if we go over time I have a way to get us all back home, and maybe with all the Golems we find too. Can you tell us any more about Karn? How long ago was her last report? When was she supposed to report in? What about the Chelish, are we going to be tripping over Hellknights again?
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What you do not know about Ms. Karn.. She says dripping with anticipation Is that she is a daughter of a gold badge agent from the Aspis Consortium. She wanted to go into more honest work but...well she cannot get away from it so she came to the Pathfinder Society to serve as a spy. The Decimvirate finds her work incredibly valuable which is why they instructed me to leave breadcrumbs from Grone to go back to save her unwittingly and when that failed, we had Finze put you all on the trail. But she's missed three scheduled check ins and we fear she is in a bad way.
As for the hellknights... yes, our mission is illegal—if you hold the laws of Cheliax in high regard. In this particular instance, we don’t. Try to avoid detection if at all possible, If you have to confront the Chelish authorities, it would be better to find a diplomatic resolution rather than resort to violence.
As for the Morlocks, the chelish have beat them and their golems back so you should only have to worry about the ones belonging to the old Despotrix.
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You pile into the dinghy, which lists horribly with the weight of the giant tree creature, but with a skilled pilot like Vera leading the way you're able to somehow guide the dinghy into the secret staircase bringing you toward the pillar.
You do notice, almost immediately, that the howling of Morlocks that filled the air during your last two visits has noticably quieted.
Several decrepit Jistkan buildings protrude from a sea of stone amid an ancient skyline, the building’s original ground floors now buried long ago by frequent earthquakes. The whole place is covered in rubble and debris and is difficult to navigate. Given the newly completely wrecked state of Lower Rachikan, lacking many of the landmarks you used the last time you were here.
You will need to find the subterranean building that was described by Karn, which Mak'da does...but Mak'da senses something off. vibrations on the ground. An earthquake? An ambush? hard to say.
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Arisira takes a position at the bow of the ship, watching it crest through the dark waters. Her eyes dart about the caverns, looking for cracks and signs of collapse in the roughshod ruins.
She turns and looks back at Mak'da, who's face gives away a tinge of concern.
"What is it, friend? It isn't like you to hold back when our object is within reach..."
She knocks two arrows on her bow, and puts a little tension on the bowstring. "Is there danger here?"
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As Arisira calls out trying to reason with them, she notices their movements are...not natural. Morlocks are of course, always a chaotic and twitchy sort, but these move with purpose and efficiency that is unlike them.
She suspects they are under some sort of compulsion or possession as they completely ignore her and rush the party!
As they come out from hiding two massive Bullettes emerge from under the ground with more morlocks in tow!
The first few enemy morlocks wait until the first of their massive landsharks can act...
Round 1:
T'Khan
Arisira
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Bullette Green
Red
Orange
Black
White
Green
Yellow
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Vera
Valin
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Bullette Orange
Pink
Blue
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Mak'da
Buffs Active:
Arisira (Shield)
Mak'da (Wild Shape)
T'Khan (Barkskin)