You begin in the Magnimar Pathfinder Lodge at Heidmarch Manor, where you await your briefing in the sitting room. Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch enters the room, gives you a quick once-over and launches into the assignment in her characteristically deep voice.
"Thank you for coming, Pathfinders. You look well qualified for the task at hand, and I'm relieved a team such as yours was available so far from the Society's heart in Absalom. How familiar are you with the ruins of ancient Thassilon? Well, you're going to be getting a lot more familiar with one of the most strategically important sites in the entirety of Varisia—the Storval Stairs.
"This stairway—carved by giants and scaled appropriately for creatures of their size—provides the easiest means of climbing the Storval Rise west of the Iron Peaks. Thus, it also provides the swiftest means of getting supplies and personnel to and from the ruins of Xin-Shalast and other sites of interest on the Storval Plateau. We had a supply caravan go missing a week ago; its last reported location was near the stairs, and rumors I've been hearing from as far away as Riddleport indicate this isn't the only similar situation in recent months. Some reports claim a tribe of hill giants have claimed the Storval Stairs as their territory and are demanding exorbitant tariffs to pass in either direction. Apparently they're led by the self-proclaimed King of the Storval Stairs, who doesn't like the idea of anyone traveling through his kingdom without paying their due."
A knock sounds on the door, and a messenger sticks her head in shyly. In her hand she holds a leather scroll case embroidered with traditional Varisian beadwork. "A message for you, Lady Heidmarch. From your cousin Guaril in Riddleport." Sheila accepts the missive, tips the courier, and turns back to the matter at hand, shaking her head.
"I've told that greasy charlatan to stop calling me family ... " The venture-captain draws the scroll from the case and quickly reads it, raising one eyebrow inquisitively. "Well, this is fortuitous. It seems ‘Cousin' Karela is also interested in your mission, and wants to ensure your success in a timely fashion. No doubt he has some ulterior motives that don't align with our own... Then again, we're likely to use his influence among the Varisian people to populate the supply caravans to and from the Storval Plateau, so perhaps his motivation is not so different after all.
"Travel to the Storval Stairs and confirm what happened to our supply wagons. While you're there, take care of this so-called king and ensure he and his giant followers don't present a problem for us in the future. Then hold the location until a larger contingent of Pathfinders arrives to set up a more permanent way station there. It's nearly a five hundred mile journey, but our ‘cousin' has seen to it that won't be a problem for you—he included a scroll here to teleport you to a location another ‘relative' of his divined as the current location of the supply caravan. He says it was expensive but a good investment, and that you're worth it."
Sheila holds the scroll out for the taking, the sketch of the location one should use as its destination visible in its uncurling corner. "Best of luck, Pathfinders."
|
I am the best qualified Captain as always. Said with a beautiful smile the Pathfinder named Devko.
His Taldan heritage is obvious but his black armor, his Asmodeus symbol and the red badge of one of the Hellknight order clearly designates him as a member of the Cheliax faction.
His smile is charming but sometimes a little bit condescending. His pale skin contrasts with the darkness of his jet-black hair. An amused look always sparkles in his brown eyes.
Is This so call "King of the Storval Stairs" the only known problem or do we could expect some other ?
|
Ceric (an black haired elf male with a long moustache wearing a green silken armor embroided with orange and yellow at the bottom making it look like flames leaping up) tries hard to remember ever hearing anything about a storval stair
And if allowed an assist for Devko with knowledge local for his gather information roll, otherwise I'll try to remember something myself
"As far as we are aware," Sheila answers, "you'll just have to deal with the King and any of his subjects that you might encounter."
|
|
For your information, I know that a powerful Kellid witch is an ally to the "King" and we can encounter harpies and Trolls in addition to the King's Giants.
Be prepared.
Be also aware that men from the Shoanti Hawk Clan are known to be hired as caravan guards. Some of them were with our missing caravan. So, we may encounter angry tribesmen.
I don't like barbarians, so I prefer someone else taking the lead to calm these tribesmen if we have trouble with them.
|
|
I triomphed in the Phoenix Ruby Championships, I'm the best, quite and simple.
And you already now Giovanni that I'm a man of my word.
Why I always must be accompanied by Varisian thieves, half human or people from lesser countries ...
I'm Devko Obradev, Hellknight of the Order of the Rack, follower of Asmodeus. Welcome Mr. Filosten
Ok boys if we are done measuring things best not mentioned maybe we can make a plan to deal with this king of the steps. I am Kyra, Servant and healer of Sarenrae. It is a pleasure to be on assignment with you. Please don't make me regret that statement.
Kyra offers a bow to everyone in her greeting.
With scroll in hand, Seoni is able to teleport the party to the location described.
Five hundred feet from the foot of the Storval Stairs lie the remains of what appears to have recently been a small caravan, now scattered over a large area. Most of the wagons are overturned, and the corpses of livestock, hill giants, and a few humans litter the area. The smell of rotting flesh permeates the air, and a haze of flies surrounds the carcasses on the ground. A pile of broken wagons burns in the center of the wreckage, sending a plume of thick, black smoke into the afternoon air, visible for miles.
A pair of hill giants shamble through the devastated caravan, unsuccessfully looking for bits of overlooked food or interesting treasure.
|
"Ah, the game is afoot! I have no intention of trading arrows for stones, so . . ." Giovanni skitters across the open field, readying his Spiked Chain as he goes. He heads for the giant who is NOT hiding behind rubble, so that he'll be easier to reach.
----
Double move
Side note - the grid vanishes into the background of this map. I used the ruler to identify 60' of movement, and then TRIED to get that position right when I actually moved the icon.
Giovanni moves across the open field towards the giants. Ezrek sprouts a pair of wings and tosses a bomb at the nearest giant.
The first giant focuses on Giovanni while the second giant throws a piece of debris at the flying Ezrek.
[dice="rock" throw at Ezrek]1d20 + 6[/dice]
|
|
Giovanni steps up to the brute and just grins as he starts his wind-up . . ..
---
---
The spiked chain wrps around the giant's ankle, and a quick yank starts him falling to the ground. Giovanni Takes the opportunity to strip the giant of his club.
---
[dice=1 is "north"]1d8[/dice]
---
The chain wraps around the end of the club, and Giovanni snaps it away from the giant's fall, scattering the club 15' towards the other giant and out of this giant's reach. As the brute bounces on the ground, the chain arcs in an overhead swing, with Giovanni looking to put it across the giant's torso.
---
Kyra double moves forward to prepare for next round.
Ezrek lobs anther couple of bombs at the giant and it wails in pain and anger at the flying alchemist! Giovanni puts the second giant on the ground and throws its club away. Ceric then sends some magic missiles into the second hill giant, which is also knocked to the ground. Kyra moves up into position while Seoni covers Giovanni's giant in glitter.
The giant, while looking fabulous, is not blinded.
Devko casts a spell from the back. The giants return the assault on the party.
Kyra moves over and lets a sling bullet fly at the one that is being bombed.
Not sure if he stood back up? If he is prone take a -4 to this attack.
Ezrek tosses two more bombs at the giant in front of him and it falls over, unconscious. Giovanni gets a couple quick hits on the second glittery giant. Kyra lobs a bullet at the giant but it flies wide. Ceric moves in closer and Seoni sends more magic missiles at the remaining giant.
Devko moves up and hits the giant with his falcata! The giant responds with a roar and tries to slam Devko from the ground.
This seems to be well in hand. Devko see me after to mend your wounds.
Kyra stands at the ready looking around making sure no others ar approaching.
Giovanni, Ceric, and Devko quickly take care of the second hill giant.
Each of them has a large-sized greatclub and large-sized hide armor.
A little further on, the party approaches the foot of the Storval Stairs.
The ancient ruins at the base of the stairs lurk in the perpetual shadow of the monstrous cliffs known as the Storval Rise. The stairs form a fifty-foot-wide cleft cut deep into the cliff. The stairs bear the weight of the millennia lightly; though rounded with age and cracked in a few places, they remain level from end to end. Each ponderous two-foot-deep step stretches two feet upwards. Massive landings flanked by monstrous structures obscure the top of the stairs from the bottom. The angle of the sun means shadows blanket the entire length of the Stairs, and will probably do so all day except for a short period around midday.
Massive statues flank the stairs; they rise three hundred feet above the base of the stairs and proudly looking out over the surrounding countryside as if standing guard. Each statue holds an immense tome in one arm and a deadly looking glaive in the other.
On either side of the statues, buildings carved directly out of the cliff face rise from the valley floor. The gargantuan proportions of the structures make it difficult to judge their height. They rise nearly to the top of the plateau, four hundred feet above the valley floor.
The stairs are built for giants; each step is 2 feet high and 2 feet deep. The stairs count as extremely difficult terrain; movement costs 3 squares of movement per square traveled up or down or 4 squares for a diagonal movement. Medium and smaller creatures cannot charge or take a 5-foot-step up or down the stairs. Large creatures treat the stairs as difficult terrain.