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Masashige looks over the scraps of paper, the same as the rest of the group.
However, he is equally perplexed and lost in the underground labyrinth. "It seems that we may be down here for hours, if not days. Perhaps we should go to the surface to find someone with tracking skills?" he asks, trying to think of a solution. "I am only good at dealing with those in front of me."
You are going to have a hard time finding someone who will do this job in any sort of timely manner.
It takes an additional hour to get topside, and additional hours to find someone. It is a dangerous job, so they want 800 gold to do your tracking for you.
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"I think you misunderstand the Tien people." Masa says plainly. "I was a warrior in the Lingshen army, not a member of the ruling class. A noble from Lingshen would not be wielding a sword in front of you now, nor would he tolerate your intended insult." he says with a smile to the man.
"Luckily for you, I am not a noble."
Salt deposits line the cavern ahead and several side passages branch east and west and run rich with blue crystals before ending at cave-ins. Eight smoldering torches illuminate a small tunnel ahead—beyond all is pitch black, though the sound of running water echoes out from the darkness.
You recognize signs of a battle (dried blood, discarded rusted daggers, and several mite corpses). Looks like a failed mite-slave coup.
You find a not tucked under a rock near the torch-lit tunnel.
[i]Hope is lost. The mites attempted a coup, but were betrayed by their own and murdered. My mind tires and I long for mercy in the bellies of the mite's vermin rather than face the unknown terror that waits when the derros force me into the fetid pool I've heard bubbling in the room beyond.
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Alaneo looks around but he's still lost. However he spots something unusual.
"Hey, look! A note! It reads...
Hope is lost. The mites attempted a coup, but were betrayed by their own and murdered. My mind tires and I long for mercy in the bellies of the mite's vermin rather than face the unknown terror that waits when the derros force me into the fetid pool I've heard bubbling in the room beyond. "
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Nikolai is silent for a moment after Masa explains himself. "Part of their standing army, hm? What brought you to the Society, then? I thought your lot was all about 'duty to the clan' and what not."
"I dunno, Sheela, it sounds like the water is home to some aquatic beast," Nikolai says, gesturing to the letter Alaneo has read. "We still have no idea what the derro are doing in this, do we? What are their goals?"
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"I was an offering from Lingshen to the Society upon the creation of the Lantern Lodge, however my services were found to be most appropriate in Andoran, thus my current involvement with the Sovereign Court." Masa explains. "My true passion, before my involvement with even the Lingshen army, is beekeeping. The Court has allowed me to open my own honey house on the outskirts of Cassomir."
"Either way, there was a battle here." Masa suggests as he surveys the area. "We should lure the aquatic beast out and kill it before crossing."
Masa tosses his lit sunrod into the pool to see what happens.
A large pool fills most of this chamber, its green waters bathing the high ceilings in an eerie green light. The pool is open to the cavern on the south and east sides, but borders the cavern walls to the north and west. On the north side of the cavern, a small alcove sits above the water line, inside of which rests a small stone table. Dozens of corpses float serenely on the surface of the pool.
You see hundreds of prisoners, both human and mite, fill the caverns to the west of the pool. A line of prisoners, herded by injured derros and mites, marches from the western caverns into the pool. Each time a body dips beneath the water, the stone table in the alcove north of the pool flashes in a near-blinding green brilliance, filling the entire cavern with near daylight brightness (this brightness has apparently no effect on the derros or the mites).
There are several dozen injured derros here and a handful of their remaining mite slaves. Once they see you, the derros ready themselves to attack, but many are then swarmed by several brave prisoners and the captive mites.
Still, some come to meet you in battle.
Nikolai has no problem working his way around
Bernard drops the green mite in his tracks.
He resists being intimidated.
Another dead mite means only the dazed derro is left, and since he won't be doing anything, the party is up again.
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"Cheer up. At least your end comes swiftly and not slowly, like what you did to these captives!"
Sheela drops her crossbow, draws her light mace and casually walks up to the dazed slaver, trying to tap him on the shoulder and push him into a giggling fit.
In her zeal, Sheela manages to miss direct contact.
Between the cold blast and the jab to the throat, the derro is basically done...
Sheela tries to slap the derro, smacking a stalactite instead. Nik offers the option of surrender after knocking the derro out and ripping his heart out. The derro is quite dead.
As you look around, you see that the slave uprising has succeeded, much in thanks to you! You quickly search the dead derros (of course, you do), and find two letters of interest.
The first confirms that the Aspis Consortium agent Kafar funded the smugglers who in turn supplied the cult.
Hestia,
You pathetic hag! Thanks to you and your Pathfinders, my assistant Nefti and I took one of Taldor’s greatest treasures. Don’t waste your time trying to track us, by now we sail on open waters, bound for a relic’s auction. Thanks for making us incredibly rich.
The one who bested you,
Kafar
The second letter details plans to penetrate other Cassomir buildings (such as the Admiralty Citadel and Harbor Watch) and perform additional mass abductions in the near future.
The surviving Swift inmates and guards stand dazed in the grotto. The stone table in northern alcove is a shrine to Groetus. The pool is filled with dozens of corpses of prisoners, guards, mites, and a variety of recently kidnapped Cassomir citizens.
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"You are all free now! Yes!" Sheela leaps ecstatically as she helps the captured slaves escape. "Everyone get out of that pool. Some cleric need to cleanse this place as soon as they can."
Later she hears about the note and rolls her eyes. "We did warn them about the derro. No doubt Kafar knew Cassomir would be slow to act. Their fault." She frowns. "I just hope Nefti is alright..."
"Now then, let's return to the Venture-Captain and report what we've seen. Oh, and the bell she was so concerned with."
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Nikolai stands over the derro's still body, still catching his breath after the furious assault he visited upon the creature. Only the sound of cheering breaks him from his violent thoughts, and he looks around, noticing the prisoners have overpowered their captors. "Come on, let's free these people," he says to his allies. "Get these folks back topside."
Upon hearing that this whole thing was an Aspis plot, Nikolai frowns. "So...the man who we 'rescued' a month ago was the guy who engineered this whole thing? And it was a plot to keep us busy while the Consortium stole something?"
"F**king Aspis."
The rescued Swift guards assist you in ushering the prisoners back up to Swift Prison. Once there, a member of the Cassomir constabulary asks you what you might know about the stolen chapel bell (which apparently was stolen after you saw it).
With the derros defeated, you have thwarted the dark experimentations fated for most of the Swift’s inhabitants and employees, and uncover plans for additional mass abductions. This time, the authorities quickly plant guards and traps to spoil the derros’ advances. Soon the subterranean dwellers abandon their organized abductions in Cassomir—at least for a while.
This was a good group! Thanks for hanging in there. If I wasn't overloaded at the moment, I would offer to run something else. Maybe after Oct 10?