Alternatively, it's a DC 10 Climb check to descend to the water, then a DC 12 Swim check to make it to the rocky beach. Then it's a DC 5 Climb check to ascend the steep and narrow switchback.
If you want to rest the night in Thistletop, I will warn you that there will be some random encounter checks...
After spitballing a few ideas, Orik nods at Gwyn's plan. "Alright, let's give it a shot," he says, grabbing a rope and grapnel, and trying to fling it across the way.
As Orik sets the lines, Gwyn lightens her load as much as she's able, carrying only her thieve's tools as she gets ready to go across.
After a couple of tries, Orik catches the grappling hook on one of the opposite posts and the miniature boat-anchor on the other. Pulling the ropes tight and tying them on the bridge posts on this side makes a line that seems strong enough to cross. With Gozreh's help, Gwyn makes it across the chasm, trailing another line across. With the third line, she pulls the rope bridge across. Using a couple of mending spells, she magically knits the ropes of the bridge back toghether, making the bridge to Thistletop just as sturdy as it had been on the way across the last time. Which, for goblin construction, was remarkably sturdy!
The whole repair takes about half an hour total. Looking at the position of the sun, if you want to get back to Sandpoint tonight, it will be dark before you arrive. You suspect, however, that the Lost Coast Road near to Sandpoint will likely be less dangerous than camping out in Nettlewood.
That done, Gwyn looks to the others.
"Well, let's get going. I don't want to camp out here unless I have to, and after today, I'd like to get the stink of goblin off me."
"Agreed," Orik says, impressed at the magics Gwyn has at her fingertips. "Daylight's burning, and those bastards can see in the dark. The sooner we get back to the Lost Coast Road, the better."
Ghouls!
Deciding to head back to Sandpoint for the night, you head south through Nettlewood, following a game trail that runs along the Thistle River. You get to the Lost Coast Road in the long shadow of the Devil's Platter as the sky begins to turn orange. You head west toward town.
About twenty minutes later, as you pass the pinnacles of Leb's Tors to the south, you all get a feeling of unease as the road passes by the hilly Paupers' Graves to the north of the road... and those of you with keen noses catch a whiff of the putrid stench of death to the north.
As as you walk past a low stone wall to the north, four rag-clad humanoid figures leap from behind the wall, hissing menacingly! Their skin is purplish-gray, their heads are strangely elongated, and their fingers end in black, razor-sharp talons. A grotesquely-long tongue snakes out of one of the creatures' mouths. Their eyes burn with an evil red light.
Surprise Round
|
Whipping out his sword, Cerin takes a step back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Orik and starts chanting in a low rumbling tone that seems to echo with the crashing of the waves. He points at the lead ghoul standing near the gates and a large ball of fire erupts in front of it, rolling forward to engulf the foul undead!
"Don't let them touch you! They're ghouls and can stop you in your tracks if they manage to touch you," Gwyn calls out as she nocks an arrow and aims at the one on the closest to her as she steps up to protect Maria.
The arrow streaks out and finds something vital to the undead thing.
"S**T!", Orik cries as the creatures leap out of the dark, fumbling backwards in surprise at the suddenness of their assault. "I didn't sign on to get et by ghouls!"
...miss
...miss
...hit
...success
...miss
...miss
...miss
Monster Status
Ghoul 1: hp 13/13
Ghoul 2: hp 13/13
Ghoul 3: hp 13/13
Ghoul 4: hp 3/13
Marla: hp 5/13
Surprise Round
Cerin casts a spell at the ghouls and a sphere of flame appears over one of them. However, it looks like the creature manages to dodge out of its way.
Gwyn's arrow sinks squarely in the ghoul's chest, and it hisses disconcertingly. However, it doesn't even bother to remote it as it continues to scramble toward you.
Shalelu was surprised by the attack and briefly fumbles nocking her arrow. Her shot misses its mark entirely
The ghouls then pounce on the party. However, everyone is able to dodge their foul-looking claws... except the prisoner you'd freed. She raises her arms defensively, and the ghoul brutally slashes across them. Blood gushes from her wounds and she screams in terror.
Kyrian then fires at the ghoul attacking the prisoner, but the shot is high.
Round 1
|
|
With a quick glance and a wave of the hand holding his sword, Cerin causes the flaming sphere to roll towards the ghoul menacing Marla, leaving a trail of scorched grass in its wake.
Turning his full attention to the dead thing in front of him, he raises his shield to push it back and ignites his blade with a word. Watching it carefully, he waits for it to strike and slashes at its arms with his blazing scimitar!
Flaming Sphere (rnd 2): damage, Reflex DC: 15 negates
"Marla! Get back," Gwyn shouts as she rips her longknife from its sheath and goes for the throat of the one attacking the woman.
...hit
...hit
...miss
...miss
...miss
...miss
...miss
...hit
...hit
...miss
Monster Status
Ghoul 1: hp 13/13
Ghoul 2: hp 13/13
Ghoul 3: hp 0/13
Ghoul 4: hp 3/13
Marla: hp 5/13
Round 1
Cerin directs his ball of flame toward the ghoul attacking Marla. This time, the walking dead is not able to avoid the flames, and its shrieks in a disturbingly inhuman manner as it burns. However, the ghoul Cerin is fighting hand-to-hand easily avoids Cerin's flaming blade.
Gwyn draws her own blade as the creature closes, yet this one is equally adept at dodging.
Shalelu fires at the ghoul attacking Marla, hitting it in the chest. The ghoul shrieks again, staggering backward into Cerin's magical flames, and it collapses to the ground, still burning.
The remaining ghouls press the attack. The ghoul fighting Helena can't get past her armor. Cerin and Gwyn aren't so lucky: One slashes deeply into Cerin's arm with its claws, and the other manages to red Gwyn savagely with both hands.
|
|
Ceria staggers back from the force of the blows, feeling his muscles start to stiffen and freeze up. He takes a deep breath and forces his limbs to keep moving despite the pain. Calling his ball of flame to come towards him, he concentrates on defending himself, using his blade to ward off the ghoul's attacks until someone can hopefully come to his aid!
Gwyn screams in pain as claws rip open new wounds. She weakly holds her sword up as she stands her ground, knowing that Marla was likely frozen behind her. The blade is a frail defense, though, and her vision blurs as blood soaks her clothing and the ground.
Recovering from his shock, Orik pulls his blade, stepping up into the fray. "Gods-damned corpsewalkers, you shoulda stayed dead the first time!" He slashes at the ghoul on Helena, seeking to cleave its head from its rotting torso.
...saved
...hit
Monster Status
Ghoul 1: hp 5/13
Ghoul 2: dead
Ghoul 3: dead
Ghoul 4: dead
Marla: hp dead/13
Round 1, continued
Helena drops back and skewers the ghoul in front of her with her longspear. It hisses menacingly as putrid black fluid seeps from the wound.
Kyrian then lets fly another arrow, hitting the same ghoul right in the eye! Its head snaps back and it falls over backward.
Marla screams in fear and runs south, hiding behind a fallen log off the road.
With the target before him felled before he can react, Orik draws his blade and moves in to assist Cerin, but the ghoul manages to evade his swings.
Round 2
Gwyn, bleeding profusely, staggers back and assumes a denfensive stance. She feels weak and is getting light-headed, but manages to remain conscious.
Cerin slashes with his flaming blade at the ghoul fighting him, and cuts a deep gash across its abdomen... the stench of seared rotting flesh is revolting. Seeing that Gwyn is in trouble, Cerin concentrates on his magical ball of flame and it rolls toward the ghoul fighting Gwyn. But the creature bounds out of its way and avoids the flames.
But just as it steps out of the way of the flames, it steps right into an arrow flying from the bow of Shalelu, perforating its neck. Already injured, it gurgles disconcertingly and then falls back into Cerin's flaming orb... and stars to burn.
The remaining ghoul, now seeing that its companions have all fallen, says, "Hssss!! I be tellin' Jediah you killed his children! Jediah be cross with you now! Hssss!"
It then bounds back from you, jumps over the low stone wall, and runs deeper into the graveyard.
"Yeah, you better run!", Orik shouts, readying his shield and banging his blade against its face, following in the ghoul's direction for a bit, but not getting to far ahead of the group.
Gwyn watches the others to see what they will do next.
Kyrian notches another arrow just in case as he just opens his mouth to speak. "So can anyone tell me what the hell that was all about?"
|
|
"Just another abomination getting in line to kill us. I had better make a list, I'm starting to lose track!" Cerin says with a wan smile, holding his side where the ghoul slashed him. "Are you all right, Marla? We had better hurry to town before that thing comes back with friends." he calls out, looking towards the side of the road.
Cerin collects a still-frightened Marla and brings her back to the group.
While you're cleaning your weapons, you take a look at the ghouls you killed. One is wearing the tattered remains of a wedding dress, one is wearing bits and pieces of rotting leather armor, and one is dressed in little more than rags.
Orik suppresses a shudder as he glances down at the still forms of the ghouls. "Don't know if there's a chance they can get up and start stalking the living again, but I know one way to make sure they can't..." With three quick slashes of his blade, Orik beheads all three of the corpses, kicking their rotten skulls from their trunks with each blow.
"Marla, are you okay," Gwyn pants as she sits down where she was standing.
"I think you should be worrying about yourself! How much blood have you lost," Fluff twitters shrilly.
"Dunno. Lots," Gwyn mutters as her shoulders begin to visibly tremble.
After Orik decapitates the ghouls, Kyrian takes a look at the clothing. While it's hard to tell much about the rotten armor or the rags two of them wore, the wedding dress looks like a style that had been in fashion in Magnimar about ten years ago.
Looking more closely at the ghouls, Kyrian notices that the one in the dress is wearing two rings on its left hand: one plain gold band and the other set with a diamond. There is also a silver brooch set with pale blue stones pinned to the dress's tattered bodice. He also notices that the one wearing rags has a gold tooth in its now-detached head.
You drag the ghoul bodies out of the road and then proceed back to Sandpoint without further incident. You arrive in town not quite an hour after sunset.
The sight of Sandpoint by night is a conflicting one for Orik - on the one hand, he had made it to safety from the certain death of Thistletop. However, that same safety was from the charity of those who his former employer was arranging to put to the sword and torch. And so, when the party's torchlight illuminates the town's sign, he pauses for a moment to read it, the light glinting off the small mirror attached to the post.
Welcome to Sandpoint! Please stop to see yourself as we see you!
He stops. He looks. And he's not certain he likes what he sees.
|
|
"It's good to see this place again!" Cerin says with a sigh. "Come along, Marla! I'm sure Ameiko will have a room you can stay in until you can arrange passage home. She is an excellent host, I'm sure you'll like her!"
He pauses a moment as he sees Orik staring at the sign. "Let's go, Orik! Don't worry, you're with us now." he states with a grin and a twinkle in his eye, as if daring the big warrior to contradict him.
It takes a moment for Orik to register Cerin's words. "Hmm? Oh, right. Yeah, I'm coming." He sighs, and follows the party into Sandpoint, completely unsure of what's to come from here.
[url=http://paizo.com/campaigns/GMHaladirsRiseOfTheRunelords/gameplay&page=45#2233]Rolls for identifying the magic items.[/ooc]
Gwyn spends most of the rest of the trip in silence. Her wounds, though no longer life threatening, were still painful. By the time they reach the town, she looks worn and in need of a good night's rest, and the services of a healer. As they pass the town's gates, the elf moves to walk beside Cerinnibert.
"Cerin, you gonna be alright? You look about how I feel," she asks quietly as she notices how battered the gnome is.
|
|
"I've been worse. Remind me to tell you about the time I accidentally insulted a magistrate in Galt...
Preferably after I've slept for the next two days." he says wearily with a comforting pat on her arm.
As they pass one street, he gazes off into the distance and muses aloud "Do you think the herbalist's shop would be open at this hour? One of those balms would be quite welcome before bed."
"I'm pretty sure Hannah keeps evening hours, Cerin. And if you're in need, she doesn't mind too much if you ring her doorbell in the middle of the night."
On the road between Pauper's Graves and Sandpoint, Gwyn examines the magic items recovered from Nualia's chambers.
Gwyn relays what she has learned and suggests seeing if the church would be willing to take the strange doll and dispose of it.
The evening is still young: It's only about 7:30. Many business are still open and a lot of people are about. Several townsfolk you pass wave at you and wish you a good evening. You surmise that the businesses that have already closed up shop for the night just might open up for the Sandpoint Heroes if you asked nicely. (Well, except for Vindler's General Store... You're pretty sure he still doesn't like you.)
Once inside Sandpoint, Orik looks to the Sandpoint Heroes. "After everything I've seen, I need to get a damn drink. I've heard good things about the Hagfish, so I'm heading there. You need me, I'll be crawling into the bottom of a bottle." With little more than that, the warrior headed towards the tavern on the docks, already hearing the sounds of merriment from inside its walls.
Gwyn, as weak as she is, digs her heels in and grabs Orik's arm.
"Oh no yoiu don't! We're heading to the Rusty Dragon just as soon as we get our wounds healed up," the elf commands, "There will be no pity drinking while I'm around!"
With that, she does her best to drag Orik to Hannah's to see if she's open and would be willing to help patch everyone up.
Realizing that you all need some healing before you turn in for the night, you decide to pay a visit to Hannah's on the south side of town. You walk south along Church Street, past the Sandpoint Cathedral, through the main town square... the site of the main festivities of the Swallowtail Festival, when the goblins made their initial attack.
About ten minutes later, you wind your way through the alleys near the shipyards and find yourselves at the door of Hannah's. The door is closed, but you see the light of a fire in the hearth through the windows. Cerin knocks, and a few moments later, Hannah opens the door. She seems glad to see you all, but particularly concerned about Gwyn's injuries and the faraway fearful look in Marla's eyes. She ushers you all inside.
She offers the healing touch of the Wind and the Waves for a donation of 15 gp each, which is a 50% discount from the price on the board. She also offers to let you stay the night in her infirmary for a donation of 10 gp each, during which she'll tend your wounds while you sleep.
She also has several potions of cure light wounds and a few doses of alchemical healing salve for sale; she gives you a 20% discount on those.
She then takes a keen interest in Marla, sensing that she's been through an extensive trauma. She offers to let her stay at the infirmary for a few days under Hannah's care, until she's ready to move on to something else.