GM Ietsuna's 4-07 Severing Ties (Core) (Inactive)

Game Master Ietsuna

Celewen sighs as he gets back into his disguise. "Who's great idea was this worthless disguise? Oh yeah, mine. Next time I have a great idea, kick me."

Once everyone is ready, we head back and deliver the goods to the big bad guy.

In a raspy voice, he asks the leader, "OK, now that we're done wasting my time, let's get the real work done. Where is this place and is there anything you wish to tell me about it."

The trip back to Barracuda Cartage is uneventful. You go through the carriage gates and up the stairs to Jenk’s office. Hearing your tap on the door he bid you Enter.

On the way back to Barracuda Cartage, Wylka laughs at Celewen. "Okay. We'll kick you. Make sure you bend over properly and we'll each take turns kicking your rear."

Upon arriving at their destination, Wylka goes back into his rough and tumble façade as he pretends to be a bad guy.

"We've got your three items. Simple enough."

Khargrom is happy to find that the three upstairs are unharmed and were not responsible for the bodies downstairs. As they escort them to safety can't help but think, what the heck to elves see in humans? I mean sure, they're useful in a fight and they certainly have value, but to fall in love with one? That's just weird.

________________________________________________________________

As they walk back to their starting point, he prepares himself for the inevitable betrayal by Jenk. Before they enter he shares his wariness, "keep an eye on this guy. I doubt he'll keep his word. I don't think he believes we are what we claim and may just try to take the items from us."

He enters the room first and takes a look around for an ambush.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

The good-natured halfling is shocked by the rogue's words. "Oh, I hadn't really though about that. I guess it makes sense though. We're kind of doing the same thing. Good job getting into the criminal mindset!" (The irony of his own words are lost on Celewen)

You walk into Jenk's office. He is as he was before, sitting behind his desk reading reports and glancing from one to the other. You present your artifacts. He looks over each one in a cursory way nodding happily to himself. Well done. I had my doubts, but you came through. Your reputation is well earned. While you were out gathering these a note came from our informant giving us the location of the cult's operation. Would you take these immediately an present them for us. Please do not let me detain you further.

He goes back to reading the reports, leaving you to your mission.

Note added to the slides for your reading pleasure. Location of the hide out entrance added too. It is beneath the Seven Needles Tattoo Parlor.

Taking the stuff to 'deliver', Wylka leaves the office. After a safe distance. "Now. We need to get to the cult location and sabotage their relation with the Consortium."

Are we all healed up? Should probably take care of that first, if we need to.

Celewen ditches the disguise again before we get to the seven needles.

I am willing to risk Khargrom at 10 HP (normally he has 11) and I don't think anyone else has taken damage.

Khargrom looks oddly at Celewen, "don't you think you outta stay in your disguise fer this part? We want them to think we are Aspis."

He then reads through the note, thinks for a bit and makes a suggestion, "aight, so I think this note here gives us a really neat chance to help add blame onto the Aspis. I'm guessin' our basic plan is to finagle our way inside this cult place and then jes wreck it up, right? Why don't we take a few minutes to forge a false note similar to this one that gives the order to wipe out the Lissalans instead of making nice. Then we leave it like it fell out of a pocket and the setup should be complete."

Wylka nods, "Sounds like a good idea. Are you or anyone else good at forgery?"

"Nay, not yet. I'll have to put that on me docket o' skills to learn if'n I keep working for the Lodge."

Khellek coughs politely.

"Forgery is for criminals. However I have had cause to want to replicate the work of a fellow scholar in ... some detail.. before." he acknowledges.

"While I don't have the inks on me, I should be able to pick them up without a lot of difficulty."

He takes his time, writing out a nice note.

linguistics for forgery, take ten: 10 + 11 = 21

Khargrom chuckles, "heh, all the better that we are pretending to be criminals... I've got yer ink, pen and paper here unless you need something fancier." He rifles through his pack and retrieves the three items (inkpen, ink, sheet of paper).

Any other preparations you would like to make before we proceed to the tattoo parlor?

I keep wearimg the badge, but they do not know to expect a specific individual.

Wylka looks over the group, "Alright. Looks like we are all set to raid the tattoo parlor."

A brief walk across town brings you to the Seven Needles.

Tenements sprawl across the portion of the Wharf District between Zincher’s Arena and the solid-looking Gas Forges. A shop with a sign reading Seven Needles stands at the end of a dim, trash-strewn alley. The tattoo parlor is abandoned, its windows cracked and portions of its wooden trim looking like they were removed long ago.

Khellek eyes it up for a moment, and looks at the antiquate markings on his own hands from the Wayang ceremony he participated in.

"Varisian's would not utilise such a place. Perhaps that is why it is derelict. "

"I guess we better start looking. Keep an eye out for traps, though. That letter implied there would be some." He aids in looking around.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Wylka cautiously approaches the abandoned parlor and looks through the cracked windows.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Kent carefully moves into the building, looking for traps and secret doors.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24.

Kent notices a trapdoor in the floor of a back office.

He nods to the trapdoor.

"Shall we check down there?"

Treating it as a rhetorical question, he then moves to open it.

Khargrom quietly moves in and assists Kent in opening the trapdoor and heading down.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Wylka nods, "Lets go and see what we fine."

Celewen casts Longstrider before following the party into the abyss.

Khellek sighs at the disgusting parlor and the way down. "I suppose we will be needing some light.."

He takes out a book and a soft glow emanates from its cover. "Knowledge is always enlightening."

Casts light

Descending the stairs you find yourselves in an underground complex. The ceiling is enchanted every so often with an everlasting flame spell so light is shed in the area. At the end of the corridor on the eastern side there is a black curtain hanging from the ceiling closing off the area to the east.

Map has been added for this area. Red arrow indicated North.

"We should be careful. We don't know if they have this place trapped or not. Considering that it is hidden, I do think the possibility his high."

Wylka advances cautiously as he looks for traps or ambushes.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Khargrom will carefully and quietly move forward (along the yellow arrow), checking for traps as he goes. When in doubt, be sneaky is my clans motto, better stick to it here.

do I need another stealth roll?

Perception for Traps: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14 (+9 instead of +7 if it is a stonework related trap)

I love the fast pace, but am going to give the others a little time to post actions, if any, before I open up the next area.

Kent nods.

"Agreed. We should be careful..."

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29.

Celewen casts light as well. Next he gives himself guidance and then assists in being careful.
aid perception: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 = 18

Kent, ably assisted by Celewen notices a glowing rune on the ground The flower type thing in the hallway on the map . They stop the others before they can step on it.

Khellek comes up at the rear, examining the rune for signs of magic, but taking great care not to read it.

Detect magic
spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
know-arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29\

"Well.. what do we have here?" he murmurs to himself.

Looking dawn at the runes on the floor. "How inviting? If this is a magical trap, do you think you can disarm it Khargrom."

If he tries, Celewen will give him Guidance and Bit of Luck first. OR, can we just walk around it?

"Hmm, a magical glyph. It will activate if you walk on it I think - unless you know the pass phrase. Can anyone summon a dog or similar creature to activate it?"

Can I tell what type of effect has been put into the glyph

He thinks for a moment. "I seem to recall they can trigger based on religion too. So I suspect these may be set to activate if non cultists step on it. No real way around that."

"By all that is just, not a dog! A rat maybe, but not a dog!" The little halfling seems quite distressed at the thought.

Khargrom waits until Khellek gives as much information as possible and then pulls some tools out of his belt, "sure, I can at least try. All you step back around the corner."

With that, he attempts to disable it, murmuring as he works, "sometimes it's just about scratching off..."

Disable Device + Guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 1 = 13
Disable Device Bit 'o Luck + Guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 1 = 19

Khargrom looks at the rune and attempts to disable the trap. Something goes wrong in the process however and the section of wall to his left just disappears. Behind a set of ancient looking iron bars sits a green creature. It glazers at you through the bars.

Khargrom mutters to himself a bit as he works, "ah that shuld about get it... WOAH! What the heck sorta beastie are you?" He backs away a little bit.

Did the rune vanish when the wall moved?

yeah, the rune vanished and the wall vanished. the wall was an illusion

I am not going to put us into initiative quite yet. It is glaring at you through the bars. I will wait and see where this leads.

Seeing the rune vanish and the wall also, Wylka braces his polearm tightly. "What happened?"

Khellek peers around the corner in response to Khargrom.
arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

His face pales and he quickly backs up again.

"My goodness, I do believe that is a basilisk. Capable of turning flesh to stone... and then feasting on it. Setting that loose would certainly put the basilisk among the cultists!"

Khargrom looks a little less wary, ”that’s a basilisk? It’s jes a wee lizard. But if you think you can control it and have it go after them cultists, that’s a darn decent plan!”

"Lordy be! How do you control a basilisk? Food? What do lizards eat? All I have is standard rations... Dammit! I knew I should have prepared a spell to create food and drink."

He closes his eyes and speaks in a gentle voice. "Nice basilisk. You don't want to eat us, right? How about we let you out and you can go have a little talk with the nasty, mean people who put you in here? Nice little bassy-wassy"

Celewen cringes at the sound of his own voice. Baby talking to a creature that can kill us with a glance. What have we gotten ourselves into? I hope someone brought some Scooby Snacks!

"I council releasing the beast... after we have done what we have come to do. No sense in risking our bumping into it in the meantime. Can anyone hide us from its gaze as we pass?"

He picks up a cloak and wonders if keeping that between him and the creature will be sufficient protection to run past its cage quickly.

Does Khellek know what they eat? If so, he'd probably throw some food around the corner to keep it busy.