As the party ventures through the city on their way to the Publican house Vladamir looks in through the glass at the dagger and draws on his magical skills to detect any magical auras. He does indeed feel magic emanating from it.
A short time later the group arrives outside the Publican House.
The Publican House is a sprawling building of rough-hewn wood and weathered shingles. Large bay windows of leaden glass provide an expansive view of the river. Loud cheers issue from the tavern, as does the sweet smell of spilled ale.
You enter and see that the place is crowded with people. Some OOC background because it is interesting to me and explains what lead to this. After a drunken disagreement earlier in the day about drinking people “under the table,” High Publican Arnando Rolf declared a drink-balancing challenge. There is a competition full swing. Several intoxicated patrons lift stools and tables stacked with metal cups brimming with ale. As might be expected, the interior of the Publican House is spattered with large puddles of ale and broken furniture.
"What makes a mug sacred anyway? "Thestil", why don't we go find out who's in charge here and collect on the debt?" he says, obviously falling back to the group's effective talker.
Female LN Vishkanya Rogue (Deadly Courtesan) 5 | HP 33/33 | AC 18; T 13; FF 15; CMD 16(21 vs Grapple and Reposition) | Fort +4; Ref +9; Will +4 | Init: +3 | Perc: +9(+11 to locate traps), SM: +6 | Speed 30ft | Toxic 1/1; Bardic Performance 7/7 | Active conditions: None
"I agree, I would rather be back at the Silken Veil myself. However, we do have a job to do." Syl'las walks up to the bar, avoiding the puddles of spilled ale.
Disgusting, glad I did not wear my dress today
Syl'las gives a sharp whistle, trying to gain the attention of the bartender. When approached, she gets strait to business, "I need to speak to whoever runs the joint. And, I would rather not cause a scene."
If questioned, she reveals the aspis badge on her hip.
Avasir and Invisible immediately see a weathered mug on a shelf behind the bar. Beside it are a bottle of high-quality brandy (worth 200 gp) and a chalice of lacquered teak (worth 250 gp).
You are directed to High Publican Arnando Rolf. Rolf is a bearlike man with meaty fists and a notched sword swinging at his hip. He listens to your request for the sacred mug and gets a little redder in the face. I got the letter yes, but alas the acolytes gathered the mug along with several other items to use as prizes for the game this evening. He indicates a display above the bar where there is indeed a battered metal mug along with a bottle of high-quality brandy and a chalice of lacquered teak.
I cannot take a prize down until it has been won or I will have a brawl on my hands or at best my reputation will be tarnished, but I can add you to the competition as late entrants.
The drink-balancing game requires each contestant to select a barstool, a table, or a heavy sideboard. This selection is loaded up with three, six, or nine full cups of ale, at the contestant’s choice. The contestant must lift their selected furniture above their head (Strength check)
without spilling any ale (Dexterity or Sleight of Hand check). If multiple contestants succeed at both checks, ties are broken first by furniture type (a sideboard beats a table, which beats a stool), then by number of drinks (more drinks beat fewer drinks), and then by a drinking contest with the unspilled ale (opposed Constitution checks).
Female LN Vishkanya Rogue (Deadly Courtesan) 5 | HP 33/33 | AC 18; T 13; FF 15; CMD 16(21 vs Grapple and Reposition) | Fort +4; Ref +9; Will +4 | Init: +3 | Perc: +9(+11 to locate traps), SM: +6 | Speed 30ft | Toxic 1/1; Bardic Performance 7/7 | Active conditions: None
"Why should I care if there is a brawl here or not. It was your acolytes that screwed this up, so do not punish us, for their stupidity." She draws he Kukri enough to flash the blade to catch the attention of the bear like man,"Give us the cup or else I'll have my muscle hold you down while I give you a close shave.
Do not have the intimidate to pull this off. So I'll throw in an aide Intimidate, aide:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Lirianne's eyes narrow, as this is exactly the sort of situation she was worried about on the mission. She decides a case of "good cop, bad cop" might get the job done without violence. She says to Syl'las (loudly so that Rolf can hear): "Come on boss, that game sure does look fun! Let me try my hands, and if it ain't work out there'll still be time for you to use that pigsticker after."
Agender Human (Chelaxian) Fighter (Polearm Master) 1 | HP 6/11 | AC 18 T 13 FF 15 | Fort+3 Ref +2 Will -1 | Initiative +2 | Perception -1 |
Sejanus steps in to emphasise Syl'las' threat, but before ze can speak, Lirianne's good cop approach interrupts zir thoughts. Ze ends up standing awkwardly at the bar, trying to look menacing, but also coming around to the idea of participating in the challenge zirself.
Intimidate:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Male Elf Wizard 2 | HP 10/10 | AC 13, t 13, ff 10 | CMB +1, CMD 14 | F+0, R+3, W+3 | Init +3 | Perc +6, SM +4; low-light | Speed 30ft | Hand of the apprentice: 7/7 | Bonded object spell cast: 1/1 | Active conditions: None
Avasir rolls his eyes at the group's diverging approaches.
"And what happens when we don't win the competition? Either we hold Rolf to his debt or we're going to end up persuading an irrelevant stranger who wins to give up the mug."
“Big Arvin” Dalson flexes his sizable biceps and points to a table then raises 3 fingers. Three cups are placed on it and he sets his stance and lifts.
Invisible lifts his table effortlessly over his head, not spilling a single drop of the beer.
Sejanus does the same with the sideboard drawing raucous from the crowd.
Lirianne also succeeds in lifting her stool and 9 mugs.
Neither Fisheye or Big Arvin manage to lift their furniture at all.
Rolf's voice booms out. We have a winner. He indicates Sejanus. Go to the bar and select your prize. As Sejanus moves off he begins gathering the contestants for another round. You may play again if you like and try to win additional prizes such as the brandy or teak chalice. Up to you.
The Fish Bowl stands along the river atop a high stone base. Well-worn stone stairs ascend the stone base to access the temple above, but a chain has been drawn across the bottom of the stairs to block easy access. From the street, it is difficult to see anything occurring in the temple at the top of the platform. Only a few dim lights flicker up in the temple, and a narrow tower or lookout post rises above it.
From the tower atop the temple you hear the sheiking cries of children.
From the street, the Fish Bowl appears to be a ramshackle building constructed on top of a sturdy stone base 15 feet tall. From atop the stairs that ascend to the temple, it’s clear that the stone base has a deep, round pool scooped out the top that contains murky seawater. The temple is little more than a frame around this pool used for some storage and to ensure a bit of privacy for the priests. Narrow spiral stairs connect the temple to a small lookout post 30 feet above ground level.
You rush in to the Fishbowl. You step over the chain and up teh small hill before going down the stairs into the temple proper. There is a deep pool in the center of the room and two corpses, dressed as acolytes of Besmara lay on the ground beside the pool. There are also three creatures lurking on the surface of the water.
Map is up on the slides. Green squares are the corpses. I was lazy and didn't get tokens sorted for them.
DC11 Knowledge Dungeoneering:
These are reefclaws. If you got an 16 or higher you can ask for extra information
Syl'las dagger flies true and strikes the Blue enemy. Capitalizing on the distraction Avasir also throws a weapon, this time a long sword at Blue and it also hits, flying back into his hand as soon as it strikes.
Vladamir singles out Yellow for a blast of sorcerous magic and strikes with a mysterious bolt of energy.
In my opinion, and it is only my opinion so only stands for us in this game right now, you are looking down from above. The pool is lower, and I imagine where most of you PCs are right now being a platform above, looking down on the pool below. The pool is level with the surrounding squares and it all slopes up gently to the outside edges.
Lirianne fires and misses as her bullet flies wide and takes a small chunk out of a small wooden table.
Posion Damage:1d2 ⇒ 2
Sejanus sits in the grip of the yellow enemy and feels slightly weaker for doing so 2 points of strength damage however the spikes on Sejanus' armor do damage the claw of the enemy.
Avasir misses throws a sword again but this time misses as the sword loops back having not struck.
Vladamir has better luck with thrown projectiles as a ball of magic strikes the blue enemy and sizzles the carapace.
Invisible hits and takes a small amount of the blue enemy's shell off.
