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Dawn and Mort try to force the siege tower doors open, but sturdy and barred on the inside, they hold.
Sejanus hacks at the central tower's door, startling some pigeons roosting on the remnant of the siege tower bridge some ten feet above.
While Kari readies an attack against anyone trying to exit the tower, Damien stows his lance and draws his sling-staff.
Sounds of preparations can be heard from within the central tower. The War Hounders in the siege towers continue their taunting and plink the large targets through the arrow slits. A bolt finally finds its mark, wounding the enlarged magus.
Mort
Dawn
Damien & Ruby
Kari
Sejanus
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War Hounder(s)
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Mort looks up, watching the pidgeons fly off, then hears Dawn holler something about climbing, but in a much deeper, more masculine voice That's something you don't hear every day. "Yup" He says, half to himself.
He slips his crowbar into his belt, looks down longingly at his abandoned longbow, then reaches up and starts to climb up towards the bridge If I knew today was going to be such a work out I'd have eaten two of that sandwich for breakfast.
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While Damien tries again to force the door of the central tower open, Mort starts climbing up its outer wall.
Dawn tries to pull herself up onto the remnant of the siege tower bridge, but Sejanus has better luck.
A wide opening leads to a siege tower bridge, once used for traversing enemy walls. The bridge extends to the south and is 10 feet long. The upper-level of the central siege tower is littered with the various-sized colored lanterns that Nessian has procured to trigger the Silent Tide.
To one side of the opening stands Nessian, wearing masterwork studded leather and a heavy steel shield, and armed with a flail. His silhouette is strangely blurred.
Mort
Dawn
Damien & Ruby
Kari
Sejanus
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War Hounder(s)
Kari remains ready use her spiral rapier on the first War Hounder to expose himself to her. Shoot. Shoulda said that out loud. A bawdy pun, indeed.
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Nessian calls to his men, "War Hounder! To me! One of the dog-slayers is in
Bars slide from siege tower doors, and they open. The Warhounders in the siege towers have dropped their crossbows and raise their spike-gauntleted fists. The central towers door remains barred and closed. Mort hears footsteps clomping up a staircase inside the tower. Sejanus sees two War Hounders enter Nessian's workshop.
The two War Hounders fire their weapons at Sejanus.
Nessian screams, "By the gods, you're the worst marksmen on Golarion! Let me show you pups how a real dog does it! Here, you giant lout, have a taste of Auger!"
Nessian laughs as his flail crunches into the polearm master. His outline appears blurred, shifting, and wavering.
Mort
Dawn
Damien & Ruby
Kari
Sejanus
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War Hounder(s)
Nessian
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As Nessian moves forward and delivers a sickening blow to Sejanus, the squire kicks out toward the bandit with a spiked kneecap, hoping to connect with the blurred figure.
"We can at least agree on one thing, lawless swine, your men couldn't hit Azlanti Keep if they were standing on the Outer Gate itself!"
Sejanus eyes the two War Hounders in the back, willing them forward into the range of zir enlarged pole weapon.
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Dawn decides to cover the ground. She picks up her Falchion, grins as it grows to massive size, and calls upon her heritage. She prepares to lash out at the first War Hounder who gets close.
Confusing Critical (Su) - Each time you confirm a critical hit while in Mystic Focus, the target must succeed at a Will saving throw or be confused for 1 round. The DC of this save is equal to 11 (10 + 1/2 your bloodrager level + your Constitution modifier.) This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.
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Kari yells as the doors open.
"One over here!" she yells. "About time, I was beginning to think you'd never open up. Don't you know, I'm on all the guest lists."
She steps up to the plate and swings.
She smiles at her well- aimed strike at the War Hounder. "Sorry! I forgot not to knock again!"
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Kari gets eyeful of exposed War Hounder and swings past the cover of the door frame, still managing to wound the man. Then she flicks her rapier in a backhanded thrust, wounding him again. Staggered, the man looks ready to drop. Or surrender. He's thinking about it. Quickly. As his life flashes before his eyes.
Damien flips through his weapons rolodex, selecting his earthbreaker. He pounds the War Hounder into and through the flagstones of the siege tower's floor. Ruby nibbles on the tenderized fleshy bits.
Upstairs, Sejanus lands a spiked knee to Nessian's studded leather codpiece. "Motherf--!", he squeaks and his face turns white.
Clinging to the central tower's wall, Mort is ready to step onto the remnant of the siege tower bridge, as soon as the enlarged Sejanus scootches over and creates some space.
The War Hounder facing Kari throws his hands in the air. "I surrender!"
The War Hounder assigned to the southwest siege tower races for the central tower, heeding his master's call. When he rounds the corner and sees the Dawn rising in the east, he almost loses control of his bowels. When the falchion misses, he emits a sigh of relief.
He gets in close, and tries to use his 'dog claw'.
Nessian orders his men, "Drop your useless crossbows and
Obedient, they comply, only to die at the end of Sejanus's guisarme.
Nessian is no fool. "Alright. Alright. I surrender. I entrust my life your honor, m'Zord."
Hearing his boss give up, Dawn's foe surrenders as well.
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"Uh, your boss gave up, so you should as well." Dawn glares at the man as he rushes at her.
She tries to play it safe, but the man ducks under her blade as she twists out of the way of his fist.
"Hey, Pupmaster Nessian! We need the codebook and fast! We had to stop an undead army from poisoning the granary and disrupting Abaddar's daily concert. Are you trying to take over the city, or destroy it?"
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Mort drops down on to the bridge finally, twisting his body to avoid the overly large spikes on Sejanus's armor. "Now you've done it, had all the fun with out us." He squeezes past his overly large friend, Mindy in hand, to have a chat with him.
"Like they said... we're here for an old book, you know the one. Stole it from that old man in the Puddles. Give it here before Mindy gets her wish."
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Mort passes through Nessian's workshop, heads down the staircase to the ground level of the central tower, slides the bar out of the way, and opens the door for his companions.
Dawn's prisoner ducks her late hit. "Sheesh, lady! I gave up. Chill, okay?"
You gather up the surviving War Hounders in the base of the central tower, disarm and secure them.
From Nessian you take 'Auger,' his masterwork flail, a composite long bow , masterwork studded leather and a heavy steel shield; a potion of cure light wounds, a scroll of cure moderate wounds (2), a scroll of delay poison (2), and a scroll of arcane lock. He also had a tanglefoot bag, three smoke sticks. The programmed tattoo on Nessian's left bicep depicts a fiery hellhound that seems to leap at you when you look at it. He was wearing a jeweled earring, and his coin purse held 20gp and 3pp.
The War Hounders were armed like those you encountered at sea cliffs around Torsen's Maw: 'Dog claw' spiked gauntlets, saps, light crossbows, leather armor, torches, and tindertwigs. Their programmed tattoos depict a Nessian war hound pack fighting among themselves.
While a couple of you guard your prisoners, the rest of you search the Pyramid of the Dog.
The upper-level of the central siege tower is littered with the various-sized colored lanterns that Nessian has procured to trigger the Silent Tide.
Hidden inside the workshop desk, you find the codebook. It contains the abort code Yargos is so desperately seeking to end the Silent Tide.
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Damien raises a fist in cheer. "And that's how ya do it! Good job, guys. Thought they were gunna hide behind those doors forever." He checks Ruby for wounds, and feeds her a few berries, then notices the codebook. "Hey, kin I see the abort code, or is it for Yargos' Eyes Only? I wanna sing it the whole way back! Send the Tide away!"
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The clip-clopping of hooves and the jangling of tack and harness announce the arrival of Yargos Gill in an Absalom rent-a-carriage.
When he spies you and your prisoners and the large tome under your arm, he cheers. "Huzzah, Pathfinders! Well done."
The historian dismounts, takes the tome, and with your help uses the lamps in the Pyramid of the Dog to signal the Silent Tide's abort code.
With a delighted grin, Yargos Gill claps his hands together. "Let's turn these thugs in to the Watch and go celebrate at the Wounded Wisp!"
From the floor of the carriage, a hogtied Nessian sneers, "Pathfinders, eh? I'll get you someday, you meddling kids." His War Hounders remain forlorn and silent, waiting to speak to their court-appointed barrister. The hounds in their programmed tattoos have stopped their snarling and look like dogs that lost a bone.
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Though few will be aware of your bravery, you've stopped the Silent Tide and saved Absalom from a potentially devastating attack. Better still, you've brought Nessian and his War Hounders to justice.
You've earned the thanks of Yargos and his friends, and they ensure your reputation within the Puddles District is deservedly enhanced. Yargos will prove to be a friend and ally that you can rely upon in the future.
Finally, the information broker Grandmaster Torch may prove to be a valuable future business contact.
Only time will tell...
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"Oh right! Time for ale. I'm a fermented grapes person, myself. But Foremother did tell me to try everything." Dawn sheathes her falchion and prepares herself for a night in the urban city.
"Oh! That reminds me! I should talk to that acolyte of Abaddar. I thought up this monologue about how silly money is. I mean, I can eat the bread I bartered for, but can't eat money? What's the deal with that?"