Watkin's aim is true and his arrow slams into the cleric of Groetus with a grunt of acknowledgement. Both of Velen's attack connect as well, piling on the damage.
Dalirio thrashes about, biting and scratching at Velen but in his feral state is unable to connect with a single attack.
The second encounter with Dalirio Teppish seems to go much smoother than the first. The cleric takes Watkin's second arrow in the chest and flops down into the grease pile below him.
With the threats tharted, you are clear to search the room. Perception check reveals a false bottom in the top drawer of the desk at the south end of the room. Inside the compartment, manuscripts describe two sinister plans: the first details Dalirio’s desire to create small bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir, and the second talks of a derro plan to use secret tunnels to infiltrate a major Cassomir building and kidnap everyone inside.
Should you decide to take these plans to the authorities now, you receive plenty of assurances that it’ll be looked into, but nothing is done about it.
You also find a hidden switch beneath the floor under Dalirio’s desk—pulling that switch rotates the entire room 90 degrees counterclockwise, effectively sealing the door to area you just came from (as it now faces a blank wall) and opening a new door in the east wall that leads into the Ismacco tunnel system.
A chest under the desk contains several Cassomir trade bars worth gold.
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With Dalirio defeated, you thwart his plans to send bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir. The surviving engineers and other kidnapping victims praise you all for your timely intervention though are quite unhappy about the way they were escorted from the crypt, complaining about one particular fighter's attitude.
Hestia becomes worried about the uncovered plot to infiltrate a Cassomir building and make off with all of its inhabitants. She warns Cassomir’s officials about the tunnel system but is unable to provoke any satisfying responses from them. The authorities, in essence, either think the claims are false or simply can’t cut though the bureaucracy to make anything happen about the matter.
Deep under Cassomir, within the maze-like town of Corgunbier, the derros plot their next move. Thanks to Dalirio, they now have a map detailing the intricate Ismacco tunnel system that hides under Old Cassomir. Quietly, the derros explore these tunnels, biding their time until they are ready to hatch their final plan...
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Grethe stares blankly unable to participate in the remainder of the battle. He watches as his new friends quickly dispatch of the threat. After a few moments, the paralysis wears off.
Whoooooooooa!!! Good show comrades! I'll gladly hunt with you all again! Time for some drink now yes?!
Grethe is pleased with his party and wishes to continue further with them.
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Jeffrey puts his warhammer away and nods at Grethe. "Yes, let's get something to drink before we look into the plans we found."
It doesn't seem to bother Jeffrey when the news of the unhappy engineers reaches his ears. Instead, he smiles even more brightly than usual. "At least they're free now! That was the job."
With Dalirio defeated, the party has thwarted his plans to send bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir. The surviving engineers and other kidnapping victims praise the party for your timely intervention. Hestia becomes worried about the uncovered plot to infiltrate a Cassomir building and make off with all of its inhabitants. She warns Cassomir’s officials about the tunnel system but is unable to provoke any satisfying responses from them. The authorities, in essence, either think the claims are false or simply can’t cut though the bureaucracy to make anything happen about the matter.
Weeks later, Hestia's concerns materialize......
Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, a woman of small stature, but great importance within Cassomir, sweeps locks of thick, raven hair away from her face. As she starts to speak, shrill horns bellow an alarm. Hestia pauses for the signal to quiet, and as the trumpeting ring fades, her booming voice continues.
“Colleagues, the city of Cassomir declared a state of emergency this morning. Late last night, a swarm of rats poured into Cassomir’s streets, spilling from every sewer grate within the Old Cassomir district. As the city guards dealt with this infestation, a large assault force of derros penetrated Swift Prison. Within a few hours, the derros emptied the Swift, and marched their new slaves into the Darklands. Normally we defer incidents like this to the authorities, but I offered our assistance. There’s an item of interest, a church bell called the Bell of Obedience, that may reside in Swift Prison’s chapel. We want to catalogue it and may never have another opportunity to explore the Swift unsupervised." She pauses, letting the information sink in.
"While investigating the derro invasion, head to the chapel and inspect the bell. If possible, I want you to determine whether the Chapel’s bell is in fact the legendary Bell of Obedience without taking it from the prison. Cassomir’s constabulary is as of this moment fighting Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm devotees at the south entrance to the prison. The constabulary agreed to distract the cultists there so that you might approach the Swift from its north side and enter the prison from the south gate behind the cultists.”
At that moment, a teenage boy enters through the Cassomir Lodge’s front door and Themis gestures him over. “This is Nefti—I believe some of you may know him already. Though he works with the Aspis Consortium, he helped us rescue a fellow Pathfinder when this derro business began. It seems Nefti happened to be serving a debtor’s term inside the Swift when the abductions took place. For his testimony to last night’s events we secured his release. He agreed to escort you to a spot north of the Swift where he will tell you all he knows. Any questions?”
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"Ah, Venture Captain. It seems that you were right to concur with Alrathien's supposition that further danger from the derros was forthcoming. How prescient of you! As for now, how will Alrathien and his compatriots know that the bell is the one you seek? Is there perhaps a name inscribed on it? Or a catalog number? It would be most convenient if such was the case."
"Also, other than using the prison assault as a premise to inspect the bell, is there any particular reason you want Alrathien to pursue the derros? Alrathien is quite capable of standing off armies of weak-willed derro, of course, but his companions, especially Jeffery - please forgive Alrathien for the social faux pas, but really he does get in quite over his head sometimes - may not find it as straigthforward a matter."
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Jeffrey smiles his usual big smile at the Venture-Captain. "How'd we recognize this Bell of Obedience, raven hair?"
He turns to Alrathien when he notices a flood of words coming from the elf's mouth. Though Jeffrey doesn't really pay any attention to what Alrathien says. "You got verbal diarrhea again, mate? Bwahaha!"
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Grethe listens intently to The VC and alrathien talk. When he hears Jeffrey say "verbal dairreah" he quickly shushes Jeffrey. shhhhhh! I'm tryin to listen to dis
He continues to try to remain focused. And mumbles a bit out loud. ok, we go to da north, but we enter from da south? And we look for a bell, but how we know if it be da right bell? Ahhhhhhhh I needs another drink!
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Velen.. or someone claiming to be Velen Rixio, despite looking rather more orcish than the Velen that the party knew before, and substantially better outfitted, grunts.
"Do you expect only cultists to resist our field trip to this bell, or some of their pet freaks also? Should we go after the derros, or report back immediately about the bell?"
After a moment of polishing his dagger, he looks up and narrows his eyes.
"Did any news ever turn up about how Dalirio turned those prisoners undead, or went all ghoulie himself? Some item or artifact? Or still a mystery?"
"I'm told that the bell of obedience radiates strong arcane power from the school of enchantment. This bell dates back to the time of old Azlant, it is rumored to make those who hear its clear ring susceptible to suggestion."
"I would be prepared for them to resist, I'm not saying they will, but be prepared for that possibility. The derros are your main objective, but we can't lose this opportunity for the bell. I leave it up to your to determine depending on your situation at the time, I trust your judgement."
"The situation with Dalirio is quite odd indeed. It is our opinion that there is another party involved, perhaps the derros themselves. We do not have enough information on the matter, but we hope that this is the end of it."
With their preparations complete, the party takes their chatter outside and toward Swift prison. Nefti deftly navigates Cassomir's streets avoiding the worst of the streets packed with panicking citizens, the patrols of guards trying desperately to restore order, and the military force battling pockets of cultists across the city.
Within half an hour, the party is near the prison having approached from the north side. Nefti gestures at the towering walls of Swift Prison and the ramshackle buildings that make up the rest of the prison’s grounds. “This is as far as I go. Beyond the Swift’s thick gates, the Ismacco tunnels await. Deep below the keep, within the sewers, the derros are marching the guards and prisoners into the depths of Golarion. Be careful, several of those Nature’s Cataclysm freaks still roam the Swift’s grounds.”
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Alrathien was already keenly listening as the Venture Captain spoke, but his attention grew sharply focused as he found out the bell was an object of the Enchantment school, his specialty.
"Oh ho! Lucky it is for the Venture Captain that Alrathien is here to lead this particular mission. Enchantment magics take a special sort of mind to work with, and none is more special than Alrathien. These fine friends of Alrathien's will also serve their part well, most assuredly."
Nefti nods silently. The boy waits for your departure as you head off he waves with a hushed, "Good luck."
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"Well, there are approximately 2.3 million permutations, at least four thousand of which would be considered "better", but really that just gets into the pedantic fairy dust wrangling of the definitions of optimal, and there are likely a dozen ways to calculate the best path using arithmancy, but truly Alrathien's friends have been fairly successfully using brute force approaches, so who is he to go against both tradition and empirical results?"
Watkins outlines the path and the party sets off behind him. About forty feet into their path ...
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Alrathien continued to explain to Jeffrey about arithmancy, and how complex calculations actually can be affected not only by the magic of statistics, but also in the unmeasurable interactions of sub-arcanum particles. "As you can see from the theory, it is actually impossible to know, without a shadow of a doubt, the exact state of these particles without magical measurement, and the very act of measurement affects the outcome. It's why most weather mages go mad and just start throwing tornadoes and hurricanes around. Fascinating, really."
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Velen quickly and quietly silences each of his companions, in the case of Alrathien, clamping on strong, scarred hand across his mouth, and signals that there is someone around the corner.
He draws his rapiers and attempts to peer quietly around the edge the building, grimacing as his assortment of sheathed weapons clank against the building.
I knew I should've spent more time practicing with all this new equipment. Maybe I should've just stuck with the short swords.
The clang of Velen's armor against the building alerts some rats nearby which start to shriek noisily. The chattering among the people instantly ceases. When Velen peers around the corner he's greeted with two people dressed in the same attire as previous members of the Nature's Cataclysm cult. Equipped with clubs they prepare for combat.
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Hearing Velen's clank, Grethe wastes no time doing what he does.
Its go time Jeffrey! RAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!
Grethe lets out a loud roar and rushes through the team, and enemies like a mack truck, not stopping until he reaches just past orange. Once he gets there he stops hard and does a spinning swipe back to the orange mob now behind him, using his huge ass greatsword.
At the end of Grethe's roar, all you hear is a hollowing clunks of a head as it falls and bounces to the ground, shortly after followed by the familiar plop of a now decapitated body.
Move: Move south 20'
Action: Attack orange, no rage, + power attack
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Alrathien moved forward, out of the shadow of an overhanging roof, coming down the alley to see the ones that Grethe was confronting.
"Ah, it seems that friend Grethe has rushed forward and in his haste to improve our position, has engaged more of the Nature's Cataclysm cultists. Perhaps friend Jeffery can assist? Alrathien will remain here and point out the obvious flaws in their defense. For instance, the dark-haired one looks as if he doesn't realize that he is effectively - or not - trying to block a greatsword with what amounts to a thick stick. Seriously, man, do you not know the relative hardness coefficients of folded steel and ... is that birch?"
Grethe's "power attack" lives up it's name quite literally as he dispatches one of the cultist in a matter of seconds.
Bewildered by the sudden onslaught and loss of his companion, the remaining cultist turns to Alrathien with his jaw hanging open. Clearly confused he looks down at his club with growing concern.
The cultist looks down at Alrathien and down at his club. The brainwashing pregame speech rings in his mind. To the death! At all costs, TO THE DEATH!
He grimaces and raises his club menacingly. As much as one can menace a club against six heavily armed defenders who just beheaded somone that is.
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"Alrathien thinks that you should reconsider. One more chance you have before all that you are is a spreading red pool upon the ground. All your dreams, all your victories, all your hopes spilled in a sticky red liquid that only the dogs will care to deal with. Memory fade, those that once knew you will forget, even your family - if you still have any - will cease wondering what happened to you. No cabal is worth that, surely."
The cultist turns back to Alrathien and screams, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? YOU DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!!"
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Kimiya appreciates Alrathien's patter for once, as it allows him to reach out and assist the cultist to the ground, gently of course. He whips the naginata around Jeffrey staring at his newly gauntleted hand and sweeps the cultist's feet out from under him. He nods and stands upright again, "there we go."
The party quickly dispatches the of cultist (threat?).
The party continues on their path to the prison and by time they get there the constabulary has secured the southern end of the prison and has killed and captured the remaining cultists. Proceeding from the northern grounds to the main entrance of the prison and keeping to the south after their encounter, they find the constables guarding the prison’s entrance and waiting for their arrival.
Nearby, a handful of ragged and injured cultists are in manacles and seated against the wall. A cleric tends to wounded constables. The uninjured constables are relieved to see the party and let them into the prison without question, though with words of encouragement.
Two features dominate Swift Prison’s interior: the Greedy Narses and the prison’s main keep. The Greedy Narses is a large wooden building on the southern border of Swift Prison through which all prisoners or visitors must pass to reach the keep. The many cells lining this building’s southern facade serve as “beggar’s boxes” that provide a chance for the Swift’s unskilled residents to earn some coin. Other than the decorated front, and the gilded statue in the square, this building is quite plain.
The keep is three stories tall and once contained several holding cells, but as you pass through the entryway you see that the cell’s iron bars have all been removed somehow with reddish orange flakes and powder everywhere they should be. The keep’s ceilings are all 9 feet tall and the entire structure is littered with broken furniture and shattered storage containers. Having seen the place neat and orderly and bustling with activity, the sight of it all a sundered, chaotic mess and deathly silent is something of a shock.
B1: Indoor Market
Many market stalls lie shattered across the paved floor. Wood splinters and papers litter the room.
B2: Mess Hall
This 30-foot-by-35-foot room houses the prison’s mess hall. It contains several enormous wooden tables, stained by years of use and abuse. The room smells musty and rotten.
B3: Kitchen
This large kitchen holds culinary equipment needed to serve a large number of prisoners. Several dead prison cooks lie here, their bodies slashed and stabbed repeatedly.
B4: Beggar’s Boxes
These twin corridors hold many small rooms that look out through rusted bars out onto the small square in front of the prison. At the base of each set of exterior bars, a box with a slot for coins sits on the ground. There are 12 small rooms in total. Each wooden box has been smashed to bits and most of the coins are gone.
B5: Swift Chapel
This 50-foot-by-35 foot room contains the recognizable trappings of a chapel. An altar dedicated to Abadar rests upon a raised section near the northern wall. The chapel holds the supposed bell of obedience.
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Whoa! Look at dis place! Wut a mess!
Grethes voice is booming, much louder than needs to be for an area such as this.
Grethe follows Velen in but then adjusts his path.
Leave no stone unturned dey say! I go check dis out over here
Grethe heads to the northern beggars boxes with his sword drawn and looks for anything out of the ordinary in each and every one of them.
Box1:
Box2:
Box3:
Box4:
Box5:
Box6:
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Alrathien wasn't interested in the shattered furniture or coin boxes. What caught his eye was the rusted bars. There were a few spells that could create such an effect, and a few...well, natural wasn't the word, but there were creatures like rust monsters that could do such a thing. He thought about what he had seen for a few moments, trying to organize his thoughts.