Linnea moves up, uncoiling her whip. She flicks her wrist and the whip sails out, wrapping around the thugs ankle. With a quick tug, she brings the man down to the ground. He fall hard onto the greasy, bloody floor.
Zynep moves up into a corner of crates, sending more divine luck to Varg.
|
"Just keep pretending she's Mama; Mama's not scary and confusing to talk to." Ernest keeps up his "talk to ladies coherently" technique as he thinks up a plan.
Still invisible but very loud, he yells out as well. "Snouts! Sniff for another guy for treats! Make loud noises if you smell him!" Snouts (whom should be by Linnea) uses his Scent ability to automatically detect for more smells and readies to go bananas if a new challenger enters his scent range.
The party hears the disembodied voice of Ernest yell out to Snouts and the pig begins snuffling along the crates and ground near Ernest.
The thug on the ground stands up and moves toward Linnea, brandishing his cutlass.
The other thug is nowhere to be seen nor heard.
|
|
Ernest takes out the Focus for the "Kalthet Instant Hole" spell and ready to cast it, should the eastern doors mysteriously open up due to some invisible jerk.
Snouts continues to sniff, in promise of food.
Ernest readies a spell while surveying the warehouse from his vantage.
Varg deals the thug a mighty blow, nearly severing his arm, but the man still stands.
Linnea lashes out at the thug. Her whip curls across his torso, ripping away skin. He crumples to the ground in a heap.
Zynep begins to walk the warehouse, searching for the missing grunt.
Suddenly, a crate above Varg tilts and falls toward the barbarian.
The crate crashes onto Varg, knocking him to the ground.
|
|
In the 2X2 squares behind where the boxes fell, casting Create Pit in the area for maximum crate hijinks.
In short, if anyone's in those squares, DC 19 to not fall in and (s)he can move to a safer location. At the end of a creature's turn, if they're on the edge of the pit, they get a Reflex to not fall in (with a bonus +2 to the save.) Note that since the edges of the 10-ft area would be harmful, so I am centering it so that prone Varg isn't included in such an area. Essentially, the 2 squares to Ernest's starting position's northeast are the bottom left and top right squares of the effect.
Ernest then Shifts away from his sniper position, knowing full well that he will usually fall into his own pits as the crate he was sitting on begin to slide down the sloped edges.
Varg screams angry words at the invisible man.
Quickly calculating where someone would have to be if they pushed the crate on Varg, invisible Ernest sets off his readied spell. A ten foot square pit forms north east of the wizard just as he blinks away to another part of the warehouse.
There is a loud cry of surprise as the invisible man apparently falls into the newly created pit. The party hears a series of cries of pain as teetering crates cascade into the pit.
As the last crate falls, the party hear another cry of pain, then a resigned voice say, "Alright, mercy. Have mercy on me!
|
Varg works his way to the pit edge. He peers inside.
Alright, time to talk, scum.
He turns to Zynep.
Care to interrogate, Mi'Lady?
He stands with his Axe still dripping blood, and awaiting Zynep's questioning. he whispers over his shoulder to Ernest.
Nice trick, Ernest. Thanks fer not droppin' me in.
|
|
Varg works his way to the pit edge. He peers inside.
Invisible Ernest doth protest at this. "Whoa, Cleave! Don't stand near the edge! It's slipperier than it looks, and it hurts hitting the bottom; trust me on that. It'll be up in about half a minute"
After about 18 seconds passes, the floor rises up to its normal level, spilling boxes everywhere.
|
"Thank you, darling. Hello Mr. Pirate. It is smart of you to talk to us. That means I can hold Cleaver's axe here at bay. Mercy will depend on what you tell us. We understand you've been dealing in human trafiking. Women and slaves, I understand. That is just good business. But now I hear you've been dealing in smart old men. Not a good idea. We would like you to tell us where this scholar was taken and under whose order."
While Zynep speaks calmly through her thick Varsian accent, she strokes and twists her whip in a familar pattern.
Ok, ok, I'll tell you everything. As the pirate's invisibility wears off, he proceeds to tell you what he knows. (Which is everything you know already about Alejia.) He also tells you that the has been a local crime lord stopping by the warehouse trying to extort more protection money, but he doesn't know the man's names. (Basically he's got nothing for you.)
As Ernest and Snouts nose around the warehouse they find three acid flasks, one masterwork longsword , and a full box of six tar bombs among the crates. They also uncover a secret compartment in the warehouse floor in which the smuggler’s have hidden a crate of ornate silk flags worth 100 gp.
They also stumble across the unconscious form of a human woman.
|
|
Snouts begins to freak out, as per snack-related orders. Dropping the pig, Ernest yells back to the party. "G-guys? L-... Lin? ... Mama? Th-th-th-th-th LADY BACK HERE!" Ernest starts to sound very panicked. "I-I-I don't think she's dead, but she might be. I'm not sure because if I touch her, I might mess something up and then people might think things if she is dead. Oh gods! That's what Mom always said about touching ladies! Everyone will say things and hate me and people will die an-" Ernest continues his stream of dialogue until stopped.
Snouts, however, just keeps making a lot of noise while dancing around in place.
|
|
"Hmmm, darling, what you told us is quite worthless. That is the same for your life. Ernest, show me to this woman. Varg, take care of the pirate."
Zynep will walk over to the unconscious woman and will quickly check her vital signs.
Zynep waits for Varg to finish his business with the pirate. She then bids him to come over to take part of the healing circle, excluding pirates if they are within range.
Zynep checks the woman and finds that she is only wounded. Channeling healing energy to party and the woman, the unconscious woman comes too.
Wh..who are you? Where are the pirates? Have you rescued me? Thank you my name is Iatha Oedricius.
|
Linnea's eyes widen at the name the captured woman has given.
"Professor Oedricius! I am so relieved that you are alive. Major Maldris has asked me to see to your safety. I am Linnea and we are indeed Pathfinders and we could very much use any information you could provide us about your captors." She puts her hand on Iatha's shoulder.
Linnea quickly turns to Varg. "Hold your axe, please Varg. I ask that we deliver this wretched man to the proper authorities."
|
|
"All I ask is that we hand him over to whatever passes for the law here in Riddleport. I imagine the Riddleport authorities are not any happier tjan the Society about what Alejia has been up to. I wouldn't be surprised if this fellow meets an unhappy ending while under care of the law. But please, let our business with this man end without further bloodshed."
"Did that crate hurt that much Varg? I can't imagine a tough guy like getting worked up over a little box falling on you." She gives a wink.
The woman describes the Lionfish in detail, but refuses to accompany the party to the docks. She only wants to get to the Cypher Lodge. (Once again, she has no more new info than what you got from Gather Info).
Linnea, with the help of the party, tie up the final thug and is able to flag down a city watchman and put the thug in his custody.
|
|
The gathering of what is probably a bunch of cursed items and/or faction missions (in addition to the pondering of whether Zynep meant Professor Snouts or Ernest to be this Professor Pimp) is not enough to distract his thoughts from wandering too far for the social amateur. He sputters a bit and as if it weren't too obvious already, he unpacks carries it in front of his waist.
Snouts remained unphased, as he has not been repaid for finding this woman.
Varg packs away the flags and the party heads off to the docks. As the party walks down a relatively quiet part of the docks, Ernest and Linnea notice that the party is being followed a man with dog. About the time they begin to tell Zynep and Varg, another man and dog steps into the path of the party. Their they are! says the man who is apparently the leader. (bottom one) We've been sent by Boss Croat to you a lesson. Then you gots to go back and tells Aleija that she can't avoid our fees anymore!
Linnea begins an inspiring tale for her party.
Ernest casts a spell and the ground slickens underneath the man and dog to the south.
The man falls to the ground with a curse, while his dog keeps it's footing.
The man and his dog behind the party (to the north) move in to engage the party. The man barking an order to the dog.
The man hits the wizard with his sap, while the dog bites Linnea, savaging her leg.
The leader picks himself up off the ground and moves out of the grease slick while ordering his dog to attack Varg.
The dog lunges at Varg, but misses as the barbarian dodges the canine.
|
|
Ernest, despite getting sapped, focuses his panicked attention on the dog eating Linnea. He draws a wand, and points it at dog, firing off an arcane bolt.
He then asks aloud, "Li--Lin! You want my spot?" If she responds that she does, he will Shift (Su, not SP) onto the boxes two squares west. Otherwise, maintain placement.