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You are led through the Great Hall of Skyreach past a large table with a shifting illusionary Inner Sea map on its massive surface. Standing around the Hall are dozens of pathfinders of various races exchanging stories of their exploits. You are directed towards a smaller meeting room, past an ornate fountain with crystal clear water. You can feel the chill from the cascading droplets as some splash you on their decent to the pool.
The placard before the room reads, “The Pipeweed Nook”. Opening the door you see a long table, chairs, and an imposing looking man sitting before a fireplace. He taps the ashes from his mahogany pipe into his palm and then throws them onto the flames. He smiles.
“Welcome initiates, “he says in a friendly, laid-back manner. “I am pleased you could come so soon. I am Venture Captain Adril Hestram, and I have a task for you. Recently an earthquake struck the city, costing countless gold in damages as you can imagine. But it also caused a sealed siege tower from one of Absalom’s many, past, would-be-conquerors, to crack open like an egg.
“Word on the street is that no one has yet searched ‘the Fallen Fortress’, as the locals are calling it. However, against my commands, a young Pathfinder like yourselves, named Balenar Forsend, set off to explore the ruins alone. Now he is missing.
“While I applaud Balenar’s intentions, by going off against my words, he has violated the Pathfinder Oath, to explore, cooperate, and report. Hopefully he is still alive to full fill the last part of that oath.”
He clears his throat and stands, handing over a map of the Cairnlands marked with the location of this ‘Fallen Fortress’.
“Don’t forget initiates, during your explorations, keep your eyes peeled for anything that could be of interest to the society, especially historical or religious artifacts. Good luck to you all."
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An elf walks in just before Hestram gives his speech. He has a katana at his side, dressed in black studded leather armor over green clothing. "Hello all. I'm Laureglyn and I, too, am agreed. We need to get to this fallen tower, rescue the errant Pathfinder and liberate anything of interest to the Society before others start picking over the remains of the building. I'm ready to leave whenever you all are."
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You immediately leave Skyreach and arrive in the Cairnlands by noon. As you follow the directions on your map, you see the tower off on the horizon. The ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower’s walls. The tower is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air. Only the topmost level seems whole, though its eastern portion hangs precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse. At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower’s darkened interior.
As you approach the tower you see 3 dogs fighting over the remains of a rabbit. They sniff the air, smelling your presence, and give you a menacing growl as they look your way.
ROUND 1
Torrel
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Dogs
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Vulen
Laureglyn
Goran
Terril
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Torrel gives a small blessing to Terril, while readying his weapon. Two of the dogs bear their teeth and try to charge at the group. But the scattered pieces of the fallen wall make it difficult for them to get far and one almost manages to break a leg. The smallest dog sees its opportunity at a meal and tears off a leg from the rabbit.
ROUND 1
Torrel
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Dogs
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Vulen
Laureglyn
Goran
Terril
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Vulen gives his tiger the strength to tear a chunk out of the dog's leg, leaving it bleeding profusely and barely standing.
ROUND 1
Torrel
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Red (-5), Blue, Green
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Vulen
Laureglyn
Goran
Terril
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Terril cuts the head clean off one of the dogs with his blade while Laureglyn manages to finish off the already wounded one.
ROUND 1/2
Torrel
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Blue
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Vulen
Laureglyn
Goran
Terril
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Seeing his fellow dogs easily cut down, the last dog runs off with the remains of the kill hanging in its jaws.
Out of Combat!
The tower standing before you is over 80 feet tall and its exterior walls are amazingly smooth. The ragged remains of the collapsed east wing wall are strewn about. You see 2 entrances to the tower on the ground level, one each to the north and south of the collpased wing.
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The northern wing of the tower seems to have escaped the worst effects of the collapse, but rubble still litters the floor and everything is covered in a thick layer of stone dust. Thick cobwebs cloak the ceiling and hang down the walls like gossamer tapestries. A single archway stands open in the southwest wall.
As you enter the room, you notice the ceiling and walls are covered in large spider webs. A funnel shaped nest hangs 10 feet above the floor and a human sized spider emerges, hungry for prey. It immediatly shoots a sticky blast of web at Goran.
ROUND 1
Torrel (Surprise round action)
Vulen
Goran (Entangled)
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Spider
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Torrel
Laureglyn
Terril
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Vulen will move up and draw his branched spear. 15 ft away. My tiger will move up to opposite side and ready the flank
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Torrel prepares to strike from range, while Vulen and his tiger move up in a pincer move. Goran tries to break free from the sticky web but no luck!
The spider climbs down further on it's web until it's just in range of the struggling Goran. It tries to bite him but it's fangs can't penetrate his thick armor.
ROUND 1
Vulen
Goran (Entangled)
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Spider
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Torrel
Laureglyn
Terril
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Torrel misses wildly with his sling, while Laureglyn gets into position to attack. Terril's nodachi manages to connect and slices off 2 legs of the spider, but it still manages to stay up.
ROUND 1
Vulen
Goran (Entangled)
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Spider (-12)
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Torrel
Laureglyn
Terril
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Vulens spear pierces the creatures thorax and puts it down while his tiger tears about the remains for good measure. Goran manages to free himself just as the spiders legs stop twitching.
Out of combat!
A small cocoon hangs in the webs, holding the remains of an unfortunate dog that fell into the spider’s clutches. The desiccated carcass is still wearing its leather collar, which is studded with lapis lazuli stones and has a silver tag reading “Kita.”
As you explore the first floor further, you find the tower’s west wing is mostly choked with rubble, but a door in the eastern wall is still accessible. The door leads to a stone spiral staircase that runs through the center of the tower. Unfortunately, the stairway is also blocked with fallen rubble. The southern wing is almost entirely full of rubble and can't even be passed through.