The ooze seems to recoil from the flurry of blows the monk does, but remains intact. In response it unleashes a wave of filth and slime,
hitting everyone!
To add injury to insult, it slams into Anivash twice, though the pseudopod only connects with one of the hits.
Jean hisses through his teeth as the acid damages him. (-2)
He continues to perform .
He steps forward and attacks the ooze.
for .
[ooc]17 is a pretty high DC.
Ord shuffles back, pulls, and drinks a potion.
Nalshene pulls out an alchemist's fire and throws it at the ooze.
Nalshene casts telekinetic projectile and tosses a rock at the creature instead.
HP 9/20
AC 14, touch 13
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Spell points: 3/3
Effects: 1 persistent damage (DC 15)
Anivash, starting to look the worse for the wear as his wounds begin to accumulate, kicks again at the ooze, but the slime hampering him seems to throw off his aim badly.
Robert swings his sword at this ooze.
for and that was a miss.
You rain down blows on the ooze... kind of like the way debris is raining down on the floor! You do note that several blows which you almost could have sworn would have missed hit instead!
What it lacks in mobility the ooze makes up in resiliency as it takes an inhuman amount of damage, though you've seemed to have taken out an extreme amount of it's body mass.
Luckily the goblin scrambles out of the way! Unfortunately it is the ooze's turn, who slams into Robert repeatedly!
Jean continues to Inspire Courage, then strikes out at the ooze.
for
for
Again kicking at it as quickly as he can, Anivash continues his assault on the ooze, pounding away at it repeatedly.
Robert is feeling the pain from the oozes attacks. He swings once withnis sword, hoping to get in some good damage.
He swing hit, but then falls to the ground, gravely wounded.
HP 9/20
AC 14, touch 13
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Spell points: 3/3
Effects:
Nalshene tosses a rock telekinetically at the ooze this time.
[still no answer about how healing potions work. Will a minor elixirs of life or a minor healing potion fix persistent damage? This is third time I have asked. [/ooc]
Ord throws fire at the ooze before moving farther away.
vs TOC for
Grimkell moves to the side of the fallen fighter and calls on the healing power of his patron deity to restore the man to health, at least a little.
The ooze goes down in a splash glory! With the immediate threat gone, you can retreat to get out of the acid shower until the ceiling settles a bit.
Returning back to the main floor, you find areas where it doesn't look like the ooze has completely destroyed. The floor bears several bloodstains and a dribbled trail of blood leads up the staircase. You also find a small trunk.
place to live
Climbing the stairs, it is evident that there was a tremendous fight:
You find a club with strands of human hair on it.
undead creature—it is stuck directly to a bloodless piece of exposed bone.
You find a Holy Symbol discarded on the floor.
There are also small clouds of insects that hover in the air.
[spoiler=DC 12 Religion]You knows that the moths are sacred to Urgathoa, goddess of gluttony, disease, and undeath. The moths are indigenous on the Isle of Kortos, but their presence here seems like more than a coincidence
Finally, ascending the stairs you find what several of you expected given the gristly scene. Justerian’s body lies on the floor of the attic among abandoned furnishings, surrounded in a puddle of congealed blood.
Hmm...what's going on here.
"Looks like our unlucky friend was struck down by some clawed undead creatures."
Anivash nods, agreeing with Jean's observation.
"Pharasma has claimed him," Anivash says, his voice far more cheerful than might be expected at the sight of the murder.
"But we don't know who sent him to her. Why would an undead creature be interested in a former slave?"
"Ah, the blood rose..I'm afraid we're dealing with a cult of Asmodean necromancers!
Poor fool, he must have signed away his soul to them in some infernal bargain. I've seen it a hundred times."
Jean shakes his head, sadly.
Robert looks at Grim Many thanks. We beat them.
listening to Jean, Necromancers are no good. always late on tab payment.
When you return to Dahlia, she is devastated to learn of her friend’s death but grateful to you for investigating. She asks you if they found any clues about the killer.
When you return, Ambrus Valsin listens intently to your report about your findings, and then he thanks you for your investigation. This information leaves him even more concerns about the fate of Nelfurhin Zor and he asks you to continue searching for more answers.
Ord points out the moths as corpse flies, which are drawn to meat and rotting corpses, and also that the other insects are death’s-head moths. The moths, he says, are sacred to Urgathoa, goddess of gluttony, disease, and undeath. They're indigenous on the Isle of Kortos, but their presence here seems like more than a coincidence.
He also says the wounds that cover the body and caused his death came from claws.
The dwarf points out that the symbol is in fact Milani's, not Asmodeus'.
"That's about as different as you can be, lad," he says.
Anivash agrees that they will continue to try to find those sending people to Pharasma's loving embrace.
"Do you have any other ideas where we should head next? Are there any hints of Urgathoan cults in the city?"
No one has head of outbreaks of Urgathoan cults; although technically legal to worship it is certainly frowned upon.
When you return to Dahlia, she is devastated to learn of her friend’s death but grateful to you for investigating. She asks you if you found any clues about the killer.
When you return, Ambrus Valsin listens intently to your report about your findings, and then he thanks you for your investigation. This information leaves him even more concerns about the fate of Nelfurhin Zor and he asks you to continue searching for more answers.
---
The following day, you receive letters from Ambrus Valsin instructing your group to find the Sanguine Thorn and search it for clues. You should be able to quickly travel to the Precipice Quarter and arrive at the address provided by Ambrus.
Your information has led me to conclude that the Rose Street victims were all former slaves, somehow connected to the church of Milani. I’ve determined that when the victims were freed, each was hidden in the same safe house, a tavern called the Sanguine Thorn. But that seems unlikely, as multiple accounts report that the earthquake destroyed it decades ago. Go to the tavern’s address in the Precipice Quarter. If it’s somehow standing, search for information that can help us stop this murderer or find our missing Pathfinder, Nelfurhin Zor, before it’s too late
On the way, members of Absalom’s Post Guard warn the party that the entrance gates to the Precipice Quarter remain closed between dusk and dawn, no matter who asks to be let past. Then you proceed to the adress provided.
Through a shroud of heavy fog, the twisted silhouettes of ruined structures loom over the broken cobblestone path. What was once the corner of an intersection is now an imposing chasm. The mouth of the crater is large enough to have swallowed a colossal beast, but mist, detritus, and darkness obscure the bottom. Numerous shards of stone and debris jut out from the inner walls as if the cavernous hole is baring its teeth all the way down.
If you decide to climb down, the rocks and debris protruding from the inner walls provide several footholds and handholds.
"I'm not much of a climber, my friends. Perhaps some help?"
Jean, distracted by the fear of an imminent tumble, quietly contemplates his own mortality.
"I have a climbing kit," Anivash says, pulling it out, but I don't think there's enough for everyone.
Once the others are ready, he shudders and then begins to descend into the cave-like area.
This will not collapse on us. We are in a city, and the darkness will not claim us here.
Still, his climb is fraught with tension and he nearly falls twice before descending.
This satchel includes 50 feet of hemp rope, some pulleys, a dozen pitons, a hammer, a grappling hook, and one set of crampons. Climbing kits allow you to attach yourself to the wall you’re climbing, moving half as quickly as usual (minimum 5 feet) but letting you attempt a DC 5 flat check whenever you critically fail to prevent a fall. You gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks to Climb while utilizing an expert climbing kit. A single kit has only enough materials for one climber; each climber needs their own kit.
Grim points out the symbol carved in the sign of the Sanguine Thorn. It depicts a bleeding rose. "This is the symbol of the goddess Milani. She is the patron of uprisings, hope, and devotion."
Grimkell's climbing skills are not up to par, and while he doesn't fall, he doesn't exactly make great progress either. He quickly turns to climbing rope to make the descent, tying knots in it a intervals to make hand and foot holds.
Ord tries to scamper down the rope. After a few false starts he finally pulls it off.
It isn't the most graceful display, but slowly and with the help of Anivash's climbing kit you slowly descend into the pit.
Through the fog that settles in the pit, you see broken bedrock, hunks of wattle, and splintered lumber—all lightly dusted with sea salt—sink into the mud. The lurching profile of a bowed and broken structure stands here, its walls little more than rows of warped timbers, covered in withered vines, that converge at strange angles. The door on this side of the wall is missing from its frame.
Jean will cast light and will be searching for signs of trouble as we go.
Anivash moves cautiously, looking around for any signs of collapse or other trouble ... but mostly collapse.
Grimkell will look for any signs of foot traffic down here. If the missing Pathfinder was taken this way, those who have me must have left a sign.
Scouting the exterior of the building, you note several things. The obvious entrance is the visible door , but a cursory look reveals that it is stuck. You can force it open but your keen eyes detect that could likely bring the overhang down on anyone standing there would be showered by some debris.
You also notice that there appears to be another entrance on the west side of the building hidden by vines and muck.
How do you proceed?
"Looks like we're not going that way... through the entrance over here, to the West?"
Anivash nods and moves toward the other entrance; he continues to look up and over his shoulder, concerned the whole area may trap them all.
"Yes, let's try the side entrance."
Robert tries to sneak a peak through a window,
Upon looking through the window, he notices that the curtain is drawn. He slowly returns to the group.
Ord nods, agreeing to go either way. He readies an alchemical.
As you get closer to the side entrance, a few of the keen eyed members of the group note that the area in front of the side entrance isn't solid ground; deep mud covers several feet to each side.
That looks like dangerous ground there. I vote for a frontal assault.
Anivash nods, looking back over his shoulder once again.
"Maybe we can use a rope to pull the door open, so no one is under it if it falls?" he suggests. "Of course, my only rope is our way out of here, so if anyone else has some?"
"Are there boards around, or other debris? We could place it over the mud and use the side door."
I'd rather not have this place come down around my ears.