dirty...I had a bath just last summer.
I'm pretty sure getting caught in a rainstorm doesn't count.
The cellblock floor is made of the same solid stonework as the rest of this place.
The door at the top of the steps leads to a circular room with a basin of water in it. There are runes carved into the lip of the basin that once again are unintelligible. This room has another door opposite where your group entered which leads to a circular stairway going up. Unfortunately, like the stairs going down, this flight is hopelessly buried in rubble.
Back to the intersection. It must still be early in the day. We'll try the other branch for a while.
The group makes its way back to the ruins entrance and on to the tunnel intersection. You stand in the flickering lamplight for a moment to reorient yourself. A left turn will take you further up the original passage which runs roughly north. A right turn takes you back towards the glassworks basement, to the guards posted at the first intersection.
I'm good to go that way
Did we actually get a look at the end of 4,20 to see that it doesn't continue any further that way? If not, let's check that out.
Yod, he actually has us farther out than that. We're off the bottom left corner of this map. When we came in the tunnels, we came first to a fork where we left Hegred's men. We went straight and left the right (East) fork unexplored. We then came to another intersection with a path that veered West. We waited while you explored it. You came to another intersection with a path/room to the right. This room is the kidney shaped room on the bottom of the map where you killed the first freak. From there, we explored the rest of this area. Now, we're standing back on the main Northeast trail at the second intersection. Hegred's men are to our right and we're heading left. Make sense...I had to reread half of our adventure to figure this out.
Works for me, just point me down a dark dank tunnel of off I'll slink
The left hand tunnel slopes down gently as it twists its way into the earth. Despite this, the air gets progressively fresher the farther you go. It finally comes to an end where the tunnel tapers to a waist-high ceiling. Beyond this short constriction is daylight and the muted echoes of sea surf. Apparently you have found the ocean.
I walk out to the edge and get a view of the surrounding water and rocks. Does it look like there is a way down? What's below us?
Once you've squeezed through the narrow spot you emerge in a small sea-side cave. You make your way to the mouth and look out to get your bearings. The cave is actually at the base of the cliffs on the north side of Sandpoint. It's a grey morning with showers visible in several directions. Behind you, the cliffs rise a hundred feet into the air. The Old Light towers over your left shoulder and chopper's Isle is immediately in front of you.
Looking back at the cave mouth, it's easy to see why the cave's existence is not common knowledge. For one thing, many people consider this narrow stretch of beach to be haunted - probably because of the proximity to Chopper's Isle. Secondly, the cave mouth itself is well hidden by a very ancient looking rock fall.
In the sand at your feet are many old tracks that have been obscured by the light rain that's been falling for the last day. Down the beach to your right, all kinds of debris litters the strand. Broken furniture, part of an old shed, and just about any other kind of bulk refuse you can think of lies half-buried in the surf. Apparently someone up above uses this beach to dump junk.
The tracks are definitely goblin tracks, and they go every which way. There are also marks in the sand showing where junk has been dug out and dragged away. There's apparently been some pretty significant goblin activity around this cave and the impromptu junkyard littering the beach here. The tracks get lost in the tide surge further up the beach.
Can we get onto Chopper's Island by land or would we have to cross the water? Can we tell anything about the level of the water and the tide?
The tide is out, meaning there is a strip of beach that connects the Sandpoint peninsula to Chopper's Island. When the tide come in, the two are separated by a shallow and dangerous pass of water. So right now you could walk over to Chopper's Isle if you wish.
None of the tracks lead off that way, however. The tracks uniformly trail off to the east before they are erased by the last high water mark. Looking it over, you think at high tide most of the beach to your east probably disappears.
That means they probably come and go by boat. Can I tell if any of the tracks were made in the last few hours?
They weren't. They're older than that. You cannot tell how old.
"Looks like this is where the orcs land the boats and enter beneath the city. I can't tell, but my guess is they come during the night. This would be a good ambush spot if we were able to camp out here and wait for them. For now, I think we need to try and explore the last piece of the tunnels."
What time of day is it?
"Looks like this is where the goblins land the boats and enter beneath the city. I can't tell, but my guess is they come during the night. This would be a good ambush spot if we were able to camp out here and wait for them. For now, I think we need to try and explore the last piece of the tunnels."
What time of day is it?
It's mid-morning. So back to the tunnels? I think the only branch left unexplored is the one where the guards are stationed.
"Let's head back to the first intersection and check it out."
I'm good to go!
You go back through the sandy cave, under the rock shelf and back to the tunnels. You pass the tunnel to the ruins and continue back. The guardsmen are still there, and are relieved to see you.
We'll let them know that the coast is clear (pun intended) down the fork we just came from, then we'll head down the other way.
After a few hundred yards, this tunnel also comes to an end in a ceiling collapse. This one makes you nervous as sand streams down in little rivulets from the ceiling and you retreat back to the guarded intersection.
"My guess is when we left the area after killing the quasit, more goblins came looking to see where the big ugly went to. They found the scene, loaded back up into their boats and headed out. They now know their tunnels have been found. Either we plan a trap for them in the event they come back or we block off the entrance and keep them out. Let's get back up top, report our findings and make a plan before nightfall."
All this lurking around ready for action has made me hungry anyway, so either second breakfast or early lunch is in order, lets go eat!!
You make your way back to the basement with the guards in tow and with news of what you found. In the time between the beach and the glassworks basement the sky has opened up and it is pouring outside. Hegred greets you with soaked palm, obviously relieved that nothing happened to Sari, or any of the rest of you for that matter.
The pale redhead flushes right to his roots at the mention of the sea cave.
"Still nothing from Shal. I wonder if this rain helps her or hurts her hunt."
"Belor neither." He looks outside. "This is bound to slow him down."
"Hey, what's with the face? Don't tell me you knew about the sea cave and yet had us slop through the dungeons? What gives? What else do you know that you haven't shared?"
"Well, I mean... some people know about the cave."
He clears his throat.
"It's kind of a private spot. But I never been down there!" He deserves credit for trying to keep his eyes on Sari's, but he ultimately fails.
"But not a tunnel. I never sa... er, heard anything about any tunnel. Some kids talked about hearing goblins talking or the devil wailing, or some dead sailor's ghost - but that was all just talk to keep little kids away."
"And nobody goes down there since the Chopper murders. I mean, his house was right up there."
You've got to be kidding me!
You guys can't be holding back stuff!
By the way nice shade of red there
"Just to make sure everything is on the up and up, Sari and I can go check this place out later tonight...whaddya say?"
Sari levels her mean look at Cha. Her secret admirer is looking better and better.
"Okay, so let me get this straight. We went wandering around down here and found out nothing? Granted....I added a few things to my nightmare list, but really...Let's go back and regroup. Obviously we've tipped our hand, but where does that leave us? Maybe Shalalu will be back by now with some more information."
What is it going to take to identify the wand and book? I can't remember where we took the ring. Might be worth a trip back down there with old Quink to let him see those chambers first hand. Identify the stuff first, then off to see the Mayor.
"Let's go visit Brodert Quink and see what he has to say about the book and wand."
"Lead on, my stinky friend. And shall we leave the blushing one to stand guard?"
"Secret admirer?" I just caught that. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
Would you not keep it a secret too?
Hegred thanks you again for helping in the town's defense.
"You guys deserve every penny of that reward money the Scarnetti's offered you. I'm sending a runner to the mayor with the news."
With that you plunge into the rain, dodging puddles and sheltering under eaves. Quink's home stands right in the shadow of the Old Light. A thin trail of smoke from his chimney and a light in the window convince you that he's home, though he doesn't answer his door right away.
He finally answers holding a fat book in his hands, but by the look on his face you'd swear that you'd woken hip up from a nap. He leads you into his foyer where you hang cloaks (and shields and heavy crossbows and whatnot :) before being led into a cozy if cluttered study. He clears spots for people to sit and takes the items over to his desk.
"The book is written in Abyssal, the language of demons. What few of these illustrations I can make out are grotesque." He puts it back down on the desk. "I could probably translate it in time. I have a good catalogue of the tongue in my collection somewhere." He looks fondly at his books.
"This," holding up the wand, "is a wand of shocking grasp."
"I know the man who made this. An alchemist and wizard in Magnimar. His mark is here on the end. A fine weapon."
He hands it back.
Forgot about the parchment. We'll let him look at that too. My memory's failing me...what reward?
"Secret admirer?" I just caught that. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
"What...you think you are the only one that has been approached? At least my admirer offers more than a dank basement and an irate father!"
"Okay. All of this information is very interesting, but now what? I appreciate the reward for exploring the tunnels (conversation at the bottom of page 21), but where has all of this taken us? I thought to solve some big mystery underground, but instead all we have uncovered seems to be some ancient tunnels that lead to a lovers' cove! I realize everyone likes to think I have a brain as well as a beautiful....face, but I'm stumped as to what to do now."
Let's be sure to inform Quink of all the areas down below including the levitating room and the dead bird. Also, I really have a hunch that the stairs leading up might come out in the old light. I mention to Quink that if we run out of trouble to chase, I'd like to get a closer look at the inside of it.
"Magnimar, did you say? Why is it all roads from here lead to Magnimar? Who is the alchemist?"
"His name is Adrian Maristo. He runs a shop and laboratory in the Grand Arch district. If you go to Magnimar, you should pay him a visit. You guys are just the crowd he caters to."
He pushes his glasses back up his nose and takes up the parchment. "Ah, Thassilonean magic." He looks up at you. "This is a very old piece of paper!"
He waves his hand over the sheet and mumbles the words of an incantation.
Spellcraft DC 15
"Hm. It's an ancient Thassilonean version of a burning hands spell. The magic of the spell preserved paper that would otherwise have crumbled to dust long ago."
When Cha mentions wanting in the Old Light, Brodert grows a bit somber. "I obsessed with finding a way into the monument for years to no avail. Then one of my colleagues - a man affiliated at that time with the Pathfinder Society - told me that he thinks the flume is basically solid. I've gradually come around to this line of thinking."
"Though I've no doubt these chambers you've found are somehow connected. I thought perhaps the fires were controlled from the place, but nothing you describe sounds like it could be used to control the flume."
"Oh!" slapping his head and quickly crossing the room to a tome that lays open on a footstool. He also grabs a nearby paper that turns out to be some of the charcoal rubbings of the runes below that you took last time. "This is a major discovery! This orange pool is a Runewell." He holds up several rubbings and show how the runes match the ones that appear lining a well in a picture from the tome.
"See. You've found a very rare thing in this runewell. I would like to see this place. I'm sure the good father will feel the same way, along with the mayor at least. These chambers you've located will need to be laid bare to reassure folks that the town is safe."
"No time like the present. We'll get some lunch and meet you back at the Glassworks. Now why do you suppose someone would leave a wand and a scroll and a book in the levitating room? Hope that bird wasn't the familiar of a ranger or druid who got killed or teleported somewhere else."
"Eberk, how are your underground mapping skills? I'd really like to try and determine where the stairs that lead up come out here on the surface. I think that might be Quink's way into the Light."
From looking at the map, the straight tunnel led to the sea in the little bay between Chopper's Isle and Sandpoint. The other passage veered West from that which would put most of the interesting areas beneath the Old Light. Those stairs that lead up which are blocked must be pretty close to that.
"Well someone, or several someones met their fate in the pits you've described. And the magical writing you found is potentially as old as the 'Old Light' itself. I want to see this levitating room for myself."
"Just let me gather some things and take a bite. I'll meet you at the glassworks directly."