"I dunno, my guess is that this is also his secret hideout, but is probably booby trapped to the brim."
Ace paces around, thinking.
"Can you communicate with that...thing... you summoned telepathically? I'd rather get some backup, just to be safe"
"Sadly, no. I only have that kind of telepathic bond with Gurram. I do agree that we need backup, which is why I'm doing this in the first place. Otherwise, we'd have to search the whole network of caves as a group, or wait until tomorrow for Ixrul or Sandra to prepare some sort of Locate Sneaky Alchemist Bastard spell."
"The stalker will disappear in about eleven minutes. Plenty of time for us to go back up, get healed, and bring the others down here. And even if these caves are so massive that it doesn't make it all the way to his hideout, I can summon three more today."
"Very well, lets go back!"
Ace hesitates for a second
"You still have methods to breathe underwater, right?"
"Never did, I just held my breath the whole way. But I can't swim nearly as fast as you without some help."
Krom casts Extended Summon Eidolon, then rides Gurram back to the surface. On the way, he pulls out his wand of Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon and starts patching her up.
Not long after you send it off, you feel your tenuous connection to the Stalker disappear completely; it seems to have been destroyed.
Gods damn it. Guess it really is booby-trapped to the brim.
As they pass Daliya , Krom gestures at her to follow them back to the surface.
Slowing as the two men approach, Daliya surveys the state they're in and the lack of a prisoner. "I see. Do you two want Healed?"
Krom nods, but seems more interested in getting back to the surface where he can talk.
You arrive back at the surface with no further incident.
"So, the bad news is, he got away. He led us into a cave and sprang a trap on us - pinned us down with tanglefoot and...some kind of gravity bomb? And then he escaped further into the cave while we were getting ourselves free from that."
"The good news is, I'm pretty sure he's cornered now. The way he went straight for that cave makes us think he has some sort of hideout down there. If we can find it, he won't have anywhere else to run."
"The other bad news is, he might have a lot more traps down there. When I tried to track him with an invisible stalker, it died almost as soon as it was sent off. Since we were badly wounded, I decided to cut our losses and come back for reinforcements."
"Oh, that reminds me: Ace and I could both use healing. Sandra, Daliya, if you please?"
Daliya nodded, pushing the wet hair back out of her eyes with one hand before reaching out to touch the pair.
"On the plus side," Daliya added as she worked, "None of the ships were destroyed by this fiasco. Some damage, but nothing that would stop them being seaworthy by the look of it. Once we find the person behind the attack we'll have to respond with brutal, overwhelming and public force and our reputation might even gain a boost."
"I would suggest we turn him over to Sorrinash if we are able to capture him. After learning his motives and who he works for, a... gift to the Captain may help to endear us to him."
"Or we can execute him. I've read several Galt published books on the subject we can use for reference."
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually be keelhauled," Daliya considered, "And if he can escape Ace, Krom and Gurram we probably shouldn't try. Hung, drawn and quartered should be enough of a message if we don't make his death a gift." Preseved in tar, of course, his remains could still be gifted out to the captains whose ships he'd burned. It would just be a lot less of him.
Ace gets horrible flashbacks to the time he watched a man get keelhauled through coral until nothing was left but a tattered, bloody torso.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually be keelhauled," Daliya considered
"Wouldn't recommend seeing it." Krom mumbles.
"I don't really care what we do to him. But he forced me to get my fancy clothes wet, and he'll suffer for that!"
The three Pirate Council members come up to you.
"Well, this Feast was a disaster, but we've gotten what we needed. You have proven yourselves capable, and then some." says Darimar.
"Indeed. We have seen this kind of sabotage end in slaughter and chaos before. I'm not sure the rest pf the guests even know what's going on, really." chimes Bloodmourne.
"They're saying you're in." Sorrinash growls.
"Accept theses gifts from the three of us as tokens of your inauguration." Mase speaks up again, and all three present you with items from their personal stores.
HORN OF THE TRITONS Aura moderate conjuration and transmutation; CL 9th Slot none; Price 15,000 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
This conch shell can be blown as a horn once per day, except by a triton (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 270), which can sound it three times per day. Blowing the horn activates any one of the following functions:
• Calm rough waters in a 1-mile radius. Alternatively, this use functions as a dismissal spell against a targeted water elemental (DC 19 Will negates).
• Summon 1d4+1 sharks or 1d3 advanced sharks as if using summon nature's ally V.
• Create a fear effect (DC 16) in a 500-foot radius that only affects creatures with the aquatic or amphibious subtype that have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2. Any sounding of a horn of the tritons can be heard by all tritons within a 3-mile radius.
Aura moderate divination; CL 7th Slot none; Price 20,925 gp; Weight 4 lbs.
A skull and partial backbone carved from ivory top this +2 sword cane, and gray sharkskin covers its wooden scabbard. The wielder can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier to attack rolls with a scoundrel's sword cane sized for her, even though it isn't a light weapon.
The eyes of the skull atop the scoundrel's sword cane constantly enhance the wielder's awareness, granting the wielder a +5 competence bonus on Perception checks. In addition, once per day, the wielder can concentrate while holding the cane to see through the skull's eyes as if they were her own.
In effect, the scoundrel's sword cane can be used as a periscope, allowing the wielder to safely peer over obstacles or around corners. If the wielder has total concealment from an observed creature except for the end oft he cane, the wielder uses the skull's Diminutive size modifier for her Stealth check instead of her own size modifier.
Aura faint abjuration and transmutation; CL 5th Slot none; Price 2o,ooo gp; Weight 1 lb.
An intricately detailed miniature sailing ship sits inside this clear glass bottle. When taken aboard an undamaged sailing vessel at sea, the model automatically reconfigures to become a perfect replica of the new ship. It takes 24 hours for the model to attune to the ship.
A ship attuned to an impossible bottle takes half damage from all attacks that deal damage. The model ship in the impossible bottle absorbs the remaining damage, registering holes in its hull, rips in its sails, and scorch marks from fire. Once the attuned ship gains the broken condition, however, the impossible bottle ceases its protection, and any further attacks on the attuned ship deal full damage. If the attuned ship gains the sinking condition or is destroyed, the impossible bottle shatters and is permanently destroyed.
If an impossible bottle was attuned to a damaged ship, once that ship has been fully repaired, the impossible bottle re-attunes itself over 24 hours and thereafter resumes its protection. An impossible bottle removed from its attuned ship ceases its protection, and must be re-attuned over 24 hours if brought back on board.
If the bottle is shattered while it is attuned to a ship, the impossible bottle is destroyed and the attuned ship immediately takes 150 points of damage. Lastly, an impossible bottle can be used to repair an unattuned ship. As long as the bottle still functions, its owner can christen a vessel by smashing the impossible bottle against the ship's prow, releasing a wave of restorative magic that immediately repairs up to 150 points of damage to the vessel.
Ixrul accepts the gifts. "Many thanks."
"You know, I will admit I expected things to go more wrong than they did. But you know what they say - expect the worst, and you'll often be pleasantly surprised."
Not being a people person, Ace just smiles and nods, in case he says something inappropriate.
Securing three bottles of the Fancier Booze that hadn't already been plundered, Daliya presented them to the visiting captains. "Not nearly as impressive as your own gifts, but something to remember your visit beyond the scorch marks."
All three thank you, Sorrinash tearing the bottle open and taking a swig right there.
"Good stuff."
Then all three say their farewells and turn to leave.
"We need to go talk to Sefina. Be gentle - if she gets violent, Krom and Ace stay back. Take her down using nonlethal means."
Though momentarily placated by the Council's gifts, Krom looks angry again once they've left.
"Seriously? We need to go after the halfling, right now! He could be halfway across the island now, or brewing up some kind of teleport potion!"
"Brewing up? Come now, Krom. Teleportation effects are of the Conjuration school, you should understand them."
"If he has a scroll or other magical device for long-range teleportation, he's gone. If not, he's stowing away on one of the council ships - and I don't think they'll be so generous as to allow us to search all of there ships."
"The last remaining possibility is that he is still on the island. If that is the case, he will have to leave the island by boat or by Overland FLight - perhaps to meet a ship anchored beyond our sight. No alchemy lasts long enough to swim to a safe harbor from here."
Ixrul whistles for his harpy zombies.
"Circle the island by air. If you see a halfling that doesn't work for me, I want two of you to circle him from on high and one of you come find me. Go."
Krom folds his arms and sneers. "I understand Conjuration, but not alchemy. Did you know that you can make a bomb that explodes into a gravity well? I didn't! So who am I to say you can't replicate Conjuration effects with the right ingredients and a little elbow grease?!"
Gurram puts a hand on Krom's shoulder. He sighs and takes a moment to calm himself.
"Sorry. I shouldn't let one little potion maker get to me like this. We'll go see Sefina, and Gurram can help subdue her if it comes to that - she's not into humanoids."
"Attack what my Isitoqs attack. Bring the body to me."
Ace thinks for a moment, "Well, he sure can swim fast, though, so would it be possible he swam all the way to another island?"
"Or a small ship nearby," Daliya added. Without running lights it would be difficult to see at night.
Fast forwarding slightly, the Isitoqs do not find any sign of him, though it's a large enough island with enough nooks to hide that that's not too surprising.
"Well, I'm quite certain losing track of him will be no trouble whatsoever in the future."
"Great, our summons AND our undead are useless. You know, we could ask Sefina if she has some clue to where the little bastard is hiding. Unless she's completely snapped in the time we've spent sitting around waiting for zombie eyes to solve our problems."
Sefina sits, listless and sad in her grotto. She absently weaves the water of the pond into a vague shape which may at some point be a new shawl.
Ixrul will approach her alone, taking a moment to compose his face into a flawless mask of compassion.
"Sefina? Are you okay? I'm so sorry this happened."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"No, I'm fine for now. Or will be."
She looks up for a second.
"Did anybody get hurt?"
Krom, ever careful to stay outside Sefina's aura, speaks up in a reassuring tone.
"Some people got sick, but our cleric is helping them. And the ship fires were contained before they got out of hand."
"In fact, the Council representatives were impressed with how well we handled the crisis. So, in a twisted way, this sabotage actually helped us. We'll have to thank the halfling and Harrigan when we next see them."
"Speaking of, did the halfling happen to tell you where on the island he's hiding? If he still has your old shawl, we'd be happy to get it back for you."
She shakes her head slowly.
"No, he just told me to light this thing on fire and charm the boy or he'd break my shawl."
Her face twists up like she's about to cry.
"He never gave it back."
"Wait, who did the halfling want you to charm?"
"One of the serving boys. He drugged Sorrinash, which is why we had to talk him down before he went berserk."
"Anyway, it seems like the halfling hasn't destroyed the shawl, so he might be planning to use it as leverage later. Is there some way we could track it down?"