The Metro-Cathedral’s massive organ is played by dancing
upon the gigantic white keys. Traveling from white key
to white key requires a DC 5 Jump, Tumble, or Perform
(dance) check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional
key someone attempts to cross in a given round.
To play the more slender black keys, one either needs to
stand on an adjoining white key and reach up and yank the
key down with a DC 5 Strength check, or climb directly on
top of the black key (Climb DC 10). Leaping from black key
to black key requires a DC 10 or 20 Jump check depending
on the distance between the keys as indicated on the map.
Anyone who successfully depresses multiple keys in a round
may also make a Perform (keyboard) check as a free action.
A success of 10 or more contributes to the hymn and keeps
the music alive. The higher the result, the more melodious
and impressive the contribution. Provide each PC with a
+2 circumstance bonus to their check for each key they
manage to depress in a single round.
The organ keys are elevated 15 feet off of the ground.
Anyone bull rushed off the keys falls to the stone church
floor below, taking 1d6 damage
The organ keys connect to the 30-foot pipes above.
Climbing the giant twisting maze of brass pipes requires a DC
10 Climb check each round.
As long as the organ continues to play, anyone of lawful
alignment in the cathedral benefits from the effect of
a bless spell.
Your boots squash with fetid water as you plod through the Puddles. A thick fog hangs in the air, seeming almost to caress the flesh with an unnatural chill. As you stand outside the Soggy Piper in a foot and a half of brackish brine, you try to recall what was so damned important to demand your presence in the half flooded slum during Absalom’s rainy season. You remember your meeting at the Lodge just a few hours earlier with your Venture-Captain, Adril Hestram.
A bear of a man with only a few teeth remaining in his head, he motioned you into the meeting hall with a casual wave of his grizzled hand. The human captain outweighs most of Absalom’s half-orcs, and though a layer of beefy blubber coats his frame, those of you who have tangled with him in the Lodge sparring ring know that beneath this thin veneer of fat lies nothing but solid, steely sinew. Adril’s wild beard wags to the ponderous shake of his massive head as he examines a scrap of ancient parchment on the table before raising his eyes to greet your
gaze and speaking:
“Come in then, friends, and thank you for answering my summons so swiftly. The society is in need. An old and quite penniless historian, a bespectacled wag-beard by the name of Yargos Gill has recently made a discovery in an old archive that we have a great interest in obtaining: an ancient codebook, left behind in the wake of one of Taldor’s many failed attempts at invasion. This several-hundred-year-old text would prove an excellent addition to our collection, and must be preserved."
He looks sternly at each of you as he lingers over the word "preserved"
“Yargos makes his home in ‘The Puddles,’ Absalom’s poorest district, suffering from a well-known reputation as a haven for lowlifes. Following an earthquake ten years ago, parts of the Puddles now rest below sea level, resulting in frequent and untimely flooding. Those who can afford not to live there—don’t. "
The grimace of the mans face makes it apparent that he is more than glad not to be heading there himself.
“The district is the stomping ground of pimps, harlots, addicts, knifers, and hoards of unseemly derelicts. It’s never been a kind place, but recent reports reveal some new nameless terror on her waterlogged streets. Several persons claim to have seen cloaked, skeletal-like figures marching through an unnatural fog. Ill tidings indeed. Tracking down Yargos is now a priority—--lest some yellow-toothed thug cut him down, or one of these strange wraiths carry him beyond the pale. Find him, fellow Pathfinders, and find the codebook. Your exploits will be recorded in the Chronicles if you succeed.”
The memory fades as a fresh deluge of cold seawater rounds a bend in the lane and assaults your knees. After searching for Yargos at his favorite eatery, the Soggy Piper, you learned you just missed him. According to the Piper’s staff, a gang of dangerous young tattooed toughs arrived ahead of you. They grabbed Yargos and several of his friends from their dinner table and dragged them to a nearby cliff at the edge of the Puddle District. The watch was called, but they will arrive too late, as they often do in the Puddles, when they bother to venture there at all...
It is early evening, the first Wealday of the month of Desnus, an old man is about to face some awful fate at the sea cliff known as Torsen’s Maw, and you are no closer to finding the codebook Adril sent you for
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
The well dressed elvish wizard Neru looks around disgusted. His rapier is ready daring any of the local toughs to try and make his day worse. He looks at his companions.
Evindal is aware of Torsen's Maw. A very ill-omened place that has more than its fair share of bodies wash up at the base of the cliff. Many suspect more than the tides are responsible.
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
Ah yes, the cliffs. Let's see if I remember right the way to the cliffs is...
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
"I don't want to be in this place any longer than I have to. The class of people here, if you can call them that, is beneath us. Let's go to the Cliffs, find Yargos and get that book. Then we can get out of this place."
Neru knows the way. He's seen a map of The Puddles before, and heard enough stories about the Maw. The team of pathfinders heads off through the slums and in a short while arrives near the top of those ominously named cliffs.
Six brash young toughs covered with tattoos of vicious, snarling dogs are prodding four terrified older men off the edge of a cliff into the sea. The prisoners are shackled together in a line with heavy chains, which shall surely drag them to the sea floor in short order should they tumble from the cliff’s edge into the churning waters below!
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
"Leave them alone, thugs! Come, and it's time for me to teach you all a lesson about how to treat other people. You should probably save time and just jump over the cliff now," Pau calls out, moving forward to engage the punks.
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
((Was I able to wand myself before combat began?))
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Pau moves adjacent to the ranger, ready to close next round and administer the promised thrashing.
Helluddar charges one of the thugs knocking him off the cliff and down to the sea below where he lands with a spash.
Pau and Evindar take a slightly more cautious approach, with Evindar snapping off a shot that flies well wide of the mark. Neru follows up behind them.
One of the nasty thugs pushes the first old man off the cliff. Unkind, and especially unfortunate as he is chained to the second... who is chained to the third, who is chained to the fourth...A litteral chain reaction of old men falling off the cliff ensures. The last one grabs hold off a small bush, arresting their fall.. but obviously only temorarily as it looks like he has only a second or two of strength left in his arms.
One of the thugs, seeing the thread of a bowman charges Evindal with his spiked gauntlet (which resembles a dogs claw)
attack:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
The others move to surround the formidable looking Helluddar.
attack@+2:3d20 ⇒ (8, 16, 12) = 36
damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
One of them scores a light wound on the formidable warrior.
The last old man appears to be slipping, there is no time to waste, he'll be over the edge if you don't act Now!
Everyone is up!
Status, bold may post a full round of actions:
Nevryn
Helluddar 4 damage
Pau
Evindar 4 damage
Neru
Baddies
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
IWith 30' movement, DM, I should be able to reach a square adjacent to the left most man this round. If he is the one hanging on, I'll take the 2 AoOs as I hustle up there and try to help stop their fall. If he is not the one hanging on, I'll attack green.
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
Neru will move into the grass and cast ray of frost at purple.
CORE Half-elf bard 1, hp 3/11 | AC 16 | T 13 | FF 13 | CMD 14 | F +2 | R +5 | W +2 (+2 vs.enchantment) | Init +3 | Perception +6 | Sense Motive +0
daily uses:
Bardic Performance 0/6 | 1st level spells 1/2
Nevryn finishes her song, and catches Orange, Light Blue, and Blue in the area for sleep (Will 13). As she finishes, she fumbles the braided leather whip from her belt and steps toward the thugs, cracking it as she goes.
A double move will get Pau there. Give me a strength check and we'll see if he can hold on to the men. Given it is a double move you can avoid the second AOO.
As Pau charges forward to try and save the men, oneof the thugs try to strike him, causing a large graze on the monk with his "dog claw".
Nevryn advances and tries to put the mass melee to sleep.
will saves, Helluddar needs to make one too.:3d20 ⇒ (5, 14, 13) = 32
While Neru causes a distint chill to go down the spine of the thug who did the pushing.
Status, bold may post a full round of actions:
Nevryn
Helluddar 4 damage, Will DC13 vs sleep required.
Pau 3 damage
Evindar 4 damage
Neru
Baddies
Thug (light blue) asleep
Thug (purple) 2 damage
Thanks for providing the DC for the spell Nevryn, good reminder for everyone else to do likewise.
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Human Fighter/3 - Core | Int +4 | Per +8 | AC 20/18fl/12t | HP 31/31 | Fort +5 | Ref +3 | Will +2
Just saw your note above that light blue is asleep. So, I don't believe that I can hit orange then cleave dark blue. I would have swung at orange, then assumming he's down with that first swing, I would take a 5' step toward Pau... where orange had been. Preparing to aid him next round if possible. Sorry, I'll be a more thorough in reading before responding next time.
Helluddar downs another thug with a mighty swing of his sword. Evindal also draws blood, but doesn't manage to put down the thug in green.
Pau tries to hold the chain, but the weight of the men is too much. The rusty old chain slips through his fingers, with the final couple of links breaking off in his hands as the chain of old men plummet... <spash>.
A quick look over shows water at the foot of the cliff, could they have survived the fall? If so they won't long survive under water.
The thug in purpose charges Neru..how dare the wizard attack a WarHound!
charge:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Even his magical armour can't fully protect the wizard.
The thug in green steps forward to try and put an end to Evindar...
attack:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
But misses the agile ranger.
The last thug steps up to try and smash Helluddar from behind!
attack:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
He is obviously nervous of the mans sword, and completly messes up the attack, leaving himself rather too open to retaliation.
Status, bold may post a full round of actions:
Nevryn
Helluddar 4 damage, Will DC13 vs sleep required.
Pau 3 damage
Evindar 4 damage
Neru 4 damage
Baddies
Thug (light blue) asleep
Thug (purple) 2 damage
Thug (green) 3 damage
Thug (dark blue) uninjured
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Pau takes a dive over the cliff, hooping he might be able to help the men from down at the level of the water.
Maybe Acrobatics will let me make a graceful entrance into the water.
CORE Half-elf bard 1, hp 3/11 | AC 16 | T 13 | FF 13 | CMD 14 | F +2 | R +5 | W +2 (+2 vs.enchantment) | Init +3 | Perception +6 | Sense Motive +0
daily uses:
Bardic Performance 0/6 | 1st level spells 1/2
Having caught fewer of the thugs in her spell than she had hoped, Nevryn darts forward between the two groups of combatants in a desperate race to save the old men.
Diving into the sea is quite doable. A swim or an athletics check is required to make the 35' dive without suffering a small injury.
Pau hits the water with a loud bang
damage:1d3 ⇒ 2
Those in the water can attempt to free the prisoners by either working on the locks, or breaking the chairs. Choose whether you would prefer to make a disable device or a strength check, and then add the roll. Pau you can do that this round.
Helluddar smashes another thug into small pieces and advances on the fifth...
Status, bold may post:
Nevryn
Helluddar 4 damage,
Pau 5 damage
Evindar 4 damage
Neru 4 damage
Baddies
Thug (light blue) asleep
Thug (purple) 2 damage
Thug (green) 3 damage
Male Elf Ranger 3 HP 22/28; AC 17; TCH 13; FF 14; F +4; R +9; W +3; CMB+5; CMD 18; Speed 20FT; Init +3; Perception +10
Evindal steps back and continues to shoot at the man in front of him.
Longbow:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24Damage:1d8 ⇒ 4 Crit Confirm:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9Add. Damage:2d8 ⇒ (1, 7) = 8
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Pau tries to break the chain of the man closest to him!
Strength check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
The dice gods hate Pau!! And therefore the old men as well.
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
Against my better judgment, I will attack purple with my rapier with my rapier
Neru stikes the warhound with his rapier. More blood. The man does't look happy at all. Without even glacing back at the bodies left behind by the pathfinders he high tails it into the maze of shanties that make up the district.
Takes a withdraw action, and heads off the map.
Meanwhile, under the water, Pau tries to break the chains that are slowly drowning the old men.
Out of combat, but still in rounds.
Status, bold may post:
Nevryn
Helluddar 4 damage,
Pau 5 damage, in the water.
Evindar 4 damage
Neru 4 damage
Old men, one round under water
Male Elf Wizard (Transumtation)/1 HP 8/8 AC 13/17 CMD 13 Init +3 Per +2 Low Light SM +0Elven Immunities Fort + 1 Ref +3 Will +2 Saves vs Enchantment +2 Additional
I start searching the bodies for a key. I will start with the closest body if no one seemed like they might have been the leader.
Nevryn and Evindal also splash into the water
damage:2d3 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6
Nevryn breaks out of the old men out of his chains, and he floats to the surface, gasping for air.
Neru meanwhile looks around for a key. But the first war hounder doesn't have it.
on a 1:1d6 ⇒ 6
Out of combat, but still in rounds.
Status, bold may post:
Nevryn 3 NLD, in the water
Helluddar 4 damage,
Pau 3 damage, 2NLD; in the water.
Evindar 4 damage 3 NLD ; in the water, can make a str or disable device check
Neru 4 damage
Old men, one round under water; 1 on surface.
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Pau again tries to break the chain on the closest man.
Another belly flop sees Helluddar also join the rescue effort.
NLD:1d3 ⇒ 2
Meanwhile Pau breaks a second old man free. Moments after landing in the water Helluddar also manages to snap a link, leaving but a single man frantically trying for air...
Status, bold may post
Nevryn 3 NLD, in the water
Helluddar 4 damage, 2 NLD
Pau 3 damage, 2NLD; in the water.
Evindar 4 damage 3 NLD ; in the water, can
Neru 4 damage
Old men, two rounds under water; 3 on surface.
Human Fighter/3 - Core | Int +4 | Per +8 | AC 20/18fl/12t | HP 31/31 | Fort +5 | Ref +3 | Will +2
Pointing the old man towards shore, Helluddar turns his attention to the last old man under water. He takes hold the chains and strains to break him free.
Strength:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
I need help! This set of shackles is made of adamantine!
Core Monk 7 | AC (24/25v Evil)/19/(23)17 | HP 59/59 | Ki pool 6/6 | 50’ Movement | F+9, R+9, W+9 | +2 vs. Enchantment spells and effects)(immune to all diseases) | Init+2 |Perception + 13| Evasion |
Pau also tries to break the chains holding down the last man.
