It's quite obvious that the way west would only lead out of the sewers, into the - only slightly less smelly - harbour. The eastward road looks far more promising.
Ahead is a junction where a smaller sewer line once joined the main passage. The ceiling of the smaller passage partially collapsed, filling most of that tunnel with rubble. The surface of the rubble pile seems to shift strangely and closer examination reveals thousands of tiny vermin fleeing into cracks and shadows.
Parumartish spots a hollow point in the ceiling as a gathering point for sewage gas. Hi experience tells him it's a bad idea to bring an open flame to any proximity.
A Cyrus moves forward, the vermin in the rubble forms a broiling mass, and a swarm of spiders move up to engulf the pole arm-wielding fighter.
All can act before the swarm
Cyrus
Shayla
Chyras
Parumartish
Maxwell
Hothan
---
Spiders
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Max lifts his pet rock to illuminate the scene just in time to spot the spider swarm.
Too bad about that sewer gas, these spiders would burn nicely...
Max moves up on the ledge and swings his scimitar at the swarm, trying not to pay too much attention to their wretched forms.
gah, too many legs....and eyes.
Cyrus splatters a few spider with his pole arm, but the creatures quickly engulf the weapons, and the swarm is undiminished in strength.
Cyrus wades into the stinking filth that even the spiders won't touch. It's disgusting. It's revolting. It's also quite unhealthy ()
Cyrus
Shayla
Chyras
Parumartish
Maxwell
Hothan
---
Spiders
The spider swarm, unaffected by any of the player's actions, move forward, and engulfs maxwell. Luckily for Cyrus, the filthy sludge in the sewer streams fast enough to be a hindrance to the tine spider - those few that fall in are rapidly washed downstream.
Cyrus
Shayla
Chyras
Parumartish
Maxwell
Hothan
--
Swarm
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Max suddenly regrets his decision as he is engulfed by the swarm. The multiple bites take their toll as the poison seeps into his veins.
"Gah! What the...!" is all he is able to say as he is swarmed and yanked into the muck
If he is able to take any action after being pulled into the water, he will attempt to spontaneously cast Cure Light Wounds on himself (in place of Comprehend Languages).
Oh, the look on Maxwell's face as he is dragged into the horrible nasty filth. It must be his days treating the sick that made him resilient to this kind of sludge, because it cannot be healthy going face-first into that. Luckily for him, the spiders want to part of it.
Paru's acid splash burn a big hole in the swarm, which is now advancing towards Hothan....
Cyrus - Pull Maxwell
Shayla
Chyras
Parumartish - Acid
Maxwell - Cure
Hothan
--
Swarm (6)
Chyras launches another acid blob at the swarm, but fails to do any meaningful damage.
Shayla jumps into the filthy sludge as Chyras lobs a blob of acid at the swarm. Seeing their prey flee, and their masses dimished by burning acid, the spider swarm disperses.
The sewer continues until the PCs hit a junction where a minor sewer line flow into the main line form the south. There's graffiti all over the walls here: prominent among them is a large stylised drawing of a Wyvern in shiny grey paint. Also, an image of a skull crawling with bugs, accompanied by an arrow pointing to the west (the direction the adventurer's just emerged from), and a representation of a beggar's bowl holding a coin, and a key with an arrow pointing to the south. Underneath the drawing is the word 'almsman'
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After dragging himself from the filth, Max tries to clean himself up, but soon gives up because it is obviously futile.
"When you all tell this story later, be kind. Make me look brave if you can."
He looks at Shayla, who had opted to take jump into the filth as well, and finds it somewhat amusing that a member of a race that is known for grace and elegance is down in the dirt with the rest of them. Truly all are equal in the eyes of Sarenrae.
Upon coming to the graffiti covered section of the tunnel, Max waves his hand at the markings and in a low voice says "These look like gang markings, this one is obviously a warning about the spiders...has anyone ever heard of this 'almsman' character before?"
“My diviners say that there is some truth to his story. There has never been a Prince of Augustana, nor an Emperor in Andoran, but the old fellow has a surprising amount of knowledge of the pre-revolution noble families of the city. He may be the lost scion of some noble line. If so, he’s fallen far. From the filth and stink on him when we found him, we’re fairly certain he’s been living in or near a sewer. The wayfinder is also a mystery, but for now, it makes him one of ours. However, I’m more interested in his supposed gate to the otherworld. If it exists, I want to know about it. Implausible as it may seem, I’m certain that his injuries were caused by otherworldly beings. We must take the possibility of a portal seriously. I don’t want to dirty my hands with this, but you don’t have that choice. Retrace the old man’s path through the sewers. The Almsman, whom he repeatedly mentions, is rumored to be an eccentric priest who runs some sort of hidden beggar’s sanctuary in the sewers. He may know where our prince’s portal is, if you can find him. But be warned; a local gang calling themselves the Steel Wyverns claims the sewers near the Almsman’s Sanctuary as their own territory.”
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"Well, Venture-Captain Wallace, mentioned that the... 'prince' said something about 'the Almsman', so this man may know where to find the portal we seek... or at least be able to send us on the correct path," Parumartish points out. "I could not tell you more about this 'Alsman', but at least it would seem the Steel Wyverns have left us directions to find him."
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Without showing any of the elven grace Shayla climbs out of the water and spits on the floor in front of her. Shayla flexes her muscles, then notices Maxwell look at her. "Oy! Whatcha lookin' at, mate?" she asks with a horribly fake Andoran accent.
Hehehe, I'm sure that did sound like the real thing.
Shayla nods at the suggestion to go find the Almsman. "Let's find him. And darn, this sewer smells... Even worse than before..."
Travelling further down the sewer, the adventurers see similar markings at every junction. After some time, ahead a faint light glimmers in the dark. Slowly it resolves into a crude lantern held by a toothless old beggar who holds a chair leg in his other hand. Beside him stands a scrawny youth, similarly armed but obviously terrified. Behind the two derelicts is an open door bearing the symbol of the beggar’s bowl, coin, and key.
If yer intentions be peaceful, Abadar make you welcome. the old man says.
Although they look a bit wary at Shayla, the old man and the youth do not move to prevent the adventures from entering the sanctuary
Beyond the door, a short flight of steps leads up into what appears to be the basement crypt of a church of Abadar. Perhaps two dozen beggars huddle among sarcophagi, some sleeping, some haggling over bits of junk or scraps of food laid out on blankets.
A man in clean robes wearing a plain copper mask walks among them. As the adventurers enter, he regards them coolly and says "If you respect this sanctuary, I offer you what sanctuary I can. Otherwise, begone!"
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"Are you the one known as 'the Almsman'?" Parumartish asks unperturbed by the man's rough demeanor. "We are Pathfinders. A man came to us claiming to have escaped another realm through a portal in these sewers."
He continues. "Supposedly, he drifted past your sanctuary from upstream. Would you happen to know anything about such a portal?"
Yes, I am the almsman. I take care of these men. There's quite a few of them here - if you give me a name, I may be able to help you. the almsman responds to Parumartish' question.
You are not with the Steel Wyverns, are you? he adds.
The way he says "Steel Wyverns" makes it seem that he is quite unnerved by them
The man waves in a gesture of confidentiality They're after me he says.
You see, they demand 'protection money' for me being here. Extort me. They demand sum I cannot pay, tell me to send these beggars onto the streets to collect more money. Threaten me. Tell me they will break down this sanctuary if I do not pay. They've given me an ultimatum - they'll be here in a couple of hours.
I have sworn a vow not to take up arms, and these beggars will only form a meagre defensive force. I'm desperate for help.
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"We heard the name before," Shayla says to the Almsman, "but I can't remember in what context. You seem to dislike these Steel Wyverns quite a bit. If you can tell us more about the portal, I volunteer to protect you when the Steel Wyverns arrive in a couple of hours."
Humans versus humans... I'd say let them clean their own mess, but perhaps we can make a deal with this 'Almsman'.