The damp yet firm ground of Tanglebriar gradually descends toward expanses of standing water. Although suspended sediment and matted heaps of decaying plant material obscure the swamp’s bottom, trees and reeds are still numerous here, suggesting the water cannot be terribly deep. In places, concentrations of plants have trapped silt and organic matter to create miniature islands amid the dark expanse of water.
After much wading through the swamp, you finally arrive where Fihralaz enacted a dark ritual in homage to his master Treerazer. An immense slab of rock covered in algae and lichen protrudes through the suffocating canopy of leaves. The trees that grow near it sway intermittently as if pushed by a strong wind, but the movement is actually caused by the convulsions of a half dozen four-foot-long chrysalises of gooey, gray silk that hang from the tree boughs. Hanging from other branches are pieces of elven armor, broken weapons, and other trophies from battlefields. Several mementoes are still slick with partially congealed blood and buzzing with flies. Fihralaz himself is nowhere to be found, though leeches of all kinds start emerging from the marsh, and three imps take flight from a high rock at the opposite of this grim lair of sorts.
Please take a moment to read the indications about terrain on the map, since it plays a very important part in this fight.
Initiative - round 1 - bold may act!
1. Darius
2. Fihralaz, giant leech
3. Jarlgur
4. imps
5. Ace, Fendahl, Osric
6. leech swarm
Knowledge (nature) DC 14 for the swarm, DC 13 for the giant leech.
Knowledge (planes) DC 12) for the imps. Fihralaz's Lair map
The imps are in fact quasits, lesser demons of little power. They have standard demon resistances and immunities (immune to electricity and poison; moderately resistant to acid, cold and fire.
The leech swarm is... a swarm, with all the usual shennanigans. Moreover, they inflict poison and drain blood, but are vulnerable to salt.
The large leech is a Vile Giant Leech. It's immune to mind-affecting effects, has mild resistances to cold and fire as well as low spell resistance. It also drains blood and is vulnerable to salt.
Except that you need to touch all the creature targeted. From the map, you can either cast it on Ace, Fendahl, Kirrah and you from your current position, or move 5 feet SW to cast it on all PCs but that'll exclude the ACs. Let me know which option you prefer.
The quasits turn invisible, then you hear the sound of wings flapping in the noxious air of this horrendous bog. Leaving them where they are since it's their last known position.
Darius: The swarm is dead, the leech is currently in melee with Grimtooth, and the three imps are invisible. Apart from those, there are human-sized chrysalis in the bog.
Grimtooth bites the leech with great ferocity, but the creature still stands.
As Darius slices the vile leech, an enormous, toad-like creature emerges from the deep bog, covered with marsh plants, leeches and grime, exhaling a foul stench all around him. Fihralaz has risen and wades into battle, armed with a harpoon!
Your nostrils are the first to suffer his presence, for his stench is unbearable.
Aura of Stench (60 feet): Everyone within reach must make a DC 26 Fortitude save or be sickened (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) for 15 rounds. It's a poison effect, so your bonuses against poison will work, for example if you used an antitoxin or delay poison.
Then the foul demon utters words of unholy nature, some of the vilest things you've heard in your lifeagainst the gods themselves. A true blasphemy!
All nonevil creatures within 40 feet of him (everyone in the group is in the area) hear this blashemy and suffer greatly from it. Everyone must make a DC 22 Will save (don't forget the -2 penalty from sickened if you failed your first save). Effects depend on your HD (=level), and are cumulative and concurrent. A successful Will save reduces or eliminates these effects. Creatures affected by multiple effects make only one save and apply the result to all the effects. Dazed: The creature can take no actions for 1 round, though it defends itself normally. Save negates.
Weakened: The creature's Strength score decreases by 2d6 points for 2d4 rounds. Save for half.
Paralyzed: The creature is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes. Save reduces the paralyzed effect to 1 round.
Killed: Living creatures die. Undead creatures are destroyed. Save negates. If the save is successful, the creature instead takes 3d6+13 points of damage.
Darius, Osric and Grimtooth: weakened, dazed
Ace, Fendahl, Kirrah and Jarlgur: paralyzed, weakened, dazed
Please roll for your effects.
Initiative - round 3 - bold may act!
1. Jarlgur, Ace , Fendahl, Osric, Darius
2. Fihralaz & imps
For the sake of simplicity, the imps delay to match Fihralaz's initiative, waiting to see what you are doing before they act.
The quasits suddenly appear next to Darius, and claw at him but miss him by far.
Claw:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 Claw:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 Claw:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 They don't have reach, so they are on the same spot as Darius.
Fihralaz chuckles with a deep, watery voice as he uses his harpoon to attack Darius. It seems too short to reach the magus at first, but the hezrou's arms extends magically!
Harpoon:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 332d6 + 28 ⇒ (3, 2) + 28 = 33Image? 1 is real:1d8 ⇒ 1 Harpoon:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21 Harpoon:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
You're right Ace, the round where only Darius acted was round 3. Fendahl, Osric and Grimtooth can act as well!
Darius, what form are you using? Currently you're in the forme of a "Def Cast", which is undoubtedly an overpowered monster from an obscure bestiary! ;)
Male Human Ranger 13 | HP 121/121 | AC 26 T 17 FF 20 | Saves: F: +15 R: +19 W: +13 | CMD: 32 | Init: +8 Percep: +18 SM: +6
Being weakened, with Str currently at 4, what can I do? The fly spell should keep me aloft, and my backup longbow has no STR requirement...Maybe just move?
Animal Companion 12 | HP 92/105 | AC 29 T 13 FF 25 | Saves: F: +12 R: +7 W: +4 | CMD: 28 | Init: +3 Percep: +10
Unable to understand his sudden weakness, Grimtooth is is bit frightened of the toad demon. Still, he retains enough loyal ferocity to bite at the quasits, though.
Male Half-elf HP 130/130 (172 for troll) AC33(40 for troll) Touch 13 Flat 31; F+17 R+11 W+18(+2 ench,+4 fey) INIT+4 Perc+21 CMB+16 CMD+30 Lion Shaman 13/Samurai 1, {see in posts} Shape changed 1/5 Beads 0/3, Rerolls 0/3
Fendahl looks down at the melee beneath him, while sitting atop a paralyzed lioness. He also sees his friends Jarlgur and Ace frozen but cannot see an easy way to get to them. Fortunately Darius and now Osric appear to be moving.
Not having any good way to hurt the demon from this altitude, or easy way to get down, he opts to cast freedom of movement on Kirrah. Once she starts moving, he has her move back over the paralyzed pair to get them off the ground in a hurry if more leeches or demons approach them.
Fendahl does not know how long they may be paralyzed and does not know what else might pop up...but does not want any coup-de-gras while they are helpless.
The hezrou appears to be surprised by Darius's swordmanship, but chuckles nonetheless.
"A worth opponent. This shall be interesting."
He strikes many times at the mirrored shapechanged magus.
Harpoon:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (17) + 23 = 402d6 + 16 ⇒ (2, 4) + 16 = 22Image? 1 is real:1d8 ⇒ 5 Harpoon:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (19) + 18 = 372d6 + 16 ⇒ (3, 4) + 16 = 23Image? 1 is real:1d7 ⇒ 6 Harpoon:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 Bite:1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22
Two images disappear, but the demon enrages to fight such an elusive opponent!
"Coward, show yourself!"
The quasits are negligible at this stage, since they can't do much anyway. I don't even know why they added them to the encounter except create more clutter. I'll say they turn invisible and fly away in fear of Darius's blade.
Male Human Ranger 13 | HP 121/121 | AC 26 T 17 FF 20 | Saves: F: +15 R: +19 W: +13 | CMD: 32 | Init: +8 Percep: +18 SM: +6
Didn't really get an answer last time on what Osric could have been doing. Now, he has a season 4 boon. It was available to all characters who did a certain number of XP during that season, and it was faction dependent. Silver Crusade was allowed a once in a lifetime Smite Evil, with character level equal to effective paladin level. It would be really handy here. But I can't find the sheet at home, so I probably lost the ability to use it.
Male Half-elf HP 130/130 (172 for troll) AC33(40 for troll) Touch 13 Flat 31; F+17 R+11 W+18(+2 ench,+4 fey) INIT+4 Perc+21 CMB+16 CMD+30 Lion Shaman 13/Samurai 1, {see in posts} Shape changed 1/5 Beads 0/3, Rerolls 0/3
Osric, if you are still able to fly, Fendahl was going to check on the 5 cocoons and see if they had our missing elves. If combat is still going, a blessed oil or cold iron arrows on your bow could help...albeit with -2 for sick and -2 for weakness. You should still have a chance to hit. I suspect Darius will finish it this round. .
He'll try to parry the creatures last 2 attacks using parry/reposte and burning 2 arcane points.
Parry 1:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (12) + 23 = 35 Parry 2:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (14) + 23 = 37 if either of these beat his attack rolls the attacks are parried he gets an AoO..
AoO:1d20 + 23 ⇒ (8) + 23 = 31 man what some nice rolls..
Dam:1d8 + 25 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 25 + (3, 5) = 37
Darius finishes Fihralaz with a combination of strikes and counterstrikes, demonstrating a swordmanship few can boast about! The demon falls dead in the bog, drowning upon the waters he was hiding in moments before.
Minutes later, you are all able to move again, freed from the embrace of terror and blasphemy. You are also able to cut open the chrysalises and extract the elves within, who were enduring a terrible and deadly tranformation. Fortunately, you managed to reach them with due haste, and the ritual hasn't caused any permanent damage - at least on their body. Commander Lanverel, who is among the elves in the chrysalises, offers thanks before questioning them about why anyone permitted “mercenaries” into Kyonin to perform a rescue mission rather than sending “proper elves.” He further demands to know the name of every officer responsible for abandoning him and his comrades. As wroth as he is, Ace's honeyed words are -in time- able to soothe him into a more manageable temper.
With Fihralaz defeated and with the assistance of any surviving elves, you have little difficulty escaping from Tanglebriar and reuniting with the Uprooters at Mount Armiya. Another group of elves arrives soon thereafter to receive a report of your success and escort the victorious outsiders safely out of Kyonin. Waiting for you at the border is a messenger who informs them of General Tenasi’s appreciation of their service and the promise of elven allies at a time and place to be named by the Pathfinder Society. The society also rewards you by paying a monetary bonus for a job well done.
This is the end of the scenario, congratulations! I hope you had fun playing it, I certainly enjoyed GMing it for you. Chronicle sheets will be issued in the Discussion thread. Please check if everything's alright and let me know if anything's wrong.
