Showdown at Naderi Theatre - Round 2 - concluded
18 Lomar
15 Carp
14 Ellie
12 Feuerseele
9 Hullric
9 Kru (blinded 2 rounds)
6 Yellow Beetle
21 Wymund Pratt (3hp dmg)
Seeing Feuerseele incinerate the pair of beetles in front of him, Carp just keeps trotting forward, closing the distance between himself and Pratt.
With the sparkling cloud of glitter still falling through the air around them, Hullric just stands there shielding his eyes, and eventually is able to regain his sight.
Kru stumbles in the direction of the last beetle, using his hands to feel along the seats until he gets close.
Seeing the blinded Kru stumbling upon it, Yellow Beetle turns and takes a chomp at the barbarian but despite Kru's handicap, the attack misses.
"Blast!" cries Pratt as his beetles seem less than effective."Should've summoned wolves instead!" He then begins casting another spell aimed at Carp and the usually stoic priest begins giggling, then chuckling, then bursting into peals of uncontrollable laughter that drop him to the floor, prone.
End of Round 2
Showdown at Naderi Theatre - Round 3
18 Lomar
15 Carp (prone, laughing 3 more rounds)
14 Ellie
12 Feuerseele
9 Hullric
9 Kru (blinded 2 rounds)
6 Yellow Beetle
21 Wymund Pratt (3hp dmg)
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Able to see again and seeing the pathway to Pratt is clear, he quickly slips past Feuerseele and Carp trailing Feuerseele's fire to stand face to face with Pratt. Noticing Carp is laughing, he views it as a personal challenge and starts to laugh louder than him as he brandishes his dagger in eagerness to stab Pratt.
Showdown at Naderi Theatre- Round 3
Firing from the entry way to the theater again, Lomar's shot glances off Pratt's chain shirt harmlessly.
Carp remains laughing maniacally on the floor, unable to stop or act otherwise.
Ellie advances, launching her javelin as she comes. With Carp prone, she has a clear shot at Pratt, but the Shadow Lodge leader dodges the throw with some ease.
Having burnt some beetles to a crisp a few seconds ago, the fire-loving Feuerseele unleashes another roiling sheet of flames. This time Pratt is unable to avoid the blistering cone of fire, and takes serious damage as his flesh burns and chars in many places.
Laughing himself now, Hullric advances behind the sorceress flame barrage, and ends up standing adjacent to the wounded Pratt, ready to finish the job.
The glittery reflections still marring his sight, Kru is able to blindly grope his way forward and swing his axe in the Yellow Beetle's general direction, splitting it open as green ichor runs out onto the once-plush red carpet of the theater.
Stepping back from Hullric and taking a classic fencer's defensive stance, Pratt reaches to his belt and withdraws a potion in his off hand.
End of Round 3
Showdown at Naderi Theatre - Round 4
18 Lomar
15 Carp (prone, laughing 2 more rounds)
14 Ellie
12 Feuerseele
9 Hullric
9 Kru (blinded 1 round)
21 Wymund Pratt (13hp dmg)
Showdown at Naderi Theatre- Round 4 - concluded
Without beetles to distract, the Pathfinders pour all their attention to the lone Shadow Lodge stalwart. Lomar's crossbow strikes home, hitting Pratt in the belly.
Ellie likewise scores a mid-body hit with her javelin, moving and drawing another weapon as she comes.
As Ellie moves forward, Feuerseele sticks with what has been working and unleashes another round of Burning Hands on Pratt, who, despite his many wounds, is able to avoid most of the flames this time. Still the scorching he does take is enough to put the fight out of him, and he falls in a smoking heap unconscious.
End of Combat
Searching the fallen Shadow Lodge operative, the Pathfinders find he carries: a +1 Chain Shirt, a scroll of Invisibility, another scroll of Silence, a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, a MW shortbow, and a normal rapier.
The papers the group saw on the stage earlier are supply lists and a list of code names and dates. There is also a list of cities on one sheet: Absalom, Sothis, Kaer Maga, Oppara, Whitethrone, and Almas.
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"This looks like a hit list- -you don't code vacation plans. Sothis? Almas? Oppara? Absalom? This agent and his firends sound like just the tip of the iceberg. It's impressive in ambition, if not in scheme,"Ellie offers, the slightest hint of appreciation seeping through her disdain. "Dreng should know, the sooner the better. Before these colleagues of theirs catch wind of us."
I am done, leveled and ready for part 2
If possible Feuerseele would buy a scroll of comprehend language and a wayfinder
Starting Part 2, The Twofold Demise now
After your defeat of Wymund Pratt and his fledgling Shadow Lodge, and while waiting for orders from the Grand Lodge in Absalom, you wander a crowded Downmarket street a few days after the events at the theater, when suddenly the street becomes empty of residents, the choking mass of humanity and monsters suddenly remembering they had something better to do.
Standing about you in a loose circle are six burly men carrying cudgels and a seventh man, skinny and bedecked in robes and jewels, his right hand in a pouch on his belt. All of the men stare intently at you. "Dakar says you owe him a favor,"says the skinny man in robes. "You’ll need to come with us."
You have been through this routine and, unless you object or put up a fight, the men place the same Silenced bags over your heads and load you all into a wagon. After much churning and turning, you are all unloaded and led into a cool and airy room, where, once the hoods are removed, you see the familiar posh surroundings and the opaque room partition that screens the voice of the mysterious Dakar from view.
"“You owe me a favor, little Pathfinders, and it’s time to pay up." Dakar then goes on to inform the PCs that the two largest political entities in the city, Dakar’s Commerce League and the golem-making Ardoc family, have decided the reign of the Shadow Lodge within their walls is at an end. "Ardocs and I see this problem easily solved by the Pathfinder Society. You must track down the Shadow Lodge, find its headquarters, exterminate its members, and rid the city forever of the meddlesome organization. What say you?"
"Very well, I am glad you honor your bargains. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of the Shadow Lodge’s whereabouts, but that's why I have you...Enterprising little Pathfinders such as yourselves should have no problem tracking them down. You might try Downmarket or the Meatgate -- lots of eyes there may have seen something."
Not long after that, you all must be bagged, stuffed back into the wagon, and driven about the city again. After an hour, they’re dropped back at the same place from where they were taken -- except now you have a favor to fulfill.
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Hullric ponders while his head is bagged and when his head is uncovered he reveals what he pondered.
"Last time we wanted them to find us, but this time lets find them first and give them a juicy surprise. So I suggest we find that charming information broker and get some actual information out of him this time."
You have spent some time in Downmarket in the last adventure, which is basically a big outdoor bazaar that dominates the center of Kaer Maga. Meatgate is on the edge of the city in The Warrens district, which is a poor area of town. There are many butchers in that region, hence the name, as the herds are driven in here for slaughter.
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Carp, seemingly in a daze, as he takes much longer to recover from the enchantment magic cast on him by the rogue Shadow Lodge agent.
Once Hullric suggest that the group visit the information brokers, Carp seems to snap out of it. "Yes, we should look for some information. Perhaps we should visit that stout woman who was interested in you, Hullric. I'm sure that if she can be of assistance, then she will." he says, hoping the group agrees with him.
Eager for Hullric to see Roold again, you head back to the separately run-down area of town known as The Bottoms. It takes about an hour to carefully pick your way back to the sordid saloon with a charging bull on the fading signboard.
Inside, the place is unfortunately much like you left it. Dirty, smelly and home to some of them more unfortunate dregs of society, you see the lovely Roold sitting at the bar. Short, squat with a military buzz-cut and a face covered with tattoos, she grins a gap-toothed smile as you enter. "Well, I'll be damned! My masked man has returned to me! Come sit next to mama, darlin'!" She says, patting the stool next to her and emitting a foul-smelling belch.
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Ellie does her best to hold her breath and tongue around the saloon and its patrons. We can't get out of this place soon enough. I think we'd have more luck with the beggar. Hurry it up, friends, Ellie thinks, unfortunately aware of too many leering eyeballs.
"I won't get in your way," she offers sheepishly to Hullric.
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Hullric sits next to Roold "We meet again pretty. We must be drawn to each other. I would take you into the back and show you a time of your life. But at the moment, we have a mission to take care of. Of course, after that mission, I could be enticed to come back here and show you several new 'tricks'."
He chuckles before continuing on, "But business before pleasure. My compatriots and I need a bit of information. We hope you can provide that to us. We are looking for the Shadow Lodge's headquarters and hope you have a clue where we might look or even know where it is."
"Business before pleasure, I hate that. But I have heard about this Shadow Lodge, bad business. Don't know where their headquartered, yet, but one of my goons told me they ran into someone calling themselves Shadow Lodge in Meatgate the other day. Worth checking out, if I was you. Now how 'bout we slip in that back room and see what's what, eh?" She slams back a shot of something that passes for whiskey and winks at you with rheumy eyes. "I'm sure you got time before you have to run off to chase shadows. You can keep the mask on for all I care!"